Opening Moves

“As nations we, Germany and Austria, now have an opportunity to make good some of the harm we have done and to be in the vanguard that delivers freedom to our world.”

“To you all I say this. Stand tall, proud of your national identity, and know the man next to you, be he white or black, Christian or Jew, stands with you through choice in a great crusade for freedom.”

“Thank you and good luck.”

In the I.G. Farben building in Frankfurt, Eisenhower looked at his staff and whistled.

“Well if that doesn’t do the trick nothing will.”

1528 hrs Wednesday, 8th August 1945, Headquarters of Red Banner Forces of Soviet Europe, Schloss Schönefeld, Leipzig.

The reception at the Schloss Gundorf was completely different.

Zhukov nodded gently, dissecting the broadcast, exploring the possibilities.

‘Quicker than expected but practical? Resources? Organisation? Usefulness?’

Malinin put both their thoughts into words.

“GRU and NKVD will be squirming Comrade Marshall. Not quite as they predicted is it?”

For two generals who had just been told that the enemy forces were likely to be receiving reinforcements in seven figures, both men seemed reasonably calm.

Calm with good reason as Malinin continued, thinking aloud.

“Provided we continue to push and keep them on the run this will not get off the ground on a large scale. There are intact German units in Norway and the French ports, and those in Denmark could be a small problem but the Western Allies do not have the resources for even their own forces at this time.”

Zhukov pondered some more and then spoke.

“We will proceed without change but delays will not be tolerated. We must press forward incessantly. Tired units must be rotated out and replaced with fresh ones and we must push, push, and push. Inform all commanders. Also, seek information from the GRU and NKVD on their assessment of the impact of this call to arms and what forces the new Germany can field, reasonably field I mean.”

With a wry smile between comrades, Zhukov added.

“And tell them to get it right this time.”

He then recalled something extra from the broadcast.

“They have held back from using the SS bastards though. That will be their loss and our gain Malinin. There may be some things that the NKVD can design to cause friction in their cosy little camp, disrupt the new brotherhood eh?”

Malinin grinned, confident once more.

“Yes Comrade Marshall. Their enterprise will die a death soon enough, at our bayonet point or their own.”

Soviet Aviation has been desperately searching for their number one target without success, ever since the ground attack planned upon it had failed. Photo recon, acquired at great expense by 193rd Guards Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment, had demonstrated the fact that the wrong target had been assaulted in any case and so a considerable amount of effort was being directed at locating it so it could be visited by bombers as soon as possible.

Photos were compared against possible location lists and three possible locations in the Frankfurt area presented themselves. Without assets on the ground to confirm or disprove it was decided to hit all three, and the sooner the better, as Soviet ground forces would surely cause the enemy to displace in the near future.

22nd Guards Bomber Division was given the task and assigned one full bomber regiment to each of the targets, and each bomber regiment being given its own fighter regiment for cover with an additional fighter regiment held back to reinforce as needed. A formidable force indeed, and it was already airborne and crossing no-man’s land.

At the conclusion of the broadcast, Eisenhower took further briefs from his staff and issued whatever instructions were required.

Then, checking in with Bradley dead on 1800 hrs and finding the General ready as expected, SHAEF temporarily handed control of Europe to Bradley’s Twelfth Army Group Headquarters.

Taking a final look around, Ike ordered the move to commence and was immediately rewarded by bustling staff officers and earnest looking soldiers, brought in to speed up the loading process.

Some personnel and items would be going by road overnight. Key personnel and important records had places booked on a number of C-47 flights out of Frankfurt and, in order to ensure the safety of the valuable personnel, USAAF fighter squadrons were in the air already, ready to keep the Soviet aircraft away.

1820 hrs Wednesday, 8th August 1945, Airborne over Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.