Three Novels of World War II by Jeff Shaara

Author:Jeff Shaara [Shaara, Jeff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780345534859
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2011-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

ZIEGENBERG, NEAR BAD NAUHEIM, GERMANY

DECEMBER 26, 1944

He led them past the huge pines that flanked one side of his headquarters, a natural camouflage against any Allied fighters. But there had been no raids, the anti-aircraft gunners usually occupying their time with card games, hidden low in their bunkers so the officers would not see. Beyond the small town, more guns had been placed, field artillery, protection against a ground assault that of course had not come. It was the work of an efficient staff officer, his aides protective of him still. He enjoyed having the artillery close by, though as yet no gun had been fired. He took the time to walk among the artillery, as though it mattered, inspecting the men whose crisp salutes always greeted him. It had been a very long time since anyone in Berlin had saluted him at all.

It was frigidly cold, the snow a hard blanket cut by pathways. Von Rundstedt allowed Guderian to lead the way, a three-man parade, cloaked in heavy coats. The staffs had stayed behind, typical when a man of Guderian's authority had come to visit. They had come to accept that these kinds of briefings were rife with high-level details, meetings that Berlin must have thought were important. Von Rundstedt allowed the game to play out, knew it was part of the job, what little job he could actually perform. At least, visitors gave him something to do.

It was typical of Guderian to lead the way, though von Rundstedt outranked him by far. It was just his way, a display of arrogance that Guderian had earned. Von Rundstedt had to respect the man, even if he didn't particularly like his brusque manner.

Heinz Guderian could legitimately take credit for the army's development of the panzer divisions as a primary tool, and the army's reliance on that kind of power had given Germany most of its successes. Even before the war began, Guderian had championed the necessity of a superior armored force that could drive swiftly and mightily through the enemy's lines of defense. The tactic had worked in Poland, had worked in France, and for a while had worked in Russia. But Guderian had none of the soft touch of the men who wished to stay close to Hitler, and though the Fuhrer maintained a grudging respect for what Guderian had accomplished, on two occasions, after some angry disagreement between the panzer commander and his Fuhrer, Guderian had been relieved of his command. In July, after the botched assassination attempt on Hitler's life, Guderian had seemed to sense opportunity and rose up to become one of the principal prosecutors of the conspirators, a brutal show of perfect loyalty that Hitler was certain to appreciate. Though Guderian no longer led tanks into battle, his ongoing loyalty had landed him in the post of the chief of the General Staff, a title that seemed to conflict with the authority of both Alfred Jodl and Wilhelm Keitel. It was one more method Hitler

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