Chapter 11: The Tide Turns

12th July, 1943. 2100 hours.

The gentle twilight sun slowly sank down towards the horizon; casting long shadows on the objects its orangey rays fell upon. 5 Tiger tanks stood still on the grassy hill; almost as if they were frozen in time. But they weren't shiny and clean anymore. Each one showed the scars of war. Chunks of metal were chipped off from the armour from when shells impacted and bounced off; each one had remnants of mud plastered around its lower hull. Around them, destroyed anti-tank guns were thrown around the place; some of the metal barrels sticking up in the ground like battle standards. Corpses of dead Soviet and German soldiers alike were littered around the hill; horrifically mutilated and sprawled around like ragdolls covered in blood.

Maho was standing about a few dozen meters in front, standing there with her StG 44 in her hands. She had a rather bloodstained bandage wrapped round her head, which covered the wound she sustained on her forehead earlier during the offensive. She looked in front, seeing the rest of the infantry that were dug into their frontline trenches that they had made a day before. They had advanced forwards, and had taken the hills of Teploje. She and Karla had been ordered by Erwin to take the hill southwest of Teploje with 3 other Tigers as backup, as well as two companies of motorised infantry that the 4th Panzer Division could spare; whilst 5 other operational Tigers and remaining infantry attacked the hills south of the area. During the attack on the hills of Olochowtka, their Tigers had taken substantial damage, and they had to withdraw back to their reserve lines to commence emergency repairs. Right now, they didn't have a full battalion; 26 of their Tigers were operational and in reserve positions in Soborwka, around 4-5km away from where they were now.

'This is taking too long…' Maho thought to herself as she swung her assault rifle over her shoulder; the strap hung around her shoulder, taking the weight of the weapon so her hands were free to move and not hold it. 'We should have completed the offensive by now, what's taking them so long?' Maho gritted her teeth in frustration and kicked the ground hard. "Why is nothing going according to plan!" She shouted out loud in a sudden outburst of anger. She was sick of it. Sick of it all. Her crew were exhausted and needed rest. They had a low morale. A number of their comrades had been killed. 'We still had plenty of ammunition and rations, thankfully.' She told herself. But the other part knew that this offensive was taking their toll on her for the worse. "The memories…" She whispered. "I can't get them to go away. They're like a plague in my mind; tormenting me every time I try to get some respite… It's… slowly driving me insane."

"Are you okay, Maho?"

A voice sounded from behind her. Maho turned round. Karla was behind her. Seeing her gentle, yet radiant smile lifted Maho's spirits up slightly. "Yeah. I'm okay." She replied slowly. "What are you doing here? I thought you were resupplying ammunition for your Tiger."

Karla shook her head. "Oh, I left my crew to do that. You're standing guard on your own, so I want to come and join you."

Maho smiled slightly. "Thanks…" She whispered. Her mood then suddenly changed. "Aren't you sick of this all?" She muttered dryly after staying silent for a while. "Every day we fight, but for what? There's no point in fighting anymore. We haven't been able to take sufficient ground, and we've taken very heavy losses all along the way. Isn't it time we stopped? The war on this front is lost. Haven't they realised it yet?" Her voice rose in frustration." They're sending us to our deaths by deploying us into this hellhole of a country!" She shouted at Karla, who immediately took a few steps back in fear and surprise. Immediately, she felt ashamed of herself; shouting at someone who hadn't even done anything wrong. "I…I'm sorry, Karla." She whispered, hanging her head. "I didn't mean to shout at you."

Karla walked up her and shook her head slowly. "No, Maho." She began. "I understand your frustration." She walked over and gently rested her head on Maho's shoulder. "I know how you feel. It's… annoying, isn't it? Not being able to have the advantage we had then." She whispered calmly.

Maho nodded in agreement. "Mm. It's more than annoying." She sighed. "The Soviets are much more tactically adept now than they were two years ago. Their defences are stiff and hard to break through. And their counterattacks… are just… horrifying." She mumbled. "The amount of equipment and men they can muster; at this rate, they'll totally outnumber us if they counterattack."

Karla smiled, and stood up at her full height again. "Well, Leutnant. If the counterattack does come, we'll fight to the very end. Am I right? We'll fight for our families and for the survival of the fatherland." She spoke calmly. Maho smiled faintly and nodded.

"We will. To the very end." She replied.

Karla nodded, then took out a packet of cigarettes, and tossed them to Maho. "Go on. I know you want one." She remarked cheekily, causing Maho to force a smile.

"You know me too well, Karla." Maho replied whilst taking one and passing it back to her. She lit it and took a deep breath, before exhaling.

"Well, I've been with you for this time; I must've learned a thing or two about you." Karla joked, before helping herself to one. "I know you have a younger sister, at least." She added, seeing Maho shake her head and smile.

"Well then, do you know how old she is? I bet you won't know that." Maho asked sarcastically.

"15. And she wants to join the Panzerwaffe when she's old enough." Karla promptly replied. Seeing Maho raise a brow, she smiled. "Hauptmann Brandt told me all about her." She added quickly. "What's she like? Do you like her, or do you find her annoying?"

Maho smiled faintly. "She can be adorable at times, but she can be rather annoying too. But generally she is really pleasant. I will easily sacrifice my own life for her to live if I had to…" She whispered, her face falling slightly. She reached into her pocket, and took out a small crinkled photo; both siblings were there: Maho, in her Panzerwaffe uniform on the left, and Miho was on the right; smiling into the camera with Maho's sidecap on her head. "Here she is." Maho whispered, passing it to Karla.

Karla looked at the picture, and smiled warmly. "She looks adorable." She stated gently. No reply. Karla looked at Maho. She had turned her back to her, and was just standing there; her hair blowing gently in the evening breeze. Karla stood behind her and slowly put her hand on Maho's shoulder. "Maho?"

"I'm sorry Karla." She whispered quietly in reply. "It's just, you don't know how much I miss her." Maho turned round to face Karla; she had a single tear sliding down the corner of her eye and down onto her cheek, although trying very hard not to show it to her.

Karla nodded slowly. "It's okay, Maho. I understand how you feel." She whispered, walking round and putting a comforting arm round Maho's shoulder. "I still miss her, even though it's been two years." She smiled slightly. "War is so cruel, isn't it?" She spoke aloud. "Everything and everyone you love and care for; it takes it away in a blink of an eye." She pulled Maho closer, trying to comfort her. "I understand you miss her. It's natural for us to be like that." She continued, smirking slightly. "But right now, Maho, you need to keep your head up and do what you do best; leading our platoon and destroying enemy tanks."

Maho smiled faintly, and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "When did you turn into one of us? Giving advice like this?" She asked cheekily.

"Ever since I've been promot-"

The air suddenly exploded with gunshots and machine gun fire. Karla and Maho instinctively ducked down onto the ground. "What's happening?!" Maho yelled at Karla over the chaotic din. She shook her head.

"I don't know!"

Maho kept low on the ground as the gunfire continued. They then suddenly stopped, reducing to the occasional crack of a rifle. She looked up slightly, and she thought she could hear a voice… but then it was drowned out by a gust of wind. The machine gun opened up a short burst, then quiet. The voice emanated from the near distance again. She could hear a shout of "Nicht schießen!" before several cracks of rifle fire sounded again. "What the…?" She muttered, standing up and having a look.

In the hazy distance, she could see a man running towards their position, his hands raised in the air in surrender. The man fell into the trench, and was roughly examined before being dragged off by three soldiers towards where Maho and Karla were. They threw him roughly on the ground, and one of them, presumably the NCO, aimed his MP 40 at the man.

"What is it?" Karla asked, standing up and dusting herself down. She then cast a glance at the three men. "Oh…" She frowned then walked towards them. Maho instantly knew in her heart what she was going to do, and followed suit.

Karla walked over and stood in front of the NCO, blocking his shot at the man. "What, do you think you are doing?" She whispered as other two soldiers exchanged bewildered glances at one another. He frowned and stood up at his fullest height, so that he was taller than Karla by about half a head.

"Doing my job as a soldier. Killing this communist scum." He growled. "Unlike you tank crewmen. You don't see the true horrors of war. You're safe in those Tigers of yours. Now get out of the way." He added, pointing his weapon at Karla menacingly.

By now, there was a sense of tension in the air. Clouds had gathered overhead, wiping away the gentle sunset and blue skies; replaced by a sea of dark grey thunderclouds, the wind was picking up from a gentle breeze to a rather gusty gale.

"I will not allow you to kill him." Karla replied calmly, standing her ground against the soldier threatening her, her hand slowly moving towards her holster.

"Move. Now." The man growled again, and the two other soldiers moved menacingly towards her. Maho raised her StG 44 and aimed it at them.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She muttered. "First. You." He looked at the NCO. "You owe Leutnant Brun an apology. In fact. You are insulting a commissioned officer. I have the right to court martial you." The man snarled.

"I don't take orders from you women." He muttered. Maho rolled her eyes in contempt and moved slowly, yet menacingly towards him.

"You either move away, or I will shoot you, and your two other soldiers." She whispered with deadly intensity. "The choice is yours. And for your information, I have beaten up soldiers like you who insult women officers like me. You don't have to believe me, but I'd rather you do, unless you'd want several broken ribs and a broken nose. " She whispered again.

The man frowned at her, before moving away and lowering his weapon. "Why can't we kill him? He's a rotten piece of communist filth." Karla stepped forward, and looked at the man directly.

"One day, history will judge us on the actions we have done in this war. Do you want to be seen as a monster who recklessly murders any Soviet soldier you see? Or do you want to be seen as a hero of the Reich, one of the many unsung heroes of the Eastern front who fought the Soviets to protect the fatherland?" She whispered gently. The man sighed, and nodded reluctantly.

"Still… what should we do to him then?" He asked slowly. Maho moved towards the prisoner and roughly took his Pilotka off his head and examined it.

"The man is from a punishment battalion." She stated. Seeing the other three men look at each other in confusion, she sighed. "Have you no experience at the Eastern Front? Look at his pilotka. There is no red star on the front of it. This shows he is from a punishment battalion. He's probably going to be used to perform dangerous tasks. We should interrogate him. You three will escort him, and take him back to HQ for questioning." She ordered. The men nodded reluctantly and escorted him away. She watched them walk down the hill towards where their infantry transport trucks were, before turning to Karla. "Well. That settles it, I guess." She whispered.

"Mm. At least I saved him." Karla replied. "I just… didn't want to see him die like that." She whispered. "And, he also could be of some use in giving any information for possible counter offensives." Maho nodded in response, but didn't reply. Instead she had closed her eyes, her mind was hard at work; thinking hard. Something did not seem right.

'Why now? That soldier could've ran towards our line anytime. But why now…?' She pondered to herself. 'Unless something big was going to happen…' She thought hard for a moment, then something dawned upon her; she gasped then her eyes flung open. "Of course…" She whispered shakily. "Why would he have ran unless that was going to happen…" Maho mumbled. "Something big is going to happen." She looked around. The area was relatively quiet, with the occasional jumble of voices emanating from the infantry trenches. She then looked behind her. The tank crewmen were relaxing, getting some rest after a long few days of hard fighting.

'It is only a matter of time, I guess...'

12th July, 1943. 2200 hours.

The sun soon slipped down below the horizon, drowning them in a sea of near blackness; only the slightest slither of light from the horizon could be seen. The moon soon gave Maho the smallest amount of light, just enough for her to see Karla a few meters ahead of her.

"Did you see that?"

Karla's voice suddenly sounded. Maho looked at her, bewilderment etched on her face. Karla's dark silhouette turned to face her. "I thought I saw a flash of light in the sky." She whispered.

"Hm?" Maho queried. She looked up at the sky, but saw nothing but the dark night sky, and the gentle twinkle of several stars. "A flash of light in the sky?" She asked, looking at Karla. "I don't see anything."

"I definitely saw something though!" Karla replied. She suddenly looked up as another bright flash of light illuminated her face and the surrounding area. "There!" She pointed up at the sky. "See that?"

Maho looked up, and sure enough; there was a bright ball of light rising up into the air going towards them, before slowing down and fizzling out. But just as one went away, another white ball of light flew into the air. Another rose into the air, then another. Maho stumbled back a few steps. "This doesn't look good…" She whispered. She looked over at the horizon. Without warning, the entire horizon began flashing with a dim orangey red light. In her heart, Maho knew what was coming. She quickly grabbed Karla's hand and dragged her back towards their tanks. "Enemy artillery! Get down!" She yelled to the other tank crewmen, diving into a makeshift foxhole they'd made the day before just as the whistling of the artillery shells and the howling of the Katyusha rockets got louder and louder. Hearing her last minute warning, the men and women instantly ran and took cover in their foxholes. They were lucky. Seconds later, the gate to hell seemed to open in front of Maho's eyes. Fireballs erupted as the shells and rockets impacted the ground; massive concussion waves knocking Maho down deeper into her foxhole. The sound of the explosion was deafening. Over it all, she could hear Karla's deathly scream; panic and absolute terror echoed in her voice and was terror etched across her face. She curled up tightly, screaming and crying.

"I-I'm scared Maho!" She sobbed. "I'm going to die! I'm sure of it!" She cried out, before curling up again.

Maho shook her head, trying to remain calm over the intensity of the hell that was unfolding around them right now. She gently held Karla's hand and pulled her close. "It's okay, Karla… It's okay." She whispered over the din. "You're not going to die. Not now." She forced a smile. "I promise."

Hearing her words, Karla began to calm down slightly. Her crying soon became stifled sniffs, and she dried her eyes with her sleeve. "W-What's going to happen now?" She asked timidly, flinching badly every time a shell impacted close to them; showering the air with rocks and soil. Maho sighed.

"First, we wait for the shelling to stop. Then, prepare for a Soviet counterattack. God help us then." She whispered solemnly. "We only have 5 Tigers and two companies of men. That'll make our total strength around 430 infantry soldiers and us. We'll be dead meat." She sighed hopelessly. "No matter what though, we won't give up this position without a fight. I won't let them take this hill." Karla nodded slowly.

"We'll try out best." She whispered.

About an hour later, the shelling stopped as abruptly as it began. There was an intense, eerie silence after the echo of the final explosion died away. The smell of gunpowder hit their nostrils, and there was a hazy grey mist lying around the area. Maho slowly crept up to her feet and took a look round. All over, there were shell craters all along the ground, scarring the hill and surrounding area for as far she could see. She stood up. Their Tigers were intact, thankfully. She took a look at the infantry trenches; they weren't badly damaged, but she could hear the screams and cries of pain from the wounded.

"Let's get back into our Tigers. Let's go. I'll alert the infantry to stand by for an enemy counterattack. Here's the plan. You will take three Tigers and cover the infantry's left flank. I'll take the remaining Tigers and cover the right." She ordered, brushing herself off before heading towards the infantry trenches. Karla stood up and looked at the other tank crewmen in their foxholes.

"You heard the Leutnant, let's move!" She commanded. "Prepare your Tigers for another skirmish! Check everything is working!"

"Jawohl, Leutnant!" They responded and ran back to their Tigers, getting them ready for combat once more.

A few minutes later, Maho climbed into her Tiger. "I've told the infantry to be on high alert for an enemy attack. Leutnant Brun will lead two other Tigers onto the infantry's left flank; we will take the right flank. We'll give supporting fire when the counterattack does come. Ernst. Find us a bush, or some cover so we are camouflaged. I don't want the Soviet's to know we've got Tigers in this area. Erika, stay on high alert. I know it's dark, but, if you see anything that resembles a KV-1 or a T-34, you have my permission to engage. Everyone clear?" She asked. Her crew nodded.

"Aye, Leutnant." They all replied shakily; as they were still getting over the initial adrenaline rush of being bombarded by crowd artillery.

"Good." Maho nodded. Let's move out. We need to be ready." She stated, before speaking into the radio. "Leutnant Brun, do you copy?"

"Yes, I copy Leutnant, loud and clear." She replied, although her voice was rather muffled by the static. "Are you in position, on the infantry's right flank?"

Maho was about to reply when another voice crackled over the radio. This time, it was Erwin's voice, which took Maho by surprise.

"Leutnant Brun, Leutnant Ketler. What's your status?" Erwin asked over the radio. "Is everybody alright?"

"Aye, Hauptmann. Leutnant Ketler and I are fine. The infantry have some wounded, but they remain fully operational. We plan to hold our positions, and are making preparations to face an armoured attack." Karla responded quickly.

"Good. I'm glad to hear th-"

"But we have a problem." Maho suddenly interrupted. "If the Soviets do mount a counterattack, we will be hopelessly outnumbered. We won't be able to hold our positions for even an hour. We have five Tigers, and two companies of men. It'll be a total massacre. Also, we don't know whether it's a counteroffensive, or just a counterattack. But judging by the barrage, it looks likely it's a Soviet counteroffensive."

Erwin thought about it for a while before replying. "You have a point, Leutnant. But these are your orders; Hold onto the hill for as long as possible. We cannot retreat. No matter what. Our other forces shall do the same. I cannot allow a breach to be made on our line; if they get behind us and encircle our forces, we're doomed. Clear?"

"But, we don't have enough forces to withstand such an attack!" Maho protested desperately. "We'll be just sitting ducks!"

Erwin let out a deep sigh. "I understand your frustration, Leutnant. But orders are orders. Got it?" She asked.

"Aye, Hauptmann." Both Karla and Maho responded slowly.

"Good luck to you both." Erwin stated, before cutting off, leaving them in deadly silence.

Maho sighed. She was uncertain of this decision, but she couldn't argue with it; she had to obey orders, even if they didn't make sense or meant certain death. That was what she was trained for; to fight, to obey orders without hesitation, and to die for the Reich. She opened the commander's hatch and took a look around; the cool evening air hit her in the face as she stood up. "What do we do now…?" She mumbled.

"We wait for it to come." Erika responded slowly, taking out the photograph of her younger sister, and staring at it. Felix got up and started throwing out the empty shell casings out of the tank; the clang of metal against metal breaking the sombre silence around them. But all too soon, the deadly silence had encompassed the inhabitants of the Tiger once more.

Maho stood there, staring outside into the dark night, totally silent. She took out her binoculars and looked down the hill. There was no movement. No screeching of tank tracks, nor the battle cry of Soviet soldiers. She felt a chill run up her spine. She was cold, yes. But it felt different; as if her body wanted to tell her something. She shivered as the wind picked up, taking one last glance before sitting down and closing the commander's hatch. "What's the time, anyone?" She muttered slowly.

"Just past 2320 hours, Leutnant." Erika quickly replied. Her voice was shaky; a definite sense of unease was taking over them.

Over on the left flank, Karla shuffled restlessly in her seat. She knew that an attack was going to happen. 'But when?' She thought to herself. She opened the commander's hatch to take a quick look, when a white flare shot up from the horizon, illuminating their position. Another white ball of light flew up into the air towards their position, lighting up the area for a minute or two before fizzling out again. She knew it was coming. "All units prepare for an imminent attack. Be on the lookout for any movement down the hill." She spoke into the radio.

Hearing Karla's voice, Maho noticed something unusual about it. Despite the usual calmness that Karla's voice usually inherited, there was a slight waver in her voice, and it was slightly shaky. Maho knew Karla was scared. She closed her eyes, clearing her mind of any thoughts as she heard the screaming of artillery shells get louder and louder, the subsequent explosions throwing her off balance as they were rocked around by the shockwaves.

"Movement spotted down the hill! T-34s, KV-1s and infantry!" A voice shouted over the radio. Maho could register it was Karla's voice, and her eyes snapped open.

"Everyone ready to go?" She asked quietly, adrenaline starting to pump around her body. Erika turned round slowly.

"Like you even have to ask, Leutnant." She whispered, as Felix rammed a fresh Amour Piercing shell into the cannon breech.

The shelling was relentless now, but over the din of the explosions, the squeaking of the tank tracks of countless T-34 and KV-1s could be evidently heard, as well as the shouting of the Soviet infantry going "Uraa!"

Through the hazy smoke from the shelling, Maho could see tracer rounds firing all over the place, the explosions of artillery shells creating massive fireballs in the pitch blackness. The soldiers dug in in their trenches fired furiously at the rushing Soviet infantry; cutting down the first few that crested the ridge of the hill. She could see muzzle flashes coming from the left flank, as Karla's Tigers opened up on the sea of Soviet tanks; the shells finding their mark, leaving only charred and burning T-34s in their wake. She saw two KV-1s advancing directly towards their position. She knew what had to be done. "Erika, two KV-1s and infantry at our 12 o'clock. Distance, 400m."

Erika traversed the turret as quickly as she could, before aiming down her sights. "Targets spotted!"

"Fire!"

Erika pressed the trigger, and the shell hurtled out of the barrel at supersonic speeds, striking the first KV-1 squarely in the turret. The subsequent fireball indicated that they had blown up the ammo stored inside the tank. The few unlucky infantrymen who were too close to the tank soon got engulfed in fire; their comrades desperately trying to put them out as they rolled around on the floor, writing. Seconds later, the second KV-1 took a hit to the front, and shuddered to a halt.

Maho looked around. A group of infantrymen and a T-34 were going around, trying to flank her Tiger. "Erika. You take out the T-34. Tiger 231, take out the infantry with a HE shell." She ordered.

The accompanying Tiger next to Maho's opened up on the infantry with a burst of machine gun fire, before annihilating the remnants of the squad with a HE shell. Moments later, flames shot out of the T-34 as Erika shot and made the ammo cook-off inside the tank.

Maho kept on giving orders, but everything seemed almost surreal; almost as if she were in a dream. A song came into her mind, and she couldn't help but hum to the tune of the song and quietly mouth the lyrics:

Ob's stürmt oder schneit, ob die Sonne uns lacht,

Der Tag glühend heiß, oder eiskalt die Nacht,

Bestaubt sind die Gesichter, doch froh ist unser Sinn, ja, unser Sinn.

Es braust unser Panzer im Sturmwind dahin.

"We're running low on ammo!" Felix shouted, as Erika quickly discharged another round down the hill, hitting a KV-1 in the turret. Maho shook her head.

"We need to keep fighting! Christian, cut anything down that moves!" She ordered, as an artillery shell exploded near them, throwing Maho off balance. She stood up and opened the commander's hatch, but ducked down as a shell bounced off the turret, sparks flying off as it ricocheted. A frantic voice cut through on the radio. It was the one of the company COs'.

"We can't hold them out for much longer! Most of our company is dead! There's too many of the-" A shriek of an artillery shell and the consequent explosion silenced the man; afterwards, the screaming of pain of two or three men was all they heard on the radio.

Mit donnerndem Motor, geschwind wie der Blitz,

Dem Feinde entgegen, im Panzer geschützt

Voraus den Kameraden, im Kampfe stehn wir allein, stehn wir allein.

So stoßen wir tief in die feindlichen Reih'n!

Christian let out a burst of machine gun fire, cutting down a few infantry that were nearing the hilltop. "I'm running out of ammo!" He shouted as he grabbed another belt of machine gun ammo. Seconds later, another voice crackled through the radio.

"We're all out of Amour Piercing shells! Tiger 231 and 233 are also running critically low of ammo!" The man shouted. Maho punched the side of the turret in frustration. "Karla, what should we do?" She asked, her voice expressionless and cold as multiple tank rounds slammed into their Tiger, only to ricochet off. Erika traversed the turret and fired; hitting another T-34 and sending that one into flames.

"Rounds depleted!" Felix shouted over the endless din of explosions, gunfire and overall chaos. "We won't be able to hold them for much longer!" Maho sighed and took out her StG 44, loading a fresh magazine into it.

"Leutnant Brun, what are our orders!" She spoke firmly into the radio. "We can't hold up against the onslaught for much longer!" She opened the commander's hatch and looked at the hell around them. Cresting the ridge were a dozen burnt out T-34 tanks, and Soviet infantry lay motionless all around. The trenches they had occupied were full of German corpses, and the tattered remnants of the two companies were stumbling back towards her Tiger; few had survived the carnage. Through the smoke, she could see several men falling back, only to be met with a massive explosion as a shell impacted in front of them. When the smoke and earth cleared, all Maho could see was one man slowly limping away; missing an arm and part of his face. He stumbled a few more steps before collapsing down on the ground, never to rise again.

Wenn vor uns ein feindlicher Panzer erscheint,

Wird Vollgas gegeben und ran an den Feind.

Was gilt denn unser Leben für uns'res Reiches Heer? Ja, Reiches Heer.

Für Deutschland zu sterben ist uns're höchste Ehr'.

"I-I've told the infantry to retreat back to Soborwka. We have to retreat, even if it means leaving this hill. We've taken too many losses." Karla spoke shakily. "Can I trust you to cover our retreat?" Maho nodded reluctantly, but she knew the chance of success were slim, if not almost impossible. They were out of Amour Piercing and High Explosive rounds, had only a few belts of machine gun ammunition left, and their own handheld weapons. What was going on through her mind? How would she ever manage to cover their retreat just like that? She coughed, the smoke getting into her nostrils and throat. Her throat was so dry she could hardly swallow. The sickly sweet smell of blood was lingering through the air, stinging her nostrils with the scent of death.

Mit Sperren und Minen hält der Gegner uns auf,

Wir lachen darüber und fahren nicht drauf.

Und droh'n vor uns Geschütze versteckt im gelben Sand, Ja, gelben Sand.

Wir suchen uns Wege, die keiner sonst fand.

"I'll give it my best." She stated, before picking up her StG 44 and unloading a few rounds downrange. A couple of soldiers fell, one clutching his stomach as red spread along his front. "Ernst, we're covering the infantry and Karla's retreat Keep us in a spearhead formation so they won't break through." She muttered as the remaining two Tigers; Tigers 233 and 231 started unloading what machine gun ammunition they had left at the advancing infantry. The hail of bullets cut down a lot of the infantry, but more and more kept on cresting the ridgeline. Bullets pinged off the top of the turret, causing Maho to duck down once more.

"I'm out!" Christian shouted, loading one final belt of machine gun ammo into the MG34. This is my last belt!"

"We're out of machine gun ammunition! Tiger 233 is also out!" Another voice shouted through the radio. Maho sighed.

"This is it, I guess. That's the most we could do. Ernst, we're retreating back to Soborwka. 223 and 231, follow our lead. We're retreating."

"Aye, Leutnant!" They replied, and they soon turned round and began heading down the hill. Maho took a look on her map, then nodded to herself. She then tuned the radio to request artillery fire.

"This is Leutnant Brun from the 505th Heavy Tank Battalion! Requesting artillery fire on hill 25.2. Left, 200. Drop, 100. Fire for effect. I repeat. Requesting artillery fire on hill 25.2. Left, 200, Drop, 100. Fire for effect." She ordered. A voice soon crackled in response.

"That's our own positions!" The man protested. Maho frowned.

"It was our positions, but the Soviets have attacked and we cannot hold it any further. We're retreating back to Soborwka. Will you kindly hit the hill with artillery before we get massacred?" She muttered slowly.

"Aye. Engaging hill 25.2. Left, 200, Drop, 100. Fire for effect." The man stated quickly.

Maho quickly switched back their own frequency. "Hauptmann Brandt, this is Leutnant Ketler. We're falling back to Soborwka. We've taken heavy infantry losses and have to pull back to prevent being encircled." She stated solemnly.

"Roger that. We've just reached Soborwka. Our flank has fallen and has been overrun." Erwin responded. "How many casualties?"

Maho sighed. "The two companies of infantry have nearly been totally destroyed. I guess less than 30 survivors. The rest are dead. The five Tigers are operational, but damaged by shells."

"Shit. This is bad." Erwin cursed, before cutting off.

As they drove down the hill, an artillery shell screamed overhead and hit the top of the hill. Followed by another then another, explosions engulfing the top of slopes of the hill. As the Teploje hills grew smaller and smaller as they travelled further away, Maho breathed a sigh of relief. 'At least we're safe. For now.' She thought to herself. She sat back down in her seat, and hung her head, exhaustion slowly taking over her. "How far to Soborwka?" She mumbled.

"About 15km, Leutnant." Ernst responded. "Don't worry. We'll make it." He added quietly seeing Maho's face filled with worry.

Und läßt uns im Stich einst das treulose Glück,

Und kehren wir nicht mehr zur Heimat zurück,

Trifft uns die Todeskugel, ruft uns das Schicksal ab, ja, Schicksal ab.

Dann wird unser Panzer ein ehernes Grab!

"Okay…" Maho whispered, forcing herself to stay awake, the tune in her head slowly dying away. She looked down at her hands. They were dirty, pale and shaking. She looked at her crew. They were all silent; each had the look of exhaustion etched on their faces. They all have had enough. All of them were tired. All of them needed rest and a respite from this war. Long gone were the happy smiles and laughter that used to echo inside the tank. Long gone was the sense that victory could be achieved. Instead, it was replaced with a quiet sense of foreboding and an ever present feeling of fear. Maho sighed.

'I guess this is the beginning of the end.'

Notes:

Sorry for the long delay of updating this fanfic. As I said in the update, I have been very busy, and shall continue being like this for some time. So thank you all for your patience. I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

As always, any reviews with constructive criticism would be welcome.

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If you didn't know what the song was, it was the German Panzerlied. If you want to know the english translation of the song, here it is:

Whether it storms or snows, or the sun smiles on us,

The day burning hot, or the icy cold of night.

Dusty are our faces, but happy is our mind, yes, our mind.

Then roar our tanks in the storm's wind

With thundering engines, too fast as lightning,

Towards the enemy, sheltered in the tank.

Ahead of our comrades, In the fight all alone, yes all alone.

So we push deep into the enemy lines!

When before us a hostile tank appears,

Full throttle is given and we close with the enemy.

What does our life matter for the Reich's army? Yes, Reich's army.

To die for Germany is our highest honor.

With barriers and tanks the foe blocks our path,

We laugh about it and don't drive upon them.

And even if their hand shakes morosely and furiously, yes their hand.

We search for ways, that no one else found.

And if we are abandoned by treacherous luck,

And if we don't return home again,

If death's bullet finds us, and fate calls us away, yes, us away.

Then our tank shall become an iron grave!