Captain Hann

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 3

"Can I be of help?" Captain Tieger stopped next to the commander of the embattled column and surveyed the damage. Four halftracks had been destroyed and another two were damaged and would require extensive repairs. Several patrol cars had been lost along with their crews. There were dead and wounded scattered among the carnage but the other commander's focus seemed to be centered on his solitary prisoner. He didn't seem to register the cries of the injured or the moans of the dying.

When the other commander turned toward him Captain Tieger got his first look at the prisoner. He tried to hide his reaction but Captain Hann noticed. The captain looked from Tieger to his prisoner and back again.

"Do you recognize him?"

"Yes I do." Captain Tieger replied. "We've met, on more than one occasion."

"Good, then you can tell me, is he a member of the Allied unit known as the Rat Patrol?"

"Yes he is." Captain Tieger replied. He could have told him the prisoner's name too, but he kept that information to himself.

"Good." Hann responded with a satisfied nod of his head. "Then I can go back and tell Captain Dietrich he no longer needs to fear that unit, they have been thoroughly defeated."

Captain Tieger noticed the defiance shown by the prisoner and couldn't help but wonder how Captain Hann defined defeated, but he kept that thought to himself too. Instead he chose to concentrate on the other information the other commander had given him. "You are from Captain Dietrich's base?"

"Yes." Hann answered. "I am here for a few months to learn the finer points of desert warfare from the captain before I return to my own unit. I was assured that he is an experienced officer held in high regard by his superiors."

"He is." Captain Tieger agreed. "I didn't train under him but he has taught me much in my short time here in the desert."

Captain Hann didn't appear to be impressed so Captain Tieger decided to change the subject. "The captain will be pleased when you deliver this particular prisoner."

"The prisoner is mine to do as I please!" Hann hissed. "He doesn't belong to Captain Dietrich. My unit caught him and I will do what I please with him!" As if to prove his point Hann turned and ordered one of his men to bring the chains. The man ran off and returned with a set of steel handcuffs attached to a short chain. As the captain's watched the prisoner's hands were cuffed behind his back. He let out a small moan but offered no resistance as his injured shoulder was brutally yanked.

"I have a medic with me if you wish to make use of his services." Captain Tieger watched the prisoner as he made the offer.

"Thank you Captain." Hann replied. "I think I have some men who are wounded and could use the services of a medic. I will check with Lieutenant Petroff and let you know."

"You think? Haven't you checked on your men?" Captain Tieger took another look around the battlefield. Wounded men were still being moved to an area shaded by the vehicles where they could be treated. As far as he could see the dead were still being ignored while the prisoner was getting most of the attention. Only a small group of men seemed concerned with the casualties.

"I haven't had time to get the reports yet." Captain Hann shrugged. "I was kept occupied with the prisoner."

"Making sure he didn't bleed to death I assume." Captain Tieger tried to keep the sarcasm out of his tone. He was having a hard time keeping his disgust with the other captain to himself.

Hann laughed, oblivious to the criticism. "The prisoner is only an enlisted man, a private; he has no information of any value."

"He is still a prisoner of war."

"But one of no value." Hann repeated. "Our army cannot waste resources on prisoners who are of no value if we are to supply our own soldiers with the necessary supplies to win this war. Even as we speak our soldiers go without as our supply lines are hampered by the enemy. Keeping this one alive would use up our resources and we gain nothing. No, I think he is more useful to us as an example to his fellow soldiers. He can be used to leave a message that we are serious about winning this conflict."

Captain Tieger didn't know what to say to that so he kept quiet.

"We will make a camp in this wadi while your medic tends to my wounded." Captain Hann decided. "My men can have their lunch and rest up before we head back to our base. You can park your vehicles at the other end of the wadi for added security; my unit will stay at this end." Captain Hann called to his lieutenant and told him to move the surviving vehicles from his column to the end of the wadi. The young officer saluted with a hand soaked in blood before running off to obey the command.

"He seems like a good officer." Tieger commented.

"A good officer but soft." Hann nodded. "He does not yet understand how to command respect. He thinks he can get the respect of the men without making an example of anyone. He will learn, men respect power, not weakness."

"If this war has taught me anything, it's that all men are different. Each has his own strengths and weaknesses. A wise man plays on his strengths and tries to minimize his weaknesses." Captain Tieger turned to go back to his own column. "I will send my medic to find Lieutenant Petroff. I wouldn't want him disturbing you unnecessarily. I will see to my men and get our vehicles situated."

"Very well Captain." Hann replied. "I do have more pressing matters to concern me."

Captain Tieger walked along the line of causalities on his way back to his column. He noticed Lieutenant Petroff draping a tarp over a body. The look of grief on his face suggested that he did not share his commander's lack of empathy for the enlisted men.

Once all of the vehicles had been positioned Captain Tieger went among his own men and warned them to stay at their end of the wadi. He wanted them to keep to themselves so that no mention of the battle they had fought with, not against, the prisoner would reach Captain Hann's ears. He reminded them that the American was the enemy and warned them not to act otherwise. He could only imagine how Captain Hann would react to the news that he had shared a truce with the very unit the captain was bent of defeating. Captain Dietrich had understood but Tieger had a feeling that Captain Hann was another sort altogether.

Once his men were settled and preparing their meals he went in search of Captain Hann. He found him berating his junior officer for the losses they had suffered.

"Four halftracks lost!" The captain screamed for all to hear. "Plus the loss of the patrol cars and the damaged halftracks. Just how do you expect me to explain this to Captain Dietrich?"

"The Americans fought well." Lieutenant Petroff replied stiffly.

"And we did not? Is that what you are implying?"

"Not at all Captain." Lieutenant Petroff answered indignantly. "The men did their best. They captured one of the Americans!"

"Only one!" Hann yelled. "The other three escaped! We will not go back and report to Captain Dietrich that four men and two jeeps inflicted this much damage." The captain snarled in a lower voice. "Instruct the men to report that we were attacked by a large force and we were able to drive them off and take a prisoner. No, make that ten prisoners."

"We don't have ten prisoners." Lieutenant Petroff pointed out.

"We won't have any prisoners when we return. We can't have him contradict our reports. We will report that the prisoners were executed because we didn't have room to bring them back with us. The captain cannot fault us for that."

"But it's a lie."

"Do you believe every report you read Lieutenant? Most of them are grossly exaggerated. Our report will boost morale at the base. The captain will be especially pleased to know that we have defeated his greatest enemy. He will overlook any mistakes we made in carrying out our attack." Hann held the young officer's astonished stare until the lieutenant looked away.

"Yes sir." Lieutenant Petroff mumbled obediently.

"Captain."

Captain Hann jerked in surprise at the presence of Captain Tieger. He glanced at his lieutenant with a guilty expression. Turning to Captain Tieger he tried to look as if nothing was wrong. "Was there something we forgot Captain?"

"I was just wondering if you had made preparations for an attack. Is there a plan I should know about?"

"An attack? Are there more American units out there that we don't know about Captain?" Hann glanced around the wadi to assess their defenses.

"No." Tieger shook his head. "But you allowed three of the men of the Rat Patrol to escape. They will return for their companion. You should make preparations for that attack."

"If, Captain. If they return we will kill or capture the rest of them. That is if they return before we leave for our base. If they wait until after we leave this wadi they will find him dead. I will have his body tied to one of the destroyed halftracks as a warning to show what will happen the next time we meet."

"I wouldn't do that." Captain Tieger warned. "Captain Dietrich has told me a bit about these men. You will make mortal enemies of the others if you try such a thing."

"Make enemies of them? They are the enemy." Hann sneered. "Don't tell me that Captain Dietrich has made you afraid of four mere men too. They are only men Captain, nothing more."

"Not afraid." Captain Tieger explained. "Just wary. One can respect an enemy without fearing him. I have a lot of respect for that unit, they taught me that the hard way. Captain Dietrich has had enough experience with them to understand what they are capable of doing. He has a healthy respect for them too."

"Cowardly talk from timid soldiers afraid to take a risk." Hann sneered. "You and Captain Dietrich can continue to fear them for now; soon I will have eliminated them completely and proven that they were nothing special. I hope they do return. It will save me the time and trouble to hunt them down. Mark my words, before I leave this desert I will eliminate this threat that has you and Captain Dietrich too frightened to fight."

"I told you Captain, not scared, wary. These men have proven over and over again that there is good cause for caution. I have added extra guards to my rotation. I suggest that you do the same."

"I'll worry about my column, you worry about yours." Hann sneered. "And while you are here keep your men away from my prisoner. I've already had to stop several of them from giving him water."

"Perhaps he looked thirsty." Tieger replied dryly.

"I'm sure he did but if I want him to have water I will give it to him. Tell your men to stay away from him."

Tieger nodded reluctantly. "As you wish." Tieger addressed Lieutenant Petroff who had been standing back and listening to the conversation. "Are you finished with my medic yet?"

"He was treating the last of our wounded when Captain Hann called me." Petroff replied respectfully. "He is probably finished by now. Thank you for lending him to us Captain."

"You're welcome Lieutenant. They are German wounded after all." The small dig at Captain Hann didn't go unnoticed by Lieutenant Petroff. "We will be leaving after my men finish eating if you have no further use for our services." He reported to Captain Hann. "I had two sections to check for enemy activity and I have only checked one. I would like to finish and get back to my base."

"Go." Hann answered with a wave of his hand.

"Give my regards to Captain Dietrich. Tell him I will visit soon."

"Tell him yourself when you see him." Hann muttered. "I am not your messenger."

Captain Tieger nodded and turned away He saw Lieutenant Petroff give him a slight nod as he turned to leave. Satisfied that the young officer would deliver his message, he headed for his unit.

"Captain?"

Tieger turned to see Lieutenant Petroff hurrying after him. "Yes Lieutenant?"

"I just wanted to thank you for all of your help. If you hadn't chased off the Americans we would have suffered even more severe losses. And your medic saved the lives of some of my men. I'm not sure the captain remembered to thank you."

Tieger smiled at the attempt to cover for the other captain's bad manners. "You are welcome Lieutenant. I congratulate you on saving as much of your column as you did."

The lieutenant flushed. "We did our best sir, but the Americans, they fought like demons. The men could not seem to hit them, they were everywhere. When we tried to shoot them we had to hold our fire for fear of hitting our own men."

Tieger smiled. "An apt description of combat with the Rat Patrol."

"You've fought them?"

"I've had the misfortune to have something they found valuable enough to target." When the lieutenant looked confused Tieger explained. "They hit the first convoy I was escorting from my new base."

"I see." The young officer nodded. "How much of the convoy survived?"

"Less than half." Tieger admitted. "And like you, I was lucky, or unlucky, enough to capture one of them. Captain Dietrich warned me that they fight hard every time but even harder when one of their number is at particular risk. His warning didn't do them justice. We hit one of their jeeps and captured one of their drivers. As you said, they fought like demons to protect him. In the end they were driven off. We had a prisoner and no real concept of what that meant."

"What happened?"

Tieger smiled. "He was wounded saving the life of one of my men." Tieger smiled again at the look of disbelief on the lieutenant's face. "One of my drivers was trapped in a burning truck. The American risked his own life to save him, pulling him from the cab as it burned. One of my men shot him thinking he was trying to escape. I admit, not our finest moment. After he received medical attention I put him on a convoy headed to a nearby base with stronger security to hold him, Captain Dietrich's base to be more precise." The captain shrugged. "His unit attacked that convoy too. He escaped during the battle and hid in the desert until his friends were able to find him. During his escape he saved my driver a second time, this time from the bullets hitting the truck. His unit also infiltrated the base where the convoy was headed in an attempt to rescue him. When they found he had been sent to a field hospital, they visited there also. I suppose they would have gotten around to visiting my base if they hadn't found him first. I warned Captain Hann and I'll warn you, Captain Dietrich says they always come back for any of their men left behind."

"I know I shouldn't," The lieutenant admitted quietly, "but I find myself admiring them for their loyalty to one another."

"Admire it Lieutenant, it's an admirable quality, but remember the danger it presents to those holding their missing companion. This time that someone happens to be you."

The lieutenant nodded. "I'll tell my men to stay alert."

"What does Captain Hann intend to do with the prisoner?"

Lieutenant Petroff looked uncomfortable. "The captain says he is of no military value. I suppose he will do with him as he has done with others he considers useless."

"And what is that?"

The lieutenant dropped his head. "He will allow the men to beat him to death. He says it hardens them to the horrors of battle. He also says that it allows them to relieve some of the frustration they feel when a battle does not go well. He has a sergeant, Sergeant Helsig, who enjoys doing his bidding. The man is a monster, that is why the captain keeps him around. He makes examples of anyone who disrespects the captain. The men are afraid of him."

Captain Tieger looked away from the young officer to scan the surrounding hills. He didn't say anything but he remembered Dietrich's warning clearly. "If that happens Lieutenant, stay as far away from the prisoner as you can. If any of your men feel the way you do about the treatment you need to keep them away too. If Captain Dietrich is correct, and I have no reason to doubt him, anyone involved in such action will suffer a swift and painful demise."

Lieutenant Petroff raised his eyes to look at the captain. "Do you think they are out here watching?"

"I do." Tieger nodded. "And I also think that Captain Hann has greatly underestimated their resolve to rescue their teammate. That private is a prisoner of war Lieutenant. That unit treats any prisoners they take with dignity and care. They expect their men to get the same consideration. I've heard that their retribution is swift and fatal for anyone who violates that expectation."

"I'll do what I can Captain. Captain Hann likes all of the men to watch."

"Then watch from a distance if you can. Try to keep the men you can save separate from the ones involved. Those who enjoy the spectacle will be judged as guilty as those who participate. I wish you luck Lieutenant, I have a feeling you're going to need it."elsig,