Alptraum (Nightmare)
An Alternative History Affair
By TekcoR
Prototype Evaluation
The E-50 “Wildkatze” had proved remarkably successful as far as I was concerned. In the initial hours of combat, before we halted and I departed from “my” tank, we had sustained a dozen incoming shots that had all deflected. The armor of our beloved prototype was remarkable. I know I stated it before, but the sloped frontal armor of 120mm proved to be remarkably effective against the Sherman’s the Spanish had been leased by the American benefactors. I recollect that the enemy never got a shot off at either or sides or rear, but I believe that the 80mm armor on the sides and rear is adequate.
Shortly after exiting from the hatch of the tank, I walked over to the smoldering ruins of a nearby Sherman. The crew that I had done battle with accompanied me. The stench was overwhelming; the Spanish crewmen had been burning for at least an hour. Pulling a handkerchief over my mouth and nose, I approached closer to the charred hull to confirm my suspicion. “Ah, yes,” I said aloud. “Just what I thought, these Shermans weren’t the up-gunned variants we received reports of in northern France.”
The velocity and penetration of the under-gunned Shermans compared to the up-gunned variants still would be negligible to new weapons of destruction. I recall we had captured a quite a few hundred versions of both variants from repelled invasions in the Calais and Brittany area. Shermans, also known as the M4, while under-gunned and armored compared to our later Panzer 4, Panther, Tiger, Tiger II and now the E-50, was an overall well designed armored fighting vehicle. My son, Sebastian was surprised when about three dozen Shermans were sent his way to reinforce his unit. It felt kind of odd sending captured Allied weapons to defend our capital, but I knew Sebastian was quite technical and could help find good use for the vehicles.
German advances by June 14th, 1944.
Our initial victory over the Spanish was more of a massacre. By the end of the first week of the offensive; which I only took part in the first day; we had driven a wedge well into the Allied lines. The overall objective of the offensive was quite simple – a spearhead by the best divisions of the SS and the Heer thrown against the Allies – towards a small town simply known as Dax near the French-Spanish border on the Atlantic. I remember sitting at the beginning of the second week of our offensive, its June 14th, 1944, and I my jaw dropped.
Apparently, we had already forced the surrender of nearly 7,000 Spanish troops who proclaimed they were forced by Franco to fight against their “national socialist brothers”. I almost believed them, expect for the fact that Franco, even to me, displayed his true colors. The Third Reich has no allies. We have only enemies and states we have propped up with our blood, our equipment and our time. We have been betrayed and will be betrayed again. I sometimes feel as if I should give into the crowd and worship of the Fuhrer. My life would be so much easier, but I would be betraying the my family’s reputation, honor and would most likely wind up dead in a ditch, never to be remembered for the acts that I seek to commit.
In my mind, if I were to betray my upbringing at this very moment, I would be no better than the 7,000 Spaniards who claim to believe in the values of Adolf Hitler and National Socialism. Just hours ago, these very men were firing shots against our men, men who they never had seen before. Men, that, they will never get a chance to fight along side with. It is kind of funny how fast a person will change a life time of beliefs and quickly give up their morals to spare their own skin. Again, I have thought on numerous occasions of betraying my better instincts. But the difference between me and the 7,000 prisoners or anybody else who seeks to save their self – I have not yet succumbed.