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The sun had long since set, but it was still light outside, though not quite as bright as further north in Russia at this time. In these lands of the south, evening came earlier and faster, the light gradually faded, and the air grew thick like smoke rising from the scorched earth and turning into the mists of twilight.
Soon it was completely dark. A new moon hung over the edge of the air base. There was a murmur of vehicle engines in the darkness on the airfield. The ground was dimly lit by the trucks’ headlights, shielded in accordance with the blackout rules. Jeeps and heavy Studebakers moved around the base. The personnel worked silently and deftly. Even in the dark, one could sense a distinct anxiety and tenseness. In accordance with their earlier agreement, the American and the
