Chapter 8

"Battle alert! Battle alert! ~~~~"

A series of urgent shouts jolted me awake from my sleep, and I sat up. I saw the female soldiers, who had also been awakened from their sleep, hurriedly putting on their clothes, jumping into their shoes, and then hastily grabbing their steel helmets from beside their pillows and placing them on their heads, before running out with their rifles. I had lain down fully dressed, so I quickly put on my steel helmet and shoes and followed them out.

After the female soldiers ran out of the wooden house, they quickly took their positions at the artillery. I ran to the first gun position and saw them skillfully removing the camouflage from the anti-aircraft machine gun and loading the bullets. Jeanne was sitting in the seat, turning the handle to rotate the machine gun, trying to lock onto the enemy aircraft through the sight.

I stood there somewhat at a loss, unsure how to command them in battle. After all, although the former Lidia had been a squad leader, she had always been a shooter in the platoon and had never commanded a battle, so there was no command experience in her mind for me to draw upon.

While in the hospital, my once near-native Russian proficiency had significantly regressed as my injuries gradually improved, leading to increasing communication barriers with Vera. Often, I couldn't understand what she was saying, and she couldn't understand the new terms I occasionally used, such as television, computer, and internet. To avoid being exposed, I subconsciously reduced the number of times I spoke to others, trying to make others believe that I was originally a quiet person.

After arriving at this high ground last night, I spent a long time wandering around the positions with the deputy platoon leader and a few squad leaders, not returning to the wooden house until late at night. The purpose was to avoid directly facing the dozens of female soldiers in the platoon, fearing they would pester me with questions. The more I talked, the more likely I was to reveal my true identity.

After wandering around the positions for a few hours, I gained quite a bit. I guessed that Katerina also believed I had obtained my current position through connections and was deeply afraid that I was unfamiliar with the weapons. When we came to the anti-aircraft machine gun, she specially touched the gun and patiently explained to me: "This is a 14.5mm quad anti-aircraft machine gun, consisting of four 14.5mm anti-aircraft machine guns. It is composed of the gun body, sight, gun mount, and a four-wheeled double-axis carriage, towed by a car." Although I didn't understand many of the terms she used, I guessed the content of her explanation based on the parts she pointed to. "The rate of fire is 600 rounds per minute, with an effective range of 2000 meters. It is equipped with two ammunition boxes, each containing 150 rounds. ..."

"First gun position, prepare to fire." A sudden voice interrupted my thoughts. Deputy platoon leader Katerina saw me standing by the gun position, silent and dazed, and assumed I was frightened. She took over my command position and issued orders to the various gun positions.

The disturbance to our sleep was a German reconnaissance aircraft circling over the high ground. The muzzles of our anti-aircraft machine guns pointed skyward. The female soldiers skillfully operated the machine guns, following the reconnaissance aircraft as Katerina gave orders. The reconnaissance aircraft flapped its wings and climbed to a height beyond the reach of the machine guns, as if deliberately taunting us, circling the high ground with impunity.

"Fire!" Katerina decisively issued the order to open fire.

Jeanne stepped on the gun trigger, and bullets rained into the sky. Shell casings danced and splashed to the ground.

"Second gun position, third gun position, adjust the lead, fire!" Seeing that the first gun position's attack was ineffective, Katerina issued a series of new orders without hesitation.

The second and third gun positions also fired a dense barrage of bullets.

The reconnaissance aircraft flapped its wings, climbed higher, and escaped the dangerous sky. However, it did not fly far and continued to circle at a higher altitude.

Seeing the arrogant reconnaissance aircraft, I couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. I walked to Jeanne's side and patted her shoulder: "Jeanne, let me try."

Jeanne's face showed surprise, but she moved from the seat and let me take the operator's position. Although I was gradually losing Lidia's original language skills, the military skills she possessed were still available to me. I turned the machine gun, and the gun body followed the movement of the enemy aircraft. After a few turns, I became proficient in using this weapon I had never used before.

"Comrade platoon leader, ammunition loaded." Jeanne reported to me from the side.

I nodded calmly and continued to try to lock onto the arrogant enemy aircraft through the sight. At that moment, I suddenly felt the position was silent, as if everyone was waiting for me.

"Bring it down." Katerina encouraged me.

I nodded steadily, focusing on aiming at the enemy aircraft. The sight repeatedly framed the enemy aircraft, but due to the range, I did not fire, continuing to patiently track the target.

"Height 1500." Katerina observed through the binoculars and reported. "Height 1500." Jeanne repeated loudly.

"Height 1300!" "Height 1300!"

I pressed the gun trigger, slowly and steadily.

"Height 1100!" "Height 1100!"

I bit my lip, patiently turning the gun body, and the crosshairs of the sight precisely framed the enemy aircraft.

"Height 900! Fire!" "Fire!"

The enemy aircraft grew larger and clearer. "Die! ~~~~" I couldn't help but shout in Chinese.

Then I fiercely pressed the gun trigger, and a series of bullets shot out of the muzzle, aiming at the enemy aircraft. As I continuously pressed the gun trigger, a dense barrage of bullets rained into the sky.

The tail of the enemy aircraft trailed a long black smoke, made a large turn in the air, and fled in the direction of the German position.

"Hit it, hit it!" Jeanne was the first to jump up, shouting wildly, followed by the screams and cheers of the female soldiers on the position.

The first battle of the anti-aircraft machine gun platoon on the unnamed high ground ended with the wounding of an enemy aircraft.

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