Chapter 610: Cursing
Shortly after the airfield was captured, large German transport aircraft began to land on the runway. This new large transport was the latest model developed by the Junkers company, specifically designed to carry large cargo containers and numerous personnel. A single one of these planes could carry 90 soldiers, making it an absolute behemoth among the transport aircraft of this era.
The plane had a very interesting design feature: when not carrying other cargo, it could transport two of the air force’s paratrooper fighting vehicles. It was because of this large transport aircraft that the German Air Force decided to procure more paratrooper fighting vehicles and develop new models.
The first transport plane slowly came to a stop at the end of the runway, and paratroopers rushed up to help. Due to the limitations of the time, transporting a large piece of equipment like a tank required a great deal of preparation. Moreover, after the plane landed, the tank could not simply be driven out; it required the assistance of many men to unload it.
More Ju 52 transport planes followed, landing one after another. This time, the Germans were relying entirely on paratroopers to fight a war, with no intention of capturing a port. Large numbers of “air-transported infantry” arrived on Crete aboard the sturdy and fuel-efficient, if mediocre, Ju 52s. Their strength, compared to traditional paratroopers, was immensely powerful.
General Student disembarked from a Ju 52. This plane was no different from the ones carrying other paratroopers, with the sole exception that his transport did not contain other soldiers, but was instead piled high with a high-powered radio and various other electronic equipment.
As the saying goes, like leader, like subordinate. Under Akado’s leadership, the Germans had become accustomed to using every possible means to achieve victory. Every one of their trains was packed as full as possible, and every plane was stuffed with the maximum amount of cargo. General Student had once proudly told an Italian general, “We Germans never waste an aircraft’s payload, not even if that plane is carrying a general.”
He proved his words were no idle boast with his actions. After he and two aides got off the plane, the German soldiers who went up to move the equipment found that the entire cabin had only three seats. The rest of the space was filled with batteries, a diesel generator, and radio equipment—a complete mess.
“Heil Akado Rudolph, our Führer! General! Welcome to Crete,” a major stepped forward, snapped to attention, and saluted Student. He had arrived with the helicopters and, after securing the airfield, had been waiting here for the commander-in-chief of the airborne forces, Student, to land.
“Thank you, Major. I swore an oath to my soldiers that I would always stand with them, so I did not stay in Greece, although it seemed quite nice there,” Student said as he stepped off the plane, dusting off his travel-worn uniform. He pointed to the Ju 52 behind him and then complained with a smile to the major, “The equipment inside is well-maintained, but some parts are too dirty.”
“I will order someone to clean it,” the major quickly replied.
“Do you have so many men that you can spare some to clean rooms?” Student asked as he walked forward.
“Major Borol, commander of the 1st Battalion, sent a message half an hour ago. His battalion has taken control of the small town to the east and the crossroads, and has set up a crossfire defense line there. The 2nd Battalion is having an even smoother time; three paratrooper fighting vehicles are providing direct fire support, and they have torn open the Greek defenders’ line. They are now less than a kilometer from their objective,” the major answered. “We have 300 fully armed soldiers here, plus 110 guards from the airborne division headquarters. I think we can spare one man to wipe down the radio equipment, can’t we?”
“Send the 300 men guarding the airfield to the 2nd Regiment,” Student immediately began issuing orders. “And detach 50 men to reinforce the 1st Regiment’s 1st Battalion. Intelligence expects them to face a counter-attack from the Greek defenders.”
He paused, then looked at the major. “Now you only have 60 soldiers. They have to guard the entire airfield and help unload the transport planes! Do you still think you have a lot of men? Remember, never let a paratrooper be idle!”
“Yes, General!” The major hurried off to make the arrangements, one hand on his helmet, the other swinging, running towards a hastily erected tent, which presumably housed a low-power radio set. A diesel generator could be seen next to the tent, along with electrical cables and a large radio antenna. A few officers stood around the tent, pointing at a map and discussing something.
The nearby Greek defensive lines were collapsing, and sporadic resistance was quickly mopped up. The German forces had already secured a sizable area and had established a very strong defensive system in all directions. German soldiers near the airfield were busy laying out a huge German swastika flag on the ground to prevent friendly fire from German bombers.
At that very moment, Borol was in a room tallying his losses. Just a few minutes earlier, a group of Greek soldiers had attempted to overrun his position, and a fierce firefight had broken out. One German soldier was killed, and two others were seriously wounded by enemy grenades. The German paratroopers killed 41 of the attacking enemy and took 6 prisoners.
From these prisoners, they learned that the Greek commander had not yet fully grasped the scale of the German airborne force. He was still trying his best to strengthen the defenses around the island, preparing to deal with the inevitable arrival of a German naval fleet and landing force.
Borol collected all the cigarettes from the prisoners and put them on his desk, then had the prisoners taken away. As soon as they were gone, he said to the two company commanders who had followed him in, “Arrange for two men to escort these prisoners to Regimental HQ. Also, send our interrogation results, a corresponding report, and the captured Greek defense map. And you’d better bring back a paratrooper fighting vehicle. I’m worried the enemy might use heavy weapons.”
No one ever thinks they have too many troops. The squeaky wheel gets the grease—this is an eternal truth. All frontline units will try their best to request reinforcements; it’s one of the most basic tactics for survival. Of course, the squeaky wheel doesn’t always get the grease, because your superior and your superior’s superior can easily distinguish which requests are genuine and which are just “routine.” But you still have to squeak. After all, squeaking may not get you grease, but not squeaking definitely won’t. Everyone knows this, so “requesting reinforcements” is, just like “Heil Führer,” a mandatory phrase upon meeting.
Seeing one of the company commanders nod in agreement, Borol quickly added, “We really need ammunition for the MG 42. Send two sharp veterans, and give them two packs of cigarettes. Have them say a few nice words to the supply officer at Regiment. They must get some.”
Crack! From the rooftop of a distant village, a German paratrooper sniper fired a shot. Borol was startled, then quickly ordered the two company commanders back to their posts. “The enemy is attacking! Get back to the line! Quickly! Don’t go back empty-handed, each of you grab a case of machine gun ammo! Go!”
The battle started just like that, without any warning. The German machine gun once again erupted with its unique sound, like a buzzsaw ripping through linen. Tracers drew straight lines into the distance, knocking down one Greek soldier after another. The enemy was quite far away, so only one German light machine gun position opened fire fiercely. After about ten seconds, the belt was empty, and the machine gun began to change position. Everything returned to silence, but the Greek troops had not retreated. They advanced in groups, inching closer to the German positions.
On another rooftop far away, a German soldier holding binoculars lowered his observation device. He gestured towards Borol’s position, placing one hand below the other. The top hand held up four fingers. After making the gesture, he balled both hands into fists and struck them together twice.
“One armored car, 400 infantry. That’s a considerable force, almost a battalion,” Borol muttered to himself after seeing the soldier’s signals. “Tell the battalion mortars to open fire based on the observation data. Let’s start with one volley!”
Donner nodded quickly, then walked out of the room and into the open space by the door, giving the order to fire to the crews of the four mortars. The battalion mortar commander raised a small red flag, and the observer on the roof immediately gave a hand signal in return. The artillery commander nodded, indicating he understood, and began to issue the combat order: “Parameter one, fire!”
The battalion had only three mortars during the initial assault; the fourth had found its way here with other units and returned to the unit later. These skilled mortar crews had already determined their firing sectors before the battle, dividing the area in front of the German positions into three range zones to ensure more accurate fire.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! With four dull sounds, four mortar shells flew out of the tubes. They traced graceful arcs and landed in the pre-measured locations, immediately erupting in four massive explosions. All the impact points were within the crowd of attacking Greek soldiers, and the advancing force was instantly thrown into some confusion.
“Fire!” With a German roar, a dense volley of fire swept towards their opponents. The Greeks at the front screamed and fell, clutching their wounds. As the attack continued, a second round of mortar shells landed among them, and the Greek soldiers began to rout.
“Bastards! These damn German paratroopers are bullies! Their firepower is even stronger than our infantry’s!” Watching his troops get defeated, a Greek battalion commander cursed with a hint of jealousy.
Published: 2025-09-10T05:28:35.000+00:00
Last Edited: 2026-01-20T16:57:23.000+00:00
URL: https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair/posts/mtr-c610-cursing-138561873
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