Nexus Deep

Chapter 19

“The Caucasus,” said Manstein. “It is time we had a frank discussion about that. When I received the order to move on Maykop, and against Volkov’s forces, I was very troubled. It seemed to me that we had enough on our hands, and too few allies in this war. Now here we were making an enemy of one of them, and for something that we might have obtained simply with a willingness to negotiate. France joined us, and we ended up having to disarm and occupy them. I fear that the same will happen with Italy soon, and now we are at war with the Orenburg Federation, with a whole new front to hold and defend.”

“There were political considerations you were not aware of,” said Hitler. “Volkov was duplicitous, and to say even that would be too kind. He was devious, scheming to occupy and control all the key oil production centers of the world, and he nearly had them all! Besides, what did we ever gain through this alliance?”

“His Armies were of great help at Volgograd,” said Manstein. “And on the Volga, Sergei Kirov must post many armies to watch that frontier—all troops that he would much rather deploy against us.”

“It was clear that Volkov would never deliver the oil he promised us,” said Hitler. “So he had to be taught a lesson, and learn the consequences of his duplicity.”

“Indeed,” said Manstein with a shrug, “and we must live with them as well. I would ask you to consider our situation in the Caucasus from an economic perspective as well as a military one. It is clear that we cannot proceed to either Baku or Astrakhan, nor is there any reason why we should, now that we have the oil fields at Maykop. The overall strategic situation has dramatically changed in the last few months. The loss of 5th Panzer Army in Tunisia was a very hard blow.”

“Without question,” said Hitler. “Yet that was avoidable. Kesselring gave the enemy far too much there, which is why I am so keen on holding what we have here in the east. Backward steps can become a very bad habit—bad for our morale and good for the enemy.”

“Not in every case,” said Manstein, needing to hold that flank. “Tunisia was a liability. Yes, it kept the British and Americans occupied in the West, but that position should have been evacuated long ago, while we still had the air and naval power to permit that. As for the Caucasus, we have another situation there that can also become a grave liability. Our troops are now holding terrain over a very broad front, and for no good reason. Hansen and Rouff have sixteen divisions between them. If we were to consolidate to a line closer to Maykop, we could hold that region with an iron wall with no more than eight to ten divisions. Volkov has no offensive capacity. That would free up six to eight divisions, and this would dramatically redress the imbalance in our struggle to hold the middle and upper Donets—one we are clearly losing.”

“I have heard such talk from others,” said Hitler. “A defeatist attitude will never win a race. Look what we have done! We smashed them at Kiev, at Minsk, at Smolensk. We burned Moscow; made rubble of Volgograd! Now I ask the army to take Kursk, one city… One city! Suddenly it cannot be done; not with Steiner, not with seven Panzer divisions that were committed to that attack.”

“What does this tell you?” said Manstein. “The Army has fought hard. We have better tanks and equipment than we ever had before. There is no question as to the valor and dedication of the troops, yet now he can push us. He had enough to fight us in the north and still launch this heavy attack towards Kharkov again. It took all we had to stop those Winter offensives in the Don Basin last year. What does this tell you? Our enemy has changed. He has taken every blow we have delivered, suffered enormous losses, and yet there he stands. We crushed what was left of his old army in the Kuban, and it was but a shell of the force he first sent there. Now we face an all new army, and for the first time, they have tasted victory. They will want more.”

Manstein needed to find some way to make the situation clear. “We destroyed most of their 5th Shock Army, and two Tank Corps during Operation Zitadelle. Yet still they come, and as strong as ever. They have replaced all their losses, seemingly overnight, which can only mean one thing. The Soviets were not idling behind their fortified lines all winter. We are seeing new tanks and vehicles, new mechanized corps, entire new armies being transferred to this front. It is clear that the enemy has decided to focus all his energies against the southern wing of our forces. It is the one place they can attack that can yield striking gains.

“Do you realize that an advance now of little more than 100 kilometers takes them to the Dnieper? That should be a sobering thought, and here I am trying to scrape up infantry divisions to cover the Middle Donets. Do you see that gap in the lines on the situation map? There is nothing to stop them from going for the Dnieper this very moment. It is only their caution after the blow we delivered last month that gives them pause, but I have little doubt that even as we speak, they are moving up fresh reserves to exploit that opening.

“In the meantime, Steiner’s divisions move from one crisis point to another. His equipment might be new, but there were not enough infantry replacements, and those that did arrive were green. I had Sepp Dietrich holding a frontage of 30 kilometers at one point, and he was opposed by the entire 1st Guards Army! The Panzergrenadiers are wearing down. Some battalions are only 60% of normal strength. And now, since I have had to concentrate everything here in the south to protect Kharkov, that left Knobelsdorff with only two Panzer divisions. The enemy is attacking up there with five armies, which include six mobile corps. There was simply no way that line will hold without redeploying to the south to straighten out the front.

Hitler shook his head, frustrated. “More ground lost, when we should be half way to Kursk by now. We have given Sergei Kirov everything he has gained. If my Generals would fight as hard as our troops, he could not take a single acre from us! Now you suggest we withdraw to Maykop? What about Groznyy? We shed good German blood taking that from Volkov. You would simply hand it back to him?” Hitler seemed aghast.

“Not at all,” said Manstein. “There will be nothing to give, for we would utterly destroy it. In fact, we should do the very same thing at Baba Gurgur—burn it. Destroy everything, and by so doing we deny it to the enemy. I have already made it painfully clear that we will gain absolutely no economic benefit from those oil fields. We cannot transport it to Germany. In the case of Groznyy, it will take a pipeline from there to Rostov, because we do not control Georgia, nor will we have the forces necessary to do so. That is 700 kilometers, and it will take us six months or longer before it could be functional. However, a pipeline from Maykop to Rostov already exists. It is only in need of repair. And if necessary, we could also build such a line from Maykop to Taman, and then simply move the oil over the Black Sea. For that matter, building the line south to Tuapse would be even easier. That is a distance of just a little over 100 kilometers, over some mountainous terrain, but it could be constructed in a few months. Some of that line already exists as well.”

Hitler nodded, seeing the situation in the cold light of reality now. He had wanted Baku, and Astrakhan, but even he could see that he would never get them. He had wanted to deny them to Volkov, even if he could not take that oil for himself, and this was what Manstein was now proposing.

“Then this entire move into the Caucasus was a great waste,” said Hitler.

“Quite the contrary,” said Manstein. “Yes, we might have negotiated for Maykop. That all went badly, but given that we are now at war with Volkov, the drive south to Groznyy was a severe blow to his little empire. We have shown him that we can push him any time we choose. Now we can utterly destroy his facilities at Groznyy, tear up his infrastructure so badly that he can make no use of the oil he covets there. We already have what we came for—useable oil, and fields within reach of ports that can get it to Germany. I strongly suggest we focus all our efforts on the Maykop-Tuapse pipeline. Now that Raeder has destroyed the Soviet Black Sea Fleet, we are masters of those sea-lanes. The oil can be shipped directly to Constanta on the Romanian coast, and then all the oil cars from Ploesti will be waiting to take it there for refinement and shipping to the Reich.”

Hitler was silent for some time, thinking, looking over the map. Everything Manstein said made perfect sense. He would not get Baku, and Astrakhan, and it was true that the oil fields of Groznyy were simply too far away to be of any benefit within the next year. The same could be said for Baba Gurgur, for that oil would have to move by rail over 1700 kilometers, through Turkey to Istanbul, and the rail capacity could not feed Guderian’s divisions while it also moved oil in any quantity that could matter.

It was abysmally clear to him now that all his adventures, in Syria, in Iraq and the Caucasus, had been as expensive as they were successful. He seized vast amounts of terrain, but most of it was absolutely useless, and much of it relied on the tentative agreements he had forged with Turkey. Manstein hit this front directly with his next statement.

“My Führer… Rommel gave you Damascus, and Guderian gave you Baghdad. What good has that done for us? We will not get to Cairo through Damascus, and Guderian will not get to Basrah any more than I will get to Astrakhan. These should no longer be considered strategic objectives. In fact, any further plans aimed at securing them would be foolhardy.”

Hitler wanted to shift the blame. “Need I remind you that it was you who first proposed such a movement through Turkey. I devised Plan Orient on your recommendation.”

“True, but that was in 1941. The movement into Syria was halfhearted, and meant only to support the Vichy French. Your recent offensives were bold and daring, but they simply came too late. If we had done this in 1941, things would be different. Now however, the occupation of Syria and Iraq is as much a liability as Tunisia was, and it could end the same way. Operation Phoenix, if continued, will become an Albatross. We need divisions for Italy and Southern France now. Where will we get them? Consider what I have said. Destroy Groznyy and Baba Gurgur, and then bring those troops here. Consolidate around Maykop and free up another eight to ten divisions there. The Western Allies are a minor threat at the moment. If you move all of Kubler’s divisions to Italy, we will have very good prospects there, and with Guderian’s forces back in the fold here, we can deal with the real threat—the Soviets. Then you will actually have the troops needed to launch Operation Downfall.”

Hitler took a deep breath. “I have considered this for some months now. The Spring campaign was a great success, but the summer in Iraq is merciless. I have already recalled the Wiking Division, and the Brandenburgers. In time, I can see that I will have to pull out all those Panzer divisions I sent Rommel and Guderian as well. I may be stubborn, Herr General, but I am not blind, nor am I stupid as your tone with me would sometimes assume. I have already told Zeitzler to begin planning the movement of the better divisions from our Middle East adventures. As for what you suggest in destroying the key oil fields we have seized, I have every intention of doing so. It is a pity that Guderian did not push harder to get to Basra and Abadan. Then I could have the pleasure of destroying those fields as well. If I cannot keep and use what I have taken, then no one else will make use of that oil either—not for years.”

“Precisely,” said Manstein. “Then what about my suggestion that we consolidate in the Caucasus?”

“I will give it further consideration, and take up the matter with OKW. I have made that headquarters responsible for all matters on the Ostfront now. OKH is a nuisance. We will have one central headquarters to manage all the affairs of the army, OKW.”

“And perhaps it would also be wise to appoint a senior officer to take full charge of the Ostfront,” said Manstein. “Decisions would, of course, require your final approval, but it would relieve the burden you now carry.”

“General Manstein… I came here with the possible intention of removing you from command, but I have mastered that impulse. Do not stand there now and suggest that I be removed from command. Without my constant vigilance, this Army would become a shamble.”

Silence.

“Very well,” Manstein said with an air of finality. “Is it your wish that I relinquish this command? I am perfectly willing to hand over to anyone you propose. For that matter, I am willing to countermand any of the orders I have recently relayed to OKW, though I tell you, and with no uncertainty, that to do so would invite disaster.”

“No, General, I think I will keep you right where you are. But you must not be rash! I need your loyalty, as much as I need the good advice I have always sought from you. Now then…. As to the matter at hand. What will it take to stop these Soviet offensives? You did so a month ago, even if we did not recover all the ground they took from us.”

Manstein pointed to the map. “At the moment, our situation on the Middle Donets is quite precarious. That gap I pointed out is over 35 miles wide. That was where I sent the Wiking Division, but it cannot hope to defend such a frontage, nor can it be used to counterattack under the present circumstances. I have Steiner well concentrated to hold Kharkov, and I can assure you that the city will not fall—unless the front to the northwest should collapse. Then Kharkov would be in grave danger of encirclement. I need more infantry. Armeegruppe Center must provide it, and failing that, I have already suggested where it can be found.”

“Very well,” said Hitler. “I will get you every division I can, and then you must put a stop to these spoiling attacks. Downfall simply cannot proceed until this matter is cleaned up. I will consider what you have asked concerning the Caucasus, but I caution you not to make any further withdrawals without direct approval from OKW. If, however, you can find a way to maintain our current position there while extracting a few divisions for use on the lower Donets, then I give you my permission to make these transfers. But advise OKW before you do so, not after. Do not think you can present me with a fait accompli and do whatever you wish. There is a limit to my forbearance. Your plan delivered France in 1940. You took the Crimea, the Donbass, the Don basin, and Volgograd. I have had every faith in your ability in the past, and I will continue to rely on you, especially in times of crisis.”

“I am gratified to hear that,” said Manstein. “Yet realize that all I have done, in every situation, was for the preservation of the Army I command. 4th Army would be dead now if I had not acted earlier. 5th Panzerarmee is already dead, and now 6th Army is dying. Let me save it. May I order Paulus to move as I have requested?”

“You may do so, as long as you hold the line of the lower Donets, and Rostov as well. I will get you the troops you need, and then I expect you to use them. Push the enemy back, General Manstein. It is not enough to simply stop them. You must push them back—crush them, and show them the futility of these offensives. Then we can return to plans for our own summer offensive in earnest. It was abundantly clear that Zitadelle was hastily mounted, premature, and ill-conceived.”

“I argued against it,” said Manstein. “It had no hope of succeeding without a strong pincer on the northern segment.

“Indeed,” said Hitler. “That is now quite apparent, and I will also admit to you that had we heeded your advice and dealt with this concentration of enemy forces in the south first, then we might not be having this discussion here today. So now we correct that situation. I want you to use this opportunity to destroy these armies reaching for Kharkov. I have restored Steiner’s Korps to full power. Use it!”

Chapter 20

One other thing was ‘abundantly clear’ to Manstein after this exchange. In spite of every effort to clarify the situation the Army now faced, Hitler did not grasp what he had tried to convey. There he was talking of the enemy offensives as if they were mere spoiling attacks, a nuisance that interfered with his plans for further summer offensives that had not even been discussed. It was one thing to make such grandiose and sweeping statements, but quite another to see them carried through on the field of battle.

A feeling of quiet despair settled on the Field Marshal, for he knew that he would soon be placed in situations that would force him to make very difficult choices and decisions. He might have to choose between saving the army, the real army in the field, or preserving Hitler’s fanciful notion of that army by loyally acceding to his commands. Would it take a disaster greater than the loss of 5th Panzer Army to shake some sense into the Führer?

For his part, Hitler had been unwilling to take Manstein’s head, and he had pardoned his transgressions with an uncharacteristic willingness to compromise. This was born of the fact that he had come to many of the same conclusions concerning his foray into Syria and Iraq. It had seemed such a clear and vital plan at the outset, and the stunning success of Guderian’s Operation Phoenix was thrilling. Yet for what? The reality was that all the economic objectives were fruitless. Only the Maykop operation had delivered anything that could be used. In that, the Führer knew in his bones that his Field Marshal was correct.

Something in him took solace in the suggestion that the fields at Groznyy and Baba Gurgur be completely destroyed. He gave the order to Guderian to do that in his theater, and then to transfer both 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions to the general reserve on the Ostfront. He would also pull 2nd and 16th Panzers out of Syria, and begin to move Kubler’s Mountain troops to Italy. Plan Orient, rising from its ashes as Operation Phoenix, would now come to an end, for even Hitler could also perceive the growing threat in the east, and the grave danger the revitalized Soviet Army now represented.

That was where the war would be won or lost, and the Führer knew it as a man knows impending death when it stalks him. Yes, now he would war on death itself.

In spite of this awareness growing in the darkness of his mind, there was still a certain sloth in the way he would give consideration to requests made by his Generals. He remained stingy with his permission to make withdrawals, and while he made many promises, procrastination would become his weakness now. Hitler would consider all that Manstein had told him, but he would take his time.

In the short run, he would take one infantry division from Armeegruppe Center, the 7th, and allow Manstein to transfer two divisions from Hansen’s Army in the Caucasus, the 24th and 68th, which were formed into 44th Korps under General Maximilian de Angelis. That would still leave seven Line Infantry, four Light Infantry and two Security Divisions in the Caucasus, along with the 18th Panzer Division. While Hitler would give orders to shift all Oil Brigades to Maykop and the pipeline project effort to Tuapse, he did not yet order the destruction of the Groznyy fields, nor any withdrawal to consolidate the front closer to Maykop.

Volkov had to be left to stew for a while longer. Hitler wanted him to think that the cessation of operations there was merely a pause while the Army dealt with the Soviets. As for Operation Untergang, it was only mentioned in passing during the conference. Hitler continued to tie up much needed troops there, as the Russians stolidly dug in to await any attack that might come their way. The Führer continued to believe that Zitadelle was simply a cake that had been pulled out of the oven too soon, and inwardly blamed Manstein for cancelling it without his permission, though he never voiced that to the Field Marshal directly.

As for Manstein himself, Hitler began to feel that he was as much of a problem for him as an asset. The Field Marshal had just enough capital in the bank to preserve his post and allow his decisions to stand, but the Führer was quietly eying General Model as a possible replacement, again something he kept to himself. He would wait and see what developed around Kharkov. Perhaps the old miracle worker would prevail yet again.

And perhaps not…. There was a good deal that men like Mikhail Katukov, Vasily Kuznetsov, Rokossovsky, Vatutin, Konev and others would have to say about the matter, for words and promises do not stop the cold steel of enemy tanks, and procrastination in the face of a determined enemy was never wise.

The telephone rang at Manstein’s headquarters in Kharkov, and Speidel answered. It was General Model, and he had some very welcome news.

“The Führer has approved a transfer of two divisions to your sector,” he began. “So I have ordered General Siebert to take his 5th Korps to a position forward of Akythrya. If nothing else, you can know that you will have something in reserve.”

“That is very good news,” said Speidel. “Please tell me these are not hand me downs.”

“The Corps is composed of the 102nd and 294th. Both saw action last month, but they have been rested.”

“Any new infantry matters a great deal,” said Speidel. “The units on the front are wearing very thin, at least at the point of the enemy attack. I will see that the Field Marshal is informed immediately. His conference with the Führer has ended.”

“I hope it went well,” said Model. “Kluge tells me that there may be more coming from 9th Army. Whatever was discussed, it seems to have broken the logjam where Hitler’s use of reserve divisions is concerned. These were all troops he had insisted we hold for an offensive aimed at Orel. Needless to say, that is not in the works.”

“What is coming from 9th Army?”

“One division, the 82nd, and another Kampfgruppe. I’m afraid that may be all we can send. Tell Manstein that I have redeployed my right wing as he requested. If necessary, I can pivot that front towards Akythrya. That has to be where they are headed now. They want to envelop Kharkov.”

“Things are difficult,” said Speidel. “They are on the outskirts of the city as we speak. Every time I look at the map, all I can see is one massive pocket forming. If that northern pincer gets out of control, and moves due south, we could be in the stew. Hitler will see these division transfers as blood money, and he will not want us to withdraw.”

“My infantry should help,” said Model, understanding all too well what Speidel was saying.

“They will, but your Army had only eight divisions if I recall. This doesn’t leave you with very much.”

“It is not my Army any longer,” said Model. “Hitler has given me the 9th Army, the largest in Armeegruppe Center. Weichs is taking over 2nd Army. Unfortunately, a good many of the divisions assigned to my roster are somewhere else. You already have my 7th and 82nd Infantry Divisions and 9th Panzer. My 18th Panzer is in the Caucasus, the 78th Sturm is still in Iraq, 2nd Panzer is in Syria, though I’m told it will be returning soon. So the 44th Panzerkorps is now reduced to two infantry divisions. What a misnomer!”

“Don’t complain,” said Speidel. “It is the same everywhere, and I think it will only get worse. The Soviets are already over the Middle Donets at Andreyevka again. Manstein has ordered Kirchner to pull both his divisions off the line and move to that sector. Hopefully, we can discourage them if they have any notion to exploit the gap there.”

“A difficult situation,” said Model. “Very well, give my regards to the Field Marshal.”

So, Model is feeding a little higher on the Lamb, thought Manstein. 9th Army once had 26 divisions, the heart of Armeegruppe Center. It had held the line west of Orel, covering Bryansk, and fought well. Model will only make it better.

As for Hitler, I think both Speidel and I were shocked that things went as well as they did. His remarks at the end were quite telling. Even though his frustration would lead him here to remove me from command, he could not do so, because I think, deep down, he knows that he could not master this situation. The tension between my loyalty to him as Germany’s leader, and my deference to his command, is always in play against my duty to the army, and military common sense.

In his mind, Hitler is still fighting the last war. These battle lines are merely trench lines to him. He would just have our troops sit there behind wire and machineguns, but he has forgotten what happened when the tanks came on the scene. If one position is overrun and taken by the enemy, he thinks only of mounting a charge to retake that trench.

At least Hitler kept his promises. Thus far he has not rescinded my orders to consolidate the front. He is getting me some infantry, and I will soon have two more infantry divisions from Hansen to help shore up the Middle Donets. I have tightened up my line near Kharkov, and the enemy has tightened his noose. What I would like to do now is counterpunch off the ropes. I think I can recall 3rd SS to the city now, and Grossdeutschland Division is ready to fight. What I would like to do is strike Kuznetsov with those two divisions, right through the lines of Sepp Dietrich’s 1st SS. My only concern is the north, so I have ordered Balck to take 11th Panzer back to Knobelsdorff as a fire brigade.

As to the situation near Andreyevka, Kirchner has his troops in position now, and he will deliver a counterblow in conjunction with my attack out of Kharkov. So, it is time for the knights to sally forth out of the castle. The attack begins at dusk, a nice night action that will hopefully catch the enemy napping.

But that was not to be.

Kuznetsov had plans of his own. He had spoken with Leylushenko of the 3rd Guards Army, and Galitskiy of 3rd Shock. That group was on his right, and he wanted both armies to begin a big push to break through to the city that very same night, while he organized his own attack. The two sides would soon be like a pair of bull rams, butting their steel antlers against one another in a battle that could decide the fate of the city.

Just as Kirchner was forming up south of Andreyevka, the Soviets were also busy reinforcing their bridgehead. Inheriting the trucks once used by the Soviets when they converted more units to mech infantry, the two Siberian Armies (1st and 2nd Shock), had been reinforced by a pair of nine battalion Motor Rifle Corps. The 1st Siberian Motor Rifle Corps had established the bridgehead, and now it was being reinforced by the division from 2nd Shock Army, detached for this purpose.

They were just the leading edge of forces Zhukov now planned to move south of the Donets. Behind them was the entire 27th Steppe Army from Vatutin’s front with six more rifle divisions. Further north, the Wiking Division had been forced to halt its advance towards Kharkov by the appearance of strong infantry forces on its right. Those were the Guards Rifle Divisions, six in all, that made up Kuznetsov’s infantry support, and they would not be alone.

3rd Guards Tank Corps, a unit meant for Leylushenko, had been detached to provide more armor in that sector, and now Zhukov was doubling down by committing the entire 4th Guards Army, six more Guards Rifle Divisions organized into two Corps. This was the old 24th Army, pulled off the line and reorganized with fresh recruits filling out the veteran divisions, and a new name. It was just as Manstein had explained it to Hitler. The enemy was attacking with new Armies that had never been heard of before.

That night Kirchner opened his attack in the south with 17th Panzer, 29th Motorized and the 501st Schwerepanzer battalion. It caught the 2nd Siberian Motor Rifle Corps by surprise, as half of that division was further west assisting the attack being made by their brothers in 1st Siberian. Kirchner was going to be attacking into the flank of that operation, and he hoped he could stop it completely.

It was but one small part of the great flow of troops and equipment over the Middle Donets. The 1st Guards Cavalry Corps had come over the river using a small bridge at Bishkin, and they were moving in three divisions through the thick woodland south of Zimyev. Above those same woods, 4th Guards army was marching in behind the slowly expanding perimeter of the 1st Guards Army, which had pushed through Taranovka southwest of Kharkov. They eventually found the right flank of the Wiking Division, which had stopped Kuznetsov’s 10th Tank Corps. Active reconnaissance soon discovered that there was nothing beyond that flank, and so the Guards infantry began to maneuver to enfilade the Wiking s. When 7th Tank Corps began to probe the left flank of Gille’s division, he realized that he was going to have to withdraw.

This was not Damascus….

Near Kharkov, both sides met like two lines of armored cavalry, with fighting more intense than the night of the Zitadelle offensive. Grossdeutschland Division sallied forth, recapturing the village of Oshovka, only to find the Russians reorganizing for an immediate counterattack. 51st Panther Battalion surged into the enemy line, and ran right into the oncoming attack by 17th Heavy Tank Brigade. That action would pit a massed formation of 72 new Panthers against 24 Kirov-I heavy tanks, 18 KV-II’s, 11 T-34/85’s and 12 T-34/76 medium tanks. With 12 more assault guns on the Soviet side, the numbers were just about equal.

It was a stunning duel, the thunder of the guns and growl of the tanks ripping the night apart. The one advantage the soviets had was a preponderance of infantry support when two battalions of 1st Guard Mech joined the action.

The battle rippled all along the line extending to the northeast, lighting up the night with fire. 3rd SS gained a kilometer only to find itself under attack by two fresh Siberian divisions from 3rd Shock Army. 2nd Reichsführer Brigade smashed through one rifle division only to find itself in a life and death struggle with the newly arriving 3rd Guards Mech Division.

Yet the most dramatic event that night was the relentless advance of Mikhail Katukov’s new 5th Guards Mech Corps in the north. It struck the German 167th Infantry Division, smashing one battalion after another. The Germans stared in awe at the new fast moving infantry carrier, which they first thought was a new light tank, until swarms of infantry suddenly emerged from the shadows, submachineguns blazing. The Russians went right through the German line, the fast moving BMPs sweeping south and west towards Grayvorn.

6th Panzer rushed to the aid of the 167th, grinding through the town of Trosnoye to engage the enemy recon battalion. Behind the front, Hermann Balck was listening to the radio traffic, his curiosity up with many reports of a “new” Russian infantry carrier that was wreaking havoc as it came through the lines. He found the nearest radio, and called his ‘Incomparable Hauser.’

“I’m hearing a lot about a new Russian AFV in the mech battalions. Find me one. I want to have a close look at it.”

What the General ordered, Hauser would deliver. He took his fast-moving recon battalion out into the thick of the night, the sounds of battle rumbling in from the north like an unseen thunder storm. He swung wide around the left flank, and out into the gap the enemy had created in the lines of the 167th. There he found stragglers from a shattered battalion, who were very glad to see their own Panzer troops at hand.

He opened the hatch of his SdKfz-233 armored car, leaning out and waving the men over to him. His radio headset framed his face under a dark wool officers cap. “I’m looking for this new Russian infantry carrier. Have you seen them?”

“Seen them? They smashed our battalion twenty minutes ago.”

“Where? What do they look like?”

The man hesitated, his eyes dark, and holding fear in them. “A very low profile,” he began, “and with an angled hull—only forward, not back. There’s a small turret forward, but beware. It packs a punch with a 76mm main gun, and by god, the damn thing is very fast—fully tracked. We thought they were new light tanks, but then they deployed infantry from a rear hatch. They’ll only stop to do that if they have to. Otherwise, they just shoot from the firing ports along either side of the chassis. This is one wicked infantry carrier, and every battalion has them. They make our own Panzer SPWs look like goat carts by comparison. Be careful!”

“Where did you last see them?”

“Out there…” The man pointed out in to the black night, toward the gap Hauser had selected as his hunting ground. “We were posted along the stream bed, but they went right through. The damn thing is amphibious too! They’ll be well south of that by now at the rate they were moving. Good hunting… and good luck if you find them.”

Hauser would not need that good luck, and he would find them. By his latest count, his recon battalion had 44 armored cars left, eight Marder-II’s, and six towed 75mm AT Guns. He also had fast moving mobile flak guns with him, and good Panzergrenadiers. He turned, going where he would go if he was the enemy, the thrill of the hunt on him now.

Chapter 21

Hauser always moved with a recovery team, several heavy SdKfz-7 and SdKfz-9 prime movers, among the best such vehicles in the war. The Germans had become masters of battlefield tank recovery, reclaiming about 75% of all tanks put out of service, and returning most of those to active duty. He did not want to get in to a chase scenario, or a running gun battle with his enemy, for the objective was to find one of these new vehicles without having to destroy it with gunfire. His instincts told him to look for a place where he might catch a straggler.

The ‘stream’ described by the infantry was actually the Lozova River, and he worked his way along that watercourse until he found exactly what he wanted. He came across a lot of track marks in the soft ground, and followed them to a crimp in the river where it flowed around a tree covered nob. The troops of the 167th had told him this vehicle was amphibious, but there he would find a lost sheep that had tried to cross in a place where it found more mud than water. It had become bogged down, half submerged, and its infantry squad was milling about trying to figure out how to get it unstuck.

Hauser pulled up a line of five armored cars, and fired three warning shots, deliberately missing the vehicle, but sending the infantry scrambling away in the dark, chased by his machinegun fire. Then he ordered his own Panzergrenadiers to dismount and sweep forward in the inky darkness, beckoning the vehicle recovery team on the radio. For the next hour, that was his sole purpose, dragging that vehicle out of the bog and eventually getting it onto a flatbed truck. All the while, he could hear sounds of fighting off to the north, knowing that Balck had the main body of the division there in an attack against the enemy flank.

When he finally found the General at field command post, he leapt down from his armored car, beaming from ear to ear.

“Well?” said Balck, knowing that the mischief in those eyes meant that Hauser had news.

“First things first,” said Hauser. “They’ve already crossed the Lozova River. I’d say at least a brigade went southwest from there.”

“The rest are making our acquaintance now,” said Balck. He had been smoking a cigar, and took a long drag.

“They went right through the 167th,” said Hauser. This is more serious than we thought. I think they will be at Grayvoron by dawn.”

“Too far west for us to get over there tonight. Better to just keep pressure on this flank, but they’ve brought up another tank corps. I had a look at this new AFV too, but only from a distance. The Tigers knocked out three before they pulled back.”

Then, almost as an afterthought, Hauser delivered his real news. “Oh, I’ve got one for you—found it bogged down near the river. It’s with my recovery team, along with two of my armored cars.”

“You’ve got one? Good for you!” Now Balck reached into his greatcoat and pulled out one more cigar. “There, you’ve earned that. Have them bring this thing here. Then get out and watch my left.”

Hauser’s catch was one small consolation in an otherwise grim picture all along the front. In spite of Balck’s counterattack in the north, there was still a 20 Kilometer gap between the place where Hauser had found his quarry and the town of Grayvoron. There, 9th Panzer had been trying to counterattack as well, but being already weakened from previous action, it could make no headway against the 3rd Mech Corps. Both the 167th and 168th Infantry Divisions were shattered and falling back in disarray, unable to offer any effective resistance with in the breakthrough zone.

The whole of 1st Tank Army was now engaged with 6th and 11th Panzer, and they would be simply too much for the German divisions to push back. It was the first time in the war when the Panzertroops found themselves unable to make headway, even though their tanks were the equal or better of those fielded by the enemy. Between the two Panzer divisions, there were only eight battalions of infantry and two Panzer regiments of six companies each.

The enemy matched that with its 5th Guard Mech Corps alone, which fielded nine mechanized infantry battalions in the new BMP, and had three heavy armored brigades with 164 tanks. Then came the new 31st Tank Corps and the 6th. Those six additional brigades, plus three others from 7th Guards Army, added another 350 Soviet tanks and six more battalions of motorized infantry.

The Germans were simply overmatched, and it was only the skill of the soldiers, their officers and commander, that allowed them to shift forces from one flank to another to parry the enemy attacks.

Further south near Kharkov, even Steiner’s Korps was having great difficulty. Dietrich’s division, in action now for six days of continuous fighting, was simply not up to the task of moving to the offensive. The Grossdeutschland Division moved through its ranks, encountering swarms of Russian infantry that would not turn and flee as it did in the past. Things had changed. The Soviets had pushed to within 5 kilometers of the city, and they could smell the victory they sought.

While this battle ground on, the real trouble spot on the Kharkov front was the sector just to the north, where Das Reich was on the line. It had been hit very hard by the bulk of the 3rd Guards army, which had two strong mobile corps added. It was able to drive the division back over the main road to Mikhaylovka, and push another 5 kilometers, just shy of the Kharkov river flowing down from the north. Success by Grossdeutschland Division was therefore offset by this setback to the north, and Manstein could now see that his counterattack would not succeed.

We sallied forth, he thought, but we cannot drive them from our gates. Now I am facing a situation that will see my best mobile troops stuck in a static battle of attrition, for this will surely be settled in the city soon, block by block, and house by house. While that fight grinds on, the enemy is free to operate to the south. They have already pushed through Taranovka. The hole in our lines just yawns open there, some 60 kilometers wide, and there is nothing there but the Wiking Division. I need to get Steiner out of this mess, and out where he can maneuver, but this damnable order from the Führer that Kharkov be held is frustrating that plan. This is my own damn fault. I promised him we would hold the city to placate him for the orders I sent so brazenly to OKW.

What I need now is infantry to replace Steiner if it comes to a city fight, but doing that under pressure will be difficult. Hansen has freed up two more divisions, and they are enroute from the Caucasus this very day. Yet the most direct route by rail has already been cut. They could come up through Krasnograd, and then the temptation to use them with the Wiking Division would be very great.

If, however, I send them through Krasnograd, there is a junction further north that could take them back through Poltava, and from there they would approach Kharkov from the west instead of southwest. First things first—get them up through Krasnograd. It may be that the better play is to try and pull divisions from 4th Army. I don’t like the cauldron that is forming to the north. Balck has managed to tie up Katukov, but he can only buy me time. Knobelsdorff is simply too weak, and I would need at least one more panzer division there to have any chance of stopping Katukov.

Meanwhile, in the south, Kirchner hit the flank of that bridgehead at Andreyevka, but the enemy just keeps reinforcing it. Last night the Luftwaffe recon flights spotted what looks to be an entire new army crossing the river at Andreyevka. I must get Steiner free of this city, even if it means giving Kharkov to the enemy.

It was time for one of those uncomfortable choices. He called Speidel and told him to order General Raus to bring his two division Korps to Kharkov at once. Raus was due north, and he could use the rail line through Dergachi to move his equipment quickly.

“Then the rest of 4th Army will have to fold back to make a linkup with Knobelsdorff,” said Speidel.

“It can be done,” said Manstein. “Their pursuit along Kempf’s front has not been all that aggressive. Frankly, I think they want us to hold our positions there. They were counting on Katukov getting in behind Kempf, and thinking they might have a pocket forming. That will not happen. If we do this right, and we will, then I think we can also free up 3rd Panzergrenadier Division. Send that one to Knobelsdorff, and he’ll know what to do with it.”

“That front is starting to stabilize,” said Speidel. “The three divisions from Armeegruppe Center have formed up behind the breakthrough zone. Balck’s spoiling attack worked wonders,” said Speidel. “Katukov got into a boxing match with the best division in the Army, and he’s been stopped cold. Balck is just moving from one side of the ring to another, jabbing, dancing, a real master. He called to say he got one of the new Russian AFVs.”

“Oh? That should be interesting.”

“Indeed!” Speidel seemed in high spirits, then he took a deep breath. “What about Hitler?”

“Efendi?” Manstein smiled. “He’s already come and gone, and I don’t think we’ll see him again any time soon. In fact, he won’t hear about any of this until late tomorrow. I intend to inform OKW, and urge Zeitzler to rubber stamp this move. Hitler was quite heavy on that point—no withdrawals unless approved by OKW. Well, I can only wait so long for such approval. I must be able to act in a crisis like this.”

“What are you planning?”

“Steiner has to move. So Raus gets Kharkov, and I’m going to swing southwest and surprise Kuznetsov. He had a good chance to push around the city, but the Wiking s gave him pause. Now we’ll get out of this damn city fight and do some maneuvering. Don’t worry. If this works, Hitler will be quite pleased.”

“And if it doesn’t work?”

“It’s always a risky thing, this business of war. You know what Napoleon said. It is but one step from triumph to fall. I’ll try not to stumble.”

Manstein’s order to ‘readjust’ the front would enable him to pull three divisions off the line. Yet it would also allow the enemy to consolidate their own front, and they would be stronger at every point along that line. It was now a question of time. What he had to do was get mobile forces capable of inflicting damage on the enemy into a position where they could stop the inexorable flow of forces over the Donets. This would require him to present the enemy with a situation where their LOC was clearly threatened, meaning that their ability to sustain any further move south would be in jeopardy.

Yet there were several flaws in the plan. First, as the Field Marshal had said, it was risky. Trying to extricate forces under heavy enemy pressure could have unforeseen negative consequences, but he had accepted the worst of them—the possible loss of Kharkov. Secondly, while his recent counterpunches had demonstrated that they could stop the enemy advances, not one had been able to truly push them back. Just one month ago he had chased Popov back across the Don, but then he had three SS divisions in the perfect position to do so. Since that time, something had changed, and the dark answer he had to face was that the enemy had been strongly reinforcing the front to try again.

The arrival of 8th Guards Army in the north had restored that sector after the damage inflicted by Zitadelle. Now the 47th Army had moved onto the line in the south to replace the losses Manstein had inflicted on 63rd Army, and the center had been reinforced with the arrival of 4th Guards Army and 27th Army, both flowing into the wide breach between Andreyevka and Kharkov.

Now Manstein would take yet another risk. Though he had two infantry divisions coming up from the Caucasus, the withdrawal of Korps Raus had provided him with infantry to defend Kharkov. He also had the 7th Infantry Division from Armeegruppe Center, and he hoped that would be enough. So he abandoned the plan to move 44th Korps under Angelis through Krasnograd and Poltava to try and reach the city from the west. What he needed now was some stronger threat to the enemy bridges at Andreyevka. It was there that Kirchner’s 57th Korps had been attacking unsuccessfully against the base of the bridgehead. It needed help.

Risk.

It was at the heart of mobile warfare, like the daring foray of a Knight into the enemy camp, or the sweep of a Bishop to a far-off square on the diagonal. He would send those two infantry divisions to Kirchner, and more, he would now order General Gille to leave off his screening operation and move southwest to join that concentration of forces as well.

Speed, concentration and power—these were the essential ingredients of the German art of maneuver war. Manstein needed to get his forces where they could act as a lever against the massive boulder of the Soviet incursion over the Donets. In his mind, he was slowly setting up his counterattack plan, wishing only that he had acted sooner. It had only been his promise to hold Kharkov that had forced a delay, but now he would act, and take the consequences.

To sweeten the broth when he sent his message to OKW, he indicated that he was now moving to implement “Operation Donnerschlag, ” (Thunderclap), and he intended this as a means of throwing a bone to Hitler. If the Führer thought a counterattack was imminent, he might be less likely to interfere with the troop movements Manstein had ordered. That was the final risk he was taking—that all of this could be reversed at the whim of Adolf Hitler.

If that could be avoided, he hoped to have three infantry divisions in Kharkov before nightfall on June 2nd, and then he would begin pulling Steiner’s troops out and offer the enemy the city-fight they seemed intent upon. That night, the trains flowed in Kharkov, the grey infantry disembarking with well-practiced efficiency, their officers collecting companies, building battalions, and then marching them off to their assigned post in the city. Manstein was creating another Volgograd, but just as in that battle, he would not fight there with Steiner’s Korps.

That same night, Hitler would arrive at OKW after his long plane ride, and thankfully, he would retire for the evening to rest. That gave Zeitzler time to collect all the latest situation reports, and he noted the arrival of three infantry divisions at Kharkov. With Steiner there as well, that would secure the city and at least remove that topic from the next day’s discussion. As to Operation Donnerschlag, he sent a message asking for details to be forwarded ‘as soon as feasible.’

The General knew enough to know that Manstein had something in the oven, and he was not going to pull it out and stick his thumb in it until he knew more. At the very least, this would keep Hitler out of the decision loop for another twelve hours, and by then he believed he would learn what was happening.

He smiled inwardly. The old fox is up to something again, he thought. I did not think he would get away with things as he did, cancelling Zitadelle, ordering both Model and Kempf to withdraw, not to mention Hollidt as well. So now he is planning a counterattack? That can only mean one thing. He is going to move Steiner, and that explains the movement of Korps Raus and the 7th Division into Kharkov.

General Zeitzler could read a map.