Synopsis:

After the brutal Ukrainian campaign and the battles that culminated in Kyiv, the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler is no longer the same. Battered but not broken, its armored core regroups in France just as the push toward Moscow grinds to a halt beneath the weight of winter—and of strategic doubt. No one knows exactly where the war is heading… except for a few.

As Falk Ritter and his crew receive a new long-barreled Panzer IV, still bearing the scars of the Eastern Front, a new destination looms: Africa.

In a sudden redeployment, part of the division is sent to reinforce the Axis campaign in the desert, where the forces of Rommel, Italy… and Spain—under the command of General Yagüe—are advancing toward Cairo, Palestine, and beyond.

But under the scorching sun, there is no shelter for the conscience. Among ancient ruins, dust storms, and enemy fire, Falk and his men must adapt to a different war—without snow, without trenches, but with the same shadow of death… and even more questions left unanswered.

History marches on. The Reich expands. But war, as always, moves faster.

Western breach — Sector 9K, outskirts of StalingradJanuary 29, 1943, 17:27 hours


The smoke was so thick it clung like mud in the air. Every impact shook the Tiger as if trying to rip it from the earth. The roar didn't fade. It only grew—closer, fiercer, more desperate.


Falk didn't look to the sky. Didn't listen to his heart. He saw fire ahead and heard only the voices of his men in the intercom.


—"Left flank, another T-34!" shouted Ernst.


—"Got it!" Konrad responded, already swinging the turret.


Helmut was loading as if the metal were on fire. Lukas held the controls with white-knuckled fists.


Less than a hundred meters away, one of the two remaining Panzer IVs maneuvered to cover the Panther's side.


A flash. A direct hit.The second Panzer IV was pierced.


Falk saw it through the hatch. Two crewmen tried to escape. One collapsed outside, wounded. The other never moved.


Soviet infantry were on them. They came in waves—through smoke and wreckage—hurling explosives, firing wildly. They seemed endless.


Ernst mowed them down from the front gun. The Panther spun in place, firing precisely. The Tiger held the center like a wall of steel—immovable, unstoppable.


—"They're flanking northeast!" Konrad shouted.


—"Lukas, turn fifteen degrees! Konrad, high-explosive!" Falk barked.


BOOM.Five bodies vanished in an instant. Dirt, blood, and metal rained on the hull.


The last remaining Panzer IV backed slightly, covering the left flank with steady fire. It was still holding.


The platoon was still alive.Reduced. But standing.


A T-34 got too close to the Panther. It fired point-blank… but missed. Konrad didn't.


A blaze crossed the field. The T-34 lit up like a rusted torch.


—"We don't fall back.We. Don't. Fall back."


The attack hadn't stopped, but it was faltering. The Soviets hadn't expected resistance.They hadn't expected steel still firing from the ruins.


Three tanks remained.And that was enough.


Chapter 83 - Chapter 82 – No Retreat