Part 6/10:
As time passes, the extreme post-war food shortages lead to severe malnourishment among the German soldiers, complicating their already dangerous tasks. The young men find parts of their humanity slipping away, as demonstrated by their desperate actions, including Helmut's search for food in an abandoned barn where he mistakenly brings back contaminated grain.
The lowering of morale culminates in a tragic accident when a soldier, Vilhelm, loses his hands due to vomit causing an explosion. This devastating moment renders Carl’s methods and his previously indifferent stance toward the boys utterly inadequate when faced with the fragility of life they all confront.