So what exactly does this sentence mean?
As early as World War I, thermal weapons had occupied the main force of the battlefield. With the elimination of cold weapons, guns, cannons and other weapons with great lethality are used on a large scale on the battlefield. Known as the "World War I meat grinder", the Battle of Verdun caused more than 700,000 casualties among soldiers on both sides because planes, tanks and even phosgene suffocation bombs were used.
During World War II, with the development of science and technology, mankind made more advanced weapons.
Taking artillery as an example, the artillery known as "Little David" was the largest caliber artillery made during World War II. The main purpose of its manufacture is to help the Allies to break through German siegfried line.
The caliber of the gun is 9 14 mm and it weighs 65304 kg. The launched warhead weighs about 1700 kg. You can imagine what kind of scene and lethality it would be if this caliber gun, a bullet weighing 1700 kg, fell.
Therefore, for recruits who have just gone to war, artillery is what they fear most. One reason is that the noise generated by the explosion of shells is too loud, which easily scares recruits. Another reason is that many recruits will be hit by shrapnel because of their inexperience, and the casualty rate is high.
But for veterans, shells are not what they fear most. They are more afraid of machine guns. For an experienced veteran in the battlefield, the movement produced by shells is not enough to make them feel scared. Once a shell falls, these veterans will quickly find shelter to avoid the damage of shrapnel.
But machine gun bullets are hard to avoid, especially when charging. The enemy's firepower was dense for a while, and it was basically difficult not to get hurt.
But for soldiers, is it really like the above sentence?
In fact, there is another version of the above sentence. As the saying goes, "recruits are afraid of the number, and veterans are afraid of the whistle." Once the horn sounded on the battlefield, it meant that it was time to charge. The charge is really a little psychological pressure for the recruits who have just joined the war.
For veterans, charging on the battlefield is a piece of cake. What they are afraid of is actually the whistle.
Because a whistle means an emergency, no matter what you are doing, you must stop and gather at once.
As a soldier, defending the country is the greatest honor. Fear on the battlefield is nothing. They are not afraid of death. What really scares them is the responsibility on their shoulders and the pride in their hearts. They are afraid that they have failed the dignity of the country and soldiers.