1:20pm, October 20th
East of Vilnius
Gubkin watched in amazement as the two Tigers and then the third were knocked out of action. But any jubilation died on his lips as the lead Tiger fired and his last anti-tank gun was silenced. There was no way he could hold now and as if to reinforce this reality, a group of German infantry surged into the trench machine guns firing. He threw himself around a corner and reached for a grenade. But the men in field grey were already upon him. Two grenades exploded close by injuring him and felling most of those fighting around him. Then suddenly it was over.
Through the smoke he saw Vlasik running towards him, flinging another grenade down the trench. The commissar’s eyes were wide and there was blood on his cheek. Vlasik and another soldier grabbed him and dragged him away. Out of the corner of his eye he saw one of the immobilized Tigers still firing across the trenches. A minute later they were out of their trenches and heading east. The soldier dragging him stumbled and for a moment Gubkin was sure he had taken a hit. But he caught himself and the continued. Around him through the smoke and whirring bullets, the last 16 men of the 184th struggled to gain the safety of the next ridge. One of the Tigers machine guns futilely spat death after them, but no-one pursued them.
Nearly two kilometres behind their trenches they came upon the first Russian troops, or rather their remains. The Luftwaffe had done its best to isolate him and on a long exposed stretch of road and in the trenches around it lay the remnants of a sapper battalion that had been sent forward to his aid. Together with the survivors he formed a new line – 48 men strong.
1:22pm, October 20th
East of Vilnius
Cautiously Michael raised the opened his hatch and peered through the smoke across the battlefield. Around him infantry reinforcements and stretcher bearers cautiously advanced through broken trench work. His Tiger stood at the top of the ridge exposed but as far east as he dared at the moment. Across the soft meadow half a kilometre away he saw a few furtive figures dashing for the safety of the next ridge. Through his binoculars he counted less than a dozen figures at least two of them being supported by their comrades. There was no point of pursuing. They represented no threat and he was virtually out of ammunition. Then he saw that that did not stop two of the sharpshooters among his infantry who calmly lay down on the ground sighted their rifles and took aim. Half a dozen shots rang out but if they resulted in kills Michael would never know.
Around him the medics did their grisly work. He forced himself to search each Tiger for survivors or their dog-tags. In the end he had a large bag of them to hand over. Of the 32 tanks that had started the first attack that morning, only six remained fully battleworthy. A quick inspection showed that another eighteen could be salvaged and repaired in short order, another four would be back in business within a few days, but for the moment his battle group was a spent force. By evening another company of Waffen SS arrived and deployed forward to the next ridge. As they did a flight of Russian fighter bombers caught them out in the open and inflicted heavy casualties. Michael’s Tigers escaped any further damage by hiding among the tree line hundred meters west of the first Russian trench.
That night he reported to the Corps commander who also received his recommendations for awards for bravery – too many of them posthumously. Looking at the map at corps forward HQ, Michael discovered that another, similar size battlegroup had also spent itself punching through the Soviet lines. But there was no reserve left to exploit the opening. A battalion of Panzergrenadiers moved forward another 2 kilometers before running into some scattered Russian forces. But with its flanks exposed there was nothing to do but dig in for the night. Supplies were also not coming through in the volume needed, particularly fuel, that essential ingredient of blitzkrieg was not getting through. Even though aerial reconnaissance showed almost no sizeable formations between them and Vilnius, Operation Wintererwachen had run out of steam.
3pm, October 20th
Rommel’s HQ
Rastenburg
East Prussia
They were running out of steam as was to be expected. The Soviets were recovering from the initial shock and resisting stubbornly everywhere. It was only the fact that their frontline logistics had been so badly disrupted that had allowed the Panzers to keep going for this long. In a day or two however, sheer numbers would begin to swing things back in the Soviets favour. Already the Soviet Air Force was pushing the Luftwaffe aside on sheer numbers. Warsaw had taken another pasting from a 300 bomber raid the day before. Speidel and von Treskow watched Rommel as he sat hunched over the map, drawing imaginary lines, measuring distances.
Into the silence, a radio operator handed von Treskow a message. The young staff officer gave it the quick glance before sliding it across the Field Marshall’s field of vision. “Dunaburg (Daugav’pils) is ours. “
Rommel, studied the note, then returned to the map. A minute later he looked up: “Options gentlemen! We still have no news on the flanking attack on Wilno.” He sounded unsure.
Speidel nodded at von Treskow, they had discussed this. Rommel would listen to von Treskow with his extensive Eastern Front experience. “It is time to consolidate Feldmarschall. We have a choice of building a line anchored on Riga, Dunaburg, Wilno and Byalstock or using that as a barrier while we build something more solid behind it. “
“How long could we hold such a line? “
“Uncertain, but we could use it to stage more measured, withdrawals that would allow us to evacuate all our men and everyone who wanted to get out. We have the resources to counter one, maybe two of their regional offensives. But if they get more active than that then we will be we exposed. Rail lines into Lithuania and Latvia are not great, although we could rely on the Kriegsmarine to some extent now that they have beaten back the Red Navy.”
“The question is really we would be placed to make a stand. “ Rommel glanced up at them. “I think we should make an effort to consolidate that line and keep the Panzers as mobile reserves. That was what I wanted to do in Normandy and could not. If we can marry those units with the mobile flak then things should not be quite as desperate as in France. Then we should be able to trade space and time more effectively.”
Another radio message was handed to von Treskow: “The attack on Wilno did not get through.”
“Well that settles it, does it not.”
His staff officers looked at him, slowly they nodded. It was decided. Wintererwachen had come to an end.
That afternoon, the two ROA divisions arrived at Kaunas were they began digging and reinforcing the fortifications facing eastwards. The troops grumbled but their officers were grateful for the respite of having somewhat more time with their men before things got sticky.
11pm October 20th
Rommel’s HQ
Rastenburg
East Prussia
Message from von Manstein, Herr Feldmarschall. Speidel held up a scrap of telex paper. In the twilight of the bunker’s emergency lighting Rommel blinked raised himself from his stretcher bed. His stomach was playing up massively but this was not the time to worry about ailments. He scanned the short note from the commander of the Balkan Front. In a few short sentences von Manstein related that a major Russian spoiling attack by the Red Army against his defences on the Hungarian border had been beaten back. Instead of forcing the approach to the Dukla pass, the Russian forces who seemed to have been about corps strength had lost heavily to the skilful use of the massed 88mms. However, Manstein was quick to note, air superiority belonged to the Red Air Force and probing attacks all along the front south of Warsaw continued. Manstein also reported aggressive advances by British forces into southernwestern Austria. He was retreating very gradually to avoid a confrontation with them.
“Their logistics along our front are in a mess so they are trying to put the heat on elsewhere.” Rommel was philosophical about this. As long as the Red Army was spending its effort on a range of fronts instead of massing for another crushing
blow things were alright.
There is another message, it came earlier. Speidel had not wanted to wake his sick boss. Now he relayed news of a major Soviet counterattack aimed at retaking Dunaburg that had been beaten back. It had completely stopped the Panzers advance. Gratefully they were no longer hamstrung by Hitler’s ‘not an inch back’ orders and so had traded space for time and let the Soviet tanks chasing the ‘retreating panzers’ run up against a wall of 88/10.5mm flak guns which had taken a terrible toll. But whether Dunaburg could be held was anyone’s guess.
Thank you Speidel. My orders remain the same. Reconnaissance groups to probe for weakness all of tomorrow while we resupply and dig in.
22nd October
Washington D.C.
Still somewhat disoriented from the flight, Eisenhower had not been at his best when he had met US Chief of Staff General Marshall. But had not mattered, off the record Marshall told him that Roosevelt was not providing any leadership for the military and that the war was essentially running on momentum since the British seemed to be reverting to their old ways while the French were tearing themselves apart. Only in the Pacific was there clarity of purpose and that was where the war materials and troops were heading. Beyond that Marshall bluntly stated that Roosevelt seemed more interested in the election.
Eisenhower was grateful for the meeting if it seemed to reaffirm what he already knew. George Marshall had promoted him to the SHAEF role and supported his decisions along the way. But there was now little his friend could do for him. With a heavy heart Eisenhower headed off to seek a meeting with the President to bring matters to a head.
23rd October
Athens, Greece
It was left to the cruiser Ajax and her destroyer escort to shepherd a light transport and the last remaining landing craft in the Mediterranean capable of crossing the open sea from their southern Italian bases to Greece. Laden with supplies and six armoured cars, the tiny craft represented the heart of Britain’s relief effort in Greece; Operation Manna. Holed up in Athens, General Scobie had made it clear that the his Greek opponents were certain to oppose any landing in the harbour of Piraeus. The landing craft were therefore the only means of getting the armoured vehicles onto land. Aboard the Ajax and the light transport, a detachment of the Special Boat Squadron, a company of Royal Engineers and a battalion of regular infantry were all that Britain had been able to scrape together and move at short notice. Churchill had nearly exploded at the hapless Admiral who informed him of the puny size of the effort and immediately ordered the dropping of a battalion of 1 Parachute onto Athens airport to coincide with the landing.
At dawn on October 23rd, under the cover of Ajax guns, the landing craft came ashore on a beach four kilometres north of Piraeus which commandoes of Special Boat Squadron had secured the night before. A small number of Greek civilians gathered to watch the spectacle while the landing craft shuttled back and forth bringing ashore the infantry and the Royal Engineers. Jogging alongside the armoured cars, the small force headed off towards into Piraeus proper, hoping to secure the harbour.
Initially everything seemed to go well, they entered the town without opposition under the gazes of a bemused and confused citizenry. As they approached the harbour they could hear in the distance the drone of the transport planes carrying 1st Parachute towards Athens airport.
At the entrance to the commercial harbour their luck ran out. A barricade manned by a motley group of armed men and boys stood in their way. Five minutes of brief negotiations proved fruitless and so after a last attempt of ‘fair play’ by the British commander, the armoured cars surged forward only to be met by gunfire. Two shells from the British side cleared the barricade but caused Greek casualties. Surging into the harbour area, the British forces quickly found themselves surrounded by guerrillas who rather than seeking to oppose the British directly, lobbed Molotov cocktails from concealed positions which within an hour had accounted for all but one of the armoured cars. Taking heavy casualties and unable to secure the harbour against determined opposition, the British force withdrew while offshore the Ajax moved in to menacingly but impotently aim her big guns at the town.
By evening the British force had retreated to a five kilometre perimeter around its original landing beach where they dug in while the supplies from the light transport were unloaded.
In the meantime General Scobie had tried to co-ordinate a sortie of his forces and those of his Greek allies with the parachute landing at Athens airport. The parachutists achieved some degree of surprise and got onto the ground almost unopposed. They quickly overwhelmed the small ELAS detachment on guard duty. A Greek force rushing off to oppose them collided with Scobie’s sortie and bogged down in a series of inconclusive fire fights in which both sides took casualties. Although the parachutists were resupplied by air that afternoon, they lacked the heavy equipment with which to overwhelm their opponents. Unwilling to fight house to house amidst potentially hostile population, the parachute commander cleared the houses overlooking key parts of the airfield and dug in. With Scobie’s force unable to force open a road, both sides settled into a stalemate. Scobie informed London of his predicament and asked for a larger force to open up Piraeus harbour. When Churchill, Alanbrooke, Eden and the heads of the services met that evening to chart a way forward, it became obvious that ELAS opposition had outmanoeuvred the British. Scobie and his anti-Communist Greek allies could not relieved without a larger show of force and the shedding of more blood, Greek and British. While the British Mediterranean Fleet furiously redeployed to support and expand the Greek bridgehead, Alanbrooke pulled a brigade and assorted smaller units out of Italy and railed them southward for embarkation. The Royal Air Force meanwhile began ferrying the essentials required to turn Athens airport into a Royal Air Force airbase. When Churchill received a note from Alanbrooke two days later on the progress of the effort, Eden sadly pointed out to his boss that Britain had lost the moral high ground, they had become the invaders. Alanbrooke also had to point out to Churchill that a direct appeal for assistance to the Americans had been formally squashed by Roosevelt. In Cairo, the British officer pleading with his US colleague for more landing craft was told pointedly that US help would not be forthcoming as “The British were not interested in Greek liberation but in naked imperial interest.’[87]
26th October
Washington D.C.
It was the end of the road for him and he knew it. After three days of unsuccessfully seeking to secure an appointment with the President, Eisenhower had managed to confront his chief military aide, Admiral Leahy. Leahy had listened politely while Eisenhower set out his concerns and frustrations. Clear, unambiguous victory he argued was still within reach. American forces in France might be depleted and distracted by the French politics in their rear areas, cut the German units between them and the Reich were next to nothing. ‘Everything they have Admiral, every tank every gun, they’ve thrown into this last gamble of holding back the Russians.’
‘Well isn’t that a good thing?’ Leahy had interrupted, ‘it will keep hopefully limit the Russians say in a post-war Europe.
Eisenhower strength leave him. Leahy was talking about their allies as future enemies. Nevertheless he gave it one last push, arguing that if American troops advanced more aggressively they would meet the Russians in Poland, rather than in Germany. ‘Leahy had only mumbled something about wasting lives in an election campaign.’
That afternoon he had tried Secretary of State Summer Wells and came away with the realisation that political Washington was already thinking about the post-war world, about how to deal with the new German crowd. As he left the State Department he grabbed a newspaper, shoved it under his arm and headed for the Mall. Hoping to clear his thoughts in the familiar surroundings of Washington’s representative heart. It was cold but that helped, sitting down alone on a bench he scanned the Washington Post headlines. There it was Congress was calling hearings into the conduct of war. By the time he reached his hotel that night, Dwig
ht Eisenhower had penned his resignation letter.
Kind-hearted people may believe there is some ingenious way to disarm or defeat an enemy without too much bloodshed, and may believe this is the true goal of the art of war. Pleasant as it sounds, it is a fallacy.
Carl von Clausewitz, On War
26th October
The Kremlin
Stalin was sensing success in the Balkan theatre, at least political advantage. The Anglo-Americans had been at loggerheads over the Italian capitulation and had set a precedent. Churchill and Roosevelt would quarrel and that would immobilize them There would be no decisive counter- action. But that was politics, he now needed to devote his attention to the military situation.
Pacing the large map table he motioned his Chief of Staff , Antonov forward. What of our counter-attacks. When are we with resuming our advance.” Comrade Stalin, if I may begin in the south. We have entered Yugoslavia and are within striking distance of Belgrade. Our troops should enter the city within 48 hours. It is a question of geography only. There are no German units between our men and the capital but the Yugoslavs are being a bit slow in helping us along. The German units in the area are now all north of the line Dubrovnik, Sarajevo, and Vukovar. These forces are limited with most of the fighting strength already having crossed into Hungary. Stalin studied the map. A mopping up operation. This would not need his attention for the next few days but he made a note to summon the partisan leader, Tito for consultations to Moscow. Yugoslavia would fall within his sphere of influence. Once the British had been chased out of Greece, his position on the Balkans would be secure. The Albanians had already shown that they would fall in line. Tito would be no different. A nod to Antonov to continue.
In Romania our forces have reached the Hungarian plain and are advancing on a broad front, outflanking the defences facing eastwards in the Carpathian Mountains. However resistance is stiffening as we approach Budapest. The Chief of Staff continued his briefing gradually progressing northwards through Poland where there had been Russian attacks but little progress. Stalin suddenly remembered a memorandum that had crossed his desk that morning.: Why are our tank losses so high?” Is there a new weapon? “
The Valkyrie Option Page 53
