Warning!
This is a Theater of War fanfic.
Unless you have read Theater of War Acts 1-4, it´s no idea reading this story,
for I´m picking up where Eva – so far – has left off.
For those of you who have read TOW:
I just want to tell you a story of love and war. And peace.
I do not claim to be equally historically accurate the way we are used to in Eva´s work.
In some cases, I even deliberately ignored her knowledge of ww2-reality,
and created my own setting.
Therefore, this story should be regarded for what it is: fiction.
A complementary advice:
It might be a good idea to keep an eye on the story Chameleon Fever as well;
at least until the point where you´ll find out Oskar Danzig´s true identity.
Otherwise you are going to be in for a major, pretty much unexplained character shock
by the time we´ll get to chapter 5 of
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THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELBURG
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A Theater of War fanfic
written and published with Eva Seifert´s permission
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"Colonel Hogan, I think we have a problem."
Hogan raised his eyebrows at the approaching Kommandant.
"I have just been speaking to one of my contacts in Berlin. Apparently, the Führer is serious about his scorched earth policy: he is ordering bombing-raids all over the country hoping the Allies won´t bother to take over any scorched part of dirt."
"Sounds like he´s getting desperate," Hogan observed.
"Yes. But the problem is: Hamelburg is one of tonight´s targets."
Hogan winced. "Hamelburg?! What could possibly interest him in a burnt down and nearly deserted little country-town? With not even any industrial activity left?!"
Klink was silent.
"His brains are even more scrambled than I thought!" Hogan muttered. "So what do we do now? Locked up in this valley, surrounded by a Nazi panzer division on one side and an Allied army closing in on the other...?"
"Yes." Klink sighed. "It seems I have outsmarted myself; I didn´t consider anyone would be foolish enough to have a few bombing-raids here with the sole purpose of destroying anything that may be left." He sighed. "But there is a way out. But we´ll have to act quickly."
Hogan nodded. "What do you want me to do?"
Funny, so natural it seemed to leave the initiative and the command to this man he once openly ridiculed and despised. But it felt right. Wilhelm Klink knew what he was doing.
"Get the prisoners ready to evacuate. Pass out a Red Cross package to each man; the rest we´ll save for the townspeople, and we´ll leave behind what is left. The sick will have to be carried on stretchers, for our way out is not an easy one. Further I´d like you to gather a couple of dozen men to help with the evacuation of the town´s hospital."
Hogan nodded. "We´ll do."
"I´ll go into town now to get things organized there," Klink continued. "And I´d like you and a few of your men to join me there as soon as you can be missed here. I was hoping to entrust the evacuation of the orphanage to you."
Hogan frowned. "The orphanage? But we´re not even supposed to come into town!"
Klink sighed. "I know. But I can´t do everything on my own. Civilians in a country-town tend to be more difficult to inform and get organized than a camp of soldiers. I´m hoping the children will be more willing to accept you for who you are, without linking you to the likes of Randall."
"Okay. What time do you want us to be ready? And where do we go?"
"We´ll have to be out of the area no later than sunset." Klink checked his watch. "Shall we say 3.30 at the south end of the Hamelburg bridge?"
That would give them less than three hours.
Hogan nodded. "Roger." It could be done, if they worked smoothly and efficiently.
"Allright. See you in town then," Klink said before he hurried off to the motorpool.
Hogan quickly gathered his captains, and the five men entered his office in barracks 2 before Klink had turned out of the main gate.
Hogan explained in a few lines what he had just heard from Klink. He then issued his orders: "Mitchell, you gather fifty able-bodied men to help with the evacuation of the town´s hospital. Tell them to take whatever keepsakes and valuables they can´t do without, for they won´t be coming back here. But they´ll have to have their hands free for the carrying of the patients, so they can´t take any bulky stuff or bags. And that goes for the entire camp as a matter of fact. You take one of the trucks and leave for the hospital as soon as possible.
"Warren, I want you to team up with Sergeant Wilson and his men to organize the evacuation of the infirmary. They can be brought down to the bridge in trucks, but you´ll need make-shift stretchers and people to carry them.
"Witton, you´re in charge of the camp while I´m gone. You will oversee the men´s evacuation and the passing out of the Red Cross packages. The barracks´ leaders can each take responsibility for their own men; I entrust you with getting things done orderly. The Germans in the camp will also be your responsibility. Captain Gruber can act as their leader; I want to see him, too, when I´ll inform the barracks´ leaders.
"Martin, you´re going to be in charge of our prisoners. They will be the last to leave the camp. Make sure they are properly cuffed, and assign two guards to each of them. I don´t want any bloodshed, but you have my permission to knock them out if they give you any trouble. So you might want to pick a few men who are not afraid of giving a right hook."
Nods all around.
"Any questions?"
"Can we send groups down to the bridge before the assigned time?" Witton wanted to know. "Otherwise it will be like rush hour in downtown New York when they´re all leaving together."
"Send groups off as soon as they´re ready," Hogan confirmed. "They´ll just have to wait by the bridge, for I don´t have a clue where Klink´s going to take us. Any other questions?"
The men shook their head.
"Fine. Get going then. I´ll announce the meeting of the barracks´ leaders right away."
With those words Hogan hurried off towards Klink´s office. The quickest way to get a message across was still through the loudspeaker system. So a few moments later his voice boomed over the camp: "Message for all barracks´ leaders. Urgent meeting in the mess hall in five – repeat: five – minutes. Also: Captain Gruber of the former guards is requested to attend. All others are to go to their barracks to await instructions from their barracks´ leader. End of message."
After having sent Hilda home to let her make her personal preparations for the evacuation, Hogan went over to the mess hall. The barracks´ leaders were already filing in, and even his own men were there. He called out to them.
"What is it, sir? You have other plans for us?" Newkirk enquired.
"Partly," Hogan nodded. "Kinch, you stay here at the meeting, so you´ll be able to pass on the situation to London as soon as may be. LeBeau, we´ll need your translation expertise. But you others – " he looked at Baker, Carter and Newkirk – "roam about the compound and make sure everyone is in their own barracks by the time I´m finished here. And it´s going to be a short meeting. The Germans, too, are to go to their barracks to await their orders."
"Right, sir," Newkirk responded, and the three men disappeared outside again.
Hogan kept his meeting short. Once again he informed his audience of the upcoming bombing-raid, and of Klink´s promise to get everyone out despite the fact that the entire area was sealed off.
"There is no need to panic," he told them. "All we have to do is get out of the valley before sunset. We can make it. I want you guys to inform your men about the situation and about what´s going to happen. Let them pack their things, but no more than they can carry in their pockets, for we´ll need lots of volunteers to carry those who can´t walk by themselves. We´re going to need people to help evacuate the hospital in town, as well as the sick and wounded here in camp. We´ll also need guards to keep tabs on Randall and his men. Volunteers for guard duty can report to Captain Martin; for helping out the sick either to Captain Mitchell or Captain Warren. I myself will have to go into Hamelburg to help evacuate the town, so Captain Witton is in charge of the camp in my absence. He will also see to it that the remaining Red Cross packages will be handed out. Any questions?"
Captain Gruber raised his hand – rather hesitantly. He didn´t seem to feel quite at ease in this company.
"Yes? Captain Gruber?" Hogan encouraged him.
"Are we... I mean, I suppose you want me to take care of the Germans in the camp?"
"Yes, captain." Hogan nodded. "We´re all in this together. I entrust your old command to you."
There were no more questions, so Hogan dismissed the men, telling them to go straight to their barracks to inform their men. "They should be waiting for you there."
xxx
Indeed: the compound lay deserted when they filed out the door.
"Kinch." Hogan drew his sergeant next to him as they walked towards the barracks. "Get on the radio to London and tell them what´s happening here. Ask them to have the allied armies in the neighbourhood to be on the look-out for 2500 POW´s plus a couple of hundred evacuees. Probably including the Stage. For I don´t have a clue where Klink is taking us, and I don´t want them to start shooting at us. Tell them we´re closing down the camp; this is going to be your last message. When you´re done, I want you to set charges in the entire tunnel system. We´re going to bring the whole thing down, just in case. I´ll send in a couple of guys to help you. And to tie things up, I would appreciate it if you´d volunteer to help Martin taking care of Randall and the lot."
Kinch grinned. "Nothing I´d like better."
"Me too," LeBeau chimed in. "One wrong move and..."
Hogan looked at him, on the brink of laughing out loud. Their little cockroach...? But then he recalled just how ruthless their little cockroach could be around people he hated and despised. So perhaps it was not such a bad idea having LeBeau there after all.
"Fine. You go tell Martin that he can count you and Kinch in once I´ve given my talk in the barracks," he agreed.
xxx
Kinch disappeared right into the tunnel once they entered the barracks. The other men gathered instantly around the table to find out what was going on.
"Right. Everyone here?"
"Yes sir," Baker confirmed.
"Good. Now listen carefully. Our beloved Scramblebrains is hoping the Allies won´t bother to conquer a piece of scorched earth. So he´s ordered bombing-raids to destroy the little that is left of his glorious Third Reich. And thanks to Klink´s contacts, we´ve been informed in time that the Hamelburg valley is on tonight´s schedule. Which means we have to get out of here in a few hours."
"But I thought the area was cut off? That no one could get in or out of here?" Newkirk asked with a puzzled frown.
"Yes, that´s true. But apparently Klink does know a way out anyway. So first of all I want you guys to get ready to evacuate. You won´t be able to bring any bags or something, so you can only take what fits in your pockets. You´ll be handed a Red Cross package, too. Make sure to stuff anything that´s ready to eat in your pockets. And make sure to bring all available canteens with water as well."
"Where are we going, colonel?" Garth asked.
"I don´t know. Klink is going to lead the way. Every barracks has to report to the south end of the Hamelburg bridge before 3.30 p.m."
Nods all around.
"Now I will have to go into town to help organize things at the orphanage. And I´m going to take a few men with me: Carter, Newkirk..." He hesitated. Would Baker be a wise choice? Who knows how these kids had been brainwashed by the Nazi propaganda about people from other races...? He couldn´t afford a riot now. There was no time.
Then his eye fell on Hammond. Sergeant Paul Hammond, a valuable guy, smart and calm, whose only reason for not being on Hogan´s first team was – exactly – that he had a wife and kid waiting for him back home. That´s why he – Hogan – hadn´t want to put him in any unnecessary danger. But Hammond had been a regular in their antics around the camp, where the maximum punishment one could get was a few weeks in the cooler. And of course he had a huge advantage for this mission: the experience with children Hogan himself totally lacked.
That clenched it: "And Hammond."
Hammond started in surprise.
"You three get ready real quick; I want to leave within fifteen minutes. The others may volunteer to either guard Randall and co – in that case you can report to Captain Martin – or to help out carrying the sick and wounded. For that, you can report to Captains Mitchell or Warren. The rest might be called upon to assist the elderly from town or something. So make sure you´ve got your hands free; don´t take more than what fits in your pockets! And whatever happens: make sure you report at the south end of the Hamelburg bridge no later than 3.30 today. Kinch will act as barracks´ leader in my absence. Any questions?"
Carter raised his hand. "Sir, what about Felix and Hasenpfeffer? I can carry Felix in my pocket, but a rabbit the size of Hasenpfeffer..."
"You could carry him under your hat," Newkirk quipped.
Hogan heaved a sigh. "You´d better set them free, Carter."
"What?! I can´t do that!" Carter exclaimed in shocked alarm. "With that bombing-raid due here tonight? They´ll get killed!"
"I´m sorry, Carter, but..."
"They´re my friends!" Carter protested vehemently. "I can´t leave them behind, knowing they´ll get bombed tonight!"
A sudden hand on his shoulder. "Don´t worry, Andrew. I´ll take care of Hasenpfeffer for you." It was Baker.
Carter eyed him between relief and suspicion. "You promise you´ll take him with you?"
"I promise I will do everything in my power to save him from the bombing-raid and to restore him in your care at the bridge this afternoon," Baker pledged solemnly.
Hogan sighed in a smile. "Well, that´s settled then. Garth, Beauchamp, you two go off to collect our share of the Red Cross packages. The rest of you: get packed; we´re going home!"