Orders for Russia

(Source)

Fahnenjunker-Unterfeldwebel Jürgen von Lüttwitz looked up from the letter he was writing to see his platoon and company commanders walking up the path to the squad's quarters.

"Well, I'm sure this isn't good news." he muttered to himself, getting to his feet.

"Jürgen, sit down, no need for formalities."

Newly promoted Hauptmann Ferdinand Busch waved von Lüttwitz back to the bench he had been sitting on.

"What are you working on?" he asked amiably.

"Just a letter Sir, to my parents."

"Very good, you might have the chance to see them soon."

"Sir?"

"We're entraining for the East, tonight." Busch said.

Von Lüttwitz looked at his platoon commander, Leutnant Fritz Acker, who nodded. "That's right Jürgen, back to the east, but not Poland this time."

Von Lüttwitz remembered when the unit had been sent to Poland, very near the demarcation line with the Soviet occupied zone, where they had spent a rather cold winter, before being shipped back to France. The division had originally been allotted to the invasion of Russia, but had never left France, most of it.

Von Lüttwitz's battalion had been sent east, anticipating the deployment of the entire division. That had not occurred as partisan activity within France had been increasing. So back west they went.

Now the fighting in the east was getting even more intense and the vast distances required more and more infantry. Though thousands upon thousands of Soviet soldiers had been captured, thousands more were still behind German lines, attacking communications lines and further increasing problems with the Wehrmacht's logistics.

"Which part of the front, Sir?" von Lüttwitz asked his company commander.

His platoon commander answered, "Heeresgruppe Nord¹, the drive on Leningrad."

"Very well, we'll be ready." von Lüttwitz rose to his feet again, this time Hauptmann Busch didn't say anything, but he did nod at Leutnant Acker with a grin. Von Lüttwitz cocked his head and looked at the two officers.

"You're out of uniform, Feldwebel. Get these on your uniform immediately!" Acker tossed von Lüttwitz a set of shoulder straps. Each bore a single star marking his new rank of Feldwebel. Technically he was a Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel as his epaulettes still would have the two silver loops indicating his status as an officer-aspirant. He was starting to wonder if that jump would ever occur.

"Why so glum von Lüttwitz? Mad because you're not an officer yet? Don't worry, you'll get there. Provided you survive."

With that the two officers departed. That last comment by Busch made von Lüttwitz ponder, many were dying in the east. The communiques spoke of the vast distances conquered, the prisoners taken. But they said nothing of the German casualties which Army rumor said were starting to climb.

"Sepp!" his assistant squad leader had been lurking nearby. "I'm sure you overheard everything, best set the men to packing."

"Already on it, Herr Feldwebel." Obergefreiter Sepp Wittman grinned when he said that. Then continued, "Before you know it, you'll be an officer Jürgen, please remember us little people."

Wittmann ducked when von Lüttwitz threw a cleaning brush at him.

"Make sure the lads bring all of their gear. Greatcoats as well. You remember the cold out East, and we'll be heading further north."

"Ja, Leningrad, I've been there in the spring and the fall. Weather was cold at nights then, I can't imagine what it's like in the winter!"

"Well, we shall know shortly." von Lüttwitz said as he placed his new epaulettes on his tunic. Now he needed another set for his greatcoat.

He shuddered, heading to Russia just when the early fall was setting in here in France. A lovely time of year.

"Sepp!"

"Yes?"

"See if we can't smuggle some wine with us, I know the lads would like that."

"Already done, Herr Feldwebel. Already done."

Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel shoulder board.
(Source)

¹ Army Group North