The Arrival of Reinforcements

Reinforcements arrive, including twenty-five younger recruits. The old hands, including Paul, Kropp, and Katczinsky, feel like veterans. Katczinsky, ever resourceful, shares his hoard of beef and beans with a hungry recruit, demonstrating his skill at scrounging. The men discuss the absurdities of military discipline, particularly the tyranny of non-commissioned officers like Himmelstoss, who tormented them during training.