Opening Moves

“I’m looking at the 15th Armored hitting through Brakel and regaining the Diemel River line. Should help with getting your boys out of the mess at Göttingen.”

That drew a response and then some, Bradley raising his eyebrows as General Simpson went into a lengthy diatribe.

“Hold on Bill, hold on.” Bradley’s voice was rarely raised so he drew a few looks from those working around him.

“It’s not a question of blame Bill so get that straight right now. We just have to sort the mess out as best we can and get back on line.”

A short response and Bradley continued.

“My intel gives me only infantry and SP’s from the Red’s 3rd Army. You tally that Bill?”

As Bradley listened to the response, he checked a small marking on the map.

“Yes I know but they should cope well enough, especially if you give them some help.”

Squinting at the map, he retrieved the details he needed.

“You got some of Baade’s boys at Gütersloh, 320th RCT. Send them up with the 15th as some back-up.”

The reply was swift and acceptable. Then came an enquiry.

“Absolutely, in fact I have given Air the heads up to give you all possible support, within the limitations obviously.”

That was very obviously well received.

“Ok then, please let me have your plan as soon as you can. Nothing complicated but I think it will need to be done as soon as possible.”

A swift reply.

“Provided you can hold where you are then Friday morning will have to do General.”

Simpson was right. It would take time to get the plan ready, units prepped and supplies in place. None the less, the delay was a huge risk and Bradley had demonstrated his irritation.

‘Let the man do his job,’ he thought.

“I know you will do the best possible, Bill.”

Final words exchanged.

“Thank you and good luck to you too, Bill.”

Chapter 46 – THE GENERALISSIMO

I hold it to be of great prudence for men to abstain from threats and insulting words towards any one, for neither the one nor the other in any way diminishes the strength of the enemy; but the one makes him more cautious, and the other increases his hatred of you, and makes him more persevering in his efforts to injure you.

Niccolo Machiavelli

0520 hrs Thursday 9th August 1945, Rear-line positions, ‘B’ Btty, 60th Field Artillery Btn, 9th US Infantry Division at Neunkirchen am Sand, Germany.

The 9th Infantry Division had set up a loose screen to protect retreating units on their way to the comparative safety of Nurnberg.

On the northern edge of Schnaittach, a company of the 2nd/39th Infantry Regiment held the line, backed up by a battery of 105mm howitzers from 60th Field Artillery positioned to their rear just outside of Neunkirchen.

No attack had developed and ‘B’ Battery was preparing to fall back through the next screen to their allotted positions at Malmsbach, just northeast of Nurnberg.

The Captain in charge, new to the unit, having shipped in from the States that very week, was finally satisfied that all guns were hitched and he gave the order for the battery to move out, relaying their departure to the infantry commander they were leaving behind.

Rattling down Hauptstraße, ‘B’ Battery drivers became aware of a tank column approaching from their left, five Sherman’s intent on using the same route to Nurnberg.

Captain McDaniels was half-inclined to give the order to accelerate and try to beat the tank column to the junction, but he figured he would let it pass, especially as his high-speed tractors already seemed to have lost the opportunity.

He leant out of the window, signalling to the vehicles behind to slow down. Flopping back into his seat he was extremely surprised to see the rearmost tank explode into a fireball, running off the road into the verge and coming to a halt as the next in line took another killing hit and stopped dead on the road, crewmen bailing out and coming under small arms fire

Mind racing, head turning in all directions, McDaniels indecision meant his battery moved closer to whatever it was that was reaching out and killing the tanks.

As the lead tank spewed flame, McDaniels noticed the telltale smoke trail of a bazooka shell running from the trees on the south side of Hersbrucker Straße.