9. The
First Retreat
Peter
Weiner, Hauptmann
The 9th
French Army had us beaten then just when we thought we were gaining ground. I
remember we held them back and our reinforcements were on the way, but the
order came. The French soldiers have got their faster than ours; they came in on
taxi's to withdraw the soldiers. That was what the messenger overhead in the
discussion room.
We all had a good
laugh when the messenger relates how the General reacted then; "What do
you mean by a column of the taxi? Is that the parade at this time when we are at
war?"
But he was proven
wrong on the later. The French soldiers did arrive in a taxi. But ours were
stretched over a long offensive line and now we need to retreat to consolidate.
Then the shock
the news came; The British Expeditionary Forces are gaining ground with fresh
troops and weapons.
We have been
fighting for months then and the BEF came in full strength then. The British fresh to the conflict had
crossed the Marne at Chângis, and reached it at Château-Thierry, and D'Esperey
farther east. We were told to move to Lorraine to assist those companies there.
I gave instruction to move out and I asked
if the 2nd Platoon can cover our withdrawal.
Dieter Luther, Gefreiter
The Hauptmann
told me that he needed my men as we are experienced ones and he believed in me.
He also told me that I will be promoted to Unteroffizier once we have settled
down on the retreat.
I looked at the
Hauptmann while other squads were packing to leave. I wanted to tell him he can
bloody well fuck himself but I did not.
“I understand,
Herr Hauptmann." That was my reply before I was stepped away. The
Hauptmann told me that my other NCO, Unteroffizier (Corporal) Marcus Dern would
take over 3rd Platoon to assist me.
“3rd Platoon has
lost all its offices in the last fight and their strength is down to half.” The
Unteroffizier would assume temporary command and cover the other side of the
town so that I would not be outflanked on my retreat. I saluted him again and
walked back to my men. I told them we are to hold the line until such time I
would for them to retreat.
"Dieter,
this is suicide." Of all the people to question me, it had to be Dietrich.
"Get into
your cover and remember we fight for our Fatherland.” I watched while the men
all crawled into their position to resume the fighting but Dietrich chooses not
to move. I moved over to him and leaned down close to him.
"Do as you
are ordered or I would shoot you here myself. Do you understand, Soldier?"
Dietrich glared at me and then took up his rifle to get into position.
"Fire at
will." I commanded. I took my position and also look for my French soldier’s
enemies to shoot. While I was shooting, my mind drifted back to myself. I was
becoming more like a stranger to my friends now. That day, I just told my
friend to shoot or be shot because I outranked him. I did not ask him to listen
to any logic in my request as a friend.
“There is a war
going on, and I am an NCO now,” I muttered.
"Otto got
shot!" That was Rudy shouting at me. He was next to Otto when it happened.
"Pull him to
cover and continue with the shooting. That’s' an order." I told Rudy. He
looked at me with a shock that I just ignored our friend who was shot. Well, I
have more important matters to attend now, and they were the French Army.
"Dieter, its
Otto." I heard Rudy but I ignored him as I lay cover fire for the
retreating armies of the 3rd Company. Otto did not make it as the
shot was at his chest. He died an hour later when we were called to retreat.
"Otto is
dead." Rudy spoke up on the matter. He took Otto's body tag and passed it
to me. "You may need it, acting Unteroffizier."
It was not only
Rudy who brushed me aside but also Dietrich. I lost my place in the Wild Pack.
But I cared not for I have my duties to perform.
"Spike the
guns and then let’s move." I was the last to leave the building and also
the last to say goodbye to Otto.
Erich
Kroner,, Oberst
My company was
withdrawing because they had no reinforcements as promised. The breach had
caused us to then withdraw when two weeks ago we were the ones marching for
Paris. I looked at the map and recount the last day’s event.
Manoury’s 6th Army 150,000 strong attacked
our right flank of the German 1st Army, whose turn to meet the attack opened a
30-mile-gap between Kluck’s forces and Bulow’s 2nd Army. I saw it but not the
High Command. Those imbeciles did not read my reports. And instead of acting on
it, they allowed the British Expeditionary Force to act quickly and poured
their strength into the gap. My companies tried to stem the breach and we held
waiting for reinforcement, but soon, we lost out when the French soldiers got
theirs as promised; a strong 6,000 army rushed by taxis' to the front.
"Herr
Oberst, I come bearing news." I looked to see the man I disliked most to
see now; Oberst-lieutenant Luther Von
Mathis. "We are to retreat to across the Aisne."
"Oberst-lieutenant
Luther Von Mathis, are you only good for
delivering orders. But can you carry one out?
"I believed
so. Herr Oberst." I looked at the officer who just replied to me. He thought
I was a jester in the command line.
"Oberst-lieutenant
Luther Von Mathis, take this to my
Hauptmann. Tell him to move the 3rd Company to Champagne. Cover our
flanks when we do retreat." But the Oberst-lieutenant protested and I shut him off.; "Do as I
say or I shall have your court-martial."
I knew why the
the officer refused to act. He was to go to the front line and he dreaded it.
"No, Oberst.
The orders are to move to across the Aisne. I cannot countermand it myself. If
you want to, please tell the General yourself." The Oberst-lieutenant walked out of my tent.
It was only later
I knew why he could ignore my order.
Peter
Weiner, Hauptmann
The men dug into
the ridge while I watched the river in front of me. We were lucky to be there
at the road level on top of the Chemin des Dames early before the French were there.
That gave us time to set up the new defense line.
The ridge was made of chalk material and
easy for us to work on. The nearby quarries also provided us materials for our
fortifications and shelters. But the biggest advantage we have was the terrain.
The area on the south where the French were coming will face a land with a
steep gradient as high as 200 meters. We are like on the castle wall
overlooking the land but the castle had more than walls; it’s got guns and
bunkers too. My men were hard at it; doing
what they were trained to do before. I looked at my new Unteroffizier as he
directed the men.
It was then Sergeant
Marcus came up to me.
"Hauptmann,
we shall be ready for them." He was wiping his sweat off the face with the
towel he was holding. He was then the new Sergeant and he was trying to assure
me of his work. I liked Bern more as he was more approachable and we could talk
for hours. I hardly deal with Marcus and most times, I could go direct to
Dieter. Just then, I saw the French man circling down the path.
"Stop that
man." I shouted. The sentries stopped him and brought him up to me.
"Who are
you? And why do you come by here?" I asked the man when he in front of me.
He was a middle-aged man and looked like a farmer.
"I lived
down the road and this is my way home. Since you have no war yet, I am trying
to get back home." I asked him to be searched for his papers and also for
weapons. They found none of the later but his papers looked okay. I was going
to let him go when I saw the Oberst walking towards me.
"Who is
he?" The Oberst asked me. I had to brief him.
"Shoot the
man. He is a spy." The Oberst told the sentries who led the man away.
"Hauptmann,
you are to build defense lines and things like those should not be entertained.
Just shoot them. Men or women."
Erich
Kroner,, Oberst
I walked away after
talking to Peter He was becoming more careless in the war. If only he knew how
badly we were hit, he will be ruthless like me. The problem was that I had no
one to tell me how to be ruthless. I had to learn it myself. Like that day, I
was called to High Command to meet the Commander.
"Oberst
Kroner, I am pleased that you could come. Unfortunately, the line is now
fragile because of my marching towards Paris. But I heard you also did well on
those orders. What was it like to be near to Paris when you had to retreat?
Sad, is it not. But we are all serving a higher officer. He gave us the order
and we all marched." I listened to the General while he spoke but he did
not call me here to hear him made this speech. He continued while I stood
there.
"Your
the company would hold the new position until I say to leave. Am I clear on that?
And I want you to be there with your men. Not behind the lines some twenty
miles behind. Do I make myself clear?" The Genera made it clear to me and
then I saw the Oberst-lieutenant Luther
Von Mathis walked in.
"Oberst-lieutenant
Luther, how many times must I tell you
not to do courier works? You have messengers for that. You got an order, send
one of them. Am I not right, Oberst?" The General was looking at me and I
nodded. I saw the snide look on the Oberst-lieutenant Luther.
"Yes,
General. If we are all to be a messenger; no one would lead this war. Thank you,
General for the advice."
“Then take the
lead, Oberst.” I was told.
Dieter Luther, Gefreiter
"Shoot those
guns and hit them hard." I shouted at the men to shoot from their
advantageous position when the French soldiers assault the wall. I was running in
between the fortifications encouraging them or when needed, I threaten them. I was
getting used to it now.
I looked over the
wall and I saw the French soldiers trying to dig in while we were shelling them
from the top position. It was a win for us in the situation but the French
soldiers were adamant about winning this battle. They have been pushed too long; back
to almost Paris and now this was their breaking point if they win this battle.
Every time they came near the ridge we pushed them back.
"Unteroffizier,"
I heard the call and I turned to face the man. It was Dietrich and he is looking
at me. "There are some more body tags for you. I have pushed the body over
the ridge. We needed the space to shoot."
He was holding a
bunch of body tags for me. I took it from his hand and told him to get back
into his position. He did as I stood behind him. Did I change that much? Was he
who had changed more than me? It was only last month we were still talking. I
tapped him on the shoulder to call him but his body jerked back towards me. I
grabbed hold of him as he dropped onto my chest. The bullet had hit on his left
cheek and into his brain. He was already dead.
God, I am losing
friends almost daily then. I lowered his body and placed it on the ground.
"Let me
throw him." The man at the fortification looked at me for my approval but
I shook my head. I drag Dietrich back to the rear and left him there. I covered
his face with the helmet and walked on. It’s not to going to make a difference for
sooner someone would throw him over.
"Unteroffizier,
help me." I looked down to see the Sergeant clutching his chest.
"Carry me to the Infirmary."
Abel Lenger.
Surgeon
"Herr
Doctor, help my Sergeant please." I continued with my surgery while the
man standing behind me kept on pleading. I found the bullet in my wounded
patient and pulled it out. That done; I left the patient to my nurses to close
up. I turned to look at the soldier standing there.
"Put your
friend there. I would see him now." But the soldier stood there. Then he
replied to me.
"It does not
matter now. He is dead now." The soldier turned to walk out.
I shouted him
that I am not responsible. The war is the culprit. I am just him; a player in
the game.
“That was the
the reality in this war; we are all pawns in the game. To be sent forward to die or
come back victorious when the main pieces win the war.” I told the soldier.
“You are all part of it.”
“And why do you
heal us to die another day? Let us die.”
“Just the same
way you fought this war. We are all soldiers.”
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