yours.”
“One of the lads has been to Greece, I’ll have to get his feedback on the Grecian women.”
“We’ll no doubt be far too busy to allow you time for philandering Feldwebel Grun.”
Max came to attention smiling. “Jawohl Herr Oberleutnant.” They both laughed.
Max relaxed leaning against one of the firing posts. In the distance they could see that Leeb had got his men together and along with Unterfeldwebel Eichel, was taking them through some refresher weapons training. Although a number of his platoon had seen action, as had Leeb, his specialism was small arms and he had quickly earned the respect of his men and his NCOs.
“Is the full battalion going sir?”
“No, just our company to start with.”
“Hauptman Volkman has either got it in for us or he favours us. Not quite sure which yet.”
“He’s making sure you get first options on the Greek beauties Max, didn’t you know.”
“I didn’t think of it like that sir.”
“How was Hamburg?”
“Not as bad as I expected, the RAF have missed most of the residential areas, but the docks are a bit of a mess.”
“You might want to get your father to move Max, it will always be a target. It’s got shipyards, U-boat pens, oil refineries; the RAF will hit it regularly. Is your father ok?”
“He’s fine thanks sir, it would take more than the RAF to do for him, and he won’t budge. How’s Berlin sir?”
“I’ve just had a letter from my Mother, she says that the first bombing was fairly light, but the more recent one was quite bad. They’re just retaliating, I hear the Luftwaffe hit Buckingham Palace not so long ago.”
“Did you see anything when you went home at Christmas?”
“I didn’t go into Berlin, so didn’t get to see the damage.”
“Ah,” said Max smiling. “Nurse Keller came to yours for Christmas didn’t she?”
Paul quickly changed the subject. “Will you give Leutnant Leeb a shout? Where are the other platoons?”
“Second are cleaning weapons and the third are in the hut getting a brew,” said Max pushing himself off the firing post, recognising it was back to work.
“Tell the Platoon Commanders I’ll see them in the hut will you Max?” He looked at his watch. “Say in about ten minutes? I want to go and talk to some of the men.”
“Will do sir.”
Max saluted and strode off to seek out and gather the other two officers and Paul wandered over to Leeb’s platoon. He approached the platoon and sat on the ground as their commander gave them some advanced instruction in the use of the Kar 98. The Karabiner 98K was a control fed, bolt action rifle, with an effective range of up to five hundred metres. Leeb was showing them a quicker method of loading the internal magazine, which could hold five 8 x 57mm rounds, with a stripper clip. On noticing his Company Commander, he leapt up from his crouching position, immediately calling his platoon to attention.
“Shun.”
They quickly clambered up of the ground straightening their uniforms as they did so. Paul quickly flagged them down with a wave of his hand.
“Relax men, at ease.”
Paul crouched back down and the paratroopers resumed their previous positions on the sandy ground by the firing points. The wooden posts at regular intervals apart, like sentinels. The posts were used to mark the three hundred metre line from the targets and butts. The firing posts were adjacent to a slit trench, fronted by sand bags. On Paul’s direction, Leeb left the platoon, crossing over the open space between the firing positions and the administration area, to go and join Max and the other two commanders in the range hut.
“Something in the air sir?” Uffz Fischer was the first to ask the question that was now on all of their minds. They could sense something was afoot.
“Extra duties for your troop no doubt,” called Konrad, the other troop commander. The assembled men laughed.
“We’re going to Greece gentlemen.”
There was a stunned silence which
“One of the lads has been to Greece, I’ll have to get his feedback on the Grecian women.”
“We’ll no doubt be far too busy to allow you time for philandering Feldwebel Grun.”
Max came to attention smiling. “Jawohl Herr Oberleutnant.” They both laughed.
Max relaxed leaning against one of the firing posts. In the distance they could see that Leeb had got his men together and along with Unterfeldwebel Eichel, was taking them through some refresher weapons training. Although a number of his platoon had seen action, as had Leeb, his specialism was small arms and he had quickly earned the respect of his men and his NCOs.
“Is the full battalion going sir?”
“No, just our company to start with.”
“Hauptman Volkman has either got it in for us or he favours us. Not quite sure which yet.”
“He’s making sure you get first options on the Greek beauties Max, didn’t you know.”
“I didn’t think of it like that sir.”
“How was Hamburg?”
“Not as bad as I expected, the RAF have missed most of the residential areas, but the docks are a bit of a mess.”
“You might want to get your father to move Max, it will always be a target. It’s got shipyards, U-boat pens, oil refineries; the RAF will hit it regularly. Is your father ok?”
“He’s fine thanks sir, it would take more than the RAF to do for him, and he won’t budge. How’s Berlin sir?”
“I’ve just had a letter from my Mother, she says that the first bombing was fairly light, but the more recent one was quite bad. They’re just retaliating, I hear the Luftwaffe hit Buckingham Palace not so long ago.”
“Did you see anything when you went home at Christmas?”
“I didn’t go into Berlin, so didn’t get to see the damage.”
“Ah,” said Max smiling. “Nurse Keller came to yours for Christmas didn’t she?”
Paul quickly changed the subject. “Will you give Leutnant Leeb a shout? Where are the other platoons?”
“Second are cleaning weapons and the third are in the hut getting a brew,” said Max pushing himself off the firing post, recognising it was back to work.
“Tell the Platoon Commanders I’ll see them in the hut will you Max?” He looked at his watch. “Say in about ten minutes? I want to go and talk to some of the men.”
“Will do sir.”
Max saluted and strode off to seek out and gather the other two officers and Paul wandered over to Leeb’s platoon. He approached the platoon and sat on the ground as their commander gave them some advanced instruction in the use of the Kar 98. The Karabiner 98K was a control fed, bolt action rifle, with an effective range of up to five hundred metres. Leeb was showing them a quicker method of loading the internal magazine, which could hold five 8 x 57mm rounds, with a stripper clip. On noticing his Company Commander, he leapt up from his crouching position, immediately calling his platoon to attention.
“Shun.”
They quickly clambered up of the ground straightening their uniforms as they did so. Paul quickly flagged them down with a wave of his hand.
“Relax men, at ease.”
Paul crouched back down and the paratroopers resumed their previous positions on the sandy ground by the firing points. The wooden posts at regular intervals apart, like sentinels. The posts were used to mark the three hundred metre line from the targets and butts. The firing posts were adjacent to a slit trench, fronted by sand bags. On Paul’s direction, Leeb left the platoon, crossing over the open space between the firing positions and the administration area, to go and join Max and the other two commanders in the range hut.
“Something in the air sir?” Uffz Fischer was the first to ask the question that was now on all of their minds. They could sense something was afoot.
“Extra duties for your troop no doubt,” called Konrad, the other troop commander. The assembled men laughed.
“We’re going to Greece gentlemen.”
There was a stunned silence which
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