Sturmspinnen

Book 2: Eisenwürmer

by EA Baker

Genres: Alternative History Fantasy; World War I; War & Military; Alternative History sci-fi; war; steampunk; World War I; alternative history; mech

Synopsis

Victory is far from certain as the Germans shift their focus to the north...

Amiens, vital to the Allies due to its converging railroads, is under siege by the German's new machines. To draw away Allied units from Amiens, Ludendorff plans to launch another offensive near Ypres and break through to seize the channel ports that are vital to the British army in France.

Having been promoted to the rank of Major, Otto König has taken command of a unit of sturmspinnen, the smaller and more agile cousin to the lumbering panzerwanderer. Combating communication problems, old doctrines of how the machines should be used, and the resistance of his new unit's former commander, Otto will face the greatest challenge of his life. One that will determine his career and possibly the war itself.

John Billings, Paul Davies, and Sarah Anderson are reunited in Colonel Campbell's special unit created to hunt down and destroy the German walkers. Untested as a concept, their unit will be thrown into the fire to stop the enemy walkers supporting the German's new offensive.

Meanwhile, Henri Marcel is given new orders to join a secret aerial observation unit in support of Colonel Campbell's unit. Always a man who takes calculated risks, Henri begins to chase the thrill of danger. Given an important mission, he will have to battle the two versions of himself, the old, risk-averse Henri, and the new daring pilot willing to fly into peril.

Lance Corporal William Winter, haunted by the loss of his fellow marine, Private-first Class James Thompson, attempts to travel across war-torn France to a secret assignment. Little does he know that JT is alive and has fallen into the clutches of a strange yet deranged German officer. There, JT uncovers more German plans that have the potential to destroy his marine comrades and defeat the Allied armies in the region.

In The Kaiser's Machines: Sturmspinnen, EA Baker continues his version of the Great War in the final year of 1918. As German armored walkers storm across the Western front, the Allies try to hold on with everything they have to weather the surging tide.

Will the Germans finally break the Allied armies with their new machines? Find out from those who were there and saw it all.

Warning: contains adult language and violence.

Release date: January 10, 2021

Publisher: Amazon

Print pages: 193

Content advisory: Warning: contains adult language and violence.

Sample

Prologue

Beaurepaire, Outside Montreuil

 

Hubert Gough, former Commander of 5^th army, arrived at Château de Beaurepaire, the residence of the butcher himself, Field Marshall Lord Haig. The castle’s 15^th-century walls were all too familiar to Gough, having been called there before by the Field Marshall for pressing military matters. Of course, this time it was just for a lunch. But this wasn’t any lunch. This was Gough’s farewell lunch.

Located just a few kilometers outside of Montreuil, the Scottish Field Marshall often entertained people here as they traveled between London and Paris. And today, he would have a final meal with General Gough.

As Gough’s car pulled up before the entrance to the castle, he could still taste the bile that welled up inside of him. It was the same taste he had when he learned of his dismissal. He felt he had done everything he could to stop the German advance and felt guilty, with a dash of bitterness, he wasn’t given a chance to set it right.

The car came to an abrupt stop, and there waiting for him, in good form, was the blue-eyed Scotsman himself. Gough took a deep breath before opening the door.

“Goughie!” exclaimed Haig as he shook his hand firmly.

“Douglas,” replied Gough, withholding any tone of resentment.

Haig turned and began walking towards the castle with Gough at his hip. “Come. We have a fine lunch waiting for us.”

The air was awkward, at least to Gough, who had expected more casual talk. But as they walked through the castle to their dining area in the garden outside, Haig stayed quiet, making it difficult for Gough to silence the voice bouncing around in his head. The dismay and sheer dread of his dismissal simmered. It was only punctuated by the fact that his time would end here—at a private lunch in an old garden. Not exactly an honorable end to his command.

“I hope your travel accommodations were satisfactory,” began Haig as he motioned to Gough to sit. They sat down on chairs underneath the French sky. Flowers were beginning to bloom around them as they took tea.

“It was more than satisfactory,” assured Gough. But that is hardly the point he thought.

“Good,” replied Haig as he started to pour hot water into a cup that had a tea bag already placed in it. “Tea?” asked Haig.

“Yes,” agreed Gough. Haig placed the hot water down for Gough to pour himself before adding sugar to his tea and stirring.

He took a sip just as Gough began carefully pouring hot water into his cup. “Look, Goughie, I know you are not happy with this decision, but you see, my hands are tied. I did what I could to protect you, I hope you know that.”

Bullshit thought Gough, knowing that if he had protected him, he would not have been relieved. “I know,” he feigned meekly.

“You must know…” started Haig, stopping as a servant brought out their lunch, a plate of freshly grilled fish with seasoned vegetables. When the servant was gone, Haig placed his napkin across his lap and grabbed his utensils before he continued, “…you must know that the Prime Minister was much down on you. I told him that your retreat was not because of a lack of generalship.” Haig cut the fish methodically with his knife before placing the bite in his mouth.

“I am glad to hear that. But that doesn’t change the fact that I was dismissed,” replied Gough.

Haig leveled his gaze at Gough before saying, “You know how politicians work. There is always someone else to fall on the sword.”

Gough shook his head and mused bitterly, “Politicians.” Due to their relationship with the government, he knew that Haig had to play those games as well. But he kept that thought to himself as he dug into his lunch. “You will keep me updated with the situation now that Rawlinson is in command of my boys, yes?”

“Of course,” replied Haig emphatically.

“What are we to do of these new machines?” asked Gough as he took another bite.

Haig scoffed and replied, “These machines are hardly a threat. Easy targets for our guns, if you ask me.”

“But the Germans are at the doorstep of Amiens because of them,” shot back Gough. “My men had a hell of a time stopping them.”

Haig, undisturbed as he swallowed another bite replied, “I don’t think we have anything to fear. The strength and will of our men will beat them back. Mark my words.”

“So, are there no plans being made to counter them?” asked Gough.

“I never said that,” replied Haig acidly, glaring at Gough with eyes of warning.

Gough put his utensils down, wiping his mouth with his napkin before saying, “I am sorry, sir. It’s just…I don’t want my successor or anyone else to underestimate them.”

“Duly noted,” replied Haig, trying to end it there.

“And the smaller ones move much faster, almost like calvary,” thought Gough out loud.

Haig stopped cutting his food, placing his utensils down slowly before taking a sip of tea. Gough knew he had crossed a line, but his main concern was for his men who could do nothing now to protect.

“These…metal beasts…” started Haig as he set his tea down. “…will be the end of our enemy. I will admit they took us by surprise. We did not think the Germans had the resources to build such things given the blockade. But it doesn’t matter how they did it, just that they did. The stupid bastards don’t know it yet but they just bled themselves faster for us. So, you see, there is nothing to fear. Now, let’s enjoy this lunch without such talk. Let us turn to another subject, shall we?” finished Haig as he picked up his utensils.

“Yes. Of course,” replied Gough as he continued to eat, though he hadn’t the faintest idea what to talk about. They continued in silence as Gough struggled to think of anything else other than the war raging over the horizon.

The fact of the matter was he didn’t believe a word Haig said. Not one bit. Haig’s confidence would satisfy most, but Gough understood things differently. Haig had spent too much time away from the front, making him detached from reality. That fact worried Gough the most. Deep down, he worried about the defense of Amiens and began to doubt the Allies would indeed win the war. Just thinking of those machines walking through the streets of Paris sent shivers down his spine as he continued to eat, not daring to strike up the conversation again.