Sir Richard
Member
Story 03 of The Polish Campaign:
I disliked General Deitrich immediately. He was one of those people who treated Hitler as if he was God's appointed commander of the German people. The proof of his greatness and of the fact that God was on his side was the success Hitler had in restoring Germany to its former position of power. Clearly, no other proof was necessary that Hitler had God's blessing.
"Heil Hitler," he greeted as I stood in the tent. The greeting caught me off guard. I had never had a cause to use it before, and I hesitated. A thought pushed its way through my brain that if I revealed my concerns here, in this company, I would do nothing but harm myself and gain nothing. I returned the greeting.
Unlike the previous engagements, the action here had started before I arrived. While radio operators received reports, aides moved pins around on a map sitting on the wall. I recognized symbols for each of the companies under his command and supporting units temporarily assigned to him.
"Sergeant Hummel, explain the map to him," Dietrich commanded, refusing to be distracted for long from his reports.
"You will have to excuse the General, he is somewhat distracted," Hummel reported. "We just learned that the enemy is about to launch an attack to capture several locations along the main roadway to Pabianice, including the town of Kosobudy." He pointed at the autobahn that went straight into the town, then hovered his pointer over a the town of Kosobudy. "We do not know how. We think it is going to happen in the near future, and we can't get anybody on the radio except the forward elements of II Battalion. They are here [see attached map], south of Pabianice, trying to take this road south of town."
Behind us, Dietrech started shouting at the radio operators. "Tell that inbred that he had better get his battalion to Kosobudy while I still have artillery left for him to defend, or I will nail his hide to the nearest barn and use him for target practice!"
Hummel continued. "The problem is, right now, the only units we have in Kosobudy is an artillery battalion. There is nothing defending the town. III Battalion is just east of that location. However, like I said, we have lost contact with them and we can't tell them to move forward. The General is trying to find reinforcements, but the only thing available is a battalion of infantry on foot. By the time they march into battle, it may be too late. We can't even reach our own regimental command post.
"I thought this was the Regimental command post?"
"Rear command," said Hummel. "We communicate with a forward Regimental command post that coordinates the different units. Right now, our forward command post is sitting right here." Again, his pointer landed in the middle of Kosobudy.
"There is nothing defending them?"
"Every command post has its security attachment," said Hummel. "It's enough to defend them from civilians or guerilla raids. It's not enough to defend them from an infantry assault, and they don't even know that one is on the way. Other than that, all we have in town is about a hundred trucks belonging to II Battalion. That's where we dropped them off."
The thought of fellow Germans under threat pushed aside my doubts about the war. "I'll tell them," I said. "Tell the General to write up some orders, and I'll deliver them."
Hummel quickly went to the General with my plan. General Dietrich scowled at me, and I watched him shake his head no. Hummel made the mistake of starting to argue, and nearly got himself slapped. Dietrich dismissed him.
Hummel picked up a radio and spoke into it. "Testing.". One of the operators acknowledged receipt. He quickly handed it over to me. "Follow me."
"I thought I saw him say no," I said.
"He did," said Hummel. "But, you're still supposed to report to forward command, and you are still supposed to have a radio with you. Add it up, and what do you get?"
"I deliver a new radio to forward command so you can tell them to prepare for an attack."
Hummel introduced me to a boy who looked like he still belonged in school. The youth smiled and saluted sharply, eager to please, yet he nearly dropped his rifle in the process.
"Private Metzger will be your driver," Hummel said. "Private, take Mr. Schmidt to Forward Command and, from there, do whatever he says until he releases you." He returned the Private's salute.
Metzger stepped aside to give me access to his motorcycle and side car. "I think we should hurry," I told Metzger as I jumped in.
I disliked General Deitrich immediately. He was one of those people who treated Hitler as if he was God's appointed commander of the German people. The proof of his greatness and of the fact that God was on his side was the success Hitler had in restoring Germany to its former position of power. Clearly, no other proof was necessary that Hitler had God's blessing.
"Heil Hitler," he greeted as I stood in the tent. The greeting caught me off guard. I had never had a cause to use it before, and I hesitated. A thought pushed its way through my brain that if I revealed my concerns here, in this company, I would do nothing but harm myself and gain nothing. I returned the greeting.
Unlike the previous engagements, the action here had started before I arrived. While radio operators received reports, aides moved pins around on a map sitting on the wall. I recognized symbols for each of the companies under his command and supporting units temporarily assigned to him.
"Sergeant Hummel, explain the map to him," Dietrich commanded, refusing to be distracted for long from his reports.
"You will have to excuse the General, he is somewhat distracted," Hummel reported. "We just learned that the enemy is about to launch an attack to capture several locations along the main roadway to Pabianice, including the town of Kosobudy." He pointed at the autobahn that went straight into the town, then hovered his pointer over a the town of Kosobudy. "We do not know how. We think it is going to happen in the near future, and we can't get anybody on the radio except the forward elements of II Battalion. They are here [see attached map], south of Pabianice, trying to take this road south of town."
Behind us, Dietrech started shouting at the radio operators. "Tell that inbred that he had better get his battalion to Kosobudy while I still have artillery left for him to defend, or I will nail his hide to the nearest barn and use him for target practice!"
Hummel continued. "The problem is, right now, the only units we have in Kosobudy is an artillery battalion. There is nothing defending the town. III Battalion is just east of that location. However, like I said, we have lost contact with them and we can't tell them to move forward. The General is trying to find reinforcements, but the only thing available is a battalion of infantry on foot. By the time they march into battle, it may be too late. We can't even reach our own regimental command post.
"I thought this was the Regimental command post?"
"Rear command," said Hummel. "We communicate with a forward Regimental command post that coordinates the different units. Right now, our forward command post is sitting right here." Again, his pointer landed in the middle of Kosobudy.
"There is nothing defending them?"
"Every command post has its security attachment," said Hummel. "It's enough to defend them from civilians or guerilla raids. It's not enough to defend them from an infantry assault, and they don't even know that one is on the way. Other than that, all we have in town is about a hundred trucks belonging to II Battalion. That's where we dropped them off."
The thought of fellow Germans under threat pushed aside my doubts about the war. "I'll tell them," I said. "Tell the General to write up some orders, and I'll deliver them."
Hummel quickly went to the General with my plan. General Dietrich scowled at me, and I watched him shake his head no. Hummel made the mistake of starting to argue, and nearly got himself slapped. Dietrich dismissed him.
Hummel picked up a radio and spoke into it. "Testing.". One of the operators acknowledged receipt. He quickly handed it over to me. "Follow me."
"I thought I saw him say no," I said.
"He did," said Hummel. "But, you're still supposed to report to forward command, and you are still supposed to have a radio with you. Add it up, and what do you get?"
"I deliver a new radio to forward command so you can tell them to prepare for an attack."
Hummel introduced me to a boy who looked like he still belonged in school. The youth smiled and saluted sharply, eager to please, yet he nearly dropped his rifle in the process.
"Private Metzger will be your driver," Hummel said. "Private, take Mr. Schmidt to Forward Command and, from there, do whatever he says until he releases you." He returned the Private's salute.
Metzger stepped aside to give me access to his motorcycle and side car. "I think we should hurry," I told Metzger as I jumped in.
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