Merry Christmas all! And here is the final part of the North Africa snips!
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November 24th 10:00 PM
German HQ El Agheila
As Heinz Guderian listened to the assorted after action and casualty reports from the day, he could only marvel. Two separate assault attempts by the British that day had been repulsed with heavy British casualties. And his own? Mein Gott, only eight destroyed panzers, six more panzers that can still be used as gun emplacements, and less than two hundred dead and wounded. After the last report on German losses, Guderian turned back to the map. "Do we have an estimate of British losses yet?"
"The Luftwaffe flew a Storch over the battlefield and the British lines about three hours ago Generaloberst. The observer reported twenty three enemy panzers still burning, smoking or completely destroyed, and thirty five enemy panzers that may be intact but were not withdrawn to the enemy lines and remain on the field seemingly abandoned. Ah! Yes, and the remains of one possible staff car."
"Possible staff car?"
"There was still one wheel attached to part of the chassis. This was on the left flank, where the amerikan panzers were for the first enemy assault."
"Some poor British officer had a very bad day then. Tell me Fritz, what delayed the enemy panzers advance on that flank?"
Oberst Fritz Bayerlein stepped forward. "Hauptmann Kurzmueller proposed planting a strip about seven hundred meters in front of our position with two lines of our limited anti-tank mines with a fifty meter spacing between the mines. His thinking was that any tank that hit a mine was great, and if it caused the British to stop and deploying mine clearing teams so much the better. If that was the case, he asked for snipers to take potshots and slow the process further. The staff car was the only vehicle to hit a mine, and the British then halted and tried clearing the field. It cost their armor two hours before they advanced against us."
Guderian grinned. "So he's a sly one then. If he has other leadership qualities promote him to major Fritz, if not get him a medal. Alright gentlemen, we've given the enemy a nice bloody nose today. If the British are smart they will withdraw and try to get us to chase them. If they are stubborn and press an attack they will not charge into the teeth of our defenses again. I expect the British to attempt to wheel to the north to cut us off from Benghazi with a feint straight towards us as a diversion." He looked back to the map with the freshly outlined troop positions. Rubbing his chin in thought he continued, "Have the troops on the escarpment make certain their fall back positions are prepared in case the British actually try to clear it."
"One more thing," Guderian continued, "I want all the panzer IV and the Panzer IIIs armed with the long barrel five centimeter gun to be gathered behind our front lines and be ready to engage the British on either flank. And to cover our arses if the British manage to surprise us with monumental idiocy." With that quip of levity, the staff meeting dispersed.
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November 25th 05:00 AM
British HQ outside El Agheila
The briefing of the British generals had wrapped up with all but one of the dispersing officers having made their way to their units with a considerable lack of confidence. The exception, one General Godwin-Austen had decisively and with alacrity gathered his officers and staff and briefed them. Lt Col Richpal Ram was very familiar with the manner and language British generals used in briefings and when giving orders. Generals in the British Army sometimes would spice up things with the occasional hint of Sahara-dry sarcasm, but never vulgar or blatantly cynical epithets. Until this morning.
"Gentlemen. I trust you all remember yesterday for the complete cock-up it was? It appears that General Ritchie has recognized that the escarpment on our left needs clearing. Thirty tanks knocked out on the left and General de Villiers wounded. One could understand the oversight, since they're still picking pieces of Scobie, poor bugger, off the desert floor and eight more tanks lost on the right, "
"Then the poor bloody 3rd South Africans had to waltz through the rain of artillery and mortar fire, and do it again when Ritchie ordered that damned second assault. Twenty more tanks and seventeen hundred casualties, just so he could shut that daft fool Cunningham up. Two more venal, preening, and asinine peacocks I have never had the misery to before serve under. To top it off, we've done sod-all to the Germans."
General Godwin-Austen had looked up at his officers with tired and haggard eyes and sighed.
"At 07:00 hours, the 4th Indian and 5th New Zealand divisions are to clear the escarpment of all enemy forces, then to secure the rear and southern sector of El Agheila to prevent the enemy's retreat. Five Grant and fifteen Crusader tanks are loaned to us for this. Per General Ritchie's instructions the escarpment must be 'free of enemy troops by this evening'. My orders to you all are thus, attempt to clear the escarpment, if it proves impossible conduct a fighting withdrawal to the rear."
Meeting each man's eyes he then turned to leave the tent but softly continued, "It's a nasty fight we're in for chaps. Take care of your men."
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November 25th
the escarpment overlooking the battlefield of El Agheila
In many ways the Trento and Pavia divisions dug in along the escarpment were similar in equipment, skill and newness to the desert war. There was one crucial difference between the two divisions. Half of Pavia division's senior officers had received their commissions for their loyalty and reliability in the Fascist party. This became apparent when the two British divisions attacked.
Maggiorre Nicol Corelli cursed the cowards of the Pavia division that broke and ran at the first sight of British tanks. The suddenly half strength division had attempted to rally at the first defensive line only to be badly mauled for their efforts. They had managed to withdraw to the second line where the remnants were reinforced by the Trento division's elite Bersaglieri regiments. Once the British advanced again it would only be a matter of time before the second line was breached.
Two thirds of the Pavia division's 47mm anti-tank guns were now behind enemy lines, and as effective as the guns were against Crusaders it still usually took two to three hits to ensure a knockout. The Grant tanks could be penetrated easily from the side, but today their front armor was shrugging off the effetto pronto rounds with ease. Corelli ordered his six gun battery of 90mm guns forward to the tank pits just behind the defensive line.
"Men! Concentrate your fire on the big tanks first, then the rest. If you run out of tanks to kill, there's still plenty of infantry!"
Corelli ducked as a shell from one of the Grant's 75mm guns whistled overhead.
"Shit! They have the range already! Open fire!" With his command six 90mm guns sounded as one. After this first volley two Grant tanks were burning, one had the front drive wheels and tracks on the right side wrecked, and the lead Grant had exploded with the turret flying into the air. The sole surviving Grant continued to advance.
Over the next five hours, in hard dogged fighting, the British had managed to advance to within 100 meters of the defensive line at the cost of all thirty tanks they had started the assault with. Wrecked tanks had become cover for the British. Half of Corelli's gun crews were either dead or wounded, and he himself had climbed up on a truck to help load one of the 90mm guns. As he stood beside the massive gun shield to direct fire, he felt a burning hammer blow to his chest that knocked him off the truck to the ground. The last thing he beheld before consciousness fled left him was the sight of the rest of Trento division advancing to reinforce the line.
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November 25th 1:00 PM
British HQ Tobruk
Eric Dorman-Smith watched 'The Auk' rub the bridge of his nose after having read the latest message from El Agheila. Smith, the chief intelligence officer Shearer and the chief of staff Corbett were in Auchinleck's office to deliver the latest despatch from the battlefield and to advise Claude whether to order Ritchie to withdraw or stay the course.
The Auk had wanted to withdraw the army earlier, but bad communications and Shearer's insistence that the Germans were running for whatever could get them out of Libya had stayed his hand. For the while. The last messages were bad. Ritchie and Cunningham were bitterly feuding. Scobie was dead and de Villiers had to be medically evacuated. Tank losses were 'higher than expected'. What the bloody hell does that mean anyway? Ritchie had three hundred tanks with him. Just how many has he lost already?
"Assessments gentlemen. And then options." Auchinleck leaned back with a tired sigh.
"So far Guderian has remained defensive without counterattacking. He clearly laid a trap but lacks the numbers to spring it against our force. Therefore, we must press the attack. Once he evacuates El Agheila, we hold it and send General O'Connor's force and most of Ritchie's to smash Benghazi and reunite the army. From there it is simply to take Tripoli and prepare to invade Sicily," Corbett put forth smugly.
Shearer pursed his lips in thought for a moment. "I agree with Corbett about Guderian lacking the force to take us on. Press the attack but send out reinforcements and supplies immediately."
Eric Dorman-Smith groaned. "I don't like assuming that at least two divisions of troops are just going to sit in Benghazi and not come down on Ritchie's back. Guderian also led us into this. He wanted us to chase him. I don't think fighting on his terms is the wisest course. I would suggest a withdrawal back to Tobruk, resupply and then go for Benghazi in the spring."
"A withdrawal would draw the Prime Minister's wrath, Eric." Auchinleck said softly. "Ritchie has the bit in his teeth now and the numbers on his side."
"Very well Sir. At the very least though Cunningham needs to be told to behave in no uncertain terms. Ritchie can't win with being undermined at every decision."
"Agreed. Remind him of his duty."
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General Alan Cunningham was incensed, not that his face showed such emotion outwardly. If the recent communique from Tobruk HQ could express itself however, its screams from being crushed in his grasp would.
From: Office of Middle-East C-in-C Gen. Claude Auchinleck.
To: General Alan Cunningham XXX Corps, 8th Army.
You have two choices. 1. Support Gen. Ritchie. 2. Resign.
He took a drink from a cup of tea to internally compose himself. The Auk wants me to support Ritchie? Fine. I'll support him then. That way even by some miracle that Ritchie pulls this off, he can't take all the glory for himself. Ritchie had taken one hundred tanks and a division to swing north to cut Guderian off from Benghazi. It will leave the rear a bit spare but I'll just have VIII Corps take up the slack. "Tell General Godwin-Austen that VIII Corps will have to position troops to guard the rear and HQ, that Auchinleck has ordered me to support Ritchie's demonstration. You have that down orderly? Good chap. Off with you then." He then gave orders for sixty more tanks and the 2nd South African division to leave with him and link up with Ritchie.
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Lead elements of the 4th Indian Division had begun to arrive at the rear perimeter and HQ and took up the positions recently vacated by the 2nd South African when General Reade Godwin-Austen entered the command tent. By the time he emerged thirty minutes later, the 6th Rajputana Rifles had dug in and LtCol Ram was scanning with binoculars the rising dust plumes to the north where Ritchie was, and the very alarming large plume coming from El Agheila. As the general came up to Ram and looked through his binoculars he cursed.
"That bloody fool Cunningham! He's left us twisting in the wind."
"Not quite sir." At the general's raised eyebrow, Ram continued. "I noticed a Canadian artillery battalion as we filed in. I believe General Cunningham forgot about them in his haste. I could certainly use those 25 pounders sir."
The general smirked. "Certainly Leftenant Colonel Ram. They're yours. The 4th Indian is going to have to hold here. The 5th New Zealanders mauled the Italians pretty badly but I had them withdraw to protect our flank from anything wanting to come down from that bloody escarpment." He paused. "I'm also ordering every available lorry, jeep and working vehicle we have to be ready to withdraw if necessary."
"Sir, should retreat be necessary. We will give you the time."
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November 25th 4:00PM
German HQ El Agheila
The German headquarters was a beehive of activity. A continuous stream of orders, intelligence assessments and reconnaissance reports flowed with the hum of orderly, organized chaos. At the center of this stood Heinz Guderian and Hans Speidel evaluating each new piece of the picture of battle. An adjutant quickly came over and handed a fresh report to Speidel. After reading it, his jaw dropped.
"I do.. do not understand. How?"
"What is it Hans?"
"The British have moved another division and over fifty tanks to reinforce the group trying to flank us to the north. And left their center unguarded!"
"Hrm...and then there's the report from the Trento division. The forces opposing them have suddenly withdrawn...." Guderian's musings were interrupted by an out of breath hauptmann holding a fresh radio message.
"Generaloberst, a British reconnaissance patrol to the north found Pascucci's panzers and he convinced them that he was their reinforcement column! He and the Ariete division will be hitting the British in about an hour and a half."
"How long until the British reach the Benghazi road?"
"About an hour sir."
Heinz Guderian's grin grew to Cheshire cat proportions and he gave a short barking laugh. "Ha! Hans, tell the Luftwaffe and Regio Aeronautica to attack the British front line from the Benghazi road eastward. But stress the front line only."
"Also," he continued, "order the Trento division to leave a regiment on the escarpment as scouts and to redeploy to cover the right flank of El Agheila. All assault guns, infantry and artillery units currently in El Agheila are to wheel to a new line to attack the British to the north. All available panzers and panzer grenadier units are to form up and we will engage the British reinforcements coming from the center. I want to hit them at the same time as Pascucci. We have 90 minutes men. Get moving."
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British Pathe newsreel of December 1941
Narrator: Operation Crusader, the British operation to crush the German Afrika Korps, ended November 26th in a devastating setback for British forces at El Agheila. Beginning on the 19th of November, over half of the British Eighth Army was involved in the chase of a German force from Tobruk through the desert. After days of constant pursuit and skirmish, it appeared the Germans had finally stood to fight at El Agheila.
Two British assaults on the 24th indicated that the Desert Cobra Heinz Guderian was content to remain on the defensive and attempt to slowly bleed the Eighth Army.
Things changed drastically the next day, after an initial British flanking attack was eventually stalemated. The main British column had advanced to a position north of El Agheila when the Desert Cobra struck hard. From El Agheila, Guderian's panzers advanced and fought British tanks in a massive engagement. Then from the north, an Italian column of tanks took the Eighth Army from the rear. Fierce fighting went on until nightfall.
The next morning the main force of the Eighth Army found themselves cut off from their supplies and surrounded by the Germans. The previous day's fighting had destroyed almost all of the Eighth's tanks. An attempted breakout was made, but only the remnants of the 2nd South African division managed to join the not surrounded VIII Corps.
Having withstood constant aerial attack and pressed on all sides, the commander of the Eighth Army Lt General Neil Ritchie, under flag of truce, surrendered the troops under his immediate command to the victorious Desert Cobra.
Meanwhile, the VIII Corps, under General Reade Godwin-Austen refused to join in surrender. These remnants of Operation Crusader were able to retreat to Tobruk, according to General Godwin-Austen, by the selfless sacrifice of the 6th Rajputana Rifles. These men volunteered to stall the Germans to buy enough time for VIII Corps to withdraw and deny pursuit.
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December 1941
Reichschancellery Berlin, Germany
"Enjoying the party Major Kurzmueller?"
The eponymous major turned and promptly saluted the general who had just addressed him. "Yes Generalfeldmarschall!"
"At ease Kurzmueller, everyone here puts their boots on one at a time," chuckled Guderian.
"Sir," Kurzmueller lowered his voice and glanced around, "why is the atmosphere so heavy? I thought it was in celebration of the victory at El Agheila, taking three British generals and 45,000 men prisoner, and your promotion?"
Guderian took a sip of his schnapps to cover the grimace. "The army has had several setbacks in Russia, aside from Rommel's antics, and the Fuhrer is angry with a number of generals." He then clapped his hand on Kurzmueller's shoulder. "But this is a party and an excellent chance for a new major to find a place on somebody's staff. You are clever and have initiative though, so be careful about what you suggest if the old fart you end up serving has a von in their name."
"I have to convince them that it is their idea in the first place then" Kurzmueller grinned back.
"Ha! With that attitude you will go far young man. Ah! I see Kesselring over there. He and I have something to discuss. Go mingle major, that's an order." Guderian left the major to mingle and walked over to Albert Kesselring.
"Hello Albert. Have you gotten the chance to brief.."
"Nein, not yet Heinz." Kesselring took a deep breath. "The Fuhrer is furious over the Russian setbacks and has assumed all strategic and operational decision making over that front. I do not know if this decree extends to our area." Noticing the look on Guderian's face he continued, "Heinz, do not challenge the Fuhrer on this. I know you. You will speak bluntly and end up calling him an idiot."
"Albert..."
"I remember that staff briefing in France over Dunkirk, Heinz. When you asked von Kluge to his face and I quote 'Who was the fucking fool who ordered us to halt?'"
Guderian threw up his hands. "Alright alright. I will be a good boy on this Albert. I will be circumspect in my speech."
Kesselring finished his schnapps. "You better Heinz. I would hate to see you lose that marshal's baton and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords that you just got."
Both of them turned at the approach of an oberstamfuhrer's approach.
"Generalfeldmarschalls Guderian and Kesselring? This way if you please. The Fuhrer will see you now."
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Okay, I'm done with this part. I might go into the meeting itself where Guderian and Kesselring show Hitler their plans for Operation Herkules and the reasoning thereof. But I'm tired for now, and will want to go over some of those details with Sky, lest I muck up any of his plans.
