Opening Moves

^{G – GroßeBleichen. A- Alsterarkaden. R – Reesendamm. Z – Adolphesplatz. H – Hermannstraße. B – Bergstraße. M – Mönckebergstraße. P – Pelzerstraße. S – Schauenbergerstraße. K – Börsenbrücke.}

92nd Rifles were out of the fight temporarily, losses in Officers and command facilities making the unit combat ineffective. The 60th had all but ceased to exist, having bravely thrown itself onto the English defences, albeit in vain, and died in their hundreds.

Beloborodov’s problem was manoeuvre, or rather the inability to do so.

Hamburg is a city of canals that run alongside streets, separating city blocks and neighbourhoods, almost parcelling them into individual islands.

He was sure that in peacetime it was a beautiful place but in time of war it was a military nightmare to move through, especially if the enemy removed the bridges as they retreated, destroying option after option for the attacking forces.

He pored over the map with his C.O.S., the leadership of 1st Rifle Corps and his Army Artillery Commander, looking for something that had been missed, willing himself to find an alternate route, but knowing there was none.

43rd Army was just about dead on its feet, its offensive capability all committed to this one last throw of the dice.

“There is no choice, we must breakthrough here Comrades.”

His finger striking the map on the point of the last slaughter, ended just after 12pm by his order, withdrawing the bloodied remnants of the 60th’s 235th Rifle Division and the tanks of 39th Guards Tank Brigade.

“Marshall Bagramyan has promised me the 22nd Guards Rifle Corps to replace our casualties, but only if we can break the English here, now, today.”

Looking up from the map, he addressed the trio from 1st Rifle Corps.

“You will take the Rathaus and unlock this sector Comrades. The Rathaus is the key.”

The Army Artillery Commander was next.

“64th Artillery Brigade and 10th Guards Mortar’s will both be dedicated to this attack. Use them wisely Comrade.”

Used to his General’s style, the Artilleryman merely nodded and remained silent.

The Colonel commanding 39th Guards Tanks was next.

“Your tankers have performed superbly these last two days, Comrade Colonel Zorin, but I must ask more. Your remaining full company must support the 1st’s attack, closely, very closely.”

Beloborodov said that as much for the 1st’s officers as for the exhausted young Colonel of tank troops, who had less than half the unit he had entered Hamburg with three days before.

^{Fig#27 – Hamburg – Soviet positions.}

“Right then Comrades, this is how we will get this done.”

Leaning back over the map once more, he used a pencil to describe the intended movement, marking crosses or circling stop points, rally points or targets. “1st will bring themselves up to the same start line used by the 60th, here.” He looked up at the relevant officers to make sure they had understood.

“Artillery and Mortars will fire on this line of buildings until the attack starts. At that time they will shift to the other line here,” he ran the pencil along the building lines in DüstenStraße and WexStraße, two watercourses removed from the Rathaus.

“This worked but enemy reinforcements were still able to get through to the Rathaus once the attack got underway.”

Circling a number of points on the waterways north of the Rathaus, he continued.

“These crossings are down, every one of them, except the Adolphesbrücke here and the AlterDamm cross bridge here, both of which we have avoided bringing down for obvious reasons Comrades.”

Throwing the pencil on the map, he pulled off his Ushanka and ran his fingers through his thinning hair.

“To hell with the bridge now, we will bring it down if we must but no-one will reinforce the Rathaus this time, so be prepared to drop your artillery support closer to the front line positions,” his eyes bored into the Artillery Commander, “Is that clear Comrade?”

“Yes Comrade General.”

Picking out a street name with a quick look at the map the General pressed home his point.

“Neuer Wall and no closer to our troops.”

“Yes Comrade General.”

Picking up the pencil once more, he beckoned everyone closer.

“The infantry attack will not be on a broad front, although I expect you to allocate a battalion for a diversion south, near the Elbe.”

Having circled KatharinenStraße and the Holzbrücke, his preferred spot for the diversion, he brought their attention back to the Rathaus and its environs.

“This area must be taken, the English driven out, and it must be done in this attack Comrades.”

“Once 1st breaches the defences then the 134th will move up and burn them out.”

At the mention of his unit, the horribly scarred Kapitan moved forward to scrutinise his part more closely.

“I don’t care if the whole lot burns, just make sure you shift them all out before nightfall Comrade.”