Nexus Deep

Chapter 25

“The front has been largely restored,” said Manstein. “Yet there remains one segment, a gap of about 25 kilometers west of Novaya Vodolaga, that is now held by nothing more than a few Panzerjager companies.”

He had flown all that night, and most of the following day to reach OKW headquarters. Keitel knew he was coming, and informed Hitler, but the Führer was in a sour mood. “Have you come all this way to ask for yet another withdrawal?”

Manstein was not pleased with the remark, and his tone clearly communicated that. “When I order a redeployment of forces under my command, and one that might entail a tactical withdrawal, it is done for a sound military reason. You will note that Katukov is not in Akythrya, which is where he would surely be if I had not ordered Kempf’s 4th Army to shorten its lines, and sent Raus to Kharkov. That freed up Steiner, and allowed me to at least contest the expansion of the enemy bridgehead over the Donets. It also freed up 3rd Panzergrenadier Division to reinforce Knobelsdorff, and with four divisions, he was able to stop Katukov. As for Steiner, his Korps now holds a front of 40 kilometers with four divisions, yet his left flank is hanging in thin air, on the road to Krasnograd.”

“Yes, yes, I have heard all your so called military imperatives,” said Hitler, “but when will you drive the enemy back and regain the ground you gave him to make these redeployments? When will you throw him back over the Donets?”

Manstein gave Zeitzler a frustrated look. “I am here, in part, to tell you personally that is no longer possible, at least not with the forces I presently command.”

That brought a moment of uncomfortable silence to all around the map table. Kluge of Armeegruppe Center, waited without saying a word, for he could see that Hitler was very displeased.

“Not possible?”

“Correct,” said Manstein tersely. “You are the supreme commander here. Look at that map. Surely you can see that if Steiner is holding a frontage of 40 kilometers, he cannot concentrate to attack with any real power.”

“Yet you were responsible for these deployments,” said Hitler. “You were the one who dispersed Steiner on such a broad front.”

“Correct again, and that was also necessary. If I had concentrated to a much narrower front, I would have had a stronger attack, but there would have been nothing to hold either flank as Steiner advanced. I will say again—we do not have enough infantry. He would have had to hold the shoulders of any penetration with his own troops, and that would weaken the power of his attack with every kilometer he gained. If we had been facing a single Soviet army, even two, that may not have mattered. But we were facing four, and three of those were Guards.”

“I sent you three infantry divisions from Armeegruppe Center,” Hitler reminded him, “and two more from the Caucasus.”

“That is so, and they helped me stabilize the north, but we needed ten, twelve divisions if possible. I discussed this with you at our last meeting, and told you exactly how they could be found.”

“Yes, by giving up everything we have taken from Ivan Volkov,” said Hitler. “That would certainly satisfy him, would it not? Just throw the Caucasus to the wind—is that your sound military advice now?”

“My Führer, I have given you my reasoning on that earlier as well. Astrakhan and Baku cannot be reached, and Groznyy is useless to us for at least a year. The only objective worth holding there is Maykop. At present, Kleist now has twelve infantry and one Panzer division in the Caucasus. If we reduced our position there to simply hold the Kuban, that could be done with six or seven divisions, because we still have the Rumanian 3rd Army available. That frees up six good German divisions that could be used to hold that enemy bridgehead over the Donets, and then I could pull Steiner off the line, concentrate, and plan a real counterattack. Donnerschlag was a surprise move that caught the enemy off guard, and it worked as planned. Unfortunately, we discovered they had moved four armies into that bridgehead—four armies. Steiner’s troops have performed in an exemplary manner, but three divisions cannot move an enemy force of that size.”

Hitler fidgeted, his lips pursed, eyes shifting about, clearly ill at ease. He could hear the logic of what Manstein was saying, but it was something he did not want to accept. Steiner had been stopped. His enemy had taken ground from him, and Manstein was telling him it could not be regained—not without relinquishing yet more ground taken in the Caucasus, terrain that led him to the oil wells of Groznyy and Baku. Then Manstein riveted home his point by other means.

“I must point out again that if our positions between Kharkov and Izyum are not strengthened, and very soon, then you risk that entire flank. It will compel Paulus to withdraw his 6th Army and yield the entire Donets Basin. Otherwise he will be cut off, along with everything in the Caucasus. So, you must now choose what is most essential. We either relinquish the Terek Region, and fall back on Maykop as I suggest, or you will soon see us struggling to save the Donets Basin. I have stopped them, but they will reorganize. We must do the same before they renew offensive operations. You must do this now, or find some other means of reinforcing Armeegruppe South. Half measures will no longer suffice.”

“All my Generals want more divisions,” said Hitler. “You must understand that this is not the only front needing reinforcement. General Kluge tells me he cannot advance on Orel because he has already sent so many divisions to your command. General Kuchler of Armeegruppe North tells me he cannot launch Operation Untergang until all the units he has given up are returned. And you must also remember that Italy is now a weak sister, and I must provide for the possibility of Allied operations against the Balkans, Greece, or Italy.”

“I have already told you how Italy can be reinforced,” said Manstein. “Kübler should be moved out of Syria, and Guderian should also destroy Baba Gurgur and leave Iraq.”

“These things have been under consideration,” said Hitler, “but the movement of forces takes time.”

“Correct me if I am wrong, but has this redeployment even been ordered? Equivocation and procrastination will not serve us now. We need your decisive leadership, timely orders. Otherwise the enemy steals a march on us while we take things ‘under consideration.’ Which brings us to one last point of discussion, and the real reason I came here today. I must tell you, and I believe that both General Kluge and Zeitzler here are in agreement, that until we stabilize the Southern wing of the army, Operation Untergang is completely out of the question. If you cannot now find troops to save the Donets Basin, then you will most certainly not find them to bring Operation Untergang up to its planned strength before the July 1st launch date. It must either be postponed, or cancelled.”

Hitler had taken one barrage after another, the towers and walls of his fortress collapsing with each passing minute. Now he simply closed his eyes and began speaking, as if to himself more than anyone in the room, and with each word he uttered, his tone grew harder, darker, until his famous anger sallied forth in his defense.

“Cancelled… cancelled. My Field Marshal is oh so fond of cancelling offensives. He had the temerity to suspend Operation Zitadelle, and now he tells me I must cancel Untergang as well! Then I must return the Terek to Ivan Volkov, and all to serve his defense of Armeegruppe South! There are 30 infantry divisions in Armeegruppe North, along with six mobile divisions. That should be more than enough to crush enemy resistance, and do the job. That operation will not be cancelled, nor will it be postponed! You will return to your command and fight! Fight!”

The Führer struggled to compose himself, brushing the hair from his white brow. “The time for all these clever ‘Operations’ is long past. This situation simply requires backbone—staying power. It can be mastered and this army has the means. I am tired of hearing one excuse after another as to why things cannot be done and why we must give the enemy back everything we have taken from him. Very well… I will get you the infantry you request, because I have already taken the decision to leave the Syrian desert behind. Do not think I idle away my days and hours, Herr Manstein. I have more on my mind than you can possible imagine. So, I am done with deserts, and fruitless promises, and adventures in the Middle East. I have already recalled the Brandenburg Division, Guderian and Kübler will also be recalled. Cyprus will be evacuated and the troops there sent to Rhodes. All the mountain and Jager divisions will be distributed between Italy, Greece and the Balkans. All the regular infantry divisions and the Panzers, will be moved to the Dnieper depots and prepare for service as required. This will include both 2nd and 16th Panzer Divisions in Hube’s Korps, and 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions from Iraq. The Brandenburgers will be sent to Germany to refit as a Panzer Division again.”

Hitler had been leaning on the map table with both hands, staring at the dents and bulges in the front, his eyes unmoving. Now he stood up, clasping his hands behind his back, and staring at Manstein.

“There,” he said sharply. “The decision has been made, and it will not be questioned. The turkey is on the table, and I will now leave the three of you to decide how to carve it up. I use such a metaphor for good reason, for that is what I have had to sacrifice to clean up the mess on the southern front. Turkey! This movement out of Iraq and Syria will have political ramifications. It exposes Turkey’s southern border to the enemy, and it could weaken the resolve of the Turks to remain neutral. Churchill and Roosevelt have been pressuring the Turks to close their borders and cut our supplies to Syria and Iraq. Now they will begin courting favors, but there must be no movement of British forces through Turkey. All the key rail depots and bridges the Todt Organizations built will be destroyed as we evacuate. We will no longer need those rail lines, but neither will we leave them for the enemy to use. It is a moot issue now. Operation Phoenix, as well as Eisenfall have been cancelled. Plan Orient is dead. As for Untergang, that operation will not be cancelled, and it will proceed as scheduled on July 1st.”

The three Generals took all this in, surprised that Hitler would make such sweeping changes all at once. He had invested all his energy and hopes for some great economic boon to come out of his Middle East adventures, but they knew changes were in order once the Führer recalled Rommel from Syria. The defeat in Tunisia changed everything, and now Hitler was closing his ranks, and looking for a certain and sure set of borders that he could defend. He was not going to defeat the British in Syria and Iraq, and had finally come to see that he had weakened the Ostfront entirely too much to pursue those distant objectives, just as he had done so in North Africa. The ill-fated Operation Zitadelle, suspended before it could truly prove itself, still festered. He wanted no more excuses. Then he turned to Manstein, his manner softening.

“What you have done in restoring the front has not gone unnoticed.”

At first, Manstein did not know quite how to take that. Was Hitler praising him, or suggesting that he was aware that he had done things the Führer did not approve.

“I understand fully what you have said concerning that bridgehead. If the enemy has reinforced it so heavily, then we must do the same if we are to have any chance of throwing him back. You may have the pick of the litter when these forces reach the Dnieper, but I will expect results. When you return to the front, tell Steiner that I am very pleased with his performance, and that of all his troops. As for the decision regarding the Caucasus, the Mykop-Tuapse pipeline is the only thing that matters now south of the Don, and the Army will stay where it is to give us a strong buffer zone to defend. Keep a wary eye on Volkov, Herr General. He may seem weak now, but he will do everything possible to take his revenge upon us. Be wary.”

With that, Hitler turned and walked slowly toward the door, the guards stiffening to salute as he passed. Manstein watched him go, a plaintive figure in so many ways. He could see the disappointment in his eyes, the reluctance to yield anything, the irrational logic fed by his stubborn will.

“Well,” he said, when Hitler had departed, “I did not get quite the decision I wanted, but this will have to do. He has given up on Iraq, Syria, and Turkey in one throw, but yet he will not budge on the Caucasus.”

“The Turks weren’t shooting at him,” said Zeitzler. “But that cannot be said for Volkov.”

“How many divisions does this free up?” asked Kluge.

“Twenty,” said Zeitzler, a light in his eyes like a man finding gold. There was a noticeable relief among them all, as if all the tension in the room had oozed away in the wake of the Führer.

“Twenty divisions,” said Manstein. “And four of them good Panzer Divisions. As the Führer was kind enough to give me first pick, I choose 3rd Panzerkorps, if only because it is closer in Syria than the 47th is in Baghdad. Hube will come in vary handy if I bring him up on the southern shoulder of this bridgehead. But I also need infantry. How many line divisions are there?”

“Six,” said Zeitzler. “You will want to split them in two, but may I suggest the following disposition? You take Hube as you wish, and then 47th Panzerkorps will go to Kluge with 3rd and 4th Panzer. Take any three line-infantry for your front, General Manstein, and the remaining three will go into OKW Reserve to be used when most needed. Let us send Kübler to Italy with the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Mountain Divisions, along with the two Fallschirmjager Divisions in Student’s command. I would like to place 6th Mountain Division in the Crimea—a nice cupboard to tuck it away, while keeping it close to both the Caucasus and the Donets Basin. The SS Prinz Eugen and the 104th Jager Divisions can go back to anti-partisan duty in Serbia and Croatia. As for Cyprus, it will be hanging out like a sore thumb, so let us put the 78th Sturm there.”

“We should evacuate that island,” said Kluge.

“Perhaps, but it has useful aerodromes that allow us to cover Northern Syria. If the British do get any notion of advancing to that frontier, we at least have some foil with the Luftwaffe.”

“You might think so,” said Manstein, “but we did not have air superiority in either Syria or Iraq, so if the British do cut a deal with Turkey, nothing we have on Cyprus will impede them. I see it as nothing more than another liability, tying up a good infantry division or two with garrison duty. See if you can work on that with Hitler.”

“Very well,” said Zeitzler. “Then the 78th goes to either Rhodes or Crete. Both those islands shield Greece, and Hitler is quite nervous about a British move into the Balkans.”

“He should not worry. The British will not invade the Balkans. To do so, they would first need to reduce Crete and Rhodes, then invade and occupy Greece.”

“Yet what if Turkey was as gracious to Churchill as he was to us? Can you imagine them gaining free passage through Turkey, and then lining up their forces on the Turkish border to invade Bulgaria?”

“It will never happen,” said Manstein. “You heard the Führer. We will wreck those rail lines and it would take them months to rebuild a logistical network through Turkey. Besides, even if they were on the Turkish border, it would be a year before they became a threat to us.”

“They could move up the Black Sea Coast and be behind our Dnieper line,” said Zeitzler.

“Well, they’ll be quite late. It’s 600 miles from the Turkish border to the Dnieper. At this moment, the Soviets are only 90 miles from that objective. Which army do you think will get there first?”

“A good point,” said Zeitzler. “Yet suppose the Allies go for Vienna instead? The Russians are 900 miles from there at this moment. The Turkish frontier is only 660 miles.”

“Let us wait and see where the Soviets are by the time the British are marching through Istanbul,” said Manstein with a grin.

That ended the discussion concerning the Balkans.

“I think we have only assigned 19 divisions,” said Manstein, going over the list in his head again.

“Very astute,” said Zeitzler. “Not counting the Brandenburgers, we are still left with 10th Motorized from Iraq. I would like to hold on to that one as well. There are any number of places where it might be useful.”

“Is it converting to a Panzergrenadier Division?”

“Not yet. There is still something to be said for a good fast infantry division. We’ll leave it that way, but find some Panzerjagers to give it some defense against armor.”

“How long will 24th Panzerkorps be away?”

“Perhaps a month. The 24th Division is in fairly good shape, the 22nd practically wrecked. The 23rd is in the middle, both numerically and in terms of its overall condition.”

“It will at least be good to know that we have all three in Germany,” said Manstein, “because we will need them sooner than we think.”

“Indeed. Then we have covered everything,” said Zeitzler. “The only card left unplayed in this hand is the Brandenburg Division, and the Fuhrer will undoubtedly keep it close to his chest. I realize that you get only two divisions, General Kluge, but at the moment, the crisis is in the south. Is this agreeable?”

“I have no objection,” said Kluge. “I am sure that the Field Marshal will remember my generosity should I ever need him.”

“I will indeed,” said Manstein. “And I also see that we have left nothing for Untergang —all the better. Do you really think the Führer means to launch this offensive? These five extra divisions will come in very handy on my front, but they will be barely enough to hold the line and allow me to build a mobile reserve. Ivan has tried us twice, and he still wants Kharkov. He is already at the front door, and knocking loudly.”

“Yes, unfortunately, Hitler means to attack towards Leningrad,” said Zeitzler. “He has plenty of infantry, but those six mobile divisions will not get him very far. Three of them are old motorized infantry divisions converted to Panzergrenadiers. However, there are divisions refitting in Germany, notably the 24th Panzer Korps, and they will most likely be committed to this attack. Then he has that hodge-podge that Himmler scraped together. How has the Nordland Division performed?”

“It is a stubborn defender,” said Manstein, “but lacks the skill necessary to make it a good offensive division.”

“Well, Himmler may come calling for it before July. Keep that in mind. He wanted it as part of his new SS Korps for Untergang, and I think he has delusions of seeing it lead the way to Leningrad.”

“Zeitzler,” said the Field Marshal, “if you can drag your feet on this ill-conceived plan, I suggest you do so. The Soviets will have multiple lines of defense waiting for that offensive.”

“Possibly,” said Zeitzler. “It may end up a lot of percussion without any real music. I certainly don’t think it will get very far, but perhaps that is what the Führer needs to make him understand the seriousness of our situation on this front. How did we get here, gentlemen? Eighteen months ago, we were burning Moscow!”

“I think Beria started that fire,” said Manstein. “At least this is what I have learned. And I think if Hitler tries to light another one in Leningrad, he will be courting more than a rude awakening. The Soviets will be waiting for him, and after they stop him, don’t think they will just sit and congratulate themselves. If these offensives toward Kharkov teach us anything, then we had better learn the lesson, and the Führer had better learn it as well if he wants to be the head “School Master.”

Chapter 26

Montgomery would lose the argument surrounding his Sicily invasion, but win one small consolation prize concerning Malta. The fact that Churchill still endowed it with a position of great importance for the future security of British interests in the Med, made its capture a foregone conclusion. Britain had reclaimed the Rock of Gibraltar, and now she would reclaim Malta as well.

The enemy garrison was not strong. Even the Luftwaffe had been withdrawing most of its key air assets to Sicily, leaving long range recon, and a few fighter squadrons on the island. Two battalions of the San Marco Marines held the place, with a battalion of the Folgore Parachute Brigade, and the Italians had more planes there than the Germans, until the Allies began visiting the fields with daily fighter sweeps. The RAF was working hard to neutralize that outpost as a viable air base for the Axis, and then hammering key installations on Sicily daily as well, particularly the fields near Gerbini, Lentini, Palermo and Sigonella near Catania.

These attacks would also further the notion that Sicily was to be the next target of the Allies war effort, and as German troops began to make a steady withdrawal from first Iran, and then Syria, Churchill heaved a sigh of great relief. He had sweat blood to build a defense in both theaters, and now all that effort left a pool of seasoned divisions in the Middle East, forces that he could put to many uses in his mind.

The Prime Minister was still looking for some consideration of an attack into Greece and the Balkans, and he was also actively trying to reopen diplomatic channels with Turkey. In spite of that, Marshall, and the American Joint Chiefs, could see no reason why any concerted effort should be made there, and considered it a waste of both time and resources. They continued to press for an invasion of northern France in 1943, though Marshall conceded that removing Italy from the Enemy camp and restoring control of the entire Mediterranean Sea to the Allies was desirable, but he wanted action soon, and waiting another month to clear both Pantelleria and Malta before attacking Sicily would push that start date into July or even August.

Sardinia was not considered as great a strategic prize as Sicily, or an invasion of Southern Italy itself. In fact, Churchill once remarked that the former would be a “glorious campaign” and the latter a mere convenience.” Yet Sardinia could be invaded for half the cost in men and material, and once occupied, it presented the Allies with a good base to support an immediate attack on Rome. He did not see that coming from the Husky Operation for many long months. In this he was quite correct, for in the real history, Sicily was not cleared until mid-August, the landing at Salerno was staged on September 9, Naples entered on October 1, the Anzio landings staged January 22 of 1944, and Rome was not entered until June of that year. That was a long year from June of 1943 to June of 1944 before Rome was in hand, and Marshall believed the road through Sardinia would get there much sooner.

And so it was decided—Operation Brimstone would be the next Allied Offensive in the Med. While Husky was a major operation planning to lift eight divisions to Sicily, the attack on Sardinia would require only half that force. The actual draft plan, as developed by the Allies in the real history, (but not implemented) is presented here (in part) just as it was written.

Monty took the stage again for an encore, but this time the map behind him was not Sicily, but Sardinia. Now the final plan for Brimstone had been devised, and he was briefing Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, Anderson, Alexander and the Air Marshals. His Husky plan had been cancelled, and so to ease the sting, he was given final say on the dispositions for the Brimstone plan.

“Being half as big as the Husky Operation,” he began, “Brimstone can be mounted twice as fast. So instead of waiting for Malta and going for Sicily in late July or early August, we can now move in June. Ports supporting the invasion are Tunis, Bizerte, Bone, Algiers, Palma in the Baleric Islands, and Barcelona. Those last two cannot provide air cover, but the big new Allied airfield on Menorca is closer, only 230 miles from west coast of Sardinia. To put that in perspective, Cagliari on Sardinia is only 140 miles from bases near Bizerte, and that is closer than any point on Sicily from those same fields.”

“Our Spitfires have the range for that,” said Tedder, “and the American P-38’s and Mustangs can handle it quite easily.”

“Indeed,” said Montgomery. “It won’t be quite as good as using Malta to cover the landing sites I selected for Sicily. They were only 80 miles from that island, but as you say, our aircraft are quite capable, and we’ll also have close support from the carriers. And by the by, the operations against Pantelleria and Malta will still proceed, as they will be good cover to convince the Germans Sicily is our next target. As a secondary benefit, they’ll aid the eventual effort to clear the passage through the Sicilian Narrows for east-west shipping traffic. We’ll also open the door in the event we need to land on Sicily as originally planned.”

“Let’s hope that won’t be necessary,” said Eisenhower. “Marshall came around to this, but largely because he wants to pull shipping and assault boat assets out of the Med as soon as possible. He could see three or four landings looming behind the Husky operation, and Brimstone just seemed so much cleaner.”

“Well,” said Montgomery, “Brimstone is the plan. While it will need carriers for close air support at the outset, we’re counting on seizing airfields on Sardinia as quickly as possible. Cagliari is a principle objective, both for its airfields and the decent port there that will be used to bring in follow on divisions. However, the actual landing sites chosen will not make a direct attack on Cagliari, which is protected by shore batteries, coastal forts, and minefields. Instead it would be taken from the landward side.”

“The landward side?” said Patton. “Well where do we land?”

“The primary beaches would be to the northwest at the Gulf of Oristano, which offers a good coastal strip five miles long. From there, the main attack will proceed southeast towards Cagliari, through the broad lowland region known as the Campidano Plain. That will be a drive of only 45 miles, with favorable terrain, and as it cuts the main roads to the north, it will force any enemy retreat to use the slower roads along the east coast of the island. A secondary landing would occur on the southwest coast at Porto Paglia, which would then drive through Gonessa and Iglesias, and due east through a lowland valley to Cagliari.”

“What about Sassari in the North?”

“It will be a secondary objective,” said Montgomery. “The airfield there might be seized by airborne assault, but it’s not written into the plan.”

“Well why don’t we give it to Matt Ridgeway and the 82nd Airborne?” said Patton. “They did a hell of a job in Tunisia—flew right over the German lines and kicked Rommel right in the ass. They could do the same thing here.”

“We may have a role for Ridgeway,” said Eisenhower, “but let’s defer that for the time being. Let’s have a look at our starters first. What’s the lineup, General?”

“I’m afraid we now suffer from an embarrassment of riches,” said Monty. “You chaps have eight divisions, and between our 8th and 5th Armies, we have another ten. Add to that the newly arrived 1st Canadian Division and the Free French Division, and we’re looking at twenty divisions. Unfortunately, the plan calls for only four, and possibly six, so that leaves quite a bit out in the cold. Add to that the fact that we have another ten divisions in Iraq, and for the first time it seems as though we have more forces than we could possibly use.”

“Don’t worry,” said Eisenhower. “Marshall wants seven divisions shipped back to the UK for Sledgehammer and Roundup, and I’m sure Churchill will find good use for the Iraq Force in Burma.”

“Actually, I think we’ll have a go at Ceylon,” said Monty. “Rubber supplies are getting very tight, and Churchill wants it back. That said, to the matter at hand. With so much to choose from, we thought we would include forces from each command, and also invite some newcomers to the table. So I’ve asked each commanding officer to nominate candidates, and General O’Connor’s 8th Army has put forward the 51st Highland Division, augmented by the 1st Armored Brigade. I’ve chosen my old 3rd Infantry, and General Patton has selected your 1st Infantry Division augmented by a Combat Command under General Abrams. That’s the principle landing force. We will also keep one more division in floating reserve, and this time we’ve invited a newcomer to the party—the 1st Canadian.”

“Sounds like a hell of a team,” said Patton.”

“Indeed,” said Monty. “Then we’ll be using your three Ranger Battalions, along with a number of our own Commandos and Royal Marines. In deep reserve, we’ll have your 1st Armored Division, and one more good British Division. I would have selected the 50th, but it’s still in Syria, on the wrong side of Malta, so we’ll nominate the 4th Mixed Division. Of course, if the going gets rough, we can select anything else in the cupboard.”

“Alright,” said Patton. “Where do I land?”

“You’ve got the bay off Gonessa in the southwest. Then you move inland, take Iglesias and Carbonia, and push up the rail line towards Cagliari.”

“So we get the prize,” Patton smiled, liking the fact that he had been assigned Cagliari.

“That’s the principle port on the island,” said Montgomery. “We’ll need it to bring in the bulk of our armored support and follow on troops. So I’ll be coming for it as well. The main landing will be conducted at Oristano Bay, with 51st and 3rd British Infantry Divisions and supporting forces. I’ll take Oristano and establish a strong defensive bastion there, but forces will be detached to push southeast through the Campidano Plain as I indicated earlier. That will flank anything the Germans try to send your way from the north.”

“Germans? I thought this was an Italian show?”

“There’s been an intelligence update,” said Eisenhower. “The Germans reconstituted their 15th Infantry Division from anything they managed to pull out of Tunis and Bizerte. It moved through Corsica to Sardinia three days ago. And they put another division on Corsica, which might attempt to join the action down here—the 90th Light—reconstituted as well.”

“The more the merrier,” said Patton. “I kicked those bastards out of Tunisia, and now I’ll do the same here.”

“Now then,” said Montgomery. “Once Cagliari is secured, we’ll coordinate to begin the drive north to clear the island. General Patton, you’ll advance up the east coast, while my corps pushes north from Oristano for Sassari. Then we hook northeast to La Maddalena.”

“So we get the east coast… There are no good roads there at all.” There was just the hint of a complaint in Patton’s tone.

“Nothing we haven’t encountered before,” said Montgomery. “You won’t hook right until you take Sassari?”

“Well, by the time I get up there, I should also have 1st Canadian in hand, and I’ll send that division north to Sassari while I turn at Chilivani and follow the main rail line towards Olbia and La Maddalena. You’ll come up the east coast, secure the capitol at Nuoro, and then keep pushing up the coast to Olbia.”

“So we mop up the loose ends, while you get the glory.”

“Come now, General Patton, if it’s glory you’re after, I’m sure you’ll find plenty to do once you land. As I’m commanding the main battle force, it’s only natural that my advance must proceed up the west coast.”

“Of course,” said Patton, with a narrow-eyed look. After the briefing, he had more to say to Eisenhower.

“Look Ike,” he began. “I can understand why you threw a bone to the British and put Monty in the driver’s seat. I mean, we pulled the Husky plan right out from under him. But it rankles me to think he’ll go parading up the west coast while I struggle north on those goat trails out east. How am I supposed to get Task Force Abrams up that coast?”

“You’ll get through,” said Eisenhower. “That’s why we picked you, Georgie. Now, I don’t want the two of you at loggerheads. That’s why Bradley will be right there to keep an eye on things and liaison with Montgomery. You see to the fighting.”

“Damn right I will,” said Patton, blowing off steam. “I’ll tell you what I’m going to do, goat trails and all. I’m going to beat that Limey son-of-a-bitch to La Maddalena, if it’s the last thing I do!”

Eisenhower gave him that famous grin.

Chapter 27

Darby’s Rangers had the honor of the first units to hit the coast of Sardinia. Arriving before dawn on the 15th of June, they deployed from fast APD type destroyers at the small harbor of Porto Botte, about 25 kilometers southeast of Patton’s main landing site. 1st and 2nd Ranger Battalions stormed that port to find the only defense there was from the relatively weak Sardagena MG Battalion. Before sunrise, they had the port, and chased the enemy another 5 klicks inland. In those hours, it was all their war, the only troops from the Western Alliance engaged with the enemy in the entire theater.

The 4th Rangers came in on the island of San Antioch, landing at Calsetta on the northwest tip, and finding nothing there but a ten-man constabulary, which was eager to switch sides the minute they saw the tough American Rangers. They then marched another seven kilometers, all the way across the island to another small fishing port at San Antioco. All the way, they were followed by villagers, local farmers, and the girls blowing kisses and handing them flowers, fruit and fresh milk. They were the first Allied troops to liberate European soil, and if the rest of the journey was going to be anything like this, the Rangers thought they’d be in Berlin by Christmas.

Further north, the battleship Texas was starting to pound the beaches west of Gonessa, and with those first heavy salvos, telephones started ringing all over the island. The enemy had been caught by surprise. Even though they had taken the precaution of reinforcing both Corsica and Sardinia with two reconstituted German Divisions (90th Panzergrenadier and 15th Infantry) they did not expect the Allies to attack where they did.

Montgomery’s planned operations against Pantelleria and Malta were only now being mounted, with Cunningham’s Eastern Med Squadron covering those assaults. A good many German aircraft were off to the south, or transferred to Sicily, and they were now racing to get the newly rebuilt Hermann Goring Division south through Naples to cross the Strait of Messina in the next few days.[3] The only German troops already on Sicily were largely Luftwaffe units, service troops, and March battalions that were being organized by Colonel Ernst-Guenther Baade. Originally meant to be reinforcements for Tunisia, they were now being stitched together into “Panzergrenadier Regiment Palermo.” Baade then began to gather up flak units with their powerful 88mm guns to roll them into the new “Division Sizilien,” which would later be renamed the 15th Panzergrenadier Division after its famous older brother, the 15th Panzer that had perished in Tunis.

Colonel Baade was a very competent man, a veteran of the fighting in North Africa where he had served with Rommel’s 15th Panzer. He was cool, professional, and brave under fire, yet always treated his enemies fairly if his unit took prisoners. There was both an art and a code that applied to war, and Baade embodied them both. He fought at Bir Hachim, Tobruk, and Rommel’s Gazala line. Now he was sent to build something from nothing on Sicily, and that was exactly what he was doing.

He found that a number of veteran officers had escaped the debacle in Tunisia. Lieutenant Colonel Karl Ens was the first on his list, a good fighting officer with the 104th Panzergrenadiers before a battle wound saw him evacuated. Then he found Colonel Theodor Koerner off the 115th Panzergrenadier Regiment, and Lieutenant Colonel Fritz Fullriede of the 129th Panzergrenadiers. All three would now lead Kampfgruppes Baade was slowly building on Sicily.

Like this unit, Major General Carl-Hans Lungerhausen had been tapped to rebuild the old 90th Light Afrika Division that had served under Rommel, and it was to be assigned to Sardinia. While Herman Goring and 15th Panzergrenadiers would form the heart of the Sicily garrison, Sardinia was supposed to get both 15th Infantry and the 90th Light, now also being rebuilt as a Panzergrenadier Division by Lungerhausen. While the 90th was waiting for its transport, the 15th Division went ahead by ship from Toulon, a patchwork of ex-north Africa vets, men recuperating from service on the Ostfront, and new recruits. Its presence on Sardinia was therefore part of the altered history of these events, and it had only just arrived there.

Corsica was to have been garrisoned by the Reichsführer Division, but it was now far away in Russia, holding the line just outside the city of Kharkov. So there was nothing for Corsica, which led Kesselring to decide to move the 90th there as a first stop on June 10th. “If we need more than the 15th on Sardinia, we can always move the 90th over the Bonifacio strait,” he told the new commander on Sardinia, General Frido von Senger und Etterlin.

While this was going on, Erwin Rommel had been called to see Hitler again in Berlin where he was tasked with building the units that would be needed for the defense of Italy.

“I have had to send a part of your old command in Syria to Manstein,” Hitler told him. “But all of Kübler’s Mountain troops are there, and you may find units rebuilding in France as well, including your old favorite, the 7th Panzer.”

“I was very glad to see that most of the key personnel from that division were safely evacuated from Tunisia,” said Rommel. “What am I to do with this new Army?”

“We have a plan,” said Hitler. “I am calling it Operation Alarich—the occupation of Italy by strong German forces in the event that the Italians begin to waver. Kübler has five mountain Divisions. The SS will go to Serbia, but the others go to Italy. We must be ready to move decisively to disarm the Italian forces in Italy and seize control. Believe me, this is no small order. Manstein has been hounding me for more divisions, and I have been forced to heavily reinforce Armeegruppe South. Guderian is being recalled for that, and now you must find troops for Italy for me. You will also have Student’s two Parachute Divisions, and anything else you can find in France—except SS formations being built there by Himmler.”

Within 45 Days, the Germans would move 17 Divisions into Italy in the real history, and now, with Hitler’s fears made real with the news being shouted over those telephone lines on Sardinia, Rommel would have to move with decisive quickness to build a force capable of undertaking the task of controlling Italy.

“Am I to command there?” he asked.

“Kesselring is already there, and he has very good relations with the Italians. So for the moment, he will retain command. As you know, the Italians are not entirely fond of you.”

“Nor I of them,” said Rommel.

“You see? Then politically, it is better that Kesselring retains command, but you will build his army as Inspector General of the Wehrmacht, and you will retain command of all other units in France, the Low Countries, Denmark and Norway, including the entire 15th Army. That is where the real threat will be looming—in the Pas de Calais.”

“Yet most everything the British and Americans have now is right here in the Mediterranean or Middle East. That was one after effect of your Operation Phoenix.”

“It is likely that most of those divisions will be withdrawn to England,” said Hitler. “I believe their immediate concern is in knocking Italy out of the war and keeping us tied down in the Balkans. In time, they will turn their eyes to France. As for Mussolini, I believe I still have his loyalty, and that of many of the Italian divisions, particularly those with good Fascist seed. Yet Italy is a problem, which is why we must be prepared to act.”

Rommel shrugged, but nodded his ascent. He would build the army that would fight in Italy, just like his former subordinates had been busy building the divisions that would fight on Sicily and Sardinia, but he would not command. Yet Hitler took advantage of this meeting to ask what Rommel thought about the prospects for defending Italy.

“The Allies will invade soon,” said Rommel, “and they will go for the outer islands first, Sicily and Sardinia. After that, they will follow with a landing on the Italian mainland. If they are smart, they will land north of Rome, and in that event, they will outflank anything we have in the south. But the north can be held—the resources of the rich Po Valley—particularly if a strong defensive position is prepared and manned by good German divisions before the enemy arrives. I would make that my principle strategy for Italy, a stone wall through the mountains in the north. Trying to hold the center and south exposes those forces to endless opportunities for seaborne flanking maneuvers. Fight there only to delay and buy time for this strong defensive front to be completed in the north.”

“This is what I believe as well,” said Hitler, pleased that for once, he had a General that agreed with him. “Kesselring is of a different mind. He thinks the center and south can be held, but with mobile forces capable of reacting to any contingency, and tenacious infantry. Where would you build your defensive front?”

“Along these mountains,” said Rommel, indicating the position on the map, “the Apennine Range. Anchor it just south of La Spezia in the west, and follow the mountains all the way south and east to Pesaro on the Adriatic. Place our reserves in the east, near Ravenna.”

“A very good plan,” said Hitler. “I want you to select the divisions and supervise the building of this defensive front, and for that purpose, I will empower you with command of all divisions north of Rome. At the appropriate time, you are to seize all passes, key bridges, rail depots and other major roads in the north, and disarm any Italian units you can find. Kesselring is adamant that we should hold the south as well, and he has been organizing the initial defense there. He is convinced that the Allies will invade Sicily, but tells me he can delay them there for two months if they do so. Then he proposes delaying actions in the south, and successive lines of defense on the narrow waist of the peninsula between Naples and Termoli on the Adriatic. He would even want to defend Rome.”

“That would be useless,” said Rommel, “and in some ways, it would be criminal. Do you realize the artistic legacy of that city? You are a man who understands culture, my Führer. Do not send your panzers into the narrow streets of Rome and destroy all that history and artwork.”

“If I do choose to hold it, the Allies will be responsible if they attack us there.” Hitler had an unlimited capacity to shift the blame. “Yet at this time, I am inclined to withdraw all our forces north of Rome should Italy betray us. Very well… Go to Munich and establish a special headquarters there to plan this defensive front and complete your other tasks. You will be very well occupied in that.”

In war, as in life, way leads on to way. Rommel would soon find that he had more to do than select divisions and build fortifications, for Churchill was still burning oil in his planning lamps for a Mediterranean strategy, and he was enlisting the support of Sir Alan Brooke to be his ambassador. What that would become was as yet part of the unformed mist of the future, something that not even Anton Fedorov could have predicted. Just as Rommel was picking up his gloves to depart, a runner came to the conference room, eyes alight with alarm.

The Allies were invading Sardinia.

In the first hours of an invasion from the sea, confusion is as much a factor in the outcome as anything else. News of the fighting on the coast told von Senger where the enemy had attacked, but nothing of where else he might appear. The entire western coast of the island was a potential target, and with only one good German division at hand, he had to be very prudent as to how he would commit this force to the battle.

The Gulf of Oristano had been considered a probable target if Sardinia was to be invaded, which was why the bulk of the Italian Bari division had been garrisoned there. Yet Monty was going to hit the beaches with two veteran British Divisions supported by a full armored brigade, and the Bari Division was not going to stop him.

At the same time, a small airborne drop had been planned north of Oristano, conducted by Colonel John Frost, now elevated to command the 1st British Para Brigade for his defense against the Wiking Division in Syria. The main airfield in the region was very near the city, but there was also a small secondary strip at Milis, about seven kilometers to the north.

The first two battalions landed, though they were fairly well scattered in the dark, but the 3rd Battalion got off to a late start with mechanical problems in the lead plane. By the time it reached the coast, it was nearing dawn, and German fighters became a real problem, forcing the mission to abort. So Frost proceeded with two battalions, finding no German units at the airfield, and only a small force of Italian military police. Like Darby in the south, he would have his objective secured just after sunrise, but he would not keep it for very long.

Other special operations saw British Commandos landing on the southern cape framing the bay to get after Italian shore batteries there, and the Royal Marines landed 15 kilometers to the south, where they were to destroy another coastal gun position at Torre Cosari.

In Patton’s sector, he would soon realize that most of the available assault boat shipping had been claimed by Montgomery as well. There was only enough left over for Patton to land the infantry of two regiments in Terry Allen’s 1st Infantry, and two battalions of TF Abrams. Most of the artillery had to wait for the second wave later in the day. Patton steamed at his situation.

Monty had told him that his maneuver south would cut the main roads and force any enemy troops to use the less developed roads on the east coast—the very same roads Patton would have to use himself to get up north. From his position at Oristano Bay, Monty also had a 50-kilometer lead on him in the race to La Maddalena, but it was still one that the fiery American General wanted to win.

Very little moved that morning on the Axis side. Von Senger gave orders for 15th Infantry Division to prepare to move south, for it had only arrived on the island a few days earlier, and was concentrated in the north near La Maddalena and Sassari. The Bari Division rushed to man defenses at Oristano and the Sabuda Division sent three battalions up the road to Iglesias to face the wrath of George Patton. When von Senger reported to Kesselring, the Field Marshal was shocked that the Allies had moved so quickly after Tunis, and surprised they had selected Sardinia.

“We thought they would need at least another month before they could move,” he said. “How many divisions?”

“Two at Oristano Bay, both British, and one reinforced American division further south on the beaches west of Iglesias. Do you want me to order the 15th Infantry to Oristano?”

“They want to cut off Cagliari,” said Kesselring. Yes, get to Oristano. The 90th has just arrived on Corsica, but I will move it to Bonifacio and get Siebel ferries there to cross the Strait. We must delay them as long as possible. Try and prevent any major movement north until the 90th Division arrives.”

Kesselring also had a whole series of other questions on his mind now. What was he to do with Sicily? There was only one German division there now, the 15th Panzergrenadier, but should he move Goring’s division there as originally planned?

Sardinia, he thought. What in God’s name do they want that for? It was clearly reachable from their western ports and airfields at Bizerte and Tunis, but Sicily was the greater prize. The big question now is the Italians. Will they fight? If we can win on Sardinia, I think that would be decided favorably. But if the Allies make a quick victory there, then Italy’s position is fatally compromised. The enemy will be holding a knife at Mussolini’s throat. They could jump directly to the vicinity of Rome.

Yet not until they clear Sicily. Yes… Cagliari is the only decent port on Sardinia, and if I keep Palermo, and concentrate my air power there and at Trapani, then I can possibly neutralize Cagliari as a debarkation port for any move against the Italian mainland. This will force them to use La Maddalena as their main anchorage, and for that, they will have to clear us off Corsica. Let me see about getting another division there from Southern France.

Do they think we will simply withdraw from Sicily now? That won’t happen if I have anything to say about it, and at the moment, I am Oberbefehlshaber Süd, commander of all forces in Southern Italy. Rommel has wormed his way into Hitler’s good graces, and he has been given responsibility for the north, which is where he wants to build our primary defensive line. But I could fight them in Italy for months—for a year or longer if necessary. We should fight for everything in the south, Taranto, the big airfields at Foggia, and certainly Naples. That is where the Herman Goring Division goes—Naples. From there it can get to Messina on Sicily easily if the Allies do plan a landing there.

So, the next game has finally begun, and I must play out the opening very carefully.