Then And Back Again

[F2d5thCav]

Harold felt cold and tired.  The watch was always long in the early hours of the morning, and he looked forward to being relieved.  At any rate, it was hard to see much.  Harold's forward observation post overlooked a valley.  Since he had arrived two weeks prior, he and his fellows had observed the valley and occasionally patrolled down to the edge of the broad creek at the bottom.  He had been surprised to realize the scuttlebutt had been correct. Things had been quiet along this part of the front.  And again, he thanked God it was not otherwise.  With a bit of luck, he thought, this war will end soon and I can go home.  As always, that thought calmed him a bit.

As overcast as it was, it was difficult to see down to the creek.  Trying to remain alert, Harold carefully opened a packet of sugar and emptied the contents into his mouth.  Swirling the sugar around in his mouth, the harsh sensation of sweetness gave him a small rush.  He closed his eyes and enjoyed a moment of escape.

Several kilometers to the east, cannoneers clad in field gray raptly watched their battery commander as he held a field telephone to his ear.  Then he straightened up and spoke into the telephone's mouthpiece.

"In Ordnung."

And with that terse phrase, he raised his right arm, stared at the cannoneers, and then his arm swiftly dropped.  All along the Schnee Eifel, and up and down the valley of the Our River, hundreds of artillery batteries, rocket launcher platoons, and mortar sections opened fire more or less simultaneously.  After months of positional warfare, the Germans were on the attack, hundreds of thousands strong.

~ ☼ ~