Crusader (A Novel of WWII Tank Warfare) by Jack Murray (important of reading books .TXT) 📗

Manfred nodded. He’d been thinking on similar lines. Neithermentioned the likelihood that the regiment would had moved by the time theyreached what was their original camp.

A few minutes later they were on their feet again and walking. Thesun glared down at them angrily. If God had meant Germans to be in this hostilelandscape, he’d have given them different skin. This was the real enemy,Manfred realised. Overcoming the Allies was one thing; mastering this harsh,unforgiving environment, another. The Germans had no answer to the weaponry itcould deploy; a merciless sun that burned your skin, that made metal unbearableto touch and tanks furnace-hot.

Then there were the nights where the chill permeated your clothingand took up residence in your bones. The lack of food or water or civilisation.This land, this region wasn’t just inhospitable; it was alien.

Oddly, Manfred felt a little bit more relaxed than he had tenminutes previously and it wasn’t just because they’d refreshed themselves. Itwas something more basic, more important yet utterly trivial. It was Fischerwho’d instigated the break, not he. Even Kohler had waited for Fischer. Thismeant he was human. Not some sort of Aryan superman.

Manfred was one of them now. He’d faced the enemy. More than this,he’d faced his demons and won. Now, another victory of sorts, for such thingsare important when you’re young. He’d not lost face. Either in the tank, facingthe South Africans, or under the merciless intensity of the desert sun. Theepisode with the South Africans had not diminished him as much as he’d thoughtit might.

‘If we ever get out of this, I’m going to take up skiing,’ saidManfred.

‘You’ll love it,’ replied Fischer.

Of course he would be an expert, thought Manfred, regrettinghaving mentioned it. However, for once, the jealousy was only passing.

‘Where did you learn?’ asked Manfred in need of something to takehis mind off the walking. He was surprised by how little he knew about theBavarian. For all his conceitedness, Fischer was actually quite private andrarely spoke about his life before the war.

‘I’m from Munich. We went to the mountains most weekends. Duringwinter I virtually lived on the slopes. Maybe if we hadn’t had this war I’dhave competed at the Olympics.’

‘Really? You’re that good.’

‘Yes. That good,’ replied Fischer. Manfred supressed a smile. Hedid not doubt Fischer was that good but hearing him say it amused him.‘Maybe when this is over, you’ll come down. I’ll teach you.’

‘Would you?’ asked Manfred.

‘Of course. Let’s get through this first.’

Manfred nodded. He looked ahead. The mid-afternoon haze hadlifted. It was possible to see quite a long way ahead now. Not that there wasmuch to see in the flat, featureless landscape. Fischer seemed to have the samethought.

‘Not much sign of life, is there?’

Although he thought he knew the answer, Manfred asked the questionanyway.

‘Do you speak English?’ asked Manfred in English to Fischer.

Fischer laughed and replied back, in English, ‘Yes, of course.’

They walked along in silence for another minute. A thought wasgnawing within him. He remembered Fischer’s reaction when Manfred had, hethought, saved Kohler’s life.

‘Why didn’t you say then?’ asked Manfred.

Indeed, why didn’t he say? Or Kohler. Neither had spoken. EvenKohler, a gun pointed to his head had stayed silent. Did that make him naïve?Stupid? The truth was walking alongside him. Kohler, alive. But he would havelived anyway. They both had guessed, gambled even, that the South African’sthreat was not real.

‘I didn’t believe he’d kill Kohler.’

‘Do you think I was acting to save my own skin?’

Fischer looked at Manfred and grinned.

‘Were you?’

The answer to that was more complicated. Manfred was silent for afew moments while he considered how to respond.

‘They might have tortured me,’ pointed out Manfred although hedidn’t really believe this himself.

‘I doubt it. The war in the desert has been fought with somedecency on both sides,’ replied Fischer. Then the Bavarian stopped. This forcedhis two companions to do likewise. ‘I don’t think you’re a coward, but youshould have known better. Their jeep was full. They didn’t want the hassle ofdealing with us any more than we would have wanted to take them back to campwith us. They wouldn’t have murdered us any more than we would have murderedthem. The best policy was silence.’

Manfred looked surprised at Fischer. This appeared to amuse theBavarian. The idea that he would speak almost well of the enemy was unexpected.Manfred had always assumed that Fischer was a Nazi to his core. He looked thepart and certainly sounded it. But, then again, didn’t he look every bit theAryan boy? Hadn’t he been in the Hitler Youth. Why should Fischer be any moreof a Nazi than he. Manfred’s feelings towards his leader had changed since he’dbecome a soldier. His allegiance was no longer an unquestioning obedience.There were doubts now.

He thought of the young Jewish girl, Diane Landau again. And Anja.Yes, the doubts had been there from the start, he realised. Back then, he’ddenied it to himself. Now, such questions could be asked openly because here,in the desert, there was no one to censure him. Fischer began a story about hisfirst experience of conflict in the desert.

They started to walk again. Kohler remained silent but it wasclear Fischer wanted to say more.

‘We never spoke of this back at the camp but back in the middle ofJune when the British came to relieve Tobruk the first time, I was in adifferent tank. It didn’t last long, a few days maybe, but it was intense. Wefought against their tanks. We took out so many of them, but they kept coming.You’d see one tank explode, or another brew up. Their men would escape. We letthem. They let ours go, too.’

‘I heard Seeler say that they killed our men,’ said Kohler.

‘Seeler’s an idiot.’

As ever there was utter conviction in Fischer’s words. To be fair,Manfred did not disagree. Seeler was an idiot.

Fischer had not finished, however.

-

‘On the second morning of the battle my tank was hit. Previouslywhen we were hit, we ignored it. But the others knew straightaway that the fuelhad been hit. They were heading for the hatches before I’d time to ask what hadhappened. I