Bob Carruthers - Tiger Command!

“Well, bury her of course…”

Kleimer looked puzzled.

“Unfortunately, she didn’t survive the interrogation… but we did get the information we needed. These are the kind of small mercies her God might smile upon. Heil Hitler.”

Walter Lehmann then turned and walked out into the bright sunshine of a late afternoon Berlin summer day.

“The brandy did not come cheap,” he thought to himself, “but i.G. Borgmann now has a second source of information about Leningrad to relate to Hitler. She talks, she dies. Fingerprints, fingerprints, it’s all about fingerprints…”

Lehmann pulled his leather gloves over his chubby, lily-white fingers and strode off back to the office, perhaps stopping at another cafe on the way…

The infuriating business of changing tracks was a new experience for everyone. No one appeared to have thought things through. The tanks were fitted with cross-country tracks when they should have been fitted with transport tracks, but where were they?

Then, through the incessant noise, smoke, steam and arc lights, there was a knock at the door. Hans answered it to reveal the immaculately dressed figure of SS-Sturmbannführer Heinz Egger.

“Ah! Von Schroif. I presume you and your men are in a state of readiness for the ardours of embarkation in the morning.”

“Indeed, sir,” replied Hans. “However, you have that look about you that suggests there is a change of plan. Don’t tell me the train has been delayed.”

“No such luck, SS-Haupsturmführer. But you are right about the change of plan. Departure has been brought forward from 12.00 hours tomorrow to 05.00 hours today. You had better get your men ready. I’m afraid that is not all. We’ve had a change in orders. We are not going to Rostov anymore. We are going to Leningrad.”

“Leningrad? Why Leningrad? That isn’t proper tank country,” thought Hans to himself. He’d spoken to other commanders◦– it was a tank trap, a marshy swamp. Nothing at all like Rostov or Kerch◦– now that was tank country. But it was more than that. This new tank… Well, it might be unfair to call it a prototype, but it was certainly untested in anything resembling a theatre of war. What about the weight? The turret? The transmission? Paderborn was one thing; Leningrad was going to be an entirely different matter.

Still, in moments like these, all a soldier had left was trust. Trust that his commanders knew what they were doing. Trust in his crew. Trust in this new Tiger.

Before departing for the front, the Tiger men were to meet the mechanic who would not only accompany them on the journey, but offer invaluable advice on the art of entraining.

“Gentlemen,” announced von Schroif, “I am sure you will be delighted to once again meet SS-Hauptscharführer Rubbal.”

The men were delighted. Some strings had obviously been pulled. Rubbal was the best engineer any of them knew, and it was an obvious mark of the importance of the entire Tiger project that he had been spared from his work at the front.

“I have convened this briefing to illuminate you on the vital subject of logistics, particularly the science of moving these new tanks from one sector of the front to another. You could drive the tank to its objective, of course, but that would wear and damage the equipment, wasting unnecessary time for repair and maintenance◦– all this before you actually engage the enemy. Needless to say, transport by train is also faster. Now, of course, it is also possible to facilitate movement by sea. We have already done trials proving we can more or less drive the new Tiger into a ship’s hold or, if necessary, hoist it by crane, but this will not be the subject of today’s talk. Today, we shall stick to one of Moltke the Elder’s axioms◦– that military operations will suffer if the railhead is more than 100 km from the front. To explain your own role in all of this to you, I am delighted to have Hauptscharführer Rubbal.”

The ageing Hauptscharführer now prepared to speak. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Otto yawn.

“I am sorry if there is some duplication here. You, as experienced tankers, know many of these principles. So, I have prepared some notes for you on the new procedures of training and detraining that are specific to this new tank, the Tiger. Now, as SS-Panzerschütze Wohl will understand, the key aspect of this is changing the tracks so as to avoid collision with trains passing in the opposite direction. There are also other considerations.

“SS-Hauptsturmführer von Schroif, it will be your responsibility to request from HQ whatever transport assets are required, transportation tracks and the like. It is foreseen◦– but who ever foresaw anything in war?◦– that the equipment for loading◦– ramps, tie-down chains, spars, camouflage, and straw◦– will be carried on the loader cars themselves.

“Now, camouflage◦– protection from aerial observation◦– I cannot put too high a value on this. Therefore, you will load the Tiger tonight, as if this operation were taking place at the front. As you probably know already, loading should always take place at night. So, again, this will be good practice. The objective will be to keep loading times to an absolute minimum.

“SS-Hauptsturmführer von Schroif, as was customary with the Panzer IV, you shall personally guide your driver onto the loading wagon and supervise the tie-down. This is to be rechecked at every halt. This being the end of August, there should be no need for covering the tanks with tarpaulin, but, for secrecy, this will be the order of the day. Again, as with the Mark IVs, keep your eye out for overhead wires, keep your head out of the turret, take down your antennae, and close any weapons or optics openings.

“Now, at the risk of re-emphasising what you already know◦– but is not repetition your friend and not your enemy?◦– entraining is easiest if attempted on a straight piece of line. Then you can line up all five Tigers and drive straight on. As you well know, loading from the side is not a desirable procedure. Load distribution is the responsibility of the Ladermeister. In your case, it will be one tank per wagon, with other goods carried on each intervening wagon.

“Tie-downs are effected by crossing and tightening the wire ropes. When all five Tigers are in place, the recovery vehicle can take its place. Now, I can tell that you gentlemen cannot wait to get out into the clear evening air and prepare for this relatively simple operation, so I shall finish with two pieces of vital information, one good and one bad.

“The good news is that you will be travelling with a complete support crew, including, I am happy to announce, a tailor. The bad news is that the Feldeisenbahnkommando, since the inception of the ‘Otto’ programme, is sending nearly 220 trains east every single day, thereby resulting in a chronic shortage of rolling stock. Therefore, we are limited in the amount of passenger cars available. You will have to travel by the scenic route◦– inside the lovely machine. You may need that tailor after all. Good luck, gentlemen, and I shall see you in Mga.”

The crew pressed SS-Hauptscharführer Rubbal with further questions, each aware how little time they had left before loading.

“What exactly is the Otto programme?” asked Otto Wohl as they returned to their quarters. “Is it something along the lines of out, back in time for Christmas and an evening out with the lovely Elvira?”

“Not quite,” replied Michael, “it’s a DR initiative to double the German rail network capacity in the east.”

“Damn,” replied Otto, “looks like Elvira will have to kick her heels a while yet.”

“SS-Panzerschütze Wohl,” interjected Wendorff, “you do realise that in some quarters that last comment could be described as defeatist?”