Despite the intense cold Ernst Lensen was day dreaming.....
"Ernst, you're miles away. What are you thinking about?" enquired his tank Commander.
"Sorry, sir. It's all this snow. I can't help thinking about my home and family back in the Bavarian mountains."
From his tunic pocket he produces a picture of his wife and two children playing in the snow.
"Very nice, I can see why you are home sick. Don't worry, you will see home again. Once Fatty Goring gets off his fat arse, he will send supplies. Then we can arm up, fuel up and get some food in our bellies. Then I bet you we will have an orderly withdraw west to a defensive position which even the Popovs can't break!.....You are the best gunner I know Ernst, but we need to keep alert. Go below, get warm and give that big gun of yours a cuddle, we don't want it freezing when we need it do we?.
Lensen disappears through the hatch. The Commander stares at the Eastern horizon.
A few days later news would come that no further supplies could get through. The Russian Air Force was blasting everything out of the sky.
Hitler had issued an 'Order of the Day'...."No retreat, stand and fight to the death."
The Russian Army had launched a two pronged attack trying to pinch out the salient......
[ATTACH]116925.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116926.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116927.IPB[/ATTACH]
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[ATTACH]116930.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116931.IPB[/ATTACH]
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[ATTACH]116935.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116936.IPB[/ATTACH]
Weeks later, the Russian soldiers in their trucks didn't even glance at the wrecked German tank they passed, they'd seen dozens littered about....Much less notice the lone hastily dug grave by the machine.
Had they have looked closer, they would have been curious as to what the piece of paper was pinned to the makeshift cross. The 'paper' was a charred photo of a young woman with two children playing in the snow..........
Thanks for looking,
Ron
"Ernst, you're miles away. What are you thinking about?" enquired his tank Commander.
"Sorry, sir. It's all this snow. I can't help thinking about my home and family back in the Bavarian mountains."
From his tunic pocket he produces a picture of his wife and two children playing in the snow.
"Very nice, I can see why you are home sick. Don't worry, you will see home again. Once Fatty Goring gets off his fat arse, he will send supplies. Then we can arm up, fuel up and get some food in our bellies. Then I bet you we will have an orderly withdraw west to a defensive position which even the Popovs can't break!.....You are the best gunner I know Ernst, but we need to keep alert. Go below, get warm and give that big gun of yours a cuddle, we don't want it freezing when we need it do we?.
Lensen disappears through the hatch. The Commander stares at the Eastern horizon.
A few days later news would come that no further supplies could get through. The Russian Air Force was blasting everything out of the sky.
Hitler had issued an 'Order of the Day'...."No retreat, stand and fight to the death."
The Russian Army had launched a two pronged attack trying to pinch out the salient......
[ATTACH]116925.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116926.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116927.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116928.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116929.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116930.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116931.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116932.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116933.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116934.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116935.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116936.IPB[/ATTACH]
Weeks later, the Russian soldiers in their trucks didn't even glance at the wrecked German tank they passed, they'd seen dozens littered about....Much less notice the lone hastily dug grave by the machine.
Had they have looked closer, they would have been curious as to what the piece of paper was pinned to the makeshift cross. The 'paper' was a charred photo of a young woman with two children playing in the snow..........
Thanks for looking,
Ron
)
....tough mate!
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