The World War II Zone 'forum heroes' in Normandy.

[Helmut Von Moltke]

OK, this is some sort of 'tradition', I'm sure a few members will know what it is...

Captain Jim Ohlstein, commanding a platoon of Shermans, approached the Staff Sergeant. "Ye the Houlihan the famous Tom?" he asked. Tom nooded. He was a fresh repalcement from Michigan and busted from the Marines recently for fighting. Dan, nicknamed 'sniper1shot' since he was a very good marksman, the Canadian liason officer to Jim's platoon, rushed over. 'General Patton is commencing his attack now. Move out!" Jim waved his arm forward. The Shermans, followed by dozens more, rolled forward. Fellow Sherman platoons covered Jim's right and left flank, commanded by Lieutenants Lancer, nicknamed 'Lancer44', and Lieutenant Ingsoc.

Feldwebel Helmut Von Moltke walked into Hauptmann MichaelG's office. MichaelG was commander of a company of panzergrenadiers in the Panzer-Lehr Division. His tunic was covered with decorations like the Iron Cross, wound badges, Infantry assault badges and Panzer assault badges. "Herr Hauptmann, the Kompanie is waiting for you." "Comig," repleid MichaelG, as he wrapped himself in a greatcoat and put on his officer's visort cap. Behind hung a RAD flag. "Umm... isn't that a bit out of regulations sir? We are the Wehrmacht, not the RAD.." asked Moltke. "Shhh! No one must know, you will find out soon!"

"Achtung!" ordered Leutnant Klaus, a Austrian conscipt who was promoted. The Company smartly clicked to attention and presented their arms. MichaelG stood in front, waiting for breath for his great speech. "Men! Do you not know that by joining the Wehrmacht, you are increasing the power of the party bigwig swine and decreasing the power of the great RAD!" "Uhh.. sir, I was drafted..." explained Klaus. "Silence! Know one defies Hauptmann MichaelG! When we finish this war against the American capitalist Imperialist dogs we will turn against the swine Prussian pig generals and the Nazi party swine and restore the glory of the Reichs arbeit dients the RAD to all Germany and Europe. Carry on." The Company was stunned. "What's with that guy?" asked Klaus, confused. Moltke, a Asiatic volunteer of the Wehrmacht who became MichaelG's assistant during the tough years in Russia, merely said "A guy gone crazy on the Ostfront.."

Moltke was interrupted by a shell exploding. Panzergrenadiers dived for cover, breaking up formation. Jim's takns burst onto the parade ground from the Bocage, mowing down Panzergrenadiers with ease. "Run for it!" screamed Moltke, as he dragged Klaus away form the mad slaughter, along with a few dazed Panzergrenadiers. Overhead, thousands of Allied bombers were in the sky, releasing thier deadly bombloads. The countrside burst into smoke and dirt all around. Panzers rushing into counterattack were blown into the air like toys, their muzzles flying around like needles. The few Panzers that survived started to engage Jim's platoon. Jim's tank burst into flames. Jim ran out, and smothered his burning uniform on the ground, and pulled out his knief, charging madly at the Panzers. Ingsoc's Sherman platoon professionally turned the flank of the Panzers and knocked them out from behind. Ingsoc took lots of photos of the battle, so that he could contribute a lot of them to distant future forums. Surprsingly, MichaelG stayed on the parade ground, fighting madly. He was dead drunk, and thought the Americans were in his RAD barracks. He was fighting with seeral Panzerfausts, knocking Sherman after Sherman out. Jim approached him with his knief, attempting to stab MichaelG. MichaelG mistook him for a Prussian staff officer, and madly screaming hit Jim in the head with a empty Panzerfaust canister, knocking him out. He saw a platoon of American infantry, deep behind the tanks. He approached them screaming, cutting them down with his MP40. He then full to the ground, exhausted. Sniper1shot approached him with a Sten and called on him to surrender. MichaelG complied, and raised his hands. "Take me to the ostfront now, you party Prussian swine, then collapsed. MichaelG would pop up later again in the story. Sergeant Houlihan was not too active in combat, he was drawing maps of Jim's battle skirmish for his coming memoir.

Meanwhile Lancer44's Sherman platoon had broken free of Jim's tanglemnt and caught up with Moltke and Klaus, and fired a cannon shot. Moltke and Klaus were tossed into the air, and landed very painfully in a 88 mm gun position. Both had sharpnel injurises. Doktor Krospell, a Austrian-Swedish school teacher who had been called up, and became a sanitater with the Luftwaffe 88mm flka guns, ran to them and bandaged them up. The 88 mm gun soon knocked out and destroyed Lancer44's platoon, the only surviving tank being Lancer's and he pulled back to Jim's position. Jim was recovering from MichaelG's blow, and climbed back into a Sherman. General Patton was on the radio to Jim. "Are you outta your mind!? Halting!? Just run straight into the Krauts and finish them off!"

Klaus, the highest officer around in the flak position, rang up Panzer Lehr headquarters. General Bayerlein, of Afrika Korps fame, andwered and screamed into the phone "Are you out of your mind? The Jabos have destryoed Panzer-Lehr by air! Totally! You have no reinforcements! Get the hell out of there!" and slammed down the phone. Meanwhile however, a platoon of Feldgendarmarie, the 'chain dogs' miltiary police, arrived at the flak position, and the Oberfeldwebel in charge of them reported to Klaus. "Herr Leutnant! We are reporting for combat duty here because the roads in our sector have been completely destroyed by the Jabos and there is nothing to patrol. However I also have a order from the Fuehrer to bring. No troops are to withdraw. It must be victory or death. You must fight to the last man and bullet Herr Leutnant, or face the consequences."

This was the grim situation in which Klaus and Jim would meet and lock in dramatic combat near Avranches on a sunny summer day in Normandy.

K

[Helmut Von Moltke]

Allright here is more. Don't want this to fade away. Maybe someoen make this a sticky? kiddin

MichaelG, with a white flag, approache the German lines, sent by Jim. The Feldgenadrmarie pulled out their MP40s and cut him down. However, MichaelG was still alive and crawled away, but not to Jim, but to try to desert. Jim spooted him, and decided to finish him once and for all. A shell shot out from Jim's Sherman, and MichaelG was blown into the air, and fell down, as dead as a rock. The RAD glory days were over.

Meanwhile, Jim's Shermans contineud racing towards Kalus's position. However reinforcments arrived. 5 Pumas udner the command of Leutnant Thomas von Houlihan, a distant German relative of Jim's favourite Marine staff sergeant, reinforced Klaus. It would be a fight to the death.

K