Stormtide Rising (Kirov Series Book 29)

by Schettler, John

  “Of course, my Führer.”

  “Furthermore, German troops are not to cede any ground taken in the Kuban to the control of Volkov’s troops. They are to maintain a well manned front, and there is to be no intermixing of Volkov’s units with our own. Any units of the Orenburg Federation currently behind our lines must move to their side of the demarcation line. I am also issuing a directive today, that Maykop is to be taken by German forces, and held, with no access permitted by troops or engineers from Orenburg. I will send our own oil brigades. I paid for the Kuban dearly, and for Iraq. I gave Sergei Kirov back Voronezh, which was taken at great cost by Model. It will be German arms, and German blood that secures the oil we need for future operations. I am no longer willing to wait on Volkov’s good intentions and well-spoken promises.”

  The seed that Himmler had planted had now begun to grow into a dark, coiling vine in Hitler’s mind, and the only fruit it might bear would be more misery and war.

  “One more thing,” said Hitler, pointing to a spot on the map that had been the center of his desires the previous year. “Remove the siege guns presently east of the Don and send them to Rostov. Then I want you to readjust our lines. Pull back these divisions here to the line of the River Chir.” He was pointing to the bitterly contested ground near Golubinskaya, that had been fought for in Manstein’s counterattack to stop Operation Uranus.”

  “My Führer, is that wise?” Zeitzler finally found his voice. “If we pull back to the Chir, that means yielding the vital crossing at Kalach.”

  “It is no longer vital,” said Hitler. “It is only a bridge.”

  “But it is the primary bridge linking our forces to those of the Orenburg Federation east of the Don. And this move would also compromise the rail bridge at Nizhne Chirskaya. That bridge was to receive oil shipments from Orenburg as soon as Volgograd is cleared.”

  “Don’t make me laugh, Zeitzler. We both know that will not happen any time soon. By the time it does, I will have secured other sources of oil.”

  “Yet such a withdrawal will expose their flank and force them to find troops to watch that whole segment of the Don if they wish to hold as far north as the Aqueduct above Volgograd.”

  “Precisely,” said Hitler coldly. “Once again, German troops will no longer shoulder the burden for Orenburg. Have I not made myself clear on this point? I wanted Volgograd, but now I can think of no sound military reason why it was necessary to take that city. It was only to strike a blow at Sergei Kirov to weaken his morale, and this we have already done. So now I throw it like a bone to Ivan Volkov, and let him chew on it. But German troops will no longer secure his left flank. You may notify the local commander of the 4th Orenburg Army 48 hours before this move takes place. Military Police are also to take up posts along the whole line of the Don, from the River Chir all the way to Rostov. I will send the Italians to watch the lower Don. I want all these dispositions completed within one week. That is all.”

  That was quite enough. It seemed a small matter at the time, a mere inconvenience for Volkov’s forces near Volgograd, but it was to be a harbinger of something much greater yet to come.

  Chapter 29

  It was immediately evident that the Germans were planning a double envelopment of Baghdad, and Jumbo Wilson now sat with the prospect of having 90% of the entire British Army and Commonwealth forces in Iraq trapped there. He could see that if the Germans made a concerted effort in the southwest, Blaxland’s four Brigades would certainly not be enough to stop them. The attack east of the Tigris on his far right had been stopped by Kingstone at the Kayam Quarter, but for how long? He called Kingstone, Grover, and a few other division commanders to discuss their prospects.

  “A fine mess we’ve gotten ourselves into,” he began. “It’s taken every division we have just to keep them out of the main city districts. We lost the Al Muthana aerodrome, and it’s only a matter of time before they make a move on the Al Rashid field. The question is, should we hold here? In another two or three days, they might have the whole army in the bag.”

  “That would be like a cat in a bag,” said Grover. “We can fight, and we can hold.”

  “Possibly,” said Wilson, “but for how long? If they cut the rail lines south there will be no further supplies coming in. We’ve got stores to hold two weeks, but after that things will get difficult. I don’t want this to become the largest surrender of British-Commonwealth forces in this war.”

  “If they do surround us, we could still fight our way out.”

  “I have no doubt, but if it comes to that choice, then why not move now, while we still have the roads and rail lines open to the south? The pay dirt here in Iraq is all down south—Basra, and now Abadan. I’ve also just received information that the Orenburg Federation has negotiated further transit rights through Iran. They’re moving another large force through Tehran, and from there they can come south to Ahwaz.”

  “The oil,” said Grover. “It’s all about the bloody oil.”

  “Yes, the Iranians have big Fields at Ahwaz, and we might want to get there first and add that to what we’ve already taken at Abadan. But that means we have to give up Baghdad and move south. Opinions?”

  “It’ll be dangerous,” said Kingstone. “We’ll have to move smartly, and fight a good delaying action. The Germans are masters of that sort of mobile battle. It’s this fight here that they don’t like—a city fight. That said, I see your point about encirclement. It may be that a cat on the run would have a better chance than one in a bag.”

  “General Grover?”

  “We’ll have to be nimble. I’ve had men down repairing cuts to the line as it stands. If we do this, we should start immediately. But what about Whitehall? Have they weighed in on this question?”

  “I’ve a message here that instructs me to make the defense of the oil concerns in Southern Iraq my key priority. How I go about that was left to me. We thought we could stop the Germans by holding here, and we certainly did, yet I’m just not sure that we can hold out. I’d prefer to take my chances on the run.”

  “What about the oil bunkerage?” asked Kingstone.

  “We’ll load as much of the refined oil as practical, the rest burns.”

  There were no objections, and so it was that Wilson decided to move that very night, gathering all his transport and rolling stock to get the wounded, and his supplies, loaded first. Then he set up a schedule for the withdrawal.

  “General Grover, I want your division to watch the right flank, and you go along with him, Joe.” He looked at Kingstone.

  “What about the left,” said Kingstone. “Blaxland is over there now, and he’ll make a mess of things. Mark my words.”

  “I’m going move both the 7th and 9th Armored Brigades out first. They have good mobility, and they’ll be sent to backstop Blaxland’s brigades. Then the rest of the infantry falls back through the city to the rail loading points. We’ll get as much as we can onto the trains, the rest go overland by truck. We’ve enough lorries to make a good go of it.”

  “What about the Levies at Baqubah?”

  “I’m afraid they can’t be helped,” said Wilson. “The Germans have already cut off the road and rail connections south. They’ll just have to hold on as best they can.”

  “Alright,” said Kingstone. “It’s as good a plan as any, except for those Levies, but we’ll have to step lively, and keep moving. The Germans will be right on our heels like a pack of hungry hounds, and they’ll harry us at every chance. We’ll need to stop and fight in the cities along the route, and Alexandria, and east from there to the Tigris, presents us will a relatively narrow front for a good delaying action. After that, we can fight rearguard actions at Al Hillah and Diwaniyah along the main route south along the Euphrates, and at Al Kut and Al Amarah on the route east of the Tigris, but I’m still worried about Blaxland.”

  “To that end we’ve still got the 18th Infantry Division,” said Wilson. “I’ll pull it off the trains at Al Hillah, and then send that ro
lling stock on to Baghdad for us to use. Blaxland will follow the Euphrates south through Alexandria to Al Hillah, where he’ll find Beckwith-Smith’s 18th Division there in good positions to hold the line.”

  “Good enough,” said Kingstone. “Thank God that division was available.”

  “Indeed,” said Wilson. “I went to Auk with this plan, and he’s approved it, so we’re good to go. If I had heard strong objections here from you tonight, I would have reconsidered, but it seems this is for the best. Joe, where is Glubb Pasha?”

  “He’s at the Oil Bunkerage.”

  “Well see if he can move south tonight and watch the crossing points along the Euphrates. Alright gentlemen, let’s get busy. I’ll get the armor moving immediately.”

  It was now to be run and gun, as Wilson sought to save the army, and get to some defensible line in the south. That night the sound of lorries was heavy in the city, a long dull rumble. Service troops worked for hours on end, loading everything of value they could. Artillery was given high priority, and all the ammunition. Most of the two Armored brigades moved south, but those M3 tanks of the Royal Wiltshires near the ferry landing had a difficult time getting back. Currie told them to hold at the Barracks, and he sped off south with the rest of his brigade.

  A small rearguard held on in the north, the 5th Essex and 3/15 Punjab of the 21st Brigade. Most everything else in Central Baghdad got moving south, but troops still had to watch the east bank near all the bridges. All of Grover’s 2nd Infantry took the road that ran along the east bank of the Tigris, down past Rashid Airfield. That move strung out the division as a good flank guard, and they could also board a train on the rail line to Kut. Kingstone left his infantry where they were on defense against any continued thrust by the Germans, but he sent his armored cars down towards the small air strip at Salman Pak to screen that area.

  The movement of both Armored Brigades behind Blaxland gave the indolent Colonel heart. The tanks and infantry lined up behind his defense lines, and Currie found him that night to brief him on what was happening. “The whole lot is headed south,” he said, “and you’re the rear guard for this flank. Don’t worry, my tanks will be right behind you.”

  Soon they could hear the drone of the lorries, long columns making their way down to find the roads leading south. The trains were mustering there to take the guns and other heavy equipment south. The withdrawal was protected and screened by the same marshes, canals and other water obstacles that had made the city such a difficult place to attack, and Wilson was confident that he would get his army safely south. The question was where should he go? How far? Was there a place where he might turn and make a stand?

  * * *

  General Heinz Guderian could hear those columns moving in the cool night, and he smiled. The British were retreating! The dual envelopment he had clearly threatened had put a hard question to them, and this was how they answered it. Westhoven called from 3rd Panzer HQ and told him there was also a lot of movement heading south beyond Rashid Airfield.

  “They’re pulling out,” said Guderian. I’ve got similar reports from General Beckermann west of the river.”

  “Do you want me to try and stop them?”

  “Stop them? Whatever for? No Westhoven, now we get our battle of maneuver back again. This thing here at Baghdad could have gone another two or three weeks, even with the new troops I’ve been promised. This retreat is exactly what I was hoping for. You can send recon elements out towards Salman Pak, but otherwise stay put. I’ve told Schmidt to bridge the Euphrates, and he’ll be all night and most of tomorrow doing that. When that is complete, he’ll take 10th Motorized down the west bank of the Euphrates and clear Karbala. Beckermann will move down the east bank, so they won’t be able to blow all the bridges as they move south. Fuel up, and get ready to move on my command.”

  As far as Guderian was concerned, the Battle of Baghdad was over, and good riddance. He would take it as a pyrrhic victory, and now he could set his sights on what he really intended, the long drive south to Basra.

  There were still many things on the General’s mind. First off, 45th Division was delayed when Student’s troops were given priority after arriving at Istanbul to cross the straits and board trains for Mosul. There was a reason for that. He had been called by Barenthin at Kirkuk, and learned that the situation there was becoming somewhat tense.

  Barenthin had a single regiment sitting on all the key facilities at Baba Gurgur and in Kirkuk itself, but he reported the two Turkomen Divisions were now taking up positions in a wide semicircle, and moving up close to his lines. Ivan Volkov had been informed of the subtle, and not so subtle changes in the interaction of German forces with his own, and he was not happy about it. Tensions were slowly rising in areas where his troops were operating close to the Germans, and so he ordered that certain objectives were to be closely screened.

  The local Turkomen commander did not yet have the gumption to actually order his men to confront the tough German paratroopers at Kirkuk, but he was clearly making a show of force, deploying his battalions to surround that area on three sides, wise enough to leave a route of retreat open for the Germans.

  But Barenthin wasn’t going anywhere. He had been told that General Student and the entire 1st Falschirmjaeger Division were already on the way, but oddly, there was no direct rail connection from the railhead at Mosul to Kirkuk. With the Crete operation winding down, Goring had flown the paratroopers back to Athens, but he needed to use those transports to fly in garrison troops to replace them. So the division went by rail to Mosul, then south along the Tigris to a point about 120 kilometers east of Kirkuk. From there they would move overland using reserve trucks pooled there by the rail crews that had been working on the line.

  Guderian also was still waiting for the other two regiments of the 22nd Luftland to come in from the Euphrates, an area that was now to be designated as part of Rommel’s new command. A detachment from the 164th Light was moved there to replace the 22nd, as reinforcements scheduled for Rommel’s Army of Syria began to flow in through Aleppo. Rommel was not even due to arrive for another week. He would reach Istanbul about the same time 16th Panzer arrived from the West, with 5th SS Wiking Division right on its heels.

  The log jam was slowly breaking up. Things were beginning to move and become more fluid. Guderian had a lot of business right there in Baghdad, his troops, largely from the 78th Sturm Division, advancing into the city the following morning to take over ground abandoned by the British. KG Rosenfeld and Schafer were ordered east by Hube to rejoin the entire division and prepare for the drive south.

  There were questions about the facilitation of a new Iraqi government he had to see to, as Rashid Ali was arriving to declare himself the new Pasha. The Embassies of Britain, China and the United States had to be searched, the whole city swept for stay behinders, supplies and fuel had to be salvaged wherever possible. So a sudden violent pursuit was out of the question for the next few days. He would give his troops some rest after the long battle, which had raged since the 22nd. On the last Day of February, he rode triumphantly into Baghdad, and when the news reached Berlin, Hitler was elated.

  The Führer saw the sudden improvement on that front as the direct result of his determination to make it a priority. It was a much needed victory for him, after suffering a string of half measures, withdrawals, failed offensives and lost territory in North Africa. His spirits were high, and his mind was now obsessed with the tremendous economic and military windfalls that his Operation Phoenix had made possible. He might have reaped this bounty much earlier, but Brigadier Kinlan had stopped him in Syria. That shining knight in impenetrable armor was no longer there to joust for King and Country. It was a whole new war now, and the changes it would cause to the overall course of events were still unseen, even by men like Anton Fedorov.

  In England, Churchill and Alanbrooke received the news with great distress. The Prime Minister would later say that the fall of Baghdad eclipsed even the loss of Ceylon in his min
d for strategic significance.

  “How is it possible,” he railed. “Auchinlek had five divisions to hold that city; over 100,000 troops. Montgomery stopped the Japanese at Singapore with far less.”

  “First off it wasn’t Auchinlek in charge on the ground. It was Wilson,” said Alanbrooke. “It’s true that Wilson had 15 Brigades, and the two armored brigades as well compared to 10 brigades defending Singapore, but Monty was facing only three Japanese divisions, while Wilson was facing two good German Panzer divisions, the Brandenburg Division, and other forces totaling at least 16 brigades.”

  “Even odds,” said Churchill.

  “You might see it that way, but these were some of the best troops in the German Army, while a lot of those Indian divisions, the 5th excepted, had languished in Persia with little training, poor equipment, and understrength formations. The 6th and 8th Indian Divisions were garrison units, and rated as even second tier units for defense. Wilson had little in the way of offensive potential until Grover finally arrived with 2nd Division, and the armor came up. By then, Guderian had pushed us out of west Baghdad, and was threatening a double envelopment. Wilson made the correct decision. If he had stayed where he was, in ten days to two weeks we might be discussing the loss of the entire army.”

  “But we simply must hold on there in Iraq,” said Churchill. “It cannot be lost, any more than we could afford to lose Egypt when Rommel was after us. We defeated him, and so we must also stop this General Guderian. Where can we find more troops?

  Chapter 30

  That was a very good question.

  “We have other assets close at hand,” said Alanbrooke. “Don’t forget the two divisions in Abyssinia. The 11th East Africa Division is formed up, pulling troops from Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika and Rhodesia. Fluffy Fowkes has it there now, and he’s been training the men well from all reports. Then we still have the forces we used for the occupation of Madagascar last year. The two good British Brigades returned to 5th Division in Syria, but there’s still our 29th Independent Brigade, the South African 7th Motorized Brigade, and the Rhodesian 27th Infantry Brigade there as a garrison.”