Maria, Pull the Trigger and Kill (a World War II adventure)

Potsdam Conference

Saturday morning, 28th of July 1945 around 7:00 am, 0700 alpha, I arrived at the Engineering Corps. The mechanics were all gone, but the Master Sergeant was still there, currently putting a new battery into the Mercedes G4 from the Reichskanzlei.

"The truck driver told me you had gotten lost", he greeted me, glancing at me from under the hood.

"Well, not really. I had gotten held up by some stupid boys."

"Stupid boys or stupid, handsome young men?"

What was that supposed to mean? "Boys", I straightened things out.

Despite my efforts, it producted some question marks on the face of the Master Sergeant, but he was rather focused on finishing the repairs: "Ok, that car should be running, but I still have to replace the ignition lock with a simple ignition switch. You wanna help?"

"Yes, I love to help and I have the key with me", I responded with a grin.

Making big eyes, he instructed: "Good, then sit in and start it!"

The car did not start up immediately, but after some 20 seconds, the engine came to life. So, now I had two out of four limousines. When I got out, my gaze fell on the 320 limousine, which did have a damaged front.

Seeing me scrutinizing that limousine the Master Sergeant informed me: "My guys worked through the night to repair that one. They had soldiered the radiator, pulled the front out, hammered the hood into shape again and painted the scratched parts."

True, they had repaired that limousine. From an optical perspective, it was not perfect work, but I was rather happy, that I had 3 cars for the Generals now.

"I still need to extract another car and I need the tow-truck driver again, please."

"Well, he has left for his weekend already. So either you do it on Monday morning or you take the truck and drive it yourself."

I did not wanted to take chances and do it on Monday morning, so I had to do it myself now, even though I had no idea, how to operate that truck: "You need to show me, how this thing works, please."

He gave me instructions on how to operate the tow mechanism and it was not very difficult. When I sat in the drivers seat, he informed me: "200 bucks for the one with the flat tires, 500 bucks for the one with the damaged front, 50 each for new batteries, makes 800 bucks. The cars you will be bringing in go on top."

"Can I pay Monday morning?"

"Sure, I hold on to the vehicles until you pay."

Now I drove to the Reichskanzlei again to get the last G4 stretch convertible. There were more cars there. The Wehrmacht Mercedes 320 long limousine, two Wehrmacht BMW 303 limousines (same type as had gotten stolen from me), a Wehrmacht Horch 830 limousine, a civilian Mercedes SLK compressor roadster and a couple of motorcycles. It would have been a waste to leave them here, but I was too bloody tired, to continue seizing them. I had to get them on another day. So I delivered this G4 and the tow-truck to the Engineering Corps. The Master Sergeant was not there anymore, nobody besides the guards at the gate were present anymore, and I took the Jeep to go back to the women's quarters.

On that Saturday, I arrived in Gelfertstraße at about 9:30 am, 0930 alpha and I was done, exhausted and tired. I needed my bed and I needed sleep, desperately. Apparently, Amanda had heard me coming in and was right with me. She must have been antsy for the whole night: "Where have you been? We were supposed to go to the TGiF party. Did you forget?"

I made a dismissive gesture with my right hand and before I could say something she continued: "You met that British Colonel at the TGiF party and then spent the night with him! Just admit it!"