Why Me?

Journal Entry #56

Date: December 16, 1944

We've camped out here in  Bastogne waiting for our company commander to give us new orders. Our company was mostly comprised of Shermans which we only had about 30 or so left of and a handful of Hellcats, ours being one of them. Never have we been so relieved in this war considering haven't been attacked for a couple days now and we don't know what we're going to do next. Me, Patterson, Baker, Johnson, and Williams have been talking amongst each other and have just been having the best time we can for now considering we could be attacked any moment. None of us know when it will end, but we hope it does soon or were going to be overrun by the damn Germans and their Blitzkrieg. The Stukas haven't shown up so far, which is a good thing, but then again who could fly in this weather. It's freezing and the snow just keeps coming down.

As I was writing the sound of an engine or engines I should say could be heard. Our entire company looked around to find the source of the noise.

It was freezing out here and I hoped to God they weren't attacking us, our planes were grounded from the freezing weather and couldn't do anything.

Patterson broke the silence, "What do you think it is Stevens? Tank? Car? Plane?"

I told him my opinion on the matter,"There's no way anyone could fly in this weather. And it's not a car, the engine is noisy."

Baker spoke up," S-so it's a T-tank?"

"Probably..."

Just as we sat there brainstorming ideas on the matter one of the runners came out of the brush and stared yelling "The Germans are here, the German's are here!"

No one questioned them and I ran out of the tank to start the engine. The roar of the engines could be heard from all around now.I ran up to the side and sat in the gunners seat. Patterson, our commander, yelled to Baker to start driving. The tank lurched forward and we were off.Williams loaded a shell into the 76mm cannon and I was looking out of the cabin for any signs of a German tank.

We started to get into a line of tanks all racing to the actual city of Bastogne. We were in the back while the Sherman's kicked there engines into overdrive and started to haul ass. We started to hear artillery shells firing and flames started to arise.

Once we got to the actual city there were German Panther tanks all lined up and ready to fire. We stayed back because of our thin armor while the Sherman's rushed to the front line firing shells. More German Panther tanks came up to the line and started to fire at us.

Johnson was on the radio when he told us to go around them and try to fire at the engines. All of the hellcats in our division started to turn and get around the city. The 4 tanks in our division started to drive in a line to the sides of the city to get into firing position.

As we were driving along an we were bombarded with artillery shells. The tank right behind went up and flames, and so did the tank in front of us. We turned to go around them and as we did an artillery shell hit our tracks and were started to spin until we ran out of track to run on.

Our tank was now facing the artillery that was firing at us. Patterson got on the browning machine gun and started to fill them with bullets. I aimed for the nearest artillery trench and fired a round at it. The machine went up in flames and the soldiers started to run off. Patterson easily fired the browning and shot them all. All the while Patterson started to yell over the machine gun,"Baker get your ass out there and fix our track!"

Baker hurried out of the tank and repaired our track in record time, probably because he didn't want to get shot.  He got back in the tank and hurried to the safety of the driver's port and we started to drive off. We hurried to the firing position we were supposed to be at already.

When we got there the other tank from division was already lobbing shells at the panthers. He knocked out about 12 already, but more just kept on coming. We quickly entered the fray to as we both started to fire shells at the tanks. They started to see where the fire was coming from and started to turn there turrets to us. We quickly fired at the ones that were trying to get a shell in us.

As we were firing we didn't see the giant beast that was coming up behind us. Johnson apparently saw what was rolling up behind us and started to scream,"King tiger! King tiger!"

I turned my head and saw the most powerful weapon in Hitler's Panzer division, the dreaded Panzerjager Tiger Ausf. B. The 128mm cannon on the rolling monster was enough to make an tank commander loss all hope.

Patterson saw the ones rolling up behind us and started to yell,"Baker get us the hell out of here!"

"I'm trying!"

The tank to our left exploded and went up in flames. Our tank turned and we started to speed away from the threat. We were rolling along the path back to the safety our artillery when we were  slammed with a Panther's shell. The shell hit the side and made shrapnel go flying. I got hit in the leg with a large chunk of metal while my other members weren't so lucky Baker, Williams, and Patterson were all struck dead and johnson and me were the only ones alive.

Johnson, fearing for his life, took off his headset and hopped out the tank running away from it. What I saw next was horrifying he was shot down by the machines that were placed inside the panthers and then he was blasted by a shell of the King Tiger. I have no idea were his body was then placed.

I looked around hoping they thought we were all dead, but apparently they spotted me and turned there turret to fire another shell what happened next was a gift from god himself. I saw the cannon's smoke as the tank fired at me, but the tank wasn't hit again it was teleported.

I saw a bright light and I saw the tank and I were in a royal looking courtyard. I saw something big and white running towards me. I had lost a lot of blood from the shrapnel in my leg and it was starting to take its toll.

I looked at the creature that was now near me and told it,"Help... me..."

I then blacked out.