November 29, 1939
Namur, Belgium
"10 degrees left, mark the target."
"I've got him, sir."
"Fire!"
Marlene's cannon roared and sent an armor piercing shell into the target that Otto had selected. The French armored vehicle, whose command aerials had attracted Otto's attention, burst into flames immediately. Even as the French tank began to burn, Otto was already selecting another target for Hoff and scanning for the one after that. The French were pressing them hard and Otto knew that their only chance was to act fast. The problem was that no matter how many enemy tanks he and his men killed, there seemed to be two more to take their place.
As Otto watched another of Hoff's shots disable a French tank, he heard the tinny voice of his radio operator come over the internal communicator, "Sir, Oberst Gundtrum is asking for more armored support."
Otto cursed under his breath. Not long after the French armor had appeared on the scene, enemy infantry had also launched a counterattack from the city. Otto had been forced to send a few of his panzers to support the infantry and now there were asking for more. Otto clicked the communicator on and said, "Tell him that I have no more to give, Schneider."
After a moment Schneider responded, "Sir, Oberst Gundtrum acknowledges but warns that without more support he can't guarantee how long he can hold the enemy back."
This time Otto didn't curse under his breath, but did it right out loud. If the infantry was pushed back his panzers would be vulnerable and he would have no choice but to order a retreat. Still though, the fact remained that he just couldn't spare any of his panzers for them. Like him, they were going to have to make due with what they had. With a growing sense of desperation, Otto selected another target and called it down to Hoff.
**********************************************************
Wiping sweat from his eyes, Hoff peered through his view slit and spotted the target that Otto had called down to him. It took him only a second to line up the shot and fire. Moments later he heard Otto call down a direct hit and then the order to pick his targets and fire at will. It really must be hitting the fan up there, he thought as he began scanning for targets. Turning to Lorenz he said, "Alright kid, you had damn well better keep up with me."
"Don't worry about me old man, I can toss these things all day."
Hoff turned back with a grin and began doing what he did best. Again and again he fired and true to his word, Lorenz kept the gun supplied with shells. As he and Lorenz furiously worked Marlene's gun, time had no meaning. There was only the search for more targets and the roar of the cannon. Hoff knew that he was dealing terrible damage to the enemy, but the French armor only continued to grow larger in his vision. As he was searching for yet another target, Lorenz grabbed him by the shoulder and shouted, "Only a few more rounds of the armor piercing left, Hoff."
"Fantastic, thanks.", replied Hoff as he turned back to look for another target. As he peered out he was confronted not by the sight of enemy armor, but by the sight of an enemy shell impacting his viewport.
*********************************************************
Otto felt something slam into his panzer just below where he was standing and immediately grabbed the communicator and shouted, "Report! Are we hit?"
"No sir, it was a dud.", replied Hoff.
"You sure? No damage?"
"All clear, sir."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Otto looked over the battlefield and faced a grim picture. Many of his panzers were burning or otherwise disabled, and he could see that the French were trying to swing around his flank and cut him off. He picked up the communicator and said, "Schneider, instruct 2nd Group to displace and engage the French armor moving along the flank. Tell them they are to engage and hold them until ordered otherwise."
Otto watched as 2nd Group moved off and checked the French advance against his flank. That done, he ordered the rest of his company to prepare to fall back and informed the infantry of his decision. Shortly afterward, he could see the infantry fleeing to safety under cover of his panzers and the retreat was underway. Casting a sorrowful glance to where many of the men of his 2nd Group were making what would amount to their last stand, Otto prayed that the retreat could be completed in time to get most of them out of there. Not since Spain had I. Panzerarmee shown the enemy their backs and Otto felt his defeat heavily. He knew, however, that the fight was far from over and he would have a chance at revenge soon enough.
Namur, Belgium
"10 degrees left, mark the target."
"I've got him, sir."
"Fire!"
Marlene's cannon roared and sent an armor piercing shell into the target that Otto had selected. The French armored vehicle, whose command aerials had attracted Otto's attention, burst into flames immediately. Even as the French tank began to burn, Otto was already selecting another target for Hoff and scanning for the one after that. The French were pressing them hard and Otto knew that their only chance was to act fast. The problem was that no matter how many enemy tanks he and his men killed, there seemed to be two more to take their place.
As Otto watched another of Hoff's shots disable a French tank, he heard the tinny voice of his radio operator come over the internal communicator, "Sir, Oberst Gundtrum is asking for more armored support."
Otto cursed under his breath. Not long after the French armor had appeared on the scene, enemy infantry had also launched a counterattack from the city. Otto had been forced to send a few of his panzers to support the infantry and now there were asking for more. Otto clicked the communicator on and said, "Tell him that I have no more to give, Schneider."
After a moment Schneider responded, "Sir, Oberst Gundtrum acknowledges but warns that without more support he can't guarantee how long he can hold the enemy back."
This time Otto didn't curse under his breath, but did it right out loud. If the infantry was pushed back his panzers would be vulnerable and he would have no choice but to order a retreat. Still though, the fact remained that he just couldn't spare any of his panzers for them. Like him, they were going to have to make due with what they had. With a growing sense of desperation, Otto selected another target and called it down to Hoff.
**********************************************************
Wiping sweat from his eyes, Hoff peered through his view slit and spotted the target that Otto had called down to him. It took him only a second to line up the shot and fire. Moments later he heard Otto call down a direct hit and then the order to pick his targets and fire at will. It really must be hitting the fan up there, he thought as he began scanning for targets. Turning to Lorenz he said, "Alright kid, you had damn well better keep up with me."
"Don't worry about me old man, I can toss these things all day."
Hoff turned back with a grin and began doing what he did best. Again and again he fired and true to his word, Lorenz kept the gun supplied with shells. As he and Lorenz furiously worked Marlene's gun, time had no meaning. There was only the search for more targets and the roar of the cannon. Hoff knew that he was dealing terrible damage to the enemy, but the French armor only continued to grow larger in his vision. As he was searching for yet another target, Lorenz grabbed him by the shoulder and shouted, "Only a few more rounds of the armor piercing left, Hoff."
"Fantastic, thanks.", replied Hoff as he turned back to look for another target. As he peered out he was confronted not by the sight of enemy armor, but by the sight of an enemy shell impacting his viewport.
*********************************************************
Otto felt something slam into his panzer just below where he was standing and immediately grabbed the communicator and shouted, "Report! Are we hit?"
"No sir, it was a dud.", replied Hoff.
"You sure? No damage?"
"All clear, sir."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Otto looked over the battlefield and faced a grim picture. Many of his panzers were burning or otherwise disabled, and he could see that the French were trying to swing around his flank and cut him off. He picked up the communicator and said, "Schneider, instruct 2nd Group to displace and engage the French armor moving along the flank. Tell them they are to engage and hold them until ordered otherwise."
Otto watched as 2nd Group moved off and checked the French advance against his flank. That done, he ordered the rest of his company to prepare to fall back and informed the infantry of his decision. Shortly afterward, he could see the infantry fleeing to safety under cover of his panzers and the retreat was underway. Casting a sorrowful glance to where many of the men of his 2nd Group were making what would amount to their last stand, Otto prayed that the retreat could be completed in time to get most of them out of there. Not since Spain had I. Panzerarmee shown the enemy their backs and Otto felt his defeat heavily. He knew, however, that the fight was far from over and he would have a chance at revenge soon enough.