Countdown to D-Day

by Peter Margaritis

  As 1942 came in, Hungary, afraid now not only of German retribution but of savage Russian retaliation, still kept its commitment to sending supplies and men to the Eastern Front; but as the months went by and the fortunes of war turned against the Reich, Hungary had begun to try and ease out of its pact with the devil; slowly at first, of course.

  In April 1943, Hitler had a meeting with Horthy at his Klessheim Castle in Bavaria.3 There he indignantly showed Horthy proof, provided by Hitler’s foreign minister, von Ribbentrop, that Hungary was secretly conferring with the Allies. Hungary’s prime minister, Miklos Kallay, was secretly negotiating with Great Britain to turn Hungary against the Reich and open up the Balkans to the Allies. Hitler demanded that Kallay be dismissed and arrested, and Horthy staunchly defended him.

  In September, when Italy had collapsed, Hitler and OKW concluded that the Balkans could very well be the Allies’ next target, and resolved that this area would have to be held. With Hungary’s wavering attitude in mind, Hitler ordered Jodl’s staff to make contingency plans to occupy Hungary or Romania. The operations would be codenamed Margarethe I and Margarethe II respectively, although Romanian occupation would probably not be necessary. Romania’s leader Ion Antonescu had sworn eternal loyalty to the Reich. Horthy though, was another story.

  Still, both countries according to German intelligence reports were secretly negotiating with the Allies for a major amphibious landing in their area. The British and Americans would get a friendly reception from the inhabitants, and the liberated countries would in turn be spared the terrors of subjugation and eventual occupation by a vengeful Soviet Union.

  An update from Goebbels in November had revealed a worsening situation. Hungary was now all but openly pro-Allied. German agents sent there to stir up pro-German sentiment were being stymied by Hungarian officials, and some were being openly removed from the country.

  What directly affected the war effort though was that Hungary was now desperately trying to keep her army intact—no doubt, to turn it against the Germans and assist an Allied liberation, if and when it came. At a time when every available soldier was needed, the Hungarians were trying to withdraw their men from the fighting in the East. Their army chief of staff, Colonel-General Szombathelyi, had begged the Führer in January (which infuriated him) to allow two Hungarian corps to withdraw from the front and return to their country, where they were desperately needed. Admiral Horthy had followed up in a letter dated February 12, demanding the return of nine Hungarian divisions.

  Today’s morning conference has outlined the need for more units in the East, and how withdrawing Hungarian troops might mean the difference between survival and defeat. And in another meeting later in the day in the castle, Antonescu told him that Romania would not take part in any defense or even occupation of Hungary—unless of course, the Reich returned territories that were ceded to Hungary in 1940. Hitler obviously does not want to do that.

  Resolved now on what he has to do, he orders that the planning of Margarethe I be finalized. Jodl’s office has determined that they will need a total of about a dozen divisions. It had initially been planned that most of the occupying force would be composed of Serb, Croatian, and Romanian (whom the Hungarians hated) troops, centered around one seasoned German division. However, Hitler needs to preserve Hungarian stability, and the presence of thousands of Serbs and Romanians in Hungary would wreak havoc among the population and very likely collapse the Hungarian economy. His meeting with Antonescu has made it clear that this will have to be a German operation, so only German units will be used. Unfortunately, the units that had been pigeonholed for that possibility have long been swept up into the desperate fighting on the Eastern Front.

  No matter. Many of the units will just have to come from the peaceful Western Front. After all, the Allied invasion is not scheduled for at least two months. These selected units will just have to do double duty and shuffle between two fronts. Smaller units can be taken from the currently stable Anzio line.

  The main assault elements will be composed of one corps headquarters, a number of regular mobile infantry assault units, several police and security components, several assault gun battalions, and Bayerlein’s new Panzer Lehr division. Since all of the available German mobile units are coming from the West, they will immediately have to be ordered to prepare to move east. Panzer Lehr and the mobile infantry units will be followed up with the rest of the Western panzer units, including as part of the reserve, the 21st Panzer Division, currently rebuilding in France. The West will have to be temporarily stripped of its panzers.

  The orders go out the next day.

  1See entry for February 14.

  2A regent (from the Latin regens, “one who reigns”) is a formal term for a temporary appointed leader of a country. This usually occurs in a monarchy when the king or queen cannot accept the throne due to injury, serious illness, or being underage. During this period (called a regency), the regent has the full authority to act as the country’s head of state, including appointing his or her own cabinet and generals. When the royal heir is competent enough to assume the throne, or if the royal line has died out and a new line is appointed, the regent then is obligated to step down, usually peaceably, although sometimes other darker means are used.

  3Klessheim Castle on the western outskirts of Salzburg is a huge estate, greatly enlarged from a small villa by the famous architect Fischer of Erlach in the early 18th century for Archbishop Johann Thun. It had once belonged to Archduke Ludwig Victor, the younger brother of the late assassinated Emperor, and after Anschluss (Germany’s annexation of Austria) in March 1938, Hitler had its splendor restored and a permanent detachment of guards assigned there, so that he could use it as a reception palace to receive (and no doubt impress) special guests of the Reich. The expansive rectangular castle consists of three floors, and is approached through a magnificent, well-landscaped courtyard. The outside covered entrance is attained by two enormous, winding, stone staircases that lead to an extravagant foyer on the main floor. Several lavish rooms on the upper floor were used for sleeping quarters.

  Monday, February 28

  Generalfeldmarschall Rommel is enjoying a 10-day tour of leave at his home in Herrlingen. Still, he has taken time to fly to Brussels to visit the military governor of Northern France and Belgium, Reichskommissar Alexander von Faulkenhausen.1 The military governor finds Rommel energetic and optimistic on the war. He will write after the war, “Our views on the political and military situation could not have been more divergent.”

  ***

  Vizeadmiral Ruge, on Rommel’s behalf, is inspecting the defenses around the Helgoland Bight. He is staying with the coastal commander there and is working on a report about the defenses in that area.

  ***

  Generalfeldmarschall von Rundstedt has a new, serious problem. OKW is evidently going to take all of his panzers. Hitler has turned his fury upon Hungary and had decided that it must be occupied. And a good part of the troops for this operation will be coming from the West.

  To start, one corps headquarters and a number of regular mobile units will be detached from their infantry divisions. And his new Panzer Lehr division is to prepare to move east to be ready for the coup immediately. The West is to be temporarily stripped of its panzers.

  With Rommel’s reinforcement of the Atlantic Wall only a quarter finished, France will, for a month or so, be wide open for an invasion.

  1Reichskommissar von Faulkenhausen was a silent member of the plot against Hitler.

  Tuesday, February 29

  Today, leap day, Vizeadmiral Ruge is finishing his inspection of Holland’s defenses. He is staying with the coastal commander and has finished a report about the defenses and the alert units in that area. He sends the report by teletype to OKM with his recommendations on how to better organize the defenses in the area.

  ***

  At Fontainebleau, in Rommel’s absence, his staff is busy carrying out the duties of overseeing the revitalizatio
n of the Atlantic Wall. Alfred Gause has made a number of trips to the coast, carrying out his own inspections, making notes for Rommel to review upon his return. On one trip, he stops at the château of La Roche-Guyon and sees how the work is going on the new headquarters. The castle is now a bustle of activity. There are sentry boxes at each of the two gates to the castle, and several others around the perimeter. Above them on the chalky cliffs can be seen machine-gun positions.

  Gause continues on up to the coast, to inspect various units there.

  In the meantime, the army group staff fields various problems. A message comes from the commander of the 67th Corps, General von Weikersthal.1 Located around the Somme estuary, he complains that he is having problems with the navy about how they should direct the defense of the coast there. They would like either Rommel or Admiral Ruge to come out there and straighten out the matter.

  ***

  Several conferences have been held by local commands on how to best react to the projected Allied invasion. One such conference is held by the Luftwaffe. Oberst! Dietrich Pelz’s IX Air Corps, made up of a number of bomber squadrons, will be undertaking the Steinbock operation against England. In his blitz counteroffensive, he has wisely ignored Göring’s orders to bomb on moonlit nights, especially since British nightfighter technology and activity has increased substantially. Naturally, with substantial enemy fighter forces, advanced radar, and strong anti-aircraft batteries, any daylight raids would be decimated. He has sent in an official report, indicating that his forces should continue to only be committed to night battle.

  He estimates that if his squadrons begin daylight raids, they will get ripped apart in just two days.

  1See entry for January 20.

  March 1944

  Wednesday, March 1

  It is a time for headquarters renovations and changes, from the top command on down.

  The Führer’s Eastern Front headquarters, the Wolf’s Lair in East Prussia, is undergoing a series of building projects. As part of a major expansion program, new buildings are being constructed for the staff. The surrounding area is also getting improved protection with stronger security and more anti-aircraft positions. Hitler’s own personal quarters are being refurbished as well, which is why he is presently at the Berghof.

  The Berghof complex itself is being actively improved as well, although on a less obtrusive scale, to minimize impact to the surrounding scenery. Under the watchful eyes of Party Secretary Martin Bormann, many of the barracks are getting enlarged, and new operational facilities are being put in. Residential structures are being built or renovated for high-level officials, and several more anti-aircraft defensive measures are being created. Additional underground quarters are being dug out, and several additional security checkpoints are getting set up. The area is a flurry of construction activity, and the once-serene, secluded slope is being turned into a beehive, fortress complex.

  In St.-Germain-en-Laye, expansion projects on von Rundstedt’s headquarters complex and his nearby villa are finishing up.

  In northern France, while Rommel is on leave at home in Herrlingen, his own new quarters at La Roche-Guyon are being prepared for him. All in all, the château is a great choice for his new army group headquarters with a great location. The one drawback is that the bridge that had once stood next to the château had never been rebuilt after its demolition, and so access across the river will have to be out of one’s way, upstream across the Mantes bridge, downstream over the Vernon bridge, or across the river by ferry.1

  Engineers are digging additional tunnel space out of the chalk cliffs adjoining the château and chiseling out sections of the chalky interiors for new rooms. Additional basement areas are being added to those existing ones that are being improved. Pits for anti-aircraft positions are being dug out of the surrounding area, security checkpoints are being constructed at key traffic points, and barriers are being put up along critical sections.

  Rommel’s headquarters has also just undergone two personnel changes, one of which will affect Rommel’s life considerably in the next six months. General Diem has joined the staff as special deputy for supply services and engineers. He has known the field marshal for many years, and had even once been his superior officer.

  More importantly though, Hauptmann Hellmuth Lang has taken over as Rommel’s new aide, replacing Major Hammermann.2 Rommel had told General Schmundt, Hitler’s army adjutant, that had he wanted the replacement to be at least a major in rank. Lang, although a captain, is nevertheless an outstanding panzer officer. He is highly decorated, including the Panzer Combat Badge, the Iron Cross First Class, and just recently, the Knight’s Cross for serving with distinction in Russia. Moreover, like Rommel, Lang is a native of the of Württemberg province and speaks Swabian.

  An affable fellow, Lang quickly meshes in with the staff, and seems destined to become a close acquaintance and confidant to the field marshal.

  Rommel’s naval advisor spends part of today at Camp Beverloo in Belgium. Ruge calls on the commanding officer of a naval regiment training there, 3 and finds out that his orders in case of an invasion are contrary to what Rommel wants. So the two of them discuss alert status levels and coordinated defensive efforts in case of an invasion.

  ***

  Today one of General Dollmann’s units tests another 120-ton captured British landing craft over a pattern of wooden stakes and a couple Czech hedgehogs. Quite a number are either broken off or just pushed away before the boat is stopped. Seventh Army Headquarters in its report recommends that mines be placed at the end of the stakes. Army Group B will concur.

  1For more information on Rommel’s headquarters, see Appendix A, page 595.

  2Sources are quite sketchy on why Hammermann was replaced, but they suggest that he had some type of serious falling-out with the field marshal. Hammermann returned to combat, and a month before the end of the war, he was killed around Friesenhagen.

  3This was also the training area for the 12th SS Panzer Division, Hitlerjugend, under the command of Generalleutnant Fritz Witt. It is possible that Ruge stopped in to see Witt as well, though association between the Kriegsmarine and the SS was not that common.

  Thursday, March 2

  Generalfeldmarschall Rommel is currently on furlough, enjoying a rest in his renovated house in Herrlingen, a small town just west of Ulm.

  ***

  His naval advisor is still on an inspection tour for the field marshal, traveling today in Belgium. In Brussels, Vizeadmiral Ruge has a meeting with an officer on the staff of the military governor of Belgium, General Alexander von Falkenhausen. Driving at night in the capital has become quite a hassle for many, since no street lights are available and one has to drive with severely dimmed headlights. Ruge discusses with the officer possible ways to change the street signs so that they can be seen more easily at night while driving.1

  Later that afternoon, he returns to Fontainebleau, and discovers that he has an energetic new assistant, one Kapitän Peters. He has worked with Ruge before when he was the Cuxhaven Sea Commandant, and Ruge knows that he is an expert on coastal defensive positions. After a couple brief meetings with him, Ruge concludes that they will probably get along just fine.

  ***

  Today, OB West and Marinegruppenkommandos West conduct a number of practice alerts. Afterward, they have several meetings to evaluate the alert levels and what the naval units are to do during each. Von Rundstedt’s group wants to turn them into riflemen immediately and send them to the invaded area. Krancke’s command objects, declaring that each naval component must carry out its assigned special task first (sabotage port facilities, communications, special seagoing operations, etc.) before being committed to land combat.

  The navy also insists that some ratings, like for instance submariners awaiting a new U-boat, should remain at their normal duties, nearby landings notwithstanding. OB West here is tactfully reminded that the Kriegsmarine’s primary purpose in the war is still to wage unrestricted undersea warfare agai
nst the enemy. The navy insists that this guideline be expanded to include naval training personnel (particularly the Second, Third, and Sixth Naval Training Regiments—a couple thousand men at most), some special small tactical units, port authorities, communications personnel, school instructors, and of course, minesweeper crewmen who escort the U-boats out to sea and keep the lanes cleared of enemy mines.

  The navy here is defending a position that had been put out in a recent OKM directive. It had angered the army. It stated that these “special forces” were not to be a part of any alert unit, and could only be used in a local defense—and then only if the nearby garrison was directly threatened by a closing enemy force, and the “proper” naval authority agreed. Clearly, the navy was trying to keep some shore units from getting swallowed up in a desperate army Materialschlacht2 to defend the coastline. More importantly though, the navy is worrying that their men will get called to arms too soon, or torn from their duties to perform some menial, local tasks.

  Von Rundstedt’s assertion is just as critical, though. His staff had countered with their own directive that stated:

  In case of threatening danger, even the last armed man will have to be used for the tasks which Western Command considers necessary. Western Command cannot supply replacements for missing naval forces.

  So faced with these opposite positions, Ruge, back at army group headquarters, begins drafting a compromise for both sides. He suggests that during any alert, these “special” naval personnel be available for “security” operations for any fortress or critical strategic target if their unit is located within 100 kilometers of the target’s garrison. He sends it off to Krancke’s headquarters and copies OKM and a disgruntled OB West.