Storm of Steel

On June 4, 1918, Jünger rejoins his regiment at Vracourt, receiving a hero’s welcome. As they rejoin the line, a haunting “carrion” smell reminds them of recent engagements. They take up an exposed position along the line, where they’re not allowed to entrench, but must stay on the offensive. Jünger spends much of his time sunbathing and feeling invulnerable, despite the ongoing shellfire. He also feels an unprecedented sense of fatigue and a loss of purpose. The war is a “puzzle” to him now.

During a rest period, Jünger has the opportunity to examine some shot-up tanks—what he calls “elephants of the technical war.” He also likens them to “huge helpless beetles” and feels sorry for the men who must traverse the countryside in them. The land is also dotted by downed planes, a further sign of the changing of the tide of warfare.

After weeks of very minimal gains and losses, Jünger is ordered to take some men on a mission to recapture a section of the trench that has been infiltrated by the British. Jünger is reluctant, and none of the men are eager to fight, but they obtain the objective. Nevertheless, the British are pressing ominously against their lines. Jünger narrowly avoids being shot by a sniper while reconnoitering one day, and on the cusp of another offensive, a number of men suffer terrible wounds from their own side’s shelling.

While attempting to retake another part of the trench, Jünger and his men face some fearsome New Zealanders in an unexpected bottleneck. They survive this, only to face a terrifying artillery barrage, which reduces the line to 15 men. They’re gratefully relieved a short time later. Jünger calls the enemy’s attacks a “storm of steel” that is only strengthening, thanks to draftees (like the New Zealanders) from all over the world.