December 15th, 1965
The hallmark of nearly twenty five years of nothing but war. A current stalemate of four world superpowers with little change since the fall of China and Britain. This followed the removal of Hitler from power, a coup from the Whermact realizing it's best chance from autonomy and the placing of a more 'proper' leader in charge of the power that was Nazi Germany. A council of three of the most respected Field Marshal's now leads the Reich. Field marshall Model, Erwin Rommel, and Von Rundstedt now ran the military, politics after purging the Nazi party of its rigid fanatics and darlings of the propaganda ministry. Gobbel's , Goring, and Himmler were tried alongside the Furher and hanged for treason against the german people. The excuse of the barbarity of Concentration camps were leaked to the public but those were not told that they were Jews but normal Germans. The rallying cry of the Whermact overthrew the S.S. and allowed a military dictatorship that was dubbed Iron Germany.
Even with the death of the major nazi politics in Germany World War II has not ended, without a base of operations to begin operation Neptune and Overlord The United States was unable to support and push the Axis forces of the new German Iron Cross, Fascist France, Spain, Finnish, and Italy in a long stalemate thanks to the Russian winter of 42 which crippled and slowed the German War Machine in a grueling war of attrition.
Following the capitulation of Britain the Chinese soon fell before Imperial Japan. It Isolated Russia from its nearest ally but with the power of the United States quickly rising in the Pacific the Japanese pulled back its conquest goals of the philippines and Australia to mainland China and India. The United States and the Soviet Union allies remain only allies because of circumstance but since those days they are merely in a state of non aggression after the U.S. discovered secret transmissions between the Soviet State and Imperial Japan leaking invasion plans and movements of the U.S. Pacific fleet.
The Soviets wanted a swift Victory against the Germans, but fearing U.S. Imperialism would spread from a victory against Japan and lead to capitalism's rise brought on by Stalin's fear of the West.
So the war isn't over, and has only grown more advanced in the way that being's kill each other as the evolution of warfare was changed and pushed into a rapid atomic and nuclear age. Though instead of becoming the weapon to end all wars they were compacted and compressed into devices that powered even more powerful weapons of war.
The Arms Suit, the next evolution of the Tank and the power that currently dominates the Eastern Front between the battles of the Soviet Union and Iron Germany.
The 502nd Panzer Abteilung currently rests their force of four schwere Waffenanzug (Heavy Arms Suit) or zweibeinige schwere Waffe (mobile bipedal weapon) Model VI, dubbed after its company's predecessor The waffen Tiger. Standing nearly eighteen meters tall, weighing almost 100 tons each, the armored frame built with heavy Track pads for rapid movement along its feet that could be alternated for bipedal movement and scaling terrain that would be otherwise impossible for normal tracked vehicles. Nearly human in shape and form except the enlarged hull or chest area that housed the five man crew. The driver, radio operator, loader, gunner, and commander. However, the most fearsome aspect of their machine was the long barrelled Eighty-Eight rifled main cannon, attached to the right arm and held up along the side of the hull to be hand loaded after each round was fired. The barrell nearly six meters long that could serve both a dual purpose anti armor and air weaponry.
A modified Flak weapon designed to shoot down aircraft had been fitted to the massive arms suit with a muzzle velocity of 1100 Meters per second, and unloaded a forty pound armor piercing or High explosive squash head round. The latter a gift from the colonized british scientists designs for the next generation of armored warfare.
This left only their small unit comprised of twenty men but the entire company comprised of the all important logistic units supplying fuel, munitions, support panzergrenadier infantry, and the most necessary unit the maintenance division.
The four units were currently spread out all over the area, a small bulkhead area around the area that was once Leningrad.
As the units relaxed in several burnt out structures, the infantry of the panzer grenadiers spread out in a network of interconnected trenches with cable lines dug back out to the main staging ground in a blackened forest area. Some taking the moment to relax against the dirt and capture a few moments of necessary sleep.
Those not sleeping were writing the letter to be sent back home, the others cleaning their Sturmgewehr Model III, MG 58's and schwere Rüstungsrakete (heavy armor rocket) a third generation Panzerschreck using a heavy barrel, two gunners, and a loader that fired a 122mm rocket weighing twenty five pounds. An effective close range anti arms suit weapon. One capable of even knocking out the massive Tiger Arms suit that their unit was supporting if fired optimally and penetrated.
Sitting behind a small pop up table sat the 502nd's commander Major Schroder, Captain Weber the platoon leader of the arms unit, and Leutnant Carius the subordinate executive officer.
Schroder looked over his map board, packets of paper and field notes running along the edges of these notes and troop movements and intelligence. A man well worn but still fresh to commanding, the company commander a young man only thirty four with a mess of dark black hair and brown eyes, though in comparison to those he was far their senior save Captain Weber who stood at his commander's side. The clean and pressed uniform still rimmed with the visor from training. Several medals hung over his breast pocket. They glinted in the sunlight exposing a perfectly shaven face with light brown hair and hazel eyes. Only twenty five in years his face didn't show the wear of his superior.
Leutnant Carius had his own map board, a tired and weary expression was held on his face. The black panzer uniform having faded, his pristine cap now worn and faded gray, the eagle and cockade that once stood proudly overtop had long fallen away. A mess of blonde hair and thick fuzz from a three o'clock shadow edged over his chin. The shortest in statue by only a few inches of his seniors, his size a moot point as he wore his iron cross first class over his chest, a paperclip fashioned out of field necessity, not need kept it secure.
"The front of the section is still weak, though we've reinforced the trenches the luftwaffe has reported a gathering of light and medium arms suites collecting several miles away." Schroder said pointing to a point of his field map, his finger trailing back over their own forces position. "We don't have the supplies to push forward, so we are to remain purely defensive. I want minimal fire and exposure even at night unless you can guarantee a hit."
Weber looked towards the lead unit's heavy arms suit. His personal vehicle, number 212. "I'll have my gunner and loader on shifts through the night."
"Carius? What about your unit and your other unit commanders?" Schroder addressed looking the young officer.
"213 is still undergoing repairs Delza is still working her men hard on getting it up and running but they said at least eight hours and it will be operational." Carius's personal unit was in need of heavy maintenance, the suspension and radiator needed to be replaced or at least fixed in a workable fashion. "I have Falma currently pulling security by this house here." Directing his gaze and finger on the map board to their position. "Chisa is currently holding our left flank, though I want to recheck her position, the wires might be too exposed from where we had her moved and cut off communication."
"That's fine Carius, take my Kubel and make sure they are ready. I don't expect the damn soviets to keep their shit tucked in forever and with them rolling aircraft overhead every night I know we should expect some sort of offensive soon. So I want our heavy units prepared for tonight and the following days." Schroder brought a hand to his forehead as he tried to look for anything else, looking back towards the rear although noting they had a heavy howitzer unit in their sector chances were they would be unable to provide support. Most units did not have the supplies to mount anything other than defensive actions, it was mostly the panzer grenadiers that were holding the front with some heavy MG's, mortars and infantry carried anti arms suit weapons. "I'll be maintaining comms with our command and notify you if anything become apparent."
Both Weber and Carius clicked their heels together. "Jawohl, Major."
Waving them off he collected his things and moved to a Opel truck that had coverings on it, a pitched radio stand in the back along with a cot for him to sleep on was all that the major had over the field troops.
Carius and Weber then both gathered their own belongings and went back to their unit. The young leutnant not bothering with the chain of command when it came to Weber as they walked past other soldiers. The pair did not often see eye to eye with one another but Weber owed a great deal of success to his younger xo who took action often without his approval and so long as Carius kept the unit in good graces he would be ill fated to tell him otherwise.
The men did not render salutes to the officers as they approached Weber's heavy arms suit. His crew resting on the ground, the grapple lifts hanging down by the legs as they could easily be hoisted and buckled down in a minute or less.
"Captain." One of the men said, the young loader Geets as he leaned his head against the road wheels for the arms suit's leg tracks.
Weber did not acknowledge the man as his eyes flickered towards his radio operator. A growing sore spot between the two officers.
"Weber, you are pushing your luck. Stop using your position to have your way with the green trainees." The young brown haired girl sleeping beside his driver another female.
"With how many women are on your crew and your relationship with Chisa do not try and lecture me in my choice of crew and what I do." Arrogant, vain, and a trumped up son of a bitch. The kind of weekend hunter who imagined just walking into the woods and shooting the deer that was there and owed to him. Fraternizing with other female officers kept him from being promoted to major of the company.
Carius was thankful that Schroder had been appointed the primary company commander and not Weber. Though he wouldn't let the comment about his other arms suit commander go, it was known that fiery Austrian redhead had a thing for men who had seen action. Though it came from perhaps her father's insistence of finding a strong husband.
"Chisa and I have had a platonic relationship, have we been close of course I am close will of my soldiers." The leutnant had built a bond with most of those he worked with.
"Next you'll tell me Delza and you were not a thing either?" Weber mocked knowing full well that there wasn't a man alive that could match that woman's sheer tenacity. She chewed but so thoroughly that most of those who worked under her barely fit in their uniforms.
"Bringing up a few month old memories again, considering we were on a train headed for paderborn and she managed to procure several bottles of schnapps on the way home you equate that to a relationship?"
Weber chuckled raising his hands up an apathetic gesture. "Whatever you say young Carius."
Keeping his composure Carius bit his verbal lashing from springing out. "By your leave then sir."
"Dismissed."
Turning on his heels, exhaling heavily through his nose the small arms unit officer let himself vent with a silent scream in his mind. Fucking good for nothing! Had I never made the recommendation for you to be the leader from our training camp at Paderborn you would've been left in the fucking dust without a promotion. He kicked an offending empty ammo case that landed in the vegetation with a clatter. Perhaps not his wisest move as it caused many heads to scurry for cover hearing clatter and rattle of metal.
Realizing his foolishness Carius knew that he had been goaded to well. Demonstrating how inexperienced he still was.
Tucking his cap tighter to his head and holding his map board in his left arm he made his way back to the staging point where his other crew was stationed. The arms unit commander for unit 415, 2nd lieutenant Eichorn. A teenager only nineteen years old, a short black ponytail holding his hair behind his gray overalls. A former assault gun operator, whose skills had earned him a promotion to the arms unit and right into Carius unit. Calm, cool, collected, a fine soldier and handsome young man. Compared to the scrawny Carius in size, Eichorn could be mistaken for the better officer by physical appearance.
But… "How's it going sir? Any good news?" Eichorn came out from behind the small lean to shelter. His gunner and driver still dozing in silence as his only female members, a radio operator and loader were cooking their meals.
Eichorn respected Carius far too much and owed a great deal of his success in the heavy arms unit to what he had learned from his senior.
Shaking his head, "No, Ivan will be up to something soon. Make sure you are ready to mount up when it happens."
Pulling out a pack of cigarettes Eichorn cursed offering one to his senior before putting one in his mouth. "Fucking bastards, they won't quit. If the country didn't have a fucking billion people we would've beaten them a long time ago."
I might've said the same thing but this is war, demonize, diminish, and degrade your opponent. It's a basic tactic, but a Billion people make no difference. China fell the Japanese and that was due to tenacity and ferocity, not numbers.
Lighting up his cigarette Carius took a look towards the front, observing just how things were now. "It would be nice if the war was over. Go back a live a normal life the best we could and try and forget all the shit we've been dragged through."
Eichorn waved out the match in his fingers as he nodded at Carius. "Yeah, but we know this war won't ever end. It won't come down to us, it'll fall to the Americans and the Japanese. They don't share a border, they don't kill each other every day like we have. They don't live the horrors of war…"
A blissful ignorant public, a world that never knew the horrors of Verdun, Belegrod, Lenningrad, Dunkirk, Africa… just how we turned a blind eye to those Nazi's and Hitler until we were stuck in this shit. They haven't realized that truth yet, following their leaders like blind children. Still believing this war is noble and just. For the sake of the free world.
He could see the faces of the panzer grenadiers as they tried to remain in the ground. Living for the peace, letting their sanity be mended in strands only to be pulled to its wits end by the reality and harshness of war.
"Well the fine ladies of 415 are preparing a small bounty provided to us by bean and water crates. If you'd like to join us leutnant." He chuckled as he received a snort from the two women.
"Thanks but I've got to look after my own crew first, then check in with Chisa then take a Kubel to retrieve 213 from Delza." Rolling his cigarette to the side of his mouth with his tongue the officer merely let the smoke slip out from his nose.
As the two men stood there for a moment enjoying the scene, "Commander! Commander!" A scrambling young private almost tripped, a fresh face and young man.
"Easy, easy. Calm down and don't go screaming like that you'll wake up Ivan." Carius turned to the man who shook his head still panting in deep labored breaths.
"Sir-! Radio traffic," taking another full breath. "The russians are getting active, sounds like their going to attack."
He was still wet behind the ears to the seasoned armor commanders in front of him. Carius smiled pulling his cigarette from his mouth. "Alright lad, no need to get riled up. Russian traffic usually increases sporadically. Unless you see movement from their lines don't come rushing out here like a madman and cause panic alright?" He patted him on the shoulder and turned him back towards the radio post. "I'll come and check the traffic just to make sure you have it verified by an officer."
"Thank you sir, but this isn't normal I wouldn't want to waste your time sir."
"It's alright, I have to head that way anyway." He turned back to Eichorn, "Take care and be ready."
"Sir." Eichorn clicked his heels with a grin before turning back to his arms suit looking forward to another shitty meal. Not that it was his crew's fault.
Carius turned ready to follow the small narrow Trench that had been laid behind his units lines. A secondary fall back point, one that he had been adamant about keeping, as the radio lines were accessible through the wires in two locations and not just one. Knowing how easy it was to cut off communications with one lucky bombardment. Something the russians were well versed in as they could roll up any gun through the damn woods and setup before his own people could even see them do it. Acknowledging the russians were quick learners of the gun line tactics that the German Army had developed long before the invasion of the Soviet union.
Keeping his cigarette in his mouth the officer ducked down into the trench following his way back towards the other position. Knowing that Chisa would be holding up the flank he had to be sure of their sight lines and cover.
A heavy rumble came from the rear of his lines as the leuntant turned his head to wonder what was coming though his mind could pick up the heavy grinding of treads that was only made by his style of arms suit. "Damn that woman, she could get anything working if she just has a damn wrench." Chuckling, and a bit pleased with his luck he pulled himself out of the Trench making his way towards the back of the anchored lines.
The heavy weight displaced by his behemoth suits could easy bog down in anything other than solid terrain. The army had layered wood and asphalt overtop each other to create a stable platform for the relocation of the heavy weaponry.
He stood just down the path his arms crossed over his chest with a cheeky grin on his face as he saw the woman sitting out the cupola. He offered her a tip of his hat as she slowed her pace. "Oi! Slow the fucker down alright. The little shits just down here." She cracked a broad grin as she grabbed the cable and dropped down from the side. "How's my favorite little fucker? Come to tell me I gotta fix more?"
The woman, though most might question her of that statement stood 6'08' a mess of blonde hair in a ponytail with blue eyes. Her hard demeanor replicated by her hard exterior, she would put most blacksmiths to shame if comparing size. A woman that could chew more ass out than a proper Sergeant was his field mechanics leader. Wearing his gray overall top like a bra that exposed her midriff and a pair of 'borrowed' black panzer trousers that happened to belong to the man she was speaking with. His mistake for changing and forgetting to grab them one day when their post was hit by a surprise air assault. Worn and used brown duty boots kicked were just as rugged as she was.
"How are you Delza?" The smaller man smiled as she laughed and brought an arm around him, crushing him into her chest like a proper bear would. Feeling the vertebrae in his back crack and pop as he was all but crushed against her.
"I'm good you little fucker. How are yah?" She laughed as he tried in vain to pull away from her iron handed grip. "Still not strong enough to pull away are yah? It's alright one day you might be able too." She laughed heartily before releasing him.
Carius sucked in a breath as he coughed. "Delza remind me to shoot the bull that must of plowed your mother." He shot back a grin as she glared down at him.
"Aint no bull, was non finer a man than my pah who could kill a bull with his bare hands." But her lips pressed into a grin as she patted him on the shoulder. "Got 213 all fixed up, pulled a bit of a nighter but she's all set to go. Just don't get stressing the transmission, they burn out with extended use, every forty minutes you slow that girl down or else it's gonna fry and I gotta walk my ass back up here with a heavy loaders to fix the damn thing that you shouldn't have broken alright!"
"Noted Delza," His lips fell a bit flatter as he looked at her. "How is you're old man?"
Delza released a sigh her hands going to her hips a slight shake of her head. "I haven't heard nothin. I suppose mom just don't want to tell me yet." Her father was currently recovering from a major wound, one that he did not ask about nor tried to pry about.
"I see, well I hope everything turns out well. But best I get this thing back into position and let you and your crew some rest."
She smiled before picking up Carius like he was a child before hugging him. "Take care you little fuck."
The officer didn't try and argue and gave her and embrace back. "You too Delza."
It was only a matter of time as both new, the front lines never truly knew peace. Only a prolonged experience of boredom until it sparked back up again.
