Chapter 11: Demons of War
17th July, 1944. 2015 hours – Northwest of Caen, France.
"You called me, sir?" Darjeeling stood in the room filled with different maps and charts that were scattered along the table. Inside, several men were sat on the desks at the side, listening to radio communications that were going back and forth from their radio sets. For the last month, their division had been withdrawn from the front line, due to their cumulative casualties. They were stationed around the village Jérusalem, to rest and refit the unit to bolster its fighting strength. But they had been called back to the front line, to take part in the upcoming offensive.
"Indeed, Sergeant." Major Haldsworth looked up from his map. "I have a question." He asked, standing up and slowly walking towards Darjeeling.
"What might that be, sir?" She spoke.
The Major played with his pipe whilst he paced the room slowly. "How goes the preparations?" He muttered slowly. "How are the men? Is their morale high?"
Darjeeling blinked. This was most unusual; usually, the Major himself knew the answers. "With… all due respect, sir, I think you know the answer as well as I do." She replied. "The men, although some have lost their comrades, are in high spirits. All our replacement vehicles have been delivered and made combat ready." Major Haldsworth smiled.
"Good." He stated. "Very good." He looked at the map. "You know about the offensive we are mounting tomorrow?"
Darjeeling nodded. "Operation Goodwood? Yes sir, you've briefed us on it earlier today. The objective is to attack to the south, to capture the rest of Caen and the Bourguébus Ridge and beyond." She spoke. "Our division, the 5th RTR, are the only ones from the 7th Armoured Division will be participating in the attack. Our objectives are to help take the village of Cuverville and then push on to take Grentheville. However, we will be the last to move out; we attack at around 0900 hours. Am I right?"
The Major smiled. "You remember our objectives quite well, Elizabeth." He spoke, putting an arm on her shoulder. "I have great faith that you will do well."
"Thank you… sir." Darjeeling smiled faintly, blushing slightly at the compliment. The Major nodded again.
"Also, I feel that you are now ready for these." He stated, revealing a pair of epaulettes which designated the rank of a Second Lieutenant. "I feel you are ready to take on the responsibility of having command of a troop. Congratulations, Lieutenant Darjeeling. It is with my honour to grant you a battlefield commission to the rank of Second Lieutenant."
The latter smiled and stood to attention as the Major removed her Sergeant insignia on her sleeves, before attaching the epaulettes onto her shoulders. "Thank you, sir." She spoke. "I won't let you down." Her superior nodded.
"You are an exemplary leader, Elizabeth. I know you won't." He stated, shaking her hand warmly. "You may be dismissed."
Darjeeling smiled and saluted, before turning and began to head out of the room.
"One more thing Lieutenant." The Major spoke, his voice becoming slightly more serious.
Darjeeling turned around. "What is it?" She questioned quietly.
"Just remember, you are now an officer of the British Army. You are expected to lead by example. Even more so than when you were an NCO. Purpose must come before feelings." He stated. "Especially when Lieutenant Moore comes back." He stated, giving her a wink before she nodded slowly and walked out of the room.
Once outside, the now young officer sighed as she made her way back to where their troop were situated. It was a warm, summer's dusk. The sun glancing down on them gently as it cast a warm, red and orange glow in the sky. Darjeeling knew James was recovering in a field hospital, but she still worried for him nevertheless. However, she could not dwell on those thoughts as she approached her Firefly; her crew were sitting on the grass, with a tommy cooker heating a simmering tin of chicken stew along with some potatoes they had managed to salvage from a nearby farm.
"Good evening Sergeant." Irene spoke, smiling warmly as she passed Darjeeling her mess bowl and a fork. Darjeeling smiled.
"Sergeant? What are you talking about? I'm not a Sergeant." She joked, a small smirk crossing her features as Irene frowned in confusion.
"Eh? What do you mean, Darjeeling?"
Assam took one look of Darjeeling and grinned. "I think, the Lieutenant is stating that you've addressed her by the incorrect rank." She responded. "Look. Her epaulettes."
Irene looked over the former once more, before her mouth formed an 'oh' shape as she nodded silently. "Ah, right. I see it now." She spoke, ladling some of the stew into Darjeeling's bowl with a smirk. "Congratulations, Lieutenant."
Nodding in thanks, Darjeeling slowly tasting the warm stew. She smiled. It wasn't the best, but it was on par to what the field kitchen provided. And most importantly, it was hot. "Where's Orange?" She suddenly asked, noticing one of her comrades was missing.
"Orange? Oh, she's fixing up the radio. Some of the wires are coming loose." Assam quickly replied. Darjeeling smiled, and stood up quickly. She climbed onto the turret of the Firefly and kneeled down.
"Orange, m'dear. You can fix the radio later. Join us and eat." She stated kindly, giving her comrade a gentle wink. The latter looked up and smiled.
"I will." Orange spoke. "I just want to finish working on it first. I'm very nearly done." She continued, whilst fiddling with a few wires. After a few moments, she smiled in satisfaction. "There. Now I can come." With that, she wriggled out of the commander's hatch and jumped down.
Assam passed Orange another bowl of stew, and she smiled warmly in thanks. The four of them then sat there silently for a few moments, just enjoying one another's company as they ate.
"So, I heard you're now a Second Lieutenant, Darjey?" Orange suddenly quipped. Darjeeling nodded.
"Yes, I am." She spoke. "Major Haldsworth gave me the commission just then." Darjeeling smiled, gesturing to her epaulettes. "He also told me to remind you that our regiment will be the only one from the 7th Armoured Brigade to take part in the attack." She glanced up at her crew. "Well? Are we ready to take on the Germans once more?"
The rest of them chuckled and nodded. "We're ready to take them on. Anytime, anywhere." Irene replied. The latter grinned. It was nice, seeing her crew relaxed, and with high spirits on the eve of an assault.
Darjeeling felt her pockets for a packet of cigarettes. But there weren't any.
"Cigarette, Darjey?" Irene had a packet in her hand, and was distributing one to each of them. Darjeeling nodded and caught the cigarette in her hand.
"Thank you." She smiled, as she lit the cigarette in her hand. "You read my mind."
Irene smirked. "I've been with you for some time now. How will I not pick up and get to know some of your personality traits?" She took a small drag from the smoking cigarette, before smiling. "So, what is everyone going to do once this war finishes?" She asked, her eyes lighting up with genuine interest as her voice becoming much softer spoken. Assam leaned backwards against the hull of the tank.
"Who knows… Perhaps I'll land myself a boyfriend like Darjey has." She cheekily remarked. Seeing Darjeeling blush, she grinned. "I'm only joking. In all seriousness, I'd like to stay in the army. In a way, it's a way of life now. I don't think I would be able to adjust back to civilian life fully, if I were to leave after the war."
Irene nodded. "I know what you mean." She looked round. "Who's planning to stay in the army after the war?"
Darjeeling and Orange both nodded. "But only for a year or two." Orange stated. Assam tilted her head in curiosity.
"What are you planning to do then?"
Orange smiled sheepishly. "I… want to open a flower business." She spoke. "I actually really like flowers. So, being able to be around flowers would be great. I would be amongst something I love, and generating an income from it."
"Aw, that's great!" Darjeeling responded, putting an arm round her and pulling her closer. "You never told me you liked flowers!"
Orange blushed slightly and nodded. However, she then sighed rather dejectedly. "But I don't know whether I'll be able to. Opening a business will be hard, and who knows whether I can even succeed in it or not."
"Aw come on, don't think like that. If possible, we'll all try and chip into help with the costs." Assam gently reassured her. "Shall we do that, ladies?"
Irene and Darjeeling nodded. "Of course." Darjeeling spoke kindly. "Anything for our dear Pekoe."
Orange giggled and punched the latter's arm playfully. "Don't call me that." She spoke quietly, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Irene smiled faintly. "What about you then, Second Lieutenant? What are you going to do after the war?" She quietly asked, whilst Assam and Orange turned to look at her in turn.
Darjeeling looked at them, before taking another drag of her cigarette. Exhaling the grey smoke slowly, she smiled. "I'd say I'll most likely stay for the indefinite future. I mean, the army is a life for me." Darjeeling explained. "It also depends on, well, James." She blushed, her voice dropping a hint. "If I do decide to leave, I may find work as a mechanic."
Assam raised a brow. "A mechanic?"
Darjeeling nodded. "I've always enjoyed automobiles of all sorts, and how they work. If possible, I would like to be a part of manufacturing or maintaining cars." The young woman spoke. "But who knows? Perhaps I will stay in the army for some time."
Orange finished off the rest of the stew, before standing up and stretching. "You always were quite the active person, aren't you?" She grinned, looking at Darjeeling.
"Hey. It is not a bad thing, now is it?" The latter retorted, giving Orange a playful punch on the arm. She then looked at her watch. "Well, it seems to be getting late." She spoke. The sky had now nearly fully darkened, chasing away the last remnants of the day. "Get some rest ladies. I'll take first watch. Assam, relieve me at midnight. Then work in three hour shifts, going from Orange to you, Irene. Are we clear?"
"Yes, Second Lieutenant." They all replied. Darjeeling smiled.
"Good. Get some rest now. We've an offensive to partake in."
18th July, 1944. 0005 hours – Northwest of Caen, France.
The cool summer breeze brushed past the bushes and the open field surrounding their position. A gentle, silvery light cast down upon them as the moon shone overhead. Darjeeling sighed, adjusting the strap on the Sten gun as she gazed up to the stars above. A rustle made her turn her head.
"You're relieved Darjey." Assam whispered as she slid down the turret and onto the ground. Darjeeling smiled and handed the Sten to her. As the latter climbed onto the turret, Assam turned to face her. "Goodnight." She mouthed.
Darjeeling nodded, before wriggling into her seat through the commander's hatch. She stretched her legs, and leaned in against the breech of the gun. She sighed quietly. The nerves were getting the better of her once again. They had been in for refit and rest for the last month. Now, they were at the forefront of another offensive. The memories of their last piece still engraved into her mind. The images of the dead and the dying. The flames of burning tanks. The sweet, sickly stench of freshly spilled blood.
She closed her eyes, shrugging off the fleeting memories as she attempted to sleep. Eventually, she felt herself drift off. It was a bliss. Her mind emptying as she slowly fell into a light, calm slumber.
It was a dim, dismal, stormy twilight evening. The rain battered down the ruined houses and cobbled street as a young woman made her way through the labyrinth of streets full of wrecked vehicles and burning fuel.
She paused to catch her breath. Leaning onto the nearest hull of a tank for support, she felt the blackened and singed metal, distorted and warped from the shell impact. The road led to a narrow lane, surrounded with thick hedges either side. Something told her to go down that beaten path. Grey fog obscured her vision as she stumbled forwards down the road, until she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.
There. A few feet ahead of her, lay a body lying motionless on the path.
Darjeeling's heart stopped. Her blood froze in her veins as she ran towards the corpse.
"James!"
She kneeled down, cradling his head in her hands as she desperately tried to hold back tears of anguish and sadness. Tears dripped from her eyes, landing on the pale, lifeless face of James, the liquid splashing gently on his face. "It's… all my fault." She mouthed, holding his corpse close to her and nuzzling it gently. "If I warned you earlier… you wouldn't be like this."
"My, such a tragedy. What a waste of a young man. He had so much potential. He had such a hopeful future." A voice suddenly sounded from behind.
Darjeeling slowly turned around. Through the inky darkness, she made out a familiar figure. "What are you doing here, Erwin." Her eyes narrowed. "What have you done to him?!" She nearly spat, her hand slowly reaching for her holster. However, the latter had already drawn hers, the barrel pointed straight at her. Much to her surprise, Erwin laughed.
"What have I done? This wasn't my handiwork, m'dear." She spoke, her soft lips forming a rather chaste smile. Seeing the latter's confusion, she grinned. "As I said, I had nothing to do with this." She took a step forward. "You did this, child. You are the reason he is like this."
A grey mist suddenly surrounded them, as Erwin's laugh echoed all around her whilst she vanished from sight. Darjeeling looked around, and another shadowy figure began to appear through the mist. The silhouette edged closer. She soon made out a woman, shrouded in the grey smoky mist.
"You… You have so much fear…" The latter spoke, her footsteps echoing eerily as her face came into view. "You are full of anger… full of hate…. Full of…" She paused for a moment. "Guilt." Darjeeling looked up, and instantly recognised her.
"What… do you want?" She muttered, hanging her head as tears silently fell down her face as remorse and anguish for James washed over her once more.
The woman grinned, taking her pistol from its holster and pointing it at Darjeeling. "I want to put you out of your misery, that's all." She spoke softly, pressing the cold, metal barrel onto the latter's head, before pulling the trigger.
18th July, 1944. 0535 hours – Northwest of Caen, France.
Darjeeling's eyes flew open as her body jerked awake. Her chest rose and fell quickly; her heart beating rapidly against the confines of her body. She sighed, leaning back against the seat. Yet another nightmare. She kept on having the same one. Again, and again, it ravaged within her mind as she slept.
A distant explosion echoed across the area. Darjeeling felt the shockwave rock the tank gently. Another shockwave. Something peculiar was happening. Rising from her seat, she perched her elbows against the turret of the Firefly. Then, she realised what the source of the noises were.
Although the dawn haze was obscuring most of the horizon, bright orange and red flashes lit up the dawn sky. In the air was the roar of hundreds of bombers, their propellers whirring furiously through the sky. She smiled faintly. "Go get them, boys." The words left her lips softly, as Darjeeling watched the horizon shake and thunder at the sound of heavy exploding ordinance.
"Ugh… Our boys bombing Jerry into submission again?"
Darjeeling looked down as Assam and Orange slowly awoke from their slumber. "Yes. It does look like that's happening." She replied, sinking back down into her seat as the latter two turned to face her.
"So… are we going in last then?" Assam questioned sleepily. Darjeeling nodded.
"Yes. We are moving to our jump-off lines near the Orne river soon. But, we'll be joining up with the 11th Hussars who will support us in the attack. Our attack is scheduled at around 0900 hours." She spoke softly.
Orange sighed. "So, we sit around and do nothing, whilst our boys are fighting? Seems hardly fair, hm?"
"It sounds like we get the easy job. We're just clearing up the mess." Assam muttered, her fingers fiddling with a cigarette.
Darjeeling smiled a little. "Perhaps. But we are still going into action nevertheless." She placed a hand on the duo's shoulders. "I need you all to focus. We've a battle ahead."
"Aye, Lieutenant." They replied.
The young officer glanced a smile at them, before returning to perch her elbows on the roof of the turret. She was now a somewhat seasoned veteran, but, something stirred deep within her. A seed of doubt, of some sorts. It was her first time leading the platoon. She was on her own; not under the watchful eyes of James.
James. Her mentor. Her superior.
Her lover.
Darjeeling sighed quietly, looking at her watch as she suppressed the feelings welling up inside her. "James is not here." She spoke firmly. "It's my duty to lead them now."
18th July, 1944. 1320 hours – Near Demouville, France.
"Steady boys, steady. Keep your eyes peeled for enemy armour. Perkins and Smith, take the next left which leads to Demouville to support the infantry. Whites, advance straight on. I'll cover you."
"Aye, Lieutenant."
Darjeeling peered from the commander's hatch as the infantry and her platoon split off near a junction towards their first objective; a small town named Demouville. For the last few hours, their advance had been at a snail's pace. But not due to enemy activity; a lack of available bridgeheads across the Orne river had rendered the British advance almost useless. Congestions of tanks, trucks, troop carriers and infantry had hampered their so called 'charge' into enemy territory. But finally, they had regained a slight momentum and were reaching their first objective.
"Orange, AP shell. I want us to be ready in case anything nasty decides to rear its head." Darjeeling ordered, as the latter reached down and grabbed a fresh shell, loading it into the breech.
"Clear!"
Darjeeling smiled faintly. They were finally making some progress.
A shell suddenly shrieked overhead and hit the Cromwell in front of her square on. It immediately began to spew fire from every hatch, its orange flames licking as high as four feet as the ammunition cooked off inside the tank. The latter turned pale. "Whites!" She screamed into the radio. "Irene, full reverse, now!" She ordered rapidly. "Assam, do you have eyes on the tank?! It came from the ridge at our 12 o'clock!"
The corporal shook her head. "Negative, Lieutenant!" She replied. "Whatever it is, it's rather well camouflaged."
Darjeeling growled under her breath. "We need to find that tank before it destroys-"
Her sentence was abruptly interrupted as the tank fired a second shell, but not at them. She heard the metallic, screeching impact as the shell burrowed into the stricken tank. Which tank, she did not know, until she heard a crackle from the radio.
"They got Perkins, goddammit! His tank is on fire!" Darjeeling's eyes widened.
"Perkins, bail out now!" She shouted into the mic. But the only she heard was static. "Smith, find some cover. We're the only ones left." She spoke, her heart sinking heavily. It had not been five minutes, and she had already lost half her platoon. "Irene, I need you to pull back before we get taken out." She commanded. "Smith, have eyes on the ridgeline. I want you to light up any target you see."
"Aye, Lieutenant."
"Assam, traverse the turret right." She spoke as Irene maneuverer the Firefly behind a house, with enough room for Darjeeling to observe from the commander's hatch. From there, the latter scoured the ridge with her binoculars. "Where are you, you little blighter." She muttered as she scanned the ridgeline. Then, she saw something.
There, just to her left, was the tank. It was expertly camouflaged, with twigs and leaves and all. However, Darjeeling just about made out the circular gun barrel that was poking out of the low hedge. "Assam, there's a tank at our 11 o'clock on the ridge. Next to the small dip in the ridge." She spoke softly. "Can you see it?"
Assam nodded. "Just about, yes."
Darjeeling turned to the radio. "Smith, do you see the tank? It's at your 2 o'clock, hidden just beyond that small dip in the ridgeline."
"Ah, yes, I do. Shall we engage it?" He responded. Darjeeling shook her head.
"No." She stated firmly. "I need you to distract it. Fire the coaxial to get its attention. The commander may just take the bait and expose himself to shoot you. I will take the shot. On my mark, let loose with the machinegun."
"Very well Lieutenant. Try not to miss. Our lives depend on it." He replied stonily.
Darjeeling smirked, and looked at Assam. "Will you miss?" She joked, nudging her gunner with her elbow playfully.
Assam grinned. "It's almost as if you're wanting me to." She stated, zeroing her sights onto the target.
The young officer smiled and shook her head in faux exasperation. "Engage!" She shouted.
From beyond her field of view, the burst of machinegun fire lit could be heard from just beyond the street. Darjeeling saw the green tracers fly past them, and ping off the side of the tank. She stared into her binoculars. "Assam, he's moving out. Be ready to fire."
The tank rolled forwards and turned, exposing its side armour just above the ridgeline. Its distinct shape made it an easily recognisable tank as it lined up to fire on Smith. "Assam, hit that Hetzer, now!"
Assam nodded, and traversed the turret right a bit. She adjusted the elevation, before pressing the firing pedal. The shell screamed out of the gun barrel in a shower of fire, before sailing across the sky and striking its target in the side. The Hetzer crawled to a stop, and the hatches opened; two crewmembers toppled out, only to be cut down by Smiths' burst of machinegun fire. One man collapsed on top of the tank, whilst the other fell onto his knees, one of his eyes missing from where it should be. Blood ran down his face as he slumped forwards and onto the grass.
Darjeeling smirked. "Good job ladies." She spoke softly, patting Assam on the shoulder. "Smith, on me. We'll cover the infantry as they advance into the town."
"Yes, Lieutenant."
As they drove towards where the infantry had gathered, a few hundred meters from Demouville, they received a welcoming cheer from the ranks of men. Their commanding officer walked towards them. Darjeeling gestured for Irene to stop. She then got out of the tank and jumped down to meet him.
"Second Lieutenant Darjeeling. 5th Royal Tank Regiment." She shook his hand.
"Captain Winters." He replied bluntly, barely making eye contact with the woman. "I'm guessing you are our armour support. Where's the rest of your platoon?"
Darjeeling looked down, remembering the two tanks she'd just lost. Remembering the good friends and comrades she'd witnessed killed before her own eyes. "We're it." She spoke coldly. "We'll take the lead. I need your men to watch our rear as we clear the path into the village."
The man nodded coldly. "Agreed, ma'am." He smirked, his voice emphasising 'ma'am' mockingly. Darjeeling ignored the slight provocation, and smiled faintly.
"Shall we be off?"
As the captain nodded and began organising his troops, Darjeeling quickly climbed back onto her Firefly. "Okay, we're heading straight down the road with one two platoons, whilst Smith is going to flank the side with another platoon." She spoke. "Orange, load a HE shell. Irene, let's go." She ordered curtly.
"Aye, Lieutenant."
The Firefly's engine fired up once more, and they soon began to advance on the town, with the infantry behind them. Darjeeling pulled the bolt and exhaled. "Steady on, ladies. Cut down anything that moves."
The continued down the beaten path for a minute or two. Soon, they were within the boundaries of the town. Still no resistance. An air of unease hung around them. The young officer peered around, looking for any minute movements. She felt like they were walking into a trap.
Suddenly the entire street lit up with tracers and deafening sounds of gunfire opened up all around them. Tracers flew over Darjeeling's head as she ducked down in shock. Several Germans appeared in the windows and doorways, and the house in front exploded with machinegun fire echoing from every window. "Enemies in the open, engage!" She yelled.
The infantry scrambled for cover as the bullets cut through the ranks of men, blood spraying everywhere as they dived onto the ground and began returning fire. Darjeeling needed to act fast. "Smith, target the windows that run along the street, we'll deal with that machinegun nest!" She shouted. She turned around, and saw the motionless body of the Captain she'd spoke to just moments prior. His head was partially carved clean off just above the eyebrows; blood smeared the cobbled pavement behind him. She sighed quietly, and turned her back to him. She had to focus on the here and now. There was nothing she could've done to save him.
The accompanying Cromwell turned its turret round, and fired at the nearest window. It exploded in a shower of dust, bricks and glass. A mutilated body fell from the hole and landed with a crunching sound on the street below. Darjeeling smirked. "Assam, hit the top window, then work your way across. Smith, I need you to take out the ground floor window!"
The Firefly's gun exploded into life as the high explosive shell sailed straight into the window blasting apart the wall that was once there. A second, subsequent explosion followed with the ground floor window, and the house slowly crumbled to the ground.
The infantry, with a renewed aggressive spirit, charged down the street and split off, as they began to clear the houses one by one. As the Firefly followed behind the Cromwell towards the village square, Darjeeling noticed something in lying in between the houses. Through the bush, was an anti-tank gun. Its barrel pointed squarely at Smith's Cromwell.
"Feuer!"
Before she could issue a warning, the anti-tank gun opened fire, and a massive shower of sparks and metal rained around the vicinity. Darjeeling was temporarily blinded by the sudden shower of white light and sparks, and when her sight returned, a hole was burned into the hull of the Cromwell. She stared at the hatches, hoping one of them will opened.
But they all remained shut.
Darjeeling could not believe her eyes. Her platoon, all but destroyed. They were the only ones left. A feeling of anger welled up inside of her. She wanted to make the Germans pay for what they did. Pay with their own flesh and blood. "Assam, hit the anti-tank gun." She spoke coldly, as the British troops made their way towards the square, and began to advance on the town hall.
Assam traversed the turret as quickly as she could. Darjeeling could see the anti-tank crew were still reloading the gun. "Take them out." She muttered. Assam smirked and pressed the firing pedal. The shell exploded with a flash of orange and yellow, and mangled anti-tank gun parts flew into the air, before crashing back to earth.
Before Darjeeling could congratulate Assam on her shooting, a young soldier hopped onto her tank. "They've cleared the village of Germans." He spoke. Darjeeling nodded in acknowledgement, and climbed out of the tank. Instinctively, Assam followed.
As she walked towards the village hall and the church, the she saw that the Germans were being led out with their arms up in surrender. She saw an officer walk out, holding his identification documents. Something struck her eye. She walked over, and dragged him out of line. Seeing the twin lightning bolts on his uniform, Darjeeling growled.
"They're SS troops!" She shouted.
Upon hearing the word 'SS', one British soldier aimed his rifle and shot the nearest German prisoner in the head. Soon, sporadic gunshots could be heard, as the soldiers, enlisted and officers alike, began to summarily execute the German prisoners. Darjeeling pushed the officer to the wall, and looked at Assam. "You should do it." She spoke calmly.
Assam nodded, her eyes narrowing at the soldier as she stepped up towards him and took her pistol out of its holster. She aimed it at the man's chest slowly. "SS bastard." She growled, looking him in the eye. The officer remained emotionless as he looked back, his hand still holding onto his identification documents.
She pulled the trigger. Blood sprayed the back of the wall as he collapsed onto the ground in a heap. Assam smirked, then replaced her pistol in its holster as she casually walked to the man, looting his body for any valuable goods or maps. She then walked back to where Darjeeling stood.
"Bitte, ich habe eine Familie!"
Both of them turned around as they saw several men being dragged out of the adjacent church by a few soldiers. Two of them were shot almost immediately, whilst one was dragged away by the collar, and one of the soldiers shoved one towards the duo. He was rather young, and his face was already bruised and bloodied. His short blonde hair muddy and unkempt. Twin lightning bolts on his uniform marked him as SS. "This ones' for you, ma'am." He grinned, pushing him against the wall, before punching him in the face. "Auf Wiedersehen, German scum." He spat at him before walking back.
"Bitte... ich habe eine Familie..."
Assam looked at Darjeeling. "What is he saying?" She spoke. Darjeeling's glared at him.
"He said he has a family." She muttered quietly, walking up to him as she took out her pistol. "What about our family, hm?! Was ist mit unseren Familien?! Antworte mir!" She screamed, quickly losing her self-control as she smashed the handle into his jaw, sending a spray of blood out of his mouth.
Months of enduring so much loss and hardship finally overcame her; she went into a rage, and began to savagely beat up the man as she thought of all the friends she'd lost. Killed by the Germans mercilessly.
"We lost so much!" Darjeeling yelled fiercely, throwing him into the ground as she punched and kicked the young man repeatedly, ignoring his cries of pain and desperation. "What about us?! Our friends! Our fathers! Our brothers!" She shouted with each punch. "You took them away from us!"
"Darjey! Calm down!" Came Irene's yell as she and Assam grabbed hold of the now enraged Darjeeling as they struggled to pull her away from the man. The latter struggled, and broke free of their grip.
Darjeeling turned around, and snatched the Sten gun that Irene was holding, and holstered her pistol. The young officer then pointed it at the kneeling figure, who looked up to her weakly; his pale blue eyes pleading.
"Bitte…" He mouthed.
Darjeeling scoffed, before pulling the trigger and emptying a dozen bullets into him. The man dropped to the ground, red spilling out and staining the cobblestone road with his blood. she calmly turned the Sten back to Irene who shot her a frown.
"Why execute them?" She spoke simply. Darjeeling sighed.
"Irene, those are SS troops. They are fanatics who swore an oath to Hitler and Hitler only. They are too dangerous to keep alive." She explained slowly. "Those bastards are also criminals. Haven't you heard? The 12th SS 'Hitler Jugend' executed Canadians just after D-Day. They violated the Geneva Conventions."
The latter raised a brow. "Perhaps. But doesn't this make us as bad as they are?"
Darjeeling forced a smile. "Maybe… Maybe history will judge us so. But, we are doing this for the greater good." She muttered. Even whilst she said that, a twinge of regret raced through her. Yes, they were SS troops, but they were human after all.
Humans who had family. Friends. Girlfriends. Wives. husbands. Children. And in a moment of insanity, she lost her self-control. But, there was nothing she could do now; they were now dead. Never to see their loved ones ever again. And now, she had to live with the guilt of her actions.
"Darjey, I found this map and a very nice pistol." Assam spoke, diverting the topic quickly. Darjeeling turned around.
"Oh, let's see." She stated. As Assam handed the map, she smiled faintly. "Good. This could be useful. And I see you've acquired a Luger." Darjeeling looked at the pistol that Assam was holding. "A good souvenir, don't you think?"
Assam nodded. "Aye, Lieutenant." She responded, stuffing it down her belt as a soldier walked up towards them.
"Lieutenant Darjeeling?" He asked. Seeing Darjeeling nod in reply, he continued his message. "Major Haldsworth would want to see you. He is in the village hall."
Darjeeling nodded again. "Alright. Thank you very much." She spoke. "Assam, whilst I'm gone, oversee the resupply of the Firefly. I want the coaxial machinegun and mounted ones resupplied with ammunition. Get Irene to check the tank tracks and perform any maintenance that is necessary. We also need to resupply the Amour Piercing shells."
"Roger that, Lieutenant." Assam replied, as Darjeeling slowly walked towards the village hall, and opened the door.
Once inside, she found that many of the other tank commanders where gathered there. They surrounded a table, and Major Haldsworth was briefing the men, with Captain Smith at his side.
"Ah, everyone's arrived." He stated, looking at Darjeeling. Seeing she was the only one to arrive, he looked at her. "Where is the rest of your troop, Lieutenant?"
She blinked and looked down. "They… they were taken out, sir." She muttered, avoiding eye contact. "Whites and Perkins were taken out en route by a Hetzer. Smith was taken out by that anti-tank gun in the square." She sighed dismally. "I'm the only survivor."
The Major nodded curtly. "That is most unfortunate, Lieutenant." He spoke. "However, we cannot dwell on the matter. We have to push on and attack Cuvervilles, and have it secured by nightfall. We will attack from the flank. The Cromwell and infantry will clear out the town. The Fireflies will hang back and take up positions here, and here. You are to engage any armour that may reinforce the town. Lieutenant Darjeeling will accompany the Cromwells into the town and engage any armour present. Once we have hold of the town, our orders are to hold out until the 11th Hussars come and relieve us. Is everyone clear on the plan of action?"
"Yes, Major." They all replied.
He nodded. "Very good. Mount up. Our squadron will leave in ten minutes." As they all left to go to their vehicles, he sighed. "Lieutenant Darjeeling, may I have a word?" Seeing her nod, he gestured for her to come closer. "So, it's true then. Your entire troop was taken out?
Darjeeling nodded slowly. "I'm afraid that is correct, sir." She stated, hanging her head slightly. "We were ambushed by first a Hetzer, then an anti-tank gun in the square."
The Major looked up at her. "Hm, that is troubling. However, we cannot focus on this now." He spoke curtly. "I'll be attaching you to C troop for the time being, until replacements come. They'll have two Fireflies then." Seeing Darjeeling nod in understanding, he continued. "You'll be covering the Cromwells as they advance into Cuvervilles. Try and position yourself near the advancing Cromwells. They need your firepower to overcome any armour that may role in."
"Yes sir." Darjeeling spoke softly, attempting to avoid eye contact with him. His superior smiled.
"Keep up the good work Elizabeth. You're coping well with command."
She looked up. "How so, sir?" She protested. "I just lost my entire platoon."
Major Haldsworth walked slowly towards her. "You may have lost a platoon, Elizabeth. But, in war, we have casualties. Be it the enemy, or our comrades. Nevertheless, you must continue your duty, and help win this war." He smiled. "You may not realise it, but you are one capable officer. You should be proud."
She smiled and looked down, blushing. "Thank you, sir." She whispered. She then saluted, before turning around and slowly exited the building.
Once outside, Darjeeling walked towards her Firefly. The exterior was covered in dirt, grime, and smears of blood. She sighed. Cleaning it will have to wait. Climbing onto the turret, she slotted herself down the commander's hatch and into her seat. "Alright, ladies." She spoke. "We're moving off in a few moments. Darjeeling produced a map from her pockets. "We're going to attack Cuvervilles, and we've been tasked to go into the city with C troop's Cromwells."
Assam sat up. "We're going in with the Cromwells? Isn't that a little risky?" She muttered. Darjeeling smirked.
"Isn't what we do every day risky?" She answered briskly, putting on her headphones as she looked around. The squadron was beginning to move out, headed to their next objective; Cuvervilles. Darjeeling smiled. "Are we all ready?"
"Aye, Lieutenant." Her crew replied.
"Good." Darjeeling nodded. "Irene, full ahead!"
18th July, 1944. 1720 hours – Cuvervilles, France.
The three Cromwells and a lone Firefly advanced down towards a square, as the infantry tailed close behind them, weapons at the ready.
Darjeeling scanned the surroundings. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. However, she couldn't let her guard down. "Orange, load an Amour Piercing shell. Assam, be ready to fire."
"Clear!" Orange shouted as she rammed a round into the breech. Darjeeling looked round once more; no enemy tanks were present.
A shell screamed past them and impacted the side of the leading Cromwell, which shuddered to a halt. Two men clambered out of the hatches as a second shot smashed into the turret, leaving a smoking hole in the side.
In front of them, the machineguns began to open up, as a load of German infantry appeared out of nowhere, and started to open fire on them and the British soldiers behind them. A few dropped onto the floor, as the rest scrambled to cover and began to return fire with their rifles and sub machineguns.
"Irene, reverse into the street behind us! We'll go around and hit the tank that took out the Cromwell." Darjeeling shouted. The Firefly backed into the street, and began to crawl towards the end of it. To their right, the sound of tank guns firing only meant one thing; a close quarters tank battle was ensuing.
The Firefly crossed into the junction, and stopped. Darjeeling looked round, and saw the Panzer IV heading away from their direction. "Assam, put a shell into him!" She yelled. Assam nodded, and pressed the firing pedal.
The shell screamed out of the barrel of the 17-pounder gun, and it sailed down the street at supersonic speeds, before hitting the tank in the back of the turret. A spectacular fireball erupted from the stricken Panzer, as its ammunition inside exploded.
"Good shot!" Irene remarked as Darjeeling smirked.
"Nice one, m'dear." She patted Assam's shoulder. Her eyes widened as German infantry appeared at the end of the street. "Orange, HE shell now! Assam, take them out!" Darjeeling stood up and grasped the mounted .50 cal. She pulled the bolt and began to fire. "Irene, back up, back up!"
The Firefly lurched backwards slowly as Assam fired at the troops. The shell hit its mark; an explosion engulfed a few of the German soldiers as the rest were cut down by Cromwell coming up the street towards Darjeeling. The latter breathed a sigh of relief. "Just in time." She whispered, gesturing a thumbs-up to the Cromwell's commander, who smirked back.
The radio suddenly crackled into life. "The infantry platoon wants tank support at the end of the square! They're pinned down by small arms and a machinegun nest."
Darjeeling nodded. "Roger that, we're on our way." She reloaded a new belt of ammunition into her machinegun as the Firefly rolled to the infantry's position.
A few men lay dead on the ground. Blood seeped down the street as the rest ducked as bullets whizzed downrange, narrowly missing them. The wounded screamed in agony, writhing around as medics tried to tend them.
"Assam, target the machinegun on the roof. I'll handle the rest." The young commander ordered, as she opened up on the Germans on the ground level. One bullet smashed through a soldier's helmet, his head virtually exploding from the impact; blood and matter smearing the rubble behind him.
Assam opened fire, and the high explosive shell exploded on its target, removing a large portion of the roof as two bodies dropped to the floor, before being covered in falling debris. Darjeeling then looked at the troops.
"Go! You're clear!" She yelled, and the soldiers leapt up, and began to advance behind the Firefly, creating a wall of fire as the remaining German troops began to retreat. Bullet after bullet found their mark as the Germans fled under a wall of fire. Soon, not one soldier was left alive; scattered, bloodied corpses lay tossed around the street.
"All units listen up." The radio crackled again. It was Major Haldsworth. "I want all amour to rendezvous at the fountain near the north of the village. I've heard that the accompanying infantry has encircled the village, and are mopping up the last of the resistance. Good work all of you."
Darjeeling nodded, and sat down in her seat. "Well, Irene, you heard him. Let's go to the fountain."
"Aye, Darjey." She replied.
Once they arrived at their rendezvous point, Darjeeling opened the commander's hatch, and smiled. "You did well today ladies. You should be glad. We survived another." She winked as Assam smirked.
"Hear hear." She spoke, breaking out a cigarette from its packet and lighting it. Darjeeling looked round.
"Well, why don't you go get some fresh air, and get dinner ready?"
Irene raised a brow. "Dinner, isn't it called tea? Well, that's what we call it up north." She quipped. "But, hey, I don't care as long as I get something to eat. I'm starving." She grinned opening her driver's hatch and wriggling out. Assam looked at Darjeeling and shook her said satirically, before the latter climbed out of the tank.
Once on the turret, Darjeeling noticed Captain Smith walking towards her. She instantly dropped down and saluted. "You wanted me, sir?"
He nodded briskly. "The Major wants-"
The sharp crack of a rifle echoed around the area, and red sprayed all across Darjeeling's face, causing her to recoil in shock and slam into the hull of her Firefly. Wiping her eyes desperately, she smelt the eerie scent of freshly spilt blood. Her hands dripped with the liquid. She looked down shakily.
At her feet lay the motionless body of Captain Smith. Or, what was left of it. Half his head was missing, due to the impact of the bullet on his head. Blood smeared the floor and hull of the Firefly. One of the eye sockets was missing an eye. Bits of brain matter was flung everywhere. A few moments of silence followed, before the cry of realisation rang out.
"Sniper!"
Only now, did she fathom what had happened; Darjeeling's face turned an icy shade of white, and she leapt onto the turret and down into the Firefly as fast as she could, landing on the floor of the turret with a crash as Irene dived underneath the tank for cover.
Assam and Orange turned around. Seeing Darjeeling covered in blood, their eyes widened with horror.
"Darjey, are you alright?!" Assam yelled as Orange nearly gagged at the sight of their bloodied commander. "Where did it hit you? Are you bleeding?!"
Darjeeling, who just lay there dazedly on the floor, nodded. "Y-yeah…" She whispered. Wiping the blood away, she gagged as an image of the dead Captain floated across her mind. "But Captain Smith isn't. He got shot by the sniper. It's… it's his blood." She caught a cloth that Assam threw towards her, and quickly wiped the blood away from her face and hands. The crack of the rifle echoed across the area again, and a scream of pain could be heard. The sniper had found another victim.
"You got eyes on him?" Orange muttered, as Darjeeling peered through the vision slits of her cupola. She scanned the nearby windows, but saw nothing peculiar. The sniper fired again. This time, she listened intently; the shot seemed to come from her two o'clock. She looked at the appropriate house. There was only one window on the top floor, and it was open. She frowned at it. Something told her the sniper fired from that window.
"Assam, I hazard a guess that the sniper is on the top floor window at your two o'clock." She whispered, as she tweaked the radio. "Major, I think I know the location of the sniper. I'm going to put a shell the window. Have the men ready to stand by and clean up." She spoke.
"Affirmative, Lieutenant." He responded quickly. "Just get rid of him quickly!"
Darjeeling nodded, looking at Assam. "You got it in your sights?" Seeing her gunner nod, she smirked.
"Fire."
Assam zeroed in on the window, and adjusted the elevation minutely, before gently pressing the firing pedal.
18th July, 1944. 1810 hours.
The breech flew backwards as the shell propelled itself out of the barrel with a blinding flash of orange and yellow, before striking the inner wall of the building. The wall seemingly exploded as bits of rock, brick and debris came flying out in all directions, leaving a cloud of dust where the window once stood.
As the dust settled, Darjeeling smirked at their handiwork; a gaping hole was where the window was, and a rifle teetered over the edge, before falling and clattering onto the ground. A few soldiers immediately entered the house, their rifles raised.
Moments later, the came back out, dragging the limp body of the sniper, and laid it on the side of the building. A medic quickly walked over, before laying a tarp over the corpse. Darjeeling breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright ladies. Assam, Orange, resupply the Firefly with fuel, ammunition and shells." She ordered, climbing out onto the turret once again, and climbing down onto the engine deck. "Irene, get dinner ready. I'm starving." She looked down at the now covered body of Captain Smith, before sighing and walking towards Major Haldswoth's command tank.
The latter was outside his Cromwell, and had set a map on top of the engine deck of his tank. Looking at Darjeeling, he nodded curtly. "He's dead, isn't he." He muttered. Seeing Darjeeling nod, he sighed. "He was part of my staff since the second battle of El Alamain. He was a good man. A good officer. Now, he's just another corpse to be buried."
"I'm sorry for your loss, sir." Darjeeling whispered.
The Major smiled faintly. "However, we mustn't let this drag us down." He stated, returning to his rather brisk and purposeful demeanour. "Orders has come through that we and the 1st Rifle Brigade will attack the Bourguebus ridge tomorrow at around midday. I want you to make sure all tanks of your platoon are refuelled and rearmed, ready for the attack tomorrow."
Darjeeling nodded. "Yes sir." She saluted and began to turn back to her tank.
"Oh and, Elizabeth?" The Major suddenly spoke.
"What is it, sir?"
"Good work today. Your contribution to the success of this attack was invaluable." He smiled. "I knew you would make a good officer. You haven't proven me wrong."
The young officer blushed. "Thank you, sir." She replied. "I won't let you down."
As she walked back towards her Firefly, she absent-mindedly turned to look at the tarp covered corpse of the sniper. Darjeeling paused, looking at it, before walking over. Kneeling down, she slowly pulled away the tarp, revealing a rather young looking face of a girl.
A girl with short blonde, braided hair although most of it was covered by the helmet she wore. The girl also had light blue eyes just like Darjeeling's. The complexion and structure of the girls' face almost matched her own.
Darjeeling couldn't help but stare at the corpse. They were almost identical to one another, but they weren't. She gulped and sighed quietly. That corpse could've been her. Her mind raced; the amount of times she had brushed with death was extraordinary. Yet, even now, there she stood; a living and breathing human being. Death could have claimed her at any point. But, why hadn't it?
Standing up, she took one last look at the girl before returning back to her Firefly. As she walked, images of dead soldiers, friend and foe alike, littered her mind. The screaming, the blood, it all convulsed within her brain. Darjeeling shakily took out a cigarette and lit it, inhaling its fumes deep into her lungs in an attempt to calm herself.
'The images, the nightmares…' She thought to herself. 'Every night, I'm desperate to sleep. But these horrific scenes keep playing out night after night after night.' She looked up at the sky; the sun was slowly sinking behind the horizon, its waning light casting a gentle, orangey red glow as night approached. A tranquillity that seemed so surreal. Darjeeling sighed.
"Will it never end?"
18th July, 1944. 1910 hours – German Positions near Saint Lo.
A bottle of French Cognac lay half empty on the desk ridden with maps and documents. A young woman walked over, uncorked the bottle and poured some of the golden-brown liquid into a glass. In her hand, she held the most recent report from the German held town of Saint Lo.
Maho quickly read over the report, and sighed, placing it down onto the table in front of her. Picking up the glass of Cognac, she took a gulp, before setting it back down. The flavour was tantalisingly similar. She picked up the bottle and inspected it. It read: "Rémy Martin, 1935." She smiled, a few fleeting memories floating into her mind. It was the same Cognac she drank in Paris almost 4 years ago, in Paris. The time she spent in Paris was probably the happiest she had ever been in the career within the Wehrmacht.
It was 1940. The Wehrmacht and Germany was at its height. Having won the battle for France, everyone was in high spirits. Maho sighed. Even she herself thought that the war would be finished sooner or later, and that the final victory would be theirs.
Oh, now naïve she was; Stalingrad, Kursk, the Deniper River, and now Normandy. If only her past self knew the amount of pain, suffering and trauma she would have to endure. Maho closed her eyes; even now, images and sounds of the wounded and dying filled her ears and mind. Every night, she would sleep, only to awaken to an intense artillery bombardment, or from a hellish nightmare. Maho wondered to herself. 'When was the last time I had gotten decent sleep?'
The sound of the door opening caused her to lapse from her thought. Seeing who it was, she smiled faintly. "You got news?"
Erwin took off her officer's cap and wiped her brow, before replacing it on her head. "Only bad news. Our Tiger company is very understrength, as well as the rest of the Panzer Battalions. Take for example Miho's battalion; they have only ten Panthers left, of which three are operational. The rest are in for repairs."
"Well that is just great, isn't it?" Maho muttered, pushing the bottle of Cognac to Erwin. "My Tiger is getting repaired. In fact, we only have… four Tigers left? And of those, three of them are not operational right now." She sighed. "We virtually don't have any Panzers left."
Erwin, with the bottle Cognac in her hand, did not reply to her statement. She uncorked the bottle and took a swig, before sighing as well. "Also, our forces defending Saint Lo are about to break. The Americans are stepping up their attacks. They want us to reinforce them. If we don't, we can expect them to take the town by tomorrow."
"It's not like we can reinforce them." Maho spat, frowning as she walked around the room in frustration. "We do not have enough men or tanks. And if we commit what we have left, chances are we'll lose those too." She stopped, looking down at the map. "But if we don't, we will lose Saint Lo. And it will be a major setback in containing the Allied forces within this region." Maho brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. "And if the allies break through, the road to retake France will be open. Then, they'll set their sights on Germany.
As Erwin was about to retort, the creaking of the door signalled the duo that someone was coming into the room. Turning around, she noticed who it was. "Ah, good evening, Miho." She spoke, her expression becoming more mother-like and calm. "Are you okay?" Erwin asked softly.
Miho nodded at both Erwin and Maho, before instinctively walking to the latter. "What's happening?" She questioned, looking at the map that was set down on the table. "I heard you two talking about Saint Lo. It didn't sound too good." Seeing Maho's expression, she sighed. "How bad is it?"
Erwin smiled. "Don't worry about it, Miho." She responded, putting an arm on her shoulder. "It's salvageable. We're just seeing whether we could counterattack at Saint Lo with our current resources." She lied simply. Erwin then grabbed a few files, and headed towards the door. "I'm to meet with some of the staff officers to discuss the situation here."
Watching Erwin close the door behind her, Miho sighed with frustration. "It's bad isn't it." She muttered. Maho smirked, sitting down on the desk beside her sister. Her hand slowly running through the latter's hair.
"It's gotten quite long, you should at least tie it back." Maho stated, taking the latter's sidecap off her head and attempting to comb her sister's hair with her fingers. She then began to tie it into two braids, taking the utmost care and precision as she did so.
Miho opened her mouth to protest, but as soon as she felt her sister tying her hair up into braids, she smiled, and looked up at Maho. "You know, I miss it when you do that." She whispered. "It's been so long. I think the last time you did that was before you went back to the front last year."
Maho smiled, shuffling slightly closer to Miho as she produced two hairclips from her pocket and clipped the braids. She paused to admire her handiwork; it wasn't as pretty as she wanted it to be, but, given the circumstances they were in, it was a pretty good job. She put Miho's sidecap back onto the latter's head.
Turning around, Miho sat down next to her elder sister, and put her head on Maho's shoulder. Instinctively, Maho put an arm round her, pulling her closer. A few moments passed without neither of them speaking, just enjoying the company each other gave.
"You know, even though I said it was a bad idea for you to have joined up, I am so proud of you." Maho spoke, her tone all warm and comforting. "You're doing a great service to the Fatherland. And now that you're in the Wehrmacht, you've grown up so much." She smiled warmly. "It feels like only yesterday when I would be walking you to the nearby park to play in Munich… time really does go quickly." Maho looked out of the window towards the waning sunset as the night began to chase away the daylight. "I may disagree with you joining up, but now, I'm glad that I can serve by your side." She spoke, resting her head against Miho's.
The latter smiled, wriggling closer for warmth. However, her smile faded quickly. "Maho?" She whispered timidly.
"Hm?"
Miho sighed quietly, and looked up at her sister. "The war is not in our favour, is it?" She questioned. "Be honest with me. We're losing, aren't we?"
The elder looked down, and nodded slowly. "Yes." She stated gently. "The Americans will break through Saint Lo by tomorrow, leaving the whole of France in their grasp. In the east, the Russians have the momentum. Our forces there are in full retreat." Maho swallowed the lump in her throat. "It won't be too long till they reach our homeland. Our Fatherland."
"And there is nothing we can do?" Miho replied desolately.
"There is." Maho looked down at Miho. "I need you to stay strong. Stay courageous. Give everything into this fight." She spoke, her tone strong but not too forceful. "Even now, I need you to do your best. Do your duty. To fight not for the führer, but for the Fatherland." She put an arm on her shoulder. "And I will be with you every step of the way."
"I will be there to protect you. I promise."
Notes:
Finally! It's been a long time since the last chapter, but here it is! Thank you for waiting so patiently~ ^o^
The reason I took so long is that college work now takes priority, thus I have little time to write this. But I've been writing snippets of this chapter on and off...
However, this does mean that new chapters will take a lot longer to write, thus updates will be less frequent. I hope you understand that.
So... Until the next update~ Cya guys later! ^^
Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Translations for any German dialogue will be shown below (May not be 100% accurate. I am not a native German speaker, nor do I study German xD so please correct me if they are inaccurate in any way!)
"Bitte, ich habe eine Familie!" = Please, I have a family!
"Was ist mit unseren Familien?!" = What about our families?!
"Antworte mir!" = Answer me!
"Bitte… " = Please
As always, any reviews with constructive criticism will be welcome.
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