France Fights On (English Translation) - Thread II - To the continent!

[Wings]

Axis Armies

Army Group A (HeeresGruppe A, Ferdinand Schörner)

* 6. Armee (Erhard Raus) [Only just reorganized, sent to the front in May]
– XLIV. ArmeeKorps (Friedrich Köchling)
- 377. VolksGrenadier-Division (Arnold Szelinski)
- 79. VolksGrenadier -Division (Richard von Schwerin)
– LV. ArmeeKorps (Horst Grossmann)
- 9. Volks-Grenadier-Division (Siegmund von Schleinitz) [Only just reconstituted from the 9. ID.]
- 168. Volks-Grenadier-Division (Werner Schmidt-Hammer) [[Only just reconstituted from the 168. ID.]
– XXIX. ArmeeKorps (Erich Brandenberger)
- 331. Volks-Grenadier-Division (Karl-Ludwig Rhein) [[Only just reconstituted from the 331. ID.]
- 277. ID (Eugen Wößner)
– Army Reserve
- 210. StuG Abt (Major Herbert Sichelschmidt) [StuG III]
- 249. StuG Abt (Major Kurt Schaff) [StuG III]
- 4. Luftwaffen-Feld-Division (Hans Sauerbrey) [[Only just reconstituted from the "unemployed" ground personnel of the Luftwaffe]

* 8. Armee (Walter Weiß)
– XVII. ArmeeKorps (Otto Tiemann)
- 389. Infanterie-Division (Walter Hahm) [Level II.]
- 218. Infanterie-Division (Viktor Lang) [Level II.]
– IX. ArmeeKorps (Heinrich Clößner)
- 205. Volks-Grenadier-Division (Ernst Biehler) [[Only just reconstituted from the remnants of the 205. ID.]
- 223. Volks-Grenadier-Division (Friedrich Fangohr) [[Only just reconstituted from the remnants of the 223. ID.]
- 385. Volks-Grenadier-Division (Eberhard von Schuckmann) [Only just reconstituted from the remnants of the 385. ID.]
– XXVII. ArmeeKorps (Paul Völckers)
- 125. Infanterie-Division (Helmut Friebe)
- Korps Abteilung F [formed by the remnants of the 132. Infanterie-Division and the 141. Infanterie-Division] (Herbert Wagner, of the 132. ID)
– XLIX. ArmeeKorps (Rudolf Konrad) [De la 2. PanzerArmee, dissoute.]
- 88. Infanterie-Division (Georg von Rittberg) [50 % of its potential]
- 94. Infanterie-Division (Georg Pfeiffer) [This division inherited the remains of the Korps Abt B (68. ID and 86. ID) and the rare survivors of the III. Luftwaffen-Feld-Korps (5., 9. et 10. LFD), massacred by the Soviet offensive. The whole is equivalent to a division at 50 % of its potential.]
[Other than the three divisions of the III. LFK and the Korps Abt B, the 257. ID was destroyed.]
– Army Reserve
- 78. Sturm-Division (Hans Traut) [Just reconstituted in Germany.]
- 277. StuG Abt [Hetzer] (major Wolfgang Ernst)
- 311. StuG Abt [StuG III] (Hauptmann Karl-Ludwig von Schönau) [70 % of combat potential, 90 % at the end of June – Completed with the remains of the 189. StuG Abt, of the 2. PanzerArmee (dissolved).]
- 911. StuG Abt [StuG III] (Hauptmann Erich Hoffmann) [70 % of combat potential, 90 % at the end of June – Completed with the remains of the 202. StuG Abt,of the 2. PanzerArmee (dissolved).]

* 1st Hungarian Army (Major-General Ferenc K. Farkas)
– 6th Hungarian Army Corps (Kornél Oszlányi)
- 1st ID (Gusztáv Deseö)
- 27th ID (András Zákó)
- 10th ID (Frigyes Vasváry)
– 8th Hungarian Army Corps (Major-General Jenö Halmaji Bor)
- 5th ID (Zoltán Algya-Papp)
- 8th ID (Árpád Maltary)
- 1st Mountain Brigade (Ferenc Lóskay)
- 2nd Mountain Brigade (Sándor Makray)

* Army Group Reserve
- 11. Panzer-Division [2 Abt Panzer IV/Leopard] (Wend von Wietersheim)
- 507. schw. Pz Abt [Tiger and Panther] (Major Erich Schmidt)
- 654. schw. PzJ Abt [JagdLeopard and some Elefant] (Major Karl-Heinz Noak) [70 % of combat potential ; has to recieve prototype or pre-series JagdPanther at the end of June.]
- 909. StuG Abt [StuG III] (Major Rossi)

– OKH Reserve Units affected to HG A
- 8. SS-Kavalerie-Division Florian Geyer (Hermann Fegelein) [anti-partisan warfare]
- 232. StuG Abt (Hauptmann Paul Franke)
- 152. PzJ Abt [JPz IV] [75 % of combat potential, 90 % at the end of June.]

Army Group B (HeeresGruppe B, Gotthard Heinrici)
Defends Transylvania, mining sector and gateway to Hungary

* 17. Armee (Hans-Jürgen von Arnim, replacing Karl-Adolf Hollidt)
– XLVIII. ArmeeKorps (Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach)
- 328. Infanterie-Division (Joachim von Tresckow)
- 321. Infanterie-Division (Wilhelm Thomas) [25 % of its potential]
- 339. Infanterie-Division (Wolfgang Lange) [40 % of its potential]
[the LIV. ArmeeKorps was dissolved.]
– XI. ArmeeKorps (Joachim von Kortzfleisch)
- 342. Infanterie-Division (Heinrich Nickel) [75 % of its potential]
- 83. Infanterie-Division (Theodor Scherer) [50 % of its potential]
- 95. Infanterie-Division (Gustav Gihr) [50 % of its potential]
– Army Reserve
- 14. Panzergrenadier-Division (Erich Schneider) [StuG III and JadgPanzer IV] [50 % of its potential]
- 20. Panzergrenadier-Division [an Abt on StuG III and prize T-34, one on Hetzer] (Georg Jauer) [of the 11. Armee – 50 % of its potential]
- 190. StuG Abt [StuG III] (Hauptmann Dieter Bender) [75 % of its potential]
- 228. StuG Abt [Hetzer] (Hauptman Wilhelm von Markowitz) [50 % of its potential]
[the L. ArmeeKorps (370. ID and 333. ID) was destroyed, along with the 320. ID, the 306. ID and the 50. ID.]

* 11. Armee (Georg-Hans Reinhardt)
– XVI. ArmeeKorps (Horst von Mellenthin)
- Korps Abteilung E (Herman Frenking) [282. ID ans 46. ID] [25 % of its potential]
– XXX. ArmeeKorps (Philipp Kleffel)
- 225. Infanterie-Division (Ernst Riße) [50 % of its potential]
- 215. Infanterie-Division (Bruno Frankewitz) [50 % of its potential]
– XLII. ArmeeKorps (Frank Mattenklott)
- 72. Infanterie-Division (Hermann Hohn) [75 % of its potential]
- 335. Infanterie-Division (Siegfried Rasp) [75 % of its potential]
- 330. Infanterie-Division (Georg Zwade) [75 % of its potential]
– Army Reserve
- 376. Infanterie-Division (X) [50 % of its potential]
- 12. Luftwaffen-Feld-Division (Herbert Kettner) [In AG reserve – 50 % of its potential]
- 191. StuG Abt [Marder and Hetzer] (Hauptmann Alfred Müller) [75 % of its potential]
[The 383. ID was destroyed.]

* AG Reserve
- 13. Panzer-Division [one Abt on JagdPanzer IV/StuG III, one on Panzer IV] (Helmutt von der Chevallerie) [75 % of its potential]
- 560. schw. PzJ. Abt [Nashorn] (Major Rudolf Markowz) [50 % of its potential]
[The 13. LFD was destroyed]
– III. PanzerKorps (Herman Breith) [The transfer started in May to the 1. SS-PzA was cancelled on the 31st.]
- 6. Panzer-Division [one Abt on Panzer IV, one on Leopard/Panther] (Oberst Hans-Otto von Bermuth) [75 % of its combat potential.]
- 7. Panzer-Division [same as above] (Karl Mauss) [75 % of its combat potential.]
- 8. Panzer-Division [same as above] (Gottfried Frölich, replacing Werner Friebe) [75 % of its combat potential.]

* OB Donau Reserve
- 17. Panzer-Division [one Abt on Panzer IV, one on StuG III] (Karl-Friedrich von der Meden)
- 19. Panzer-Division [one Abt on Panzer IV/Leopard, one on JagdPanzer IV] (Hans Källner)

………………………………

LuftFlotte 4 (Generaloberst Otto Deßloch) (has to support HG A and B)
HQ LF 4
- I/NJG.200

IV. FliegerKorps (General Rudolf Meister)
- I and II/JG.52 (Bf 109)
- KG.27 (He 111)
- KG.53 (He 111)
- III/SG.2 and IV/SG. 2 (Fw 190F and Ju 87G)
- III/SG.77 (Ju 87D)

IX. FliegerKorps (General Dietrich Peltz)
- IV/JG.51 (Bf 109)
- III/JG. 52 (Bf 109)
- KG.4 (He 111 and He 177 )
- KG.55 (He 111)
- I/SG.2 and II/SG.2 (Fw 190F and Ju 87G)
- II/SG.77 (Fw 190F and Ju 87D)

FliegerFührer Ungarn (General Joachim Bauer) (in Hungary)
- I/JG.4, II/JG.4, III/JG.4 and IV/JG.4 (Bf 109)
- KG.77 (Ju 88)
- II/NJG.2 (Bf 110)
- I/ZG.1 and II/ZG.1 (Bf 110)

Red Army of Peasants and Workers

Units engaged in the Dukla-Carpathians offensive

3rd Ukrainian Front (Marshal Ivan Konev, CEM Vassili Sokolovsky)
This Front does not participate in Cluj-Debrecen

Two Armies were tasked with Dukla-Carpathians
- 61st Army (P.A. Belov)
- 1st Shock Army (A.A. Vlassov)
At the end of May, both had taken serious losses, but they recieved reinforcements in early June.

The rest of the 3rd Ukrainian Front was just reorganized.
- 5th Army (M.I. Potapov)
- 4th Shock Army (I.I. Maslennikov)
- 5th Shock Army (I.D. Chernyakovsky)
- 65th Army (I.V. Boldin)
- 9th Guards Army (N.P. Pukhov)
- 3rd Airborne Corps (V.A. Glazunov)

– 4th Tank Amy (D.D. Lelyushenko)
- 5th Guards Armored Corps Zhitomyr (V.I. Zhdanov)
- 5th Mechanized Corps (I.P. Sukhov)
- 3rd Armored Corps (V.M. Badanov)

– 1st Guards Armored Army (S.I. Bogdanov)
- 4th Guards Armored Corps Malin (A. Kukushin)
- 8th Guards Armored Corps (V.M. Alexeiev)
- 2nd Guards Mechanized Corps (I. Dubovoy)

– 7th Mechanized Corps (IV. Tutarinov)
– 7th Guards Armored Corps (I.D. Vasilev)
– 2nd Cavalry Corps (A.G. Selivanov)

Attributed Air Support: 3rd Air Army (S.A. Krasovsky) et 1st Air Army (T. Khriukin)


1st Ukrainian Front (General Ivan Petrov)
From Przemyśl (Poland) to Stryi (Ukraine)
This front is not involved in Cluj-Debrecen

- 26th Army (L.S. Skvirsky)
- 3rd Army (M.S. Shumilov)
- 5th Guards Army (V.D. Tsvetaev)
- 10th Army (V.S. Popov)

– 20th Armored Corps (P.P. Poluboiarov)

Attributed Air Support : 14th Air Army (I.P. Zhuravlev)

Unités engagées dans l’opération Cluj-Debrecen

2nd Ukrainian Front (Ivan Bagramyan)


- 16th Army (M.F. Lukin, then L.G. Cheremisov) [25 % of its potential]
- 38th Army (K.S. Moskalenko) [50 % of its potential]
- 47th Army (F.F. Zhmachenko) [50 % of its potential]
- 59th Army (I.T. Korovnikov) [50 % of its potential]

– 5th Tank Army (A.G. Kravchenko)
- 4th Armored Corps (M.G. Fomichkov) [75 % of its potential]
- 16th Armored Corps (A.I. Getman) [75 % of its potential]
- 9th Mechanized Corps (M.I. Savelyev) [50 % of its potential]

– 8th Mechanized Corps (V.N. Baskakov) [75 % of its potential]
– 2nd Armored Corps (I.G. Lazarev) [75 % of its potential]
- 5th Cavalry Corps (V.D. Kriushenkin)

Attributed Air Support : 17th Air Army (V.A. Sudets)


4th Ukrainian Front (Marshal Fyodor Tolbukhin)
From Darabani (Romania) to Craiova (Romania)

- 9th Army (V.V. Glagolev) [50 % of its potential]
- 62nd Army (V.I. Kolpakchy) [75 % of its potential]
- 6th Guards Army (P.I. Batov) [75 % of its potential]
- 3rd Romanian Army (Petre Dumitrescu) * [50 % of its potential]
- 14th Army (V.A. Frolov) [50 % of its potential]
- 18th Army (A.A. Gretchko) [75 % of its potential]

- 12th Mechanized Corps (D.I. Ryabyshev)
- 3rd Guards Armored Corps (M.F. Panov)
- 6th Guards Armored Corps (A.A. Shamshin) [75 % of its potential]

Attributed Air Support : 4th Air Army (C.A. Verchinin).

Operational Reserve
- 5th Air Army (S.K. Goriounov), in Stavka General Reserve
- 18th Air Army (A. Golovanov), specialized in strategic bombing
- 4th Romanian Army (Gheorghe Avramescu) **.

………

* 3rd Romanian Army (Petre Dumitrescu)
– 4th Army Corps (Dumitru Dămăceanu) : 6th ID (Romulus Ianovici), 5th ID (Barbu Alinescu), 14th ID (Gheorghe Stavrescu)
– Armored Corps (David Popescu): 1st Armored Division (Alexandru Beldiceanu), 2nd Armored Division (Radu Gherge)

** 4th Romanian Army (Gheorghe Avramescu)

This army comprises the three divisions formed by the Red Army, constituted of prisoners of war : Vladimirescu Division (Nicolae Cambrea), Horia, Cloșca și Crișan Division (Mihail Lascăr) and Oituz și Mărăști Division (Iacob Teclu).
Other divisions are in formation based on the surviving elements of Romanian forces loyal to King Michael.

 

[Wings]

June 10th, 1944

Balkan campaign
Operation Blockbuster
XIII Corps front (Drava valley, Hungary) - Bludgeoned by shells, assaulted from all sides and under intense air attack, the forces of the LXV. PanzerKorps (Walter Krüger) and the LXVIII. Armee-Korps (Hellmuth Felmy) retreat. They are now in serious difficulty.
On the left flank, the 19. PanzerGrenadier Brandenburg breaks through the Zselic forest massif, heading due north in order to defend Kaposvár, loosely linked to the 199. ID (Walter Wißmath). The latter remains positioned north of Pécs... it could probably have tried to flank the Australian tanks if it wasn't so scattered and inexperienced and if it didn't lack anti-tank weapons. That's a lot of ifs... Too bad! In any case, the holding (survival!) of the Brandenburg is now a priority, and by evening it has still not completely reached the Dombóvár - Kaposvár road. Throughout the night, the division has to rally its troops, re-establish its links and send its units westwards as they emerge from the woods, if it hopes to hold the German Ruppertsburg.
In so doing, Irkens also somewhat neglects liaison with his supposed partner, the 1. Panzer. But he has no choice: his troops are now scattered over a host of routes (where they exist) and are busy trying to reach, under the cover of trees and in small or large groups, a rallying point that everyone could guess. In short, his unit is incapable of large-scale action.
This is regrettable for the Heer, because if the Australian tanks do not pursue the 19. PzGr, it is also because they have business elsewhere. Leaving the elements of the 6th Australian (Jack Stevens) to hold its flank, the 1st Australian Armoured (Horace Robertson), reinforced by the 17th/21st Lancers (Lt-General Richard Amyatt Hull), moves to the front, continued in the Kadarkút sector and finally hits the retreating 100. Jäger (Willibald Utz) and the tail of the 1. Panzer. Walter Soeth, who had realised that he would not be able to get through on his own - all the more so when he reaches Nagybajom and the ground begins to open up! - he sacrifices another dozen vehicles in a rearguard action that was doomed to failure. As night falls, the two units try to re-establish a line between Kisbajom and Kaposvár, betting on the enemy stretching*. You never know, it might work... But the 19. PzGr needs to get back into the game as soon as possible!
And in this great disaster, the most serious thing for the Axis is not even there. To the south, along the Drava, Horace L. Birks' 10th Armoured - now reinforced on its left by a good brigade of the 4th Indian (Arthur Holworthy) and on its right by almost the entire 51st Highland Infantry (Charles Bullen-Smith) - strikes and breaks through Hermann Fischer's 181. ID in the woods around Csokonyavisonta, driving Hermann Fischer's infantry to the right of the 1st Australian, advancing from Kadarkút. The 'carp' division, which had only fought in Norway before facing Plunder - who had already given it a good shake! - almost routs northwards, with the handful of machines from 914. StuG Abt (Major Friedrich Domeyer) that are still operational. By the evening, according to intelligence, it is in the Lábod sector. Detail: at the same time, the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) enters Nagyatád, hastily abandoned by Walter Krüger and his staff.
The German flank is now completely open to the Allied advance towards Nagykanizsa. And the Heer has nothing to send to close the gap... except perhaps the 173. ID (Heinrich von Behr) and the 907. StuG Abt (Hauptmann Friedrich von Lessen), which rush up the Drava towards Koprivnica... or the Croats, much further down the Sava valley.

Air warfare
The American season
Allied air staffs - The intervention of the Red Pumas during the previous day's raid on Hungary causes some concern in the Balkans Air Force, which is pleased, in retrospect, that the Hungarians have not crossed paths with its ground support squadrons. To guarantee their safety in the future, Arthur Tedder asks the 8th Air Force for "greater coordination for future operations". In response, Spaatz decides to follow up - in other words, he would take the request into account at a later date. After all, he too has a schedule to keep to!

Taking the war
Bejlovar (south of the Sava valley) - After their little success of the previous day, the Ustashi are still a little worried about what to do with their catch. The P-38, lying on its belly and badly damaged, is clearly of little interest. But Sky Pirates, with only slight damage to its power system, seems repairable. A beast like that under the Croatian chequered flag would be magnificent! A team of mechanics is therefore urgently called to Borongaj. It's not very far - they'll probably arrive tomorrow.

New Yugoslav army
Work in progress
Ministry of War (Belgrade) - First coordination meeting between the staffs of the reunified Yugoslav army, with Koča Popović on one side and General Dušan Simović on the other. The proletarian Serb from the Titist shock troops, a communist from the start, faces the former Prime Minister of the government in exile, a model of military tradition and a veteran of the Balkan wars. There's no doubt that the two have a lot to talk about... but only in a professional context.
Both have of course brought their retinue of assistants and guards... er, secretaries. The fact that it's not the same uniforms on either side of the table doesn't help to give the impression that we're on the same side. We'll have to do something about that one day. Well! With the government of national unity, the legal aspect no longer poses a question - it never did, did it? All that remains is to talk about concrete issues: links, supplies, support, future operations.
The Titists have plans - to create new units in particular. And they need equipment too. And so do the royalists. It remains to be seen how to bring them together.

Cordiality is the order of the day
Mostar - Taking up arms ceremony for the 1st Yugoslav Brigade. Milutin Morača and Marko Mesić salute each other, in the same brown uniform, while Hey Sloveni is played. Face to face on one of the city's crossroads - which would later become Greek Square, in tribute to the role played by the Hellenic army in the liberation of Yugoslavia - the two men clearly find no reason to hate each other. In any case, if they do, they hide it well.
Behind them, their respective men (and women) - political activists trained in the USSR for one, veterans of... diverse origins for the other - obviously think the same. It's true that they've never crossed paths, and that's just as well. After the presentation of the flags and the appropriate songs, a parade in mixed ranks followed, passing over the old bridge that is well known in the city, to the cheers of a population that has seen it all before.
In the coming days, the unit is due to move up towards Posušje - right between the 2nd Greek Corps and the 1st and 2nd AVNOJ Corps. At the link of the latter, but no further - you never know, they may have come across elements of the new brigade.

Schutzstaffel
Enthusiasm is the order of the day
Zagreb - Befehlshaber Gruppenführer Konstantin Kammerhofer throws in the towel - he can't find 20,000 soldiers to round up - sorry, mobilise - to help the Reich's armies fight in the Balkans. These fools were begged to come, showed themselves to be utterly incompetent (as the most recent operations prove!) and deserted at the first opportunity. Worse still - if you like - the Ustasha government itself is turning a deaf ear and increasing the obstacles and tensions to this eminently necessary and legitimate recruitment. At this stage, we are not far from passive resistance - from the SS point of view.
Too bad. The natives will just have to fend for themselves when it comes to defending Dalmatia. In any case, Croatia only counts as a buffer zone with Slovenia, and therefore with the Reich. And as for the rest, it doesn't matter - in any case, everyone knows that the NDH is no longer very much in favour, in Berlin like in Wewelsburg...

Yugoslavia torn apart
Legitimate concern
Washington DC - The minor tensions between the Soviets and Yugoslavs are of course of great interest to the Americans, who are already wondering how to encourage them. Among the thousand and one issues that are piling up, the affair of the attacks allegedly committed by paratroopers from Moscow is resurfacing. It has even reached the heads of the OSS in Belgrade, who note in their reports to the US Presidency: "One wonders how the members of the Red Army will behave when they have left Poland or Yugoslavia, friendly and liberated countries, to occupy Germany itself".
A purely rhetorical question, it would seem...

* Not to mention the embarrassment caused by the host of destroyed German carcasses on the roads. An Australian infantryman spoke of "masses of twisted metal and rubble, with dust everywhere that made both men and corpses look like ghosts".

Operation Blockbuster: June 6th to June 10th, failed German counter-attack and breakthrough of the Commonwealth Divisions

 

[Wings]

April 10th, 1944

Italian campaign
Operation Buckland
Italian Front (east) - As the intensity of the fighting for Urbino diminishes, the infantrymen of the 133rd Brigade and the West Nova Scotia Rgt continue to hold the men of the 52. ID and the Panzergrenadiers of the 24. Panzer.
Meanwhile, on the plain, the Allies decide that it is time to exploit the situation. They engage the Canadian 1st Armoured Brigade towards Isola del Piano and the 11th Armoured Brigade (of the South African 6th Armoured) towards Pian di Dondola. The Allied tanks come up against the Panzergrenadiers of the 26. Rgt and the Leopards of the 24. Panzer Rgt, whose counter-attack prevents any breakthrough.

 

[Wings]

June 10th, 1944

Liberation and Liberators
Brittany Festungen
Lorient - The German army takes Sainte-Hélène from Colonel Bourgoin's FFI! The news is immediately communicated to Radio Berlin, which is sure to issue a glowing report on this huge and decisive victory. However, apart from a few potato fields and a pile of burnt-out ruins*, the Landsers of the Festung have not gained much. In fact, the Etel has not even been reached - the French stubbornly retain control of both banks and the bridge leading to the south bank.
As for the 79th and 9th Infantry, things do not move much more - although there are two details. Towards Lanester, the 47th Rgt reports that its old adversary, the 942. Grenadier Rgt, is beginning to show signs of weakness. In fact, in order to hold the line (and even before that, to fill out his unit, which had been slimmed down by requisitions), Major Görtmüller had to incorporate a number of recruits from... diverse backgrounds. And not all of them are enthusiastic defenders of the Reich - not to mention National Socialist fanatics! It is bad enough that the regiment isn't exactly elite... In short, if it isn't starting to crumble, it looks very fragile.
At the rear, the French officers present are frantically interviewing all the municipal employees they can find in the area. They are obviously looking for something - but what?

North - Operation Pheasant
Côte d'Opale - Capture of Samer by the 4th Canadian Armoured. George Kitching's men come up against the new Festung Boulogne, held by the 346. ID under Erich Diestel. Unwilling to risk his tanks in an urban battle with nothing at stake, George Kitching sets about doubling the wooded crown of the port (the Hardelot, Boulogne and Desvres forests) through Desvres and then Colembert, hoping to reach Calais via Guines. The 3rd Canadian Infantry (Rod Keller) is to be the sole guardsman!
In fact, the Canadian armoured vehicles are no longer encountering any real resistance in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region: the 5th Canadian Armoured (Guy Simonds) passes Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise and heads up towards Saint-Omer, while the 2nd Canadian Infantry (Charles Foulkes), immediately to its rear right, plans to border at Bruay-la-Buissière. As for the shock troops, who had been the first to cross the Somme, they are at the front, looking for an opportunity to hinder the enemy's plans. Mission already impossible: in Dunkirk and Calais, the 47. ID (Otto Elfeldt) completes the formation of a vast Festung encompassing the two conurbations. A waste of men, obviously. But obviously not enough, at least in the opinion of the Germans, not to persist in this approach, which cost the Allies a few casualties and, above all, immobilises formations that Neil Ritchie would have liked to send elsewhere.

Picardy - On the Anglo-Canadians' right, the 15. Armee (Hans von Salmuth), now completely routed, can no longer resist. It speeds north as fast as it can, trying not to be overtaken by its pursuers in a kind of deadly hurdle race. So, despite the weight of the past and the bad weather, the situation on the ground remains paradoxically... very fluid.
In the centre of HG D, the 26. Panzer (Smilo von Lüttwitz) and the 36. PanzerGrenadier (Egon von Neindorff) give up all liaison with the rest of the LXVII. ArmeeKorps (Walther Fischer von Weikersthal). The LXVII. ArmeeKorps, poorly reinforced by the remnants of the 4. Fallschirmjäger, is in the throes of a rout towards Saint-Omer anyway - the troops in better condition are doomed to lock themselves up in the Festung. The mechanised elements therefore move east of Lens, near Hénin-Beaumont, and then advance rapidly towards Lille.
Behind them, Gott's forces, forced into a form of reserve by orders from very high up, pursue only half-heartedly. In fact, this is what saves the 709. ID (Curt Jahn) - passing Lens to retreat towards Hazebrouck and La-Bassée, it escapes destruction by the 2nd Armoured (Philip Roberts) - which has received orders, like the Guards Armoured (Allan Adair), to stop for supplies before a probable redeployment to the east (Neil Ritchie is already talking about the Aachen 'gap'!). But once again, it is perhaps only a postponement - Sidney Kirkman's VII Corps had liberated Arras without a fight and is charging across the Scarpe River on the heels of the German division, with the 2nd Armoured (Philip Roberts) in the lead.
Finally, on the German left, the 16. Panzer (Hans-Ulrich Back) also manages to save itself. The first major Heer unit to retreat into Belgium, it crosses the old border at Quiévrain, after passing through Valenciennes in a gloomy atmosphere - the Germans are carrying out an increasing number of so-called "intimidation" machine-gun attacks, which results in fifteen deaths.

Cambrai - Belgian forces arrive in Cambrai - more or less on the positions of the 56th Infantry London (Gerald Templer). The latter is positioned in the centre, with the 1st Infantry (General Ronald Penney) on its left wing towards Cateau-Cambrésis. On its right, in front of Bastin and Van Daele, there is nothing. There are Shermans, Cromwells, Churchills, Mouflons and Taureau bulls wearing black-yellow-red badges emblazoned with the Golden Lion... and, further back, but not so much, the Pays.

1st US Army: campaigning in Lorraine
Champagne - V US Corps goes on the attack! The 29th Infantry Blue and Gray (Charles Gerhardt), thanks to the pontoons discreetly laid by the engineers the previous night, crosses the Marne at Pogny, while the 83rd Infantry Thunderbolt (Robert Macon) and the 30th Infantry Old Hickory (Leland Hobbs) advance cautiously towards Châlons. Karl Sachs has prepared his defences well, and the GIs find it difficult to approach the Marne itself. However, once the bulk of the 29th Infantry has passed, it swings northwards and overruns the Landsers of the 327. ID (Rudolf Friedrich), who had to guard the riverbanks and were of a very uneven standard. Friedrich quickly reports to his superiors and retreats northwards.
Gerhardt, sensing his opponent is close to breaking, tries to push forward in order to outflank him and perhaps also wrap up the 85. ID (Kurt Chill), which is still guarding Châlons. Unfortunately, in the rain, the enemy fades and disappears. Disappears? Not quite... Just as Chill is in the process of evacuating the burning Châlons after blowing up the bridges, the 29th Infantry has the nasty surprise of seeing sinister shadows appear on its right flank, which quickly damage the 175th Infantry Rgt and the division's CCR. The 9. Panzer under Erwin Jolasse, which had moved up under cover of night, forces the Americans to dig in with their backs to the Marne, their only lifeline being the engineer pontoons on the river. The German counter-attack is violent and the 29th Infantry staggers and threatens to break. It is saved, however, by the 634th and 813rd Tank Destroyer Batallions, which rush across the pontoons and, thanks to their experience in armoured combat, force the German felines to fall back, although they also ferociously scratch the tank hunters. However, unbeknownst to the Americans, one of the latter has pulled off a lucky coup: an anti-tank shell disintegrated Jolasse's command car and seriously wounded the general, who was quickly evacuated to Metz. His chief of staff, Oberst Max Sperling, replaces him.
Gerow grimaces as he reports to Patton - he had excuses: because of the rain, the 79th AG's support had been minimal, as it had been unable to observe enemy positions, and the USAAF had been unable to do anything for the GIs. However, despite the losses, the Marne is definitively crossed. It would still take another day or two to get the other divisions and support units across, not to mention the 4th Armored, which catches up with V US Corps at a forced march from Sézanne.
For its part, XIX US Corps takes up position to attack the LXXXVI. AK of Felix Schwalbe tomorrow.

French forces: a disappointed general
Ministère de la Guerre (Paris) - General Giraud is happy to be back in France at last, in free metropolitan France at least. His beloved Alsace has not yet been liberated. Oh, how he'd love to be back in command at the front! With him at the helm, there's no doubt we'd already be in Strasbourg, or even on the other side of the Rhine! But he had to come to terms with the fact that the man in charge was De Gaulle - whom he never called anything but "Gaulle".
Giraud never really appreciated this colonel with the temporary stars, and never mind that some of his original ideas on the use of armour had been verified! He feels that a metre ninety-eight of pettiness (which seemed to reproach him for being over two metres tall!) forbids him to return to the front. And even more so after the nasty trick Olry played on him with the preparations for D-Day. It is certain that he would never be allowed to return to command in the field. The worst thing is to hear through the grapevine that Frère might soon be given the Marshal's baton! To think that if he had deigned to lick the boots of politicians, it might have been him, the Lion of Limnos, who would have been singled out! That said, he has no grudge against Frère, or Noguès for that matter. He understands perfectly well what's going on, and in a way it's flattering. You couldn't create a phantom AG and honestly think that the Germans would take the bait without putting one of the most talented allied generals at its head, something that neither Frère nor Noguès, and certainly not Gaulle, could have embodied. Perhaps Patton...
And this new mission entrusted to him is certainly no consolation rattle. It's not just prestigious, it's also important: the rebirth of the French Army, no less! Of course, France has other great units, but they come from the colonies, and we all know what to expect from these people. Goodwill, heart and valour, yes, but as for talent, that's something you can only really find in Metropolitan France.
This morning, the country's armed forces take their first look at the places they need to reintegrate. We might as well start with the old furniture: head for Versailles, to see just how much the Special has suffered! We pass the château, which is in good condition, and where Eisenhower has taken up residence - and the big head, apparently. These Americans, one day they'll have to understand that they don't have everything under control... Anyway, we get out of the car and land at the Spéciale... or what's left of it. It is indeed a ruin, abandoned in haste no doubt in May 40, but most of the damage was clearly caused by the bombing. The old chapel, where the pupil on guard duty used to play all night with the relics of times gone by, has been gutted, its Ali-Baba cave open to the four winds. Several of the statues on the Marchfeld have been martyred, and Giraud clenches his fist when he sees what the occupants have done to those of several imperial marshals. With the men accompanying him, the general explores the places where, like most of the officers under his command, he had begun his career. The results are categorical: reopening the Spéciale is out of the question, at least not on these premises. The buildings of the Royal House of Saint-Louis would need to be thoroughly renovated before they could accommodate anything.
Come to think of it, why 'refit' the Spéciale? Cherchell is more than enough: in four years, the facilities there have become quite adequate. And Algeria is France, after all. We should talk to Noguès about it. The end of the war is approaching, and it would be necessary to consider the format of the Army as it would have to be after the war... and where it would have to be deployed, was already in the mind of the general who, although proud to a fault, was no fool. The agreement with the Russians would not last, and this is certainly one of the few points on which he is in perfect agreement with the current President of the Council.

1st French Army - Operation Marguerite
Lorraine, III Corps - Epinal is close, almost within reach. The 1st DB therefore launches several infantry elements to scout the area before entering the town, as armoured vehicles are not at ease in urban areas. Fortunately, the FFI provide valuable intelligence, while the rain blinds the observation aircraft. A vital piece of information soon comes to light: columns of armoured vehicles had been seen heading west, straight for the division's positions. As the air force had not seen anyone in the previous days, headquarters considers the information to be an error or an exaggeration due to a few isolated tanks. The information is nevertheless passed on to the forward units.
Then, 12 km from Epinal, on the approach to the village of Dompaire, a mechanised reconnaissance group thus warned comes face to face with a similar unit, but supported by Panther IIs - a whole Kampfgruppe arrives. The French withdraw before being cut down and pass on the information to the divisional HQ. The divisional HQ realises it had made a mistake and dispatches additional reinforcements to the armoured group that had been following the scouts closely. Faced with a possible threat from the north, the unit occupying Remoncourt holds its position on the hills, while sending the bulk of its support to Dompaire. The Schamberg maquis, present in force on the spot, maintains liaison and indicated the best routes.
Once the reinforcements reach Dompaire, the French take advantage of the high ground around the mirabelle orchards to discreetly surround the German armoured vehicles. The signal is given and the assault is devastating: more than thirty German vehicles are destroyed, including several precious Panther IIs and even two huge Löwes. A third is blown off its tracks and its crew runs off before being cut down by a burst of machine-gun fire. Just then, a second wave of German armoured vehicles appears, still thinking they could turn the tide of the battle, but they are quickly repulsed and the Germans flee without asking for a second chance, taking advantage of the driving rain to melt into the scenery. The French are astonished to see that these tankers had not shown the same manoeuvring skills or the same experience of armoured combat as usual...
All that remains for the victorious French are the carcasses of the destroyed vehicles and a few prisoners, either surprisingly young or far too old. A German-speaking officer and an Alsatian non-commissioned officer are appalled to discover that some of the crews who had burned in the destroyed tanks are nothing more than 16-year-old teenagers. This information is quickly passed on to headquarters, along with the name of the unit given by prisoners shocked by the violence of the battle, for which they were totally unprepared. The 106. Panzerbrigade has just experienced its first engagement, which ended in a massacre in which one of its two Kampfgruppen lost three quarters of its equipment.
In many ways, the situation reminds the veterans of the 1940s of their own experience of that period: thanks to the shock, the French only have 35 killed and 8 vehicles lost, compared with more than 40 vehicles and 120 men for the Germans! But in those days, kids and old people (well, the over-40s) weren't sent into the front line!
On the German side, the young and inexperienced leaders are frightened by the losses they had suffered in the space of a few hours and withdraw behind the protection of the Séré de Rivières forts surrounding Epinal. But already, smelling blood, the tanks of the 501st Régiment de Chars de Combat approaches the town from the west and north. The Madon is quickly crossed, and the 91. Luftlande finds itself trapped in Epinal, while the 106. Panzer Brigade retreats to Nancy after regrouping at Thaon.
......
Doubs, IV Corps - The rain is causing all sorts of difficulties for the artillerymen to operate properly from the Faymont hill: the torrential downpours prevents them from using rangefinders or unblockers, and when a position is visible, the soft ground limits the damage caused by shells, if they are willing to explode! The barrage would have to wait. On the other hand, the weather does not prevent us from getting closer to the forts and reducing those that had already been hit.
The Les Roches battery finally falls after a violent assault during which Colonel Antoine André was killed by mortar fire lined up on Mont Julien, from where he was commanding the assault. Pont-de-Roide, the main access route to Montbéliard from the south, is liberated. The 10th Infantry Division only has to take the Mandeure massif before it can defeat any German position as far as Belfort. However, Etcheberrigaray points out that his division is exhausted and would not have the same momentum before one or two days of rest and restructuring. In addition, before it could turn towards Montbéliard itself, it has to reduce a thorn in its side: the Lomont fort, which is now isolated but still holding out.
As for the 3rd DB, it could not hope to storm the Mont-Bart fort, which covers the whole of the western approaches to Montbéliard and which it would only be able to take after a solid bombardment by the 12th BACA. Fortunately, Major Ronsin, ex-CEM of the fortified sector of Montbéliard and recently returned from his Swiss internment (with an extra bar for seniority), has just been sent to Jean Rabanit for technical advice and details of the structure of the former Montbéliard Defensive Sector.

* Only the church tower remains as a reminder of this locality that "died for France".

Western Front, June 1st to 10th, 1944 (German units might not be accurately placed)

 

[Wings]

June 11th, 1944
Returning state
Stormy weather! - Operation Zuzana
Banská Bystrica - In the cold, dark night of the Carpathian mountains, the Slovakian General Staff, led by Ján Golian, is conducting a war council with the most dramatic overtones. In fact, the turn events have taken since yesterday morning - barely! - does not augur well.
To the east, on the Jelšava - Muráň - Červená Skala, Muráň - Tisovec - Brezno and Rimavská Sobota - Hnúšťa axes, Colonel Michal Širica's 2nd Battle Group Fatra is undergoing a concentrated assault towards Tisovec. It continues to cope, but needs reinforcements. For example, Ján Juraj Stanek's LT-40s - who oppose KG Henrici on the Telgárt Pass, with Lt-Colonel J. Černek's 6th Battle Group Zobor. On the surface, this is the least worrying issue - at least, much less so than what is happening in the west. But it is also the most critical. If the east cracks, the Rohozná airfield could fall, cutting off all links with the Allies. Not to mention the possibility of reaching friendly lines...
In the west, the situation is not critical: it is simply catastrophic. On the banks of the Slatina, the 4th Battle Group Moray (Colonel Mikuláš Markus) and the 3rd Battle Group Gerlach (Colonel Pavol Kuna) spends the day trying to repair the shortcomings of the conscripts in the face of KG Wittenmayer and the Hlinka Division - essentially at the expense of more favourable positions up to the high ground between Lukavica and Kováčová. This can only lead in the long term to the abandonment of Zvolen, which has become a salient as risky as it was useless. Militarily, this is not too dramatic. Politically, however, it is a disaster: the liberation of Zvolen from the German Volksgrenadiers had been a real boost to the motivation of those mobilised, which had since proved to be anything but solid. If the retreat comes too soon, it would no longer be a rout, but desertion. And en masse... The Nazis know how to hit where it hurts, ‘neckbreakers’!
In short, we have to hold out. Or rather, pretend to. But who should we call on to do this? The remnants of the 5th Battle Group Ďumbier (General Emil Perko), who are holding out against the murderous Dirlewanger and Osttürkisher, trying to take over from the 6th BG? The 1st Battle Group Kriván (Lt-Colonel Jozef Tlach), still busy holding the road to de Bartoška against the 178. PzGr Tatra with the Hurban train? All of a sudden, Golian feels quite alone, with his compatriots... And the Slovaks don't even know that SS-Oberführer August Trabandt's Panzergrenadier-SS Brigade Horst-Wessel is still not there, but that it is on its way! And as for arms deliveries, there's not much reason to hope. Rain, rain, rain. It's like Warsaw in the air, only a few months later.
Fortunately, in these dark hours, the insurgents are not totally abandoned. They are supported by Lt-Colonel Jaroslav Vedral-Sázavský of the 2nd Airborne Brigade, Lieutenant Georges Barazer de Lannurien of the French Foch Battalion - so valuable and motivated - the Americans James Gaul and James Holt of the Green Mission, and the men of the Soviet Mission. All this little world, lost by chance or by luck in this little town in the Carpathians - and not all of whom necessarily like each other, it must be said - is there to help them. It's unexpected, but encouraging.
In a nutshell! Despite a veritable cacophony of languages - although the Slovaks are still in charge, they insist - four scenarios emerge, put forward by different speakers or battle group commanders.
The two most ominous options are to accept defeat in the more or less short term: to break through to the east as a sauve-qui-peut, even if it means giving up all cohesion, in order to find refuge in the Soviet lines, or to disperse the units and switch to guerrilla warfare.
There remains the choice of all-out resistance. Either on the current lines (perhaps the only viable ones...), or by splitting the Slovak forces into three distinct groups destined to fight in isolation under three different leaders. This ‘Polish’ solution - applied in Warsaw without much success - obviously precludes any large-scale action. On the other hand, it will save time. Like in Warsaw... Perhaps enough time for the Soviets to arrive!
We could probably debate this for hours. Nevertheless, everyone agrees on one fact: the Slovak troops, although better armed and better trained than we had feared, are not capable of withstanding such an effort over the long term. The pressure is far too great, and the imbalance too glaring. Against this backdrop, a kind of synthesis eventually emerges.
- East Sector, under the direct authority of Golian (second-in-command: Colonel Michal Širica), would lead a counter-attack with paratroopers and the Masaryk armoured train, in order to secure the Hron valley - whether to resist here, wait for reinforcements or break through later.
- West Sector, under the command of Jozef Tlach, would simply have to continue to close the road to the west, without worrying about its rear. A sacrificial task - in time, it would have to destroy its machines and withdraw towards the High Tatras, in the Mount Ostredok sector. If, of course, it came to that!
- Finally, the southern sector, under the command of Mikuláš Markus, would have the task of holding the Hron valley as best it could - in other words, conceding the road to Banská Bystrica and withdrawing towards Poniky and Hrochoť, perhaps then to Golian. Courageously, the French under Barazer de Lannurien - lighter and more experienced - offer to join the rearguard as voltigeurs. Why not?
This Polish-style strategy, which retains the escape route to the east, is not without a certain cynicism. In reality, it amounts to preserving the Hron valley by sacrificing everything else, which is destined to form pockets of resistance that will hold out for varying lengths of time in order to divert the enemy's efforts. Will the soldiers concerned want to play along? Nothing is less certain! But Golian doesn't have many alternatives. As for the heads of the foreign missions, they are promising the maximum. To ask for the maximum, that goes without saying. As for the rest: hold out, keep shooting down Nazi planes and showing our colours, pray... anything to hope for a miracle.
.........
Insurgent Slovakia - In the morning, even before the staff of the 1st Czechoslovak Army had time to give its full instructions, Hermann Höfle's troops launch the assault, with the first whiff of blood in their nostrils.
The La-5s are pinned down. So are the Stukas and Bf 110s, but this is no great consolation. In the east, the 2nd Battle Group Fatra (Colonel Michal Širica) continues to lose ground. It has to concede its positions in Muráň and Hnúšťa - in the evening, it is fighting with its back to the wall in Tisovec, while the 6th Battle Group Zobor (Lt-Colonel J. Černek) remains mobilised against KG Henrici. This is definitely where the Slovaks will have to counter-attack. Starting tomorrow, and with all available forces.
In the Hron valley, the 4th Battle Group Moray (Colonel Mikuláš Markus) and the 3rd Battle Group Gerlach (Colonel Pavol Kuna) are still fighting foot to foot north of Zvolen. Unfortunately, not as well as they should be. The desertions of conscripts are getting worse, which is not helping the morale of the Slovak soldiers at all, who are wondering (with some reason...) whether they are not being sent to the coalface without hope or help, and for the benefit of others. Faced with this sad state of affairs, the line falters more and more. By evening, we have already passed Kováčová and it is Badin and Hronsek - the starting positions of the famous offensive! - who are subjected to German-Slovak strikes. Meanwhile, the 1st Battle Group Kriván (Lt-Colonel Jozef Tlach) retreats ever more quickly towards Harmanec, fearing of course that it will be enveloped.

 

[Wings]

June 11th, 1944

Central Pacific Campaign
Saipan
West coast - The Japanese launch another night assault. This time, they try to attack the American beaches by sea, using 35 small boats launched in Magicienne Bay. This attempt is immediately repelled by US Navy light ships patrolling the shoreline.
During the day, the Americans force the Japanese to withdraw northwards, leaving a small contingent at the southern tip of the island, in front of Nafutan Point. These men have been ordered to fight to the last man: not even the smallest piece of territory of the Empire of the Rising Sun can be ceded without a fight.
The American command decides that the task of eliminating the south-eastern pocket would fall to the New York. The two Marine divisions are to concentrate northwards, which means turning a large part of the forces of the 4th Marine Division westwards.

Malaya Campaign
Operation Stoker
Langsa - After a few days' pause and refitting of equipment following the raid on Dumai, the Liberators of the 436th and 492nd BS join the American and Dutch Mitchells (490th and 491st BS, 18 Sqn RAAF) for a raid in force against this locality. They are escorted by the entire 80th FG, reinforced by Lightnings from the 449th and 459th FS. While the four-engined planes attack the airfield, the B-25s are tasked with destroying the bridges to the north and south of the town. The objectives are achieved without loss, as the 24th Sentai is absent, which does not displease the B-24 and P-38 pilots after the ambush on June 6th.

North coast of Borneo - En route to Kuching, the freighter Itami Maru hits a mine laid there by the MN Diamant. The ship's commander finally gives the order to abandon the vessel, which is on fire and carrying munitions. The ship drifts towards the coast before sinking in the shallows just off Brunei. Even today, diving enthusiasts in the sultanate are advised to avoid the wreck, as the authorities are unsure of the contents of the holds and the condition of the cargo.

Sino-Japanese war
Operation Ichi-Go
Henan province (Kogo) - Violent street fighting breaks out in Nanyang. Sixteen Ki-51s from the 1st Hikoshidan, who have come from Wuhan, bomb the districts held by the defenders, who are already being mercilessly shelled by artillery. Several fires break out during the night and, as no-one can stop them, they become huge blazes that reduce many blocks of houses to ashes. The fighting continues amid thick, acrid smoke, giving the martyred city an apocalyptic appearance.

 

[Wings]

June 11th, 1944

The art of using Slovaks
Dukla-Carpathian Offensive
3rd Ukrainian Front, Galicia - The Soviet forces continue to push hard towards Košice, despite the weather, fatigue and losses, which have been accumulating for more than a month and for gains that are far from spectacular...
Opposite them, Otto Tiemann's XVII. AK is now hanging on to its new Svidník-Chotča-Čabiny line - with all the more energy as behind, the great plain is not so far away any more. For the moment, the Landsers are still holding out - the Slav is scattered, it has to clear the ground of its dead, wreckage and also the host of mines that the Heer has had plenty of time to put in place over the last few days. However, even before nightfall, Pavel Belov's 61st Army begins to probe Chotča's defences. It is obviously looking for a weak point for Pavel Poluboiarov's 20th Armoured Corps, in a hurry to get out of the woods and infiltrate towards Stropkov ... for a start?

Hungary, whatever the cost
Operation Schwabenwall
Crișeni - Night, mud, screams, barks and squeaks of caterpillar tracks as the 17. Panzer (Karl-Friedrich von der Meden) and the 19. Panzer (Hans Källner) - reinforced by the 502. schw. Pz Abt under Major Horst Richter-Rethwisch - arrive in the rear of the Hungarian 1st ID (Gusztáv Deseö) and 10th ID (Frigyes Vasváry). Until then, the latter had only been supported by a handful of Turán IIs and a few smuggled Zrínyi IIs, all of which pale in comparison to the Tiger and Leopard.
Year in, year out, in the worst possible conditions, the Germans manage to concentrate, in theory, five armoured divisions, supported by a Hungarian army that is almost complete. This may sound impressive on paper... and it is, given the terrible circumstances in which the Axis finds itself. But in practice, the three units of Breith's III. Panzerkorps (6. Pz, 7. Pz and 8. Pz) are hardly worth more than a single SS-Panzer from a year ago. As for the reinforcements from Lake Balaton, the two divisions, exhausted by their journey under bombardment, are short of everything (especially petrol). Finally, on the Honvèd side, the shortage is even worse, and mistrust is the rule - despite the fact that they are motivated by the need to defend the Magyar kingdom, which means smashing Soviets and Romanians.
In these circumstances, it would be stupid to attack right away. In agreement with the OKH - well, they didn't approve, but they didn't oppose either... - we decide to delay Schwabenwall for 24 hours. At least enough time to send the German pioneers to clear some of the approach roads of mines... because the Hungarians don't have mine detectors!
A final grace period, then, to put all the chances on his side. But there won't be another! What's more, Günther von Kluge isn't keen to hang around - and neither is Gotthard Heinrici. The latter believes he has his revenge. As for the first, who is a little better acquainted, he has heard some very bad news from the south of Hungary and knows he has to hurry.
The assault will start tomorrow morning, before dawn and according to the manual.

Cluj-Debrecen
Around Cluj-Napoca - Ivan Bagramian's 2nd Ukrainian Front continues its major reorganisation manoeuvres: the Armenian continues to bring up the bulk of his Front at full speed - and with a whip if necessary. This is because the latter has become a little unbalanced, by descending towards Sebeș to smash the fascists on Tolbukhin's anvil. He does Tolbukhin a great service, which does not bring him much personal gain.
As a result, his troops are still moving up towards Dej and the Guruslau depression in a huge traffic jam, while the 120 km of the sector are only held by the 16th and 47th Armies of comrades Cheremisov and Zhmachenko. You might think it risky... but with everything going on around them, if the fascists have any reserves, we'd have seen them by now. But the VVS see nothing. Or not much at all: a few dozen tanks, perhaps broken down (they aren't moving), or sent towards Neustadt to serve as a last line of defence, and Hungarians coming and going towards Nagybánya (Baia Mare) - which makes sense, they are defending the mines they'd stolen! - and no doubt other elements behind them, brought up in a hurry. Bagatelle.
In two or three days, the 2nd Ukrainian Front will be in place and - thanks to its shorter supply lines, coming practically straight from the USSR! - will push forward again. Nyíregyháza, Debrecen and no doubt tomorrow Budapest. No doubt about it, Bagramian is confident. Despite the traffic jams and even the weather. It's raining today - but that's never stopped the Russians. The Germans, on the other hand...
.........
Transylvania and the Apuseni Mountains - Further south, Marshal Fyodor Tolbukhin's 4th Ukrainian Front continues to consolidate. Tolbukhin is still busy regrouping the mass of his armies, stretching from Wallenthal (Hațeg), in the Strei valley - where the 6th Guards Armoured Corps (Alexander Shamshin) is completing its push back of stragglers and settlers towards the Transylvanian Iron Gate pass, held by the remnants of the 95. ID (Gustav Gihr) - all the way to Sibiu, or even Brașov - but there, stragglers, even deserters, are the problem. In the following days, it is planned that large infantry units - the 62nd Army (V.I. Kolpakchi) and the 6th Guards Army (P.I. Batov) - would be positioned in this sector, in the centre of an arc stretching as far as Aiud, with mechanised units at the tip at Sebeș and the Romanians in the rearguard, towards Alba Iulia....
In any case, the 4th Ukrainian Front seems to have a good week ahead of it before it can resume offensive operations. Its troops have suffered substantial losses crossing the Carpathians, and all the supply lines - now passing through devastated mountain roads - have to be reconstituted. Only the Romanians should have fewer problems - after all, they're at home! Unfortunately, their small 3rd and 4th Armies have also given a lot for the Rucăr-Bran pass. However, their equipment is far from plentiful (they are taking their old R-1s out of storage!), while the towns in their industrial base - Brașov, to name but one - have barely been liberated and have being ravaged... obviously by the Germans, and by them alone! On the subject of the Romanians, Comrade Verchinin also reports that the availability of the FAAR seems to be in free fall...
Admittedly, the 17. Armee (three remnants of infantry divisions and two very worn-out mechanised divisions), but Tolbukhin does not plan to push forward immediately. His results are excellent (albeit at a high price) and he needs to prepare his troops before moving forward again towards Szeged. But not in too much of a hurry, because a possible Nazi collapse from the south would first serve the capitalist troops in Yugoslavia - and would also facilitate the work of its neighbour, the 2nd Ukrainian Front. In any case, the 4th Ukrainian Front is not even on the main road to Budapest or Vienna! So let Bagramian pass...

Desolate Poland
A new friendship
Lublin - General Nikolai Bulganin sends - very cordially, but also very confidentially - a message to Moscow about the new 1st Polish Army, formerly the Berling Army.
Although obviously cautious and measured - we're talking here about unrepentant chaotic reactionaries - the Soviet's comments are reasonably encouraging: ‘In its current state of training and equipment, the 1st Polish Army - although obviously only partly trained and equipped (list of supplies sent and pending in appendix no. 1) - already has a profile suitable for limited offensive operations. As such, its potential is much greater than it was at the beginning of the year. We are therefore proposing that the Stavka consider deploying in a moderately strategic sector of the front, for example the Radom region, for the benefit of Marshal Zhukov's 3rd Belorussian Front.
In this way, we will be able to test its loyalty by releasing more experienced units for more important tasks. The inevitable losses to come, as well as the camaraderie naturally forged during the fighting, will be invaluable tools for future Polish-Soviet friendship.
In this regard, it should be noted that General Jan Mazurkiewicz, even if he does not have the profile of his predecessor, is already the target of a discreet smear campaign led by several leaders of the former ‘Secret Army’, including, for example, Captain Stanisław Sojczyński - who sent him an open letter calling him ‘traitor’. Such comments, even from a deserter and an offender, undermine our efforts. However, it seems counterproductive at this time to engage in overly visible policing. In this area, as in so many others, time is on our side. Serenity and continuity must be our guiding principles, for fine-tuned but decisive action based on appropriate documentation'.
There's no better way to put it. According to the Soviets - and even if, obviously, the Frontoviki would take centre stage - it is important for the Poles to be at the forefront of the liberation of their country. Firstly, because of the principle: the blood shed alongside the Soviets (forgetting the blood shed against them in the past). Secondly, to announce the complete renewal of their institutions. Secondly, to confirm the uselessness of the army of exiles in the west, or even to get the current government involved in drawing the new borders that will be granted to them.
Like with the Romanians, in short.

 

[Wings]

June 11th, 1944
Balkan campaign
Operation Blockbuster
XIII Corps front (Drava valley, Hungary) - The left flank of the German position - essentially Joseph Irkens' 19. PanzerGrenadier Brandenburg - is able to rally. It now moves sharply towards Kaposvár, in order to prepare a new counter-attack on the Allied flank, more or less coordinated with the 1. Panzer.
But this cannot happen immediately. Firstly, because the unit, dangerously fragmented (but not routed!) during its retreat through the Zselic forests, no longer has any decisive offensive capability. Secondly, because it has to guard against the vanguards of the 6th Australian (Jack Stevens), which has of course followed the 19. PzGr along the road to Bőszénfa and is already coming up to press the German flank. This forces the Brandenburgers to practise an exercise in defending in a difficult environment... which turns out to be relatively easy, of course. But once again, it also costs men and time - two resources that the Axis really lacks! Finally, Irkens also has to maintain his link with the 199. ID (Walter Wissmath) to the east, towards Dombóvár. Neither want to find themselves enveloped and forced to retreat due north towards Lake Balaton... only to be wiped out on its shores.
In short, the attack from Kaposvár already seems doomed to failure due to the lack of available maneuvring mass. But we have to go for it...
It's time to go, because on the Kisbajom side, things are definitely not going well - which means they're going extremely badly. The 17th/21st Lancers (Lt-General Richard Amyatt Hull) and the 1st Australian Armoured (Horace Robertson), still reinforced by their extra platoons of Fireflies (which are beginning to tire, between exhaustion of ammunition and wear and tear on the cannons*), once again strike in open terrain, obviously targeting Nagybajom in the face of an increasingly weakened 1. Panzer (Walter Soeth) - although it remains valiant and issupported by a 100. Jäger (Willibald Utz) that fights with no sense of retreat. Particularly fierce and bloody fighting ensues, particularly at Kutas, Kisbajom, Nagybajom and throughout the surrounding woods. For the time being, the British are not getting through. This does not mean, however, that the same will happen tomorrow. In fact, the German line is becoming thinner by the hour, and the injunction to hold firm from almost the entire chain of command, right up to the Maybach bunker, does nothing to change that...
It's true, the German resistance is magnificent and tenacious - stupid and desperate too. But neither Utz nor Soeth can do anything about the cavalcade of the 10th Armoured on their right. The latter has given up trying to take Nagyatád completely - Horace L. Birks fears ambushes and left this urban contingency to the right wing of the 4th Indian (Arthur Holworthy). Similarly, he wastes no more time in the woods between Lábod and Kutas, facing a 181. ID (Hermann Fischer), which is on the verge of extinction, but which nonetheless tries to cover the flank of the 100. Jäger against the onslaught of the 51st Highland Infantry (Charles Bullen-Smith). No... Instead, Birks' tanks make another leap forward! They head for Berzence and then Iharosberény, avoiding the worst of the fighting west of Kaposvár via the Drava. It's true, this also means giving up on immediately hitting the German rear... but Monty is interested in taking Nagykanizsa, not in exterminating the Huns immediately. It would always be possible later to turn towards Keszthely, to triumph by closing a larger trap...
For the moment, the important thing is to pin the 173. ID (Heinrich von Behr) and the 907. StuG Abt (Hauptmann Friedrich von Lessen), who have reached Koprivnica and are undoubtedly preparing to cross the Drava towards Drnje. Finding Churchills on the riverbank in front of them should pose a few problems... In fact, by evening, the British armoured vehicles - hampered only by a few ambushes set up by mobile teams equipped with portable anti-tanks - have already lined the Drava and are approaching Iharosberény.
They would undoubtedly have entered the town by now if the leading group had not lost a great deal of time - along with a dozen vehicles and many men - to a strike by P-47s from 97th Squadron (8th Air Force). They were part of the day's (big) raid on Hungary and went down to enjoy themselves along the banks of the Drava, before unloading their projectiles on the first convoy that came along, without trying to find out who it was. Worse still - in the confusion, they also attracted a Marauder flight, which saw fit to join in the fun... Their excuse will be that these Englishmen moved so fast, for once! Too fast! Informed, Birks simply blurts out: "Bloody Yanks - I thought they were with the good guys!"

Aerial warfare
The American season
Allied air staffs - Another American strike on Magyar production lines. The days of the unfortunate kingdom are looking more and more like an interminable ordeal.
After the previous day's raids on the refineries in the Vienna region - the Ostmark-Werke in Gunstransdorf and the Apolló Olajfinomító Művek in Bratislava (the latter having produced... limited results**), 658 bombers in three waves head for the other facilities in Bratislava, its oil reserves and refining plants. Escort: 290 fighters. Faced with this armada, the Hungarian and German fighters once again throw down the gauntlet in a ferocious melee that impresses many. In fact, the Americans claim 70 victories! The reality, of course, is somewhat less impressive.
Intercepted by the 109s of JG.53 just north of Lake Balaton, the Mustangs of the 325th FG draw first blood by scattering the defenders, killing four of them without casualties. A second assault follows, reinforced by 190 Sturmböcks from JG.4 - it is then the Lightnings of the 82nd FG that step in and destroy eight of the heavy armoured fighters. But in so doing, they flank the JG.53 - three P-38s do not return.
JG.4 then intervenes as the Viermots approach Bratislava. It catches the bombers head-on - literally: a 109 slams into the nose of a Liberator. This action, combined with the intervention of some courageous Bf 110s from ZG.1, enable four B-24s to be destroyed over Slovakia; a dozen others are damaged, four of which crash on their return to Hungarian territory, near Magyargencs.
.........
The absence of the Red Pumas will come as a surprise. However, this morning, 28 Bf 109s from 101 vadászrepülő-ezred Miklós (colonel Heppes Aladár) also took off to take part in the festivities. They were led by their colonel in person. But the attack did not go according to plan.
Heppes Aladár recounts: "On June 16th, at 09:04, I left on a mission with 28 aircraft, climbing to 6,000-7,000 metres with the group. My first sighting was of a large number of 'scout fighters' flying in pairs, which meant that the enemy force was definitely aware of our presence and whereabouts. Having assigned Squadron to my left above us to provide cover against possible fighters, I gave the order to attack the main block, now clearly visible, a unit of bombers flying transversely below us. The mass of American fighters then attacked not only 3 Squadron but also 2 Squadron and forced them to fight.
I went on alone with 1 Squadron and opened fire as I fell towards the bombers and then, shortly after a big bang, the roof of my cabin flew off. The air suction caused by the high speed tore off my goggles and oxygen mask. The only thing holding me in the seat was my seatbelt and the fact that I was holding the handle with both hands. But my zinc was intact. Flying the plane in these conditions was of course very difficult, so while I had ammunition I pressed the fire buttons as I fell through the fin of a Liberator I could only vaguely see. Then I regained control of the plane and slowly brought it back down to ground level around Tihany, before reducing speed. I finally landed it at Veszprém airport, as far as I could steer it, stopping in front of the divisional headquarters as I came out.
I immediately boarded a spare plane and took off again a few minutes later! On the radio, I said "Assemble at Tihany, 4000 metres", and 12 machines finally showed up. Some of the planes were still fighting American fighters, but they were mainly on the backs of the bombers. Having received orders to refuel and ammunition, I brought this group back.
In the meantime, of course, my first plane had been inspected. The seat had taken a series of impacts and the whole of its side had been torn off (probably because of the cabin roof).
During this engagement, the unit lost 4 dead (one was killed while hanging from his parachute), 1 seriously injured and 1 slightly injured. Machine losses: 5 completely destroyed, 5 in need of repair, 3 slightly damaged. The 6 claims in the deployment report were increased to 10 after interviewing all the pilots. Of course, the number of fatalities could not be determined.
It is probable that the machines of Divisional Headquarters and No. 1 Squadron also contributed to the destruction of the bombers claimed by the German air force, but in the circumstances described above their observation and claim were totally impossible."
György Pávai-Vajna: "It was an unequal battle. It took place in the airspace south-east of Lake Balaton. At around 10 a.m., I heard the division commander's order on the radio to assemble at 4,000 metres above Tihany. I reported that I had run out of fuel and ammunition. I was ordered to land and refuel.
I approached the airport. I put the flaps down when I felt and heard shells hit my plane. In my rear-view mirror, I saw four Lightnings lined up behind me, in an attack position that was extremely favourable for them. I knew that I would only have a chance of getting out of this situation by accelerating and turning as close to the ground as possible. I didn't have much choice. I retracted the flaps and went full throttle. At that moment, the second Lightning hit my plane. It hit something in the engine. My cabin filled with opaque smoke. I switched off the ignition, opened the cabin roof, but I could only see to the left. Below me was a dense forest. I almost skimmed the treetops. Suddenly I noticed a high-voltage power line across the direction of my flight. Instinctively, I turned the ignition back on and opened the throttle to gain a little extra speed and jump the wire. Miracle of miracles, the engine roared, belched smoke and the plane jumped the wires. I cut the engine again. The forest suddenly disappeared beneath my feet. I landed on a stubble at breakneck speed. After a short skid, my machine stopped. Flames shot out of the bonnet. I jumped off and started running to get as far away as possible in case of an explosion.
When the Lightning pilots saw that I was alive, they might decide to destroy me. I saw them flying straight at me. I threw myself to the ground and cowered. I couldn't take my eyes off the machine coming towards me. Shells were exploding all around me. I saw the pilot of the low-flying plane press the collimator to aim at me. I counted the shots out loud, almost unconsciously. The machine guns in the nose of the plane sparkled. Explosive shells rang out around me. The smell of thatch mingled with the smell of exploding shells. I could feel the dust and dirt whipping around in my nose and mouth. I was sweating.
I knew that one plane would follow another and that they would fall on me in a column. My survival instinct told me to run. I got up and wanted to keep running. Then I felt a sharp blow above my right eye. I don't remember if it hurt at the time or not. I just remember thinking that it was the end. I don't know how long I stayed in the dust. The attacks stopped. At the hospital, it turned out that there was nothing wrong with my eyes."
The result for the Hungarians: 4 P-38s, 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 shot down, compared with ten machines destroyed and five pilots killed. That's a lot... and once again, the Pumas couldn't really get anywhere near the bombers! But it's true that their snarling, daring interventions are beginning to annoy the USAAF, where they were mistaken for Germans. There is talk of "elite fighters" in the Hungarian sector, distinguished by white crosses on a black background...

Catch of the war
Bejlovar (southern Sava valley) - Today's massive strikes on neighbouring Hungary and the generous German sponsor are not doing the Ustashi any favours for a change. In fact, while the entire ZNDH bows its head once again to dodge the American attacks (they're going to the Magyar enemy, why bother them!), a flight of vengeful P-38s returns to the scene of the crime of the day before, to strafe anything that sticks out of the ground. Sky Pirates, hardly easy to camouflage - despite their best efforts! - is mercilessly set on fire. Although the surprisingly efficient Croatian flak still claims two twin-engined aircraft, the Ustasha air force loses the only heavy bomber it has had since its creation.

Schutzstaffel
Enthusiasm is the order of the day
Lines of the V. SS-GAK (Bosnia and Dalmatia) - Three days after the implementation of ReichsFührer-SS Himmler's brilliant idea, it is time for an initial assessment. Unsurprisingly, it's not a particularly good one! With the departure of its Croatians, the SS Handschar has lost much of the fighting potential it could have hoped to retain. The arrival of the Bosnians from the Kama didn't help matters; on the contrary, these second-rate recruits are in no way elite fighters - they are more like second-hand soldiers!
All in all, this exchange between two formations of very different quality and creation has done worse than lower the overall level of Desiderius Hampel's unit - it has significantly affected the morale of the veterans, given that the newcomers hide nothing of what they saw in Slavonia and the centre of the country - in Dalmatia, at least, we're a little safe!
Needless to say, the Kama, an "imperfect" unit from the outset, does not really benefit from the arrival of transplanted Croatian mercenaries, who are demotivated and have little desire to put down roots away from home? The unit commanded by Standartenführer Helmuth Raithel, still stationed in the Banja-Luka sector in Čelinac (Vrbanja valley), is modestly described as a "brigade in reformation". In other words, the SS command considers it unfit for combat.
Things are now clear - the SS feel at least as conscripted as the others. From this point of view, Himmler has succeeded! But as for the rest... it is predictable that desertions are not going to get any easier as time goes by. So much so that the idea of a real merger between Handschar and Kama is beginning to gain ground in the minds of some, if only to maintain a usable unit with a minimum of manpower...


* The Firefly 17-pounder is particularly fragile, due to its high recoil and the strong jolt inflicted with each shot.
** Blinded by the smoke from the Apolló Olajfinomító Művek's multiple burning tanks, the crews missed their target completely, but nevertheless reported destroying it. As a result, until the city was taken, the Allied staff would launch no further attacks against this refinery, convinced that it had been razed to the ground!

 

[Wings]

June 11th, 1944

Italian campaign
Operation Buckland
Italian Front (east) - In the Marches plain, the German counter-attack effectively contains the South African and Canadian armoured vanguards: for the moment, the expected exploitation failed. However, there is some good news for General Brink, head of the British V Corps: firstly, along the coast, the 4th Brigade of the 2nd South African Infantry is now in control of almost all of Fano, allowing the 5th Brigade (until then held in reserve) to be committed; secondly, the Canadians of the Nova Scotia Rgt are finally able to break through on hill 640 above Fossombrone. Good news too for General Harding of X Corps: of the 44th Infantry, only the 133rd Brigade is still bogged down in fighting in the hills towards La Torre, facing the men of the 21. PzGr Rgt. However, the British infantrymen receive additional armour from the redeployed 1st Army Tank Brigade.
If the Canadians and South Africans had so far failed to break through on the plain, it is because the Luftwaffe had made a special effort to cover the defenders. Allied air dominance is therefore not as obvious as usual. In this context, the feat of the day is accomplished by Johannes Steinhoff of I/JG 77, who manages to shoot down three Banshees during the day. He writes in his diary: "On orders from above, we had to provide cover for our troops on the ground that day. We had therefore abandoned our usual missions against the Viermots on their way to Vaterland to prevent the enemy JaBos from doing their job against our tanks. It has to be said that the Anglo-Americans had copied the tactics used by the Russians with their Sturmovik, which I had seen in action from Barbarossa onwards. The British in particular had for some months been fielding a particularly efficient aircraft which had replaced their old Hurricane: the twin-engined Banshee. We were flying south over the front when my wingman reported intruders at 10 o'clock low. We immediately dived in and recognised twin-engined aircraft. When you're in this situation, you always hope it's Beaufighters, which are slower and therefore easier to shoot down than Banshees. This aircraft is less maneuverable than our 109s, but it is extremely fast (for a twin-engine aircraft) and well armed: a real challenge to shoot down, even for an experienced pilot. I had three of them during the day, which was a good day, but I ended up exhausted... "

 

[Wings]

June 11th, 1944

Liberation and Liberators
The Brittany Festungen
Lorient - In the pouring rain, Joseph Collins - who is in command here, primarily from an outpost in Pontivy - tries to take advantage of the bloodshed of the last few days and a temporary halt in the course of operations by attempting a new diplomatic approach. This morning, he sends Paul Mahlmann a letter offering him "the possibility of stopping bloodshed that has become pointless and of surrendering the town in a humane and reasonable manner".
It's true - the Landsers have suffered over the last few days, especially in Lanester and at least as much as the GIs. With the nearest German reinforcements around 100 kilometres away and the front line (already!) over 500 kilometres away, accepting would no doubt be Cartesian. However, the Prussian's reply doesn't even wait for midday: "I must decline your offer". So it is a furious Collins who orders the assault to begin again tomorrow, before asking his soldiers to "enter the fray with renewed vigour (...) and finish the job". A worrying profession of faith for the French, who are wondering whether at this rate there will be anything left to liberate.

Guipavas - The first elements of Matthew Ridgway's 82nd Airborne All American arrive east of Festung Brest from Angers. It was sent here to assist the 90th Infantry Tough Ombres in the colossal task ahead.
Over the next few days, the paratroopers take over from Jay MacKelvie's men on the right bank of the Penfeld, leaving the regular infantry with the difficult task of laying siege to the arsenal alone. At least they'll be able to refocus, which is something!
However, no further action is expected before the 13th and the return of the air force. In any case, given the weather and the context, there's really no reason to hurry.

North - Operation Pheasant
Côte d'Opale - The heavy rain that falls does not stop the Germans from fleeing north, nor the Canadians from pursuing them.
Facing Cap Gris-Nez, George Kitching's 4th Canadian Armoured Division sets out to cut Calais off from the famous Todt battery, whose four 380 mm guns had been a real nuisance to the inhabitants of Kent in recent years. It seizes the MIII battery at Wissant and its 15 cm guns at the drop of a hat, then tries to force its way through the positions of Oberst Ludwig Schroeder - who is now in sole command of around 5,000 men whom he himself describes as reiner Müll (pure trash). The Canadian effort is nevertheless a little presumptuous - the assault, led by two mechanised battalions supplied by the 10th Infantry Brigade, fails rather miserably. Furious, Kitching heads east to lay siege to Calais and Dunkirk, once again asking the 3rd Canadian Infantry (Rod Keller) to take his place.
A serious mistake! On the coast, Erich Diestel's 346. ID and Otto Elfeldt's 47. ID can still hold out for some time without bothering anyone, for London, the destruction of Hun long-range guns is imperative, even strategic. Neil Ritchie, under heavy pressure from above, orders Harry Crerar to complete his manoeuvres on the plain as quickly as possible in order to neutralise the bloody guns. To do this, he can of course count on the Funnies of General Percy Hobart's 79th Armoured, who had recently worked wonders in Le Havre, even alongside those pig-headed Poles.
So be it... the 5th Canadian Armoured (Guy Simonds), after liberating Saint-Omer, splits into two columns, aiming for Gravelines and Bergues. Behind, the 2nd Canadian Infantry (Charles Foulkes) is still holding the flank, waiting for others to take over.

Picardy - The storm that is sweeping across the flat country until tomorrow evening will no doubt save what remains of the German forces still capable of maneuver from complete destruction by the air force.
The remnants of the LXVII. ArmeeKorps (Walther Fischer von Weikersthal) - two badly damaged divisions, reinforced by Heinrich Trettner's paratroopers but without their walled-in counterparts - overrun Festung Dunkerque, losing hundreds of stragglers who would (or would not) reinforce the lines of the two redoubts in formation. Most of them head for Nieuport. All night long, the Landsers pass through the locks on the Yser, which had already been mined in anticipation of the inevitable. The Tommies are not so far away...
In fact, the only forces still more or less able to defend against the wave - the 26. Panzer (Smilo von Lüttwitz) and the 36. PanzerGrenadier (Egon von Neindorff) - are already crossing Lille in a state of latent insurrection, continuing towards Tourcoing and planning to cross the Roulers-Lys canal at Roeselare. Behind them, the 2nd Armoured (Philip Roberts) is the first to enter the northern capital in the late afternoon, having been delayed by operations to cross the Scarpe. It is too late for the inmates of Loos prison, who were all shot during the retreat, despite the efforts of Major Henry's FFI, who were poorly coordinated and faced with an opponent much stronger than themselves...
On the British right flank, William Gott's XII Corps, at rest in the Cambrai sector, is preparing to take to the road again after observing the Tancrémont armoured brigade charging towards the country, followed by all the Belgian forces. The Tancrémont reaches Valenciennes at 17:00, does not stop for a moment and continues straight on along the RN 30 - which becomes the RN 51 at Quiévrain. It is 22:30 when the Taureau cross the border. Nothing stands in their way: the 709. ID (Curt Jahn) had crossed the border much further west, at Armentières, while the 16. Panzer (Hans-Ulrich Back) disappeared towards Mons, probably planning to cross the Canal du Centre around the Obourg locks.
Colonel Rodolphe De Troyer, in agreement with his chiefs, decides to go for it. Brussels is only 70 kilometres away!

1st US Army - Campaigning in Lorraine
Champagne - While examining the maps to study the possibilities of advancing towards Metz, Patton and Gerow pulled a nasty face, according to their subordinates. To continue its offensive, V US Corps would have to follow a single axis of progression leading straight to Verdun and the Meuse. To the north, the hills of the Argonne hamper major manoeuvres, and the same can be said of the Champagne area to the south-east, which is also likely to hamper coordination between the two corps. And Patton stormed against the carelessness of the logisticians who had prevented him from recovering VII US Corps, which would have been very useful here. To cut a long story short. The 29th Infantry, which has suffered so much yesterday, would maintain the link between the two corps, while the other three infantry divisions, which the 4th Armoured would probably join in a week's time, would continue to push forward. This push would be made in echelons turned down to the left, with the 2nd Infantry Indian Head (Walter Robertson) in the lead, the 30th Infantry Old Hickory (Leland Hobbs) in the middle and the 83rd Infantry Thunderbolt (Robert Macon) at the rear.
By the end of the day, V US Corps has finished crossing the Marne and is properly deployed. In the evening, Patton, always a history buff, takes Gerow and Hobbs on a trip to a highly symbolic place: the oppidum of La Cheppe, a former Roman fort and the capital of the Catalaunes, the Gallic people whose surrounding fields had seen the defeat of Attila's army, to give his men a bit of an education and show them his personal culture (which is much greater than his brutal ways might lead one to believe). Aerial reconnaissance has confirmed the departure of the German armour, so there is little risk.
In the morning, Middleton tries to cross the Marne with his XIX Corps, but the absence of army support is only partially compensated for by the temporary return of the air force, and the LXXXVI. AK of Felix Schwalbe bends but does not break. The hedges in front of Vitry have been cleared of German infantrymen, but the latter had been ready for several days to withdraw in drawers. They do not hold on to the positions beaten by the American artillery, but only retreat a notch each time, playing for time with a certain skill.
In the evening, the decision is only taken at Loisy, where the 5th Armored Victory (Lunsford Oliver) rejects the 243. ID on the other side, but not without blowing up the bridges. And the American tankers note with displeasure that the deployment of German anti-tank teams armed with Panzerschrek, discovered in May during the fighting in Normandy, is becoming increasingly common. Several tanks have already paid the price, including a valuable engineer bridge-layer, when Oliver tried to chase down German infantrymen with a hussar.

Wacht am Rhein is ready!
Kesselring HQ (Metz) - In front of von Rundstedt, Kesselring declares with unabashed satisfaction that Wacht am Rhein is almost ready. The plan is relatively simple: the LVIII. AK (Hans-Karl von Esebeck) would attack XIX US Army Corps from the front to block the road to Lorraine, while the two SS PanzerKorps would surround as many V US Corps units as possible before destroying them once they are isolated. For this to work, the weather would have to be terrible or there would have to be strong air support. Fortunately, the weather stations forecast poor weather for the coming weeks, because in its current state Luftflotte 3 would only be able to guarantee respectable air support for a week at most. This is all the more important given that American flak is becoming more and more prevalent in all ground units and that USAAF pilots are no longer the beginners they were just a year or two ago...
On the ground, many American units are still relatively inexperienced, but they make up for this with enormous firepower. Like von Rundstedt before him, Kesselring can't help but murmur: "It might work... It must work!"

French Forces: an emotional general and a very emotional general
Headquarters of the 15th AAG (Marseille) - Aubert Frère was expecting this, especially after the formation of the FUSAG. In his office, General Mer, his Chief of Staff, brings him a dispatch signed by the President of the Council, the General with a capital G, as many people now call him.
- Hello, Mer. Let me guess: the President of the Council wants me to work with Giraud to make the 3rd Army a reality?
- My respects, General. Erm, not exactly. Read instead. And allow me to join you in advance...
An indistinct word and with that, Mer hurries out, smiling... modestly?
It is the first time Frère had seen a Major General so obviously moved! He was both stiff as a board and frightened as if lightning had just struck at his feet. What could have made such an impression on him?... Oh, dear, first put in his glasses, he won't be able to read much without them, even if there are only two paragraphs.
Well, De Gaulle starts by giving him some Mon Général, so what else is he going to ask him? Frère takes a quick look at the signatures: the letter is countersigned by Dentz and the Minister, no less! So he is asked to "consider the possibility" of recreating another French army on the Western Front, using units that can be salvaged here and there. Obviously, this can be feasible, especially in collaboration with Giraud. And there are 'eventualities' that sound like orders. But not before the end of Marguerite, that would make too much of a mess for Montagne.
Now, the second paragraph. "I have the honour of inviting you to the next ceremony on July 14th...". - It would be a shame if he didn't attend! Hmm... "... part of which will take place at Les Invalides, during which... " His heart misses a beat. Machinically, he takes off his glasses. In his condition, they are no longer of any use.

1st French Army - Operation Marguerite
Headquarters of the 1st Army (Lyon) - For Montagne, there is growing hope that Marguerite would achieve its goal: to liberate Burgundy, reach or even liberate Belfort, penetrate the Vosges and reach Nancy. However, the troops are beginning to tire, there is no time to recuperate, casualties are piling up and logistics cannot keep up, especially with the increasing siphoning off of ammunition by Patton's 1st US Army, which is advancing much faster. Fortunately, the 1st Army is increasingly independent when it comes to petrol and other supplies.

Lorraine, III Corps - Given the exhausted state of the 1st DB, General de Lattre has it rotated in the morning with Henri de Vernejoul's 5th DB. The 1st DB therefore forms a flank-guard facing the Vosges, like the 2nd DB, while the 5th DB immediately prepares to attack the fortifications west of Epinal. Clinging to these fortifications, the 91. Luftlande lacks artillery to try and calm the French tankers, but the town is covered by no less than a dozen forts and batteries that prevent entry into the town itself.
Vernejoul is not familiar with the Séré de Rivières system, but the enemy's weakness and Resistance intelligence tells him that while the Uxegney fort is fully operational and prevents manoeuvres to the north-east, the Sanchey battery has been disarmed by the enemy and does not appear to be very well defended. In the evening, a coup de main by the 1st DBCP, supported by the regiment's 120 mm mortars, succeeds in taking the battery. Opposite, Wilhelm Falley realises that he no longer has the means to counter-attack, as the Wehrmacht's defensive doctrine would have it. During the night, he prepares improvised positions at Les Forges to hold out for a few more days, but he is already starting to evacuate the woods to the south.
For their part, the 14th and 19th DIs slip eastwards, deploying on the Neufchâteau-Dompaire line.

Lorraine, II Polish Corps - The Poles are back on the front line, with a mission to liberate Nancy! Zygmund Bohusk-Szusko's 3rd ID and Boleslaw Bronislaw-Duch's 5th ID emerge between Joinville and Neufchâteau, and Stanislaw Maczek's 1st Armoured Brigade prepares to rush to Stanislas Leszczinski's capital. Failing Warsaw...
Faced with the two army corps now facing him, Wilhelm Wetzel sees his hopes of resistance melt away like snow in the sun. He could have held out against the II PAC alone, but with two more French IDs, he is hopelessly outmatched.

Doubs, IV Corps - While the 91. Luftlande is unable to counter-attack at Epinal, the same cannot be said of Anton Freiherr von Hirschberg's 363. ID. Taking advantage of the morning drizzle, a battalion of the 958. Grenadier Rgt attacks the infantrymen of the 5th Infantry Regiment. Surprised and still weakened by the loss of its corps commander the previous day, the 5th Infantry Regiment has to break off the fight and retreat to Noirefontaine, abandoning the Les Roches battery.
At this point, an assault from the Lomont fort could severely damage at least one of the 10th DI's brigades. But Etchebarrigaray is not yet defeated and the Basque general orders the local maquis to surround the fort. Colonel Jean Maurin, who was only waiting for a sign to act, overrides the orders and succeeds, odere est facere, in taking the fort in a daring coup de main, despite fairly heavy losses among his men!
At the same time, Jean Rabanit's 3rd DB is paralysed by the wait for good weather and the ineffectiveness of the air force against the German forts.
For its part, the 9th DIC (Marcel-Elie Pellet) extends the area under its control as far as the ridges above Ronchamp, with the support of the 83rd DIA (Eugène Mordant). The 39. ID tries to prevent this manoeuvre, but it is no match for two much more powerful allied divisions. Its position is only saved by the reckless intervention of the 232. Volksgrenadier-Division (Johann-Heinrich Eckhart), whose commander wanted to test it in battle and toughen it up before a more serious confrontation. Mordant, who had not at all expected a movement from the Vosges, suddenly has to move his division to his left. He manages to repel the German grenadiers without too much difficulty. Eckhart, for his part, is satisfied: the 39. ID has been saved, his unit has gained valuable experience for a modest price, and he has not jeopardised the accomplishment of his mission, which is to guard the road to Le Thillot against allied attacks.
The other divisions of LXXVI. AK under von Knobelsdorff, guarding the other routes into the Vosges, take advantage of the respite. The 165. ID, hard hit by the fighting, fortifies Remiremont and rests, while the 84. ID, at Rupt, tries to appear intimidating in the face of the 2nd DB.

 

[Wings]

June 12th, 1944

Students who died for France
Marcilly-en-Villette (Loiret) - A dozen lifeless bodies are discovered in a field. The victims are all members of the Velite-Thermopyles network, which had been set up around young baccalaureate holders studying in the preparatory class at the Collège Stanislas. The BCRA had lost track of them at the beginning of May, after the landings, having ordered them to join the maquis. By ministerial decision, they were deemed "Dead for France" in 1945, with posthumous promotion to the rank of FFI second lieutenant, backdated to May 1st, 1944. Little consolation for the families...
The central building of the Collège Stanislas, built in the 1960s, was named "Douze de Cerfbois" in their memory. In 2006, when the former headmaster, the priest Roger Ninféi, died, the building was renamed in his honour, but the pupils continued to call it "le Douze" for a long time.

Operation Waldfest
Vosges - Oberg, who had taken refuge in Strasbourg, personally takes charge of Waldfest. He finds that Isselhorst has been effective, to say the least! Within a month, he had cleared (or ravaged...) the whole of the central Vosges. He deported nearly 4,000 civilians and almost as many were dispersed or... disappeared. More than 300 terrorists have been shot dead, and that's just the beginning, promises the SS!

Returning state
Stormy weather! - Operation Zuzana
Insurgent Slovakia - The storm continued to rage against Ján Golian's retreating 1st Czechoslovak Army, now with three more or less defined fronts.
In the east, the 2nd Battle Group Fatra (Colonel Michal Širica) - supported too late by reinforcements sent from too far away and not sufficiently refocused beforehand - has to concede Tisovec to the territorial troops of the Heer. The latter are reinforced by the first elements of the Panzergrenadier-SS Brigade Horst-Wessel (SS-Oberführer August Trabandt), which is gradually moving up from Miskolc. The Germans are now clearly threatening Brezno and Červená Skala - the Slovak airfield is in danger of being destroyed, while the 6th Battle Group Zobor (Lt-Colonel J. Černek) is in great danger of being crushed between the SS and KG Henrici! Not to mention the Dirlewanger and Osttürkisher, who are still threatening to break through from Ostré and are eating into the meagre resources of the 5th Battle Group Ďumbier (General Emil Perko), which is already struggling to take over from Černek and is unable to detach any reinforcements....
In Brezno, all available resources are brought together to retake Tisovec: the men of the 2nd Airborne Brigade (Lt-Colonel Jaroslav Vedral-Sázavský), the Masaryk armoured train and most of the vehicles of the 1st Armoured Brigade - 3 LT-38s, 2 LT-40s and 2 Panzer III Ns. Tomorrow - no, tonight - the Slovaks will strike with the energy of despair.
Meanwhile, in the west, things are not getting any better either. On the road to Bartoška, the 1st Battle Group Kriván (Lt-Colonel Jozef Tlach) and its Hurban armoured train had now conceded most of their defensive position as far as Harmanec to the Panzer-Grenadier Tatra (Friedrich-Wilhelm von Loeper). Behind the 1st BG, further south in the Hron valley, the 4th Battle Group Moray (Colonel Mikuláš Markus) and the 3rd Battle Group Gerlach (Colonel Pavol Kuna) are not far from collapsing and are withdrawing ever faster towards Banská Bystrica, in what looks like the beginning of a rout. But the French aren't going to do it all themselves! As a result, the news spreads and it is the 5th BG, isolated to the north of the town, which also begins to withdraw on its own towards Banská Bystrica.

The sex of angels
8 Porchester Gate (London) - While the drama is being played out on the ground, the politicians are talking. But the Czechoslovak government in exile and the delegation from the underground Slovak National Council are still unable to reach an agreement. Negotiations are still stumbling over the precise nature of the union between the Czech Republic and Slovakia, not to mention the future government - to be formed by a coalition of parties that has yet to be defined.
In this fog, the murky game played by the Soviets - and in particular by His Excellency Nichols - does not make the task any easier. The Soviet ambassador is constantly pushing his pawns, certain of the strength of the Red Army, throwing oil on the fire with the urgent dispatches he sends (which are dramatic enough for him not to have to change anything). Perhaps he is waiting for the next spectacular action that will reaffirm Moscow's primacy over both the current discussions and the country in the making.

Crushed Poland
The list
Plaszow concentration camp (Warsaw region) - War has never prevented business. Often, it even facilitated them. In any case, it certainly made it easier for Oskar Schindler, an unscrupulous industrialist from Sudetenland, who had long been close to the Abwehr (money) and then the Nazi Party (power). Spy, businessman and occasional criminal investigator, he made his fortune in... enamel cookware. His Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik, based in Krakow, is bound to be profitable: the workforce employed there is largely made up of slaves supplied by the surrounding camps. Of course, to have this kind of staff, you have to grease a few palms: for example, that of Hauptsturmführer-SS Amon Göth, commander of the Plaszow camp.
Today, however, it's not the traditional handing over of two envelopes (one for the SS, one for the administration) that brings Schindler to this sordid place. He has a very specific proposal to make to Göth: the creation of an arms factory in Brünnlitz, integrated into the Gross-Rosen concentration camp. It is close to his home town and further from the front. And above all, it is for the Reich's victory! In this case, he needs a few slaves.
- How many exactly?
- Quite a lot. Two thousand?
The SS man hesitates. That many sub-humans at once is going to show.
- One thousand and eight hundred? One thousand five hundred? One thousand two hundred?
One thousand two hundred it is. All that remains is to find them - and therefore to identify them. So Oskar Schindler, who remembers to leave a third envelope on the desk before leaving, goes back to his offices to go through the lists he had been given. He has one of his own to do.

 

[Wings]

June 12th, 1944

Central Pacific Campaign
Saipan
South-east of the island - The forces of the 105th Infantry Rgt (27th Infantry Division) advance slowly but surely, pushing the Japanese back from the south-eastern pocket towards Nafutan Point. Faced with this advance, the other regiments of this division are able to pivot northwards, covering the Marines' right flank along Magicienne Bay.
The two Marine divisions enjoy a short rest before pushing on to their remaining objectives.

Malaya Campaign
Operation Mary
Gulf of Thailand - The Beaumonts of the 3rd and 4th BVAS scour the approaches to Singapore all day. Shortly after strafing a small service ship, a group of Ki-45s from the 103rd Sentai come across the British twin-engines, which have great difficulty in containing their opponents. But in the sun, Banshees from the 2nd RIAF Sqn are watching. Now outnumbered, the Japanese lose one of their own, another smoking from an engine. The victory is F/Sgt Aran Singh's fourth success.

Singapore - The 5th Heavy Cruiser Division (CA Ashigara and Chokai), accompanied by its escort (DD Ayanami, Michishio, Oshio, Shikinami, Uranami, Yuguri) leaves Singapore under the Tennô Banzai of the Army who has come to salute the departure of the sailors along the piers. Some of the officers are wondering whether Singapore has become the same kind of dead end as Indochina, now that the navy has left. Only a few service vessels, launches and minesweepers remain, forming a group of a dozen ships, remain. The other ASW escorts will be distributed along the routes used by merchant traffic from Indonesia to the Philippines.
The IJN sends the heavy cruisers and destroyers from Singapore to Brunei. They will join Vice-Admiral Nishimura Shoji's Borneo squadron, made up of the BB Hyuga and Rear-Admiral Nakawago Ko's squadron: the light cruiser Yubari and destroyers Amatsukaze, Isokaze, Shiranui, Naganami and Onami, as well as the torpedo boats Chidori, Hatsukari and Tomozuru and the destroyer escorts Asagao and Kuretake.

Sino-Japanese war
Operation Ichi-Go
Henan Province (Kogo) - The Japanese control more than half of Nanyang. Thirteen Ki-51s come to harass the defenders, who nevertheless continue to fight with the energy of despair. The last Chinese guns fall silent, having run out of ammunition.
.........
Pearl River Valley (Togo-2) - The remnants of the 17th and 70th Japanese Divisions reach Shantou. Sakai waits until nightfall to bring them into the city in order to hide their deplorable state from the population.

 

[Wings]

June 12th, 1944

Baltic Sea
Naval Commandos
Port of Kronstadt - ‘The reconnaissance and small-scale operations of the last few weeks had clearly succeeded in convincing the Admiralty that the ROSNAZ-KBF could be useful to it - or, failing that, that maintaining it would still cost less than disbanding it, especially in view of what was being prepared. So, for the time being, its existence was tolerated... but not much more.
Rear Admiral M.A. Vorontsov and other senior officers persisted in doubting the sense of commitment of a handful of frogmen - no doubt effective because they were specialised, but objectively not very decisive. Even so, Commander Ivan Vasilyevich Prokhvatilov, their leader, was still fighting against the institution, with a few supporters (including, it is true, Rear Admiral Anatoly Petrov, Chief of Staff of the Baltic Fleet) to finally create a large special school to train combat swimmers. This would be the only way for the ROSNAZ-KBF to replace its losses and take off for good.
For the time being, we'll have to do without. And achieve a feat that would silence the sceptics for good. In the meantime, the combat swimmers had only one thought and one objective: East Prussia and its major port, Königsberg.'
(Commandos in the Baltic and Danube: Soviet Naval Spetsnaz in World War II, Yuriy Strokhnin, Naval Institute Press, 1996)

The art of using Slovaks
Dukla-Carpathians
3rd Ukrainian Front, on the Galician front - Soviet strikes in the Chotča sector are as determined and bloody as ever - the Hetzer of the 277. StuG Abt (Major Wolfgang Ernst) have to come up to the line more than once to help their exhausted and decimated comrades repel the Soviet infantry assaults. A difficult and dangerous exercise! They lose six of their vehicles - damaged, put out of action or destroyed by direct 122mm fire - while on the German flank, Andrei Vlassov's 1st Shock Army is now advancing through the woods of Krásny Brod towards Oľka. A manoeuvre that would be perilous... if the 218. ID (Viktor Lang) were unable to prevent it!
As for the 389. ID (Walter Hahm), it is still holding the Svidník-Chotča line - i.e. Stropkov, i.e. Prešov - on its own, but with great difficulty, although its opponent, the 61st Army (Pavel Belov), is now in a truly pitiful state.
In truth, and even if the Germans don't want to admit it yet, their entire Galician front is cracking up for lack of fighters. Let's hope the air force doesn't get involved, in support of the armoured tanks...

Hungary, whatever the cost
Operation Schwabenwall
Guruslau Depression sector, 05:00 - It is still raining hard in Transylvania and the smell of diesel is competing with that of gunpowder, as the Axis forces jump on the flank of Ivan Bagramian's 2nd Ukrainian Front.
The assault certainly comes as no surprise - in the two years it had been at war, the Red Army has become accustomed to systematic counter-attacks, to the extent that some refer to it as the ‘Pavlovian reflex of the Wehrmacht’. However, it is surprisingly powerful - the enemy was no longer thought capable of such an effort. And, above all, it comes at almost the most inopportune moment on the most sensitive point of the Soviet forces.
On the German right, the 17. Panzer (Karl-Friedrich von der Meden) and the 19. Panzer (Hans Källner) hit the advanced positions of the 47th Army on the road to Zimbor towards Cluj-Napoca. Filipp Zhmachenko, very quickly destabilised, has to call on Ivan Lazarev's 2nd Armoured Corps for help - which is on guard at Poieni, facing Negreni. The problem is that Lazarev's tanks have to be rallied first, and they too had suffered heavy losses in recent weeks! Meanwhile, the panzers are advancing, already retaking Românași and Bălan.
However, the very hilly terrain significantly limits the German action and the Russian infantry therefore manages to form a few bottlenecks. The sacrifice of the defenders gives the T-34s and SU-85s time to arrive. Hans Källner is the first to reach Sânmihaiu Almașului, but he is immediately flanked by Lazarev's tanks. A fierce melee ensues in the rain, and casualties are heavy on both sides. The panzers seem to have come to a halt, but the late but effective intervention of the Tigers of the 502. schw. Pz Abt (Major Horst Richter-Rethwisch) costs the Soviets quite a few more machines. In the evening, the situation is not at all under control and remains very fluid... despite the mud, which seeps in everywhere and blocks the momentum of other tanks coming from Crișeni. Behind the 19. Panzer, the men of the 1st Hungarian ID (Gusztáv Deseö) have no such worries. They marched for a while and barely arrive, not too coordinated with their allies. As for the 10th ID (Frigyes Vasváry), it follows the 17. Panzer, which can begin to envelop Sânmihaiu Almașului via Dragu... unless von der Meden intends to advance directly on Cluj-Napoca?
To sum up, for the Reds, the time has come for all-out defence - Bagramian orders it, and immediately whips his units, cursing in a very... graphic way the airmen of the 17th Air Army and in particular comrade Vladimir Sudets, all guilty as a group of not having seen anything yesterday, and of now being incapable of supporting him. It works... in part. Before nightfall, the first units of the 38th Army (Kyril Moskalenko) enter Cluj-Napoca, significantly reinforcing the units of the 47th Army that are in the process of rallying, albeit in some confusion. On the left, the 8th Mechanised Corps (Vladimir Baskakov) has passed this probable blocking point through Gilău and was now moving towards Zimbor, in support of the defence of Sânmihaiu Almașului. His vehicles are driving in column, all lights on, with all the risks that entails. The beginning of a solution, or so we hope...
But the most problematic point is still on the German left, in the Dej sector. Here, Hermann Breith's III. Panzerkorps, which overcame a large half of Leonty Cheremisov's 16th Army. This unit, which had given so much during the fighting for the Izvor Pass, proves completely unable to resist a determined assault, despite being supported ‘only’ by the infantry of the 8th Hungarian Corps (Major-General Jenö Halmaji Bor). As a result, it quickly loses ground, sometimes to the point of panic in some units.
By evening, the panzers have made good progress and are in front of Dej. The 6. Panzer (Oberst Hans-Otto von Bermuth) even begins to envelop the town to the east and Cuzdrioara, taking advantage of the fact that its Panther IIs are literally crushing everything in their path. Soon, they will close the Beclean road - the route of all reinforcements for Cheremisov's right wing - and will be able to threaten Reghin tomorrow or the day after. But in this sector, there are no reinforcements to be hoped for in the short term.
The situation is therefore serious: Bagramian can only agree. He therefore asks for support from Moscow, via a close comrade: Aleksandr Vassilevski.

Romanians in the Soviets
Le bal des maudits - ‘Entering Alba Iulia by night - the great Romanian city, patriotic and egalitarian, which we should never have abandoned. A joy swells in our chests and radiates through our songs. But there was bad news: Lieutenant-Commissioner Palariar announced that our troops were fighting further north, in the Cluj-Napoca sector. They're winning, of course. But this means that we will undoubtedly be sent back east towards the Hungarians very soon, without having time to find our own troops.'
(Farewell my country...once again, Vasil Gravil, Gallimard 1957)

 

[Wings]

June 12th, 1944
Balkan campaign
Operation Blockbuster
XIII Corps Front (Drava Valley, Hungary) - The last hopes of the Axis are dissipating, like smoke in the rain and despite the rain's return.
In the Kaposvár sector, the Brandenburg attack on the flank of the 1st Australian Armoured (Horace Robertson) - and also, to a large extent, against the 6th Australian (Jack Stevens), which is still coming up from the Zselic forest massifs - is of course fruitless. The unit loses dozens of men, commandos and others, in fruitless fighting around Kaposmérő or Bárdudvarnok. Worse still, before nightfall, Irkens realises the urgent need to withdraw towards Dombóvár, and informs his commander, Walter Krüger. Australian mechanised infantry are creeping across open ground and the 199. ID (Walter Wißmath) reports a sharp increase in Allied activity in Pécs - particularly that of the 6th Armoured. The threat of an envelopment on the shores of Lake Balaton becomes clearer, and it is not the poor LXIX. Armee-Korps under Erich Abraham (two divisions garrisoned to close off the west bank of the Danube) that would be able to clear Irkens, if need be...
Krüger - like his boss, the other Krüger - can easily agree. But it's a long way from thought to action, especially in Nazi Germany in 1944. So those concerned stall for time, hoping for a miracle on the right flank... or, failing that, a swift if not happy conclusion.
The presence of Allied armour at Iharosberény - very close to Nagykanizsa! - has completely panicked the staff of the 2 SS-Gebirgs-Armee. They have to be stopped, and as soon as possible. Of course, the cavalcade of the 10th Armoured makes the Kutas stopper pointless. As a result, the 1. Panzer (Walter Soeth) and the 100. Jäger (Willibald Utz) are ordered well before dawn to move westwards as a matter of urgency, in order to flank Horace Birks via Vése and Inke.
On the map, the maneuver looks threatening. The 10th Armoured is a little stretched, it's true - moreover, it has left substantial forces in Berzence to cut off the route to the 173. ID (Heinrich von Behr) and the 907. StuG Abt (Hauptmann Friedrich von Lessen). This also explains why the division is delayed by a crowd of improvised Kampfgruppen putting up desperate resistance and has not yet taken Nagykanizsa, which is barely defended. The 4th Indian (Arthur Holworthy) cannot help for the moment - it is busy threatening Koprivnica on Behr's rear, or taking over from the Churchills on the right bank. As for the 51st Highland Infantry (Charles Bullen-Smith), it is still hunting in the woods around Nagyatád, where it is completing the destruction of the 181. ID (Hermann Fischer) - unable to escape like its companions, this unit scatters and disappears from the German order of battle*.
The 10th Armoured is tired and alone. And the Heer can believe it has a chance of redressing the situation at the last minute. Unfortunately for the Heer, this is ignoring its own weakness and the constant pressure that Horace Robertson's 1st Australian Armoured is putting on Soeth's and Utz's divisions to prevent them from reorganising before striking. Despite their best efforts, these units are unable to launch any significant action on Birks' flank, as they are too busy fighting for their survival towards Inke, on a wet agricultural plain that is not very suitable for heavy equipment...
The 10th Armoured thus enters Nagykanizsa. In the evening, there is still fierce fighting in the town and the surrounding area. Pockets of stubborn men are fighting all over the place, with no sense of retreat - but also no links between them, no support, no strategy... and above all no hope. Here too, the defeat of the Axis is only a matter of time.


Panic
HQ of the 2 SS-Gebirgs-Armee, Keszthely (Hungary) - The news of the "heroic defence" of Nagykanizsa - meaning that its fall is imminent - logically leads to the redeployment of the 2 SS-GA HQ, with a visible, albeit now classic, haste. Well versed in the exercise, the German logistics team packs the boxes and loads them onto lorries, which immediately head north.
SS-Obergruppenführer Walter Krüger is planning to set down his bags in Szombathely. One more push and he could set his sights on Vienna... Suffice it to say that the SS are not in the best of moods. As a result, in the haste of the maneuver, he does not see fit to warn his Magyar allies, who would hear the good news over the civilian radio!

The eye of Berlin
OKH, Maybach I Bunker (20 km south of Berlin) - Krüger isn't the only one to have a bad day - Hitler too, one suspects.
- Guderian!
- My Führer?
- Order the transfer of the III. PanzerKorps from Breith to Hungary. Absolute priority!
- Jawöhl, mein Führer.
- I'll leave you to discuss the details with Heinrici at HG B. He'll have to make do with what else he has. And I'm counting on you to motivate Hermann Breith. His counter-attack had better succeed, it's our last chance. The fate of the Reich is in his hands!
- Jawöhl, mein Führer!

Air warfare
Unlucky migration
Between Zagreb and Cetinje - Braving the rain more calmly than the Allied fighters, a Luftwaffe Cant Z.1007 (formerly Italian, formerly ZNDH, 2. KampfGruppe 1 had just recovered it...) takes off with pilot Fazlija Puzic on board, accompanied by three other Croatian airmen. Heading due east in spite of the clouds, it disappears in the middle of the Bosnian mountains - its carcass would not be found until thirty years later, in a very isolated valley to the east of Nikšić, where it had obviously lost its way. No luck!

Schutzstaffel
Changes of head
Zenica - After the fierce fighting for Sarajevo, the German command changes a few hats, as is custom. In this case, no doubt judging that it has not hit the local leader hard enough, it places at the head of the 4 SS-Polizei-Panzergrenadier the SS-Brigadeführer Karl Schümers, a well-known butcher from the operations in Greece, specialising in repressive operations. It was anticipated that the Prinz-Eugen would soon be brought back into line and that the Polizei would move in behind to deal with the Handschar, Kama and the mediocre fauna of the surrounding area.
Jürgen Wagner, for his part, is not disgraced at all - he 'simply' leaves for the Eastern Front, to form an international KG in Poland, with all the recruits the SS can muster in that sector. But his short stay in Yugoslavia continued after the war: he was extradited to the Kingdom, sentenced to death and shot in Sarajevo on June 27th 1946.


Interview with an Ustachi
"Dirty work, done dirty. I confess that, professionally, it's not what I'm most proud of.
- Yes... In fact, by that time, you could say that purely Croatian interests had taken a back seat.
- Careful, Sir! The interests of the court in Zagreb and a system on the verge of collapse, yes. But the interests of my troop, of mine, never! Nor those of my sincere compatriots. Believe me, whatever you can imagine, it was better to deal with me than with the Germans - Neidholdt, Tobien et al. They treated all Croats like vulture meat.
- But what about you?
- I was a mercenary rather than a missionary, shall we say...
- What unit were you attached to at the time?
- More or less the Prinz-Eugen, and in particular Schmidhuber's Reinhard-Heydrich Regiment. But not to him personally, as you can imagine. Our first task, as I said, was to discipline the III Corps, attached to the Slawonian Kommando (the III SS-GAK): what was left of the Bosanka division, the 2nd Mountain, the territorial militias... The other task was to supervise the reformation of the Kama, as... wardens rather than controllers.
- Any particular correspondent there?
- Consider that I've just spat on the floor... This unit was a parody. We were dealing with the services of SS-Oberführer Gustav Lombard, who was trying to put things in order.
He stops, looks at me and takes a breath before continuing: "It was still preferable for us to stay on the right side of the fence. So we started recruiting informers - and even infiltrating them - in the most problematic sections of the Kama. This allowed us to plan ahead and crack down before any mutiny occurred. The Germans only ever knew how to use kicks, but I was going to be more subtle - for everyone's sake.
- Now, that's Brandenburg style**.
- You're going to flatter me. We used to call our infiltrators the Moras***.
(Dans la tête du monstre - Conversation avec un officier oustachi, Robert Stan Pratsky, Flammarion 1982)

New Yugoslav army
Work in progress
Ministry of War (Belgrade) - After two days of tense conciliations and more or less sincere or forced courtesies, the royalist and Titist delegations seem to be on the verge of concluding a kind of modus operandi - or even a gentlemen's agreement, according to General Graham Stone, even if it would be an exaggeration to say that the two entities have the slightest confidence in each other. Stone's plan (we'll call it that for the sake of balance) does, however, have the virtue of simplicity.
- Two independent commands would be maintained, based on existing organisations - centralisation would take place at government level.
- In addition to conferences between staffs, exchange of liaison officers. [On the Titist side, these have yet to be designated, particularly in view of the vast reorganisation of commands currently underway. On the royalist side, Vlastimir Roždjalovski and Svetislav Vohoska would finally find a way to fulfil their mission].
- Planning joint operations according to government objectives, on the understanding that "loyal and necessary cooperation" would be exercised from the design stage of these operations, depending on the resources available (always insufficient) and the objectives (always urgent). [In this respect, it should be noted that operations in Bosnia would for the time being remain the main mission of the former AVNOJ, supported in this by the allied air force, with the 1st AC maintaining - as ordered by its sovereign - a vigilant guard in Vojvodina until the destruction of the German-Hungarian forces in Transylvania. The integrity of the Kingdom has to be preserved against everyone, and that also applies to the Red Army! It is a little odd that Tito had nothing to say about this****...]
.........
All this only makes it all the more urgent to make the necessary and now united appeal to the Western Allies to agree to provide the means to complete the liberation of the country. Plans are being finalized and will be presented tomorrow. The Yugoslavs are keen to speed up and position themselves as quickly as possible in the British plans, having understood that Blockbuster seems to be coming to an end and that their country is no longer a priority for the Allies.
This is enough to convince everyone to pull together. In fact, even if the means and strategy differ (but not necessarily the methods), the two forces share the same main objective: the extermination of the last (weak) threat to their power, Ante Pavelic's NDH.

Good mood
Near Posušje - Arrival of the famous 1st Yugoslav Brigade, which is to be positioned on the right of Colonel Socrates Demaratos' 1st Greek Armoured Brigade. Contrary to its previous instructions, and to the displeasure of some, the Titist command has ordered its troops to be particularly friendly with the Greeks. It's because we think we'll soon be needing them... and their gifts.
.........
"Is this a joke, Nikos?" "I don't think so, Markus." It was true: planted opposite us in the tent and in front of our impassive captain, the delegation of khaki uniforms didn't seem to be joking. They were proposing a fresh start based on healthy camaraderie, with tactical discussions, cultural exchanges (!) and... team sport!
"Apparently, the Velež Mostar has joined the ranks of the Partisans***** . And they want to organise a football match!"
We retreated to our M3 and burst out laughing. "That's it. And we're bringing in Olympiakos to organise the season!"
(Markus Amynthe - Machines de guerre - Souvenirs de la campagne de Bosnie, Kedros éditeur via LGF, 1993)

Reunited Yugoslavia (?)
Red Messiah
Belgrade - Milovan Đilas continues to use his ministerial post to breathe life into the hope that the return of a form of civil peace represents for the good people. However, as a shrewd politician, the Montenegrin already knows that a return to calm alone will not be enough to provide the necessary impetus for the future transformation of society.
As a result, and even if he continues to pull out all the stops to show off his boss******- already against certain forces in place, including the Churches, we'll have to settle this matter soon enough! - the minister is also beginning, with everyone's agreement, to bring up some old issues. Firstly, by insisting heavily on Yugoslav unity, in spite of everything, including religion. To achieve this, the arts and literature are of course called upon to praise the "Slavic race", which is supposed to unite the whole country. Vladimir Nazor has just published his latest poem, which will of course be included in the school curriculum:
Došli su slovenski fanti
u časove muka i zala
došli su u ovu zemlju
što Gubca i Tita nam dala.
The Slovenian boys arrived in the hours of suffering and evil, they came to this land that Gubac and Tita gave us.
.........
Silaze odkud i Sava,
s planinske silaze grede
gdje naši bogovi drevni
i sada na gorama sjede.
They descend from where the Sava also descends, they descend from the mountains where our ancient gods still sit.
.........
Idu, da bijemo skupa
rat za Slobodu i Pravo.
Plam jedan nam bratskih je srca,
vi fantje slovenski: Zdravo!
Together they will fight the war for Freedom and Law. The flame is one of our fraternal hearts, to you Slovenian boys: Salute!
.........
As for the rest... Trieste, Trieste, Trieste - that's what will be on everyone's mind. "We don't want what belongs to others, we don't give away what's ours!" The Marshal's phrase seems destined to flourish.



* Hermann Fischer was captured and remained in detention until 1946, having to justify the behaviour of his troops in Norway. He escaped without a scratch and died in his bed in Bonn...
** It is a fact that between 1941 and 1943, several teams of French-speaking Brandenburgers (or even isolated operators) were integrated into poorly supervised Resistance networks, or even saboteurs in factories - each time to the great misfortune of the latter.
*** Characters from Balkan folklore associated with nightmares and sleep paralysis, they are female change-form entities. Liking to take on the appearance of a loved one or an animal, they torment - or even strangle - their unfortunate victims in bed after passing through the keyhole. They are typically repelled with garlic, prayers... or a broomstick stuck behind the door.
**** This point, which is strictly the result of the contingencies of the moment, could well have unfortunate political consequences later on, for example by increasing the risk that the liberation of Serbia would be perceived as solely due to the royalists, while that of the west of the country would appear to be the sole work of the Titists. But we are not there yet.
***** Before the war, Velež (named after the nearby mountain) was Mostar's working-class sports club, with very little money and a ground financed by interest-free micro-loans, but whose players - inevitably - wore red shirts. Its members and supporters were, of course, severely repressed under Alexander's dictatorship, and then the regency: arrests, torture, bans, beatings at demonstrations, etc. The Occupation only made things worse. By the end of the war, 77 people had died at the club, including 9 players (8 of whom would later be declared national heroes).
****** The cult of Tito's personality was only to increase, as a logical reaction to the Marshal's fear of having a successor imposed on him. By the mid-1970s, it had reached delirious heights: among a thousand examples is the magazine Tito Poster, modelled on Playboy (!) but where, in the absence of more or less undressed creatures, there were photographs of the leader on every page. With, of course, a large full-length portrait in his field marshal's uniform on the central double page.

 

[Wings]

June 12th, 1944

Italian campaign
Operation Buckland
Italian Front (east) - The armoured battle continues on the Marches plain - but today the Banshees of 39, 235, 248, 603 Sqn and 16 Sqn SAAF are having a field day. After their setbacks of the previous day, the squadron commanders protested loudly (and often very loudly...) about the lack of air cover. As a result, air cover is now much denser. In particular, the South African general staff sends its own Spitfire squadrons, which are still Mk Vs. The feat of the day is accomplished by a South African pilot, Captain Lardner-Burke of Sqn 2 SAAF (233rd Wing), who shoots down two Bf 109 Gs that are attempting to attack the assault aircraft. This double is the subject of an article in the Pretoria News praising the quality of South African pilots who accomplish such feats on second-rate equipment.
On the ground, German infantry and armour immediately feels the freedom of movement thus guaranteed to Allied support aircraft. The hardest hit are undoubtedly the Nashorns of 625 sPzJ Abt, whose open roof attracts the 20 mm shells of the British aircraft. By the end of the day, the battalion is down to 12 operational vehicles.
In the hills to the west of Fossombrone, the enemy remains entangled in the forest without making any significant progress, despite the continued activity of the 6th AGRA.

 

[Wings]

June 12th, 1944

Liberation and Liberators
The Brittany Festungen
Lorient - It was raining hard again on the peninsula and the entire American staff - led by Collins - relaunches the 9th Infantry Varsity (Manton Eddy) and the 79th Infantry Cross of Lorraine (Ira Wyche), one against Lanester and its bloody Plessis district, the other against the banks of the Ter. But no breakthroughs today: the US Army seems to have given up on launching its GIs on the assault here! Faced with a defensive wall, it prefers to use new tactics that are less costly in terms of manpower and, in particular, to use its guns: barrage, rolling fire, phosphorous shells, projectiles of all calibres - the plethora of modern artillery is deployed at Lorient in an attempt to annihilate the Germans. This does not fail to impress - in various ways! - French observers, who can legitimately wonder whether this bludgeoning is necessary, at a time when Cherbourg is beginning to operate at full capacity and Le Havre, finally in the hands of the Allies, is not too badly damaged.
And on the French side, everything is going relatively well. On the left flank, towards Sainte-Hélène, the Boche advance is definitively halted well before the banks of the River Etel. The link with Quiberon - which had been feared for some time - would not be established. According to Colonel Bourgoin (it will now be difficult to argue with his stripes!), the beast is wriggling, the beast is agitated - but it is still caught in the nets.
Nonetheless, for VII Corps, which had decided that it needs Lorient, the artillery clash is just the beginning of a debauchery of resources. After a long battle for the support of both the Air Force and the Navy, Joseph Colllins finally gets them - at the first break in the weather, we promise! And then, we're going to see who's boss!

Brest - Significant intensification of the shellings, as a logical consequence of the arrival of the 82nd Airborne All American and the improvement in supply conditions. Both MacKelvie and Ridgway are planning night actions from this evening, in order to test the Kraut and see if it is possible to bayonet it from den to den.

Cézembre Island - Attempt at a night-time link between Jersey and Cézembre, by several speedboats carefully hidden in the Channel Islands. They will only ever be able to deliver a few crates and take a few lucky people with them - if they manage to dock, of course, but hope springs eternal!
The hope in question does not last very long: spotted by marauding PT-boats, which quickly rouse two destroyers on guard, the German skiffs retreat at full speed towards Saint-Hélier, losing one of them to American fire. Informed, Admiral Friedrich Hüffmeier shrugs sadly - it was a foregone conclusion, but what exactly was to be done?

North - Operation Pheasant
Côte d'Opale - The Canadian I Corps is now used as a checkpoint at three Festungen (at least): Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk, not to mention the coastal batteries. And it is an understatement to say that the task, mediocre as it may seem, is going to be a tough one and would require a lot of manpower.
The 3rd Canadian Infantry (Rod Keller) is scattered between Boulogne and Cap Gris-Nez. On its right, the 4th Canadian Armoured (George Kitching) probes the Calais perimeter but comes up empty. The 5th Canadian Armoured (Guy Simonds) arrives opposite Dunkirk and plans to split this pocket from the Calais pocket by taking Grand-Fort-Philippe tomorrow - with air support if necessary. The 2nd Canadian Infantry (Charles Foulkes) remains alone to hold the immense rear up to the Lille sector, where Kirkman's VIII Corps is deploying painfully over an arc from Armentières to Tourcoing to Tournai, without going much further for the moment. Initially, his target was Antwerp - but now that Le Havre has been added to Cherbourg, Marseille and Toulon, we have less need of the great Belgian port!

Breteuil-Compiègne line - I Corps (John Crocker), duly rested and completed, begins to refocus in the Compiègne sector, prior to a probable move towards Laon. There are plans in high places for him and his comrades.

Picardy and Belgium - The German infantry passes through - and then blows up - the locks on the Yser, triggering a new flood on the Yser plain, albeit on a much smaller scale than in 1914. This is because the famous Ganzepoot* has been modified since the time of Albert I. And there's more to come**.
A minor obstacle, then, but an obstacle nonetheless for the Allied motorised detachments, who can only watch the German infantry wading away towards Bruges and the Ghent canal via Gistel. In the center, the 26. Panzer (Smilo von Lüttwitz) and the 36. PanzerGrenadier (Egon von Neindorff) appear to be out of the woods (until next time...). Taking advantage of the rain and the reserve of their pursuers, they slip from Roeselare to Tieldt, also heading for the Ghent canal. They do, however, have to watch out for flooding...
That leaves XII Corps, which is looking increasingly eastwards, abandoning Tournai for Maubeuge, towards which it is preparing to advance. Without forcing it... The Americans are fighting in the Meuse, and the Belgians are racing ahead: it is never just a question of erasing a salient.
It's true - there's definitely an air of levity in the British ranks, between the (proven!) disorder born of the huge cavalcade accomplished since May8th, and absolute confidence in the (supposed!) inability of the Germans to react in any significant way. So much so that Neil Ritchie convenes a staff conference tomorrow with the chiefs of the British I, VIII and XII Corps to prepare for what is to follow, which could be nothing other than an entry into Germany.
But as Ritchie says to those who have regrets: "We created their country. We can give it back to them!"

The road to Brussels
Mons, 10:00 - The Belgian 1st Tancrémont Armoured Brigade arrives in Mons, opposite the Canal du Centre, to find that - according to the unit's marching diary :
1) We are very happy to see it.
2) We were very surprised at the nationality of the liberators (happily surprised, but surprised all the same!).
3) The bridges to the north had been blown up and several German defence detachments were already blocking the north bank of the canal.
So we have to do things according to the manual - artillery, smoke, means of crossing. It is enough to make the troops boil with impatience!
Colonel Rodolphe De Troyer - perhaps inspired by Leclerc de Hauteclocque's approach to Paris, although he would later deny it - takes a radical decision. Leaving the 2nd ID (Bruyère) to amuse the Boche, he sets up a strong mechanised detachment with a core drawn from his brigade and elements of the 7th Ardennes, the Piron division and the 4th ID (thus maintaining a balance between Walloons and Flemings!). This 'raid force' is made up of three battalions from the Tancrémont (2 Cy, II/2L, I/13 Li), two from the 1st DB (1st Guide and I/1 Gr), one from the 7th Ardennais (II/7 Ard) and one from the 4th DI (I/2 Gr). De Troyer has obviously obtained the enthusiastic agreement of Piron, Lambert and Libbrecht in three phone calls.
The aim is to bypass the Canal du Centre via La Louvière and then north of Charleroi. In 1933, the Charleroi-Brussels canal was enlarged, so we might as well cross it before the Germans break everything up there too. If we march straight ahead, we could be in Brussels tomorrow if the enemy has nothing serious in front of us. A 60 kilometer raid... So what?
Ah, yes... Warn Bastin and Van Daele... Of course.
.........
La Louvière, 13:30 - The Belgian forces liberate this town, which they pass through without stopping, blowing their horns (much to the disappointment of its inhabitants!). It is at this precise moment that Bastin and Van Daele's HQ receive De Troyer's 'request' for authorisation for his raid! Of course, the slowness of the Transmissions will make him an ideal scapegoat... but the agreement of the two generals was inevitable anyway.
.........
Pont-à-Celles, 15:00 - A bridge over the Charleroi-Brussels canal is discovered lightly guarded - its defenders, who had not imagined the Belgians were so close, are swept away and the bridge immediately secured. The first Taureau cross the canal at 15:20.
.........
Genappe, 16:30 - Belgian armoured vehicles and infantry transports overtake Nivelles on the right, and continue due north in spite of everything.
.........
Waterloo, 18:00 - Belgian forces enter the town. The first contacts are made in passing with the local Resistance movements, who were also not expecting their liberators and compatriots so soon. They do, however, provide a few guides, in case the Brussels inhabitants of the De Troyer column, drunk with joy, had forgotten the map of their city...
.........
Uccle, 20:30 - Major Balleger, I/2 Grenadier, leading the Belgian force, signals that he is entering this suburb of the capital***. Brussels is here! Colonel De Troyer's gamble paid off!

1st US Army - Campaigning in Lorraine
Champagne - While XIX US Corps is still stalling in front of Vitry, Middleton finally manages in the evening to get the 5th Armored CCB across the Marne thanks to a series of Bailey bridges. Immediately covered by an artillery barrage, the bridgehead gradually expands during the night, forcing the 243. ID under Otto Schönherr, which had lost much of its strength, to fall back quickly. Schwalbe (LXXXVI. AK), faced with the sudden deterioration of the situation, withdraws to Revigny-sur-Ornain, while his three divisions have to blow up the last bridges and retreat to the valley of the Marne-Rhine canal.
For its part, V US Corps continues its advance, swallowing up the kilometers. The Indianhead reaches Sainte-Ménehould. During the advance, the limited number of roads forces the corps to gradually abandon the fine echelon structure it had refused and to advance with its units facing north-east, in single file.
.........
In the evening, Patton is contacted by Eisenhower, while dining in the small town hall of Dommartin-Dampierre: "George, how are your men doing?"
- So far, Dwight, we're making good progress. V Corps is marching on Verdun and XIX is crossing the Marne at Vitry. The 29th suffered a little when Panzers attacked it two days ago, but I've put it in liaison between the two corps, so it's not risking much.
- What front does it have to cover on its own?
- For the moment, about thirty kilometres. But aerial reconnaissance shows no major German units in the area. Panzers have been spotted further south, trying to help their LXXXVI. Korps get out of Vitry without too much damage.
- George, you keep this to yourself of course, but the Ultra source has told us that the Germans are preparing a surprise for you or the Frenchies. I've just told Montagne and Frère, they've made their arrangements but don't think the Germans will get in too much trouble, the density of forces is too great on their side, and the terrain isn't very favourable for tanks. So, it's possible that you'll have to face a major armoured offensive in the next few days.
- Dwight, aerial reconnaissance...
- I know you love aeroplanes, George, but they can't give you any really useful support in the rain, and the weather forecast is for bad weather and even stormy days in the next week or two. So get ready.
- Well, thanks Dwight. I'll take precautions.
As he hangs up, Patton sighs, annoyed. He knows that the Huns are withdrawing too quickly, not their style. We're going to have to re-establish a solid link between his two corps and speed up the return of the 4th Armored. Consulting the staff map, he studies with a sharp eye where the blow might come from. And the answer seems obvious: the plain to the west of Metz, through which he has to pass, is ideal for large tank movements! So the Hun is likely to strike there.
As for the Hun, he would have to take a logistical break until other large units returned, which would allow him to force the trap that was being set for him. But from which positions? The possibilities are not that numerous... Ah, there must be a place that would allow V US Corps to prepare more or less calmly to cross the Meuse. And with a red pencil, he circles the name of the town: Verdun.

Wacht am Rhein seen from a hospital
Festungslazarett I [formerly Legouest Military Hospital] (Metz) - Given the seriousness of his injuries, Erwin Jolasse was quickly evacuated on the night of 10th to 11th by a liaison Storch. He is now in a stable condition, although it would be better to avoid transporting him for a few weeks. Unfortunately, the doctors are categorical: while the general's life is not in danger, it is unlikely that he will be able to return to the front.
The loss of an experienced leader is a blow to the whole of the 1. Armee and even to Heeresgruppe G, where Jolasse would have been an excellent help at Wacht am Rhein. However, once his report had been dictated to his orderly and passed on to Kesselring and von Obstfelder, he receives in his hospital room the three armoured corps commanders involved in the operation: Joseph 'Sepp' Dietrich (I. SS-PzK), Walter Bittrich (II. SS-PzK), and Hans-Karl von Esebeck (LVIII. PzK), who want to hear his advice on the use of tanks against the US Army. Esebeck has already faced the Americans, so he isn't surprised by their firepower, but the two SS leaders are dismayed to learn of the danger of bazookas and the power of American engineering. "And yet," sighs Jolasse, approved by Esebeck, "we have to hope that the weather doesn't get any better. If it does, don't count on the Luftwaffe to take away the impression that everything in the sky has a personal grudge against you!"
At the end of this rather special meeting, the SS division chiefs come to greet the wounded man, and Jolasse, although tired, realises how old they are: some are barely thirty! This youth surprises him and even makes him doubt the potential of these two SS corps, so highly praised since Fredericus II.

French forces: towards a 3rd Army
Headquarters of the 15th AAG (Marseille) - The services of the Army Group, which have little left to do other than manage logistics along the Rhone, begin to plan the resurrection of a new army, in accordance with De Gaulle's "proposals". After consultation with Giraud - who was relatively cool-headed - a clear trend emerges: a skeletal but very real army can now be recreated from existing resources. In fact, the former internees from Switzerland, most of whom had been in France for a fortnight, have already started their refresher courses. The foresight of the French Embassy in Berne has been salutary: information manuals were discreetly delivered to the officers and non-commissioned officers several weeks before their "escape".
General Daille's staff (Frère agrees with Giraud that a suitable retirement would have to be found for him) is being rejuvenated and regenerated; it would soon be possible to oversee the Alpine front with a new corps command. Hopefully by the end of the month.
Schlesser's 36th Division d'Infanterie would soon be on a par with the 19th, and therefore with any major unit in the corps.
There's nothing to expect from the 1st DI for the moment: its troops are finishing their training, but its battalion, regimental and brigade staffs are still unable to manoeuvre properly, but that will come with training, training and more training.
Let's not even mention the 25th and 23rd DIs, which still don't have a flag or a badge - but they will be getting them in the next few days. Because it's now official: the maquis in the liberated zones have been enrolled and commands given. At last, these units have the merit of existing other than on paper! Blanc's staff can soon be given a semblance of army command, even if the troops who would be subordinate to him will not all be of this level.
Finally, Frère decides to call Noguès and Doumenc to ask them if Giraud cannot be officially entrusted with the "Army of the Interior" that is taking shape, in order to put the restless general out of action for good - and to please him, too!

1st French Army - Operation Marguerite
Lorraine, III Corps - Vernejoul orders the preparation of precise and decisive fire plans for the day's assault. After a violent bludgeoning by all the division's artillery tubes, the 5th DB storms all the forts west of Epinal. Building on the positions gained the previous day, the fort at Uxegney quickly falls, followed by the entire German line as a domino effect. Paralysed, the German soldiers cannot manoeuvre properly. The retreat ordered by Falley turns into a rout, even though the German general is everywhere to lead his soldiers into the town and save the day. It is to his detriment: his command car is gutted by a shell and everyone in it is killed.
In the afternoon, the remnants of 91. Luftlande are expelled to the other side of the Moselle. Oberst Bernhard Klosterkemper takes command of the division and manages to withdraw his elements to the 'right' side of the Moselle in a more or less orderly fashion. That evening, in recognition of his impeccable conduct during this difficult manoeuvre, Klosterkemper is appointed Generalmajor to replace Falley.
The 1st DB does not have the honour of entering Epinal, but Sudre is able to rest it. Meanwhile, the 14th and 19th DIs begin to push north to cover the liberation of Epinal. Mirecourt and Châtenois are definitively liberated and the Germans occupying Nancy are pushed back to the city's defensive belt.

Lorraine, 2nd Polish AC - The honour of the day goes to the Poles, whose 1st Brigade of the 5th ID enters Domrémy, the birthplace of Joan of Arc. At the same time, the 3rd ID is in Gondrecourt and the 1st Armoured Brigade is on the road to Colombey-les-Belles. Opposite, Wilhelm Wetzel, pressed by two army corps, has to evacuate the positions on the wrong side of the Moselle, with the exception of the Toul forts, which are hastily prepared to face the Poles.

Doubs, IV AC - The 2nd Spahis Regiment is employed to overrun the 39. ID and take the last high positions west of Belfort-Montbéliard. Franz Krech has to withdraw to Giromagny to save what is left of his unit, opening up a new outlet for the 9th DIC to Belfort itself... also covered by a series of forts that had to be conquered.
On the Montbéliard side, Kœltz orders the 10th DI, despite its advanced state of fatigue, to retake the Roches battery. Without its neutralisation, it would be very difficult for the 3rd DB to continue its advance towards Montbéliard.

* The Patte d'Oie, because of the layout of the five canals that meet here.
** Today, next to the monument to King Albert I, there is a monument dedicated... not to his son, Leopold III, but to the Soldier of the Low Countries. A less controversial choice!
*** In fact, a district of Uccle is now named after Churchill.

 

[Wings]

June 13th, 1944

China-USSR
Keep me from my friends...
Yili district (Xinjiang) - The Nationalist forces in Yining, the capital of Yili district, are rather small. In all, around 2,000 men: a battalion of the 7th Reserve Division, reinforced by police officers and militiamen. The Yili district also has a battalion of the 128th Division, the 4th Cavalry Regiment and a battalion of border guards - but these units are scattered far from Yining. As their name suggests, the border guards are deployed all along the border with the USSR. Elements of the 4th Cavalry are scattered in various counties outside Yining. The battalion of the 128th Division was sent to Gongha county to fight the Muslim rebellion there. Worse still: no one is really in command of the district units since Cui Yinchun (commander of the 1st Cavalry Division) and Qiao Gen (district governor) were thrown into prison in Dihua (capital of Xinjiang) by Sheng Shicai in his latest U-turn!
It was not until the beginning of the month, during a visit by Du Defu, Brigadier General of the 7th Reserve Division, that Dihua was warned of the catastrophic state of the Nationalist troops in the district. The governor of Xinjiang, Wu, decided to send his director of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Deng Xianghai, to Yining to take charge of things from a political and administrative point of view, while General Zhu Shaoliang sent General Cao Riling at the head of a column of reinforcements (an infantry battalion and an artillery company) to bring the situation under military control. In fact, neither Zhu nor Wu took seriously what was happening in Gongha, ‘scuffles caused by a gang of... bandits’. The replacement of Sheng Shicai can only have brought back serenity among the local population, can't it?
But at Gongha, the battalion of the 128th was soundly beaten and today 5,000 rebels organised into three battalions are marching on Yining from the south-west, south-east and north. Fatih's men have been joined by fully Soviet-equipped partisans led jointly by Abd el-Karim Abbas and Peter Alexandalov, a former Tsarist officer who has been reconciled since the Civil War with the Communist regime that now governs the Motherland. On the outskirts of Yining, the rebels are greeted by several hundred locals who have just collected weapons directly from the town's Soviet consulate, supposedly representing a country friendly to China... And when the Nationalists send out a reconnaissance plane, it is shot down by machine guns posted on the roof of the consulate in question!
Policemen, militiamen and elements of the 7th Reserve Division are pushed around and, as in any good pronunciamento, the rebels take over official buildings such as the police station and the District Administrative Office. Nevertheless, at the end of the day, the fate of the insurrection remains undecided...

 

[Wings]

June 13th, 1944

RSI
The Duce dreams...
Salo - Benito Mussolini sends his son Vittorio to Milan to talk to Cardinal Schuster, with a document entitled ‘Proposals for talks from the Head of State’. Mussolini is hoping to negotiate with the Allies! His initial conditions? To accept only Allied (read: non-Italian) forces on the Po plain. They would receive the full support of the RSI forces fighting against the ‘subversive elements’ there.
Like with many others in occupied Europe these days, the fascists are dreaming aloud of a last-minute reversal of alliance and a common front by all the European powers against the Red Peril. Mussolini even adds in this document, and most seriously of all: ‘We would like to know the fate reserved for the members of the government and for those who will have had command functions in the Italian Social Republic’...

Returning state
Stormy weather! - Operation Zuzana
Insurgent Slovakia - Things are definitely not getting any better. During the night, ‘coalition’ Slovak troops (since they were now a mixture of very different units) launch an assault on Tisovec, in the face of the Reich's territorial forces and the most mobile elements of the Horst-Wessel. Paratroopers, (more or less) armoured vehicles, professional soldiers, the Masaryk armoured train... And yet the decision is not taken!
In fact, the Axis seems to have absorbed the shock - which was, after all, predictable - and are now fiercely defending this communications hub set in the middle of a very narrow valley (1,000 metres on average), taking advantage of a topography that favours all the defenders, whatever their nationality! Of course, we cannot yet speak of failure. But the position remains contested, and therefore open to enemy reinforcements from the south. Even more seriously, the road to Červená Skala, i.e. the rear of the 6th Battle Group Zobor (Lt-Colonel J. Černek), also remains under threat. There are already reports of infiltration... The massive collar blow therefore seems to have become a simple spike hit. It would take several to break the Nazi shell. But time is on the Germans' side.
At the same time, however, reinforcements are needed to the west! The 4th Battle Group Moray (Colonel Mikuláš Markus) and the 3rd Battle Group Gerlach (Colonel Pavol Kuna) have recovered somewhat as a result of the enemy's fatigue and the effective actions of several elements, including the voltigeurs of the Foch Battalion (Lieutenant Georges Barazer de Lannurien). In this case, around the Kremnička narrows - on the edge of the southern suburbs of Banská Bystrica. But the situation remains extremely fragile.
Fortunately, the weather also helps the Slovaks a little - the weather and the sudden stretching of the German lines of communication, which are already under considerable strain. Otomar Kubala's Hlinka Division, instead of fighting, prefers to increase the number of acts of violence against the supposed rebel sympathisers still hiding around Zvolen. In a stifling atmosphere of backbiting and score-settling, many a drama will unfold in a doorway suddenly opened in the rain. This... surge of enthusiasm is, of course, detrimental to effective action in all sectors of the front where the Guards are fighting. But don't let the Germans worry, Kubala insists! In this area, like in so many others, his services are zealous in getting straight to the point.
Finally, all this offers a respite to the defenders of the northern front - 1st Battle Group Kriván (Lt-Colonel Jozef Tlach) and 5th Battle Group Ďumbier (General Emil Perko). The latter have deployed to new positions running from Donovaly to Harmanec - a sector with a succession of valleys, peaks and passes (up to 972 metres). We should be able to hold out here... if things don't break down behind us. So many wasted opportunities for the 1st Czechoslovak Army since its uprising!
The Slovaks don't know it, but in Tisovec, Obergruppenführer Hermann Höfle also has his reasons to be upset. In this case, it is the delay of the SS-Panzergrenadier Brigade Horst-Wessel. Its leader, Oberführer August Trabandt, informed him that, all things considered, his unit would not really be in the combat zone until tomorrow the 14th at the earliest. This is due to unforeseeable transport problems caused by the bombing raids that are still going on!

 

[Wings]

June 13th, 1944

Central Pacific Campaign
Saipan
Hill 500 - While the forces of the 2nd Marine Division enjoy a welcome rest, the 4th Marines are hard at work! In order to occupy the front line from which the offensive towards the north of the island would be launched, hill 500, the highest point in the area, which offers a beautiful panorama over the rest of the island, has to be taken.
The Japanese are relentless: the Marines have to face a true wall of fire. Fortunately, the 10th and 14th Rgt have several battalions of howitzers. Well informed by the air force, they methodically eradicate the enemy's exposed positions. The caves around the island are particularly heavily bombarded: it is difficult to lodge projectiles inside them, but the entrances can be buried or collapsed. Once the deluge of fire has passed, M4 flamethrowers are called in. They spray everything that moves (and even things that don't move) with fire, wreaking havoc on the Japanese.
By nightfall, Hill 500 has been taken. But from its summit, the Americans are horrified to see that they have two major problems ahead of them. Firstly, there is a carefully constructed line of defence in front of them. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, unlike the south of the island, the north is a geographical nightmare: ravines, caves, hills, valleys, cliffs... A giant ambush, and reinforced by the fortifications!
Further south, General Smith decides to let the 105th Infantry Rgt clear the south-eastern pocket. However, the other two regiments of the 27th Infantry are withdrawn from the front. They would be used as an operational reserve for the push north.
By the end of the day, American casualties have risen to just over 6,000 dead and wounded...

Submarine warfare
Off the Marianas - The Japanese submarines have not given up the fight. The Ro-36 is one of them. As it recharges its batteries on the surface before resuming its hunt, a spray of smoke rises around the submersible: a destroyer runs into it firing its 105 mm cannon! The Japanese manages to dive, but the hunt is on. Unfortunately for the Ro-36, it is the USS Knapp that emerges victorious.

Malaya Campaign
Reinforcements
Port Blair - With the arrival a few days earlier of the 1st ACG, security in the town is no longer really a problem. As a result, the Spitfire Vs from Sqn 132 take off to join Sqn 152 at the Campbell Bay base further south, on Great Nicobar. The Japanese raid three days earlier has severely tested the squadron based there. The British pilots will be able to harass the Japanese garrison at Sabang or challenge the 24th Sentai in northern Sumatra, at least as soon as the Black Panthers have replenished their numbers and equipment.

Sino-Japanese war
Operation Ichi-Go
Henan Province (Kogo) - The last square of organised resistance in Nanyang is centred around the tomb of Zhang Zhongjing, one of the greatest doctors in Chinese history, who lived at the end of the Han dynasty. The sad irony is that the majestic mausoleum erected in memory of a man who sought to save lives is the site of a merciless massacre. Generals Liu and Gan fall weapons in hand.

 

[Wings]

June 13th, 1944

The art of using Slovaks
Dukla-Carpathians
3rd Ukrainian Front, on the Galician front - Fruitless but still bloody fighting between Otto Tiemann's XVII. ArmeeKorps and Ivan Konev's 3rd Ukrainian Front - which pays even less attention to this sector than before, except of course when it came to reprimanding his staff, led by Vassily Sokolovsky! It's true that this slow-moving offensive (it's been going on for nearly 6 weeks) is still making no headway, but it is diverting resources that would perhaps be more useful elsewhere. It also has to be said that with everything the Marshal has in mind...
Unfortunately, comrades Vlassov, Belov and Poluboiarov are still doing the same thing. The 61st Army pushes straight towards Chotča - a now ravaged sector - with the 20th Armoured Corps, while the 1st Shock Army tries to slip like a crowbar towards Jankovce through Oľka (soon taken) to separate the 218. ID (Viktor Lang) and 389. ID (Walter Hahm). On the other side, there is nothing left to do in terms of manoeuvres to counter this action.
So, once again, the German infantryman stands his ground - in spite of everything and with a stoicism matched only by that of his opponent, who is at least as fanatical. Ambushes, coups de main, deadly strikes... The number of casualties keeps climbing, for a slice of Galicia's mountainous woods. Two crumbling blocks are colliding. And it's still impossible to say which will crack first.

Hungary, whatever the cost
Operation Schwabenwall
Neustadt (Nagybánya, Baia Mare), 00:30 - Gotthard Heinrici commands HG B with renewed initiative. However, Cluj-Napoca has not yet been liberated. So when he is told that Field Marshal Gunther von Kluge has called him from the Hotel Magyar Király in Székesfehérvár, the East Prussian thinks it is a bit early for congratulations. As a result, he guesses that he will be told unpleasant things - at best. And he is not disappointed!
- Heil Hitler!
- Heil Hitler, Herr Feldmarschall.
- I've come to talk to you about Schwabenwall.
- As you have seen, things are progressing well. On our right, the 17. and 19. Panzer should reach Kolozsvár* the day after tomorrow, or even this evening or tomorrow morning if things go really well. On our left, Hermann Breith's III. PanzerKorps has completely broken through the red lines and is advancing rapidly towards Bistritz**, without any real opposition.
- Perfect! So you'll be able to withdraw it from this front!
- I... I beg your pardon, Herr Feldmarschall... What are you saying about the III. PzK?
- You heard what I said. We need it urgently at Lake Balaton.
- Herr Feldmarschall, the assault has just begun...
- You've broken through the Red defences, haven't you?
- Yes, but we need to exploit them before reinforcements arrive, which is very likely. Otherwise it will all have been for nothing.
- The 11. Panzer will replace the III. PzK.
Wend von Wietersheim's division! In reserve at Beregszász, in the rear of the 8. Armee and the 1st Hungarian Army. Half to help the Hungarians, half to keep an eye on them... It isn't even close to the lines and comes under HG A!
- But... I'm not commanding it.
- It's just been arranged.
- It's a long way from the front.
- All the more reason for you to give your orders as quickly as possible.
- One division won't be enough.
- You only have to rely on Reinhardt's 11. Armee.
- Herr Feldmarschall... With all due respect...
- This is a direct order from the Führer. Are you contesting it?
- No, Herr Feldmarschall.
- Very well, then. Then do whatever is necessary. And keep on winning. Heil Hitler!
- Heil Hitler, Herr Feldmarschall...
And so, just as it has started, Schwabenwall loses more than half its armoured forces, which it exchanges for a single unit of average quality (Panzer IVs and Leopards, but no Panther IIs), which will take two or three days to arrive. The offensive is scuppered, and Heinrici can do nothing about it... But why? The Russians... And suddenly he realises: it isn't the Russians, but the British - among others. He sighs. The Reich really has made a few too many enemies...

Sebeș, 01:00 - It wouldn't console Heinrici if he knew, but at about the same time, Marshal Fyodor Tolbuhkin also receives a phone call of the... unpleasant kind.
- Comrade Tolburkin, why aren't your troops on the offensive?
- Comrade Marshal, they are.
- Are they? And yet the Stavka reports that your 4th Ukrainian Front is making no further progress towards Timișoara.
That viper Vassilyevsky! Guided to bite by Bagramian, surely!
- We multiply limited actions, time to plan the next assault.
- I see. When is it due?
- As reported, on the 16th.
That's already an improvement on reality. But it's not enough.
- Three days? That long? And why is that?
- Our communications have barely been restored, Comrade Secretary General. And we need to secure enough supplies and reinforcements to be sure of breaking through the fascist lines.
- Yet these same fascists were on the run a week ago.
- They have recovered, as they have become accustomed to doing. And they have no doubt received new reinforcements.
- Of course they have. But rest assured, Fyodor Ivanovich. You won't be facing any reinforcements. And for a simple reason: they're all to the north, facing Bagramian!
- Ah, well understood, Comrade Secretary General.
- I understand your desire to secure victory. But you didn't subdue the Romanians by being cautious! So go forward and enter the plain first!
- I serve the Soviet Union, Comrade Secretary General.
- Now is the decisive moment. Go without fear!" adds Stalin with perfect hypocrisy, for form's sake - from his point of view, of course, because he's not fooling anyone.
It's done: in two phone calls, the fate of arms in Transylvania is sealed - because the difference in resources between the protagonists seems to have become far too great.

Guruslau depression sector - Around Sânmihaiu Almașului, the 19. Panzer (Hans Källner) and, now, the 1st Hungarian ID (Gusztáv Deseö) continue to clear the road to Cluj-Napoca of the Soviet pockets preventing their advance. This is a difficult task, as the lack of mechanised infantry is making itself felt! On the other side, the 47th Army still can't do much, apart from sacrificing what is left of its front lines as lost children, while the 38th Army (Kyril Moskalenko) prepares the defence of Cluj-Napoca.
In addition, this kind of tactic wears down the Axis points considerably.
Similarly, in the Zimbor sector, Ivan Lazarev's 2nd Armoured Corps continues to face the Panzers, despite the Tigers of the 502. schw. Pz Abt (Major Horst Richter-Rethwisch). There are dozens of casualties, and even though a large steel cube opposite regularly stops, bogs down, or even begins to smoke as a result of skilful fire, the situation remains very difficult... It becomes even worse when the road to Huedin had to be abandoned to defend the direct route to what everyone already assumed to be the German objective.
The arrival of the 8th Mechanised Corps (Vladimir Baskakov) from the south in the early afternoon redresses the balance somewhat. The latter is equipped with the first IS-2s, whose 122 mm guns are finally on a par with German steel. The action slows down and the Soviets regain their confidence.
Meanwhile, in the center, the 17. Panzer (Karl-Friedrich von der Meden) and the 10th ID (Frigyes Vasváry) are stuck in the small valleys of Dragu, facing a long series of roadblocks that have to be cleared one by one. In the evening, the panzers, just emerging from the hills, reach Așchileu Mic. Thirty kilometres as the crow flies over bad terrain to the objective - so much for Lazarev and Baskakov having time to see it coming. It is undoubtedly a mistake for the Germans to go this way. But, forced to move fast without enough mass to crush everything in their path, they have to make do with the topography.
At his advanced headquarters in the large János Zsigmond Unitary High School in Cluj-Napoca, Ivan Bagramian is regaining some of his colour. It's true that the fascists have made a furious comeback. But it's just as obvious that they're running out of steam. Otherwise, the few armoured regiments thrown in their path would not have been able to stop them. And behind them, Kravchenko's 5th Tank Army is announced - it had bypassed the town, which the infantry is in the process of fortifying. As soon as the 59th Army (Ivan Korovnikov) arrives, the Red Army would really start moving forward. For the Armenian, it already seems certain that Cluj-Napoca would not fall.
There remains the most painful problem: Leonty Cheremisov's 16th Army, which was clearly in full rout. At this point, the 2nd Ukrainian Front can do nothing but suffer. And suffer... Desch (Dej) falls before morning. Clearing this communications hub allows Hermann Breith to deploy his III. Panzerkorps, still well covered by the rain, throughout northern Transylvania. The Panzers are not that numerous, but they are everywhere: 6. Panzer (Oberst Hans-Otto von Bermuth) at Bethlen (Beclean), 7. Panzer (Karl Mauss) at Neuschloss (Gherla) and even 8. Panzer (Gottfried Frölich) in the lead at Iclod, erasing the shame of the mistakes made by his former commander, Werner Friebe.
Admittedly, behind them, the 8th Hungarian Corps (Major-General Jenö Halmaji Bor) is still dragging its feet a little: the 8th ID (Árpád Maltary) and the two mountain brigades (Ferenc Lóskay and Sándor Makray) have barely arrived in the Dej sector. But the important thing is for them to clear the ground and ensure the link-up. From this point of view, everything is perfect: the 5th ID (Zoltán Algya-Papp) moves to Krautfeld (Bobâlna) and the 27th ID (András Zákó), of the 6th Corps, is on the rope around Böhmischhofen (Páncélcseh, Panticeu). Major-General Jenö Halmaji Bor is very pleased to receive reports that the Zrínyi IIs are ideal for reducing entrenched positions, and even for countering certain Red medium tanks.
No doubt about it, the diabolical magic of the panzers seems to be working as it had in ‘42, or even ’40. So it is to everyone's astonishment that in the evening, the Oberst, Hauptmann, Gefreiter and ordinary Panzermänner receive their new orders: they have to move back, and as quickly as possible! They are unaware that the reason they had not been made to turn back at dawn was thanks to Heinz Guderian - who, on his own authority, had put off carrying out this directive long enough to try a final negotiation with Hitler at the afternoon conference. Obviously to no avail...

Beregszász (Berehove) - Wend von Wietersheim's 11. Panzer sets off for the front in a hurry. It only has two armoured battalions, one on Leopard and one on Panzer IV - very few compared to the six battalions (three of which are half Panther II) it is supposed to relieve. At least Heinrici doesn't wait to call it up. Nevertheless, the unit would have two days before arriving at the Schwabenwall departure bases.

Romanians in the Soviets
Le bal des maudits - ‘Departure for the front, in the rain and tiredness, but with the calm certainty of having done our duty. Antonescu's odious fascists had done harm to Alba Iulia. A lot of harm: murders, confiscations, forced labour. But we will make amends. We will resettle on our lands those who have been driven out, and we will send back to their meadows those who should never have come to us. These fascists are animals - Lieutenant-Commissioner Palariar assures us. And tomorrow our steps will surely lead us to Justice, Glory and the Danube of the vile Magyars’.
(Farewell my country...once again, Vasil Gravil, Gallimard 1957)

HG B between a rock and a hard place
Apuseni Mountains - The 11. Armee - which has completed its painful withdrawal from the sector now held by the Reds to the south - begins to deploy over a vast sector stretching from Élesd (Aleșd) to Klein-Schlatten (Zalatna, Zlatna). This was deemed unsuitable for the offensive, it's true, but to be ready for any eventuality, Reinhardt only has eight divisions left, which are barely worth five, as well as a StuG Abt. He has no reserves other than those of Heeresgruppe B, the 13. Panzer (Helmutt von der Chevallerie) and the 560. schw. PzJ. Abt (Major Rudolf Markowz) - more or less weakened and on guard towards Großwardein (Nagyvárad, Oradea).
What to do? With some pertinence - plus the agreement of von Arnim and the blessing of the HG B hierarchy - Reinhardt decides on four major reorganisations.
- The XVI. ArmeeKorps (Horst von Mellenthin) is disbanded. All that remains are the remnants of Korps Abteilung E (Herman Frenking), who are to reinforce other units, in particular the 376. ID.
- The 376. ID is (in theory) upgraded by absorbing elements of the Korps Abt E. Its leader, Herman Frenking, takes command of the new 376. ID, which no longer had a leader. Objectively, it is mediocre, both in terms of impact and effectiveness. But the OKW's new directives call for large units not to be disbanded, for reasons of morale.
- The 335. ID (Siegfried Rasp) - defending the Iron Gates for the XLII. AK - is exchanged (so to speak) for the 328. ID (Joachim von Tresckow). The first goes to the XI. AK of the 17. Armee. However, the 328. ID does not join the XLII. AK, but rather the XXX. ArmeeKorps (Philipp Kleffel), whose two divisions are very weak and in great need of help.
- Finally, the XXX. AK (Philipp Kleffel) and the XLII. AK (Frank Mattenklott) - which, once the previous reorganisations had been carried out, would be more or less balanced - would be deployed in defence on a Vârtop-Lunca line. The infantry reserve, made up of the 12. Luftwaffen-Feld-Division (Herbert Kettner) and the reformed 376. ID, would be deployed in the centre, at Albac.
Objectively, despite this reorganisation, the capabilities of the 11. Armee are limited. Very limited indeed. It was to be hoped that Reinhardt would be asked to do nothing more than hold the passes. And certainly not to go down to the plains to help others. That's why, in the evening, at his HQ in Großsalontha (Nagyszalonta, Salonta), he looks worriedly at his telephone, which starts ringing...

Arad - Hans-Jürgen von Arnim is well aware of the major manoeuvres underway much further north, towards the former fire sector of his 2. PanzerArmee. But he also knows two things: it is too far away geographically for him to have a role to play, and the 17. Armee, which he has recently taken command of, is in no condition to do anything offensive in any case. There is no doubt that Karl-Adolf Hollidt has given him a great gift by giving up his position.
From the Silesian's point of view, his situation is fragile, but under control. His lines are well positioned, if not solid, and his sector relatively unstrategic, with everyone's attention focused elsewhere. It'll do! However, by mid-day, his first positions are reporting a sudden increase in Slavic attacks, as well as an intensification of artillery bombardments. And that's worrying.


* Heinrici uses the Hungarian name for Cluj-Napoca...
** Bistrița.