Beyond the Rhine

by Griff Hosker

  S-160 Courtesy of Wikipedia

  The E-boats were far superior to the early MTBs and Motor Launches. It was not until the Fairmile boats were developed that the tide swung in the favour of the Royal Navy. Some MTBs were fitted with depth charges. Bill’s improvisation is the sort of thing Combined Operations did. It could have ended in disaster but in this case, it did not. There were stories of captured E-boats being used by covert forces in World War II. I took the inspiration from S-160 which was used to land agents in the Low Countries and, after the war, was used against the Soviet Bloc. They were very fast, powerful and sturdy ships.

  Sherman Tank-courtesy of Wikipedia

  The first Sherman Tanks to be used in combat were in North Africa. Three hundred M4A1 and M4A2 tanks arrived in Egypt in September 1942. The war was not going well in the desert at that point and Rommel was on the point of breaking through to Suez. The battle of El Alamein did not take place until the end of October.

  The Hitler order

  Top Secret

  Fuhrer H.Q. 18. 10 1942

  1. For a long time now our opponents have been employing in their conduct of the war, methods which contravene the International Convention of Geneva. The members of the so-called Commandos behave in a particularly brutal and underhanded manner; and it has been established that those units recruit criminals not only from their own country but even former convicts set free in enemy territories. From captured orders it emerges that they are instructed not only to tie up prisoners, but also to kill out-of-hand unarmed captives who they think might prove an encumbrance to them, or hinder them in successfully carrying out their aims. Orders have indeed been found in which the killing of prisoners has positively been demanded of them.

  2. In this connection it has already been notified in an Appendix to Army Orders of 7.10.1942. that in future, Germany will adopt the same methods against these Sabotage units of the British and their Allies; i.e. that, whenever they appear, they shall be ruthlessly destroyed by the German troops.

  3. I order, therefore:— From now on all men operating against German troops in so-called Commando raids in Europe or in Africa, are to be annihilated to the last man. This is to be carried out whether they be soldiers in uniform, or saboteurs, with or without arms; and whether fighting or seeking to escape; and it is equally immaterial whether they come into action from Ships and Aircraft, or whether they land by parachute. Even if these individuals on discovery make obvious their intention of giving themselves up as prisoners, no pardon is on any account to be given. On this matter a report is to be made on each case to Headquarters for the information of Higher Command.

  4. Should individual members of these Commandos, such as agents, saboteurs etc., fall into the hands of the Armed Forces through any means – as, for example, through the Police in one of the Occupied Territories – they are to be instantly handed over to the SD

  To hold them in military custody – for example in P.O.W. Camps, etc., – even if only as a temporary measure, is strictly forbidden.

  5. This order does not apply to the treatment of those enemy soldiers who are taken prisoner or give themselves up in open battle, in the course of normal operations, large scale attacks; or in major assault landings or airborne operations. Neither does it apply to those who fall into our hands after a sea fight, nor to those enemy soldiers who, after air battle, seek to save their lives by parachute.

  6. I will hold all Commanders and Officers responsible under Military Law for any omission to carry out this order, whether by failure in their duty to instruct their units accordingly, or if they themselves act contrary to it.

  The order was accompanied by this letter from Field Marshal Jodl

  The enclosed Order from the Fuhrer is forwarded in connection with destruction of enemy Terror and Sabotage-troops.

  This order is intended for Commanders only and is in no circumstances to fall into Enemy hands.

  Further distribution by receiving Headquarters is to be most strictly limited.

  The Headquarters mentioned in the Distribution list are responsible that all parts of the Order, or extracts taken from it, which are issued are again withdrawn and, together with this copy, destroyed.

  Chief of Staff of the Army

  Jodl

  FW 190 Courtesy of Wikipedia

  The FW 190 had two 13mm machine guns with 475 rounds per gun. It also had two twenty mm cannon with 250 rounds per gun. It could carry up to five hundred kg bombs. It usually had just one bomb in the centre of the aeroplane

  Ju 88 courtesy of Wikipedia

  Faith, Hope and Charity were the nicknames given to the three Gloster Sea Gladiators which, for a time, were Malta’s only air defence. These ancient biplanes did sterling work in actual fact there were more than three but it suited the propaganda of the time. To ascribe the success against the Italian bombers to just three aeroplanes. They were based at the Sea Air Arm base, H.M.S. Falcon.

  The Royal Navy rum ration was 54.6% proof. It was an eighth of a pint. Senior ratings (Petty Officers and above) received their rum neat while junior ratings had it diluted two to one. ‘Up Spirits’ was normally between 11 and 12 each day.

  The Rangers under Colonel Darby were at Amalfi. The rocket launcher known as the bazooka was first used in North Africa. Italy was the first time it had a widespread use. It was limited to the Americans only at first but later was used by the Russians and the British. The Germans captured some and used them to make their own version, the Panzershreck.

  M1A1 Rocket Launcher Courtesy of Wikipedia and the Smithsonian

  PIAT courtesy of Wikipedia and Canadian War Museum

  The Commando attack at Vietri Sul Mare went according to plan and the only losses they suffered were when they attacked Salerno itself. Nine Commandos were killed and thirty seven wounded. The Commandos were opposed by the 16th Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion which they defeated before capturing Salerno. It was an impressive feat for a brigade of Commandos. Following this and Lord Mountbatten’s departure for the Far East Major General ‘Lucky’ Laycock was appointed commander of Combined Operations. It was a position he occupied until the end of the war.

  The Noel Coward play of 1936 was eventually made into the wartime film of 1945-Brief Encounter. ‘Beau Geste’ was a popular film made in 1939. Brian Donleavy plays a particularly sadistic sergeant in the French Foreign legion. The film was very popular amongst servicemen.

  Operation Bodyguard and Operation Neptune were the code names used in 1943 and 1944 although Operation Overlord was the umbrella name for the planned invasion of Europe.

  The term tobruk was the name given by the allies to the concrete emplacements. They were first encountered in North Africa, hence the name. Frequently the Germans would use the turrets from captured tanks.

  Operation Tiger was the name given to the practice attacks on the south coast. German E-boats did attack the convoy and almost a thousand Americans lost their lives. There were problems with signals as well as with training on life vests. Many Americans died because of incorrectly fitted jackets.

  Courtesy of Wikipedia

  Panzer Mark IV as used by the 21st Panzer Division

  Mark 1 Tiger

  Courtesy of Wikipedia

  The Battle of Bréville was called one of the major battles of World War II. The Commandos and the Airborne Division had to fight off two infantry divisions and the 21st Panzer Division. The 21st had been part of the Afrika Korps. As such they were veterans. Until the 6 pounder anti-tank guns were dropped by parachute on the 90th of June they had to fight them off with PIATs and grenades. The counter attack of Bréville did take place. It was stormed and then the Commandos were withdrawn back to the ridge. Theirs was a holding action until the main attack could break out of Caen. The battle was won on June 12th. Had they not held then I wonder of the main attack might have been halted.

  The slang was taken from an Imperial War Museum publication called service slang and http://www.oocities.org/faskew/WW2/Glossary/WW2-Soldie
rSlang.htm

  6 Rad Sd.Kfz. 231

  German Half Track Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. A

  Courtesy of Wikipedia and German Federal Archive

  American M2 Halftrack for comparison

  Courtesy of Wikipedia

  For me, the finest aeroplane of WW2.

  De Haviland Mosquito

  Courtesy of Wikipedia

  Hawker Typhoon-this has the D-Day markings

  Courtesy of Wikipedia

  Paris

  Operation Bulbasket was an SAS operation in France in 1944. Thirty SAS were sent into France to help the resistance. They were highly successful blowing up fuel dumps and destroying railway lines. The Germans found them and shot them as spies. 34 men, in total, were executed. I have used those as the inspiration, in this book, for Tom and his men. There was no fuel dump at Trun but the town was heavily damaged in the fighting and its capture was crucial to the closing of the Falaise Gap.

  This is the full transcript of the Charles de Gaulle speech after the liberation of Paris. Apparently, the Americans and British had little to do with it!

  “Why do you wish us to hide the emotion which seizes us all, men and women, who are here, at home, in Paris that stood up to liberate itself and that succeeded in doing this with its own hands?

  No! We will not hide this deep and sacred emotion. These are minutes which go beyond each of our poor lives. Paris! Paris outraged! Paris broken! Paris martyred! But Paris liberated! Liberated by itself, liberated by its people with the help of the French armies, with the support and the help of all France, of the France that fights, of the only France, of the real France, of the eternal France!

  Well! Since the enemy which held Paris has capitulated into our hands, France returns to Paris, to her home. She returns bloody, but quite resolute. She returns there enlightened by the immense lesson, but more certain than ever of her duties and of her rights.

  I speak of her duties first, and I will sum them all up by saying that for now, it is a matter of the duties of war. The enemy is staggering, but he is not beaten yet. He remains on our soil.

  It will not even be enough that we have, with the help of our dear and admirable Allies, chased him from our home for us to consider ourselves satisfied after what has happened. We want to enter his territory as is fitting, as victors.

  This is why the French vanguard has entered Paris with guns blazing. This is why the great French army from Italy has landed in the south and is advancing rapidly up the Rhône valley. This is why our brave and dear Forces of the interior will arm themselves with modern weapons. It is for this revenge, this vengeance and justice, that we will keep fighting until the final day, until the day of total and complete victory.

  This duty of war, all the men who are here and all those who hear us in France know that it demands national unity. We, who have lived the greatest hours of our History, we have nothing else to wish than to show ourselves, up to the end, worthy of France. Long live France!”

  Charles de Gaulle

  Ernest Hemingway and Colonel ‘Buck’ Lanham were good friends and Hemingway did disappear to the forest of Rambouillet where he became a guerrilla leader for the local resistance.

  During Operation Cobra over 50% of all German casualties came from the attacks by the 2nd Tactical Air force. Eisenhower said, “The chief credit in smashing the enemy’s spearhead, however, must go to the rocket-firing Typhoon planes of the Second Tactical Air Force. They dived upon the armoured columns, and, with their rocket projectiles, on the first day of the battle destroyed 83 tanks, probably destroyed 29 tanks and damaged 24 tanks in addition to quantities of ‘soft-skinned’ Motorized Transport. The result of this strafing was that the enemy attack was effectively brought to a halt, and a threat was turned into a great victory.”

  There is an excellent web site with more information than I could put here. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/AAF-H-DDay/

  General Montgomery is often lauded as a great general but Normandy was not his finest hour. He sent back Americans who had closed the Falaise gap because it was in the British zone of control. He could be petty and small minded. He did not like Patton. Had he behaved more reasonably then the gap would have been closed a day earlier.

  I have simplified the liberation of Paris. Captain Dronne was sent by General Leclerc to liberate Paris. His regiment was from North Africa, the Regiment of Chad and they did name their vehicles. Many of them had fought in the Spanish Civil War. Major General Gerow forbade the French from going into Paris. General Leclerc flew back to speak with Omar Bradley in an attempt to get the order rescinded. When the columns did head for Paris it became a race to see who could get there first. Captain Dronne reached the Paris Hotel de Ville just before midnight. The Germans had wired all the bridges over the Seine but the majority were not destroyed.

  There were no British involved in the liberation of Paris itself. This is a story after all!

  Antwerp

  I have used real events from the campaign and ascribed them to Tom and his men. They are an amalgamation of many people. The attack at Boom did happen but the part played by my heroes was actually a Belgian engineer who directed Major Dunlop and his tanks. Robert Vekemans was the real hero. I changed the bridges a little but the two tanks and the armoured car did race across the mined bridge before it could be exploded. Had they not done so then the Germans would have had time to bring forces down to the Rupel to hold up the advance.

  Major Dunlop, Major Bell and Lieutenant Colonel Silvertop were at Boom and Antwerp.

  ‘We never closed the lids of our turrets, because we then became so blind and so deaf that we felt too vulnerable. We felt a lot safer with them open … But that afternoon I remember seriously considering closing down. However, this sporadic firing from above was confined to the out-

  skirts of the town and later, rather more intensively, to some parts of the centre. Our biggest problem was with the crowds of excited civilians who thronged the streets and climbed on our tanks. We had no objection to kisses from charming girls, cigars or bottles of champagne. But we kept meeting bursts of small arms fire and an occasional grenade, and there were civilian casualties!’ (Major Dunlop)

  As we dealt swiftly with the scattered and disorganised opposition, we could see ahead of us the main streets of the city densely packed with crowds awaiting us, and this spurred our efforts. Then came the great moment, as we entered the heart of the city to receive a welcome none of us had ever dreamt was possible. Our vehicles were unable to move and were smothered with people; we were overwhelmed with flowers, bottles and kisses. Everyone had gone mad and we allowed ourselves a few moments to take stock of the situation. (Major Noel Bell)

  ‘The difficulties … amongst this mass of populace crowding round still cheering, still flag wagging, still thrusting plums at you, still kissing you, asking you to post a letter to America, to give them some petrol, some more arms for the White Brigade, holding baby under your nose to be kissed, trying to give you a drink, inviting you to their house, trying to carry you away, offering information about the enemy etc., had to be seen to be understood. (Colonel Reeves)

  I have taken real events described by these brave soldiers and ascribed them to my Commandos.

  C-47 Dakota

  Dakota with door open ready to drop paratroopers.

  Courtesy of Wikipedia

  The interior of a Dakota.

  Courtesy of Wikipedia

  V-2

  Courtesy of Wikipedia

  Period of production Production

  Up to 15 September 1944 1900

  15 September to 29 October 1944 900

  29 October to 24 November 1944 600

  24 November to 15 January 1945 1100

  15 January to 15 February 1945 700

  Total 5200

  This is the number of V 2 rockets produced.

  Uranverein and Hans Kammler

  “In June 1941, Kammler joined the Waffen-SS. Kammler eventually became Oswald Pohl’s deputy at the SS
Main Economic and Administrative Office (WVHA). He oversaw Office D (administration of the concentration camp system), and was also Chief of Office C, which designed and constructed all the concentration and extermination camps. In this latter capacity he oversaw the installation of more efficient cremation facilities at Auschwitz-Birkenau as part of the camp’s conversion to an extermination camp.”

  Source: Hans Kammler - https://en.wikipedia.org

  This is an actual photograph of Hans Kammler. He was known as a workaholic. He was based at Oberammergau along with Wernher von Braun. Kammler disappeared at the end of March. There have been many theories about his death. My version is my own speculation.

  “Kammler was also charged with constructing facilities for various secret weapons projects, including manufacturing plants and test stands for the Messerschmitt Me 262 and V-2. Following the Allied bombing raids on Peenemünde in Operation Hydra, in August 1943, Kammler assumed responsibility for the construction of mass-production facilities for the V-2. He started moving these production facilities underground, which resulted in the Mittelwerk facility and its attendant concentration camp complex, Mittelbau-Dora, which housed slave labour for constructing the factory and working on the production lines. The project was pushed ahead under enormous time pressures despite the consequences for the slave laborers employed on it. Kammler’s motto at the time was reportedly, “Don’t worry about the victims. The work must proceed ahead in the shortest time possible”.”