Opening Moves (The Red Gambit Series) (68 page)

6th US Armored’s difficulties had opened up the road through Fulda and Soviet troops were already in combat in Geinhausen with the steadfast 7th US Armored Division, who were being pressed hard and preparing to fall back to a second line at Hanau. This was not an ideal defensive force as tank units were better preserved for offence but, in this case, the need was great as the attacking Soviet forces included a large number of armoured vehicles and the road to Frankfurt would be laid bare without the Lucky Seventh.

Eisenhower interrupted gently but firmly, calling a halt to the briefing and beckoning forward a one-armed infantry Colonel whose chest indicated the booty and the baggage of many exchanges in the service of his country.

“Harry, we will be shifting our headquarters by tomorrow at 1800, handing over control to 12th Army Group, all personnel to be gone by 2300 latest. Get it sorted, advance party to get the new site prepared as best it can be. Organise some night air to shift us pronto. I want it to be up and running by 0300 latest. Any questions?”

None forthcoming, the Colonel departed to set the wheels in motion.

“My apologies. Carry on John.”

Matters around and south of Nurnberg were a lot trickier it seemed.

89th US Infantry had been pushed back to Schweinfurt but was in good order, despite losing a full company of riflemen to Soviet flame-throwing tanks in the failed defence of Munnerstadt.

76th US Infantry had been battered back to Hochstadt and Erlangen but had managed to keep a tenuous hold on the right flank of the 89th.

6th Cavalry had fallen back to Erlangen, 14th Cavalry displacing to Altdorf, east of Nurnberg.

9th US Armored and 9th US Infantry had been withdrawing all night and many of the 9th Infantry’s units were crammed into the defensive perimeter of Nurnberg itself. 9th Armored units were passed on through to reassemble around Ansbach to the south-west. The intention was to make the division available to hit back if possible.

In addition, Ike noted 12th US Armored units moving into a line centring on Bad Windsheim, probably for the same purpose.

16th US Armored had not managed to hold and was totally ineffective, its units split up and without proper leadership, resulting in disorganised but bitter clashes throughout the whole area east of Nurnberg. Some modest resistance seemed to be in place on the main highway but Soviet troops were already through Amberg and fifteen miles further west, having relieved paratroopers dropped the day before to secure the bridges over the Vils, a major tributary of the Donau.

Regensburg was still the scene of bitter fighting as elements of the 99th US Infantry, supported by stragglers from 16th Armored and 102nd Cavalry, strove to hold back the 5th Guards Tank Army driving in from the northeast and a portion of 2nd Shock Army that had sub-divided at Wernberg and was now hammering at the city from the north.

90th US Infantry were under pressure on the Donau line, just holding at Straubling and Deggendorf. 26th US Infantry were still bloodying the Soviet drive at Passau, but at a cost. It had been detected that Vilshofen to the west was undefended and a reduced Regimental Combat Team [RCT] was being quickly switched to defend the river crossings there.

Linz was under immense pressure, with street fighting of great intensity going on all night in the southern suburbs. Units of the 65th and 80th
 
US Infantry divisions were engaged in hard fighting and it was this and the situation south of Linz that meant that the victors of Kefermarkt had to withdraw. More than that, the corps commander was trying to disengage all of the 11th US Armored to act as his reserve, ready to prop up Passau, Linz or Wels if needed, or as everyone thought, when needed.

Steyr had fallen in the night but not without a serious fight with the 80th US Infantry, from which unit the report was that a Soviet Cavalry unit had been bled dry.

In general there had been some night bombing by Soviet aviation regiments but nothing of note, and Mosquito NF30’s from the Amiens based 219 Squadron RAF had had some rare success, getting in amongst some PE-3m night fighters and shooting down ten without loss.

At sea there was bad news and good news, in that another destroyer had been lost as the Royal Navy tried to extricate itself from the trap it had been lured into east of Denmark, and there were reports that a troop transport recently turned back to France had been torpedoed and sunk. That was yet to be firmed up but if true it suggested that loss of life would be great and units expected to be inserted back into the order of battle would not be available. On the plus front, two submarines believed to be Soviet had been prosecuted and sunk off Norway, adding to the one sunk following the attack on the Devonshire.

A Soviet minesweeper that had been on a brief goodwill visit to Gibraltar had been bombed and damaged by coastal command aircraft operating from the same base. The stricken vessel beached itself on Spanish territory and the surviving crew of the T-112 were being interrogated by the Spanish Authorities, themselves no lovers of communism.

Eisenhower took everything in as the briefing was delivered, making a note here and there but not interrupting. After some discussions with his staff, orders were issued for various commands.

To McCreery an update on the general position was attached to a reminder of the need to hold Hamburg and Bremen, as well as a request for information on the availability and intended commitment of the Polish and Canadian units in Holland. There was also a private message for McCreery’s eyes only which was sent by separate fast courier.

His staff was still working with Bradley’s boys to work out where the line could be established so Ike could not advise McCreery further.

Nurnberg was a problem with no easy solution and Ike feared that he would have to turn the city over to the Russians soon to avoid huge losses by being outflanked and cut off. Schweinfurt, Bamberg, and Regensburg were all key and their continued resistance bought time.

Linz was sticking out like a sore thumb now and he kicked himself for not seeing it yesterday, perhaps buoyed a little too much by the excellent defeat inflicted at nearby Kefermarkt. There was danger there and he made sure the Corps commander was aware of the big picture and the risks to his command.

His orders issued, Eisenhower attended to those who waited on further instruction or needed his eyes on a report of importance. Ike took no break except the frequent pause to light a cigarette or the rarer opportunity of a coffee.

One report covered the return of units that had been stood down and were on their way home, now being turned for the fast return trip back to a Europe once again at war.

“Too slow Colonel, too damn slow. I want these units in France given all-priority to get forward. Bring me an update on our calendar as soon as you have it. And I mean all-priority son.”

The Colonel saluted and was on his way before Ike could return the formality.

The report also contained clearer information on the sunken troop transport had been confirmed and it seemed likely that over thirteen hundred experienced US soldiers had been lost to a torpedo attack from an unknown submarine.

A Brigadier General had been waiting, already briefed by Eisenhower to await his signal before presenting his information. The summons came and Eisenhower took his first look at the full brief from the Pacific Theatre of Operations.

Far from being of little interest to him, he noted immediately that it contained some very bad news indeed.

“General, has this had time to reach my army commanders yet?”

A quick check of the watch and the officer confidently replied.

“I doubt it will have reached General Clark yet but General Devers and the British will have it for sure and General Bradley is on his way here directly sir.”

“Thank you John. Make me up a further…” he paused doing the mental arithmetic, “…three and ten copies respectively by 1300 please.”

A salute and the man was gone.

Eisenhower said nothing, reading every word and developing his assessment further.

So absorbed was he that he burnt his fingers on the cigarette he was holding.

Licking the small blisters and then lighting another, he inhaled deeply, reading on and contemplating the implications as he went.

Bradley, looking extremely tired but in a pristine uniform strode in quietly, acknowledging a man here and there.

Ike became aware of his arrival and waved a hand, inviting the General to take the weight off his feet in the comfortable chairs. No orders were needed to ensure coffee appeared for the two.

Bradley was holding his copy of the Pacific report.

Ike gestured angrily with his copy, “You read this then Brad?”

“Yes Sir I have and if that is all true we are worse off than I thought.”

Eisenhower stubbed out his cigarette and started to address the issues raised.

“I haven’t finished it yet but we can do that together. OK, so firstly we have large units of Japs appearing out of the blue at Attu and Kiska in the Aleutians, the submarine base on Guam, the naval anchorage at Ulithi, the airfields on Saipan and many attacks on our forces in Okinawa, some of which are unusual in their nature and giving MacArthur the jitters”

He looked up, brow knotted.

“I wish they would be more specific on that. What do they mean by unusual in nature?”

Bradley shook his head slowly and offered a slight shrug. Ike continued.

“These attacks seem to originate from Soviet merchant and naval vessels on recognised business or goodwill visits. Even looks like some of our own freighters have been used, ones from the supply run into Vladivostok. So Soviet vessels transported Japanese troops into the heart of our defences and let them run riot. Attu and Kiska seem to be holding but there were many casualties. Eniwetok and Ulithi Atoll have taken big hits. They are not naming names but they seem to have lost at least a carrier, a battleship and two cruisers plus change.”

Eisenhower shook his head, knowing Guam was badly hit and submarines and experienced crews were lost. Big losses in B-29’s as they ran amok all over the airfields on Saipan, as well as losses in air and ground crew. Somehow they attacked Chengdu and did the same to the Chinese based Superforts.”

Eisenhower gestured angrily with the report once more.

“And Okinawa, not so many losses indicated and nothing major but there’s that damn ‘unusual in nature’ again Brad.”

Both men took hold of their coffee and took a moment’s pause before plunging back into the meat of the report.

“Japanese units starting a huge offensive in China, tanks, infantry, the works. Chinese communist divisions moving aside and not resisting them?”

A cigarette appeared and was lit, breaking up Ike’s flow.

“They don’t have those kinds of resources do they? No fuel to speak of, little armour of note.”

Bradley looked straight-faced at his commander.

“You haven’t read Colonel Gould’s submission in the addendum have you Ike?”

Bradley thumbed through the papers and found what he was looking for immediately.

“Permit me to read this. It’s been cleaned up a bit and only has the salient information.”

He cleared his throat and read word for word.

“
Report from John F Gould, Lieutenant Colonel. US Army Air Force.

14
th
 
US Air Force, China, Attached –. xxx Fighter Group,
xxx
Fighter Squadron.

I must qualify my report by stating that I was a P47 Thunderbolt pilot engaged in ground attack and interdiction in the ETO from March 44 through February 45.