Screaming Eagles

^SIXTEEN GRAVES

“Silence, I want complete silence.” Graves shouldn’t even have had to say it, but he wanted to be sure they were as quiet as a cemetery when the Germans arrived.

The radio clicked next to his ear.

“What do you see?” he asked.

“Got reports of four Panzers and some infantry headed our way. Should run into our little surprise in about three minutes,” Bucky reported from the Sherman next to theirs.

“Guess it’s time to get back in the war,” Graves said, and hung up.

Woodward clambered up the side of the tank and slithered back inside.

“Mission accomplished,” he said. “Saw some Krauts in the woods just now, but they moved away from us.”

“Wehrmacht?”

“Yeah, but they were crazy. Running around like wolves looking for something to eat,” Woodward said.

“Did you step out for a nip?” Big Texas asked.

“No I didn’t have a drink, dummy. I saw what I saw.”

“Stick to the mission. If those wolves become a problem we’ll deal with them.”

They waited in silence. Graves counted in his head while he watched the second hand on his beat up Timex. It ticked away like an inevitable timer counting down their doom.

One Kraut paying extra attention to this area, and it would all be over. The Panzers would make short work of the little force. The infantry guys would have a chance, because they could fade into the forest. The tanks wouldn’t be so lucky. They’d try to perform a retreating action but they’d likely end up on fire. How Murph and his crew had lasted this long was a mystery even to him. A Sherman up against a Panzer was a death wish.

The rumble of the German military machine filled the morning air. It shook the ground, and consequently the Sherman that was glued in place.

“Here they come,” Bucky’s voice came over the radio.

“Roger. As soon as they pass, we fire.”

“Roger. I’ll give the signal,” Bucky said.

“Fine. Standing by.”

The men waited as the intensity of the shaking continued. Graves had a couple of captured SS’ medals stuck to the side of the tank. They shook against the side of the thick metal, and the picture of Betty Boop he kissed on a regular occasion fell off. Graves reached down to pick it up.

“What’s your wife going to say about Betty?” Gabby asked.

“She’s never going to find out about my other girl,” Graves said.

The rumble of tanks came to a dull roar, then suddenly died down.

Graves scanned the area with his scope, swiveling left and right, but the road was still clear.

“See anything?” Bucky said over the radio.

“Negative. Maybe they got off the road?”

“Shit. This damn weather isn’t doing us any favors.”

“Stay sharp,” Graves said, and clicked off.

They waited in silence until Big Texas said, “I gotta take a leak.”

“Hold it,” Graves said, and continued to scan the area.

“Not sure I can.”

“Use a damn ammo tin like the rest of us,” Gabby said.

“Can’t pee while someone’s watching.”

Graves rolled his eyes. He leaned over and pressed his ear to the side of the tank. The tanks were still out there, judging by the dull rumble in the distance. Then the noise grew again.

“Here they come,” Bucky said over the radio.

“Roger,” Graves said.

“Gonna piss myself,” Big Texas said but stuck to his gunner station like glue.

As the noise of the approaching Panzers grew, Murphy closed his eyes and muttered a prayer.