“The true ardour is a quest, not an impulse, a passion, a hunter’s instinct.”
François CHENG
[15 June 1940]
[Loire]
BTOOOM
Mortar fell not far from the camp, projecting debris on the soldier keeping watch on the bridge.
At the entrance of the camp, a man equipped with a radio ran in a tent.
“Sir, the Nazi are at the bridge, we can’t push them back.”
An officer was sitting in a tent, looking at a map. Since the beginning of the war, the French soldier kept on losing battle because of some stupid brass refusing to listen to the advice of the men on the front.
“What about the 27 battalion? Are they still on the other side?”
The soldier nodded. The fact that they were still alive until now was thank to this battalion. With their knowledge of guerrilla, they helped them keeping the Nazi at bay. The officer sighed and looked at the map again.
“Send them a message, tell them to keep their position and buy us time. We need to join the 8 regiment.”
The soldier was a bit taken by surprise.
“But sir, it’s like ordering them to die! They are not more than a hundred and have no heavy weapon to face the first Panzerdivision.”
The officer punched the table and stood up.
“You think I don’t know??? You think I don’t understand??? We have no choice! In front of us, the first Panzerdivision, at the north, a battalion of waffen SS and to the south, the troops of Mussolini. Our only hope is to join La Rochelle and embark with the rest of our army.”
The soldier stared blankly at the ground. He already knew that but abandoning his fellow soldier to a certain death made him feel horrible.
“Give them the order… and announce our troop that we are going to La Rochelle.”
The officer sat and massaged his forehead. He didn’t want to do that but if no one stood here to cover their retreat, everything they did until now would go to waste.
[In a building on the other side of the bridge]
“Are you sure sure about the orders? Yes? Don’t worry, I understand, it’s not your fault.”
The major was at the radio while his men were at the windows on different buildings, keeping watch on the street leading to the bridge.
“Hey lionel, what do you think about the orders?”
The sniper put down his gun and looked at his chief that had a gloomy look.
“We are doomed. I bet the lieutenant will retreat while we’ll have to keep fighting to give them a bit more time.”
The man with the binoculars put them down and laughed awkwardly.
“Dude, don’t say that. They can’t give such heartless order…. I think.”
“Meh, not like I care anyway.”
“Don’t say that, what about your family?”
“Died on the first days of the war on the border.”
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“A girlfriend?”
“Cheated on me with my childhood friend, caught them when we came back from the training three years ago. Some of my civilian friend told me they knew about it and it was way older than that but never dared to tell me.”
“Dude…. Are you some kind of black cat? Anyway, I bet my last cigar that we won’t die tonight.”
“Challenge accepted.”
As they talked the major called all his men and grouped them in the hall of a half destroyed hotel. They were all looking tired. It has been days since they had some time to rest.
The major looked at his men and sighed.
“Men, I have bad news and a good news. Which one first?”
The men looked at each other and then at their chief. A man in his forty took a step forward and spoke, it was Lionel.
“The bad one sir.”
The major looked at him.
“The higher up want us to keep the Nazi from chasing them and order us to stay behind to cover their retreat.”
The men began to talk between them and the sound of chatter began to cover the voice of the major.
“SILENCE!”
They stopped talking and looked at their chief. Lionel looked at him and spoke again.
“What about the good one?”
The major smiled and spoke higher.
“Tonight we show them why they should fear the 27.”
The men yelled in unison. Since they will die, at least they wouldn’t die without taking some of them with them.
When the laughter stopped, the major ordered them and gave them new mission and position. Lionel had to go on the roof of the building with his friend Alain to snipe at the turrets on the tanks.
As he was adjusting his sight, alain sat next to him.
“Guess you won, take it.”
Lionel took the cigar and lit it. After taking a few puff of the cigar gave it to Alain.
“HA! I knew you weren’t heartless.”
“Keep telling you that. Wait don’t you hear that?”
“hear what?”
He took is sniper and looked around to found nothing.
“Don’t you hear it? You know the same sound as a falling bomb.”
Alain stopped talking and listened. The sound was getting louder.
“Holy shit, mor… !”
He couldn’t finish his sentence. A bomb fell on them, ending their lifes in a few second. After this explosion, other were heard on the other spot where their friends were placed. The Nazi’s mortar kept on shooting, destroying the buildings near the bridge. The 27 battalion men still alive fired at the Nazi but, hiding behind the tanks, the mortar were untouchable.
The fight ended in one day, killing every man from the 27 battalion. Luckily the men that were retreating managed to reach la Rochelle thus their sacrifice wasn’t in vain.