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ADDITIONAL INFO |
Sniper in the Eye of Tiger
The German crewman stood up and looked out of the Tiger. Then there was a crack and a clang as the sniper hit the tank commander’s helmet. The commander ducked again, cursing the sniper who had them pinned in their immobilised tank for four hours. Even the tank repair crews had to pull back after losing four of their crewmen. The major was stuck in the Tiger and was desperate to get out and inform command; at the same time he wanted to avoid being captured by the Russians, since they knew all about the new thrust by the German forces. But he was also aware of the Russians’ anti-tank defences up front, which could decimate the German tanks. And although he was safe inside his tank for now, since the Russian infantry could not damage his Tiger at range, he knew the tank would not stand another all-out assault by the infantry. From inside the tank, Karl, his gunner asked if he wanted a cigarette. Suddenly, there was that crack again, and for a split second he thought the tank repair crew had come back. But when he heard the pinging sound of the bullet ricocheting inside the tank, and the groan that followed, he looked inside and there was Karl dying at his gun. Through the vision slit, he could see the sniper who killed Karl. And as he cursed him, he thought, "An excellent sniper. Pity he’s on the Russian side." Back at his post, Sniper sat down and took another drink of vodka and cursed the maker of such crap. He had the Tiger pinned down with his trusty STV-40. So far, he had killed four of the tank repair crew which had now withdrawn, and he may have killed one, possibly two of the Tiger crew. Sniper hoped reinforcements would arrive soon. But not infantry, since at least 20 men had already died trying to sneak up on the Tiger. He wished there was some way he could light up a fire, since he was freezing and dying for a cigarette. Sniper lay at his post for a few more hours until sundown. Luckily, it was a sniper’s moon so he manoeuvred around the tank to see its silhouette. Hours later, at about 3 AM, the tank’s crew sneaked out. They were about 10 metres away from the tank when the first crack rang out, the sound magnified by the night’s silence. The first man fell dead, and the whole crew dropped to the floor. Another shot rang out and there was a groan. Then all hell broke loose. The Germans had got some infantry through, and they were firing wildly. Sniper saw the flash in the distance and heard the distinctive sound of an MG-42. He took a couple of shots at the flashes, and there was silence. Then he sneaked out into the night, knowing that he had accomplished his mission .
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