The Forgotten General
Chapter 1: The World Turns
Stahl's transcript #087
March 12th 1938.
I was invited to become a member of the National Socialist Party today; though, I do not care much for the party's concepts I was guaranteed a position as a High ranking officer in the joint chiefs of staff if I were to join. I was guaranteed a position because of my dossier, with its numerous awards and decorations of service and achievements for when I was given commanded of Austro-Hungarian forces in 1915.
My guess is the newly reformed German High Command want's to have new Officers with real combat experience...
I decided to take accept, given the face I was given the rank of Colonel as soon as I agreed to join. I had hoped for a more permanent rank considering my previous abilities in combat, but... at least it will allow me some form of command again.
My first orders were to go and inspect some new recruits that had recently joined the 47th Grupenherr Panzer Battalion stationed at Fulda.
2pm, was the time when the new recruits were supposed to have a parade in front of the officer's barracks. I was given orders that all new recruits were to be on parade at the exact time specified and not a minute late.
Drill instructor on the list of mandates today.
March 19th 1938.
Not much has happened since I re-joined the armed services. I have been inspecting fresh troops for the past few day's now. I thought I would be planning more methodical procedures, regarding new engagement tactics and expanding the armed forces.
Now I am stuck here inspecting soldiers while the other higher ranking officers sit on their asses all day, with no courtesy to inspect their own troops.
Thing's have not changed as much as I once thought.
April 15th 1938.
The Führer came to the base where I was stationed today. I overhead some of the Chief of Staff talking about how the Führer wanted to personally inspect his Nations new recruit's, stating that they were to be ready, and prepared for deployment at a moment's notice.
I passed this notion off, thinking it would be another one of the Führer's mass military parades again and chargon. There had been two in the past month alone.
I returned to my quarters where I shared a quarters next to another officer.
His name was Wolfram von Manfred, he also held the positional rank of Colonel, but we all knew how he got it; he held that rank because of his father, his father managed to pull a few string's to give his only son a rank of somewhat decent worth.
The man had no battlefield experience of any kind, or any kind of formal training, hell; he hadn't even fired a gun.
It seems these new supermen don't even know what war is. The smell of gunpowder, the stench of burning corpses... I long for those days to return.
August 12th 1938.
Several months have passed since I had last written anything down.
Since joining this "Greater Germanic Reich" to which, it has been known to be called, I have witnessed massive indoctrination of the German people, civil unrest by these "lesser beings". Jew's seem to be the main target for Hitler's "Nazi's", but I find this internal confilct is somewhat obscuring the true vision of the Future.
If Hitler is planning to go to war, he'd better start training his men, instead of having them running around terrorizing peasants.
10th November 1938.
I had just finished training the recently formed 45th Infantry division when I received orders to move the division to Berlin.
While I was informing the men of our now never ending changing of orders, a messenger informed me that the good Colonel Wolfram wanted to speak to me.
From what the message contained, the Sturmabteilung had made it their business to ensure that all Synagogues and Jewish businesses be ransacked and burnt to the ground.
"Just great", I thought to myself, always dealing with internal affairs again.
11th November 1938.
Dam! These riots are getting out of control.
I cannot believe the whole dam division was moved to Berlin just because the bloody Sturmabteilung were pillaging and rioting all around Berlin.
I don't know whether I'm more annoyed with the fact that I had to move the whole division just to stop some damned riot's, or the fact that I followed my orders to the letter and I was the one accused of letting these riots happen.
Why the fuck did I decide to help this country.
December 25th 1938.
Christmas in Germany, what more should I say about this pointless holiday in today's Germany.
All the troops serving under my command have been denied leave. I have made sure that all guards at the base are to stop and detain any soldier attempting to leave without express clearance from me.
They are to train hard and keep their minds focused on their training.
I will train them as hard as I see fit so that they can become the best soldiers I need them to be.
May 15th 1939.
Months have passed, but I have finally received some interesting news. The Führer plans to invade Poland on the 1st of September of this very year.
This means we can use our new mechanized vehicles; this is the perfect time also to test out our newly restored air force.
The Pols won't even know what hit them.
August 13th 1939.
A small entry today.
I saw Wolfram outside the Chief of Staff's offices, he seemed in high spirits, about what? I don't know, but I was about to find out.
Current Day:
A few minutes had passed as I stand in silence in the long hallways of the officer's building.
As I stand I hear the ol too familiar sound of Wolfram's boots, hitting the floor as he takes his grandiose struts, as if importance radiants out of his ass.
"I'm going to be commanding the 2nd Panzer division" Wolfram proclaims with his arms crossed with affirmed smile.
"And why would that be?" Stahl questions, while while rolling his eyes to canter away from Wolfram's direction.
"For the Invasion?!" Wolfram says with annoyance.
Bringing a closed fist to his throat, following with a quick couch, "What invasion?" Stahl said with a grin, his face obscured with a closed fist.
"POLAND, IT'S FOR THE FUCKING INVASION OF POLAND". Wolfram said with a quick and aggressive tone, staring at his adversary with dirty bright blue eyes.
After putting a finger in his right ear, and after wriggling it around as if to remove something from inside Stahl began to speak with a clam but cold tone of voice.
"And you Colonel...have just told everyone in here what our plans are for Poland". Stahl retorts, finishing his statement with a grin.
Wolfram, now with a glare, showing in his face, something similar to what you could call anger, he places his hand inside the front of his tunic, and begins to pull something out.
Stahl, not showing any change in demeanor, begins to squint his eyes to narrow down on Wolfram's hand.
Without warning, Stahl motions with his hand to Manfreds pocket and pronounces
"Hand me my orders already, I haven't got all day".
Manfred stops moving his hand, his head moves and his eyes yet again lock with Stahl's.
How did you know I was reaching for your orders, you can't se..."
Stahl's eyes begin to squint further.
"Yes well, here they are, I suggest you go over them". Manfred says in with an over prideful tone.
Placing his hand out, Wolfram hands Stahl his orders.
Stahl, still with his gaze affixed to Wolframs head, raises a hand and takes the orders out of Wolfram's hand.
"Noted Colonel... and...er...you're dismissed" Stahl states with an authoritative tone of voice.
Having just been spoken to as if a lowly peon, Wolfram flairs his face and begins to walk off, still keeping to his pompous walk, clearly, his ego was hurting.
After Wolfram had finally disappeared as he went around the corner at the end of the corridor, Stahl averted his gaze from the corridor to the thick brown envelope in his hand.
"My orders ey?" Stahl said allowed.
The envelope was a lowly brown with nothing of much note on the outside, the only thing printed on the front is:
Order: BD #147
And a black seal stamped on the back.
After breaking the seal, and peering at his new orders the new orders read:
BD - your new orders are to support the newly formed 2nd Panzer division commanded by Colonel Wolfram von Manfred, the 73rd Infantry division Commanded by General Friedrich von Rabenau and the 2nd Motorized division Commanded by General Paul Bader.
You are hereby given command of the fully resorted German Air force that will be fully operational in time for the invasion.
You will henceforth be given overall command of 1/3 of the total number of aircraft as part of the Poland Campaign.
Aircraft include: 217 - Messerschmitt Bf 109 - Fighter.
347 - Junkers JU 87 - Dive Bomber.
211 - Heinkel He 111 - Medium Bomber
You are tasked with knocking out any gun emplacements and fortifications in and around Poland that are in your zone of operation; this is to ensure that the forces commanded by von Manfred, von Rabenau and Bader can pass through Polish defences.
You having been given this responsibility because of your previous experience and service.
However... we know of your last instance the last time you was in combat, and we will not hesitate to...
"I don't think so" Stahl hutters as he lifts his head and slams the file shut.
As he looks over to one of the many windows, he begins to walk.
He peers outside, seeing the many troops march by, hearing their boots smack in tandem against the hard summers floor, the sound of tanks grinding on the concrete, the sound of planes roaring overhead.
Unfazed, he smiles, a grin forming at the right side of his face, his gaze tight, his eyes slit.
"No longer am I waiting, no longer am I just inspecting troops, no more marching them up and down the winding streets of Berlin in endless neverending circles, not anymore!"
"Tomorrow I begin my story... to take my last steps and to mark the final chapter of my life" His smile deepens more, as his eyes burn with a desire for fire.
"Everyone will fear me again!"
"Polish... and German alike!".