Casca 4: Panzer Soldier by Barry Sadler

an enemy to your rear was terrifying. More than once a couple of lost German tanks had blundered unwittingly into a Russian headquarters area. The resulting confusion of the wildly firing tanks trying only to get out of there had been enough to start a frantic retreat, as whole divisions withdrew from the front lines in panic when they heard that their HQ was being attacked by Panzers.
    Heidemann tossed Langer a sack of army bread only four days old and two large cheeses that had seen better days. "Sorry, this is all there is. Supplies will take a while to straighten out. After all, they have to have the proper requisition forms, you know. Hunger is not reason enough for the machinery of the German army to grant one something to eat.”
    Langer yelled something unintelligible down to Gus, who stuck his head up through the driver's hatch mumbling. He climbed out and then leaned back in grunting, his pants showing a large plaid patch on the ass. He hauled up a couple of sacks and tossed them down to the feet of Heidemann. Jumping down to stand in front of him he clicked his heels, brought his arm up in the Hitler-style salute, bellowing at the top of his lungs. "Sir, Obergefreiter Gustav Beidemann begs to report that he has, using the initiative ordained in the book of Holy German Army regulations, section 23-2 sub paragraph 765-b, prevented certain items from falling into the hands of the godless subhuman Bolsheviks, which I present to Herr Hauptmann as regulations require for his disposal of, sir!" With a moué of distaste, Heidemann returned the salute in the army manner and kicked the sacks.
    "You know Gus," Carl said. "When Kharkov was burning we came across a supply truck loaded with all the necessities of life for the general officers' mess. It had a busted axle so Gus shoved it out of the way with the Tiger, and in exchange for giving the driver a ride out of the town, we loaded up with enough general type food and booze to last for a couple of weeks."
    Heidemann gave Gus a dirty look. "What happened to the truck? You know the penalty that will come down when the brass finds their chow is gone!"
    Gus smirked. "No problem, Herr Hauptmann. Teacher put a round from the eighty-eight into the truck and it became just one more casualty of the greater war against Bolshevism."
    In spite of himself, Captain Heidemann couldn't repress a grin. "All right, Langer, you take your animals and get to a place you can cover the bridge from." Picking up the sacks he looked at Gus still standing at rigid attention. "Beidemann, you are without a doubt the most obnoxious, ill-disciplined and insubordinate bastard I have ever met in my life." His bags clanked as he slung them over his shoulder.
    "Thanks."
    Before September ended the crossings at Cherkassy, Kremenchug, Dnepropetrovsk and Kanev had been in use day and night. Manstein's forces poured through these fragile channels and deployed to right and left, taking up positions on what was now to be called "The Eastern Rampart."
    The Russians ignored German propaganda claims that they would be destroyed at the banks of the Dnieper and continued to overrun German rear-guard units at will until the twenty-first advance, elements of Vatutin's 3rd Guards Army reached the banks of the river and, three days later had already established several small bridgeheads on the opposite banks where the German forces were spread too thin to effectively oppose them. During this phase the Germans had only one minor success. Vatutin ordered the 1st, 3rd and 5th Guards Parachute Brigades to be dropped on the German side of the Dnieper to reinforce the Soviet bridgeheads and to also block the advances of any German reinforcements. Their timing was a little off. The 1st and 3rd missed their DZ and the 10th Panzer Grenadier Division having moved in the night before was directly under them when the 5th Guards made their jump. The 5th Guards were promptly torn to pieces by the Grenadiers, many of them while still