Chapter 12: A Difficult Choice
13th July, 1943. 0100 hours.
'Two girls were running down the hill together. One was taller than the other. She had blond hair, and a thin stature. The other was slightly shorter, and had dark brown hair. The sun shone down gently onto their backs, the sky as blue as the ocean. Songbirds tweeting their tunes from the trees above.
"Can't catch me, can't you?" She teased, grinning as she looked back at the latter that was falling behind.
"W-Wait!" The other pleaded, running down the hill as fast as her legs could carry her. She suddenly lost her footing. "No!" She cried out, before tripping over and tumbling down the hill; coming to a rest a few meters away from the other girl. "Ow-w…" She whispered, sitting up and pulling her skirt above her knees, revealing a rather deep cut; blood slowly dribbling out from the wound. The other girl turned round. Seeing the blood, her eyes widened.
"Are you okay, Maho?"
The latter nodded quickly. "Yeah, I'm okay Erwin." Maho responded, blinking away the few tears that were forming in her eyes .
Erwin quickly ran up to her and sat down, putting a comforting arm around her. "It looks nasty. Shouldn't we go get it looked at?"
"I'll be fine Erwin, don't worry. I'll get it checked later." Maho replied, standing up and dusting herself down. She stared off into the horizon. Erwin stood up next to her.
"What is it?"
"Nothing. I'm just, thinking." Maho answered. "Just thinking how I've never realised how beautiful this place is… The hills, trees, the birds tweeting in the trees, the tranquillity of it all, really." Erwin moved slightly closer, her hand clasping around Maho's.
"So true… It's beautiful, isn't i-ahhH!"
Erwin screamed as Maho playfully tackled her to the ground. They wriggled around for a bit, each trying to gain the upper hand from the other. A victor was soon clear; Erwin was kneeling down; pinning Maho down with her hands and legs. "Really?" She grinned. "You thought you could win?"
Maho smirked. "I had to try. But, you're at an advantage. You're older than me. You're 19." Erwin rolled her eyes.
"I'm only a year older. That's not an advantage." She whispered as she gently leaned forward; her face getting closer to Maho's.
Maho felt an odd feeling run down her spine. She sat up slightly. "It is…" She protested, but Erwin shook her head and moved closer, putting a finger to Maho's lips. The odd feeling intensified.
"Shh. I win, okay?" Erwin grinned. She stood up and pulled Maho to her feet. Maho nodded in thanks, then paused.
"When will you enlist?" She asked suddenly. "Into the panzerwaffe." She added, seeing Erwin give her a quizzical look.
"Oh. That." Erwin thought for a moment. "I'll enlist when you do. You want to do your part for the fatherland, right?"
Maho nodded. "Yeah." She replied. She was suddenly pulled forward by Erwin. Seeing her facial expression, Maho sighed. "What's wrong?" She asked gently.
"I… I want you to promise something. Maho." Erwin replied quietly. "And I want you to keep that promise for as long you're in the panzerwaffe." She whispered. Maho nodded gently as their eyes locked upon one another.
"And what will that-"
"2 km to go and we'll be back at Soborwka." Ernst spoke abruptly.
Maho jolted up in her seat, her eyes slowly opening as she awoke from her gentle slumber. "Hm…?" She mumbled sleepily, finding it hard to stay awake. 'What was that dream…?' She thought wearily. The dream was vivid, but the events were quickly falling away from her memory. She tried to recount the events, but they had slipped out of her mind.
Slowly, her conscious mind began to gear up again. She sat up rubbing her eyes several times before becoming aware of the tense, ominous silence in the Tiger. Her mind began to race. How long had she been asleep for? How far could the Soviets have travelled in the time she had fallen asleep? She sighed, clearing those thoughts from her head for the time being. "How far to Soborwka?" She asked.
"Just under 1.5 km now, Leutnant." Ernst replied, breaking the silence momentarily.
Erika shuffled nervously in her seat, before looking once at Maho. Erika's face summarised all of the crews' thoughts and feelings in an instant. Fear. Uncertainty. Exhaustion. All three expressions etched on her face. "What's going to happen now?" She queried slowly, her voice drained of energy.
Maho took her time to think, before responding. "I don't know." She whispered. "There are a few possibilities; we either fight them out there, or we have to withdraw back to safer lines. But I doubt HQ will grant us permission to retreat."
The entire tank rocked as it went over bumpy ground, shaking up its inhabitants. As quiet fell upon them again, Maho's eyes began drooping slowly again. She was totally exhausted, thirsty, hungry… the dream… 'But now isn't the time to think about that.' She told herself, slapping her face gently in an effort to keep awake. "I have to focus…" She spoke quietly. "I can't let my concentration slip away… Not now-"
"Right, all units listen up." Karla's voice suddenly crackled through the radio. "We're nearly back. Once we get to Soborwka, we need to refuel and resupply… that's if there is any ammunition and fuel left. I've also been told by Hauptmann Brandt that every tank commander must report in the HQ once they get there. She and the other officers are to discuss plans on what to do now. Everyone clear on the orders?" She asked.
"Yes, Leutnant." The other tank commanders replied. Maho blinked, before replying quietly.
"Jawohl, Leutnant."
13th July, 1943. 0120 hours
A crash of thunder and the sound of rain splashing against metal caused Maho to jolt awake; as if awakening from a nightmare. It took a few minutes for her to come to her senses. She had fallen asleep again. Slowly, she opened the commander's hatch and stood up, the heavy rain falling down onto her sidecap and jacket. There was a dark underlying haze surrounding their rendezvous, but she could tell they had arrived back at Soborwka as she could see the dim, eerie glow of headlights from other tanks. In front of her Tiger was Karla's Tiger, crawling slowly on the muddy road. Behind Maho, three other mud covered, battered Tigers crept along slowly behind hers.
As they entered the village, there was a Panzer regiment that had been deployed from reserve positions near Soborwka. They were moving off; the Panzer IV's getting into a column, the infantry boarding their transports and motorcycles.
'They are most probably being sent off to try and stop the advancing Soviets… to buy us time to plan our course of action…' Maho thought to herself. She couldn't help but notice how clean the Panzer IVs and Panzer IIIs were; not a single dent or chip in the armour could be seen, the tanks were as clean as if it had just come off the production line. The crewmen and infantry too; the men were clean shaven, their uniforms immaculate. But there was a feeling of apprehension in the air.
As their own column rolled into sight of the reserves, many paused to take a look; the Tigers were battered and covered in mud. Dents in the armour where shells had ricocheted off plastered the front hull and turret. A flash of lightning sharply illuminated Maho's silhouette. She herself was dirty; her top half of her torso was soaked because of the rain, her brown hair tangled and un-kept under her sidecap, her hands dirty; covered in mud, blood and grime. Maho's eyes locked onto a few tank crewmembers and soldiers; she gave them a tired, but curt nod, and was greeted with faces of shock; their eyes staring as the beleaguered Tiger column rolled on. No communication was needed to know how dire the situation had become. No questions were asked.
Maho sighed as their Tiger came to a stop next to the other Tigers from their battalion, her mind temporarily fixated on the men of the Panzer regiment who were moving off to hold a counterattack. She didn't pin her hopes on them miraculously holding off an entire tank brigade. By now, more tank brigades would have joined the fray, doubling or even tripling the amount of armour the Panzer regiment had to face. She couldn't instil any hope of success in the counterattack. All she knew was that the tide had turned against them; it was only a matter of time before the German forces on this front would be in full retreat. She sighed again, before looking at her crew. "What are you waiting for? Let's get out of here, resupply and stretch your legs out."
"Aye, Leutnant." They all replied.
Maho nodded slowly before climbing out of the Tiger, and jumping down onto the muddy ground. Erika, Christian and Felix quickly followed suit, whilst Ernst wriggled out of the driver's hatch. Still, the rain continued pouring down, followed by rumbles of thunder and the occasional white flash of lightening.
Maho turned walked a couple of paces forward, and then turned round to face them. "Right. Ernst, Christian. I need you to check if we have enough fuel, and make sure the coaxial machine gun has enough ammo. Felix, see if you can resupply some AP and HEAT shells. Erika, you're with me. You will be coming into the HQ with me. Everyone clear?"
They nodded quickly. "Jawohl, Leutnant."
Karla climbed out of her Tiger, followed by her crew. She walked over to Maho, who quickly turned round to face her. "Good job back there…" Karla whispered shakily, obviously still slightly shocked by all that had unfolded in the last few hours. "You saved their lives." She gestured to the remnants of the infantry company; many if not all being treated by a few doctors at the other end of the village. She gave a brief nod, and her crewmembers quickly walked away into the darkness to resupply their Tiger.
Maho, who was preoccupied in lighting a cigarette, could only nod once in thanks. She took a deep breath, before exhaling slowly and clicking her back, as she had been sat in the commander's seat for some time. "Don't thank me. It was your quick thinking that saved us." She stated. "If we fought on, we wouldn't have survived."
Karla shrugged. "Don't be so modest, Maho. You know you did well-"
"What about those who died? I couldn't save them. What about those who never made it back, because of my incompetence?" She replied bluntly, taking one last drag of the cigarette before throwing into a muddy puddle beside her and stamping it out with her left boot. "I almost allowed an entire company be decimated. How can you say I did well?" She questioned coldly.
"I didn't mean it like that Maho." Karla whispered, slightly startled by Maho's reply. "You did everything you could have done. Okay? You did what you were supposed to do. At least some men got back here, alive. Better than none."
"Leutnant Ketler is right, Maho." Erika joined in. "There was nothing more you could have done back there." She stated gently.
Maho sighed, and nodded. Arguing with Erika and Karla wouldn't have made the situation any better. Instead, Maho forced a smile, attempting to lighten up her own mood. "Come on. Erwin wants to see us at HQ." She quickly turned round and took out a cigarette, giving it to Karla. "You want a smoke?" She asked slowly.
Seeing Karla nod, Maho passed the cigarette into Karla's hands, and watched her light it. A small orange glow grew from the end of the cigarette, giving them the smallest slither of light. Something caught Maho's eye. Karla seemed calm and collected, yet, her hands were shaking. Was it the cold? Yes, they were soaked from head to toe in rain, with water dripping off the ends of their drenched, un-kept hair, their jackets wet through from standing in this thunderstorm. Another loud rumble of thunder sounded overhead, causing Karla to jolt slightly. She shivered, taking in a breath before exhaling; a small sense of calm slowly coming over her.
Maho turned her head as she heard the door of one of the houses, which was converted into a makeshift HQ, open. Erwin came out, quickly shutting the door and walking towards them.
"Leutnant Brun, I need you inside." She looked at Erika. "You too." She gestured towards the door. "I want a word with Leutnant Ketler, in private." She muttered coldly. Maho could sense something was different. This wasn't the usual Erwin she knew so well. There was almost a plea for help emanating from within her eyes.
Both Karla and Erika nodded quickly, and entered the house, leaving Maho and Erwin in the pouring rain. Maho could sense Erwin was stressed; she was constantly fidgeting with her hair, which was a tell-tale sign for her. Maho slowly took out her packet of cigarettes and tossed it to Erwin. She caught it and nodded in thanks, before taking one out, lighting it and taking a deep breath. A few moments of quiet followed.
"So, what do you want to talk to me about?" Maho asked slowly. Erwin exhaled before shaking her head.
"I don't know what to do, Maho." She whispered, a slight waver in her voice. "The Soviets are planning a pincer manoeuvre, I know it. But what should we do?" She asked. "Fight them off and get encircled? Or do we go against the Führers' orders and retreat? I don't know…" She sighed, throwing her cigarette on the floor in frustration. "All of the officers have a different opinion. And they're all arguing amongst each other."
Maho nodded in understanding. "It's okay Erwin." She replied slowly. "Every commander gets a bad day once in a while. I'll come with you and discuss it with them. How about that?" Erwin nodded.
"Okay."
As they opened the door and into the room, all they could hear was raised voices and chaos. Several officers were arguing amongst themselves, whilst others were shouting at each other whilst pointing at the large map of their sector that was situated on the table; all arguing against one another. Karla and Erika were in the corner; obviously worried and (slightly) frightened at what was unfolding around them.
"How can we retreat when this is a strongpoint?! We can fight them-"
"How can we fight them off with the forces we have now! It's almost suicide! We have to retr-"
"We can't retreat! The generals haven't given us permission to! We could be court martia-"
"They can court martial me if all I care! We cannot hold our positions with our given strength! We must withdra-"
"How can the Soviets take control of the northern and southern sector of Teploje?! We had two panzer divisions and infantry holding that position!"
"Isn't it obvious they have been forced back into a retreat? They're performing a counteroffensive you moron!"
Maho sighed, and gestured to her holster. Erwin nodded. Maho casually took out her Luger, pointed it at the ceiling and shot once.
The sudden crack of the gunshot echoed around the room, causing everyone to jolt and look at Maho. As the echo died away, all that remained was silence.
"Now is not the time to argue." Maho stated coldly, putting her Luger back in its holster and walking forward. "We have a dire situation on our hands. So, Hauptmann Brandt would like your full cooperation. Hauptmann." She looked at Erwin and gestured to the table.
Erwin nodded in thanks before stepping forward. "Now, as Leutnant Ketler has said, this isn't the time to argue and bicker." She pointed at the eastern and western flank of Soborwka on the map. "Initial encounters with the Soviets estimate that we have four tank brigades and six infantry regiments heading toward our positions. As well as cooperating with the local artillery and katyusha divisions for extra support." She stated. "Our current forces defending Soborwka are as stated: 23 operational Tigers from the 505th Heavy Tank Battalion, two companies from the 6th infantry division and one company from the 4th Panzer division, which has just gone forward to engage the Soviet forces."
"We have to stand and fight!" One of the infantry officers shouted out. Erwin looked at him sharply.
"Quiet. I'm speaking." She muttered. "From how the Soviets are moving, they should be performing a-"
"Pincer maneuverer to encircle us, and possibly the entire 9th army." Maho cut in, pointing at the positions manned to the left of Soborwka. "Our left flank is weak. It's only held by two battalions. They have no panzers for support. Reserves are on the way, but they will not reach their positions till 24 hours today." She sighed. "Two infantry companies against two tank brigades and three infantry regiments. They'll be lucky to hold out for more than an hour."
"What about our right flank?" Erika asked.
Maho stared at the right flank, and her heart sank. 'Only one tank battalion from the 4th Panzers, and an infantry regiment?' She thought to herself. 'No wonder the entire sector may collapse… They are so lightly defended.'
Erwin rubbed her eyes. "Our right flank isn't well protected either. We've suffered substantial losses during this offensive, and these are the only frontline troops we have left. Reserves are being sent in, but they won't make it till tomorrow afternoon."
"We don't have that long. The Soviets will be here in a few hours." One officer muttered.
Erika frowned. "Well what should we do?" She stated coldly. "The Soviets are literally on our doorstep. We've only two choices. We either fight, or we withdraw back to our reserve positions."
"Hm. Withdrawing would seem the correct idea, since we won't stand a chance against them." Erwin began. "But we have to fight-"
"Because the generals have said we are to hold our ground." Maho finished her sentence off. "But Hauptmann Brandt is right. We need to withdraw."
"No!" One infantry officer, who was tall and rather heavily built stepped forward. "We must fight till the very end! This is what the Führer wants!" He shouted, and several others joined in.
"How can we be proud as Germans, if we scatter in the face of such vermin like them?!" Another yelled as others nodded in agreement.
Maho frowned. "This isn't about personal honour-"
"Dying on the battlefield is the greatest honour a soldier of the Wehrmacht can have!" The man replied. "It is what our Führer wa-"
Erwin slammed her fist onto the table in frustration. "So you'd rather die than live?!" She shouted. "I don't care what the Führer wants! I want to save our lives!" She pointed at the map. "Don't you see? It's pointless fighting them! You would rather let our wounded men die? How delusional can you men be!"
"What are you saying?!" The man growled, stepping forward and walking menacingly towards Erwin. Instantly, Maho grabbed her Luger and drew it, but two other officers pointed their pistols at her. Karla and Erika had done the same, but were in the same situation; they had several men pointing their rifles or pistols at them.
Erwin scowled at the man, remaining calm. "I'm saying that we need to withdraw."
"We are not. Withdrawing. Hauptmann." The man snarled. "You are a coward, Hauptmann, you know that?" The other officers smirked. "You are a traitor to the Reich. Thinking that retreating is a good idea?"
Erwin sighed. Their morale had sunken so low, the men were at the point of committing a mutiny. Yet, she stood her ground. "Tell you what, Feldwebel." She began. "If you step back, we'll think of a plan. And tell your friends to stop pointing their weapons at my officers." Her eyes narrowed. "Or, they'll just beat your officer friends up; easily. I have been assigned command of the 505th. You, the 6th Infantry division, have been attached to my battalion, so you follow my orders. You should listen to me. If you want to live." She muttered. "If not, so be it."
The man smirked, before stepping back from Erwin. The officers lowered their weapons and returned to their previous places around the table. "So, what do you propose, Hauptmann. Retreat? I guess that is the main option now." The man muttered.
Maho and Erwin looked at the map. Maho spoke first. "We can withdraw through our left flank. There is a steep rise about 4km from where we are, which should slow down the Soviet armour. And judging from the rain, it will be rather muddy and slippery too."
"Leutnant Ketler is right. As long as the left flank holds their position, we should be able to allow our forces based here and to our immediate left and right flank to retreat." Erwin continued. "It may be a close call, but I guess we will ma-"
The door suddenly slammed open, and a signals officer ran in. "Sorry to disturb, but urgent radio message from HQ!" The man stated, panting heavily as he was out of breath. Erwin walked over and looked at him.
"What's the message?" She asked.
The man took several deep breaths. "HQ has received reports that the right flank has collapsed under relentless Soviet attacks. The 2nd infantry regiment and the Tank Battalion from the 4th Panzer division is retreating back to the reserve lines they had made before the offensive started. The two infantry battalions from the 12th Infantry Division have also reported they are engaging Soviet forces on the right flank."
"So… what is going to happen?" Erwin asked with a sinking heart.
The man sighed. "The Soviets will most likely swing to the west and attack the left flank from the rear. But they have to take Soborwka first. Their strength consists of four armoured tank brigades, and four infantry regiments. Due to the substantial artillery bombardments they've reported, we can expect the Soviets are cooperating with the local artillery and katyusha rocket divisions. They have split their forces in half, so two brigades and two infantry regiments are attacking on each flank. The Soviets will be here by sunrise, if not earlier. The generals have said to fight. Retreat is not permitted."
Erika gasped.
Maho took a step backwards in surprise.
Karla sighed.
The other officers looked at each other in disbelief and shock.
Erwin hung her head, nodding once. "I understand." She spoke quietly. "Thank you for the update."
13th July, 1943. 0230 hours
A stunned, eerie silence wrapped around the room. The temperature of the room seemed to have dropped at least a dozen degrees. The silence was enveloping; Maho could hear each individual raindrop patter against the roof of the building. The mood within the occupants in the building became even more dismal. 'So we are nearly out of time…' She thought to herself. 'Is this the en-'
"W-What should we do then?"
A young officer stepped forward. He looked young; no more than 23 years old. 'Maybe no more than 20, even.' Maho reckoned. Everything the young man did emitted a strong sense of fear within him. He was shaking slightly. It was hard to notice, but he was shaking.
Erwin looked up and sighed. "What else can we do?" She admitted. "We need to withdraw our forces away from Soborwka before the Soviets come in and massacre us. Anyone contradict this?"
Not a single voice was heard.
"Alright. We need at least an hour or two to move everything onto trucks, get the infantry onto their transports and so on. The Tanks also need refuelling so they can make the journey back to our reserve positions." Erwin ordered. "So it is best if we begin now."
The officers nodded in understanding. But Maho saw something in her eyes. Something was unsettling her. More than usual. The next few words Erwin spoke allowed Maho to understand why.
"But I need a few people to volunteer to cover our retreat as the Soviets close in. We need to hold off the Soviet advance on here for as long as possible." Erwin sighed. "I know. It sounds suicidal. It is suicide. But, it will allow our forces to gain some distance away from the Soviets, therefore giving us a brief respite." She blinked and looked round the room. "Are there any volunteers?" She asked.
Utter silence.
Maho could see the officers look away as Erwin's gaze swept round the room. None of them had the courage to volunteer. Maho looked down. She couldn't go. No. She had a promise to fulfil. She couldn't go. Not that she wanted to though.
"Anyone?" Erwin asked again, becoming slightly agitated.
Again, a deadly silence swept the room. No one dared to speak up.
Erwin looked round. "Is there no one in this room who is brave enough?" She whispered, her voice pleading. "No one at all?" There was no resentment or anger in her voice. No sense of disappointment. Just… desperation. She sighed. "No one?" She whispered again.
"I'll go."
A loud murmur and a few glances of surprise swept round the room as the person spoke. Erwin's eyes widened in disbelief as she saw the person step forward. "…Maho?" She mouthed in utter shock.
"Yes, Hauptmann. I said I will go." Maho replied quietly, nodding.
"I will go."
"I will too."
Everyone turned round as Karla and Erika stood up and walked over to Maho, standing at her side. Erwin sighed. "Anyone else?" She asked.
Soon, a few more Tank Commanders and infantry officers stepped forward. Despite disagreeing with Erwin earlier, the man and his other officers also stepped forwards. "If we die, we die for the glory of the Reich." He muttered.
Erwin looked round at the small group who had stepped forwards. "You men and women are the bravest people I have ever known. I wish the generals were as brave as you lot." She gave a small, sad smile. "I am more than proud to have served with you." With that, she stood to attention, facing the group. All the remaining officers did the same. "You men and women shall become heroes of the Reich. Your bravery shall be known among the generations for protecting the fatherland." With that, she raised her right arm into the air. "Sieg Heil." The remaining officers did the same.
"Sieg Heil!"
Silence fell upon them immediately afterwards. Erwin faced the remaining officers. "You know what to do. Get your men ready to retreat. Destroy any equipment we cannot carry. Spread the word. We are falling back to our reserve positions. Clear?" She stated.
"Aye, Hauptmann." They replied, and they quickly filed out of the building. Erwin's attention turned to the remaining officers who had volunteered.
"Prepare your tanks and men for battle. We don't have long till the Soviets arrive. Time is of the essence. We need to set up an ambush. Gather as much ammunition as you can. Hold them off for as long as possible. If you do survive, retreat back to our reserve lines. Everyone clear?" She ordered.
"Yes, Hauptmann." They all responded. Erwin smiled faintly.
"Good. I wish you all the best of luck." She stated. "Let's go then."
Everyone quickly left the building swiftly. Maho followed suit, but was suddenly found being forcefully dragged by Erwin towards the back of the building. "Erwin? What are you doing!" She exclaimed in shock. Erwin pinned her against the back of the wall. The area was dark. Pitch black, even. Raised voices could be heard as the men rushed around to prepare for withdrawal. Thunder rumbled across the horizon as the rain continued falling steadily down on them. A few scattered explosions were heard as the men blew up or disabled equipment they deemed too heavy to take back.
Maho wriggled to try and throw off Erwin, but she couldn't. She sighed and gave up, looking into Erwin's eyes.
"What… are you thinking?" Erwin whispered.
Maho blinked, but looked deeper into her eyes. She seemed… pained. Sad. No. More than sad. Distressed. Fearful. More emotions flooded into her eyes. A sense of longing, her eyes pleading; as if she didn't want her to go. "I'm doing this so you can survive, Erwin." Maho answered. "So you can live."
"And you? You will die because you're putting up a stubborn resistance." Erwin spoke quietly.
Maho shook her head. "I won't die. I can't." She stated. "I have to survive."
"Will you though?" Erwin questioned, raising a brow. "Think realistically, Maho. Do you think you can actually survive a full onslaught and make it out alive?"
Maho sighed, and hung her head. "No." She whispered, shaking her head slowly.
Erwin looked at her, and put her hand on Maho's cheek. Her cheek was pallid and cold. "I guess this is how it all ends, hm?" She stated gently. "After all these years, have you forgotten?"
Nuzzling into Erwin's hand, Maho nodded.
Tears began to form in Erwin's eyes, as she pulled Maho closer to her. "I remember the time…" She began, smiling slightly before sniffing once. She quickly regained her composure. "I remember the time when we were in Paris, just after taking the city." She chuckled shakily. "You slipped when you were climbing out of your Panzer IV, and you fell right in front of our Battalion CO. And a few other high ranking officers. They didn't seem too impressed; did they."
Maho smiled once, nodding. "It was very embarrassing." She admitted. "But you got your tank stuck in the mud in Rzhev after you thought that the road was safe to travel across, remember? It took two recovery vehicles to pull it out. You were shouted at by our CO for… was it, an hour?"
Erwin nodded and forced a smile, but by now, she couldn't stop the tears from sliding down her cheeks. Maho slowly brushed them away with her thumb. "It's okay Erwin..." She whispered, pulling her into a tight hug. "Don't cry… We will meet again. Someday."
Erwin shook her head, wrapping her arms round Maho's hips, feeling her warm embrace. "W-What if you don't?" She asked fretfully. "What if you die?" Her silhouette shook slightly as she tried to stifle her sobs into Maho's shoulder.
Slowly, Maho looked at Erwin. "I will come back Erwin. I have to. One, because I've kept a promise to Miho to return… Secondly, I also made another promise. Don't you remember?" She suddenly stated, the events of the dream she had earlier suddenly flooding back into her memory as clear as day. "The promise we made all those years ago? At the bottom of the hill?"
Shakily, Erwin looked up. "Hm?"
"To never leave your side." Maho whispered. "To never leave you, Erwin."
A gentle smile broke onto Erwin's face. "So you've remembered after all..." She replied quietly.
Maho flashed a small smile. "We're still keeping this a secret from everyone else, right?" She asked casually, shivering once from the cold as the rain had soaked them from head to toe for the duration they were outside.
Moments of silence passed, before Erwin looked up at the woman opposite her. "Of course." She replied back, her hands moving up to Maho's back.
The rain had died down by now, and the night had fallen mostly silent. Moving closer to her, Maho could sense Erwin's heart gently beating against her own chest.
Moving one step closer, Erwin's face was inches away from Maho's. She noticed a scar on her forehead. For a fleeting moment, she wondered how Maho had gotten that scar, but it soon dawned on her. She remembered now. The wound was deeper than she anticipated it would be. Erwin could feel Maho's short, jagged breath on her face, as her arms locked around Maho tightly, leaving them only inches apart.
They paused for a moment, looking into one another's eyes; hesitating. Maho blinked once. She slowly leaned forward and their lips met. A sudden feeling rushed through her body like electricity, a soft, quiet moan emanating from her as she quickly lost herself to Erwin's soft lips and warm, comforting embrace as she threw her arms around Erwin's neck. Time seem to stop for her. This was total bliss. A heaven. A heaven compared to the utter hell they were entrapped in. She wanted it to last an eternity. To feel Erwin's soothing, warm embrace around her body. To taste her soft, smooth lips.
A sudden rumble of thunder caused them to break away momentarily. Erwin looked at the woman opposite her, before her lips locked with Maho's once more; her fingers running down the curve of Maho's spine, her hands slowly making their way down to the latter's waist. Maho responded by gently running her tongue against Erwin's lips tentatively; totally immersed in the moment. In her mind, the remnants of the dream replayed in her mind once more:
"I… I want you to promise something. Maho." Erwin replied quietly. "And I want you to keep that promise for as long you're in the panzerwaffe." She whispered. Maho nodded gently as their eyes locked upon one another.
"And what will that be?" She queried slowly.
Erwin took another step forward. A single skylark took off from the tree behind them, and flew off into the gentle, midday sun. "That you will never leave me." She stated. "So we will be together. To face everything the war may throw at us, together." She sighed, as her arms wrapped around Maho gently. "I just don't want to lose you." She whispered.
Looking up at Erwin slowly, Maho smiled. "I will try my best to adhere to the promise. I can guarantee you that." She replied, resting her head gently on Erwin's shoulder. Erwin smiled, a single tear sliding down to her cheek.
"Thank you…"
13th July, 1943. 0345 hours
Another rumble of thunder crashed around them, and it was over. Maho looked at Erwin. A flash of lightning illuminated her face with a deathly white, pale colour. Maho smiled once, before hugging her once more. "You need to go." She whispered to Erwin. "They'll be leaving soon. You need to lead the 505th out of here." Erwin shook her head.
"I'm not leaving." She stated firmly. Maho sighed. Arguing with her was pointless. The enemy was nearly upon them. They have little time left.
"Alright. I'll get the troops ready. You need to find a replacement commander for the time being." Maho ordered.
"I'm already on it." Erwin replied; walking back towards the centre of the village. "Oh and Maho," She began.
"Hm?"
"I'll be talking to the generals about recommending you an Iron Cross, Second Class. For your outstanding bravery on solely volunteering for the defence of Soborwka." Erwin spoke, flashing a small smile.
"I have no need for military awards." Maho calmly replied, before following behind her.
As they walked into the village square, it was full of the bustle of men getting into transport trucks, motorcycles and the rumbling of Tigers moving. The sounds of explosions were also heard; heavy equipment was being destroyed to prevent it falling into enemy hands.
Walking over to her Tiger, Maho could see Erika standing on top of the turret, with Felix's upper torso popping out of the commander's hatch. On top of the turret were boxes full of Armour Piercing shells; Soborwka had been a small ammo reserve after all, as it was a strongpoint in the front line. Christian trudged over along with Ernst; both carrying boxes of ammunition for the coaxial machine gun, MP40s, Maho's StG 44 and Lugers.
"How are we for supplies?" Maho asked briskly.
"20 Armour Piercing shells, about a dozen High Explosive Shells. There weren't a lot of shells left in reserve that were for our guns." Erika replied. "I made sure the rest of the Tigers have roughly the same amount by distributing them equally. We do have plenty of ammunition for the turret and coaxial machine guns though." She then turned to the infantry. "Karla had a look at the infantry that are staying. It turns out we have two machine gun teams, three snipers and about 40 infantrymen in total, as well as the three NCOs. She says that most of them are armed with Karabiner 98k rifles, whilst others are armed with the MP40s. They have taken most of the ammunition the remaining from the reserve, so ammunition shouldn't be a problem."
Maho nodded. "Okay. Oh. By the way," She began. "Hauptmann Brandt is staying and fighting with us."
Erika raised a brow. "Oh?"
"Because I feel we need as many experienced personnel defending Soborwka as we can."
A voice spoke from behind them. Erwin came out of the darkness, before walking over to Maho. "I've issued the order for the other soldiers and Tigers to begin pulling back to the reserve positions. I've also assigned Oberfeldwebel Dresdner as temporary battalion commander. He will become acting commander if I don't make it out alive. He has been serving with me for at least a year and a half. He should be fine leading the battalion." She added quickly, seeing Maho raise a brow.
Out of the corner of her eye, Maho could see the remaining infantry walk over. The man who'd pushed Erwin to the wall earlier, presumably the highest ranking NCO, saluted her quickly.
"What are our orders?" He asked.
A few meters ahead of them, the Tigers and the infantry that weren't staying were pulling out, their dark silhouettes slowly melting into the eternal blackness. The rumbling of engines slowly died away, soon encasing the remaining defenders with a deathly, eerie silence.
Maho turned round to face the man. She paused for a moment, before replying.
"Hold Soborwka at all costs."
Notes:
So here you go. Chapter 12 is up. Sorry for the wait. I've been busy revising for some mock exams, which start on 16th November.
I know that the relationship between Maho and Erwin isn't actually in the anime, nor was it acceptable in Nazi Germany, but since it's an AU, I felt that since they had been really close friends for a long time, that it should develop into a relationship. Whether you think that it is a good/bad thing, I'll leave it for you to decide.
We are coming to the end of this Panzer Diary... so I hope you have enjoyed it so far, and continue to enjoy my writing.
As always, any reviews with constructive criticism would be welcome.
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