Through Love and War by James Farner

Author:James Farner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: World War II, military, holocaust, Nazi party, SS, war fiction, Second World War
Publisher: James Farner
Published: 2017-02-28T00:00:00+00:00

Erich Brandt

November 1941 – January 1942

19

24th November 1941

The Fuhrer hated the city of Berlin. Hitler had always preferred to live in Bavaria, where he had spent most of his formative years after the Great War. Erich and the Fuhrer had something in common. Berlin held too many bad memories for Erich. It was the capital, but it felt almost like a tomb to him. The people were stuffy and the atmosphere sterile.

“Herr Oberstgruppenfuhrer, I thought you would wish to read this report,” said his driver as they began the short leg to Berlin.

Erich blinked the sleep out of his eyes and accepted the report from the driver. He had flown from Warsaw to a military airfield east of Berlin when it was still dark. He rarely slept these days, giving his face a haggard look. Erich considered three or four hours a small victory.

He flipped open the report and read it through. It was a field report from the war in the Soviet Union. There were no secrets in this non-classified version of the report. It read more like a newspaper article without all the usual propaganda.

“Our forces are fighting with the Soviets.” Erich beamed with pride. “It should only be a matter of time before Stalin has to give in, if the old dog has the guts to admit when he’s beaten.”

Erich placed the report on the leather seat next to him. It was the first good news he’d had in weeks. The Nazi charge had been relentless. They were already pushing into the south of Russia. A victory there would cut off the Caucuses and open up the Soviet Union’s oil. Then there would be no stopping them. The Soviets could scorch as much earth as they pleased.

“The Fuhrer’s victory is going to be total soon enough, Herr Oberstgruppenfuhrer.”

“Indeed.” Erich wanted to punch the air, but he maintained his solemn countenance.

The rest of the trip to Berlin went by in silence. Erich picked up the report and read through it again. It sounded as if the Nazis were marching through completely unopposed until this point. The Soviets had finally decided they wanted a fight with the unbeatable 6th Army, leading the bulk of Army Group South. The temporary Soviet offensive would soon wither away, as they always did.

When they arrived in wartime Berlin Erich was alarmed to see the damage caused by Allied air raids. There was bomb damage everywhere, and some buildings had collapsed entirely. Erich had always known about the raids by the British, but they were nothing more than mosquitoes bothering the great Reich. Seeing the bomb damage first hand made him grit his teeth.

The driver took a longer route around to the central governmental district, where the Brandenburg Gate stood as a monument to Germany’s historical glories. The Unter den Linden, Berlin’s main boulevard continued to bustle as it always did.

“Leave me near the Reichstag,” said Erich.

The driver obeyed and Erich stepped out into the morning frost. The nearby Tiergarten’s foliage looked barren. He did note a copse of empty trees blackened by a stray bomb.

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