Post by ☭ Joseph Petrov on Dec 24, 2012 2:37:47 GMT
Character Name: Jaan Velik
Rank: Leutnant
Nationality: Estonian
History:
Viti was (and is) a fairly small town in Estonia. Yet to Jaan and his parents, for he was an only child, it was home. The place where Jaan's father made his living, and the place where Jaan was born and raised. His father was only a farmer, thus they didn't have the most comfortable life, but they were content with it. And Jaan didn't complain. His parents had taught him that complaining never fixed anything.
As for looks, Jaan was a blessed (according to the Nazis) with a Nordic appearance. Dark blonde hair and blue eyes. Jaan received little education growing-up, but still, it was enough. When was older he would help his family earn more money by catching and selling fish from a local river. Along with other odd-jobs. He was nothing special. Nothing fancy.
Until, that is, his parents told him that they were sending him to university. Jaan was shocked, he had no idea his parents could afford it. They reassured him, telling their young son that they had been saving for years in order that he could hope for a better future than his father could have at that age. Jaan devoted himself to his studies, determined to make his parents proud of him.
Before he could finish that however, the Soviets arrived and changed everything. Just existing became hard for people. This lasted from 1940 into 1941, when Jaan's situation went from getting better to bad all in one fell swoop. In one of their final acts of occupation, the Soviets began mass deportations of those they declared "enemies of the people". Jaan's mother and father where among those. After returning from a fishing trip one day during a school break, Jaan found his parents gone. Further investigation led to him finding that they had been deported to a Soviet gulag in Siberia.
Things changed again a week later when the Germans arrived. Since they had pushed out the Soviets from Estonia, Jaan, like many others, considered them liberators. He saw many friends rush to join the German Army, all ready to fight to defend Estonia and whip the Soviets. But as much as the young man wanted to fight, his conscience was torn between feeling that it was his duty and despising the Germans as just another occupation force.
Jaan's choice was made easier when the Germans began recruiting for all Estonian units. So it was that in late 1942 Jaan joined the German Army. Motivated not by political reasons, but a desire to help keep Estonia out of Soviet control. Besides, many of his friends were also joining. Not only that, but his "Nordic look" made him a very attractive potential recruit for the Germans. Nor did he wish to be conscripted, as he knew he soon would be if he stayed. Now it was time to fight for something. To do his duty to Estonia, and make the Soviets pay for what they had done to his family and many others.
After completing his training, Jaan was sent with the rest of 658th Eastern Battalion to fight around Leningrad.
Writing Sample:
"Jaan pikali!"
Jaan did as the soldier said and dropped. Just in time too, as another burst of Russian machine-gun fire narrowly missed a chance to split his head. He crawled a few feet further in the snow before rolling into a fox-hole occupied by the other SS-man. In just a few short moments the forest seemed to have come alive with Russians, even more than before. It was early 1945 and Jaan wondered how they could possibly still have any soldiers left to throw at them. They had plenty however. Seemingly unending hoards of them accumulated from all-over their territory. The few Estonian SS-men that opposed them seemed to stand little chance against their unrelenting waves.
"Mida sa teed Leitnant?" The other soldier asked. "Command käskis meil käivitada vasturünnaku. Nad ütlevad, et Nõukogude Liit on üha nõrk selles sektoris." Jaan replied, then ducked as a mortar round landed near-by. "Ole valmis oma signaali, mul on vaja leida Seersant Saar." The soldier nodded grimly. They both knew the attack was foolish, but that remained unspoken. There was no point in defy the order now. Besides, it wasn't exactly suicide. Some good might come out of it. Without another word, Jaan jumped out of the hole and started to run.
After braving another hail of machine-gun and rifle fire, he dropped down into a shell-crater. After quickly glancing around, the Lieutenant realized his search for Sargent Saar was over. The balding soldier's corpse lay strewn across the crater. By now such sights had become familiar to Jaan, but never welcome. He gritted his teeth and clinched his fists. Jaan would have led the attack anyway, but now his right-hand man was dead.
He took a deep breath, then leaped out of his shelter one more time. Into the hail of fire, and getting hit by a few falling tree-branches in the process. A few more meters and he was back in the fox-hole he was in just moments ago. "Leitnant?" The soldier asked, puzzled. "Saar on surnud, Olev." Jaan said flatly. Olev looked shocked, but said nothing. There would be time for mourning the dead later. But Saar was unlikely to be the last casualty of the day.
"Ma ütlen teistele, et saada valmis." Said Olev. "Hea, viis minutit." Jaan nodded. Olev climbed out of the fox-hole and dashed off to another one. After a few moments of listening to the sounds of weapon fire, Jaan looked at his watch. One minute left, he thought to himself, and hoped desperately that Olev had made it.
A minute later Jaan looked up and saw the Russians beginning to retreat. Now was the time. "Atakeerima!" He shouted. Within moments the Estonian side of the forest was alive with shouting soldiers. Jaan waved the men of his platoon onwards as he ran through forest. Like a scene from The Great War the troops ran forward. Some solders caught up to the retreating Soviets, and shot or stabbed them.
"Peatada ette, mehed." Jaan panted as he slowed down. His platoon had succeeded in killing or capturing the retreating unit of Soviets. The men began to celebrate with pats on the back and a bit of cheering, but Jaan was worried. The 'victory' seemed far too easy. "Sõdurid, valmistada kaitsev positsioone." The SS-men quickly obeyed, now beginning to feel as well that something wasn't right about their victory. Right or wrong Jaan though, they had better be ready for anything.
Translations:
Jaan pikali! - Jaan get down!
Mida sa teed Leitnant? - What are you doing Lieutenant?
Command käskis meil käivitada vasturünnaku. Nad ütlevad, et Nõukogude Liit on üha nõrk selles sektoris. - Command ordered us to launch a counterattack. They say that the Soviets are growing weak in this sector
Ole valmis oma signaali, mul on vaja leida Seersant Saar. - Get ready for my signal, I need to find Sargent Saar.
Saar on surnud, Olev. - Saar is dead, Olev.
Ma ütlen teistele, et saada valmis. - I'll tell the others to get ready.
Hea, viis minutit. - Good, five minutes.
Atakeerima! - Attack!
Peatada ette, mehed. - Halt the advance, men.
Sõdurid, valmistada kaitsev positsioone. - Soldiers, prepare defensive positions.
Rank: Leutnant
Nationality: Estonian
History:
Viti was (and is) a fairly small town in Estonia. Yet to Jaan and his parents, for he was an only child, it was home. The place where Jaan's father made his living, and the place where Jaan was born and raised. His father was only a farmer, thus they didn't have the most comfortable life, but they were content with it. And Jaan didn't complain. His parents had taught him that complaining never fixed anything.
As for looks, Jaan was a blessed (according to the Nazis) with a Nordic appearance. Dark blonde hair and blue eyes. Jaan received little education growing-up, but still, it was enough. When was older he would help his family earn more money by catching and selling fish from a local river. Along with other odd-jobs. He was nothing special. Nothing fancy.
Until, that is, his parents told him that they were sending him to university. Jaan was shocked, he had no idea his parents could afford it. They reassured him, telling their young son that they had been saving for years in order that he could hope for a better future than his father could have at that age. Jaan devoted himself to his studies, determined to make his parents proud of him.
Before he could finish that however, the Soviets arrived and changed everything. Just existing became hard for people. This lasted from 1940 into 1941, when Jaan's situation went from getting better to bad all in one fell swoop. In one of their final acts of occupation, the Soviets began mass deportations of those they declared "enemies of the people". Jaan's mother and father where among those. After returning from a fishing trip one day during a school break, Jaan found his parents gone. Further investigation led to him finding that they had been deported to a Soviet gulag in Siberia.
Things changed again a week later when the Germans arrived. Since they had pushed out the Soviets from Estonia, Jaan, like many others, considered them liberators. He saw many friends rush to join the German Army, all ready to fight to defend Estonia and whip the Soviets. But as much as the young man wanted to fight, his conscience was torn between feeling that it was his duty and despising the Germans as just another occupation force.
Jaan's choice was made easier when the Germans began recruiting for all Estonian units. So it was that in late 1942 Jaan joined the German Army. Motivated not by political reasons, but a desire to help keep Estonia out of Soviet control. Besides, many of his friends were also joining. Not only that, but his "Nordic look" made him a very attractive potential recruit for the Germans. Nor did he wish to be conscripted, as he knew he soon would be if he stayed. Now it was time to fight for something. To do his duty to Estonia, and make the Soviets pay for what they had done to his family and many others.
After completing his training, Jaan was sent with the rest of 658th Eastern Battalion to fight around Leningrad.
Writing Sample:
"Jaan pikali!"
Jaan did as the soldier said and dropped. Just in time too, as another burst of Russian machine-gun fire narrowly missed a chance to split his head. He crawled a few feet further in the snow before rolling into a fox-hole occupied by the other SS-man. In just a few short moments the forest seemed to have come alive with Russians, even more than before. It was early 1945 and Jaan wondered how they could possibly still have any soldiers left to throw at them. They had plenty however. Seemingly unending hoards of them accumulated from all-over their territory. The few Estonian SS-men that opposed them seemed to stand little chance against their unrelenting waves.
"Mida sa teed Leitnant?" The other soldier asked. "Command käskis meil käivitada vasturünnaku. Nad ütlevad, et Nõukogude Liit on üha nõrk selles sektoris." Jaan replied, then ducked as a mortar round landed near-by. "Ole valmis oma signaali, mul on vaja leida Seersant Saar." The soldier nodded grimly. They both knew the attack was foolish, but that remained unspoken. There was no point in defy the order now. Besides, it wasn't exactly suicide. Some good might come out of it. Without another word, Jaan jumped out of the hole and started to run.
After braving another hail of machine-gun and rifle fire, he dropped down into a shell-crater. After quickly glancing around, the Lieutenant realized his search for Sargent Saar was over. The balding soldier's corpse lay strewn across the crater. By now such sights had become familiar to Jaan, but never welcome. He gritted his teeth and clinched his fists. Jaan would have led the attack anyway, but now his right-hand man was dead.
He took a deep breath, then leaped out of his shelter one more time. Into the hail of fire, and getting hit by a few falling tree-branches in the process. A few more meters and he was back in the fox-hole he was in just moments ago. "Leitnant?" The soldier asked, puzzled. "Saar on surnud, Olev." Jaan said flatly. Olev looked shocked, but said nothing. There would be time for mourning the dead later. But Saar was unlikely to be the last casualty of the day.
"Ma ütlen teistele, et saada valmis." Said Olev. "Hea, viis minutit." Jaan nodded. Olev climbed out of the fox-hole and dashed off to another one. After a few moments of listening to the sounds of weapon fire, Jaan looked at his watch. One minute left, he thought to himself, and hoped desperately that Olev had made it.
A minute later Jaan looked up and saw the Russians beginning to retreat. Now was the time. "Atakeerima!" He shouted. Within moments the Estonian side of the forest was alive with shouting soldiers. Jaan waved the men of his platoon onwards as he ran through forest. Like a scene from The Great War the troops ran forward. Some solders caught up to the retreating Soviets, and shot or stabbed them.
"Peatada ette, mehed." Jaan panted as he slowed down. His platoon had succeeded in killing or capturing the retreating unit of Soviets. The men began to celebrate with pats on the back and a bit of cheering, but Jaan was worried. The 'victory' seemed far too easy. "Sõdurid, valmistada kaitsev positsioone." The SS-men quickly obeyed, now beginning to feel as well that something wasn't right about their victory. Right or wrong Jaan though, they had better be ready for anything.
Translations:
Jaan pikali! - Jaan get down!
Mida sa teed Leitnant? - What are you doing Lieutenant?
Command käskis meil käivitada vasturünnaku. Nad ütlevad, et Nõukogude Liit on üha nõrk selles sektoris. - Command ordered us to launch a counterattack. They say that the Soviets are growing weak in this sector
Ole valmis oma signaali, mul on vaja leida Seersant Saar. - Get ready for my signal, I need to find Sargent Saar.
Saar on surnud, Olev. - Saar is dead, Olev.
Ma ütlen teistele, et saada valmis. - I'll tell the others to get ready.
Hea, viis minutit. - Good, five minutes.
Atakeerima! - Attack!
Peatada ette, mehed. - Halt the advance, men.
Sõdurid, valmistada kaitsev positsioone. - Soldiers, prepare defensive positions.
