Chapter 13: Dancing with Fate
13th July, 1943. 0400 hours.
The moon shone eerily down upon them; giving them the slightest slither of light. The ground remained waterlogged and muddy from the rain. The men and women stood silent momentarily, before Erwin spoke up. "Get the men into the HQ. We need to make a plan on how to defend this place."
"Jawohl, Hauptmann." They replied, before walking off towards the house; others going off into the near darkness to inform the others.
"Are you going to come?"
Maho suddenly turned round as Erwin gestured to follow her. She quickly nodded and strode alongside Erwin. "Do you have a plan?" She asked. Erwin nodded, but it was rather unconvincing.
"I think so. But will it work? That is the problem." She stated bluntly as she opened the door to the house; inside awaited the soldiers and tank crewmen that had decided to stay and defend the place. They quickly stood up at attention and saluted, before Erwin nodded curtly. She walked towards the table and folded the first map that was situated on the table; beneath it laid a detailed map of Soborwka, and the surrounding areas.
"Right, all of you. Listen up." She ordered. She pointed at the outskirts of the village. "We know that the area has been laid with anti-tank mines and S-Mines, as well as barbed wire, so the approaches to the village should be pretty well covered. Also," She pointed at the left flank of the village. "There is a rather steep rise there. It can be a vantage point-"
"-We can set up an ambush point there." One tank commander spoke up. Maho shook her head in disagreement.
"Yes, it is an ambush point. But isn't it too open? There is barely any cover there. I know this village is situated on a shallow hill, but we'll be easily seen when the sun rises." She looked round, as a murmur of agreement swept round the room. "I would suggest here." She pointed at further down the map, where there was a thick line of bushes and long grass. "It is much more concealed here. Everyone agree with me?" Seeing the majority nod, she continued. "But the right flank is a problem. There is little or no cover there."
The people around the table fell silent for a while; each thinking hard. Another officer spoke. "We can take the Tigers around here." He pointed to areas southwest and southeast to where Maho was referring to. "There is more cover there, and it gives us a good field of fire."
Erwin nodded. "You're right. We have ten Tigers. But we need to keep several Tigers within the village itself."
"So we make some sort of a defensive ring?" Karla asked, as several others nodded.
"Yes. We are making a defensive ring." Erwin replied, before turning her attention to the infantry. "Do you have any ideas?" She asked curtly. One of the NCOs stood forward.
"One of the Tigers can be hidden and camouflaged in the barn." He pointed at the barn situated at the northern side of the village. "It can be used to give supporting fire whilst being concealed. The position of the barn is rather strategic; it overlooks most of the village."
Maho thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Very well. One Tiger will be hidden in the barn. Leutnant Brun, may I leave this job to you?" She asked.
"You can count on me, Leutnant." Karla quickly replied. "Shall I prepare now?" Seeing Erwin and Maho nod, she quickly stood up. "Klaus, Hans, with me. Peter and Friedhelm, see if you can find any sort of camouflage for the Tiger. Be quick." They nodded and briskly walked out of the room.
Hearing the door slam shut, Erwin continued. "How many infantry are there?" She asked.
"40 infantry in total, ma'am, not including three snipers and two machine gun sections, which contain seven men each." The second NCO responded. "That totals to 57 men."
"Okay." Erwin muttered, looking at the map, deep in thought. "We need the snipers at concealed positions within the village, with a wide view of fire. Each house needs to be occupied with at least three, if not more men. There are quite a lot of buildings, so spread yourselves out. The machine gun teams," She stated, pointing at three different buildings close to each other. "I want them to be there. This will provide a cross firing point, with a large effective field of fire." She looked up, as the infantry nodded in understanding. "Any questions?" Surveying the silence, she flashed a quick smile, before turning to the NCOs. "I expect you to organise them quickly? Time is of the essence." The three NCOs nodded.
"Of course, ma'am." The largest one then turned round to face the men. "Alright lads, this is it! Go to the reserve, get as much ammo as you can, and go to the positions where the Leutnant has told us! Also, one last thing." He winked cheekily at Erwin who sighed and shook her head. "Find the S-Mines and trip wires in the reserve. Also. The Molotov cocktails. If any Soviet tank gets to close, turn them into a piece of burning communist scrap metal. Make sure not one of those Soviet scum leave this place, alive."
The men nodded, before hurriedly leaving the HQ, orders being yelled as the men scrambled to set up their defensive positions. The door slammed shut, leaving only the tank crewmen behind. Maho gave a quiet sigh of relief.
Erwin quickly adjusted her field cap, before proceeding. "All of you remember the skills you were taught in basic training, such as weapon handling and hand to hand combat?" She asked slowly.
"Yes, Hauptmann." They all replied.
"Good. You will need them. I shall explain in a moment. But first. Five Tigers will defend the left flank, four will defend the right. Leutnant Ketler will be in charge of the defence of the left flank. I shall be in command of the right flank. Unteroffizier Hoch, Feldwebel Muller, Unteroffizier Kestner and Oberfeldwebel Meier; you are with Leutnant Ketler. The rest of you are with me. Find some cover, camouflage your Tiger and wait for the Soviets to arrive, clear?" They all nodded.
"Permission to speak, Hauptmann?" Erika suddenly uttered.
"Permission granted."
"Why do we need to remember what we were taught in basic training?" She asked. Erwin gave her a sad smile.
"We simply don't have enough men to hold the village itself. And the Tigers are too slow to withdraw back into the village." She responded.
The room fell silent.
"You mean…" Erika whispered. "We have to fight on the ground?"
Maho nodded slowly. "Yes."
"But only once you have run out of ammunition and shells. Only abandon the Tiger when you are completely out of any sort of ammunition." Erwin stated. "You will need to abandon your Tiger and make your way back to the village. We cannot let the Tigers fall into enemy hands, so you need to disable it. Everyone clear on the instructions?
The men and women nodded slowly.
Maho stood up at her fullest height. "Okay then. Go to the ammunition reserve. See if there are any spare weapons there. Arm yourselves with those weapons, and get as much ammo as you can find. Try to have one MP40 or MP28 per two crewmembers, if possible. Remember to get ammunition for your Lugers as well. Then move your Tigers into position. We don't have much time. So hurry." She looked round coldly around the room. "Let's move."
The men and women quickly filed out of the room. Maho looked at Erika and Erwin. "I'll leave the right flank to you, Erwin." She spoke softly. "Erika. Go to the reserve, and get an MP40, and some ammunition. I will meet you in the Tiger in a moment."
"Right away, Leutnant." She replied, before hurriedly walking out of the of the room and closing the door. Leaving only Maho and Erwin inside.
"It's an ambitious plan." Maho spoke, breaking the rather tense silence between them both. "Realistically, how long do you think we can hold out for?"
Erwin shrugged. "Up to four hours, maximum. But we do have enough ammunition to last for some time."
"I know we have enough ammunition, but are we really fighting to the last man?" Maho whispered. "You know what they will do to us if we surrender. They'll take us to the POW camps in Siberia. God knows what will happen to us there."
Erwin thought for a moment. "We will hold out for as long as we can, then we will retreat west, back to our own lines. Okay?"
Maho nodded. "Okay." She saluted before walking out of the room, and closing the door.
Erwin, now all alone, sighed. 'How ambitious can I get? Four hours? We'll be lucky to hold out for even two…'
13th July, 1943. 0415 hours
In the near darkness, Maho slowly made her way towards the ammunition storage. The wet, sludgy mud squelched underneath her boots as she walked. Raised voices shouted orders as she could hear men running about, preparing for the oncoming onslaught. The rumbling of the Tigers could be heard as they rolled into their ambush position. She briefly saw Erika quietly slipping out of the storage area, MP40 in hand, as well as a box of machine gun ammunition for the coaxial machine gun. Maho, nearly unable to see because of the dark, tried to trace Erika's footsteps to reach the ammunition reserve.
Upon walking into the storage area, her eyes adjusted to the darkness inside. The place smelt of old, musty wood and the sharp, metallic tang of numerous metal boxes full of bullets. For a while, she looked for some Luger ammunition, until she found a box full of it. She took several magazines, and then found a small box of MP40 ammunition. Again, she took several magazines. Scanning the area, she frowned. "Where is the ammunition for the StG 44?" She whispered to herself as she walked around the place searching for it. Finally, she found it. Picking an empty steel box that used to house grenades, she put all the magazines into it and quietly walked out, towards her Tiger.
The rain had started again, becoming heavier every passing second. Soon, every part of her body was soaked in the freezing rain. Shivering slightly, the young Leutnant hastily made her way towards her Tiger, a black silhouette moving on top of the turret. She climbed up to the top of the turret, and plonked the box down on top of it. "Ammunition for the MP40s, Lugers and my StG 44." She stated to Erika.
She nodded silently and took the box. "Christian. More ammunition coming through." She spoke, as his upper torso popped up the commander's hatch. He quickly grabbed the box and took it, taking the contents out and placing them in the ammo stowage that used to contain tank shells. As he moved out of the way, Maho slipped into the Tiger. An interesting sight filled her eyes; the tank was full. Full of ammunition. A small stack of machine gun ammunition boxes was piled up on the left of Christian's seat, a belt already loaded into the coaxial machine gun. Where the massive AP shells used to stand now housed the ammunition Maho had collected, as well as their small stock of grenades, two MP40s and a StG 44.
Looking to the right stowage rack, she roughly counted the number of AP shells that were available. '27, 28, 29…' She sighed. 'That is not enough…' She thought to herself. 'We won't last longer than-'
"Leutnant Ketler!"
Maho jerked upwards in surprise of hearing her name. She stood up and saw Karla and a soldier running toward her Tiger. The soldier climbed onto the back of the tank, worry etched on his face.
"What is it?" Maho questioned.
"I thought I heard some voices and the sound of some engines coming from the north!" He spoke quickly.
"I think the Soviets are here." Karla whispered. "But
Maho blinked. She instantly grabbed her StG 44, climbed onto the turret and jumped down. "Erika! Get the MP40 and come with me now!" She ordered, before turning to the soldier. "Where did you hear them?"
The soldier pointed into the looming darkness. "Just beyond the barn."
Maho nodded. "Okay. Show me." The soldier quickly ran off into the blackness of the night, with Maho and Erika following him as fast as they could. Erwin, seeing the trio run, instantly knew something was amiss and quickly joined them, Luger in hand.
As they ran, they left the village and into the Russian steppe. The rumbling of engines became evidently louder as they got closer. Erwin ran ahead, then suddenly stopped dead. "Get down!" She hissed, kneeling into the long grass, using it as cover. The others immediately followed suit.
"What is it?" Erika asked, but Erwin turned round and put a finger on her lips.
"Shh." She whispered. "Follow my lead. Maho, Erika. When I stand up, block the road and point your weapons at them. I will tell them to stop. If they don't after I ask them twice, open fire." She then turned to the soldier and Karla. "You two are to move to the other side of the road. Keep low until I stand up. Do the same. Open fire if they refuse to stop. Everyone clear?"
"Aye, Hauptmann." They replied quietly. Karla and the soldier moved towards their position; the grass brushing gently against their clothes as they moved silently. Maho pulled the bolt quietly, her heart beating hard against her chest. The tension in the air was heavy and palpable. The rumbling of engines got closer and closer with each passing second. Soon, dim headlights could be seen. The small balls of light became larger. And larger. And larger still. Maho gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her rifle. The lead vehicle soon came into view; it was a transport truck. Erwin stood up.
"Halt! Who goes there?" She shouted, as Maho and Erika ran towards the centre of the road, blocking their way and raising their weapons at the truck. The headlights dazzled them for a moment, but as their eyes soon adjusted to the sudden brightness…
"German infantry?" Maho whispered in surprise. Erika's eyes widened at her remark.
"Don't shoot! We're not the enemy!" A voice sounded from the truck. Erwin frowned and inched forwards, pistol at the ready.
"Show yourself!" She replied.
A man, holding an MP40, climbed out of the back and walked towards them, with one other soldier following, the headlights from the car illuminating his silhouette. He was quite tall, with a tired, yet alert face. He had brown, dark blond hair with streaks of grey and pale grey eyes. The lines on his forehead showed his age. His uniform was battered and dusty. The aluminium shoulder boards on his uniform were reflected by the headlights. Two gilt metal pips could be seen.
Erwin breathed a sigh of relief, before lowering her weapon. "You gave us quite a scare, Hauptmann…?" She muttered, unsure how to address the officer. The man gave an exhausted smile.
"Hauptmann Hans Bauer." He replied, moving forward and extending his hand, in which Erwin quickly shook. "We're a company of panzergrenadiers from the 9th Armoured Division."
"Glad to meet you, Hauptmann Bauer." Erwin spoke, casting a look at Maho. "I'm Hauptmann Brandt, commander of the 505th Heavy Tank Battalion, and this is Leutnant Ketler, my second in command."
Maho, seeing a superior officer, immediately saluted. "Permission to speak, Hauptmann?"
"Go ahead." Both Erwin and Hans responded. Maho blinked, surprised for a moment before continuing.
"Sorry if this sounds rather rash, but what are you and your panzergrenadier company doing here?" She asked.
"Reinforcing your defence on Soborwka." Hans answered quickly. "They have decided to commit a company of panzergrenadiers to help the 505th."
A small, genuine smile erupted on Erwin's face. "Really?" She exclaimed, looking at Maho with delight. Hans nodded.
"Yes. And there is more good news." He added.
"Which is…?"
"The attack on the right flank has been repulsed by the battalion from the 4th Panzers, and the Soviets have fallen back to regroup." Hans spoke. "So you only have the left flank to deal with."
A stunned silence momentarily swept between the officers. Erwin, unable to hold back her delight, emitted a small chuckle. "Okay. I'll go through the plan with you once we get back. Be on your way." Hans nodded.
"Of course."
13th July, 1943. 0440 hours
In the darkness of the night, Soborwka flooded to life as several transport trucks rolled into the village, as well as troops on motorcycles, amidst the astounded looks the fellow tank crewmen and soldiers gave. The heavy rain had now reduced to a mild drizzle. Maho, standing beside her Tiger, looked on. The men disembarked their trucks, and were instantly assigned orders by the NCOs. Seeing the HQ door open, Maho walked towards the two officers that were just exiting the place.
"Hauptmann Bauer has told me he has brought 70 men to reinforce our position." Erwin informed Maho. "The majority of his forces will now support our flank on the ground; they are to make any form of cover along the left flank, and will deal with the infantry. The two machine gun sections and three rifle squads will be the bulk of the forces. They have plenty of panzerfausts, which means we can dispatch any tank that gets too close."
Maho nodded in understanding. "And what of the Tigers we've deployed on the right flank?" She asked.
"They shall be redeployed on the left flank. It will give us extra firing support. Another Tiger shall be camouflaged and hidden in the village." Erwin replied swiftly. And to prove her point, a Tiger rolled past them; its engine rumbling deeply as it crawled along the mud-churned road. "Move your tank to the left flank and camouflage it. The enemy is nearly upon us."
Maho saluted. "Right away, Hauptmann." She turned round and headed back towards her Tiger. Erika was standing next to it, waiting for Maho.
"What was that about?" She queried, as Maho took out a cigarette and lit it with her lighter. She took a deep breath before exhaling the pale, grey wisps of smoke.
"Nothing much. Just had a quick discussion on the plan of action." Maho replied slowly. "The other Tigers are going to join us on the left flank. As well as some of the panzergrenadiers under Hauptmann Bauer's command." She paused for a moment, before sighing quietly. "But why bother? The more men they send, the more blood that will be shed when the onslaught comes… What is the point of this?" She whispered, hanging her head. "Why bother fighting if we're all going to die here?"
Erika sighed heavily. "Who knows, Maho? We are only soldiers after all." She took a step forward. "We are taught to follow orders, to fight and to die for the fatherland, weren't we?" She gave Maho a small encouraging smile. "Isn't that why we still fight? To protect our homeland?" A loud rumbling sound passed behind them as a Tiger rolled past. "You told me this, remember? Don't fall back on your own words, Maho." She whispered. "If you believe in what you say, show it. Don't give up." She took a step forward. "Not now."
Maho breathed a quiet sigh. "I'll try."
"You better try." Erika replied with a small smirk. "You promised your sister to come back, as well as Erwin…" She pulled a cheeky grin.
Maho froze. "How do you know…?" She whispered, shocked. Erika smiled.
"I kind of figured it out long ago… It seemed obvious… to me, anyway." She responded. Just as Maho was about to reply, she put a finger to her lips. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. I promise." She then gave her a hurried smile before climbing into the Tiger.
Maho reluctantly climbed in after her, before sitting down in her seat. "Is everyone ready?" She asked.
"Aye, Leutnant." They all replied. Maho smiled faintly.
"Good. Ernst, move us to the left flank. I'll look for a good position to conceal our tank." She ordered. The tank shuddered as the engine growled into life, and they began moving towards the flank. Maho put on her headphones. "Radio check. Does anything hear me?"
"Hearing you loud and clear, Leutnant." Erwin responded quickly.
"Roger. Loud and clear." Karla and several other tank commanders answered.
Maho took a breath. "Right then. All remaining Tigers are to position themselves on the left flank. Make sure you have a good field of fire. Hoch, Muller, Kestner, Meier. You are with me." She ordered. "Follow my Tiger. The rest of you are with Hauptmann Brandt. Everyone clear?"
"Jawohl Leutnant." They replied.
"Let's move out."
13th July, 1943. 0450 hours
Under the final few minutes of darkness, the Tigers slowly moved themselves into their ambush positions. Maho had positioned her Tiger behind a bush; nothing but the long gun barrel sticking out. All around them, the other Tigers crawled into position, each finding a bit of foliage to camouflage themselves. Around 100m in front of them, several foxholes and a small trench network that was built early on during the first days of the offensive were being quickly manned by the company commanded by Hauptmann Bauer.
"Is everyone in position? Including the infantry?" Erwin asked through the radio. A jumble of voices responded almost immediately.
"Yes, Hauptmann."
"Aye, we're in position, Hauptmann."
Maho stood up and scanned the horizon with her binoculars. 'Nothing so far…' She thought to herself. A small orange glow peeped out of the horizon, turning the nearby sky a gentle shade of orange. Night was slowly falling away, the sunrise chasing the darkness from its dominion. She sighed and sat down again.
"What do we do now?" Erika asked. Maho looked at her.
"Nothing." She muttered, getting a cigarette out and lighting it. "For now…" She began, whilst inhaling gently. A few moments later, she exhaled deeply. "…We wait. There is nothing we can do for now." She took another breath. "Until they arrive." Looking at Erika, she gestured to the packet of cigarettes in her hand. "Anyone want a smoke?"
Erika slowly reached out and took one, before taking the packet and passing it round each crewmember. Maho then passed her lighter to each of them.
A brief period of silence swept round the tank. Each one dared not to speak. The silence was overpowering, almost, as if an invisible power was among them. Maho slowly took out her Luger and loaded a magazine into it, before clicking the hammer and putting it back into the holster. The sharp click of the hammer caused Erika to jump slightly, then settle back into the sombre, subdued mood they were all in.
"Do any of you believe in God?" Maho suddenly asked. Her crew members turned round to face her.
"I do." Erika whispered.
"I do too." Replied Ernst.
Maho thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. She did not want to offend, yet she wanted to make a point. "How come?" She spoke calmly.
Erika paused. "I was brought up in a religious family." She began. "So I guess I was… indoctrinated at first. I thought it was a load of bullshit, really. But after going through all of this…" She sighed. "I do think that God exists. Because it's as if he is watching over me, you know?"
Maho tilted her head. "In what way?"
"Because if he wasn't, I could have died a long time ago. I mean, thousands of soldiers have died throughout this war. But why not me?" Erika spoke, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face before continuing. "It's as if he wants me to live. I always have this feeling…" She whispered. "It's really hard to explain. It's like…-"
"A presence of someone or something with you, yet there is no one there." Ernst answered. "I agree with Erika. If there wasn't a God, there isn't a hope for any of us. Yet, we're still here. We're still fighting. We're still alive." He stated. "We all could have been captured or killed long ago. Yet, as Erika said, it is as if he wants us alive…"
Maho stayed silent for a moment. "I… used to believe in God as well." She admitted. "But… after seeing all of this, all the deaths of so many people…" She sighed. "I lost my faith in him. If there is a God, why is he letting thousands of men, women and children die every day? It doesn't make sense. Not anymore…" She looked round. "I don't mean to offend any of you… But it's just me. If God is God, why would he not stop this war? Why would he not save thousands, if not millions of innocent lives?" She muttered, before hanging her head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be doing this."
Silence fell on the inhabitants again. Erika shuffled nervously in her seat. Ernst began playing with the drive pedals. Both knew Maho was right. 'But how to answer to that…?' Erika thought carefully. The silence loomed around them, as if swallowing them up. No one spoke. Not even a mutter.
"Maho. I understand how you feel." Ernst suddenly spoke up, shattering the wall of silence between them. Maho looked up in surprise.
"Do you?" She whispered. "How co-"
Her thought was snapped in two as a massive explosion erupted a few yards behind her. Seconds later, another gigantic explosion rocked the inhabitants of the tank around. An artillery barrage was taking place; massive shells creating huge fireballs, sending mud, rock and dirt flying everywhere.
"What are our orders, Leutnant?!" Erika shouted over the deathly chorus of whistling artillery shells and howling of katyusha rockets.
Maho, who had had her eyes closed for a few moments, looked up at Erika. "Get ready. The enemy has arrived." She then nodded curtly at her crew. "Listen up. Do your duty for our homeland. For our fatherland. For Germany. Who is willing to stay, fight and die alongside me?"
Erika nodded. "To the very end."
"We've been together for this long. Nothing is going to change that now." Felix spoke.
Maho smiled faintly. "I hope so too."
13th July, 1943. 0505 hours
"Enemy alert! T-34s and infantry spotted! Distance is 2km and closing in!" A voice on the radio crackled loudly.
"Enemy is closing in! Distance is less than 2km now!" The voice shouted through the radio. Maho put on her headphones again.
"Everyone, listen up! Do not engage until they are close! Choose your target and track them! Only fire when Hauptmann Brandt or I say so!" Maho ordered.
"Jawohl Leutnant!" They all replied.
Felix grabbed an Armour Piercing round and rammed it into the gun barrel, closing the breech. "Shell loaded!"
Erika gritted her teeth, and traversed the turret; tracking one of the T-34s. "Target spotted!"
Maho stood up and looked at the horizon. The glint of the sunlight against the metal chassis of the T-34s were evident. The infantry followed in close behind, using the tanks as cover. "Wait for it…" She whispered to Erika. "Wait till they're close.
A few minutes passed. Silence encompassed them. The tension in the air was palpable. Christian loaded a belt of machine gun ammo into the coaxial machine gun. Maho grabbed her StG 44 and attached a fresh magazine in. As the T-34s got closer and closer, the squeaking of their tank tracks could be heard, getting louder and louder each passing second.
Erwin, on the opposite side of the left flank, looked through her binoculars. "Distance… 800m… 750m… 700m." This was close enough. She calmly put down her binoculars, and spoke into the radio.
"All units. Engage! Engage!"
Maho nodded. "Fire!"
13th July, 1943. 0515 hours
A great volley of erupted from the line of Tigers, and their rounds flew downrange at supersonic speeds, before hitting their targets with deadly results. Through her binoculars, Maho could see several T-34s explode into flames, fire licking up the sides of the tanks. One shell penetrated through the turret ring, sparks flying as metal scraped against metal. Seconds later, a massive fireball exploded around the turret, flames shooting out of the commander's hatch as the tanks screeched to a stop. Oily black smoke rose through the dim morning twilight, the flames illuminating the area with an eerie orange glow.
The remaining T-34s began firing desperately at their positions, shells flying all around them. One shell hit the turret, the force of the impact throwing Maho off balance. "Shit!" She muttered, as she scanned for targets with her binoculars. "Erika, T-34 2 o'clock, distance 500m!"
Erika traversed the turret as fast as she could. "Target sighted!" She shouted.
"Fire!"
The muzzle flash that ensued blinded Maho momentarily. She blinked hard several times to regain her sight. All she saw was another fireball, as the turret spectacularly ripped off the hull and flew into the air, landing a few feet away from the flaming wreckage of the tank. Another shell clanged off their frontal hull armour, rocking the Tiger slightly. The radio crackled into life in Maho's ears.
"The infantry are closing in! Open fire!" Erwin's voice sounded.
Christian immediately started firing with the coaxial machine gun. Tracers streaked through the dawn air as the other Tigers and infantry opened fire with their machine guns, rifles and submachine guns, each finding their mark. Soldier after soldier fell into the long grass, their uniforms stained in red, never to awake from their eternal sleep.
Through her binoculars, Maho spotted several tanks, slightly silhouetted by the early morning haze. "5 KV-1s spotted! 7'o clock, distance, 800m!" She shouted into the radio. "Erika, target the lead tank! Hoch, target the one at the rear! Muller Kestner Meier, target the rest of them! Once you have them in your sights, open fire!"
Felix rammed a fresh Armour Piercing round into the breech. "Shell loaded!"
"Target sighted!" Erika replied.
"Fire!"
Another volley of deadly shells screamed towards its target. Each shell pierced the side armour of the KV-1 like butter, with deadly results. One KV-1 brewed up, flames shooting out from all crevices. One exploded as the ammo cooked off, as another shuddered to a halt. The hatch opened and one man flopped out and onto the ground, missing a leg. Black, dirty columns of smoke rose into the dawn sky.
Suddenly, everything went quiet. No gunfire, no nothing. In front of them lay destroyed T-34s and KV-1s all around. Their burning wreckages emitting vast pillars of black smoke, obscuring the sun. Maho breathed a sigh of relief.
"Did we kill them all?" A voice emanated from the radio.
"No, that must have been an advance company or something. The main force will arrive soon." Erwin replied. "The main force will be much stronger."
Maho sat back in her seat. "Is everyone okay?" She muttered. She felt exhausted. She was exhausted. They hadn't had any sleep for the last few days, and, judging by the looks from her crew, they were shattered as well.
"Couldn't have felt better." Erika responded sarcastically, as Felix gave a fatigued chuckle. Maho smiled faintly.
"Get some rest, but be on your guard. The main force could arrive at any time." She spoke softly, before leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes.
Erika smiled, before turning to Felix. "She seems more relaxed than usual." She whispered, and Felix nodded in agreement.
"You have to give her some slack, you know? She's been through a lot. Think about it. She's been in, like, how many offensives?" He whispered, pausing for a moment whilst counting using his fingers. "France, Moscow, Kharkov, Stalingrad, Rzhev, and now here. Six large scale offensives. Each time, she's seen many of her friends get killed or injured. She must've been through hell and ba-"
"I heard that…" Maho's half stern, yet sleepy voice could be heard as Erika laughed. "And I don't know why you're laughing Erika." She continued. "What are you two doing anyway, counting up all the offensives I've been in?"
"Yeah." Felix replied.
"For what reason?" Maho queried.
"We were just wondering what awards you could have received." Erika stated plainly, withholding the truth from her slyly. "You would have a lot, won't y-"
"I have no need, nor desire for awards and military decorations." Maho spoke slowly. "All I'm bothered with is doing my duty to the highest standard. "In which I don't think-"
"Correction. You do perform your duty to the highest standard." Erika and Felix both answered back together.
Maho raised a brow. "You do know you're to a commissioned officer…" She joked, before smiling and closing her eyes again. "But, I'll let you off because it's you two; the troublemakers." She grinned at her remark, before closing her eyes again.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Felix cheekily remarked.
No reply.
Erika turned round to face Maho. The young woman was asleep; her head hanging as she drifted in her slumber. Erika smiled, before turning back to Felix. "She's asleep." She mouthed, before looking into her optics; the sun was rising steadily, bathing the area in a yellowy orange light. Other than the burning and destroyed wreckages of tanks, it seemed rather… peaceful. But Erika herself was far from at ease. She sat back in her seat and sighed quietly, before reaching down her front and taking her dog tag out. It was once shiny and new, but now, after years of fighting, had become dull and dirty.
'I guess this is the calm before the storm…'
13th July, 1943. 0545 hours
"Enemy target markers spotted!" A sharp voice crackled through the radio. "The Soviets are attacking again!"
Maho's eyes snapped open as the voice blared through her headphones. "Let's go! They're coming!" She ordered. "Felix, Armour Piercing shell, now! Erika, ammo count!"
Felix grabbed another AP round and rammed it into the breech. "Shell loaded!"
"12 rounds of Armour Piercing left!" Erika responded.
Maho nodded in acknowledgement as she stood up to take a look. Sure enough, white balls of light were streaking up the dawn sky, before fizzling out into nothingness. She gritted her teeth as more flares shot up into the sky, marking the position on which they were at. "Bring on the hell." She muttered. The sound of the explosion was deafening.
Seconds later, the sound of howling and screaming could be heard. It got louder and louder, until the gates to hell opened up in front of Maho's eyes. Fireballs erupted as the shells and rockets impacted the ground, tearing gigantic craters into the earth, flinging mud, sod and rocks everywhere like ragdolls. The shells whistled overhead and in front of them, tearing huge lanes into the minefield in front, carving a path for the enemy armour. A shell screamed past her Tiger and exploded meters behind them, the shockwave throwing her off balance. She quickly ducked down quickly to avoid the deadly shower of shrapnel tearing towards her.
"Tank alert! Here they come!" Her headphones crackled into life as she scanned the steppe below them. Sure enough, through the thick smoke and dust caused by the barrage, the silhouettes of dozens of T-34s and KV-1s could be seen crawling towards them, along with Soviet infantry arriving on-mass; the bayonets on their rifles glinting through the smoke, whilst others advanced with submachineguns.
"Choose your targets! Only engage when you are sure you can hit them!" Erwin's voice blared through Maho's headphones. "We don't have enough ammo to stop them all! Once you've expended all your ammunition, fall back to the village!"
Erika traversed the turret, lining up the gun on her next target. "Target sighted!"
"Hold it! Wait till they reach the minefield!" Maho shouted over the din of deafening explosions.
All the Tigers held their fire. As they watched, the T-34s and KV-1s rolled closer towards them, their tank tracks squeaking loudly, the eerie sound carrying through the wind and headed to them. The tension inside Maho's tank was tangible. Everyone inside was silent. Erika's hand closed towards the trigger, her hand shaking slightly.
Suddenly, an explosion lit up the steppe as one T-34 rolled over a tank mine. Dirt erupted and sprayed out underneath the tank as the force of the blast tilted it slightly on one side, before its tracks fell from the wheels; rendering it immobile.
"Fire!" Maho screamed.
A deadly chorus of blasts rocked across the left flank as all of the Tigers opened fire on a target. The shells slammed into the thin armour of the T-34s like a hot knife through butter. Seconds later, the infantry in front of them opened up a hellfire of bullets, coupled with the coaxial machine guns chattering away. Downrange; it was carnage. Tank after tank exploded into flames, the fire licking through every crevice in the steel armour. Men, terribly mutilated and burning, crawled out of their burning metal coffins and flopped onto the floor; rolling and writhing. Their screams of agony mingled with the whistling and howling of the artillery shells and katyusha rockets. Every so often, the ground would rumble as an anti-tank mine went off, disabling yet another tank.
"Don't let them come close!" Erwin shouted through the radio, just as another volley of shells screamed down towards their next targets.
Felix picked up another shell and rammed it into the breech. "We're down to two shells!" He exclaimed.
"Erika! Take out the KV-1 at our 2 o'clock!" Maho ordered.
"Target sighted!"
"Take him out." Maho replied, and the tank shuddered as another shell flew towards the KV-1, impacting and penetrating the turret in a puff of smoke and sparks. Seconds later, the hatch opened up and one man, presumably the driver or loader climbed out of the tank, covered in oil and soot. He jumped down only to be decapitated by burst of machine gun fire by Christian.
A massive explosion to the side of her caused Maho to jerk her head to the left. A horrific sight filled her eyes; a Tiger had taken a direct hit from a katyusha rocket, and the wreck was covered in flames. One crewmember wriggled out of the wreckage, engulfed in flames. He screamed in agony, writhing around on the ground. He struggled to get his pistol out of his holster, but when he did, he quickly pulled the trigger. The crack of the pistol shot hit Maho like a whip as the man instantly became motionless.
Another shell screamed down and exploded behind her, the shockwave slamming Maho into the rim of the commander's hatch. She groaned, her vision becoming blurry as she sank down into her seat, clutching her stomach just as the tank shook from the recoil of another shell being propelled out of the cannon.
"Leutnant!" Erika turned round and looked at her. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine… Erika." Maho mumbled sheepishly. "Just got the wind knocked out of me, that's all." She coughed several times, trying to get her breath back.
"Leutnant, we have a problem!" Felix shouted over the horrendous noise of gunfire and explosions from outside.
"What is it?" Maho asked.
"We're out of shells."
It took a moment for her to realise the words that had come out of Felix's mouth. She sighed then cursed under her breath. "Right. We'll deal with as many infantry as we can, before getting out. Christian. How many belts of ammunition left?"
Christian quickly loaded in another belt as he spoke. "This is my last belt." He muttered.
"Shit." Maho cursed again. She quickly stood back up to observe the situation: it looked bleak. Remnants of the infantry were pulling back; many were carrying their wounded on their shoulders, whilst running back up the hill to reach the village, with the Soviet infantry chasing after them in hot pursuit. She saw one soldier run towards her tank.
"You need to get ou-"
He collapsed down on the ground mid-sentence, as a bullet punched through his helmet and into his head with a clanging sound. He sprawled on the ground, blood and brain dripping onto the floor. Time slowed in her eyes. She looked down at the man, then at her surroundings. Most of the Tigers had fallen silent; through the carnage she could see the crewmembers climbing out, many wielding their pistols as they jumped down and made their way up the hill. The Soviets were close now. They had cleared the trenches once occupied by the infantry and were advancing up the hill itself; firing on the beleaguered retreating soldiers and tank crewmen. Some fell as bullets tore through their bodies; knocking them down like skittles, never to rise again.
"We're out of ammo!" Christian shouted. "What do we do now, Leutnant!"
Maho blinked and the sound of death and destruction filled her ears again. "Erika, you're with me! Felix, Christian, Ernst; you stick with each other. Felix, get that MP 40! Erika, get the other! We'll get out first, then you follow immediately after!"
Erika tossed the MP 40 and some magazines to Felix, before reaching and grabbing the other MP 40.
Maho pulled the bolt of her StG 44, and loaded up a magazine for her Luger, before stuffing a few more into her pocket. "Has everyone got ammunition for their MP 40s and Lugers?" She shouted, before standing up and knocking a Soviet soldier onto the ground with a few well-placed shots.
"Yes Leutnant!"
"Erika, Let's move!"
Maho climbed up onto the turret and jumped down instantly, before Erika quickly followed suit.
"Go!" Maho yelled, dragging her back as she opened fire on a few more enemy soldiers; two fell, but one got close enough to tackle Maho to the ground. She gritted her teeth as she blocked a punch from him, before kneeing him in the groin. The man groaned and fell backwards, before being dispatched by Felix. Ernst jumped down from the turret, just as Christian dropped a grenade inside the tank to destroy any valuable equipment that could fall into enemy hands.
"Are you alright?" He shouted, as Maho picked herself up.
"Don't worry about me! Run!" She replied, emptying her magazine on another group of soldiers, before turning and running to keep up with her comrades. Bullets whizzed around them as they made their way back to the village.
13th July, 1943. 0615 hours
As they reached the village, the sound that greeted them made Maho's heart sink. The sound of small arms fire and explosions from grenades meant that the Soviets had also reached the village. They ran towards an abandoned building, taking shelter behind a wall.
"What do we do know, Maho?" Erika shouted.
Maho peeked out slightly, before opening a short burst with her assault rifle. A few enemy soldiers replied by firing back; she ducked back into cover as bullets whizzed past them. "We need to get through to our own forces!" She replied just as a nearby grenade took out a few retreating German infantry. "Erika and I will cover! You three go to that building and take cover until we get there! Got it?!"
"Aye Leutnant!"
"Go!"
Christian, Felix and Ernst ran out from the cover of the wall, just as Erika and Maho laid down a hail of suppressing fire. "Erika, Go!" Maho shouted as Erika sprinted after them. Seeing that they had reached the next building, she took a deep breath and ran after them.
Bullets flew all around her as she ran. Never before had she felt so scared; her heart pounding rapidly in her chest as she took cover behind the wall alongside her comrades. The buzz of the machine gun inside the house gave her a slight respite; it was the German MG 42. "You see the building opposite the barn?" She shouted. "We'll go in there to take shelter for the time being! We'll do the same again!"
They all nodded in understanding.
"Let's go!"
A shell exploded a few meters in front of them as they ran from the cover and towards the building. Maho rounded the broke away from them, being forced to cover behind another building by a sudden hail of bullets as the others ran on.
"Uraa!"
A sharp pain exploded round her head as something hard connected with her skull. Bright lights danced around her eyes as she fell onto the ground.
Through her blurry vision; Maho could make out a man with a rifle. He attempted to whack her across the face with his rifle, but Maho rolled away and knocked the feet from under him. She stood up and tried to pin the man down but the man countered it and kicked her hard in the chest. Maho gasped, falling down onto the floor, just as a massive pair of hands wrapped round her throat and pressed tightly.
"G-Get… off…me-e… сука." She choked, trying to move his hands away from her neck with her own; but the man overpowered her easily. She gasped for breath, tears streaming down from her eyes as she weakly kicked him, but to no avail. Her movements became weaker and weaker as she was starved of oxygen; her gasps became quieter and shallower. The man grinned in a cynical manner.
A sudden gunshot ripped through her ears. The man slumped onto Maho, his hands releasing the pressure on her throat. Maho gasped for air, coughing and retching heavily.
"Get. Off. Her!" A woman screamed. Maho instantly recognised the voice. Through her blurry vision, she saw a pair of hands reach down towards her, in which she weakly grasped and was pulled up.
"You okay Maho?" Erwin asked worriedly as Maho panted to get her breath back. Being unable to speak for the time being, she nodded. Erika and the others quickly joined them.
"Is she okay?" Felix queried. Maho frowned in embarrassment.
"I'm fine…" She coughed, finally regaining her breath back.
"We need to pull back!" Erwin stated. "They've overrun the place! Erika, take the rest of Maho's crew. I will meet you at the barn. They're boarding the trucks to get out!
"But what about you two!" Erika shouted.
"Don't mind us! We'll make it! Now go!" Erwin hissed in reply.
Erika sighed, then nodded. She, Felix and Ernst quickly disappeared, with bullets screaming past them every second.
Maho picked up her StG 44 and looked round; observing the situation. All around them, corpses of dead soldiers, German and Soviets alike littered the area. One German soldier took down a Soviet soldier with his weapon, only to be gunned down by an advancing soldier seconds later.
"Look out!"
She suddenly felt Erwin pull her back roughly as an explosion erupted meters in front of them. Maho stood up. "We need to go, now!"
"We're being pinned down!" Erwin shouted in reply, just as a burst of machine gun fire peppered the wall with bullets.
Maho replied with a few bursts from her assault rifle. "I know that!" She yelled, dropping two Soviet soldiers with a short burst, each falling down with a puff of red mist erupting behind them. Erwin took out her Luger and shot at another soldier, but it only clicked.
"Shit! I'm out of ammo!" She cursed as she placed her pistol back in her holster. "Do you have any ammo?" She asked.
No reply.
"Maho?"
She looked forward and sighed. Maho had run forwards towards another building, but was nowhere to be seen. Erwin shook her head and ran towards that building, dodging bullets flying towards her and kicking open the door before running into the room.
Inside, Maho and an enemy soldier was locked in hand to hand combat with one another. And she was losing. Badly. The man had managed to pin Maho onto the floor, and one of his hands held a knife. He was attempting to press it into her chest, whilst Maho was pushing against the man with all her strength, but was slowly weakening. The knife sank closer towards her chest.
She turned to Erwin and frowned. "Help me!" She screamed, kicking the man once and throwing him off balance. She stood up and swung a right hook into the man's face, knocking him backwards. Erwin was about to run and assist her, but another soldier emerged suddenly from the opposite room and pulled her to the floor, leaving Maho to fend for herself.
Maho pulled out her combat knife and lunged at the man, but was instantly knocked down onto the floor by a left hook. The man grabbed her by her hair, and stamped on her stomach. Maho gasped, blood spitting out of her mouth as she reached frantically for the knife. She gritted her teeth; a soft grunt or moan emanating from her each time the foot connected with her torso. Her fingers touched the handle of her knife, before pulling closer and establishing a firm hold on it. She suddenly kicked the man in the chest, and swung the knife, the blade sinking into his side. Maho shouted in pain as she plunged the blade deeper and deeper; blood spilling out of the wound like a tap. The man groaned, before slowly becoming still, his eyes looking, but not seeing.
A reassuring gunshot whipped around the room. Maho turned round to see Erwin pointing a smoking pistol at the corpse of the other soldier. Maho spat blood from her mouth and sheathed her knife, before standing up. "You okay?" She asked, panting slightly as she regained her breath.
"Never felt better." Erwin replied sarcastically, taking the soldiers' submachine gun as well as his pistol. "We need to reach the barn."
Maho nodded, throwing her empty magazine onto the floor and loading a fresh one into her assault rifle. "Shall I lead?" She asked. Seeing Erwin nod, she edged towards the door; rifle held aloft. She kicked open the door. The sound of gunfire and explosions, coupled with the crying and moaning of the wounded surrounded them once more.
Maho broke into a sprint; running towards another house whilst firing her weapon. She took cover behind a wall, allowing Erwin to catch up. She peeked past the edge of the wall and opened fire on a group of advancing Soviet infantry. Several of her bullets found their mark as one man fell; another collapsed on the floor, holding his leg and screaming in agony.
"There are some troops in this building!" Erwin shouted, stepping past Maho and firing a few shots just as a muzzle flash and the subsequent explosion engulfed the enemy squad. Maho turned to look at the source; it was Karla's Tiger. Another explosion scattered another group of men further away; the smoke cleared, leaving one man rolling around on the floor, missing his arm and left foot.
"Maho! Are you listening!" Erwin yelled over the gunfire, pulling Maho back behind cover.
"I can't hear you!" She shouted back.
"There are some troops left that are still defending this place! We need to check the houses and inform them that we are falling back!" Erwin spoke, just as a T-34 cresting the hill was taken out spectacularly by Karla's Tiger, and another screeched to a halt after a panzerfaust slammed into its side. "You go check this house, and take any of move any survivors to the barn, where we are pulling out!" They both ducked just as a shell whistled over and exploded behind them, throwing mud and rocks everywhere. "I will check the other one left of this one, Got it?!"
Maho nodded. "I'll cover you!" She stepped away from the wall and opened fire, as Erwin sprinted off to the other house. She ran round and kicked open the door, her rifle poised to open fire. The house was eerily quiet as she checked the first room. A smoking MG 42 lay fallen at the window. A corpse of a soldier lay next to it, his head split in half by a bullet. Blood sprayed all over the floor messily. Next to him lay another soldier; curled up in the foetal position. Maho inched closer to him, before nudging him with her foot.
The soldier instantly jumped and moved away; fear etched in his eyes. He looked young. Very young. Maho sighed. "Get up on your feet, soldier. I'm here to help." She ordered.
He shakily got up, avoiding eye contact. "I'm staying here. I don't want to die." He whispered simply.
"You're going to be fine, okay? Just keep your head down and come with me. We're falling back." Maho muttered, putting a half reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Are there any more soldiers in the next house?"
"I…"
"I need an answer now, soldier. We haven't much time." Maho spoke coldly.
Moments later, a burst of bullets smashed through the window, causing Maho to duck on the floor. The soldier next to her collapsed, coughing and spluttering blood. Maho crawled over, looking over his wounds; blood dripped steadily and spread round his uniform as he gasped for air.
"M-..Mam-m…a…." He choked, reaching out to Maho with a shaky, blood spattered hand. "He-Help… me-e…"
Maho clasped her hand against his. "I'm sorry." She whispered, her heart heavy with sorrow. "I can't do anything to help."
He gasped several more times, before his hand slipped from her grasp and dropped to the floor. His eyes looking, but void of life. Maho looked at the boy once more, before turning away back towards the door. Opening it, she ran forwards towards the next house, kicking the door open and running in just as an explosion engulfed where she stood seconds before.
Clutching her assault rifle tightly, she inched forwards. She listened for any signs of life. Maho walked into the first room; two dead German soldiers. Sighing, she made her way upstairs. Hearing a few whispered voices, she took cover behind the wall and peeked into the room. Inside were at least seven German soldiers, each sitting down with their weapons beside them. Maho walked in.
"What are you lot doing here?" She queried.
One man looked up. "We're out of ammunition, we can't fight anymore. There is no point fighting anymore."
Maho's gaze swept round the room. "We're falling back. We need to be quick if we are to make it out alive.
"But-"
"There's no time for ifs or buts!" Maho shouted over the din of the ever closer gunfire and explosions. "Get on your feet! Let's move!"
The men got up and picked up their weapons, before running downstairs and out. Maho followed them quickly. Once outside, they were met with a firestorm of bullets. The man in front of her dropped, sprawling onto the ground.
"We need to keep moving!" Maho yelled, dragging one young soldier with her who had fallen. Seconds later, both were thrown by a shell exploding behind them, before slamming into the earth. She groaned, lying on the ground, dazed. Shakily, she got up, and continued dragging the boy.
"Come on!" She shouted, turning to look at him. Only then, did she realise what happened. Sighing, she let go of him and ran on, leaving his bloodied, half decapitated corpse lying there with his entrails hanging out.
Nearing the barn, she saw more soldiers join their desperate escape. Erwin and the rest of her crewmembers had already made it; she was hurrying into a transport truck, along with the men she had managed to escape with. She turned to Maho, gesturing her to hurry.
Maho turned round to urge the men on as they ran. "Let's go, Let's g-"
A blinding, explosive pain shot through her body as she tripped over and collapsed onto the ground. Maho gasped, coughing as the all too familiar scent of blood filled her nostrils. She weakly felt her front. Her hand was soaked in the red liquid that was now quickly spilling out of her wounds. She looked round weakly, coughing up blood. White dots danced around in her vision as she felt a pair of hands pick her up and put her into the truck. She weakly looked up; it was Erwin.
"Help me put pressure!" Erwin shouted, getting on her knees and putting pressure on the wound as they began driving away from the carnage that was Soborkwa. Two soldiers quickly came to her aid; one helping Erwin to put pressure whilst the other tore up some cloth to use as a bandage.
"E-Erwin…" Maho coughed, looking up at her superior weakly.
"Yes?" She replied, her voice faltering as she desperately held back her tears. "What is it, Maho?"
"Are we… safe?"
Erwin smiled, unable to hold back her tears any longer. "For now, yes." She whispered, tears dripping down onto Maho.
Maho reached out a pale, shaky hand, slowly wiping away her tears. "No need… to cry." She whispered, gasping for breath as she coughed up more blood. "Y-You… don't have to worry… about me-e… a-anymore…"
"No!" Erwin shouted in desperation. "Don't say that!" She shook her head frantically.
Maho smiled weakly. "I'm going to die… aren't I?" She mouthed silently.
"You're not going to die. I will make sure." Erwin whispered, holding her hand tightly as tears slid down her cheeks. "Stay with me, Maho… Please…" She begged.
Maho took a few short breaths. "I'm… t-trying." Through her blurry vision, she looked up at Erwin once more. She cried out in pain as they rolled over bumps on the ground, the soldier continuing to stem the bleeding but to no avail; the blood soaked cloth becoming ever more saturated with the red liquid.
"Hold on, Maho. Stay with me…" Erwin spoke gently, continuing to hold her hand and apply pressure to her wound.
Maho's eyelids flickered as she struggled to keep them open. Her chest rose and fell quickly as she struggled to breathe, blood trickling from her wounds. "How b-bad…?" She gasped, her breath almost inaudible.
Erwin forced a smile. "Nothing the surgeons can't fix." She lied quickly, pressing harder on her wound to stop the bleeding; it made a horrible, squelching sound as the blood trickled out. "You're going to be fine."
Maho sighed, seeing through the flimsy façade Erwin had tried to pull up. A single tear slid down from her eye and down her cheek and she coughed and spat out more blood. "I-I'm… sorry-y…" She mouthed, her eyelids closing slightly.
Erwin shook her head desperately. "No…" she whispered frantically. "No! You're going to survive! Stay with me!"
Maho gasped again, her grip on Erwin's hand become weaker every passing second. "I… d-don't think-"
"Don't say it…" Erwin mouthed, her grip on Maho's hand tightening like a vice. "We still have so much to live for. So many memories to be made!" She hung her head, making sure Maho couldn't see her tears. "Think of your sister!" She whispered. "You don't want to leave your sister alone, do you?"
Maho took a ragged breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she gasped and choked for air. "I'm sorry... I-I can't…keep… my p-promise… any…more" She choked, blood spluttering out of the side of her mouth as her eyelids slowly began to droop.
Erwin froze, looking in disbelief. "No… No!" She screamed, looking at her bloodstained hands before punching the truck in utter anguish and grief. She frantically searched for a pulse as the truck screeched to a stop. The sound of screeching tank tracks and the rumbling of voices masked the sound of gunfire and war. Footsteps of soldiers trudging along the muddy paths. They had finally arrived at their reserve positions.
Erwin looked over at Maho, before sighing. "Take her to the field hospital nearby. She may still have a chance of living. Her pulse is very shallow, but still there. We also need a medic, right now." She spoke, her voice wavering heavily.
Two soldiers immediately jumped out of the back, coming back momentarily with a stretcher and two doctors. Loading Maho onto it, they quickly bundled her to the field station. Erwin looked on, tears sliding down her cheeks as Maho's words echoed endlessly in her mind as she mouthed them repeatedly.
'I'm sorry… I can't keep my promise… any…more.'
Notes:
Finally, after a month, Chapter 13 is done. Thank you for your patience. It took a lot longer than expected, but hey, it's done. :)
As I have said previously, we are very nearly at the end of this Panzer Diary. Thank you for all of those who have read/reviewed my work. I really appreciate it!
Therefore, I hope you have enjoyed this fanfic thoroughly, but don't worry~ Plans for a second Panzer Diary is taking shape as we speak...
As always, any reviews with constructive criticism would be welcome.
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