Manfred Krebs received word by telephone at the farm near the Grünwald. He told his father and began to pack his things. "Where you off to, sport?" Lukas quipped when he walked into his room.

"War," Manfred muttered as he continued to gather his things. He didn't bother looking up at his brother.

"What?!"

Manny looked up at him, face intentionally left in a neutral unemotional way, "yes Lukas. There is a war on. Apparently Goosestep Georgie seems to enjoy his summers in the Augstberg countryside. Maybe he likes to ski? Anyway, I'm heading off to war." Manny returned to pulling his things together. "Caleb is coming too." Their youngest brother was serving in the third battalion's number three kompanie. "I will look in on him when I can. Who knows where we'll end up."

"Does dad know?" Lukas was slightly disturbed by the news, not only because he was fearful for his brothers, but because he drew the exemption. As the eldest son, he was expected to run the farm. Since the wool, lamb, corn, barley and wheat grown at the farm, went to supply the nation as well as its army, he was needed at home to continue what he does best. As for, Tomas, he had a new life in Luzern and would undoubtedly remain as a Polizei im the capital city.

"Sure he does," Manfred quipped. "He was here when the phone rang. He's taking me to town."

Manfred picked up his pack and scrambled down the stairs. He hefted the submachine gun over his right shoulder and reached for his cap. The helmet remained attached to the belt of his webbing. When he stepped outside, Jakob, his father stood by the Würms Türingauto, the family's motor car. The elder Krebs held the door open for his son.

Once inside the car, Jakob looked at Lukas, "see to the farm, son. I'm taking your brother into town. I'll be back in a few hours." The car scuttled down the road leaving a trail of dust behind until it hit the pavement.

At the assembly station, father parted ways with his sons. Both got a handshake and Caleb went off in search of his kompanie. Manfred found the other members of second squad, PFC Rudolph Halliger, PFC Leon Dupont, PFC Heinrich Strauss, Gefreiter Hasso Aldo, PFC Balalika Franz, and Gefreiter Hans Dietrich Amsel. The squad was going to war with five vacancies. Gerd, his Assistant did not show up. After they received their ammunition and loaded onto the back of the three-ton truck, Manfred started speaking to the squad.

"Heinrich," Manny addressed PFC Strauss. "Gerd didn't show up. You're the most experienced. I want you to be assistant squad leader. Can you handle that?" He looked at the man, who happened to be the largest in the squad also; a trait that should help him in a leadership role. When we go into the attack, you control the pigs." [i]Pig[/i] is the nickname given to the squad machine guns carried by Franz and Dupont.

"Is anyone missing anything?" Korporal Krebs looked at each of the soldiers in the truck. The back flap was up to allow light into the cargo space. "You should all have water in your canteen. We'll be on the road for the next hour. I suggest you get some sleep because you don't know when you'll be able to sleep again." An infantryman can sleep anywhere at any time. Korporal Krebs answered their questions and nodded off himself until he heard the squeal of the breaks when the three-ton arrived at its destination.

The squad unloaded from the truck. Leutnant Pfeffer assigned the 2nd squad the center sector in the platoon defense. It was a one hundred and fifty meter long stretch including a barn which they could use to sleep in if convenient. First squad would be on their right and the third squad on their left. The platoon machine guns were located one in the first squad sector and one in the 3rd squad sector. The Platoon Command Post (CP) was located in the farmhouse, where the platoon leader, Leutnant Pfeffer was located with the platoon sergeant and five runners.

"PFC Franz, I want you to take this spool of wire and run it to the platoon CP," Korporal Krebs instructed the 20-year old rifleman. The wire would be staked off at the squad CP and then strung out to the platoon CP. Each of the squad leaders had a small field phone connected to the platoon leader's phone at the CP. Korporal Krebs knew he couldn't cover a hundred fifty meters of terrain with seven men. He had argued with the Leutnant about this point, but it got him nowhere. He had to make do with what he had.

PFC Dupont and Heinrich Strauss were assigned the left side of the line. They would need to prepare a defensive fighting position (DFP or foxhole) that the two of them would share. Gefreiter Amsel and PFC Franz would have the right side of the sector and construct a similar position there. PFC Halliger and Gefreiter Aldo would share the squad Command Post with Korporal Krebs in the center. They would build a three-man position. Once the positions were complete, there would be approximately 50 - 70 meters between fighting positions. The three foxholes would be built about a hundred meters from the barn and someone would be on the line 24 hours a day, awake to watch what was going on to the front.

"Korporal Krebs," Leutnant Pfeffer spoke sternly to the 30-year old Korporal. "Take your squad out tonight to patrol the wood line to our front at zero one hundred hours. Leave the line at the right end of first squad and re-enter at the left end of second squad. I want you to follow this route," the leutnant indicated their route of travel on a topographical map he held in his hand. "You will cover the Kompanie frontage out about a kilometer to the front. If you see the enemy, avoid contact and report what you see when you return to the Kompanie. If you make contact with the enemy, break contact and return ASAP (as soon as possible). I expect you to report to me as soon as you get back. This is a twenty five hundred meter move. It should take you no more than three hours to complete. I will be at the Platoon CP at zero four hundred when you return. Any questions?"

"Sir, should we take any special equipment?" The korporal asked the Leutnant. Manfred understood why they were doing the patrol. They need to know if the Holtish were out in the woods. The leutnant answered his questions and returned to second squad who were already constructing foxholes.

[i]"Engines, and not from our side!"[/i] Gefreiter Aldo hissed. Manfred was digging when the young private spoke. 

"Put your uniforms back on! Get into your positions! Get ready and keep your heads down!" Korporal Krebs barked out several orders. 'Looks like the nighttime patrol is off the table tonight.' Korporal Krebs hunched down inside the depression between Hasso Aldo and Rudy Halliger flanked him in their [i]dugout[/i] waiting to see what would show. The soldiers had removed their uniform blouses while digging their holes. Some of the soldiers referred to those holes as [i]shallow graves.[/i]

Manfred reached for the field phone and rang up the platoon CP. "Leutnant, we have what sounds like vehicle movement to our front, in the treeline." He informed his leader what they heard. As he listened to his Leutenant, he saw a half-track burst out of the wood line. "Mein Herr, I have Holtish halftracks popping out of the trees at 600 meters, they are here! at least seven vehicles moving slowly on line towards the platoon." He got off the phone, hunkered down and watched the enemy vehicles.