Stormtide Rising (Kirov Series Book 29) Page 16

  As soon as the British regulars marched off, the dock workers from Palestine and other Arab countries quickly followed them. Only the fixed shore batteries, and all the AA gun crews would bravely man their weapons, hoping to fend off the German air attacks on the long column now heading south.

  Shame played a part in what was happening. Those two Greek regiments that did withdraw as ordered soon met the scornful rebuke of the local citizenry as they marched into the highlands. There, men were gathering in bands, armed with whatever they could find, a pistol, and old shotgun or hunting rifle, and planning to mount a guerilla style defense. With both their honor and manhood impugned, many of the Greek regulars were so ashamed that they simply broke from their march column and joined the guerillas. Down on the coast, Colonel Gregorio’s 6th Greek saw the British march off, was utterly outraged, and then simply ordered his men to attack the German companies advancing on Suda Bay.

  But one force held its ground, intending to fight to the last—Brigadier Kopanski’s Carpathians at Maleme. He had held the line against the first German assaults, and now he was pulling in his companies to form a tighter perimeter. The Polish artillery fired incessantly, churning up the fields and forcing the German paras to go to ground. At the moment, they could only answer with small mortars and one battery of four 75mm guns.

  East of this fight, the 7th Pioneers had finally overwhelmed the enemy detachment near Kissamos, and now the 5th Mountain Division was able to land its recon and pioneer battalions, and 1st Battalion of the 85th Regiment. They were all on the road heading east towards Maleme Airfield, a much needed reinforcement. In the old history, without those seaborne landings, the Germans had to fight for Hill 107 and Maleme Airfield at great cost so they could land fresh troops to move west to Chania. This time the original plan was on track, and Ringel’s mountain troops were on the way.

  By the end of that day, the German paras were already starting to run low on supplies and ammo, resting exhausted companies and sending in fresh men from the rear. They were waiting for the Luftwaffe to make a scheduled air drop the morning of the 21st, and took heart as they watched the Luftwaffe swoop and dive on the enemy strong points. The RAF had been ordered back to Alexandria, the planes abandoning Kastelli, Butterfield, and all the main fields near the key towns. A few planes still operated from Timbakion in the south to cover the relief convoy that was scheduled to arrive after dark on the 22nd. As for Raeder’s task force, it was moving east, bound for the Aegean, its work accomplished in successfully covering the landing of 5th Mountain Division.

  Late on the 21st of February, the first columns began to arrive along the south coast. The next day, British would evacuate the 2nd Royal Leicester Battalion, 2nd Black Watch, 2nd Yorcs & Lancs, KRRC Rangers, Welsh Fusiliers, 2nd Royal Engineer Battalion, and 2nd Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. It was a full Brigade, and would be most welcome at Alexandria, where General Alexander could put it to good use on his Syrian Front. All the stevedores and dock workers that had followed them were routed further west on the coast to Ay Roumelis, and some went very resentfully when a British Sergeant bawled at them to move on, saying the main road was for British regulars only.

  What was left of the 2nd Greek Regiment reached Sougia, some of the men openly weeping to realize the last free Greek soil was being lost, and they had not fought for it in any way. Their officers tried to buck them up by saying they must survive to join the Allied armies and fight on for Greece, but what they had seen of their allies, mainly their backsides as they retreated south, left them with little hope. That was the only Greek Regiment that got off the island, all the others fighting, or melting into the countryside to join what would become a long simmering guerilla war against the Germans.

  The night of the 21st, two British Submarines slipped in close to the harbor at Chania, and they took on several AA gun crews that had been bravely holding their posts. The shore batteries were being spiked, but most of those men knew there would be no ship or submarine coming for them. They sat glumly near their demolished guns, some smoking cigarettes while they could, and contemplating the rest of the war as prisoners.

  Shame was not reserved for the Greeks in their dilemma as to whether to fight or withdraw. When the British Ack Ack gunners saw Colonel Gregorio’s 6th Greek Regiment still doggedly trying to hold the line down near the seaplane base on Suda Bay, some looked for rifles to go and join them. They had fired at the German planes until their ammo ran out, then destroyed their Bofors guns to deny the enemy their use. Most simply could not just sit there as long as the Greeks kept fighting.

  On the Afternoon of the 22nd of February, General Brooke called on Churchill to give him the news. “Well,” he said with a shrug. “Jerry’s got Crete—at least the main cities and ports. The 3rd Carpathians are still fighting for Maleme, and we still hold Chania, but it’s only a matter of time now—perhaps another day or two.”

  Churchill was standing facing the warm hearth in his private chambers, his hands folded behind his back. “The relief convoy? He said quietly.

  “It pulled off most all of the British regulars, but only one Greek regiment made it to the southern coast, and that was just battalion strength when it did.”

  “The King?”

  “He’s Safely aboard a submarine and bound for Alexandria.”

  A moment of silence passed, and Alanbrooke knew Churchill was battling his inner demons over the decision. He waited respectfully for a moment more, then tried to put things in more positive terms.

  “Alexander now had another good provisional brigade to lend a hand in Syria. And Boy Browning’s two Regiments can now safely be assigned to Iraq.” But Churchill’s mind was elsewhere.

  “Brookie…” he began, “we let them down.” It was as if he hadn’t heard a thing Alanbrooke had said. “We let them down and they won’t forget this. God only knows if they’ll ever forgive us. I want everything done for the King, and I’ll get a letter off today with assurances that the British Empire will not rest until every last inch of Greek soil is finally liberated from German occupation.”

  “I understand, sir,” said Brooke.

  “Now,” said Churchill. “What about the Bismarck and Friedrich de Grosse?”

  “Oh, they moved east into the Aegean. I can’t imagine that they would attempt to make a sortie against Palestine. If they do, we’ve enough air power there to make them pay for that indiscretion.”

  “They aren’t going to shell Beirut,” said Churchill knowingly. “I’ve spoken with Bletchley Park again this morning. Those ships are headed for the Black Sea.”

  “What? Up through the Bosphorus?”

  “Indeed. BP thinks they want to pick a fight with the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Hitler seems keen on getting rid of it. He fiddled about with that Zeppelin raid on Novorossiysk a while back. This appears to be his coup de grace.”

  “Well,” said Brooke. “A pity we didn’t get this earlier. We could have submarines waiting for them south of those narrows. And I daresay that’s what we’ll have to do if they ever get the notion of returning to the Med. In the meantime, I’ll take this as good news, Mister Prime Minister. What was left of the German Navy in the Med is now nicely bottled up in the Black Sea. All we have to do is make sure we keep the cork in the bottle.”

  He smiled, but Churchill didn’t see him, and said nothing more.

  Chapter 18

  Operation Merkur would be a resounding success, and when Hitler got the news he was elated. All of the new offensives he had reinstated were going right according to plan. He was again filled with that heady adrenalin born of victory. With Crete taken, he would soon move in second line infantry to garrison the place, and turn it over to Goring for the movement of flak batteries and Luftwaffe personnel to work the airfields. He now had a good outer wall protecting the Aegean Sea, with his troops on both Crete and Cyprus, and small detachments on a few of the other Greek islands.

  So the Führer was in high spirits when Rommel came to see him at OKW
, saluting grimly, trying to force a smile, but averting his eyes with a sense that he had let the Führer down.

  “Ah, Herr Rommel, my Field Marshal has finally come home.”

  “It is good to be here,” said Rommel, “though I wish I could have come to you with better news concerning Operation Sturmflut . It was—”

  Hitler knew a litany of excuses and complaints would soon follow, but that was not the conversation he wanted to have today with Rommel, so he cut him off at the pass.

  “No need to explain,” said Hitler. “I have finally seen what you were up against, and frankly, I cannot believe that you prevailed so brilliantly given the odds and equipment the enemy had to put against you. Those heavy British tanks were most impressive. How many do you believe they had there in North Africa? Was it a full brigade as you reported earlier?”

  Somewhat surprised by this sudden tack in the conversation, Rommel now recalled what Kesselring had told him. “ I believe so—a strong mechanized force, but—”

  “Well, I can assure you that I now fully understand your situation. You tried to tell me all of this before, but seeing that captured enemy panzer you sent me finally made things clear to me. Herr Rommel, I must apologize to you for not supporting you. I should have sent you much more in the way of armor and supplies. Yet, having seen that new enemy tank, I think you would have still had the same hardships and difficulties you experienced. This is something that we must answer with solid German engineering. The British have a leg up on us, but we can and will respond. Come with me. Let me show you exactly what I am talking about…”

  Rommel would soon see his first Königstiger , the prototype shipped to OKW HQ so Hitler could seed advice from others on how best to modify the tank. He was particularly interested in Rommel’s opinion, and seeing the largest main battle tank built by Germany in the war, he could not help but be impressed.

  “This is but a prototype,” said Hitler. “As you can see, the main gun is inadequate, and so I have ordered it up-gunned to 120mm. The armor is not yet as strong as I wish, and the engineers are looking hard at the unique design used by that British monster. They tell me it is a composite of tiles, metal backing and other odd materials. Most unusual. I have ordered changes, and the engineers are working on them even now. Please, take your time and inspect this vehicle. If there is anything your trained eye spots that I may have overlooked, simply make a list and I will sent it directly to the engineers.”

  “When might we see one of these in the field?” asked Rommel.

  “I am optimistic that we can begin real production very soon, perhaps six months. This version is the Tiger II. I am also scheduled to see the newest Lion designs, so we will have a nice little competition. Oh, yes… Did I mention that Guderian has finally reached Baghdad? There is a man you could work with, Rommel. He’s run from the Turkish border all the way to Baghdad in a little over a month. It reminds me of the early days in Libya, when you were chasing the British to the Egyptian border. I have no doubt that you would have reached the Nile easily enough, were it not for that new enemy tank. That was the real problem in North Africa, and we must never allow the enemy such an advantage again.”

  “My Führer, I am relieved and much gratified that you finally see this, but I am still sorry I let you down.”

  “Nonsense, nonsense. If you had a beast like this at your command, you would have certainly beaten the British at their own game. We were late, that is all. This will be corrected. There will be more—new Panzerjagers with even heavier armor, new planes to support them, and deadly new weapons for our bombers. I have seen the results of a number of tests, and things are looking up! Last week, I delivered a nice little surprise to London. We have a new bomb—very powerful—and I am told it uses uranium at its core to create the explosion. It was only a prototype again, a small warhead to test the feasibility of such a weapon, but the results were very good. Now… Imagine yourself at your new command, with tanks like these, and a weapon that can smite the enemy armor concentrations and utterly destroy them! This is what lies ahead, Rommel. So do not look so glum.”

  “My Führer, I have every hope to continue serving you.”

  “Good. Take your rest, and then I will have new operations for you to oversee. Much will happen in the months ahead—you will see.”

  “On that note,” said Rommel. “I was told there may be another panzer division for Tunisia. That would come in very handy there. If I did not have to use a full division to cover my southern flank near Ghafsa, I would have—”

  “Yes, yes, all that is over,” said Hitler with a wave of his hand. “We must look to the future now. This business in Iraq is a major new front, and we certainly caught the British by surprise. I want you to look over the reports, see if you have any recommendations—when you have time, of course. First, go and see your family. Then, when you have rested, report to me again. I have big plans for my Field Marshall. This Winter offensive was very well timed.”

  “In Russia?” asked Rommel.

  “No, everything is frozen solid in Russia, and be glad you are not there if you think the desert was a harsh environment. Nothing has moved there for months, but the spring thaw must come one day, and we will soon look north to Leningrad. By that time, most of the Panzer divisions assigned to that operation will have been rebuilt. It was only this necessity that prevented me from sending you more in North Africa. I hope you understand.” Rommel nodded.

  “The real winter surprise was in the Middle East, and this will matter a great deal, you will see. Once I get Baghdad and push on to Basra, I will have choked the life blood out of the British position in the Middle East. Then you and I will meet to discuss how best to proceed. I will want your thoughts on all of that, so do make time to read those reports sent by General Guderian. At last he shows me what he is capable of. In Russia he had the same complaints as you—new enemy tanks, inadequate supplies and fuel, impossible weather conditions. Now I think I have finally put the right man in the right place at the perfect time.” Hitler smiled. “Perhaps you will join him soon, and with tanks like this one at your command. Imagine that, Herr Rommel.”

  The dark light was kindled in the Führer’s eyes, but for his champion, far away in Iraq, the cold light of reality was now in Guderian’s eyes as he considered what was now before him.

  * * *

  Baghdad, thought Guderian as he looked at the distant city, silhouetted by the red ball of the setting sun on the 22nd of February. Six weeks and here we are. There’s the city, the minarets rising above the domes of those ancient mosques, the smoke from the souks and bazaars. It sits there like Moscow, the heart of this country, with a river winding its way through the middle of the city, just like the Russian capital. This time, I hope we do not have to burn the place down to take it.

  Back in ’41, it was the bone numbing cold and snow. Here it will be just the opposite. It is pleasant now, with temperatures reaching no more than 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but that will change in a few months. I am told that by late August, the mercury will be pushing 120 degrees here in this desert. It is only this mighty river that allows this place to exist. It comes all the way from the Turkish frontier, just as I have, but now this river is nothing more than an obstacle.

  I have my Brandenburgers here on the west side of the Tigris. That’s where my first objectives are, the airport at Al Muthana, and of course the main rail yards. We’ve finally cleared the rail lines north to Mosul. The old Berlin to Baghdad railway is finally ours again, and as long as I can keep rolling stock moving, we’ll get adequate supply, and perhaps even reinforcements. So the Brandenburg Division will fight to clear this side of the river, and secure those two key objectives. Schmidt’s 10th Motorized will fight with them, and that will give me seven regiments here, considering that I will have all five regiments of the Brandenburg Division.

  Now that Kirkuk is ours, Hitler must be dancing about OKW and in a fine mood. Good. I hope it lasts a while. But something tells me this fight here is go
ing to be more difficult than anything we have yet attempted in this operation. Out along the Euphrates, we used our speed and superior motorization to simply run rings around those British Indian Divisions. One made it back here, in the south near the airport. The other went to Kirkuk, until the odds there looked too grim, and now it is undoubtedly retreating south to come here as well. From all reports, there are two others, the 8th and 6th Indian Divisions. So this may become a difficult fight.

  I’ve taken the time to resupply, and get that rail line open. Now I have Schneider’s 4th Panzer Division east of the Tigris after he crossed at Al Taji. Tomorrow Westhoven returns with Hans Hube and all of 3rd Panzer Division. He stopped that spoiling attack the British launched at Palmyra, and thankfully, Hitler keeps producing the ground units he promised me, so that front can be held by the troops from 12th Infantry Korps.

  There was some trouble up north after the British abandoned Kirkuk. It seems that Volkov’s Turkomen divisions thought they were going to rule the roost there at Baba Gurgur, but I had specific orders from Hitler himself that those oil fields were to be occupied by German troops. Volkov’s rabble got pushy, until Oberst Barenthin showed up with his Sturm Regiment of Fallschirmjagers. That settled the matter. The regiments of the 78th Sturm Division have come south on a parallel track to the retreating enemy units, and that will even the score here.

  It will leave some 30,000 Turkomen infantry up there near Kirkuk by all accounts, but none of them want to tangle with Barenthin. I’ll get another infantry regiment for Kirkuk, and the Turkomen troops can serve as garrisons elsewhere in the region, and keep an eye on the Kurds. Lord knows, I don’t want any of that rabble down here stumbling about my operations. As far as Volkov’s contingent is concerned, their war here is over. Let them sit about and smoke their hashish.

  Alright, the engineers have shored up the Hasan Bridge south of Al Taji. When Westhoven arrives tomorrow, he can use that bridge and join Schneider east of the river. Then I’ll want both divisions to strike from the north and aim right for the heart of the city. This place is a warren of political and military objectives. We’ll need to take the Royal Mausoleum and other palaces, all the rail yards and workshops, the key government ministry buildings, parliament, the major banks, and of course, the key bridges, if we can get them intact. There are also embassies from Belgium, Spain, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Britain, the United States, and even China. Those of belligerent countries will have to be taken, searched, and closed.