Introduction
In June 1941, some six months before the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbour brought the USA into the Second World War, the USSR declared herself for Britain and her Empire, at a time when European states from Finland to Greece had been unable to stem the Nazi tide. This little tale is based on events recounted by Ovadi Savich, originally in Soviet War News.
Karelia, straddling northwest Russia and southeast Finland, was from June 1941 part of Germany’s Operation Barbarossa and the blockade of Leningrad.* The situation at the line of engagement was tense. Nikolai Kobzin and Pyotr Gridin, two signallers in the Red Army, were despatched to an abandoned village in no-mans-land to set up telephone wires so that vital intelligence could be relayed to headquarters; but the German artillery was barely 400 yards away, and every time the telephone lines went up, the Nazi guns brought them down again. A trench would have served them better, but the rocky soil of Karelia is hard.
It was as Nikolai was musing on the unforgiving ground that his eye fell on a manhole cover in the road. Could they pass the wires through the water system? There was no running water now, and the pipes were clear. Nikolai drew the cover aside and scrambled down into the dark. ‘Are you looking for a bomb-shelter?’ Pyotr called after him, puzzled. ‘Wait and see!’ came Nikolai’s voice from the depths. When he returned, disappointment was written on his face. ‘The pipes are too small for a man’ he said.
‘How about a cat?’ asked Piotr suddenly.* These events form part of the Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War. Three days after the Axis Powers (Germany and her allies) opened their campaign against the USSR, hitherto neutral, on June 22nd, 1941, Finland declared war on the USSR and invaded Karelia. Finnish and German forces managed to advance to within thirty miles of Leningrad (St Petersburg), and their blockade was an important factor in the horrific siege of the city which lasted from September 8th that year until January 27th, 1944. The Continuation War ended on September 19th, 1944, with the Moscow Armistice.
Précis
During the Second World War, two Red Army signallers were trying to establish telephone communications in no-mans-land. Constant bombardment by the Germans and the rocky soil of Karelia defeated every attempt, until Nikolai thought of using the water mains underground. But he was defeated again, as the pipes were too narrow to crawl through. Then Piotr suggested using a cat. (60 / 60 words)
During the Second World War, two Red Army signallers were trying to establish telephone communications in no-mans-land. Constant bombardment by the Germans and the rocky soil of Karelia defeated every attempt, until Nikolai thought of using the water mains underground. But he was defeated again, as the pipes were too narrow to crawl through. Then Piotr suggested using a cat.
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Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, despite, must, not, or, otherwise, ought, whether.
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Why did Nikolai climb down into the water main?
Suggestion
To see how narrow the pipes were. (7 words)
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
They needed a trench. The ground was stony. They could not dig.
Variation: Try rewriting your sentence so that it uses one or more of these words: 1. Impossible 2. Owing 3. Prevent