Spoilered for word count. This one doesn't include much action, but that will follow soon enough!
Consider this the calm before the storm.
Enjoy!
Octorok, so how're you gonna take on the americans?
Consider this the calm before the storm.
Enjoy!
Blutrot und Edelweiss
Teil 1
The morning was cool, the sky overcast. Wind whistled through the rubble-lined alleys of Smolesnk as tired columns of soldiers, clad in the grey of the Wehrmacht, left their makeshift shelters and headed for the city outskirts. The night had not been restful for the 1. Alpendivision, but after 36 hours of vicious house-to-house fighting, a daring bayonet charge had finally seen the collapse of the remaining pocket of communist resistance in the city They had taken no prisoners. The division's orders were now to fortify and hold the city against enemy counterattack in order to secure the second army's rear and supply lines. Encirclement threatened, and scouting planes, based in the city's intact airfield, had spotted several divisions of communist infantry, supported by artillery and light armor, swinging around the second army's southern flank and approaching Smolnesk from the Southwest. Supplies and ammunition were low, the 9000-man division would soon be outnumbered, the second army was too heavily engaged to spare reinforcements, and the promised regiment of artillery had never arrived, leaving the Alpendivision with only light artillery and minimal antitank capabilities. But Smolnesk had to be held. No retreat. No surrender. Their orders were very clear on this.
And Gefreiter Otto Remseck and his squad, didn't like it any more than the rest of their Division. ? Shit! Help me with this!" Remseck looked up from the Nachtsichtgeraet he was examining, to see Jgr. Hoffmann, standing in a trench, struggling with an MG 42 he was emplacing. The squad was fortifying a trench in the southern outskirts of the city, setting up sandbags and firing positions. The MG the squad had been assigned (carried by Hoffmann, whose rifle had been lost in the original attack on the city) had slipped in the soft mud, and threatened to slide into the trench. Jgr. Horn crouched at the edge of the trench to lend a hand, receiving a grin of thanks in return. Hoffmann and Horn were both new to the squad, having been assigned to them to replace two Comrades lost during the heavy mountain warfare of the Spanish Campaign. Both were only a few months out of training -the fight for Smolensk had been their first real battle- but they'd done well, this far, and they'd grown close in the time it took for the rest of the squad to accept them. Both showed good morale and cameraderie, untainted by the cynicism brought by years of soldiering, and were quick to learn from their more experienced squadmates.
Standing a few feet down the trench from Hoffmann was a tall, dark-haired soldier, putting down planks to provide better footing. Jgr. Richter had been with the Division from its creation in 1935, longer than even Remseck, but rumors of Slavic ancestry (though thoroughly disproven) had weakened his prospect for promotion, and he had been passed over. He bore no resentment, though; a very focused, intelligent solider who said no more than he needed to. A crack shot as well, and Remseck was thankful for it.
And finally, sitting next to him, there was a small, blond man, cleaning his rifle. His closest friend in the squad Jgr. Karl Brandt, they had spent the last five years training, fighting and drinking side-by-side. Remseck's promotion at the end of the spanish campaign hadn't changed their relationship, they still had each other's backs when it mattered, and gave each other shit at all other times.
To the squad's left and right, the remainder of their company was working on similar fortifications, forming a 300-yard line of shallow trenches on the Southern edge of the city. On either side of that line were further trenchlines, running around the southern and western edge of the city, manned by most of two battalions. The area was alive with soldiers carrying tools, materials and weapons, preparing their first line of defence. Behind them, in the ruins of the city proper, native labor was being employed to create further emplacements, shelters and fortifications. Mortars and light artillery were being set up, snipers and spotters took position. Many of the city's buildings and defenses had been bombed out by the Luftwaffe during the battle, but there were more than enough crossroads, alleys and windows to set up an adequate defence. The city would not come cheap to the communists.
Remseck returned to his Night Vision device. He had been providing covering fire when it had given out during the house-to-house fighting last night, leaving him blind and horribly unable to help his squad. He had strained his eyes in the dark for a while, looking for muzzle flashes to fire at, before advancing to find that the charge had been a success and the communists had been routed. The device was bulky and sometimes unreliable, but it still provided an enormous advantage during night fighting. He fiddled with the battery and grinned when he heard an electric whine as the blacklight turned on. He put it and his MP43 aside and stood up, stretching. He turned at the sound of footsteps and saw a platoon-level aide approaching. "Corporal Remseck? Lieutenant Albrecht asks that you report to his field HQ for a briefing." Remseck frowned. ?But we were briefed this morning." "Perhaps he wants to quiz you?" the aide, a corporal as well, gave a noncomittal shrug. "Field HQ is on what used to be Volgosnek street. 300 metres."
Remseck gave him a nod and headed off, walking along a narrow road towards the city. The outskirts had been mere slums, wood huts, and had been almost totally destroyed in the bombardement, but the city proper had partially survived the battle. Craters were evident in the houses and roads, and several 2 and 3-story houses had collapsed altogether. The industrial district, near the river, in particular, had been shattered. The broken, bombed-out appearance, as well as the absence of civillian movement, gave Remseck the impression of a ghost town. Not that the city was deserted, though, far from it. While many of its residents had evacuated, fleeing the german advances, many more hadn't gotten out. Some of those had been conscripted to help fortify their city, the rest were confined to their homes on pain of death.
Remseck was pulled from his musing by a pothole in the road, stumbling, almost falling. He shook his head sharply, irritated at his own lack of focus. He hadn't slept for far too long, but that was no reason to let his mind wander. He increased his pace, reaching Volgosnek street after another minute, and, hearing German voices from a house on his left, stepped inside. He found himself standing face-to-face with his Platoon Lieutenant, Josef Albrecht. He blinked in surprise, and, after a moment, remembering himself (he really, really needed some sleep) and snapped off a hasty salute. Albrecht acknowledged him with a nod and turned back to the table, around which Remseck's fellow corporals stood, examining a map of the city. Remseck wasn't sure about the Lieutenant. Judging from what he'd heard, he was fresh-faced and green behind the ears, having only joined the division late in the Spanish campaign, but some men rumored that he'd been assigned to covert operations ever since the start of the war. He certainly seemed competent, and quite self-assured, but apparent competence could be deceiving, and he hadn't necessarily earned his confidence. Albrecht's voice cut through his speculation and he realized he'd let his mind wander again.
"As I was saying, Corporal Remseck, this, you've been called here because the briefing you've received this morning was admittedly rushed. We've now received improved intelligence and managed to work out a coordinated battle plan." Albrecht gestured to the map. "The Communists will attack from the Southeast. Reports suggest four divisions, each with an attacked regiment of rocket artillery. We must assume that the troops have moderate combat experience and leadership. In addition, they are supported by two more independent regiments of rocket artillery, as well as a brigade of light armor. Their goal will be to retake Smolensk, capture the airfield, and threaten the vital supply lines to our North. To achieve this, they must strike at the city from the southwest, punch through our defenses in the South, and then cross the Dnieper to strike at our forces in the north of the city. I don't like to say it, but they have the manpower to do it. They will arrive by early evening, it is likely that they will launch their attack at night. Check your Night Vision equipment. To defend against the Communist assault, we have mustered up several lines of defense.
"The trenches, represented by the red line, are even now being dug by your goodselves. They are lightly fortified with sandbags and will provide adequate cover and firing positions. The trenches are equipped mainly with light machine guns, and, in the east, some 2cm Flak emplacements, and manned by two Battalions of light Infantry. This" - he circled a section of trenchline "is where our Company is positioned. The attack to the east is likely to be fiercest, but we still have plenty of work ahead of us. The purpose of the trenchlines is to blunt the force of the Communist charge, to cause maximal casualties to the attacking force, while buying us some time. Blue indicates positions providing supportive fire to the preceding line of defense. Light and medium mortars will be stationed here, as well as a few light antitank guns. They will be supporting you as best they can, breaking up infantry formations and attempting to disable armor. Nevertheless, these positions will likely not last more than one or two hours, particularly when the enemy rocket artillery comes into play. You will not retreat without orders, however. Runners and radio operators will maintain the chain of command. When word is given, you will abandon the trenches and fall back in good order. Squads will cover each other, and the divisional artillery regiment will provide heavy fire to cover the retreat of each individual section as it falls back. All equipment used in defense of the trenchline must be evacuated, except for the Flak emplacements. Ammo for these is scarce, and they're ultimately too heavy to lug back into the city.
After evacuating, the company will maintain cohesion and fall back to the second line of defense, the green line. This consists of a series of buildings, roads and crossroads that have been fortified and barricaded. The majority of our Machine Guns, as well as some antitank guns will be deployed here, as well as an additional battalion's worth of infantry, to form a regiment. The purpose of the green line will be to further slow the communists, as well as taking advantage of the highly defensible city center. We estimate that, to advance, the communists will have to rely heavily on their artillery and light armor. If we can force them waste their force multipliers here, our later battles will be that much easier. The green line, should, initially, last the remainder of the night. Our antitank guns can deal with their light armor well enough, and the city will provide adequate cover from their rocket artillery. Additionally, support will be provided by divisional artillery and the light artillery of all three regiments. When the line threatens to break, it will gradually fall back, tightening its perimeter while maintaining cohesion. The infantry regiment will engage in house-to-house fighting as it falls back, in order to buy the light artillery, as well as the machine gun and antitank gun crews, time to evacuate their equipment across the Dnieper river, to the black line. As you retreat, you will be supported by an artillery barrage, as well as bombing and strafing by the Luftwaffe, to further slow the Communist forces.
Dark red indicates the beachhead. This will be held by elements of the third regiment, second battalion, poor bastards. They will act as a rearguard, to enable the retreating infantry to cross the river unmolested. It's lightly fortified, but hopefully won't need to hold for more than a half-hour. At this point, it will hopefully be light enough for them to recognize you, preventing friendly fire. When our regiment has crossed the river, they'll provide covering fire to them. they will blow up the remaining bridges as they cross.
Black represents our main line of defense. Red and Green will slow the Communists and force them to waste men and materiel overcoming our positions. But black is where we will hold them. They must cross the Dnieper here, and we will prevent that by any means possible. All of our equipment, and our three infantry regiments will be employed here. We must hold them. And... if we don't... The brown line indicates our last line of defense. If the black line is routed, assemble and reform here. Protect the airfield." The lieutenant paused for a moment. "You will receive more specific instructions during the operation itself, but... that should suffice, for now. Gentlemen, this will not be easy. The Communists are numerous, and we do not have enough bullets. We're trained to fight while low on supplies, but it still might not be enough. We're in a position of power, but outnumbered." Another pause "But despite all that, we must hold. Reinforcements are moving on our position from Kiev, but it might take a week or more for them to reach us. We hold that long. And if we cannot hold, then we must delay the Communists for as long as we can, to buy the resupply convoys time to reach the second army. The airfield, and the roads to the north, must remain in German hands to enable their survival. If the Second Army falls, the front around Smolesk breaks. And when the front breaks, Moskau slips from our grasp. We can't let that happen. So fight as you've never fought before. Hold the line. Make it happen, gentlemen. Dismissed."
As Remseck left the house and headed back to his squad, mulling over what he'd heard, he grinned despite himself. Whatever else happened tonight, one thing was sure. He was not going to get much sleep.
Teil 1
The morning was cool, the sky overcast. Wind whistled through the rubble-lined alleys of Smolesnk as tired columns of soldiers, clad in the grey of the Wehrmacht, left their makeshift shelters and headed for the city outskirts. The night had not been restful for the 1. Alpendivision, but after 36 hours of vicious house-to-house fighting, a daring bayonet charge had finally seen the collapse of the remaining pocket of communist resistance in the city They had taken no prisoners. The division's orders were now to fortify and hold the city against enemy counterattack in order to secure the second army's rear and supply lines. Encirclement threatened, and scouting planes, based in the city's intact airfield, had spotted several divisions of communist infantry, supported by artillery and light armor, swinging around the second army's southern flank and approaching Smolnesk from the Southwest. Supplies and ammunition were low, the 9000-man division would soon be outnumbered, the second army was too heavily engaged to spare reinforcements, and the promised regiment of artillery had never arrived, leaving the Alpendivision with only light artillery and minimal antitank capabilities. But Smolnesk had to be held. No retreat. No surrender. Their orders were very clear on this.
And Gefreiter Otto Remseck and his squad, didn't like it any more than the rest of their Division. ? Shit! Help me with this!" Remseck looked up from the Nachtsichtgeraet he was examining, to see Jgr. Hoffmann, standing in a trench, struggling with an MG 42 he was emplacing. The squad was fortifying a trench in the southern outskirts of the city, setting up sandbags and firing positions. The MG the squad had been assigned (carried by Hoffmann, whose rifle had been lost in the original attack on the city) had slipped in the soft mud, and threatened to slide into the trench. Jgr. Horn crouched at the edge of the trench to lend a hand, receiving a grin of thanks in return. Hoffmann and Horn were both new to the squad, having been assigned to them to replace two Comrades lost during the heavy mountain warfare of the Spanish Campaign. Both were only a few months out of training -the fight for Smolensk had been their first real battle- but they'd done well, this far, and they'd grown close in the time it took for the rest of the squad to accept them. Both showed good morale and cameraderie, untainted by the cynicism brought by years of soldiering, and were quick to learn from their more experienced squadmates.
Standing a few feet down the trench from Hoffmann was a tall, dark-haired soldier, putting down planks to provide better footing. Jgr. Richter had been with the Division from its creation in 1935, longer than even Remseck, but rumors of Slavic ancestry (though thoroughly disproven) had weakened his prospect for promotion, and he had been passed over. He bore no resentment, though; a very focused, intelligent solider who said no more than he needed to. A crack shot as well, and Remseck was thankful for it.
And finally, sitting next to him, there was a small, blond man, cleaning his rifle. His closest friend in the squad Jgr. Karl Brandt, they had spent the last five years training, fighting and drinking side-by-side. Remseck's promotion at the end of the spanish campaign hadn't changed their relationship, they still had each other's backs when it mattered, and gave each other shit at all other times.
To the squad's left and right, the remainder of their company was working on similar fortifications, forming a 300-yard line of shallow trenches on the Southern edge of the city. On either side of that line were further trenchlines, running around the southern and western edge of the city, manned by most of two battalions. The area was alive with soldiers carrying tools, materials and weapons, preparing their first line of defence. Behind them, in the ruins of the city proper, native labor was being employed to create further emplacements, shelters and fortifications. Mortars and light artillery were being set up, snipers and spotters took position. Many of the city's buildings and defenses had been bombed out by the Luftwaffe during the battle, but there were more than enough crossroads, alleys and windows to set up an adequate defence. The city would not come cheap to the communists.
Remseck returned to his Night Vision device. He had been providing covering fire when it had given out during the house-to-house fighting last night, leaving him blind and horribly unable to help his squad. He had strained his eyes in the dark for a while, looking for muzzle flashes to fire at, before advancing to find that the charge had been a success and the communists had been routed. The device was bulky and sometimes unreliable, but it still provided an enormous advantage during night fighting. He fiddled with the battery and grinned when he heard an electric whine as the blacklight turned on. He put it and his MP43 aside and stood up, stretching. He turned at the sound of footsteps and saw a platoon-level aide approaching. "Corporal Remseck? Lieutenant Albrecht asks that you report to his field HQ for a briefing." Remseck frowned. ?But we were briefed this morning." "Perhaps he wants to quiz you?" the aide, a corporal as well, gave a noncomittal shrug. "Field HQ is on what used to be Volgosnek street. 300 metres."
Remseck gave him a nod and headed off, walking along a narrow road towards the city. The outskirts had been mere slums, wood huts, and had been almost totally destroyed in the bombardement, but the city proper had partially survived the battle. Craters were evident in the houses and roads, and several 2 and 3-story houses had collapsed altogether. The industrial district, near the river, in particular, had been shattered. The broken, bombed-out appearance, as well as the absence of civillian movement, gave Remseck the impression of a ghost town. Not that the city was deserted, though, far from it. While many of its residents had evacuated, fleeing the german advances, many more hadn't gotten out. Some of those had been conscripted to help fortify their city, the rest were confined to their homes on pain of death.
Remseck was pulled from his musing by a pothole in the road, stumbling, almost falling. He shook his head sharply, irritated at his own lack of focus. He hadn't slept for far too long, but that was no reason to let his mind wander. He increased his pace, reaching Volgosnek street after another minute, and, hearing German voices from a house on his left, stepped inside. He found himself standing face-to-face with his Platoon Lieutenant, Josef Albrecht. He blinked in surprise, and, after a moment, remembering himself (he really, really needed some sleep) and snapped off a hasty salute. Albrecht acknowledged him with a nod and turned back to the table, around which Remseck's fellow corporals stood, examining a map of the city. Remseck wasn't sure about the Lieutenant. Judging from what he'd heard, he was fresh-faced and green behind the ears, having only joined the division late in the Spanish campaign, but some men rumored that he'd been assigned to covert operations ever since the start of the war. He certainly seemed competent, and quite self-assured, but apparent competence could be deceiving, and he hadn't necessarily earned his confidence. Albrecht's voice cut through his speculation and he realized he'd let his mind wander again.
"As I was saying, Corporal Remseck, this, you've been called here because the briefing you've received this morning was admittedly rushed. We've now received improved intelligence and managed to work out a coordinated battle plan." Albrecht gestured to the map. "The Communists will attack from the Southeast. Reports suggest four divisions, each with an attacked regiment of rocket artillery. We must assume that the troops have moderate combat experience and leadership. In addition, they are supported by two more independent regiments of rocket artillery, as well as a brigade of light armor. Their goal will be to retake Smolensk, capture the airfield, and threaten the vital supply lines to our North. To achieve this, they must strike at the city from the southwest, punch through our defenses in the South, and then cross the Dnieper to strike at our forces in the north of the city. I don't like to say it, but they have the manpower to do it. They will arrive by early evening, it is likely that they will launch their attack at night. Check your Night Vision equipment. To defend against the Communist assault, we have mustered up several lines of defense.
"The trenches, represented by the red line, are even now being dug by your goodselves. They are lightly fortified with sandbags and will provide adequate cover and firing positions. The trenches are equipped mainly with light machine guns, and, in the east, some 2cm Flak emplacements, and manned by two Battalions of light Infantry. This" - he circled a section of trenchline "is where our Company is positioned. The attack to the east is likely to be fiercest, but we still have plenty of work ahead of us. The purpose of the trenchlines is to blunt the force of the Communist charge, to cause maximal casualties to the attacking force, while buying us some time. Blue indicates positions providing supportive fire to the preceding line of defense. Light and medium mortars will be stationed here, as well as a few light antitank guns. They will be supporting you as best they can, breaking up infantry formations and attempting to disable armor. Nevertheless, these positions will likely not last more than one or two hours, particularly when the enemy rocket artillery comes into play. You will not retreat without orders, however. Runners and radio operators will maintain the chain of command. When word is given, you will abandon the trenches and fall back in good order. Squads will cover each other, and the divisional artillery regiment will provide heavy fire to cover the retreat of each individual section as it falls back. All equipment used in defense of the trenchline must be evacuated, except for the Flak emplacements. Ammo for these is scarce, and they're ultimately too heavy to lug back into the city.
After evacuating, the company will maintain cohesion and fall back to the second line of defense, the green line. This consists of a series of buildings, roads and crossroads that have been fortified and barricaded. The majority of our Machine Guns, as well as some antitank guns will be deployed here, as well as an additional battalion's worth of infantry, to form a regiment. The purpose of the green line will be to further slow the communists, as well as taking advantage of the highly defensible city center. We estimate that, to advance, the communists will have to rely heavily on their artillery and light armor. If we can force them waste their force multipliers here, our later battles will be that much easier. The green line, should, initially, last the remainder of the night. Our antitank guns can deal with their light armor well enough, and the city will provide adequate cover from their rocket artillery. Additionally, support will be provided by divisional artillery and the light artillery of all three regiments. When the line threatens to break, it will gradually fall back, tightening its perimeter while maintaining cohesion. The infantry regiment will engage in house-to-house fighting as it falls back, in order to buy the light artillery, as well as the machine gun and antitank gun crews, time to evacuate their equipment across the Dnieper river, to the black line. As you retreat, you will be supported by an artillery barrage, as well as bombing and strafing by the Luftwaffe, to further slow the Communist forces.
Dark red indicates the beachhead. This will be held by elements of the third regiment, second battalion, poor bastards. They will act as a rearguard, to enable the retreating infantry to cross the river unmolested. It's lightly fortified, but hopefully won't need to hold for more than a half-hour. At this point, it will hopefully be light enough for them to recognize you, preventing friendly fire. When our regiment has crossed the river, they'll provide covering fire to them. they will blow up the remaining bridges as they cross.
Black represents our main line of defense. Red and Green will slow the Communists and force them to waste men and materiel overcoming our positions. But black is where we will hold them. They must cross the Dnieper here, and we will prevent that by any means possible. All of our equipment, and our three infantry regiments will be employed here. We must hold them. And... if we don't... The brown line indicates our last line of defense. If the black line is routed, assemble and reform here. Protect the airfield." The lieutenant paused for a moment. "You will receive more specific instructions during the operation itself, but... that should suffice, for now. Gentlemen, this will not be easy. The Communists are numerous, and we do not have enough bullets. We're trained to fight while low on supplies, but it still might not be enough. We're in a position of power, but outnumbered." Another pause "But despite all that, we must hold. Reinforcements are moving on our position from Kiev, but it might take a week or more for them to reach us. We hold that long. And if we cannot hold, then we must delay the Communists for as long as we can, to buy the resupply convoys time to reach the second army. The airfield, and the roads to the north, must remain in German hands to enable their survival. If the Second Army falls, the front around Smolesk breaks. And when the front breaks, Moskau slips from our grasp. We can't let that happen. So fight as you've never fought before. Hold the line. Make it happen, gentlemen. Dismissed."
As Remseck left the house and headed back to his squad, mulling over what he'd heard, he grinned despite himself. Whatever else happened tonight, one thing was sure. He was not going to get much sleep.
Octorok, so how're you gonna take on the americans?
