Opening Moves

As he steadied himself and took everything in through his field glasses, he caught sight of a hit on one of C Company’s tanks that flipped the track off in an instant. The tank fought back even though immobilised and it was noticeable that his tank crews had already done good work amongst the camouflaged Soviet gun positions, where barrels stuck skywards or scars in the earth indicated positive hits and definite kills.

A half-track disintegrated under two simultaneous hammer blows, body parts and weapons thrown in all directions, momentum driving the burning hulk forward, a fiery hearse containing a dozen young men.

An M5 Stuart light tank was halted, the furthest forward vehicle in the advance, smoke gently drifting from open hatches. The impetuous cavalrymen who had crewed it bolted in all directions, trying hard to find cover before Soviet machine gun bullets found them, and in all but one case failed.

A second flare rose from the Soviet position. The Colonel had no time to think before the crack of more powerful weapons were heard and tanks began to die in earnest.

^{Fig#18 – Reichenberg, Soviet second flare attack.}

The Soviet 179th’s Regiment’s TOE contributed four Zis-3 76.2mm guns to the fight but the ace played by Artem’yev was the battery from the Army’s independent anti-tank regiment, consisting of one additional Zis-3 and a pair of 100mm BS-3 guns.

A late addition to the Soviet war inventory, the penetrating capability of the 100mm was awesome and nothing on the field that day was going to be able to resist its shells.

To the American Commander it seemed that the Grim Reaper was at work on the field in front of him. Clearly, the answer was for his tanks to press closer, supported by whatever mortars and artillery he could lay his hands on. To close and use weight of shot and shell to overcome the defenders, for to withdraw meant an end to his attack and probably an end to his unit. He added the B/23rd reserve force to the headlong charge.

Three knocked-out Sherman’s became five before his gaze, his binoculars remaining glued to his face as he rapped out orders, orders intended to save his command from being butchered but which only hastened its end.

His artillery officer called in vain to the 495th Artillery supporting them, the American artillery presently being on the end of a severe aerial attack and unable to save themselves, let alone contribute to the debacle developing nine miles away.

The Armored-Infantry’s self-propelled M7 battery, stationed adjacent to Fuchstadt, waited on orders from a dead fire-controller whose OP vehicle had long since been destroyed. The three M7 SP guns failed to open fire when it might have made a difference.

Once Artem’yev saw the American tanks driving harder at his lines he prepared the third flare and, when they had reached the most advantageous position, launched it to initiate the final phase of the plan.

The twenty T-34-85’s of 1st and 2nd Companies, 242nd Tank Brigade had been concealed in dead ground in exactly the same position occupied some hours beforehand by the ill-fated 2nd Battery 975th Artillery Regiment.

They burst from cover to be confronted with the unprotected right flank of an under fire and under pressure American tank battalion.

The American tank platoon at the crossroads engaged them as quickly as they could but it did not save many of their fellow tankers. Seven A Company Sherman’s received telling hits in as many seconds.

^{Fig#19 – Reichenberg – Soviet third flare.}

In any case, that covering platoon was suddenly confronted by a Russian tank company and headquarters unit with infantry support coming from further north. Twelve armoured green beetles spewing fire and seemingly intent on running over the top of them and on into Rottenbauer, already sweeping the demoralized remnants of the 1st Platoon’s troopers in front of them.

The third flare also had another purpose, and its flight cued in the supporting artillery battery, whose 122mm shells descended on the troops in Fuchstadt. The three M7’s took the opportunity to displace according to standard doctrine, withdrawing from the field in disarray.

The six 120mm mortars of the 179th Regiments heavy battery targeted Albertshausen and ‘killed’ an M-16 half-track from the 573rd with their first salvo.

23rd Tank Battalion and its supporting elements were on the precipice, and only firm resolute leadership would save them from disaster.

The American Colonel snatched the radio mike from the hand of his operator, his response prepared and ready to pass on to his dwindling force.

A Soviet OF-471H standard issue HE-fragmentation round contained 3.8 kilos of high-explosive, and the whole projectile could arrive on a target nearly twenty thousand metres away, delivering twenty-five kilograms of fragmentation power.