A Promise To Fulfill

Turn For The Worse

It had been a few months after the offensive on Moscow. We were ordered to dig in and to battle the harsh winter. And now, I have been trying to comprehend everything that was happening around me. After knowing the truth of what happened after I passed out in Smolensk, and the aftermath of other battles, I couldn't think straight anymore. And now, I'm in charge of my division. More people could die on my watch and I may not be able to handle it. 

But remembering what my General said, I knew I had to accept this challenge. I had to save as much of my men as possible. And as the winter was over, we were brought back into action. Trying to cease the oil fields of the Caucasus. But then, Hitler had another idea. Trying to take Stalingrad because of its importance in Propaganda and morale. But to many of us, this was just a death trap.

A few months into the Battle of Stalingrad, we were already battered and depleted, but so was the Red Army. But we knew that if this would last too long, we would be screwed. And it was what we thought. The reserves of the Red Army arrived in Stalingrad they tried to encircle us. Fortunately, my crew and I, with a group of panzers manage to escape on time. But the cost of it was huge. And worst of all,... I lost Panzer 736. One of my only friends was now trapped in Stalingrad. I couldn't do anything. We had requested to push our forces into the place to help get our trapped men to escape but Hitler denied our request. That son of a bitch cost us a loss we could never recover from.

The other armies in the south were pushed out of the Caucasus and we were pushed back even more. Up until now, I have been hoping that the armies trapped in Stalingrad were going to be okay. But it was when we realize that things have taken a turn for the worse. They surrendered on the 2nd of February, 1943. It was the biggest loss I could ever handle. If only I bought them more time. But I couldn't have done anything. And now, there was going to be another battle ahead of us. Which was going to be one of the biggest fights we would ever face.

July 1, 1943
Kromy, Russia

I was assigned to a new division of which I would lead. We were receiving one of the newest tanks of the German army. My crew and I were being informed by the yardmaster regarding our new tanks. Some of them were further upgrades of the current Panzer IV. But most of us were receiving the newer Panzer V, which was called the "Panther", and the Panzer VI which was called the "Tiger". I find it very interesting to call these tanks after some animals. 

"You have a top speed of 38kph and armor thickness ranging from 25mm to 100mm. You are now armed with an 88mm cannon with 2x MG34 Machine Guns." He told us. 

My crew was really impressed with what they heard from the specifications of the tank. I was mostly concerned about the performance. "How are the reliability and performance?" I asked him. 

"It can take a lot of hits, but you still have to be careful when using it. There are still some issues with the tanks overall. Mostly the transmission and final drive." He replied.

After that, he gave us the files to know more about our tank and the offensive on Kursk. We saluted each other and walked off to our new tank. He told us that it was shed number 16. While we walked there, my crew was excited about the new vehicle, even having a conversation while we were going there. But I was too busy thinking of what happened in Stalingrad. After walking for a few minutes, we arrived at the shed. There, we saw the menacing sight of our "Tiger" tank. 

"There she is. Our new home," I told them.

"Looks scarier," Finn said.

"Hope the Soviets think of it the same way," Nicolaus said.

"Alright, let's get in the tank and settle in. We have the battle to prepare for." I ordered my crew.

All 5 of us got into the tank and tried to explore it a bit. It was a little more spacious than the Panzer IV. We took some time to adjust to the new surrounding. I was reviewing the files while the others were trying to get comfy, despite how cramped it is. After that, I put the files away and checked on my crew.