Chapter 80: Field Promotions
Ludwig returned to Saint Petersburg not long after, he was shaken up to be sure. But compared to when he was in the shelled-out village, whose name he could not even remember, he was much better off than he could have been.
The man was no doubt scarred for life. But not to the degree in which he might be considered disabled. Perhaps if he had stayed in the field for another battle or two, he would enter such a state. But luckily for him, Bruno had discharged him and sent him home.
After receiving a medal for distinction in combat, which came in the form of the Russian Cross for Saint George second class. Ludwig was overwhelmed with emotion. He had come to this hellscape seeking to gain glory on the battlefield and had returned as a literal war hero.
The wounds from shrapnel, bullets, and bayonets had ultimately been minor when compared to the silent injury to his mind. One which would not be a diagnosable condition for many years to come. But the price he had paid with blood here in Russia had taught him many life lessons.
It had been less than half a year since Ludwig had stepped foot on his first battlefield. A few months of that, less than a normal deployment abroad. And yet he had matured significantly in this time. It was said that one month on the battlefield was equal to a year in the outside world. And perhaps this was true.
Because Ludwig was a changed man. Any petty jealousy he had towards his younger brother was gone. Evaporated as if it was nothing more than a lingering memory, one which had quickly become one of the man's deepest regrets in life.
The bond which was forged in Tsaritsyn as Bruno and Ludwig fought side by side in the trenches was one that was greater than the one, they shared by having the same blood in their veins. When Bruno finally returned to Berlin, he would be surprised that it would not only be his wife and children waiting for him at the train station, but also Ludwig and his family.
But that was the end of Ludwig's story. At least for now... Instead, Bruno and Kurt remained on the battlefield. Pushing further into the Volga region as they dealt with the remnants of the Red Army in the region.
How did they deal with these Marxist revolutionaries? The same way which Bruno had in Saint Petersburg and Tsaritsyn. By killing them down to the last man. From the day Bruno had set himself on this course, one that was destined to clash with the Bolsheviks. He had resigned himself to deal with the enemy in a way that could be described by one simple phrase: "Kill them all!"
After taking Tsaritsyn, reinforcements and resupply came via the railway. Rotations had begun among the members of the Iron Division and the Red Army. Fresh faces from the German Reich, and the Russian heartland entered the field, with the haggard and battle worn soldiers who had endured months at war returning temporarily to a peaceful world free from the worries and suffering of combat.