September 2, 20:30, I am currently standing by the roadside on my way to a hotel. The atmosphere is still very lively, and many soldiers and military vehicles are passing by in the city of Koronowo.
Of course, I walk with poise and authority because I am a Wehrmacht officer. One of the iconic traits of German officers is their commanding presence, and I must embody that as well.
Some passing soldiers greeted me, which is quite common as it’s a sign of respect for regular soldiers to salute their officers.
"Good evening, Frau Hauptmann."
"Good evening to you as well."
"Hello, Frau Hauptmann."
"Hello."
After a few minutes of walking, I entered a hotel. I then headed toward the reception desk. Generally, after Germany occupies a city, they use hotels for officer meetings or special gatherings.
The receptionist stared at me in surprise, likely because I was a female officer.
"Excuse me, is there something I can help you with?"
"I would like to ask, where is room number ninety-six?"
"Room number ninety-six is on the third floor."
"Alright, thank you."
I also noticed other German officers passing through the hotel lobby, and I spotted an officer who looked quite familiar to me. He appeared to be walking with a group of other officers.
"Wait, isn’t that—"
Without wasting any time, I approached the man and saluted him.
"Good evening, Herr Oberst."
The officer was Oberst Walther Model, one of the officers who recommended that I be admitted to officer school, even though I am a woman.
"Oh? Frau Hauptmann, Erika, long time no see."
We shook hands and smiled at each other. Perhaps we looked like father and daughter due to the significant age difference, but I deeply respect him.
Every time I meet Oberst Walther Model, I feel a strange shiver—not out of fear, but because of the immense aura and authority he exudes. It’s no wonder he will become a Field Marshal in the future.
Meanwhile, I noticed other officers looking at me, also surprised that I had been awarded the Iron Cross Second Class within the first two days of the Poland campaign.
"I would like to thank you once again for helping me become an officer."
"It was no problem. You surprised me too; you even outperformed all the officer candidates in terms of intellect."
"Thank you for the compliment, Herr Oberst."
"You’re welcome. Are you assigned to the 32nd Infantry Division?"
"Yes, I’m now the commander of the 2nd Company of the 2nd Battalion, 96th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, under the command of Herr Generalleutnant Adolf Strauss. How about you, Herr Oberst?"
"Oh, I’m commanding the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division."
"Wow, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Herr Oberst. I didn’t expect to run into you here."
"Likewise, it’s a pleasure to meet you."
I noticed him glance briefly at my Iron Cross Second Class.
"Well then, I must be going. H*** H*****."
"H*** H*****."
After this brief encounter, I went straight to the elevator and headed to the third floor.
(Walther Model, I initially knew him as a reserved person, someone who didn’t speak much unless it was with people he knew well.)
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(He is one of the officers who advocated for me to enter officer school.)
(If he had held high command during Barbarossa, history would likely have changed—he is truly someone I admire.)
After arriving on the third floor, many regular soldiers and officers were passing by, each busy with their tasks. I checked each room number one by one until I finally found room 96, and the door was open.
I entered the room, stamping my feet and saluting.
"H*** H*****."
"H*** H*****."
Inside the room, I met Major Klaus again, and I also saw several other officers with the rank of Hauptmann. The room seemed to have been specially prepared for this meeting; there wasn’t even a bed in the room.
After entering, I noticed a table in the middle of the room with a map already prepared by Major Klaus.
"Frau Hauptmann."
"Good to see you again, Herr Major."
I shook hands with Major Klaus.
On the other side, I saw Gustav and Karl, so I approached them.
"Hello, Herr Hauptmann Gustav, and Herr Hauptmann Karl."
"Frau Hauptmann, you're still alive, haha," said Karl.
"Hello to you too, Frau Hauptmann."
I shook hands with both Karl and Gustav.
"Wow, you've already received the Iron Cross Second Class? You undoubtedly scored the highest marks."
"Thank you, Herr Hauptmann, I’m truly honored."
"Oh, by the way, Frau Hauptmann, did you know?"
Karl looked at me with a very serious expression.
"Know what?" I responded, intrigued"
"Ufa TV company will be visiting to interview you."
"Me?"
"Yes."
Ufa TV company is a media outlet that produces newsreels and films for the German Reich, also making propaganda pieces.
I was, of course, very surprised by Karl’s statement because I didn’t feel my actions were any more heroic than others.
(Is this for propaganda purposes?)
(Is the government planning to change regulations and use me as a propaganda symbol to encourage women to fight?)
(Well, I don’t know what their intentions are, but at least I’ll be getting some money, haha.)
"Wow, I didn’t expect that."
Not long after, three other officers entered the room, signaling the start of the meeting. The meeting was quite lengthy and focused on our objectives for the next operation.
We planned to encircle the enemy from the south, while another unit would encircle them from the north. It could be said that one of the strategies of Blitzkrieg was to trap the enemy, encircle them, and then destroy them.
In the previous battle near Koronowo, none of my soldiers were killed, but six were wounded and needed to be taken to a military hospital for treatment.
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September 3, 01:00, artillery began bombarding the enemy’s defensive lines, then the Panzer units advanced first, followed by the infantry units.
The darkness of the night didn’t stop us from continuing the operation.
Bang!
Bang!
I covered my ears as the artillery bombarded the enemy lines, as the noise was incredibly loud and could affect hearing.
The Panzer units also started firing at the enemy from 2 kilometers away, while I was busy observing the battle from a distance of 2,200 meters with binoculars.
"This is what real combat looks like—such a long-range," I murmured.
The sounds of rifle and machine-gun fire were relentless, and both sides attacked each other without pause. Then, two officers approached me; they were Oberleutnant Fred and Leutnant Anton.
"Reporting, Frau Hauptmann! Platoon One is awaiting your orders."
"Reporting, Frau Hauptmann! Platoon Three is awaiting your orders."
(I had previously instructed them to head to the designated point.)
"Just hold the defensive position, there’s a possibility we’ll face a stalemate for some time, so there’s no need to waste lives. Inform Platoon Two of this as well."
"Understood, Frau Hauptmann!"
(Since long-range battles often occur and regular soldiers tend to have low accuracy, they do waste a lot of ammunition, but bullets are not worth more than human lives.)
(Everyone here is human, everyone feels the same—the fear of death.)
(If you die, everything ends.)
After trying to observe with my binoculars, I began aiming with my rifle. One of the factors affecting shooting accuracy is distance, wind gusts, and many other variables.
I tried firing a few rounds, aiming slightly higher, but I wasn’t sure if they hit the enemy due to the great distance.
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image [https://i.ibb.co.com/TKLYrjn/IMG-20240916-232041.png]
(Red = Erika Position)
September 3, 04:00, our forces continued to arrive, giving us a numerical advantage, but the stalemate persisted. I decided to go to the communication unit and call Major Klaus.
"Herr Major."
"Yes, Frau Hauptmann?"
"Are we experiencing a stalemate?"
"Indeed, the enemy’s numbers are quite large, so it would be too risky to launch a direct penetration."
"Aren’t we supposed to be encircling the enemy?"
"Of course, but Herr Oberst’s orders are to hold our ground while continuing to pressure the enemy."
"Alright, thank you."
(Is something happening that’s causing this stalemate?)
September 3, 08:00, I ordered my entire unit to retreat, rest, and have breakfast, while another unit replaced us on the front line.
We had fought all night and only managed to advance a few dozen meters. I certainly didn’t want to sacrifice my troops on a suicide mission with a direct penetration.
In a large-scale battle like this, what matters is the command of larger forces, such as divisions or regiments, and one company cannot change anything.
"If only I had command equivalent to a division or regiment, haha."
I sat down near my subordinates, as I didn’t care much about rank when in informal situations.
"Damn, this battle is exhausting."
"You know? My legs are so cramped from lying prone for hours trying to shoot the enemy."
"My hands are also cramped, damn it."
"Are we going to keep fighting like this? Will we win?"
"Of course, no need to worry. I can guess this stalemate will only last a few days at most."
"Thank you, Frau Hauptmann, you’ve put me at ease."
I also saw some of my subordinates writing letters, and some writing in their diaries. Writing letters is a necessity, as families back home are surely worried, so regularly updating them is good to ease their concerns.
I, too, never forget to write in my diary, noting down every event I experience each day. There are several reasons I joined the military:
- Survival
- To observe what happens to the German military during the war
- I wanted to try certain things to see if they would change history or stay the same.
And finally:
(I WANT TO MAKE THE WAR BLOODIER ON THE EASTERN FRONT BECAUSE MY PARENTS IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE WERE MURDERED BY THE COMMUNISTS!!!!)
Thinking about this made me smile widely, and I will bleed the Soviets dry during the war on the Eastern Front.