In my previous life, I was an ordinary member of society, and I grew up in a normal family. My life was truly monotonous as if I had no purpose in life.
The dark side of a company, work, and competition among colleagues was entirely normal in my previous life. But that was my past life. I am fortunate to have been reincarnated and given a second life.
In this life...
"I WILL NOT BE AS INSIGNIFICANT AS I WAS IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE!!!"
"I, ERIKA VON EINZERBEN, WILL SHOW THE WORLD THAT I CAN SHINE TOO!"
"ALL THE AMBITIONS AND DREAMS I HAD IN MY PAST LIFE, I WILL ACHIEVE THIS TIME!"
"WATCH! I WILL PROVE MY EXISTENCE TO THE WORLD!!!"
My greatest goal now is to become someone famous and to receive much praise and admiration.
"WORLD! PREPARE YOURSELF! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!"
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1st of September, 16:00.
Currently, my troops are ready to cross the Brda River. The Brda River is part of the Vistula River, and I have unknowingly advanced quite far from our starting point.
It could be said that my troops did not entirely travel on foot, as we also rode military transport trucks. Luckily, there was only minimal resistance along the way. Of course, that was an oddity.
I am now standing about 1 kilometer from the Brda River, watching the other side through binoculars. My subordinates are also engaged in a small-scale firefight with the enemy, making this the perfect opportunity to advance.
Then, one of my subordinates approached me.
"Frau Hauptmann, reporting, Major Klaus has arrived."
"Very well."
I immediately turned around and saw an officer stepping out of his vehicle. I approached the officer and saluted.
Like most officers of the German Reich, he was very authoritative, with a tall, strong, and upright posture. He had blue eyes, just like mine.
"Frau Hauptmann."
"Herr Major, Hauptmann Erika von Einzerben, ready to receive orders."
"We will retreat now. Intelligence reports that the enemy is preparing a massive counterattack."
"What? Why retreat? We’ve already come quite far from the starting point."
"Other battalions have been forced back by the enemy, and if we do not retreat, there is a risk that we will be encircled. You've worked very hard, Frau Hauptmann, advancing 40 kilometers from the start."
"Thank you. And who will hold off the enemy?"
"The 1st and 3rd companies will hold the enemy, as they’ve suffered the least losses."
"Herr Major, may I make a suggestion?"
"What is it?"
"Let my company hold off the enemy alone, while the 1st and 3rd companies retreat first," I said with a serious expression.
Of course, the Major was very surprised upon hearing my words.
"Are you sure, Frau Hauptmann? That's extremely dangerous."
"Trust me, don't forget I scored the highest marks."
"Very well. The Panzer units will also retreat. Can you handle it?"
"I can."
"Alright then, part of the logistics company will assist."
"Yesl!"
After that, Major Klaus and I shook hands, and we smiled at each other.
We had indeed advanced too far, and I only now realized that most of the 32nd Infantry Division was still held back quite far behind.
(THIS IS MY TIME TO SHINE, HAHAHA!!!!)
After the gunfire ceased, I then ordered all of my remaining subordinates to line up.
"Attention!"
"Because of your spirit, your struggle, and your incredibly brave heroic actions, we have advanced deep into enemy territory."
"However, other units have been pushed back, and most of our division is still held behind, so we will retreat slightly and establish a defense to buy time for the other units to stabilize the situation behind us."
"WE ARE GERMAN SOLDIERS, WE ARE ABOVE ALL, LET US SHOW THEM THAT WE ARE HEROIC SOLDIERS!"
"DISMISSED!"
After I made the announcement, my troops began to retreat toward a village, accompanied by several logistics trucks, while most of the mechanized units had already withdrawn earlier.
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1st of September, 17:00, we reached a village that had been abandoned by its inhabitants before the war began. This village is not too large and consists of about 13 houses. I am currently in the middle of the village, studying a map, accompanied by three other officers who are platoon commanders, holding the ranks of Oberleutnant and Leutnant.
The list of officers under my command is as follows:
- Oberleutnant Fred
- Leutnant Aldrich
- Leutnant Anton
The man to my right is Oberleutnant Fred; he could be called my right-hand man. His eyes are blue, and he is about 185 cm tall with a strong build. He looks like a future officer for the Heer.
Oberleutnant Fred is from Bavaria, and before joining the military, he was a farmer, but he was highly skilled, which is why he was placed under my command.
In addition to Oberleutnant Fred, there are also Leutnant Aldrich and Anton. They are quite competent, though I would say their abilities are fairly average.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
"Herr Oberleutnant, how many rifles or weapons do we have?"
"Yes! We have about 52 Kar-98k rifles, 20 captured Karabiner Wz 29s from the Polish army, and we also have 6 MG-34 machine guns and 2 8 cm Granatwerfer 34 mortars."
"Herr Leutnant Anton, what about the ammunition supply?"
"Yes! We have more than enough ammunition, which should last about three or four days."
"Herr Leutnant Aldrich, how about the food and medical supplies?"
"Yes, everything should be more than sufficient."
"Good. As we know, Herr Oberleutnant and Herr Leutnant, I propose that we hold off the enemy forces while our main forces retreat."
"This is our golden opportunity to demonstrate our heroism to the Vaterland, our people, and the Führer."
"We will hold out here until nightfall, and if the conditions are favorable, we will retreat under the cover of night."
I looked at them with a serious gaze, and it seemed they understood what I meant. Their expressions perhaps showed that they felt pressured.
"Remember, the whole world is watching us: the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, France, Italy, and the Empire of Japan are all watching us. And we will show them that we are the predators on the battlefield."
"UNDERSTOOD?"
"YES! FRAU HAUPTMANN!"
"Now, we will fortify this village and do our best to camouflage so that the enemy will think we have far greater numbers."
After the brief discussion, I then stood on the edge of the village, using binoculars to observe the area around the Brda River, which is part of the Vistula River. I saw that Polish forces were beginning to gather across the river, and it seemed they were preparing for a counterattack.
Of course, all of my subordinates were busy preparing the defenses, while I observed and monitored. The real battle would begin in a few hours.
I then decided to go to the truck and turn on the radio, trying to find a radio channel that was playing a speech by the Führer.
"I have also tried to solve the problem of Danzig, the Corridor, by proposing a peaceful discussion... In my talks with Polish statesmen, I discussed the ideas that you recognize from my last speech to the Reichstag... there is nothing more modest or loyal than these proposals... These proposals have been refused. Not only were they answered first with mobilization, but with increased terror and pressure against our German compatriots... Poland was not prepared to settle the Corridor question reasonably... I made one more final effort to accept a proposal for mediation... For two whole days, I sat with my Government and waited to see whether it was convenient for the Polish Government to send a plenipotentiary or not... Deputies, if the German Government and its Leader patiently endured such treatment Germany would deserve only to disappear from the political stage. But I am wrongly judged if my love of peace and my patience are mistaken for weakness or even cowardice... These proposals for mediation have failed..."
"Oh, this is the Führer's speech today, discussing the invasion of Poland."
"This night, for the first time, Polish regular soldiers fired on our territory. Since 5:45 a.m. we have been returning the fire, and from now on bombs will be met by bombs.,"
"I am, from now on, just the first soldier of the German Reich. I have once more put on that coat that was the most sacred and dear to me. I will not take it off again until victory is secured, or I will not survive the outcome."
"The Polish State has refused the peaceful settlement of relations which I desired and has appealed to arms. Germans in Poland are persecuted with bloody terror and driven from their houses. A series of violations of the frontier, intolerable to a great Power, prove that Poland is no longer willing to respect the frontier of the Reich."
"To put an end to this lunacy, I have no other choice than to meet force with force from now on. The German Army will fight the battle for honor and the vital rights of reborn Germany with hard determination. I expect that every soldier, mindful of the great traditions of eternal German soldiery, will ever remain conscious that he is a representative of the National-Socialist Greater Germany. Long live our people and our Reich!"
I listened to the speech for about 15 minutes, and the end of the speech included the singing of the national anthem, Deutschlandlied.
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1st of September, 18:00, the defenses in the village were successfully established, and 6 MG-34 machine guns were positioned strategically. I will explain the details of the village's defenses. The total number of soldiers in this village, including myself, is 69, with myself and three officers included.
There are 47 serving as rifle infantry, 6 mortar operators, and 12 machine-gun operators. This does not include myself as the Hauptmann, and the three other officers.
I am currently looking through binoculars toward the Brda River, and I see hundreds of Polish soldiers who have just arrived from across the river. Of course, their numbers exceed those of my troops, but we have the advantage of defense.
"Hmmm?"
I see smoke in the distance.
"ARTILLERY!!! GET DOWN!!!"
Two seconds later, the village was bombarded by Polish artillery, and I immediately dropped to the ground to avoid being hit by artillery shrapnel.
"HOLD!!! DO NOT FIRE!!!"
I ordered all my subordinates to hold their fire, but the artillery bombardment was truly terrifying. Perhaps this is the first time I’ve been bombarded by enemy artillery.
The sound of explosions continued without pause, and dust and debris flew in all directions. Naturally, my face was covered in dust and mud, but this is normal for soldiers on the front lines.
Bang!!!!
One of the military trucks parked at the edge of the village exploded, injuring about three men.
"QUICK, HELP THE WOUNDED!!!"
"HELP!!! I’M BURNING!!!!! ARGGHHHH!!!!"
"HELP, MY LEG!!! MY LEG IS GONE!!!!!!!!"
About six other soldiers tried to carry the wounded to a safe place and provide first aid. I was still lying flat on the ground, aiming my rifle at the advancing Polish soldiers who were getting closer.
"STILL HOLD YOUR FIRE!!!!!"
The atmosphere was incredibly tense as hundreds of Polish soldiers came closer and closer with each passing moment. But I remained confident because we had prepared solid defenses, making it difficult for them to break through.
Besides, the objective was to hold out briefly and then retreat to regroup with the other units.
Meanwhile, Guderian's 19th Corps was engaged in fierce combat due to a Polish counterattack near the Brda River, some distance away from here.
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At 18:20, the distance between us and the Polish troops was only about 250 meters, but I still ordered my troops to hold fire.
"Hold your fire!"
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18:24, the enemy was now much closer, only about 150 meters away, and I immediately gave the order.
"FIRE!!!!!!!"
We fired in unison, with six machine guns and two mortars, and of course, this took the enemy by surprise. Around 20 enemy soldiers fell in the first few seconds of the volley.
The element of surprise is crucial in war, like in Blitzkrieg.
After a few seconds of our synchronized fire, the Polish troops quickly scattered and dropped to the ground, returning fire. A close-quarters firefight was now inevitable.
"Damn it....."
Of course, the Polish soldiers were also shouting instructions to each other, but I didn’t understand the Polish language.
In the first few seconds, I managed to shoot about three Polish soldiers within a five-second interval.
"I don’t know if they died or were just wounded."
Naturally, on my side, a few soldiers were also hit by enemy fire, but the others quickly provided first aid. Right now, I am solely focused on shooting.
"When I reincarnated into this world, I had physical strength above average, despite being a woman," I muttered.
"Now is the time to test my physical limits."
I then fired one bullet at a Polish soldier, but it missed. I reloaded my rifle and fired the last bullet.
That shot hit a Polish soldier who was lying prone. At the moment, I am lying flat in a room filled with haystacks, shooting through a hole that I had carefully prepared.
"Four."
Once I had emptied my rifle, I immediately took five bullets from a pouch on my belt and reloaded my rifle with another five rounds.
"Frau Hauptmann, your shots are incredibly accurate. How do you do it?"
A soldier beside me seemed very impressed with my marksmanship. I wasn’t sure why my accuracy was so good—perhaps a gift of reincarnation?
"Haha, maybe it’s just a coincidence."
I didn’t want to act arrogant in front of my subordinates. After all, my subordinates are my fellow countrymen, and we’re fighting on the same side. Arrogance would only bring harm.
"Five."
"Six."
Suddenly, several bullets were fired in my direction, and I quickly rolled to the side of the wall where there was no hole, fortunately avoiding being hit.
But when I looked at the soldier next to me...
"He’s dead...."
I saw blood around his neck and head, and it was clear he couldn’t move. To confirm, I touched his wrist to check for a pulse, and I could confirm that he had died.
It didn’t shake my mental state, though, because, in this second life, I felt like my emotions were somewhat different. It was difficult for me to express emotions, especially sadness. I could hardly feel it, even though the soldier who died often helped me.
I then resumed shooting.
"Seven."
"Eight."
What I’ve noticed in this war is that the accuracy of ordinary soldiers is very low due to many factors, such as the battlefield terrain, the mental state of the soldiers, weapon conditions, and many other elements.
"Nine."
I managed to shoot nine enemies using 20 bullets, with 11 shots missing their targets entirely.
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At 19:20, the Polish forces began to retreat after the intense battle.
"HAHHH!!! DAMN IT!!!!"
I collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily after enduring the relentless combat.
"So exhausting."
A few minutes later, Oberleutnant Fred approached me and saluted, while I remained lying down due to fatigue.
"Frau Hauptmann, we’ve lost communication, and we’ve suffered significant casualties."
"What?"