"Frau Hauptmann, we’ve lost communication, and we’ve suffered significant casualties."
"What?"
After hearing Oberleutnant Fred's words, I immediately stood up, dusting off my uniform and face, which were covered in dirt.
"Yes! Sixteen soldiers were severely wounded, and about nine were killed in the recent battle. The enemy also seems to be retreating in panic due to our surprise attack."
"Then, take me to the wounded soldiers."
"Jahowl, Frau Hauptmann!"
I then turned my gaze to the body of the man who had previously been shooting alongside me.
"Herr Oberleutnant, can you help me carry this body?"
"Yes Ma'am!"
After that, Oberleutnant Fred and I carried the man's body out of the room, which was filled with piles of straw. We placed the body on a white cloth and wrapped it properly.
"Phew..."
I then looked to the side and saw all of my subordinates busy helping the severely wounded soldiers and carrying the bodies of those who had died.
After walking for a while, I approached one of the soldiers who was quite badly injured, his neck and head heavily bandaged. I knelt and looked at him with immense pride.
"You are a true soldier. I will make sure you are properly rewarded for your heroic actions."
I said with a smile. Of course, he didn’t respond because he couldn’t speak, but he could see and hear me. Behind me, three of my officers were following, and I approached each of my wounded subordinates, whether they had minor or serious injuries.
After visiting all of my wounded soldiers, one of them suddenly grabbed my hand.
"Frau Hauptmann, will we win?"
(Because this is 1939, the answer is yes. If it were 1942 to 1944, the answer would be maybe, and if it were 1945, the answer would be impossible.)
(Luckily, it's still 1939, and no one knows if history will take a slight turn.)
"Yes, we will win this war within a month."
"I see. Will I receive an award after this?"
I paused for a moment to think about this question, because receiving a military award is quite complex and requires meeting several specific criteria.
"I will do my best, but I can assure you that this battle of ours will be written in the history books, and future generations will surely remember us," I said with a smile.
"Thankss Frau Hauptmann,"
After speaking with my wounded subordinates, I then gathered all 13 of my officers, consisting of:
- 1 First Lieutenant
- 2 Second Lieutenants
- 10 Sergeants
"Herr Oberleutnant, Herr Leutnant, Herr Unteroffizier,"
"You have all fought well in the recent battle, but many of our subordinates are seriously injured."
"They all have families waiting for them at home. I don’t want them to be delayed in receiving medical assistance."
"I want two platoons to take them all to the rear line, while one platoon will stay with me to hold off the enemy as we gradually retreat."
"Those who want to stay and fight with me may do so, and those who wish to escort the wounded may also step back."
"Both tasks are noble for our Vaterland and for our people."
After I said this, it seemed everyone wanted to stay and fight with me.
"Alright then, I will choose. Leutnant Anton, you and Platoon Two will stay with me, and the rest will fall back to carry the wounded. Does everyone understand?"
"Understood, Frau Hauptmann!"
"Good. Before that, we’ll prepare dinner and rest for a while. Leave the burial duties to me and Platoon Two."
"Remember that we are the best soldiers in the world, the best of the best. Our main forces will return here sooner or later."
"DISMISSED!"
After that, my subordinates began preparing the meal, while I, along with two soldiers, inspected the aftermath of the battle between my unit and the Polish Army. In the middle of the flat grassland, many bodies were lying around, perhaps 30 to 40 in total.
One of my subordinates then began taking pictures of the Polish soldiers using the camera he had brought, to be used later as valid evidence of this battle.
I then readied my Luger P08 pistol and started shooting each of the fallen Polish soldiers in the head.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
"Sorry, but it is my duty to send you to your God."
Bang!
Bang!
One Polish soldier tried to raise his hand while lying down, his leg badly wounded, making it impossible for him to walk.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"Please, please don’t shoot me!"
The Polish soldier appeared terrified, his body trembling. I then asked my subordinate.
"Does anyone speak Polish?"
One of my subordinates shook his head, but the other nodded.
"I speak a little, Frau Hauptmann."
"Good, then translate this: Do you want to be free?"
My subordinate translated my words, and the Polish soldier seemed desperate to be freed.
"Are you in pain?"
The Polish soldier nodded after the translation.
Bang!
I immediately shot him in the head.
"Now you’re free."
Then another Polish soldier, who was dying and had resigned himself to his fate, started to tear up, hoping he wouldn’t be shot. I glanced at one of my subordinates.
"Your name is Adolf, right?"
My subordinate, Adolf, nodded.
"Then shoot him."
Adolf raised his rifle toward the Polish soldier, but his hands were shaking. I knew this was cruel, but I couldn’t take them with us to treat their wounds. If I left them here, they would die anyway from their injuries and infection.
After a few seconds, I glanced at Adolf again.
"Shoot him."
"Y-yes Ma'am!"
Bang!
(Hopefully, this doesn't fall under a war crime, but either way, they would have died from their severe injuries.)
After shooting the fallen Polish soldiers, I returned to the village, which served as my defensive base.
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September 1st, 20:15, my troops and I lined up for dinner. The meal was simple but tasty: meat soup. At least, this peaceful dinner allowed my troops to rest both mentally and physically.
Even though I was an officer, I lined up just like my subordinates because an officer should set an example for their soldiers.
During dinner, I sat in front of a village house that had previously been used as a machine gun post. I sat alone, observing the expressions of my subordinates and listening to their conversations.
I noticed that their expressions varied. Some were unusually quiet, even though they had been very lively the day before, while others were more spirited. Most of them, however, were trying to forget the war and discussed topics unrelated to it.
"Did you know? I heard a soldier in another unit wet his pants, hahaha."
"When do you think the Führer will get married? Doesn’t he already have a partner?"
"You know, I drove on the Autobahn two weeks ago, and the road was incredibly smooth."
"I even sped on the Autobahn, even though it’s forbidden, haha."
"Yeah, we should be thankful to the Führer for keeping us from becoming poor."
"I remember before the National Socialists rose to power, we were really in ruins, poor, and had no jobs."
Then Oberleutnant Fred sat beside me.
"Herr Oberleutnant?"
"Yes, Frau Hauptmann?"
"No, I just wanted to ask you something."
"What is it, Frau Hauptmann?"
"Was it wrong for me to make the rash decision to hold off the enemy while our main forces retreated?"
"No, in fact, it was very heroic. That’s what we expect from you, Frau Hauptmann. You trained us all very hard in the barracks."
"Alright, thank you."
I took the opportunity to chat with Oberleutnant Fred while enjoying dinner. Oh yes, for our meals, we typically use small metal pans, which can also be used for cooking or eating. In the Wehrmacht, this is called Kochgeschirr.
Oh, and before I continue, let me explain briefly: Wehrmacht is the name for the armed forces of Germany, including the Army (Heer), Navy (Kriegsmarine), and Air Force (Luftwaffe). In modern Germany, it's called the Bundeswehr.
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At 20:50, I and Platoons 1 and 3 finally parted ways. For now, I will explain in detail the number of soldiers who left and those who stayed with me.
Total soldiers before the battle: 69 (including me and three officers)
Total soldiers killed: 9
Total soldiers wounded: 16
Remaining: 44
The unit that went to the rear line consisted of 30 soldiers, along with the wounded, using two military trucks. So only 14 remained, including myself and one officer.
Oh, by the way, sergeants are not counted as officers because their rank is still too low, but they are still considered leaders.
After parting ways, I began digging along with some of the other soldiers. Of course, digging graves at night was eerie, but we were more afraid of being ambushed by the enemy than of encountering ghosts.
"Dig, dig, dig! Don’t give up! This is for our comrades who died heroically!"
I tried to encourage the soldiers who were also digging, while two soldiers who weren’t digging were tasked with keeping watch around the area.
You could say that we didn’t get much rest, and we were truly required to exert ourselves all day. A soldier’s duties are not just to fight but also to work in construction if needed.
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At 21:30, my subordinates and I finally finished digging. We then began placing the bodies of the 9 fallen soldiers into the grave and covering them with dirt. I didn’t forget to wear a cross necklace and lead the prayer.
In my unit, no one had worked as a priest, pastor, or monk, so I had to lead the prayer as the highest-ranking officer here.
After leading the prayer, two of my soldiers took out two flags, the national flag and the war flag. I then began leading the song "Ich hatt' einen Kameraden" while saluting the fallen soldiers we had just buried.
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Ich hatt' einen Kameraden,
Einen bessern findst du nicht.
Die Trommel schlug zum Streite,
Er ging an meiner Seite
In gleichem Schritt und Tritt.
I once had a comrade,
You won't find a better one.
The drum sounded for battle,
He walked at my side,
At the same pace and step.
Eine Kugel kam geflogen:
Gilt's mir oder gilt es dir?
Ihn hat es weggerissen,
Er liegt zu meinen Füßen
Als wär's ein Stück von mir.
A bullet came by flying,
Is it my turn or is it yours?
He was swept away,
He lies at my feet,
As if he were a part of me.
Will mir die Hand noch reichen,
Derweil ich eben lad.
Kann dir die Hand nicht geben,
Bleib du im ew'gen Leben
Mein guter Kamerad!
He still reaches out his hand to me,
While I am about to reload.
Can't give you the hand,
Remain in eternal life,
My good comrade!
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After the song ended, the two flags carried by my soldiers were raised, and we began singing the Deutschlandlied.
----------------------------------------
Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
Über alles in der Welt,
Wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
Brüderlich zusammenhält,
Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
Von der Etsch bis an den Belt –
Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
Über alles in der Welt!
Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang
Sollen in der Welt behalten
Ihren alten schönen Klang,
Uns zu edler Tat begeistern
Unser ganzes Leben lang –
Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
Deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang!
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
Für das deutsche Vaterland!
Danach lasst uns alle streben
Brüderlich mit Herz und Hand!
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
Sind des Glückes Unterpfand
Blüh im Glanze dieses Glückes,
Blühe, deutsches Vaterland!
----------------------------------------
This ceremony is very important for boosting the morale of the remaining troops and honoring the soldiers who willingly sacrificed their lives for the country—it is well deserved.
Oh, and I only sang the national anthem, refusing to sing party songs like the Horst Wessel Lied.
"There is no greater sacrifice than death," I muttered.