Making Bombs for Hitler

In the next room, a table holds metal bowls made in the factory, cylindrical tubes, metal straw-like material, a hammer, a scale, and a barrel of Schießpulver—gunpowder. Lida is horrified to learn they will be assembling bombs for their enemies when they have been praying that the Allies will win and defeat Hitler, free them from slavery, and fight Stalin. The female supervisor explains the girls were chosen because of their “deft fingers.” She shows them how to assemble the pieces and warns them against sabotage: A man behind a hardened glass partition is supervising them. If there is an explosion, they will die, but the rest of the factory will be unaffected.

The female supervisor observes them closely. Lida measures the explosive powder. Bibi inserts a fuse. Zenia inserts Kordit, or cordite, an explosive propellant. Kataryna tightens all the elements together. Mary uses a hammer-like machine to seal the pieces in place. While Mary works, Natalia sprays icy liquid over the bomb to keep it cool. They eat lunch together, separated from the rest of the factory. The man who brings their lunch has extra Russian soup left. Lida asks him for it, but he pours it down the toilet. Lida weeps at his cruelty. As the girls continue gingerly making the bombs, Lida wonders how many people their work will kill. The fill a rack with bombs by day’s end. Returning to camp, Lida hears American bomb strikes, and wonders who makes American bombs. Juli tells Lida that Luka has escaped from the hospital. Lida is excited and hopeful for Luka, and she and Zenia wonder if they could escape.

Lida hears Allied bombers at night and dreams of bombs, including one in Larissa’s arms. She still worries about who is being hurt by the bombs they make, but the girls slowly get used to the work. One Sunday evening when they gather in the washhouse, Natalia shares a packet of brown sugar she smuggled into camp. The treat is wonderful but makes Lida remember the Nazi woman who gave her candy for information: Lida wonders if her grandmother would still be alive had Lida refused the candy. The sugar reminds Zenia of gunpowder. Natalia and Kataryna wonder if they could smuggle dirt into the factory and substitute it for gunpowder. Kataryna thinks she could finesse the hammer machine and make the bombs fall apart, but Lida notes they are constantly watched.

Allied bombing increases. Lida hears rumors that other German cities are rubble, and the Nazis are retreating. She sees more refugees in the city. Policemen at the camp quit, and those that remain are meaner. Officer Schmidt shoots a prisoner for irritating him. One evening, Juli emotionally gives Lida a pair of women’s shoes. Lida is thankful until she sees a truck full of dead bodies. Most were new prisoners from another workcamp that the Nazis evacuated by train before the Soviets could liberate it. Officer Schmidt thought they were not useful and ordered the Russian soup poisoned—murdering all the OST workers in camp. Had Lida been there, she would have died. Lida feels guilty for benefiting from someone’s death, and vows revenge on the Nazis.

As 1944 arrives, Lida recalls the last new year when she was safe with Larissa and her grandmother. Although she did not have her parents or much to eat, she had love. Lida thinks she should have been more thankful. The war is going badly for the Nazis. German supervisors do not show up at the factory and are replaced by housewives and Hitler Youth. The man who supervises the girls’ bomb-making does not watch them carefully and is often gone for hours. The girls use this opportunity to sabotage the bombs: substituting dirt for gunpowder or wetting the gunpowder so it is useless. Inside the bombs, they leave notes supporting the Allies. Lida feels empowered. One day, the supervisor arrives late, packs up, and leaves. Later, a bomb falls through the roof of the girls’ lunchroom and embeds in the wooden table. Lida orders them to run. They escape across the catwalk to the factory before the bomb explodes. The girls have cuts and scrapes, and Kataryna hurt her ankle, but they are alive. Much of the factory is destroyed, including their workroom. Lida worries what will happen when officers realize the explosion should have been bigger if their bombs were functional.

Outside, a Nazi officer in a gleaming uniform appears and organizes the emergency response. A blonde woman calls out from a car behind him, and Lida sees two blonde girls peek out of the car’s open window. One looks like Larissa. The girl meets Lida’s eyes and seems to recognize Lida—her arms reach out. Lida waves, the girl waves back, and the car window rolls up. Lida wonders if it was Larissa.

The girls return to camp. Lida thinks about Larissa, possibly—horribly—living as a Nazi. A bomb hits the train and smoke fills their locked car. A young Hitler Youth lets the girls out. Mary and Bibi rip off their OST badges and run away. Lida wonders if she, Zenia, Natalia, and Kataryna should also escape, but knows there is nowhere to run to, and they could be shot. They return to camp to discover that it was bombed, and buildings are on fire. Juli is glad they are alive. She takes them to the hospital. Juli treats their wounds and other injured workers since the medical staff ran away. Barracks 7 is in ruins, as is the laundry. Inge is dead. The officers’ Kantine is on fire, but Officer Schmidt shoots anyone who tries to steal food. He is one of the only Nazis left guarding the camp. Juli says the Nazis are retreating and the Front is advancing. Zenia, Natalia, and Kataryna sleep while Lida watches Juli to the wounded.

When Juli finishes, she enters the doctor’s office and retrieves a pistol. Lida is stunned. Juli walks out into the compound and shoots, hitting Officer Schmidt. Juli shoots again and misses. He returns fire, fatally hitting Juli as she shoots a third time, hitting and killing him. Before dying, Juli tells Lida to flee. Lida is devastated. She closes Juli’s eyes and says a prayer. Lida, not wanting to waste Juli’s sacrifice, returns to the hospital hoping the other girls will escape with her. A Hitler Youth intercepts her.