Chapter 9: Eve of Attack
Zach could not believe he was actually able to get a decent amount of sleep. But that was probably about to end. Right now he was on yet another plane to some Allied base. General Rommel had been ordered to attack and destroy a Soviet base again.
"So what's so important about this Soviet base?" Zach asked Fritz.
"It's probably because of the Red tech centers. Most likely we need to capture some information."
"By the way, how did the MiG job go?"
"Rather well actually," said Fritz, "They're probably tearing it apart as we speak. You know, the U.S. Air Force just unveiled a new jet fighter themselves."
"Yeah. I read about it. The F-4 Phantom. Supposed to be effective and powerful."
"So how has everything gone for you? I see you won the Knight's Cross. 1st class too."
"It was because of the Hamburg fighting," said Zach, "Very vicious. I'm rather surprised that we won."
"Don't be," Fritz responded, "There was a General Richard O'Connor, British chap, and probably one of the best they have, who was supporting our forces. He did rather well and assisted General Rommel in a rather spectacular maneuver that cut off Soviet reinforcement and destroyed them completely."
"I guess he's the only British general that can fight as well as he can talk."
"More so actually," said Fritz, "The plane's landing in a few minutes. Get your equipment ready."
"My equipment's been ready ever since I got onto this damn plan," complained Zach, "This Soviet base had better be worth it if we're going this far north."
"Intelligence operations are never easy," said Fritz, "I should know, considering I did have to steal a MiG."
The plane slowed down and landed on the airfield. After a few bumpy minutes it powered down its engine and the soldiers disembarked. Three other planes were right behind them carrying vehicles and some tanks.
"Welcome to Norway," said the base commander, "Now your mission is to infiltrate two of our spies into two Soviet tech centers to learn what the hell the commies are up to. I have heard that you troops under General Rommel are superb soldiers and I do not doubt that. It seems that even my daughter has run into one of you. Now, I'm supplying you with a MCV and all the other vehicles will be landing shortly. Don't screw this up. Dismissed!"
"Wonder who his daughter is," said Fritz.
"Probably some civilian that we met in Berlin or Hamburg."
"Let's just hope that it wasn't the girl who you blew the head of an NKVD officer to save."
"God forbid," said Zach, "I would never want to face their family."
A convoy then pulled into the base. Three of the trucks were carrying medical supplies and several nurses got off. The men started cheering.
"Anyone who touches my daughter will be court-martialed!" the base commander suddenly yelled.
That shut up all of the men. One of the nurses walked over and gave the commander a hug. Zach gasped.
"What?" asked Fritz.
"That's the woman who bandaged my hand," said Zach, "during the Berlin fighting."
"Jeez. Well, why don't you introduce yourself to her again?"
"You heard the base commander."
"You are a sergeant that won the Knight's Cross 1st Class. If that's not going to impress the commander I don't know what will."
"Those two soldiers over there are looking at you," Major Hans Roering said to his daughter.
"I think I met one of them during the Berlin fighting," said Angelica, "The one with that cross pinned to his chest."
"You mean the one with the Knight's Cross?"
"Is that what it is? Hmm. I couldn't tell from this distance. Were you serious when you threatened to court-martial anyone who touched me?"
"I guess a few of them may be honorable enough for me to accept. Just be careful Angelica. You're still a young girl."
"Don't I know it."
Zach approached them nervously with Fritz nearly pushing him.
"Hello Angelica," he greeted her.
"Hello Sergeant. I see you've seen some action since last we met," Angelica said, indicating the Knight's Cross.
"I got it for an operation in Hamburg," Zach said modestly, "I was just trying to do what any good commander would."
"Considering that so few soldiers of your rank get them, there aren't enough good commanders," said Hans, "This is my daughter, Angelica Roering."
"We met in Berlin," Zach said, "She bandaged a wound on my hand."
"Where did you get those burns?" Angelica asked, "I forgot to ask you."
"Zach here pulled out an agent of ours trapped in a burning tank," Fritz said. Zach gave him a look but Fritz ignored it.
"Is that true?" Angelica asked, surprised, "I thought you got it from a fire or touching something hot, but pulling someone out of a burning tank?"
"It was nothing," Zach insisted, "That agent had saved our lives and I felt obliged to return the favor."
"Well, I'll leave the three of you to get better acquainted," Hans said, "I have to get that MCV ready."
He walked off towards the vehicle pool.
"I need to get the rest of the team organized," said Fritz, "Be back in ten Zach."
Zach started sweating. He knew that Fritz had maneuvered him into this situation intentionally.
"So. Why did you become a nurse?" he asked, desperate for anything to break the silence.
"My father was in the army and I wanted to help others so I thought that becoming a nurse in the Wehrmacht would do it."
"Zach!"
Zach turned his head and saw Fritz waving at him.
"I have to go," he said, "I'd like to talk to you again."
"Me too. We'll talk when you return."
Zach nodded and ran off.
"I thought I had ten minutes," he said when he reached Fritz.
"Change of plans. We need to hit this Soviet base hard now. It seems that the naval force scheduled to assist us is early and we need to move in now."
"Assistance arriving early? Now that's a new thought."
"Tell me about it. The naval forces have already engaged Soviet submarines in the lake. We have to move quickly. These red bastards aren't going to get themselves killed."
Three Apaches flew over them and headed towards the battle. Several Mark IV tanks were also starting to head out.
"Come on. Let's get on board our APC and join in the fun."
Zach slammed a new cartridge into his rifle and followed Fritz. They jumped on an APC and blasted off towards the battle.
"How far is the battle site?"
"Half a kilometer. We'll be there shortly. I personally don't see why we didn't just coordinate the battle from that base back there."
"Probably a political or strategic reason."
Private Roberto Shield was standing on the dockside looking out at the battleships on battleship row. The US Navy had smarted up and was concentrating on carriers now, but the new Iowa-class battleships were still there and only one carrier taskforce was even by Pearl Harbor. Roberto shook his head. He was in the army, assigned as a guard for some project that the military was running but he was off at the moment. Might as well get something to drink. He went to one of the bars and found one of his friends there.
"Hey Miles."
"Rob."
"Beer," Roberto ordered.
The bartender took out a bottle and slid it to him. Roberto caught it and started chugging it down.
"How's duty?" Miles asked him.
"Same old, same old."
Miles Turner was an old friend of Roberto's back from the academy. While Roberto was on guard duty, Miles was in the Marines now.
"So how's life in the navy?"
"Great. Decent food, actual white bread too, the women are impressed with me since I'm in the Marines."
"Bastard. How the hell did you get into the Marines and I got assigned to guard duty?"
"What are you guarding?"
"I don't even know," said Roberto, "Probably some naval project."
"At Hickam? I don't think so," said Miles, "But then again they did set up those towers alongside the Wisconsin."
"So in other words we have no idea what this is all about."
"Heard they had some kind of accident on the Wisconsin," said Miles, "They lost some men. Do you think that was because of whatever project they were conducting?"
"Don't know," said Roberto, "I'm a guard. I'm not on the development team."
"If its so heavily classified we'll never know what it was," said Miles.
Roberto shrugged. It wasn't like he cared.
"How about another round of beer?"
"Sounds like a good idea."
End of Chapter 9
Pearl Harbor, here we come!
Z98
Zach could not believe he was actually able to get a decent amount of sleep. But that was probably about to end. Right now he was on yet another plane to some Allied base. General Rommel had been ordered to attack and destroy a Soviet base again.
"So what's so important about this Soviet base?" Zach asked Fritz.
"It's probably because of the Red tech centers. Most likely we need to capture some information."
"By the way, how did the MiG job go?"
"Rather well actually," said Fritz, "They're probably tearing it apart as we speak. You know, the U.S. Air Force just unveiled a new jet fighter themselves."
"Yeah. I read about it. The F-4 Phantom. Supposed to be effective and powerful."
"So how has everything gone for you? I see you won the Knight's Cross. 1st class too."
"It was because of the Hamburg fighting," said Zach, "Very vicious. I'm rather surprised that we won."
"Don't be," Fritz responded, "There was a General Richard O'Connor, British chap, and probably one of the best they have, who was supporting our forces. He did rather well and assisted General Rommel in a rather spectacular maneuver that cut off Soviet reinforcement and destroyed them completely."
"I guess he's the only British general that can fight as well as he can talk."
"More so actually," said Fritz, "The plane's landing in a few minutes. Get your equipment ready."
"My equipment's been ready ever since I got onto this damn plan," complained Zach, "This Soviet base had better be worth it if we're going this far north."
"Intelligence operations are never easy," said Fritz, "I should know, considering I did have to steal a MiG."
The plane slowed down and landed on the airfield. After a few bumpy minutes it powered down its engine and the soldiers disembarked. Three other planes were right behind them carrying vehicles and some tanks.
"Welcome to Norway," said the base commander, "Now your mission is to infiltrate two of our spies into two Soviet tech centers to learn what the hell the commies are up to. I have heard that you troops under General Rommel are superb soldiers and I do not doubt that. It seems that even my daughter has run into one of you. Now, I'm supplying you with a MCV and all the other vehicles will be landing shortly. Don't screw this up. Dismissed!"
"Wonder who his daughter is," said Fritz.
"Probably some civilian that we met in Berlin or Hamburg."
"Let's just hope that it wasn't the girl who you blew the head of an NKVD officer to save."
"God forbid," said Zach, "I would never want to face their family."
A convoy then pulled into the base. Three of the trucks were carrying medical supplies and several nurses got off. The men started cheering.
"Anyone who touches my daughter will be court-martialed!" the base commander suddenly yelled.
That shut up all of the men. One of the nurses walked over and gave the commander a hug. Zach gasped.
"What?" asked Fritz.
"That's the woman who bandaged my hand," said Zach, "during the Berlin fighting."
"Jeez. Well, why don't you introduce yourself to her again?"
"You heard the base commander."
"You are a sergeant that won the Knight's Cross 1st Class. If that's not going to impress the commander I don't know what will."
"Those two soldiers over there are looking at you," Major Hans Roering said to his daughter.
"I think I met one of them during the Berlin fighting," said Angelica, "The one with that cross pinned to his chest."
"You mean the one with the Knight's Cross?"
"Is that what it is? Hmm. I couldn't tell from this distance. Were you serious when you threatened to court-martial anyone who touched me?"
"I guess a few of them may be honorable enough for me to accept. Just be careful Angelica. You're still a young girl."
"Don't I know it."
Zach approached them nervously with Fritz nearly pushing him.
"Hello Angelica," he greeted her.
"Hello Sergeant. I see you've seen some action since last we met," Angelica said, indicating the Knight's Cross.
"I got it for an operation in Hamburg," Zach said modestly, "I was just trying to do what any good commander would."
"Considering that so few soldiers of your rank get them, there aren't enough good commanders," said Hans, "This is my daughter, Angelica Roering."
"We met in Berlin," Zach said, "She bandaged a wound on my hand."
"Where did you get those burns?" Angelica asked, "I forgot to ask you."
"Zach here pulled out an agent of ours trapped in a burning tank," Fritz said. Zach gave him a look but Fritz ignored it.
"Is that true?" Angelica asked, surprised, "I thought you got it from a fire or touching something hot, but pulling someone out of a burning tank?"
"It was nothing," Zach insisted, "That agent had saved our lives and I felt obliged to return the favor."
"Well, I'll leave the three of you to get better acquainted," Hans said, "I have to get that MCV ready."
He walked off towards the vehicle pool.
"I need to get the rest of the team organized," said Fritz, "Be back in ten Zach."
Zach started sweating. He knew that Fritz had maneuvered him into this situation intentionally.
"So. Why did you become a nurse?" he asked, desperate for anything to break the silence.
"My father was in the army and I wanted to help others so I thought that becoming a nurse in the Wehrmacht would do it."
"Zach!"
Zach turned his head and saw Fritz waving at him.
"I have to go," he said, "I'd like to talk to you again."
"Me too. We'll talk when you return."
Zach nodded and ran off.
"I thought I had ten minutes," he said when he reached Fritz.
"Change of plans. We need to hit this Soviet base hard now. It seems that the naval force scheduled to assist us is early and we need to move in now."
"Assistance arriving early? Now that's a new thought."
"Tell me about it. The naval forces have already engaged Soviet submarines in the lake. We have to move quickly. These red bastards aren't going to get themselves killed."
Three Apaches flew over them and headed towards the battle. Several Mark IV tanks were also starting to head out.
"Come on. Let's get on board our APC and join in the fun."
Zach slammed a new cartridge into his rifle and followed Fritz. They jumped on an APC and blasted off towards the battle.
"How far is the battle site?"
"Half a kilometer. We'll be there shortly. I personally don't see why we didn't just coordinate the battle from that base back there."
"Probably a political or strategic reason."
Private Roberto Shield was standing on the dockside looking out at the battleships on battleship row. The US Navy had smarted up and was concentrating on carriers now, but the new Iowa-class battleships were still there and only one carrier taskforce was even by Pearl Harbor. Roberto shook his head. He was in the army, assigned as a guard for some project that the military was running but he was off at the moment. Might as well get something to drink. He went to one of the bars and found one of his friends there.
"Hey Miles."
"Rob."
"Beer," Roberto ordered.
The bartender took out a bottle and slid it to him. Roberto caught it and started chugging it down.
"How's duty?" Miles asked him.
"Same old, same old."
Miles Turner was an old friend of Roberto's back from the academy. While Roberto was on guard duty, Miles was in the Marines now.
"So how's life in the navy?"
"Great. Decent food, actual white bread too, the women are impressed with me since I'm in the Marines."
"Bastard. How the hell did you get into the Marines and I got assigned to guard duty?"
"What are you guarding?"
"I don't even know," said Roberto, "Probably some naval project."
"At Hickam? I don't think so," said Miles, "But then again they did set up those towers alongside the Wisconsin."
"So in other words we have no idea what this is all about."
"Heard they had some kind of accident on the Wisconsin," said Miles, "They lost some men. Do you think that was because of whatever project they were conducting?"
"Don't know," said Roberto, "I'm a guard. I'm not on the development team."
"If its so heavily classified we'll never know what it was," said Miles.
Roberto shrugged. It wasn't like he cared.
"How about another round of beer?"
"Sounds like a good idea."
End of Chapter 9
Pearl Harbor, here we come!
Z98