“Almost there, Captain.”
“I know.”
Moments later, the T-34 climbed the embankment and came to a halt on level ground. I left the engine running. I felt the need to urinate. But first I took a long pull from the flask of vodka I kept in my parka. The raw heat of the liquid boiled within me and I passed the flask to Mischa, who put it to his thin lips. He handed it back to me and grinned.
“That might have been close,” he said.
I didn't think of what might have been but what was to be. I knew we weren't heading back across the ice. The General had a plan.
Rolf and Yuri drove across in a lorry with a number of other crews. All the next day, the river was busy with traffic, tanks, lorries, armoured cars and artillery. Three lines of traffic formed a crawling line of machinery. They had to
