by Gee, Colin
‘Breakthrough’.
The second book in the ‘Red Gambit Series’.
WRITTEN BY COLIN GEE
Dedication for the Red Gambit Series.
This series of books is dedicated to my grandfather, the boss-fellah, Jack ‘Chalky’ White, Chief Petty Officer [Engine Room] RN, my de facto father until his untimely death from cancer in 1983 and who, along with many millions of others, participated in the epic of history that we know as World War Two, and by their efforts and sacrifices made it possible for us to read of it, in freedom, today.
Thank you, for everything.
The ‘Red Gambit Series’ novels are works of fiction, and deal with fictional events. Most of the characters therein are a figment of the author’s imagination. Without exception, those characters that are historical figures of fact or based upon historical figures of fact are used fictitiously, and their actions, demeanour, conversations, and characters are similarly all figments of the author’s imagination.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher and copyright holder. The author has asserted the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
Foreword by Author Colin Gee
The series deals with the violent events that commenced in 1945, through to the end of hostilities in the autumn of 1947; from birth in the mind of man through to the terrible conclusion.
All I have set out to do is relate the events as faithfully as is possible, and to leave the reader to decide the worth of those who wore different uniforms, and fought for different causes and reasons.
The reader will note that, in some areas, I refer to the 92nd Colored Infantry Division. This is an actual formation and I reflect its WW2 title faithfully. It is not for me to comment further on the reasoning and prejudices of those times.
Some readers of ‘Opening Moves’ have asked me whether or not I have an unhealthy respect for members of the Waffen-SS.
My answer is an unequivocal no.
In any field, excellence is to be admired, and any historian examining all the facts behind the service of World War Two’s fighting formations would, in my humble opinion, find it very difficult to justify not placing the members of the prime Waffen-SS formations in the top drawer of fighting elite.
Some, probably those who do not possess balanced knowledge, will always align themselves with popular myths and misconceptions, and will tend to lump the field soldiers in with those who defiled the uniform, their nation, and mankind, by serving within other agencies, such as the camps. Those who served in such places should be universally reviled.
I do not seek to excuse the excesses that were undoubtedly performed by some of the Waffen-SS, neither those well documented, nor those unheard of. Neither am I so stupid as to believe that we, the Allies, fought the war according to Queensberry rules. I know for a fact that we didn’t.
Within the ranks of the Waffen-SS there were psychopaths and sadists, and many are household names, or at least were, until the generation that fought them started to die out.
Such individuals also existed in the Royal Navy, the United States Army Air Force and the Canadian Army to name but three. However, I cannot name one such individual, as the Allied excesses received no coverage of note.
We won, and so no one was going to haul us up before a judge and hang us, were they?
Had the Axis triumphed, then maybe the Allied author of the ‘No prisoners’ order in Normandy would have had his day in court?
The political system that the German soldiers fought for was fundamentally flawed, and so lacking in moral restraint as to beggar belief, and nothing about it should ever be excused, dismissed or denied.
There are no bad peoples, just bad people. That is a view I have held since I grew up and developed an understanding of human nature. Many of the soldiers wearing field grey were good men, brave men, and soldiers par excellence.
War, by its very nature, brings up peaks in human behaviour, be it in the field of endeavour, science or horror.
For me, there are a number of unbelievable acts of courage that can be attributed to soldiers in WW2.
Of course, most of them went unrecognised and unrewarded.
Some continue to stir the heart to this day.
Pointe-du-Hoc and the US Ranger assault, the 116th/29th Infantry’s assault on Omaha, and Otway’s 9th Para Battalion and their assault on the Merville Battery, all on D-Day.
The 82nd US Airborne’s crossing of the Waal River during Market-Garden; 13th Guards Rifle Division and numerous others in the hell that was Stalingrad.
That is by no means an exhaustive list, but it serves my point, I hope, because I believe it is difficult for anyone but an historian to add the likes of the 352nd Infanterie Division of Omaha fame, ‘SS-Der Fuhrer’ Regiment during the Battle of Moscow, or the 1st Fallschirmjager Division at Monte Cassino.
Post World War Two, the Soviets became our de facto enemies, and so our view of them became jaundiced too.
In regard to Stalin and Beria, it is difficult to find any redeeming matters, I grant you.
But we must never forget that the Soviet people displayed an incredible national determination and an ability to sustain suffering on an unparalleled scale, and we applauded them for it, all the way to the centre of Berlin.
It was subsequent events that made them pariahs in our national psyche.
I have said enough for you to understand where I am on this matter. This is not a crusade, just my weak attempt to do justice to men and women in all uniforms who fought courageously, and with honour, for whatever cause.
I hope that you enjoy it.
Again, I have deliberately written nothing that can be attributed to that greatest of Englishmen, Sir Winston Churchill. I considered myself neither capable nor worthy to attempt to convey what he might have thought or said in my own words.
Those with an eye for detail will notice that the name of this book has changed. I produced ‘Stalemate’ as the second in the series, but it achieved in excess of 300,000 words and was too cumbersome. Therefore, it seemed sensible to split it into two parts. This is the first of those parts.
My profound thanks to all those who have contributed in whatever way to this project, as every little piece of help brought me closer to my goal.
In no particular order, I would like to record my thanks to all of the following for their contributions. Gary Wild, Jan Wild, Mario Wildenauer, Loren Weaver, Pat Walsh, Elena Schuster, Stilla Fendt, Luitpold Krieger, Mark Lambert, Greg Winton, Greg Percival, Brian Proctor, Steve Bailey, Bruce Towers, Victoria Coling, Alexandra Coling, Heather Coling, Isabel Pierce Ward, Ahmed Al-Obeidi, Hany Hamouda, and finally, the members of the ‘Red Gambit’ facebook group.
Again, one name is missing on the request of the party involved, whose desire to remain in the background on all things means I have to observe his wish not to name him.
Again, to you, my oldest friend, thank you.
The cover image work has been done by my brother, Jason Litchfield, and his efforts have given the finished article a professional polish beyond my dreams. Thanks bro.
Wikipedia is a wonderful thing and I have used it as my first port of call for much of the research for the series. Use it and support it.
My thanks to the US Army Center of Military History website for providing some of the out of copyright images. Many of the images are my own handiwork.
All map work is original, save for the Château outline, which derives from a public domain handout.
Part
icular thanks go to Steen Ammentorp, who is responsible for the wonderful www.generals.dk site, which is a superb place to visit in search of details on generals of all nations. The site had proven invaluable in compiling many of the biographies dealing with the Senior officers found these books.
If I have missed anyone, or any agency, I apologise and promise to rectify the omission at the earliest opportunity.
This then is the second offering to satisfy the ‘what if’s’ of those times.
Book #1 - Opening Moves [Chapters 1-54]
Book#2 – Breakthrough [Chapters 55-77]
Author’s note.
The correlation between the Allied and Soviet forces is difficult to assess for a number of reasons.
Neither side could claim that their units were all at full strength, and information on the relevant strengths over the period this book is set in, is limited as far as the Allies are concerned, and relatively non-existent for the Soviet forces.
I have had to use some licence regarding force strengths and I hope that the critics will not be too harsh with me if I get things wrong in that regard. A Soviet Rifle Division could vary in strength from the size of two thousand men to be as high as nine thousand men, and in some special cases, could be even more.
Indeed, the very names used do not help the reader to understand, unless they are already knowledgeable.
A prime example is the Corps. For the British and US forces, a Corps was a collection of Divisions and Brigades directly subservient to an Army. A Soviet Corps, such as the 2nd Guards Tank Corps, bore no relation to a unit such as British XXX Corps. The 2nd G.T.C. was a Tank Division by another name, and this difference in ‘naming’ continues to the Soviet Army, which was more akin to the Allied Corps.
The Army Group was mirrored by the Soviet Front.
Going down from the Corps, the differences continue, where a Russian rifle division should probably be more looked at as the equivalent of a US Infantry regiment or British Infantry Brigade, although this was not always the case. The decision to leave the correct nomenclature in place was made early on. In that, I felt that those who already possess knowledge would not become disillusioned, and that those who were new to the concept could acquire knowledge that would stand them in good stead when reading factual accounts of WW2.
There are also some difficulties encountered with ranks. Some readers may feel that a certain battle would have been left in the command of a more senior rank, and the reverse case, where seniors seem to have few forces under their authority. Casualties will have played their part but, particularly in the Soviet Army, seniority and rank was a complicated affair, sometimes with Colonels in charge of Divisions larger than those commanded by a General.
It is easier for me to attach a chart to give the reader a rough guide of how the ranks equate.
Breakthrough
The Second book in the ‘Red Gambit’ series.
13th AUGUST TO 6TH SEPTEMBER
1945
Book Dedication
This book is dedicated to two men with whom I was fortunate to serve in my former uniformed years within Royal Berkshire Fire Brigade, as it was once known.
Firstly, Divisional Officer Ken Reed, footballing expert and man’s man, who was the finest leader of men I encountered in thirty-two years in the service; a courageous and humble man whom I greatly admire. Without him I might have been left floundering in the early days.
Secondly, Harry ‘Hit it where it shines’ Woolhouse, gnarled ex-London fireman and snooker player, who courageously stood up and was counted. You acted to my great benefit when the liars’ voices were raised and my back was to the wall. Harry, you conducted yourself with great honesty and integrity, and I never got to say thank you. So I say ‘thank you’ now.
Although I never served in the Armed forces, I wore a uniform with pride, and still carry my own long term injuries from the demands of my service. My admiration for our young servicemen and women, serving in all our names in dangerous areas throughout the world, is limitless.
As a result, ‘Combat Stress’ is a charity that is extremely close to my heart. My fictitious characters carry no real-life heartache with them, whereas every news bulletin from the military stations abroad brings a terrible reality with its own impact, angst and personal challenges for those who wear our country’s uniform.
Therefore, I make regular donations to ‘Combat Stress’ and would encourage you to do so too.
Index
Contents
Dedication for the Red Gambit Series 3
Foreword by Author Colin Gee 4
Author’s note. 8
Book Dedication 12
Index 13
My thanks to... 23
The story so far..... 25
European map with relevant locations. 28
Chapter 55 – THE WAVE. 29
0255 hrs Monday, 13th August 1945, Europe. 29
Chapter 56 – THE SINKINGS 35
0603 hrs, Monday 13th August 1945, aboard Submarine B-29, Irish Sea, Two miles north of Rathlin Island. 35
0629 hrs, Monday 13th August 1945, aboard Submarine Shch-307, Irish Sea, four miles north-north-east of Rathlin Island. 36
0322 hrs, Tuesday 14th August 1945, Glenlara, Eire. 44
1059 hrs, Tuesday 14th August 1945, Hotel Regina, Madrid, Spain. 44
2312 hrs, Tuesday 14th August 1945, Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid, Spain. 46
Chapter 57 – THE FRONT 48
1140 hrs, Monday 13th August 1945. YQ-B, Airborne over Northern Germany. 48
1312 hrs Monday 13th August 1945, Luhdorf, Germany 53
Chapter 58 – THE SAMURAI. 58
0904 hrs Monday, 13th August 1945, Headquarters of the Manchurian Red Banner Forces, Pedagogical Institute, Chita, Siberia. 58
1255 hrs Monday, 13th August 1945, 3rd Imperial Special Obligation Brigade ‘Rainbow’, Nanjincun, near Guiping, China. 61
1325 hrs, Monday 13th August 1945, YongYang near Guiping, China. 64
Chapter 59 – THE WITHDRAWAL 76
1455 hrs Monday, 13th August 1945, SHAEF Headquarters, Versailles, France. 76
Chapter 60 – THE SNIPERS 89
Monday, 13th August 1945, 1800 hrs, Tostedt, Germany. 89
Chapter 61 – THE BRIEFINGS 125
Tuesday, 14th August 1945, 0805 hrs, the Kremlin, Moscow, USSR. 125
Chapter 62 – THE RETREAT 166
Wednesday, 15th August 1945, 0215 hrs, SHAEF, Headquarters, Versailles, France. 166
0514 hrs 15th August 1945, Heroldhausen-Eichenau Road, Germany. 168
0958 hrs, 15th August 1945, Veersebrück, Germany. 181
Chapter 63 – THE MESSAGES 202
Wednesday, 15th August 1945, 0723 hrs [Moscow Time], the Kremlin, Moscow, USSR. 202
Chapter 64 – THE AMBUSH 212
Thursday, 16th August 1945, 0620 hrs, Palace Hotel, Madrid. 212
Chapter 65 – THE LEGION 223
Thursday, 16th August 1945, 1203 hrs, Headquarters of the Legion Corps D’Assault, Sassy, France. 223
1315 hrs, Thursday 16th August, Headquarters of the Legion Corps D’Assault, Sassy, France. 230
1433 hrs, Thursday, 16th August 1945, Headquarters, Red Banner Forces of Europe, Kohnstein, Nordhausen, Germany. 232
Chapter 66 - THE LUNATIC 236
1300 hrs, Sunday 19th August 1945, Hurlach, Germany. 236
Chapter 67 - THE POLES 249
0800 hrs Monday 20th August 1945, Headquarters of SHAEF, Trianon Palace Hotel, Versailles, France. 249
0912 hrs Monday 20th August 1945, Headquarters of French First Army, Room 203, Hotel Stephanie, Baden-Baden, Germany. 250
1000 hrs, Monday 20th August 1945, Headquarters of SHAEF, Trianon Palace Hotel, Versailles, France. 250
1125 hrs Monday 20th August 1945, Camp Châlons, Mourmelon le Grand, Marne, France. 254
1355 hrs Monday 20th August 1945, Cuxhavener Straβe, Two Kilometres North-West of Buxtehude, Germany 255
1400 hrs Monday 20th
August 1945, Northern Plain around Nottensdorf, Germany 256
1427 hrs Monday 20th August 1945, Nottensdorf, Germany 262
1448 hrs Monday 20th August 1945, Bliederdorf, Germany 262
1507 hrs Monday 20th August 1945, Horneburg, Germany 264
1509 hrs Monday 20th August 1945, Schragenberg, Germany 265
1522 hrs Monday 20th August 1945, Horneburg, Germany 270
1541 hrs Monday 20th August 1945, Dorfstrasse [Horneburg – Jork Road], Germany 271
1610 hrs Monday 20th August 1945, An der Chaussee [Heitmanshausen – Jork Road], Germany. 274
1619 hrs Monday 20th August 1945, An der Chaussee [Heitmanshausen – Jork Road], Germany. 276
1645 hrs Monday 20th August 1945, Jork, Germany. 282
1658 hrs Monday 20th August 1945, Westerladekop, Germany. 286
1716 hrs, Monday 20th August 1945, Nottensdorf, Germany. 293
Chapter 68 - THE PROPOSITION 296
0534 hrs Wednesday 22nd August 1945, Rastatt rail sidings, Germany. 296
0857 hrs, Wednesday 22nd August 1945, Chencun, China. 297
1200 hrs, Wednesday, 22nd August 1945. Headquarters, 1st Legion Brigade de Chars D’Assault ‘Camerone’, The Rathaus, Waldprechtsweier, Germany. 300
1207 hrs, Wednesday 22nd August 1945, On Römerstraβe, south-west of Baiswell, Germany. 302
2200 hrs, Wednesday, 22nd August 1945, Europe. 304
Chapter 69 - THE RAID 306
0222 hrs, Thursday 23rd August 1945, Europe. 306
0224 hrs, Thursday 23rd August 1945, the night skies of over Northern Germany. 307
Chapter 70 - THE FARM 311
1208 hrs, Saturday, 25th August 1945, French First Army Headquarters, Hotel Stephanie, Baden-Baden. 311
