The price of a mile (Second story in the world war series)

Chapter 6 - Raining fire

17:32 Zulu time.

"Get the fortifications set up we're not to give a inch of the ground, we must hold the church and this town to cover the retreating army! We must hold until Noontime tomorrow!" Karl calls out watching his reserves and men from retreating platoons that made it here help set up defenses in the streets and buildings.

"Herr I see the retreating defense of Webers sector finally arriving" a Unteroffizer says calling downward from atop his post in a second story building that's been ran down by time and wind. With cracks running along the structure making the building not very shock proof if a artillery shell or any type of explosion gets a close enough hit.

Another shout quickly follows afterwards of a Feldwebel reporting to Karl "Markus and his squadron have been pushed back, they're retreating this way. That's what I've heard over radio though" the man says standing at attention in his khaki shorts and fabric t-shirt to help keep cool during day.'

"Contact them and any remaining sectors, they're to retreat and head here to help the defense with this village, the wounded and the main army must get away first before we can pull away" Karl says reminding the Sergeant of his current job as a radio operator to keep traffic coming this way.

Soon with the approaching darkness creeping up on the small town that's more of a village but again big enough to be a small town. This small town is the last defense in the pass before the Commonwealth forces will reach Tunisia.

After arriving a Lieutenant has assigned Webers platoon to a worn down building and told them to get defenses set up in the building. There sitting with everyone in the 14 man strong platoon that's sitting through out the house is Kristin quietly sitting against the wall holding his Gewher tightly muttering a small prayer. As other soldiers are sitting around quietly with a little paleness to them as reality is sinking in slowly that this will be a brutal fight to the death.

With dusk setting the village is cast into darkness and the tension in the air would be enough for people to choke on as well. Everyone's on edge and a lot of the Veteran soldiers know they're not going to survive to see the rising sun let alone come out of this town with a missing limb, or in a body bag.

"I don't like this one bit sir, not one bit... Something bad is going to happen isn't it?" a young looking boy whispers afraid if he was to talk any louder this tension would snap as he's quietly staring out the window into the darkness.

Inside a makeshift command bunker that's been reinforced from the housings cellar Karl has begun writing his farewell letter to Klaudia his lover back home. With a sigh not able to shake this feeling that this is a death order to hold out until Noon whilst the main army retreats on back is troubling him.

Quietly he takes his pen and some paper for his letter home and he beings.

March 15th, 1942

'Klaudia meine lieble, I fear that tonight will be my last that I'll be able to write to you. The OberKommando von Wehrmacht has given my battalion orders not to retreat until the main army and the wounded escape, the fuehrer isn't that favorable with retreats either. So again this is most likely going to be the last you hear of me meine Klaudia, I hope I'm wrong.

Karl Kriesser'

Sighing before folding the letter into the envelope he adds his officers pay with the letter then he hands it off to a soldier as he and the wounded from the entering companies will be leaving so Karl knows that his letter will reach home hopefully.

**

'Jerries got that town bogged down, I'm afraid the loss of life will be catastrophic if we charge from the flanks and front. This is basically a fortress, I can only hope you consider and do barrages and bomb runs on it first.' The recon soldier writes in his file report to be sent back to his superiors at the FOB before he hands it to a runner and turning back to observe more hearing the running of footsteps behind him begin to fade.