Sunset Over Berlin
Sunset Over Berlin
Prologue
November 18 1944
Von Manstein was nervous and whenever he was nervous, von Manstein became very hungry. Right now he was gnawing on a sandwich. This sandwich had meat, meat that was raw and uncooked, just how Manstein liked it. The red smear around his mouth wasn’t tomato juice either.
Around him sat Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, Generalfeldmarschalls Erwin Rommel, Gerd von Rundstedt, and Albert Kesselring, also present were: Walther Model, Heinz Guderian, and others that Manstein didn’t bother to look at or didn’t know. They all were cramped in a small room, sitting on stiff chairs with only Göring sitting on a puffy red couch.
Göring looked at Manstein as if asking for confirmation. Manstein merely grunted in response.
You see there had been a plan, a genius plan. It called for a glider based assault led by Kurt Student on the Wolfsschanze. Hitler was staying there currently and two Russians POW’s were specifically selected for this mission. These two POW were extensively trained. Firstly they had to endure watching their defenseless company being wiped out in front of their eyes by laughing German’s with machine guns. They were then approached by Manstein himself and asked to participate in a coup against Hitler, seeing what they had seen they were only too glad to accept.
Afterwards it had been relatively simple, teaching them some basic German and giving them some basic glider training.
“Von Manstein called all of you here and so I am speaking on his behalf” said Göring, who was rather looking bored. He pointed at Manstein for the group of generals to see where he was. “Von Manstein here has come up with a plan, a plan“, here Göring had yawned in the middle of his speech and then belched rather loudly. “A plan to kill Hitler” finished Göring, who now looked proud of himself.
The looks on the faces of the different generals became a sight to behold. Some looked hopeful, some looked as though they were expecting a punch line to Göring’s not so funny joke, and others looked downright horrified or shocked. Several gasps were heard throughout the room. Even the SS man guarding them had dropped the weapon he was holding.
“O well yes”, muttered Göring looking surprised at the reactions of the different generals, “well anyways, now I am going to make the call to start the operation”.
“Preposterous” shouted Rundstedt, now standing, looking angry. He made a gesture to call the SS man standing at guard, but he had been too late, as Manstein had already tackled the man down.
Manstein was enraged and he showed it well. Standing guard over the door it was obvious to see that his “little meeting” did not go the way he had intended. Manstein held both his hands in fists and was shaking from rage.
Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein
“Nobody will leave this room” he spat out.
“Somebody stop that man, we need to get to the Führer at once” ordered Alfred Jodl, who was now white with fear.
Walther Model chose as this moment to follow Jodl’s order and so he ran straight at Manstein with the intent to tackle him away from the door. Unfortunately, Manstein grabbed Model’s shoulders just as Model came into contact with him. Manstein then let out a war cry and pushed Model back, causing him to tumble onto the floor.
Göring was watching all this with fear on his face. It was then when he heard a gunshot followed by more gunshots. Scared stiff, Göring jumped over his couch, hiding behind it.
He quickly grabbed the telephone and ran the dials.
“Student” he bellowed into the phone, “Student”.
“Sir” came a voice.
“Launch it” replied Göring
“Launch what sir” answered Student.
“Operation Mansteiner” screamed Göring before he threw the phone away.
Sunset Over Berlin
Prologue
November 18 1944
Von Manstein was nervous and whenever he was nervous, von Manstein became very hungry. Right now he was gnawing on a sandwich. This sandwich had meat, meat that was raw and uncooked, just how Manstein liked it. The red smear around his mouth wasn’t tomato juice either.
Around him sat Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, Generalfeldmarschalls Erwin Rommel, Gerd von Rundstedt, and Albert Kesselring, also present were: Walther Model, Heinz Guderian, and others that Manstein didn’t bother to look at or didn’t know. They all were cramped in a small room, sitting on stiff chairs with only Göring sitting on a puffy red couch.
Göring looked at Manstein as if asking for confirmation. Manstein merely grunted in response.
You see there had been a plan, a genius plan. It called for a glider based assault led by Kurt Student on the Wolfsschanze. Hitler was staying there currently and two Russians POW’s were specifically selected for this mission. These two POW were extensively trained. Firstly they had to endure watching their defenseless company being wiped out in front of their eyes by laughing German’s with machine guns. They were then approached by Manstein himself and asked to participate in a coup against Hitler, seeing what they had seen they were only too glad to accept.
Afterwards it had been relatively simple, teaching them some basic German and giving them some basic glider training.
“Von Manstein called all of you here and so I am speaking on his behalf” said Göring, who was rather looking bored. He pointed at Manstein for the group of generals to see where he was. “Von Manstein here has come up with a plan, a plan“, here Göring had yawned in the middle of his speech and then belched rather loudly. “A plan to kill Hitler” finished Göring, who now looked proud of himself.
The looks on the faces of the different generals became a sight to behold. Some looked hopeful, some looked as though they were expecting a punch line to Göring’s not so funny joke, and others looked downright horrified or shocked. Several gasps were heard throughout the room. Even the SS man guarding them had dropped the weapon he was holding.
“O well yes”, muttered Göring looking surprised at the reactions of the different generals, “well anyways, now I am going to make the call to start the operation”.
“Preposterous” shouted Rundstedt, now standing, looking angry. He made a gesture to call the SS man standing at guard, but he had been too late, as Manstein had already tackled the man down.
Manstein was enraged and he showed it well. Standing guard over the door it was obvious to see that his “little meeting” did not go the way he had intended. Manstein held both his hands in fists and was shaking from rage.
Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein
“Nobody will leave this room” he spat out.
“Somebody stop that man, we need to get to the Führer at once” ordered Alfred Jodl, who was now white with fear.
Walther Model chose as this moment to follow Jodl’s order and so he ran straight at Manstein with the intent to tackle him away from the door. Unfortunately, Manstein grabbed Model’s shoulders just as Model came into contact with him. Manstein then let out a war cry and pushed Model back, causing him to tumble onto the floor.
Göring was watching all this with fear on his face. It was then when he heard a gunshot followed by more gunshots. Scared stiff, Göring jumped over his couch, hiding behind it.
He quickly grabbed the telephone and ran the dials.
“Student” he bellowed into the phone, “Student”.
“Sir” came a voice.
“Launch it” replied Göring
“Launch what sir” answered Student.
“Operation Mansteiner” screamed Göring before he threw the phone away.
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