Standing up in a flurry as papers fell from his desk while his eyes were already watering, he was choking on his words before he finally cleared his throat. Then collecting himself, he calmly looked up at the waiting young man in front of him and spoke "Forward this message to Generaleutnant Fritz Bayerlein and General der Panzertruppen, herr Heinrich Freiherr Von Luttwitz."
Handing him the message, Karl added "Get Oberst Remer und Kokott of the 26th Volksgrenadier to the Waal and lower Rhine, then I want you to get ahold of Oberst Pryitz from the 2nd Panzer. I want his troops positioned and ready at Arnhem for the upcoming counter attack, schnell!" Karl ordered, encouraging the specialist to hurry along as Karl made his way down the hallway to the command room where he can command his troops.
He pushed the heavy oak doors open wide that led into the room that was once the conference room of this hotel, and he made his way over to the large map that had his troops marked on it.
Under the 9th Panzer division of the XLVII Panzercorps, Karl commands the total of 3500 men and those men are under the 33rd Panzer regiment, the 10th, 11th P.G. regiment, along with the 102nd artillery, 9th recon, 50th anti-tank, 287th flak, then finally. The 81st signals and the one battalion that separates Karl's from the rest, the 301st heavy Panzer battalion.
There's also an extension of his command with the 26th Volksgrenadier and the 2nd Panzer regiment which he usually puts first, they're usually on the front lines first that way his more veteran troops won't get too depleted during an ongoing battle.
In all that leaves Karl the third highest ranking officer in the corps, as Heinrich and Genlt. Bayerlein obviously outrank him.
He stood there for a while as he watched his route officers execute his orders to move out the division, Karl was tense as he watched the chest sized pieces that represented his armored and infantry as they were pushed forward to the Waal and lower Rhine.
This is serious, the enemy is literally at the gates of Germany and her industry, so he wasn't going to put his inexperienced civilian soldiers from the Volksgrenadier at the front lines like usual.
No, he's going to hit back hard and put this invasion to a grinding halt before they even attempt to cross the bridge at Arnhem. His most elite and veteran units are being placed at Arnhem to drive his iron fist into the allies.
Through Kampfgruppe Schmidt he's assigning the 301st heavy Panzer battalion and the 10th Panzergrenadier company to shut the enemy down at Arnhem.
**
Outskirts of Eindhoven, current time
There was barely any resistance at all that the men of B company met on their push into Eindhoven. It was most likely due to the surprise attack from the first wave, the company was airdropped in so suddenly that the German garrison was still scrambling around when they realized what was truly happening.
Which resulted in said little resistance to very small skirmishes here and there across the town.
"Hande höch Soldaten!" Jack shouted as he leveled his BAR towards a group of stumbling German infantrymen. That have came running out of a building half dressed and unarmed even.
They froze immediately and turning left to look at the American, they then saw several more behind him and any thoughts of fighting was forgotten.
The garrison was in disbelief, with a lot of the AA fire, some were suspicious while the majority thought it was a drill or something like that on the outskirts of town.
And it's those few suspicious men that have successfully manned their posts and are currently slugging it out with the invading Americans in losing skirmish battles.
YOU ARE READING
Screaming Eagles
Historical Fiction"You're about to embark on a great crusade..." General Dwight D. Eisenhower had said in his speech to the troops prior to the opening assault on Normandy's shores. However, Jack and James O'Brian never heard that speech, because they were in the air...
