Somewhere along the way Feldwebel Helmut Polish must have ticked one of the brass off, he and his crew had been been told that their services as great and glorious tank aces were no longer required and they were to immediately retrain in the Ostwind.
THE OSTWIND !!??!! Helmut gave his commanding officer the fingers as he walked away and spat on the ground, a scowl burnt into his soot covered face.
' Ok boys, funs over, we are to pick up our suicide machine tomorrow and learn the ways of being shot above while we ineffectively pew pew precious German metal into the sky'.
Noon the following day saw them picking up their brand new fighting machine from the as yet unbombed factory. Not a one was impressed with it's light armour, underpowered engine and most of all its pea shooting 37mm. Always positive loader Unterofficer Dipp Shuttz mentioned that he thought the tan colour went well with their old Arika Korp socks, the rest of the crew slapped him in the back of the head and then, as one' they all went and peed on the rear of the tracks to break her in.
Day 1. Somewhere in Europe..1944. Having spent a week breaking the new rig in they were thrown into a hasty defence of a small town near the German border, none of them were happy with their lot, the only up side they could see was the fact they could bail out the top at a moments notice and run for cover while it was peppered from above from the multitude of allied planes that it would surely draw. They headed out to partake in their first and what they thought would be their last mission. All eyes looked to the sky.
Following the real armour into the small village they propped themselves in an alcove of houses hoping to remain unseen once the allied steamroller arrived. Surely here not even the thousands of eyes in the sky would pick them out...the first plane that appeared made a bee line for them as if they were a flower in full bloom.
Dipp loaded ammo so fast his hands were a blur and the 37mm rounds flew into the sky tracing a pattern towards the Allied plane, Helmut tried to nudge the driver, Grenadier Knuttz, into reversing the Ostwind into the loungeroom of the house behind and it was all he could do to stop himself from jumping out from behind the sight and hiding somewhere safe.
Just as they all thought that the plane was going to become one with the Ostwind a shell smashed into the engine and lit her up like a firework..
Mouths agape they all froze and watched as the machine hurtled towards them like some beastly dragon, lit from end to end like a great comet that would smite them from the earth and leave them as a footnote in some book or forum many years in the future..
Still frozen they watched as the fighter bomber smashed into the ground, mere metres from their position reversed into the wall of the half broken houses.
Helmut looked around at his crew that had seen the happy days of the walk over in the West, the initial victories in Africa and the Panzer steamrolling and then total horror of the Russian front.
'well boys..that wasn't as bad as we thought was it..this little six sided tin pot may have some go in her yet !' Dipp Shuttz smiled and looked over at Knuttz and said ' Told you she would be alright big Knuttz!'
Day three Two days later found them ten kilometres to the rear of the village that they had been pushed out off despite offering a heavy defence, numbers were winning the war... and they knew they couldn't compete with whatt the Allies were throwing at them. Whenever they moved they found themselves under air attack, darkness was now their only ally left.
A small pass was the sure route that the allies would have to take to secure their next move so Helmut, after looking at the lay of the land, decided a small rocky outcrop offered them a chance of having a go at the allied power and covering the panzer units as they retreated. From here they could remain hull down and retreat, if need be, to a close by gully.
The first air unit spotted was an unlikely low flying 109 that surprised the crew as the Luftwaffe was a rare sight these days.
Helmut told his lads to make sure of targets before firing, anyone firing at Hermanns boys would be dealt with by a lack of any alcohol that they may come across. All eyes became more attentive at this horrible threat and even the driver Olaf Bruno Stinkelfingher seemed to come awake. Artillery opened up ahead and, in the distance, specks appeared in the sky... these could only be enemy machines. The previously seen 109 came blasting over the top of their position followed by machine gun spitting Yaks..
YAKS ? Helmut dismissed this weird occurrence and told his crew to to start throwing Krupp steel skywards.
Once again the 37mm traced a pattern following the plane, the Yak pilot instantly zoomed up at an insane speed forcing the gunner to try and pick a position in the sky where he may be in the next few seconds so shell and machine could meet. Somehow this happened..
..and all of a sudden the Yak was earthbound, a trail of smoke and fire following it in.
Dipp looked over at Knutz and winked, they knew they would be getting their alcohol ration tonight even if they had to raid the commanding officers stash, they never got a kill and then didn't celebrate. Knuttz just stared in his blank faced way and then looked away. Dipp hated Knuttzs total lack of enthusiasm when they were 'on the job' but knew there was nobody else he would rather have beside him when the fat was in the fire.
Another low flying shape materialised out of the sky and a massive blast rocked the hills below, Helmut threw the binoculars to his eyes but knew what it was before he fully focused in on it, the bent wings gave away this old veteran..
The venerable Stuka, still slogging away at this late stage of the war, and still hitting hard despite its obsolesence. As he scanned another familiar shape grew into shape, an Il2, Helmut didn't even question this weird mix of machines on the Western front..what did it matter if it was P47's, P51's, Il2's or Yaks ?..they all meant death to him and his crew below. They drew the 37mm upwards and its barrel started spewing fire..
Just as they tracked onto the IL2 and dealt it a blow, a 109 came flashing in and they held fire, that alcohol ration meant to much, and besides, everyone knew Goerings glamour boys would fill out eighty eight complaint forms in triplicate if friendly ground fire came within a hundred feet of their perfectly combed hair. Helmut made a mental note to send some tissues to the nearest and still open air base.
Once the 109 had finished it's pass (missing totally) the Ostwind opened up again.
Another hit but the 109
again came into view and they held fire as this time the 109s rounds found their mark and the Il2, despite being able to soak a huge amount of damage, seemed to stop and stall in the sky and then plummet earthwards.
A roaring then filled everyones ears and yet another IL2 rushed barely twenty feet over Helmuts head, too fast to follow as it delivered its rockets and bombs onto the retreating Panzers in front of them. a few fleeting shots was all they could offer in return.
The same IL2 turned and dispatched the 109 that had slowed to take down the other Russian machine, Helmut made a mental note to not send the tissues to the nearest air base.
The grinding of tank tracks ahead convinced the crew that now as a good time to leave as the Allies controlled the skies, three Panzers were burning in front of their position and heading the other way all they could see was the dust cloud of the failed defence. Helmut decided now would be as good a time as any to make their own retreat.
Day six Moving forward ! Retreat after retreat had Helmut and his lads wondering how in the hell they were moving forward and not backwards. They had fully restocked their ammo, food and water supplies and performed a small service on the Ostwinds engine but it had been six straight days without a drink. The crew was restless and fidgety, Helmut knew from the years they spent together that this boded no well. They must drink! and drink soon ! Relentless battle needed a side benefit and the lack of woman could only be supplemented by an intake of the happy juice. Even death could be overlooked and handled if one was in good enough spirits, with the emphasis on spirits. Helmut knew today even as they pushed hopelessly forward that alcohol must be found to appease his crew, Dipp was starting to develop a tick in his right eyelid, Knuttz had started looking at the reserve fuel drum suspiciously and he had observed Stinkelfingher taste the oil earlier. Things were not looking good.
Looking down the endless road ahead of him he decided that, today, no matter the cost..he would find some some drinking matter for his boys.
The Panzers and soldiers moved forward into the attack, Helmut and his crew scanned the skies, Dipps eye was ticking like a watch and starting to unnerve even Helmut, he pulled up his binoculars to watch a 109 and Thunderbolt dual just out of range as a way to remain focused...
The 109 overshot the Thunderbolt that had stalled itself beautifully and then pulled onto the tail of the Messer pilot. All was action as they both overflew Helmuts position and the crew let fly at the American juggernaut as it bellowed over
Dipps eyelid stopped twitching momentarily as he saw the hit on the Thunderbolt, it wallowed under the impact and stalled down low disappearing beyond the trees offering no more chance for a shot. Stinkelfingher moved the Ostwind to a long low set farm house for cover... and as they peeked out from behind it...
Could it be ?? Was it possible ? A full barrel of what looked like an alcoholic substance !?! Dipps eye twitched uncontrollably like a dogs ear being assaulted by flies. Knuttzs beaming grin could have lit the darkest reaches of space and even Helmuts unmoving lip moved into what could possibly call a wry smile. Looking past the barrel of all that is holy they spotted a small tank that could destroy their whole moment, as one they became a crew that all Generals wish for on the battlefield, fused into one with their machine, totally focused and unbeatable. They destroyed the M22 with a massive amount of fire into its side with hardly a thought. It was just something to be swatted away to get to ones goal.
Not even caring for their quick victory over a superior opponent, Stinkelfingher reversed up to the motherload ....
...and Dipp was halfway out of the Ostwind to hook it up when artillery started dropping around them. Helmut whipped out his binoculars again and spotted two Shermans advancing and firing under the arty cover. He grabbed Dipp and hauled him back in, shouted at Stink to get the hell out of there... Dipp rolled his eyes as did Knuttz, they knew this was their only chance to get that barrel.
Helmut would have no mutiny in his crew though, his unmoving stare drove the message home to his crew. We go now or we die !
The arty dropped all around the farmstead and as they reversed they smelt the sweet pang of a homemade spirit alive in the air, the precious barrel and its contents had been hit. Despite the earth shattering noise, you could have heard a pin drop in the confines of the Ostwind, it was as if Jesus was on the cross and nothing could be done to save him. They had been a couple of seconds shy of their biggest victory in the last few months only to have it pulled away.
Dipps twitch settled back ferociously as a buzzing alerted them to another plane nearby, they focused all of their frustration skywards..Helmuts eye glued to the sight like never before.
Even as the Thunderbolt tumbled wingless towards the ground Helmut still felt a rage burning that wasn't satisfied. He ordered Stink to reverse so he could focus on the Shermans, Dipp changed out to armour piercing rounds and they let fly first at one and then the other, trees crashing, dirt flying, giving the Shermans little chance of spotting their target as round after round smashed towards them.
Helmuts rage was now spent, he focused and ordered the Ostwind into cover. Two burning Panzers in front and more enemy armour advancing ..the battle was lost and they didn't have the firepower to be anything more than annoying. He looked at Dipp and sighed as they retreated back to the jump off point. Allied airpower was once again making itself the main contender in this battle and deciding the outcome on the ground. Helmut scanned the skies and watched them fly in, make their attack and fly out unmolested. The Luftwaffe was now nowhere to be seen.
Looking over the ground in front he could only see one last Panzer valiantly holding against the Allied ground storm, four dead tanks stood in front of it as testament to its unwillingness to admit defeat. Up above this had also been noticed and once again an unlikely IL2 made its presence felt..
The Ostwinds reply came too late, but it was enough to let the Allied forces know that they although they had won this battle..the few Axis forces left still had some sting.
Just as the IL2 fell from the sky the Ostwind was rocked by a hit, Stinkel rammed home first and moved into the only cover available so they could quickly assess damage and positioning
The battle moved off onto their right flank as the German force pushed some reserves forward, Helmut and his crew were unnoticed and passed by as the sun started to drop. After some track repair Helmut moved his thirsty crew into an overlooking position and pondered what would become of them when morning broke. Low on ammo, down on speed, battle weary and only water to offer his boys..maybe it was time to throw in the towel. War was no fun when you only had water to get through the night after a hard day of battle.
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