Survive as a World War II Soldier - Chapter 158



Only Krnovel

#158

Clayton Williams Abrams Jr.

Abrams graduated from West Point in 1936 with a poor academic record, ranking 185th out of 276 students.

Although he wasn’t last, his grades weren’t good enough to choose the branch he wanted to go to. Thanks to that, his first posting was to the cavalry division.

But rather than settling for reality, Abrams kept working hard, and thanks to that, he was the first to volunteer when the unit he was serving in was converted to an armored division.

As a result, I was able to form a relationship with Patton.

He served as Patton’s vanguard from North Africa through Sicily to Paris.

As a result, he was able to advance to colonel faster than his peers.

Although he now commands a brigade, Abrams, like General MacArthur long ago, has not given up riding tanks on the front lines.

“Every man should be the first to charge. Isn’t that the mark of a brave commander?”

If it had been a different unit, he might have been scolded for not being worthy of his rank, even though he was a colonel, but fortunately, he was in the US military.

In the US army led by MacArthur and Patton, Abrams was just one of the ordinary officers.

In any case, Abrams, who had Patton’s full trust, was playing that role properly in this Berlin advance operation.

“This is a call from the air force.”

“How long does it take?”

“We will be entering the operation area within 10 minutes.”

At the signals officer’s words, Abrams immediately gave the order to cease fire.

“Let’s step back for a moment.”

It was good to beat up the Germans, but more important was to make sure they didn’t loiter nearby and get blindly bombed.

“Prepare to charge as soon as the air force passes.”

Their mission was to simultaneously charge and cut through the long line of German troops as the air force passed over them, striking from the rear.

When I looked through my binoculars at the Germans, I saw them panicking.

Since I arrived early, I did a little warm-up by firing from a distance, and it was quite effective.

“It’s definitely good because it’s new.”

“yes?”

The last one, which was the first production, had a lot of minor defects, but this one was definitely in good condition.

While we were chatting for a while, a large shadow appeared in the sky and our vision darkened.

“This is the Air Force.”

In a flash, the Army Air Force was seen passing them by, raining down fireballs on the heads of the Germans.

“Okay, let’s start the engine and get ready.”

At Abrams’ shout, the tanks roared and their engines roared in unison.

“let’s go!”

“Let’s go to Berlin.”

“Let’s break those Jerry bastards’ heads!!!”

They began to advance with fierce shouts here and there. Naturally, the tank Abrams was riding was the one running straight ahead.

The German tanks and anti-tank guns that occasionally survived fought back, spewing fire, but Abrams was not afraid.

It was because I trusted the defense capabilities of the M26 Pershing. In addition,

“Wow, I didn’t know that just putting up one barbed wire fence would increase defense this much.”

“That’s right. Since you don’t have to apply heavy cement, the speed won’t decrease either.”

“That’s right. But, Colonel.”

“why?”

“We’re surrounded. There are too many Germans.”

Looking around at his subordinate’s words, it certainly seemed like there were more Germans than him and his subordinates.

“That’s what the aviation guys do.”

It was clear that they had wasted precious bombs on the wrong places. But they were different.

“Good.”

“yes?”

“There’s no need to aim anymore. Doesn’t that mean that if you shoot anywhere, it’ll all hit!”

If others had heard it, it would have sounded crazy, but Abrams’ men thought otherwise.

“Ohhh!!!”

“That’s right.”

“No need to aim, just shoot.”

A few hours later.

“The organization has been completed more or less.”

“okay?”

“Yes, what would you like to do? Join the main force?”

Abrams sighed as he looked at the questioning subordinate.

“Tsk. That’s why you’re only a major.”

“Ah. Seriously, why are you doing that?”

“Think about it. Think about it. Why waste oil on it? Why go back.”

“Then, should we wait here for the main force?”

This time, it wasn’t a sigh, but a joint that flew in.

“Isn’t time a waste?”

“yes?”

“Let’s go to Münster.”

“Then the prisoners and···.”

“There are some who are spread out and can’t move. It’ll be fine if they stay.”

Abrams explained that the main force would arrive soon, and that they would have supplies, so they could repair the ship with those and follow it.

“But Münster isn’t just a small city.”

“Hey, so it’s completely destroyed and there’s nothing there? The Air Force guys bombed it so many times, what would be left there?”

Abrams’s statement that since so many troops had been sent there to support other places, there would be even fewer defense forces left seemed plausible.

“If you’re really anxious, you can just contact the air force and request another bombing.”

“All right.”

And when Patton heard the news, he shook his head in disbelief.

“Ha, that’s ridiculous. Abrams, this kid is really capable, but if he keeps running wild like that, I don’t think he’ll be able to live long.”

In any case, thanks to the lightning advance of Patton and his subordinate Abrams, Münster, where the headquarters of the German 6th Army was located, also fell in one day.

And when they heard the news, countless people began to lend their support, so much so that the entire universe was helping them.

In addition to the Germans who had no idea about Patton’s movements, Hitler’s stubbornness, and other American soldiers who were desperately trying to support Patton by grabbing the Germans right in front of them, there were countless others who wanted to lend a helping hand to their advance.

The first of these were far to the east, in Ukraine.

“What? Where are we already? If it’s Essen, isn’t it Ruhr?”

Stalin was shocked and jumped at the news that they had already crossed the Rhine and taken control of Germany’s key industrial region, the Ruhr.

“Yes, I just got my hands on Essen….”

I tried my best to minimize the US military’s achievements, but it was no use.

“Essen is the heart of Ruhr. If we can get our hands on that, the other places will be a breeze. Damn it.”

The one who was summoned by an extremely angry Stalin was Georgy Zhukov.

“Comrade, what do you think of the Yankees crossing the German border and coming close to taking over the Ruhr?”

So the current situation on the Eastern Front was intense.

After Walter Model, the Lion of Defense, took charge of the Eastern Front, the speed of the Soviet advance had noticeably slowed down.

Of course, unlike the German army, which was lacking in everything, the Soviet Union, which could win in terms of quantity, whether it was people or goods, was somehow advancing. However, it could not be compared to the speed of the American army led by Patton.

He tried to buy time by flying to Cairo for talks and trying to slow down the advance of the US military, but the Soviet military did not advance much in the meantime.

“We are currently preparing an operation to wipe out the German Army Group Center in one fell swoop.”

“preparation?”

“Ah, everything is ready and ready to go. Once we do that, we’ll be able to advance straight to Poland.”

“Really? Can I trust you?”

“Yes, comrade. All Soviet troops, including myself, will continue to march without stopping to Berlin.”

What is more powerful than the will to survive?

Georgy Zhukov did his best to survive.

The desire for life that came from above engulfed the entire Soviet army, and thus began the Bakration Offensive.

The Soviet Union began to launch a ground offensive across the entire Eastern Front, deploying all the tanks and vehicles it had received through Lend-Lease from the United States and using its mobility and overwhelming power.

Although the Walter model was a weapon of defense, it was useless against overwhelming numbers.

The most difficult thing is,

“Retreat! That’s absolutely impossible.”

It was Hitler who was insisting that we must never retreat.

“Then please send reinforcements. Without support, it will be difficult to retreat. Are you telling me to just die like this?!”

But Germany currently had no room to spare.

The Antwerp raid, which was intended to bring in all the reinforcements and supplies that were supposed to be sent to the Eastern Front, was a huge failure. But it could not be avoided because the American troops crossed the Rhine River and held them back.

However, the East could not be left as it was. Guderian, who had been pondering this, opened his mouth.

“How about sending troops to Poland?”

“Poland?”

Hitler looked displeased, but there was nothing he could do.

If we continue to be pushed back like this, Poland will also have a hard time. In order to maintain the Eastern Front, we had to send reinforcements.

Then, this time, an urgent report came from the west.

“Münster has fallen. The US 7th Army led by Patton…”

When Hitler heard the news, fire came out of his mouth.

“What on earth is Rundstedt doing? He just needs to attack Antwerp, so why…”

Even though he was being driven back across the Rhine River, let alone to Antwerp, Hitler could not accept the reality.

The German leadership, including Hitler, became increasingly concerned about the difficult situation in which both the East and the West were demanding support.

If we were to withdraw the Polish troops and send them to the West, the East would be a problem, but if we were to send them to the East, the American troops that had come all the way to Münster would be a problem.

Hitler, with a frown on his face, began to rub his forehead as if he had a headache.

And the moment he made up his mind and was about to convey his decision to others,

“Your Excellency the President, this is urgent money.”

A call came from Warsaw. It was news that solved the headache I had been struggling with for a while.

“They say there was an uprising in Warsaw.”

“The Allied forces launched an airborne operation.”

In the original history, the airborne troops of the Free Polish Legion, which had melted down in the Market Garden, arrived in Poland by special delivery of our American military.

##

“The Soviet offensive is tremendous.”

“okay?”

“If our Polish friends hold out, we might be able to get help from the Soviet Union.”

“Really? Then we should speed things up a bit too.”

And as if he had heard me, Patton sent me some news.

“I have news that Münster has been captured.”

“Münster? Didn’t you say you left Essen this morning?”

“The performance of the armored regiment led by Colonel Abrams···.”

If you add Abrams to Patton, then yes, it’s not an incomprehensible speed.

“This is an operational plan requested by the British and Canadian forces.”

The staff members who reviewed the documents began to comment with displeased expressions.

“Isn’t this too weak?”

“Yes, the intention is obvious.”

The most intense fighting on the Western Front is currently taking place along the Rhine River.

The battle at the Siegfried Line, where the core forces of the Western Army were gathered, was much more intense than that of Patton, who was galloping alone.

But the British are not supporting it,

“You want to move independently?”

“No, the horse is moving independently. If you look at the route of advance, doesn’t that mean it will follow the 7th Army?”

“Yes, it is clear that he is following behind and waiting for an opportunity to steal credit like a rat.”

“Well, it does look like that.”

“You must not allow it.”

But it wasn’t easy. The British weren’t stupid, so they wouldn’t have just come up with a plan.

“France is also continuing its own advance into Germany.”

“We will also move independently.”

France is doing it, so why can’t we? What can we do?

“Tell him to go.”

“Yes? But···.”

“When have you ever seen those Tommy kids do anything right?”

You’re following Patton and intercepting him? If you can, try it.

Who would have thought that we could follow Patton without McNair?

It was just like Tommy’s level of not being able to even understand the topic.

“Just tell them to follow the 7th Army. If you tell them to provide rear support, they’ll say fine.”

It was clear that if we threw out an excuse that we couldn’t even say out loud, they would bite.

“Wouldn’t that be good for us too?”

It would be nice if the British cleaned up after Patton as he ran like crazy.

I’m trying to pray.