Opening Moves

“Third herd in situ and Grow is itching for them to come in harm’s way.”

Eisenhower laughed aloud.

“OK, that will do for me. They will hold. Thank you Colonel.”

“Sir.”

‘Third Herd’ was the nickname of 3rd US Armored Division, an outfit that was tough as they came and Robert Grow was a fighting General with a reputation for bravery and steadfastness.

South-east of that and more trouble, as 42nd and 63rd Infantry were being pressed hard on a north-west to south-east line either side of Bad Mergentheim. They were struggling to create a holding barrier on the Main and Tauber Rivers, acknowledging the main line would be on the Neckar behind them and making their left flank fast to the 28th US Infantry who had moved up to Mannheim and Heidelberg.

Ike noted the French in the picture, with the tough 3rd Algerian Division turning Stuttgart into a fortress to the 63rd’s rear.

Aggressive intent revealed itself as he noted the 12th US Armored moving up to around Bad Windsheim to the west of Nürnberg. The Soviet left flank looked vulnerable and it would be a shame not to take the opportunity offered, especially as Tedder had added a surprise to the pot, with fighter squadrons in abundance to cover the attacks, at the cost of cover elsewhere admittedly, but worth the risk.

12th and 9th Armored will give the Reds something to think about.

‘Hooah.’

Tomorrow.

Nürnburg would hold.

So would München but the area was rapidly becoming a machine eating men and equipment. Bombing raids and artillery by themselves were causing casualties enough, but the Soviets were now pressing on the ground.

A thin salient was developing where 45th US Infantry’s 180th RCT was defying all efforts to shift them from the Bavarian township of Moosburg.

Attempts to outflank the ‘Thunderbird’s’ were stopped short at Erding in the south, and Allershausen in the north, but both thrusts reduced the corridor from Moosberg to München to a worrying ten miles width, all of which was under artillery fire.

4th US Armored was forming the southern defences with the 157th RCT, with bit and pieces of the 99th Infantry coming together to the northern side, finally becoming organised after their flight from Regensburg.

As Eisenhower studied the whole München situation, his view was obscured as three agitated officers started running fingers over the map, voices raised, not in anger but in concern. One turned to Eisenhower, catching his eye and pointing at Ingolstadt.

And there it was; the hole.

The dam had burst even as he had sat looking at the map, making his plans, assessing, and all the time the goddamn Russians were through.

When the French had been given back their country, the members of the FFI became redundant overnight, as the Germans were back beyond their borders. Some were patriots of the Maquis, long standing fighters from the early days but many others were recent arrivals to the cause, having been less than active under occupation and suddenly keen to be involved.

Eisenhower always suspected that the employment of FFI in line divisions would not bode well but they had done enough, fighting as they were against a hated foe on his shrinking territory.

Somehow, the 14th French Infantry Division had become relatively isolated in the line at Ingolstadt and their right flank had caved in completely, melting away in front of what was believed to be the Soviet prime attack force, namely the 5th Guards Tank Army.

He had missed it, his Generals had missed it but the Soviets clearly had not and now they were flooding through the front line at Manching. Their right flank on the Donau, nothing between them and Augsburg.

All across Germany and Austria, allied forces were retreating under orders, holding where required, occasionally having to react to appalling problems like Göttingen and the developments around Kassel.

However, this was different. There was little beyond to stem the flow and it had caught everyone by surprise.

The rest of the map could wait because this needed his personal attention and he strode forward to take charge of what was rapidly becoming a pantomime scene as concerned staff rushed around brandishing reports and messages.

It was a question of assets, and the immediate ones to hand were 2nd French Armoured Division in and around Memmingen and two US cavalry groups, the 115th near Kempten and 101st at Ehingen.

The Cavalry Ike could get moving quickly and he did so, calming his subordinates with his unruffled approach and steady voice, dictating his orders to the 6th Army Group commander, General Devers. Under his direction, the staff group came back to order, once more efficient and functioning at 100%.

He could also alert 1st US Infantry Division, ‘The Big Red One’, who could look to their southeast flank and stiffen it with some armor in case the Soviets turned to the north to undercut Nürnberg.

As he pondered more moves, another report indicating continuing resistance in Ingolstadt from part of the 14th helped a little but he could not trust them anymore.