When he left Stalin turned to Beria: “I want a report on this man Truman by tomorrow. Get me a list of every foreign policy decision he has ever made.”
Two days later Beria handed his boss a brief note. After flicking through it Stalin slumped into his chair. “In this situation, into this crisis Roosevelt has given us someone who barely knows where Europe is?”
Beria could only nod. He too had not initially believed the report himself. Apart from his Great War artillery experience, President Harry Truman had not left the United States.
3am, January 3rd
North of Warsaw
Central Poland
There was nothing subtle in the way Zhukov, commander of the 1st Byelorussian Front, executed his attack. The artillery bombardment along the Vistula was unprecedented in its scale. From Modlin 10 kilometers north of Warsaw, all the way south past Magnuszew, 8 000 Soviet artillery pieces roared along a 45 kilometer front. Concentrating on the area around the two previous cross river attacks they pounded the German trenches and specific rear areas suspected of sheltering the mobile Panzergroups until the sun came up. Then his entire front moved forward: at Modlin, the 47th Army supported by 2nd Guards Tank Army stormed across the river, while at Warsaw a series of diversionary cross river attacks kept the defenders busy. But it was in the south that the main effort came. Here 5th and 8th Shock Armies supported by the 1st Guards Tank Army surged across the Vistula in a seemingly unstoppable flood of men and material.
Having been repulsed twice the Red Army now went for the jugular. But pre-warned by the massive build-up and the aerial attacks on the Panzer staging areas that Zhukov had been unable to disguise, the Wehrmacht’s 9th Army command had withdrawn most of its anti-tank weaponry from the frontline where it was likely to be destroyed and established a second defensive line anchored on the Pilica River 12 kilometres westwards. Crossing the Vistula, 1st Guards Tanks ran into Fallschirm-Panzer Division Herman Goering which no-one had gotten around to renaming, and the scattered remnants of two AK brigades liberally equipped with Panzerfausts. For three hours the western shore of the river turned into a charnel house as isolated pockets of defenders stood their ground sapping the tankers numbers until the sheer numbers of Russian infantry finally overwhelmed them. More than 3 500 Poles, 5 000 Germans and 15 000 Russians lay dead on the battlefield before Zhukov’s commanders could punch through. Before them lay the Polish plain, seemingly undefended. But the Polish AK units did not give up. Fed piecemeal into the path of the advancing Russian forces scattered units, they exacted a heavy toll until by 4pm, 1st Guards Tanks and 5th Shock Army advance units ran up against the screen of 88mm guns. Heavy cloud and poor co-ordination with ground units hampered the Red Air Force efforts to clear a path and by evening the Russian tanks were a spent force, a third of their strength gone. A night-time counter attack by a small Tiger unit sent panic among parts of the attackers and despite vicious threats and categorical orders, Zhukov could not get his units moving again until noon the next day. By then the 88s had found a new defensive line and again his attack came away with a bloody nose. Having gained the bridgehead and enlarged it to a depth of 15 kilometres along a 30 kilometre front he sat back and regrouped.
Meanwhile the Modlin assault had not gone as well. Both 1st and 2nd SS Panzer had taken a heavy pounding from the artillery bombardment but when the attack came their greater experience told. As wave after wave of 47th Army troops poured over the river, the veterans held their ground. The remnants of the Luftwaffe also managed to put in an appearance but by afternoon they were overwhelmed. By then Dietrich had identified the main thrust of the attack and deployed his mobile Tiger reserves. As the afternoon turned to evening, two groups totalling 120 Panzers crashed headfirst into a Russian tank brigade 17 kilometres south of the Modlin and destroyed it. With mobile 88mm guns protecting its flanks the Panzer assault force surged forward and cut the bridgehead in two. Night time found the infantry of both sides locked into vicious hand-to-hand combat while the Panzers regrouped and turned their attention to the pontoon bridges feeding the bridgehead. Lacking unit-level radio communications, the Russian tanks found themselves stuck in a defensive role, when Panzermeyer led the two Panzer forces forward and began rolling up the southern half of the bridgehead. In fury Zhukov’s commanders ordered their own artillery to bombard the areas of attack but this only aided Panzermeyer. Artillery is a notoriously poor tank killer and instead it was the Russian infantry which suffered. By morning, the Russians were on the defensive and Dietrich brought a small force of self-propelled guns forward to destroy 47th Army’s bridges. By mid-morning nearly 30 000 Russians were cut off, all their bridges flotsam in the Vistula. Furious at the threat in their rear 2nd Guards Commander turned his most of his tanks and tore at Panzermeyers forces only to punch into thin air. Shepherding along his own fuel and ammunition supply the German Panzer commander slipped back along the way he had come. As sunlight faded, pursuing Russian tank units again ran into screening 88mms and were bled white. By 9pm Zhukov conceded defeat and called off the attack.
During the night his engineers began constructing another two pontoon bridges but for the moment the tactical initiative passed to the Germans. Half of 2nd Guards Tanks trapped on the wrong side of the river with limited fuel and almost no ammunition was not something even this ruthless Marshall could ignore. Under the pounding cover of massed BM-13 rocket salvos, the two bridges gradually took shape but accurate German counter fire form 2nd SS self-propelled guns destroyed one just as the first trucks rumbled across.
Through the day Zhukov, dashing back and forth between various command posts, pushed whatever fuel and ammunition he could across the remaining bridge while a third and then a fourth attempt was made to build another. Gradually the supplies came in and under cover of darkness the Russian tanks began to move. But again it was their lack of radio communications that told. The order from Zhukov was simple: advance and expand the bridgehead but at night the tankers could do little but follow the masses of infantry forward as they probed the German line for weakness. Using the faint moonlight reflecting on the snow to help them navigate, Russian units cautious crept forward. Everywhere they pushed they ran into German 88mms. Into the middle of this plunged Panzermeyer with a small group of Panthers which, faster than the lumbering Tigers charged for the bridges in the hope of cutting off the Russian units once more. This time however, Zhukov’s commander were ready. As the Panthers approached they ran into a Russian line of anti-tank guns. And although the Panthers sloping armour protected them from all but the most lucky hits, they lacked numbers. A small group of Panthers did break through and rained shells onto the bridges where they hit a fuel tanker that went up in a magnificent fireball, taking most of the bridge with it. But it was not enough. There were simply too many Russian tanks and guns and gradually Panzermeyers forces beat a fighting retreat, leaving most of their force wrecked on the field.
On the eastern shore Zhukov had witnessed the attack. When the sunlight finally crept over the horizon, he knew that although he still had one bridge, his armies were a spent force; half of the tanks were gone, his infantry losses approaching 25 000. The breakout he had sought had not been achieved. Now he have to prepare to face a barrage of criticism from Stalin.
From Czestochowa, Bor could only watch in impotent anger as the red pincers closed on his capital. By the time Zhukov called off his attack, the Home Army had managed to bring in another 6000 men to strengthen the thin line and more importantly had received a fair share of Panzerfausts hastily railed in from the west. For the moment he hoped the line would hold.
Elated as he was at having crushed one of the Russian attacks, Panzermeyer reported to Dietrich that a repeat performance would not be possible for the foreseeable future. Of the 230 Panzers of 1st and 2nd SS Panzer he had taken into battle, he had 68 left. “120, if the repair shops are issued with magic wands tonight.” He told his commander. Dietrich had to admit that they were fresh out of those.
In
Rastenburg, Rommel studied the maps. Wintererwachen had certainly turned out to be a waste of precious resources. Speer had made it clear that at best there would be another 150-200 replacement Panzers coming out of German factories before the western allies occupied them, possibly another 12 000 Panzerfausts. Then things would start getting hairy. “And you know what is almost funny?” he turned to von Treskow and Speidel. “Berlin is asking me not to withdraw from the Warsaw area for political reasons. They think it will make an enormous difference in two weeks’ time that the Poles on our side of the front still control the capital when the western allies move in. von Witzleben actually caught himself as he was about to tell me that Warsaw was to be held at all costs. … I think even he realised just how much that would have sounded like his predecessor. “
Von Treskow shrugged, “What can we do. 2nd Army has no reserves to send south to help 9th and by sending 1st and 2nd SS Panzer to Warsaw we have weakened the Libau – Schaulen – Kaunas line. If Zhukov has another go at Warsaw or renews his attack in the next week then we stand to lose a quarter of a million men up north. That is if he breaks out and goes for the coast rather than for Warsaw“
Speidel nodded, it was not a reality either liked. But with western allies now in the process of occupying Germany there was shrinking room for manoeuvre.
Rommel nodded, “Agreed, issue the orders to 16th and 18th Army for a phased withdrawal to a line Memel – Suwalki. Let’s see if we can confuse the Russians. Get the Panzers out of the line. But we will need to keep Memel. Von Treskow, get onto von Witzleben and tell him that I don’t care what the Kriegsmarine says, they need to protect Memel with every big ship they have otherwise we lose our front. “
At no time in our respective histories has it been more important that the intimate, solid relations which you and the late President forged between our countries be preserved and developed. It is my earnest hope that before too long, in the furtherance of this, we can arrange a personal meeting.”
Truman’s telegram to Churchill upon assuming office
9:30am
January 4th
The White House
Washington
No-one had prepared the passionate poker player Harry S Truman, who had been Vice President for such a short time to take over the reins of power. Like all Washington insiders and Democratic Party bosses he had an idea of the frail state of the President’s health. However, responsible aides such as Admiral Leahy and Secretary Stimson had never made any effort to draw Truman into the decision-making process or even keep him abreast of developments. In effect, President Truman began his office knowing as much about the situation in Europe as the man on the street could glean from the newspapers. So when the Joint Chiefs of Staff briefing ended, Truman stood up and made the historic comment, “I said that I would continue the President’s policies in Europe and the Pacific, but you still haven’t told me what they are in Europe. “ There were some red faces around the table and slowly it began to dawn on Truman that his predecessor had been compelled by circumstances to respond on an ad hoc basis. Roosevelt, the archetypical diplomat had managed to keep a myriad of balls in the air – the political implications of the military advance across Germany, the future of Germany, Poland, Hungary, the question of war criminal trials, the question of Europe’s colonial empire, the use of atomic energy as a weapon, and a wealth of others. Now Truman, who no-one had ever accused of being a diplomat had been handed the task of resolving these issues. In high school he had once noted that from reading history books he had learned that “It takes men to make history or there would be no history. History does not make the man.“ While he quickly got himself up to speed, US foreign policy continued as before but without the delicate influence of the maestro Roosevelt. And slowly but surely the drift away from Roosevelt’s course began.
George Marshall was the first to notice, when he asked for guidance on the advance into Germany. Truman’s initial response was to proceed with caution. Naively Marshall had queried ”So you do not trust their proclamations that they assist us in advancing across the country as fast as possible. “ That stopped Truman in his tracks and Marshall over the next few minutes came to realize that his new boss had absolutely no insights into the progress of the war beyond what the newspapers offered. After getting a twenty minute lecture, Truman recovered and ordered the advance with all possible speed.
January 4th
Paris
Jean-Claude Baptist shuffled slowly along the now almost unfamiliar streets of Paris. He had been one of the last to be released from the MAN factory in southern Germany where they made truck engines. It had been his fate to be a bright young intern at Renault when the Germans had invaded in 1940. At the time he had been too caught up in courting his girl-friend, Marianne, to get involved in any political or resistance activity and in late 1940 he convinced her to marry him. In early 1941 he along with many of the skilled engineers was shipped from France to plug the gaps appearing among their skilled workforce in Germany’s factories. He had kept his head down and learnt enough German to get by. He had also been lucky in that the Western air forces had never hit his plant. Occasionally her letters would get through but in mid-1944 they ceased.
His release and return had been delayed twice when the Germans claimed that allied bombing had dropped critical railway bridges over which the trains were supposed to pass. When he finally got to Paris he got lost almost immediately. Although the city had suffered little damage, there were so many building projects that he missed two key turns and only got to his area at around noon.
Unsure as to how the re-union would be he sat outside the building for nearly 10 minutes before mounting the stairs gradually, one heavy foot at time. Although he had never suffered starvation at MAN, his health had taken some beating, and the stairs winded him by the time he made it to the 3rd floor. His heart leapt into his throat at the sight of the door to their old apartment. He stood in front of it letting memories of their brief marriage wash over him.
He knocked briefly and waited. The door opened to reveal a young boy, maybe 3 or four years old. He stood there speechless while the boy regarded him with curious eyes. Eyes that had the same colour as Marianne’s. For a moment they looked at each other in silence, then he managed to stammer “Is this the flat of Marianne Baptiste ? “ The boys face brightened “Yes Marianne, here!”
Somehow the child’s pronunciation came out wrong or Jean-Claude’s hearing played tricks on him for a moment, but he heard yes mama here. A blinding rage surged through him. The bitch had wasted no time shacking up with another man and having his bastard. After three-and –a half years away something cracked in him and he grabbed the boy. This bastard.
“Is she here”
The boy shook his head but stepped aside. He was pale, but well dressed.
Inside the narrow corridor hung he recognized a picture of Marianne and her family. He was at the right place. There was no mistake.”
Something snapped in him and he grabbed the boy. Two quick steps took him out to the staircase and he before the child could really scream flung him over the railing.
Then he rummaged through the flat, ripping open drawers and cupboards in search of evidence of her infidelity. In his rage he failed to notice the absence of a children’s room or any children clothing.
Twenty minutes later he shuffled out of the apartment only to come face to face with a gendarme. “There has been a terrible accident…” were the only words the gendarme got out before Jean Claude collapsed into tears and confessed.
The gendarme was just about to arrest him when Marianne appeared on the stair case. Her face already white from seeing the child’s body three floors down, became ashen. “Jean-Claude,.. you live.”
“Yes no thanks to you, how long did it take to breed that bastard?” He gasped, too emotionally spent to attack her.
Bastard? Her eyes were wide and uncomprehending. The suddenly she clasped her hands to her mouth. Jean Claude. Armand… oh no! Arman
d is the son of a friend. I look after him while she works and she shares her coal ration with me in return. That was all Marianne Baptiste got out before she fainted. Had it not been for the gendarme grabbing him, Jean-Claude would have followed the boy over the banister.
Twice that afternoon he tried to kill himself, once while Marianne explained to the distraught mother of Armand what had happened. That night he was committed to an asylum. Armand’s death went unreported in a Paris that went into a frenzy over the trial of the Vichy head of State, the hero of the First World War Marshall Petain. This was the work of De Gaulle who recognized that because Vichy was the creation of France itself, Vichy was potentially more dramatic than the 1940 defeat itself. [106]
7am, January 6th
Magnuszew bridgehead
Zhukov had given 5th and 8th Shock Armies two days to recover before he renewed the attack. By then he was certain that the Modlin operation was not going anywhere. Having understood the logic of the new more flexible defence strategy employed by the Germans. He concentrated his air fleets to pound the zone 10-20 kilometres behind the front. Then with less than half an hour of artillery bombardment both Shock Armies, surged forward. They broke the German line at multiple points and surged forward. By mid-afternoon they were advancing on a 20 kilometer front when they encountered the flak battlegroups. Although the German guns took a heavy toll on the Russian infantry, sheer numbers quickly overwhelmed them. Most were simply swamped with the crews still firing as 8th Shock Army pushed forward two penal battalions to absorb the high-explosive. A few of the German guns managed to retreat but as they did so Zhukov played his trump card. He had been holding back 1st Guards Tank Army units for precisely this moment. 9th Army’s front was torn open as a few desperate gunners stood their ground. Although Russian air support and its tanks were notoriously poorly co-ordinated due to the lack of radios, by nightfall the German frontline had ceased to exist. 9th Army command informed Rommel that a gap of nearly 20 kilometres had been torn, through which Zhukov now poured 1st Guards Tank Army.
The Valkyrie Option Page 67