To The Last Man [1 SS man. Good writer.]

[∬: Attila Anday]

Just right in the moment, the pictures in Anday's mind had become more real to the man than the actual happenings around him, a sudden, hard hit against his steel helmet brought the officer half back to consciousness. There was wet earth in his nose and in his mouth, what made every effort to finally get some air into his lungs impossible. The weight of the brown mass pressed Anday down and he was quite sure, that now, after having survived years in this bloody war, he had found his grave here in this narrow Berlin street.

Suddenly, Anday felt the pressure on him lowering. More and more of the earth got removed from him and after a few moments, the officer was able to move his right leg for some centimeters again. He felt a hand grabbing for his camouflage smock, forcefully pulling him out of the buried foxhole. The bright daylight burned inside Anday's eyes and the earth in his lungs caused him to cough horribly. He snapped for breath and still wasn't able to realize what was happening around him. Finally, after the SS- officer had removed some of the earth in his nose with his right hand, he was able to fully breath again. Enjoying the sudden refreshment, Attila deeply inhaled the cold air, loudly coughing out again. Besides him he now realized Sturmscharführer Luther, who stunned looked into the skies, where the last Russian bombers just disappeared behind the horizon. Everywhere around the two men, flames were flaring in the destroyed buildings and dark smoke hung over the scenario.

It took Anday some more seconds, to completely gain consciousness again. The shock of that awful experience still made him feel badly shaken, but with every second, a rising anger pushed the shock aside more and more now. With a serious expression on his face, the officer looked at Luther and said: "Gottverdammt, das war knapp. Es wird Zeit das wir diesen Russischen Hunden mal wieder so richtig in den Arsch tretten."

Anday's voice still sounded raspy and he needed a short break to gather his breath again, before he continued speaking to the NCO: "Vielen Dank, Sturmscharführer. Ich denke Sie haben mir eben das Leben gerettet. Allerdings ist jetzt nicht die Zeit für große Sentimentalitäten, Ich bin mir sicher der Russe wird nach den Bombern sofort weiter angreifen. Ruhe ist ein Luxus den wir uns jetzt nicht leisten können." While he spoke, Anday tried to tap the dirt a bit off his uniform and checked his equipment with both of his hands.

His P38 pistol still hung inside the holster at the side of his body and even the two stick grenades, he had put into the shafts of his boots were still there. Only his MP was missing and most probably still lay in the foxhole, buried under tons of cold earth. A short moment later, Anday had completely reordered himself again and turned to the surrounding soldiers: "Alle Zugführer zählen sofort die Männer Ihrer Züge und geben danach eine Verlustmeldung zu mir. Die Männer sollen sofort wieder Ihre Stellungen beziehen, immer noch höchste Alarmbereitschaft. Und jemand soll versuchen diese Panzerbüchse wieder auszugraben, bei dem wenigen was wir haben, müssen wir alles mitnehmen kommt." With his head, Anday nodded toward the direction of the buried earth holes, where the bazooka still lay covered from dirt. Instantly after the officer had given his orders, two SS- privates started digging for the American rocket- launcher.

Just when Attila wanted to turn away and look for the Sturmgeschütz that still stood undamaged and well covered behind a row of bushes, the SS- officer decided other. He made a step toward Luther and said with low voice, so it was only hearable for the two men: "Ich weiss, wir beide hatten nicht den besten Start. Aber nur wenn wir beide jetzt zusammenhalten, können wir die Bolschewisten hier noch ein wenig länger aufhalten. Und wie das Ende von alle dem hier aussieht, weiss sowieso nur Gott."

Translations:

"Gottverdammt, das war knapp. ..."
"Goddamned, that was close. It's about time that we really start kicking the asses of those Russian hounds again."

"Vielen Dank, Sturmscharführer. Ich denke Sie haben ... ."
"Thanks a lot, Sturmscharführer, I'm quite sure you have just saved my live. However, there's no time for getting sentimental now. I'm assured that the Russians will continue their attacks, immediately after the bombers attacked. Rest is a luxury, we can not afford right now."

"Alle Zugführer zählen sofort die Männer Ihrer Züge und ... ."
"All platoon- leaders will immediately count the men of their platoons and then pass a loss report to me. The men are supposed to resize defensive positions at once, still everyone's has to be on red alert. And someone try and dig out that bazooka. With the less we own, we have to take everything with us that comes along."

"Ich weiss, wir beide hatten nicht den besten Start. Aber nur ... ."
"I know, we two hadn't the very best start with each other, but only if we stand together now, there is a small chance to stop the Bolsheviks here for a little longer. And how all of this may end, only god knows anyway."

[William Luther]

OOC: I fear this won't be my most spectacular post, but I need to get one down now, lest I procrastinate even more. And sorry, I won't have time to throw in German translations. I may edit them in tomorrow.

Luther nodded sagely as the Officer spoke to him, and noticed that Andat still had a hoarse voice and that his canteen was missing. Luther reached behind him, just behind his pistol holster and pulled his own from his belt, unscrewing the top and offering it to the Officer. He bent down quickly, grabbing his StG44, and checked that the opening wasn't clogged with dirt. Thankfully, it was still clean, if it hadn't have been such an emergency he would never have dared throw a weapon like that. There was a chance the percussion could have set off a round, something nobody would want, but he just went straight in to his first instinct.

Luther quickly looked around, checking nobody was dallying about, and waited for the Officer to stop shouting. Before Luther could get any words out, though, Anday began speaking in a low voice, to which Luther could only nod further. "Absoloutly, sir. I wasn't really thinking straight, I'm sure all of your men are in a similar position, tired, hungry, too wound up. But, as you said, we can't rest, we need to carry on and do our best. Anyway, I need three or four of your strongest men. I want to get a small anti-tank ditch, maybe about half a meter if we're really lucky, to stop any armour. Every little helps, could buy us that extra bit of time."

He looked around, and saw four men just finishing on removing somebody else from the dirt, but they couldn't find a pulse. A cloth had been draped over the face of the dead SS-Mann, and the four soldiers folded their entrenching tools and picked up their rifles. "If I take those four men, I'll have them back as soon as possible." He quickly slung his Assault Rifle over his shoulder, and grabbed the same entrenching tool he had excavated Anday with, and folded it before dangling it from the back of his belt. It would do for now, they would need the extra hands on the ditch. He looked back up to the Officer's face, looking for that gentle nod to tell him to get going with it. He didn't want to risk blowing this powder keg again, especially if Anday had some Bazookas in his posession.

[∬: Attila Anday]

After Anday had finished his words, Luther slowly released his canteen from his belt, dragged it open and offered it to the officer. The Hungarian couldn’t hide the surprise in his face, as he hadn’t expected a reaction like that following. Obviously, Anday must have managed to at least compel some respect by the German NCO. Thankfully, the SS- officer took the canteen and lifted it toward his mouth, drinking a tiny gulp that was only enough to get his lips a bit moistened.

While he gave the water bottle back to Luther, Anday nodded his head at the NCO for a second to show his appreciation. Only the short nodding of his head had been enough to remind Anday again about the happenings of these last hours, because his head and his shoulders immediately started aching horribly. The officer nearly wasn’t able to turn his neck to any side at all. But for now, he just decided to try and ignore the pain, as there were a lot more important things that needed to get accomplished right now. Maybe some medic could have a closer look at him in the next night, but first, this improvisational defensive- line here in the Reichshauptstadt just needed to get hold on any costs.

"If I take those four men, I'll have them back as soon as possible." Slowly, Anday nodded at the suggestion, Luther just had made. "Ein Panzergraben ist eine gute Idee, Sturmscharführer. Die Bolschewisten werden fast unter Garantie mit noch mehr Panzern kommen, besonders jetzt, wo Sie sich hier bei uns eine blutige Nase geholt haben. Nehmen Sie sich die Männer, die Sie dafür brauchen und erstatten Sie mir bei Fertigstellung Bericht. Sie finden mich nachher drüben beim Sturmgeschütz, Ich will noch mal versuchen, eine Verbindung zu anderen Einheiten hier in Berlin zu bekommen." When Anday had finished answering, he raised his right hand to his forehead and saluted to Luther in the old, military manner, before the officer quickly turned around and walked over to the StuG with quick steps.

Still feeling very shaky on his own legs, Anday wanted to head his way, when he could hear a very amazed, German voice yelling out behind him: "Herr Obersturmführer, Ich habe … wichtige Neuigkeiten." The voice belonged to the runner, Anday had send out about one hour earlier. The young private was completely out of breath and needed some time to sort himself out. Sweat was running down his face and his eyes wildly glanced from one man to the next.

Impatiently, Anday rushed the private to continue his words: "Na jetzt reissen Sie sich aber mal zusammen und sagen uns schon was los ist. Wir haben schließich nicht den ganzen Tag Zeit, drauf zu warten das Sie sich etwas erhohlt haben." These words had quite an effect, as the young man almost immediately sprung to attention with the heels of his military boots loudly popping together. "Verzeihung, Herr Obersturmführer. Ich melde, habe Kontakt zu den Rechts neben uns liegenden Einheiten hergestellt. Es ist eine gemischte Kampfgruppe aus den Resten diverser Wehrmachts- und Volkssturmeinheiten unter dem Kommando eines Hauptmann Greiner. Sie verfügen sogar noch über fünf, einsatzbereite Panther, sowie über einen Vorrat an 8.8er Granaten. Der Hauptmann meinte, er schicke in etwa einer Stunde einen der Panzer mit Munition für unsere Flak zu uns rüber. Mit netten Grüßen von der Wehrmacht, hat er gesagt."

It actually took Anday some moments to really believe into what he had just heard. Inquiringly, he looked at the private, who appeared to be all too assumed of his own words. Finally, a small grin hushed over Anday's face. Those news weren't just good, they saved the day for all of the German defenders here in this destroyed Berlin- suburb. And although Anday had lost his belief into the final- victory a long time ago, every additional day of resisting was a day more, for German civilians to flee from the barbaric, bolshevist hordes that were flooding the east of the Reich.

Translations:

"Ein Panzergraben ist eine gute Idee, Sturmscharführer. …"
"An anti- tank ditch is a good idea, Sturmscharführer. The Bolsheviks will under guarantee come with more tanks, especially now, that they had to fetch themselves some bloody noses here. Take the men you’ll need and report to me, after you have finished up with it. You’ll find me over at the Sturmgeschütz. I want to try again, getting a connection to the other German units that must be fighting here in Berlin."

"Herr Obersturmführer, Ich habe … wichtige Neuigkeiten."
"Herr Obersturmführer, I’ve got ... very important news."

"Na jetzt reissen Sie sich aber mal zusammen und ... ."
"Soldier, you better get yourself together and tell us what's up. We don't have all day to wait for you regaining your strengths."

"Verzeihung, Herr Obersturmführer. Ich melde, ... ."
"I'm sorry, Herr Obersturmführer. I have to report, that I made contact with the unit fighting to our right. It's a mixed fighting- group consisting of several Wehrmacht and Volkssturm units under the command of a Hauptmann Greiner. They still posses five combat-ready Panthers, as well as quite a stock of 8.8 shells. The Hauptmann meant that he would send one of the tanks loaded with ammunition to us within the next hour. With nice greetings from the Wehrmacht, he said."

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

Moderation Post:

The following CP has been issued:

Luther - 12

Anday - 15

-JT