The tanks rolled over the snow crushing the ice. The engines locked up and stalled as the ice stuck to the tank treads. “General Steßen, the tanks can not move the engines are frozen, we are halted until the engines thaw.” One of the soldiers said to Stessen. He became angry and hit his hand on the top of the tank. “Men, Disembark and set up camp, we will attempt to unthaw the engines tomorrow morning!” Stessen yelled as the men climbed out of tanks and other infantry units set up tents and fires. General Stessen is the commander in charge of Operation Übernehmen. The operation is to take over enough of Russia to make them quit the war and force them to become an ally. As night began to settle temperatures dropped to negative 15 degrees fahrenheit. The soldiers huddle by the fires to stay warm. Suddenly Russian rifles cracked as bullets smacked into the snow and rear of the tanks. Commander Stessen hurried to climb into one of the all white panzer IV’s. The rest of the crew poured in except the driver. “Gunner! Behind us fire there in the distance! Feuer Frei!” Stessen yelled over the radio as the tank's gun thumped one after another. All 32 tanks guns thumped, the gunfire stopped then picked up once again hitting the sides of the tanks. The infantry surrounding the tanks dropped one after another. The infantry blindly fired their guns into the white snowy darkness. Stessen becoming worried, began to yell for his tank’s driver. A soldier climbed into the tank and began to work the ignition to start the tank. “General Stessen! The engine is still frozen. We can't move.” Yelled the driver over the gunfire as bullets bounced off the sides of the tanks. The gunfire stopped and Russian voices got closer. Before they could do anything Stessen’s tank was surrounded by soviet soldiers. Stessen’s goal was to reach Moscow, but failed to meet the goal by 26 miles. “Dimitri, Check the tanks for survivors! Roll grenades down the barrels!” One of the soldiers outside yelled. Minutes went by as constant explosions occurred every few minutes. Stessen counted the explosions, waiting so far 20 of the 32 tanks Stessen was commanding have been destroyed. Without any words being said a grenade rolled into the tank and exploded just as it hit the floor. Hours passed as the Soviet troops finished off the tanks. 5,000 dead germans laid in the snow as a force of 2,000 soviet soldiers ambushed and destroyed Stessen’s Invasion force. Dimitri searched the tanks, finally coming across the dead general that started the invasion. Once Hitler’s high command received word that Stessen was killed, Hitler called off Operation Übernehmen. Operation takedown was stopped and the Russians started to regain ground they lost to the Nazi war machine.
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