Hale smiled as he watched his adversary fall from the tree. His jubilation was short lived as a bullet slammed into the log just a few inches from his head, “What the fuck?” He said as Maki pulled him down.
As Hale looked up at his Lieutenant looming over him with wide eyes Maki said, “Stay down, there must be another sniper out there!”
Tank guns, anti-tank rifles, rifles, and automatic weapons fire continued to create a horrible racket. Coming out of his shock Hale said, “Do you have any idea where the shot came from?”
Maki pointed up at the top of the log they hid behind and said, “The shot hit there. It struck slightly below the top of the log and deflected splinters toward you.”
“Which means it did not come from behind us.” Hale replied.
“If the sniper was set up to our west, one of us would be dead by now. Thankfully these Russian swine don’t stray too far from the safety of the road.” Maki added.
“Since the splinters flew toward us, the shot really couldn’t have come from the north or south.” Hale said.
“Which leaves one direction, east.” Maki said.
“East makes sense as that is the direction of the Soviet force. Could it have been a stray bullet that almost got lucky?” Hale asked.
Maki shrugged, “There is one way we can find out.”
Maki took off his white, fur covered hat, and drew his pukko blade from its sheath. He placed the hat on the curved blade and slowly raised it above the top of the log. A moment after the top of the hat passed above the threshold of the log, and became visible, a shot rang out and struck the log narrowly missing Maki’s hat.
Maki dropped his arm and plucked his hat from the end of the blade. He glanced in the direction of the village in time to see a large explosion engulf one of the buildings as a high explosive tank round struck it, “It’s a good thing the bastards haven’t brought up their artillery yet.”
“Why.” Hale asked.
“They could use it to level the village. Our men wouldn’t stand a chance.” Maki paused and sighted in frustration, “Never mind that for now. We’ve got to figure out where that second sniper is so we can get into this fight. Judging by that last explosion the Soviets are finally pressing home their attack. I wish we could see what was going on.”
“I have an idea.” Hale said.
Maki met Hale’s eyes and waited a few moments before impatiently blurting, “Well spit it out already.”
“I’ll shift positions. When I’m set, you can play that trick with your hat again. Hopefully the sniper will expose themselves to take the shot.” Hale proposed.
Maki pondered the idea for a few moments and then slowly nodded in understanding of Hale’s plan, “That seems logical.”
Hale flashed the Lieutenant a smile and then slowly began crawling to the north. When he reached the end of the log they were using for cover, he shifted his direction and began crawling to the west, directly away from the log. By staying low, he was able to use using log as cover. He quickly reached the nearest tree and paused for a moment. The sound of his heart beat thundered in his ears. The sniper didn’t see me. That means he is a bit to the south east of our position instead of straight east.
Here comes the hard part. He looked back and made eye contact with Maki who waved his PPD 34 above the log. Another shot rang out and struck the earth behind the Lieutenant. Maki quickly jerked his arm back behind the cover the log afforded.
Hale used the distraction to dash forward twenty feet and dove for cover behind another fallen tree. He took his rifle off his shoulder and made ready to shoot. I’m pretty sure the shot came from a position two hundred or so feet further north from the first sniper’s tree.
“I need one more distraction and I think I’ll have him.” Hale said loudly over the din of battle.
“You had better figure it out this time. These distractions are going to get me shot.” Maki fired back flippantly.
“I’ll get him this time. I swear.” Hale reassured.
Maki took his fur lined white cap off again, drew his pukko blade, and proceeded to slowly lift his hat above the top of the log so that it was visible to the sniper. Nothing happened. He moved the hat from side to side a bit, creating movement to attract the enemy sniper.
“Well, go ahead and shoot it already.” Hale said.
“I am trying, the bastard isn’t cooperating.” Maki fired back.
“Try harder!” Hale demanded.
“Fuck you too Private!” Maki roared in response.
Suddenly a shot rang out. Hale moved out from his hiding place and took aim at the position he thought the sniper occupied. There was no one there, “The fucker moved!” Hale yelled.
“Great! Any idea where he moved to?” Maki asked.
Another shot rang out. This one smacked into the tree trunk right next to Hale’s head with a dull thud. The young Finn jerked back under cover and yelled, “He’s on me now, can you see him?”
Maki raised his head and peered out from behind the log he was using as a hiding place. As he drew in the breath to yell no, a bullet slammed into the log sending small splintery bits into his face. Maki dropped to the earth a moment before a second shot rang out. This one missed the log and impacted into the ground behind him with a dull thud.
A moment after the sound of the second shot registered in Maki’s ears. A third shot rang out. After a brief pause Hale said, “Got him.”
“Are you sure this time? Are there anymore out there?” Maki asked and then added, “I don’t really feel like eating a bullet for lunch today.”
Hale removed his white, fur-lined cap, placed it on the end of his pukko, and stuck it out from behind the tree he was using as a hiding spot. He waved it back and forth trying to attract attention from the enemy. Nothing happened.
“I think that was all of them.” Hale said. Before he could continue, a pair of the Soviet T-28 tanks fired simultaneously into the village. Two wooden structures erupted into gouts of flame, as high explosive rounds tore into them, flinging bits of wood in all directions. A moment later the dull rumble of the anti-tank rifle responded to the salvo taking out another T-26.
With a roar, the brigade of Soviet infantry abandoned their positions behind the tanks, and trees and charged toward the village. The Finns responded with intense automatic weapons fire. A heavy machine gun fired continuously at the oncoming Russian horde. The bullets from this gun quickly zeroed in on the advancing wall of flesh. In the space of a few moments, the Finnish gun crew sent nearly a hundred Red Army soldiers to their party dictated afterlife.
Maki stood up and watched the advancing Soviets as they bore down on the village, “It’s too late, once those fuckers reach the village, our men won’t be able to hold.”
Before he could continue his lamentation, a series of explosions erupted, as the enemy drew within fifty feet of the village. The explosions sent shrapnel flying through the air. The metal fragments shredded the bodies of hundreds of advancing Russians. In reaction Maki started laughing.
“What is happening? Where are those explosions coming from?” Hale asked.
As the two men watched, the momentum of the attack broke and the men of the Red Army turned away from the village and fled. The pressure on the Finns relieved, the heavy machine gun was soon joined by automatic weapons fire, and single shot rifles. Many of the bullets found their way into the backs of the retreating Soviets before the tanks fired another salvo with their main guns at the Finnish line. The tanks quickly followed this up by laying down a suppressing fire into the village with their machine guns. This fire helped to protect the backs of their retreating comrades as they fled from the Finnish wall of lead.
“Here’s our chance to get into this fight. Grab your PPD 34, we’re going to put the bastards in a cross fire and cut them down so their yellow asses will keep running until they reach Leningrad.” Maki ordered.