So....My Tank Corps in Prussia...

[Commissar D, the Evil]

If every soldier had a gambling instinct, then W.F.’s was exceptionally developed. As a trained sniper he reacted at once, without showing the moral outrage that he deeply felt, when word filtered back to him about the latest Soviet "spam-shootings". Although a piece of shrapnel had taken a sizable bite out of his left leg, he found his conscience impossible to live with during his recuperation, once he had heard about what was "going on" at “the front”.

So he abandoned his pack and everything else he owned at the hospital, except for his rifle, its ammunition and a canteen and began crawling towards the deceptively welcoming embrace of battle, offering himself without a regret into the arena.

True, the inscription “Gott Mit Uns” on his belt buckle took more than a few scrapes and gouges as he literally dragged himself across the shattered brick and twisted iron bars embedded in the concrete rubble which were all that remained of Bad Frostberg’s Southern suburbs, but he fully expected to receive much more damage to himself in his self-sacrificial journey, than that inflicted by such merely inanimate obstacles.

And all this he suffered only to bring to bear his lone 98k with its attached sniper-scope against an overwhelming and, as it seemed to him, over-confidant enemy.

If anyone of any rank, even a Feldwebel assigned as a cook, had seen him, he would have undoubtedly been ordered back to the line at least and back to the hospital at worse. But no one looked for him in the failing light. Everyone had, as nightfall came, ducked into their own holes and shifted themselves towards the hearth-fires or the rare scent of ersatz coffee.

It was in those same sleepy, dark hours when he struggled into the natural space between the Armies. “No Man’s Land” was more than a name to a sniper. It was a refuge, a place far beyond any rank or duty. For years on the Ostfront, the difference between “no man’s land” and "safety", had been that shell-blown few hundred or few thousand meters between the opposing trench lines. But in this city, it existed only in half-meters and partially-destroyed buildings. A few dozen millimeters of a private garden, perhaps, or a few shadowed meters behind a broken white fence or, just maybe, that smoke-darkened corner behind the stove in a gutted kitchen.

As stubborn, thick-headed and murderous as he was, W.F. at least had the guiding belief that even one of God’s Holy Angels couldn’t find as perfect a hiding place and a shelter for killing another man as he could.

[Commissar D, the Evil]

In that same failing light, Tom had a most distasteful decision to make. The plan was to reach Ulrich on the other side of the city, but how to accomplish the same, without committing suicide, called for some hard reasoning. The obvious choice, because it was the safest, would be to head North and sneak South, then West. But that involved an obviously long and perilous route. Then of course, there did appear the really stupid, but very speedy, option of simply driving parallel to the city's Southern suburbs, which were crammed with Soviet tanks and men. That was such a dumb, scary option that Tom actually considered it momentarily, on the grounds that even the Guards Tank Corps wouldn't recognize any vehicle taking that route as being a possible enemy. No one could be that stupid, surely, even within their Bolshevik state of constant paranoia.

For a few seconds, he stared at his driver, the well-named Shadow, who only grinned back and winked at him. Tom frowned, knowing at once that the decision had been made for him by his impossibly inscrutable driver.

Without any more fuss, the white-painted Puma drove straight West, its eight tires throwing up thick plumes of virgin snow as the vehicle sped at top speed just South of the City and directly West across the picket lines of the entire Guards Tank Corps.

No one, Tom admonished himself, need ever know about this, even if they eventually succeeded in reaching their goal...............

[AAA]

Aha! A new years present from DCC But where is that missing commie regiment*, and what evil twist awaits us?



*missing commie tank regiments are often found at the bottom of swamps, where their optimistic / fanatic / foolish / callous commanders decided to force unfavorable terrain, or just plain failed to read a map properly (well, that is if stavka saw fit to issue them maps below divisional level). While East Prussia positively abounds with swamps, its doubtfull of course that the forum heroes will be so lucky, but hope dies last, no?

[Commissar D, the Evil]

Happy New Year AAA!!!!!!

You just hang on to that sled and don't run any races with T-34s!!!! I have good intel that the EviL Commissar would love to interrogate you personally!!!!!

Very Best,
David

[Tom Houlihan]

Davidov, all seems to be flowing quite well. Keep it up!

[Jager1945]

Kak Pahzchiviete' Commissar D, the EviL:

The Fall has been a long odessey into Winter, here in New England and in East Prussia. I hope your well and your future is paved with Gold and Gesundigkeit.

Vielen Grues und ein Glucklichem Neuen Jahr,

-Robert (Jaeger)

P.S. I always return for your stories and your historical accumen. Thanks again for such fine entertainment.
P.S.S. Please feel free to use my Nom de Guerre or pseudonym in your verbiage.

[Klaus_Arzt]

This story is fantastic!!! The best one that i've ever read. Few days ago I was just looking it through and got completely enthralled by it.
Great job David keep it up! I guess ultimately it should be a book or a screenplay for WW2 movie. In any case we are all looking forward to a next part.
All the Best and Happy New Year!!!

[Commissar D, the Evil]

Thanks Guys!!!!!

I look forward to introducing Leutnant Jaeger into the story!

Bestens,
David

[Tom Houlihan]

I guess ultimately it should be a book or a screenplay for WW2 movie.

Do you know anyone that can do animated movies? We have several FH Tales worthy of the task!!!!

[Commissar D, the Evil]

Just signing in folks to assure you that the next episodes are under consideration, so Lose No Faith!!!!!

Bestens,
David

[AAA]

Faith?

Considering it took 18 months to get this far, I assume those following have plenty of patience DCC . Besides, its not quite so harsh as following a prophet through the the desert for 40 years.

(you ain't nowhere young enough to drag this out for 40 years anyway DCC, so don't even think about it )

[Luftman129]

Faith? I've got faith. As a matter of fact, I'm sure you'll get it finished my friend. You find out who your friends are as Tracy Lawrence says!

Thanks,
Chris

[Commissar D, the Evil]

Considering it took 18 months to get this far, I assume those following have plenty of patience DCC

Point well taken.... Truth is, I never expected this project to take so long. In fact, if I had, I don't think I would have ever started it.

18 months.

I find this story somewhat depressing, as I know that it cannot end happily, if only because of history. And, since it is not my usual satire, I feel I can't break the tension with any sort of my usual joking around. I'm not offering this as an excuse, only a slight explanation.....

Bestens,
David (NEXT EPISODE: "The Fuhrer's orders and THE MEETING.")

[phylo_roadking]

as I know that it cannot end happily, if only because of history

That depends; you can have an ironic-happy ending...like them breaking out to the coast, and finding a ship heading back to Germany. Your last scene could be your Heores crowding the rail of the Wilhelm Gustloff waving goodbye to the Russians...

[Commissar D, the Evil]

Yeah, right, better to have the Forum Heroes fall in honest battle than to have them die on a doomed ship. I'm somewhat surprised at you Phylo. I expected better.........

Why don't you write your own story--"The Forum Heroes Board the Titanic"?

The loss of Prussia, including Danzig and certainty the "fortress" city of Konigsberg, was a great loss to Germany and I hate to see it casually mocked on this forum.

~D, the EviL