CHAPTER 9. "FOG OF WAR"
August 27, 1942
Leningrad Front, the defense zone of the 18th Army of Army Group North.
Location of the headquarters of the 11th German army.
The fuss that reigned, at first glance, in the headquarters of the German 11th Army that had just arrived at a new location, was in fact a well-oiled work on the operational deployment of all headquarters services and the technical means necessary for their work. Mantstein, standing by the window, watched as the signalmen set up and secured the large antenna of the main headquarters radio station, simultaneously extending the power and telephone cables. Another group of soldiers was already unloading a large camouflage net from an approaching truck, which they immediately began to deploy to hide from aerial surveillance of the command vehicles and the positions of their anti-aircraft artillery.
The presence in sufficient quantities of high-quality radio communications not only at all levels of command and control, but also on each combat unit such as a tank or an aircraft, was one of the Wehrmacht's advantages over the Red Army, especially in 1941-1942. Of course, the Germans were also helped a lot by the ability to use them correctly (unlike some Soviet units, at the beginning of the war, for various reasons, did not even use the radios they had). The most significant such provision of stable communications became during the rapidly developing maneuvering operations of tank and motorized formations, coordination of artillery support, as well as operational interaction of ground forces with aviation.
In the photo - the German radio communications department in positions. Volkhov front, 1942
There was a soft knock at the door. The field marshal turned around - the chief of the operations department of his army headquarters was standing on the threshold of the premises.
- Come in, Busse. We have something to discuss, - Manstein invited him to go to the table, himself taking a seat next to him. The colonel took out a fresh map from his briefcase, spread it out in front of the army commander and, taking a pencil in his hand, began his report.
- According to the plan of the upcoming operation, the 11th Army is to occupy the northern part of the front, which is now defended by the 18th Army. The area allotted to our army will consist of a strip south of Leningrad, where our offensive should actually be deployed - Busse drew a line on the map that ran along the bank of the Neva from Lake Ladoga to the southeastern approaches to Leningrad - and from a strip that covers a long section along the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, still held by the Soviets in the Oranienbaum area, - by moving the point of the pencil to the occupied arc of the Soviet bridgehead west of Leningrad, he showed. - Thus, the 18th Army will have only the task of holding the eastern part of the front, according to Volkhov.
- What forces will ultimately be subordinated to our headquarters? Manstein, bent over the map, looked up at the colonel.
- In addition to the powerful artillery allocated to us, including the one delivered by us from Sevastopol, 12 divisions must be subordinated to us, including the Spanish Blue Division, one tank and one mountain rifle division, and an SS brigade. Of these forces, two divisions are on the defensive on the Nevsky Front and two more on Oranienbaum. Thus, for the offensive we will have about nine and a half divisions.
- What forces is the enemy operating in the Leningrad region?
- According to our intelligence, the Russians in the Leningrad region have 19 rifle divisions, one rifle brigade, one brigade of border troops and one or two tank brigades. However, their divisions and brigades have fewer numbers than ours, are less well equipped with artillery, and suffered heavy losses in the spring and summer battles. Taking into account the fact that the main reserves of the Russians are now going to the region of Stalingrad and the Caucasus, I think they will now have nothing to strengthen their troops on the front of Army Group North, which should favor our plans for a strike.
Manstein peered intently at the outlines of the front line on the map. He also took a pencil in his hand and pointed with it to the line of the Soviet-Finnish front on the Karelian Isthmus.
- Busse, the Russians have at least five and a half divisions here. We desperately need the Finns to pin them down in this area, launching an offensive on Leningrad from the north.
- We sent a similar request to the main Finnish headquarters through our representative, General Erfurt - but, unfortunately, the Finnish High Command rejected our offer, - Busse sighed. - General Erfurt explained this point of view of the Finns by the fact that since 1918 Finland has always been of the opinion that its existence should never pose a threat to Leningrad. For this reason, the participation of the Finns in the attack on the city is excluded.
The Field Marshal pondered. The lack of support from the Finns, the decrease in the number of divisions of his army, which occurred on the way to Leningrad to help Army Group Center, greatly complicated the task of storming the city and made it a difficult undertaking.
- Colonel, how do you feel about walking in the fresh air? He finally asked the head of the operations department.
- Great, if it doesn't interfere with the work, - Busse grinned.
- Not prevent. Call us a car, we'll go and get a little breath.
With these words, Manstein folded the map, put it in the tablet and gestured to the chief of staff to go with him to the exit …
Within a few hours, holding the eyepieces of field binoculars close to his eyes, Manstein examined the front line. He decided to personally conduct a reconnaissance of the positions of the Russian troops south of Leningrad. Before him lay the city, protected by a deeply echeloned system of field fortifications, but located, it seemed, nearby. We could clearly see a large plant in Kolpino, where, according to intelligence, tanks were still being produced. Near the Gulf of Finland, the structures of the Pulkovo shipyards froze, and in the distance the silhouette of St. Isaac's Cathedral and the spire of the Admiralty loomed. Farther away, in a small haze, the multi-meter steel needle of the Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress was barely noticeable. The clear weather even made it possible to distinguish a Russian warship on the Neva, put out of action by German artillery. Manstein knew that it was one of the German cruisers, with a displacement of ten thousand tons, bought by the USSR from Germany in 1940.
After the conclusion of the Non-Aggression Pact between Germany and the USSR in 1939 and the subsequent intensification of military-technical cooperation between the two countries, the USSR purchased various types of new military equipment from Germany. One of the most expensive weapons received was the unfinished heavy cruiser Luttsov, acquired by the USSR in 1940 for 104 million Reichsmarks. By the beginning of World War II, the ship was in 70% readiness. In August 1941, in a conditionally combat-ready state, he was included in the USSR Navy under a new name - "Petropavlovsk". During the war, the cruiser used four 203-mm guns installed on it against coastal targets. In September 1941, he was seriously damaged by numerous shell hits and lay down on the ground, but in December 1942, after being towed along the Neva to a safe place and carrying out repairs, he was able to get back into operation again. After that, the cruiser fired at the enemy until the final lifting of the blockade of Leningrad in 1944. The picture shows the heavy cruiser "Luttsov" during its towing in the USSR (1940).
Busse, also inspecting the surrounding area with the commander, remarked:
- Trying to break through directly into the city and wage battles there is sheer suicide.
“You're right, Colonel, you're right. Even the powerful support of the 8th Air Corps will not help us there.”Manstein lowered his binoculars and took out the map they were considering earlier. - In my opinion, the only way to take the city is only by a multi-stage operation. First, it is necessary to inflict the most powerful artillery and air strikes on the positions of the Russians, to break through with the forces of three corps their front south of Leningrad, while advancing only to the southern outskirts of the city itself, - accompanying his plan by mapping the directions of the troops' strikes, he continued. - After that, two corps must turn east in order to suddenly force the Neva south-east of the city and further, destroying the enemy who was between the river and Lake Ladoga, the troops must cut the routes for the supply of goods through Ladoga and close the city in a ring also from the east, - with these words he outlined a new encirclement ring around Leningrad. “Only then will we be able to quickly capture the city without engaging in heavy street battles like we did in our time in Warsaw.
“Not a bad plan, Field Marshal,” Busse nodded approvingly, examining the diagram on the map. - We will start its detailed development today. What is the timing of our offensive?
- The start date for Operation Northern Lights remains unchanged - September 14. We cannot hesitate.
With these words, Manstein folded the map, hid it again in the tablet, turned around and walked confidently towards his car. The chief of the operations department of the 11th Army headquarters hurried after him …
When Manstein's car finally stopped at his army headquarters, it was already getting dark. Getting out of the car and stretching his muscles a little after a long trip, the field marshal, along with Busse, went to the commander's office. They had not yet had time to sit down at the table when an insistent knock on the door was heard from behind. On the threshold stood Manstein's adjutant.
- Mister Field Marshal, for you urgent encryption from the headquarters of the army group.
“Come on,” he held out his hand for the paper.
Quickly scanning the text of the telegram, Manstein handed it to the head of the operations department and said:
- The Soviets launched an offensive against the positions of the 18th Army. They crossed the Chernaya River in several places and achieved separate local interceptions. The Army Group asks us to give an order to the 170th Infantry Division, which has just arrived, to strike at the Russian units that have broken through. What do you think about this, Colonel?
Busse, in turn, read the encrypted text, after which he replied:
- A few days ago, the headquarters of the 18th Army already noted the intensive railway transportation of the Russians in the direction of the front, the increase in the number of their artillery positions and other signs of a possible imminent offensive. Their reports and the latest air reconnaissance reports were confirmed. It is also likely that the attack of the Russian Leningrad Front in the Ivanovsky area, carried out two weeks ago, was a means of diverting our attention from the impending strike on the eastern flank of the 18th Army.
- And yet, do you think that this could be a serious blow, or is it just a tactical attempt to improve your position by capturing bridgeheads on the Chernaya River? Mantstein looked the colonel straight in the eye.
“It's hard to say, Mr. Field Marshal,” Busse hesitated. - So far, neither I nor the command of the army group - as can be seen from this encryption, does not see any serious problem in these small Russian intrusions. Let's hope that this next attack of theirs will not in any way affect the conduct of the "Northern Lights".
- Well, - the field marshal once again thoughtfully looked at the map. - So be it. Prepare a detailed plan for the operation and prepare an order for the 170th Division to strike tomorrow in order to restore the integrity of the defense of the 18th Army.
- Yes! - Busse answered clearly and quickly went to prepare the necessary documents.
Manstein, asking to make himself coffee, soon drank it in small sips and for a long time looked at the map laid out in front of him, on which the staff officers had already managed to make the last changes in the situation at the front of the 18th Army. However, despite lengthy reflections, he did not come to some definite opinion regarding the scale of the Russian offensive south of Lake Ladoga that day.
Volkhov front, Tortolovo neighborhood
The offensive zone of the 265th Infantry Division
Alexander Orlov was sitting on a small wooden box with his back against the wall of the German trench reinforced with wooden rods. There were still traces of a fierce battle that had taken place recently - here and there the corpses of German soldiers froze in unnatural positions, the bodies of some of them were charred from the impact of the flamethrower jet. On the parapet lay the crumpled remnants of rifles and machine guns, the bottom of the trench was strewn with heaps of spent cartridges of various calibers. Everywhere was the smell of burning, gunpowder and burnt human flesh.
Nikityansky, having cut open Orlov's tunic, examined his hand.
“Well, you can't say goodbye to such a wound with our penal battalion,” Sergei Ivanovich grinned. - The bone is not hurt, although the wound is large. I think that the medical battalion will be allowed to lie down for a week.
- How are ours? - Pointing with a nod at the fighters who had gone ahead, Orlov asked.
“Yes, I’ve probably seen it myself,” the elderly commander replied gloomily, hastily bandaging Orlov’s wound. - Many of ours were killed, a lot.
- Sergei Ivanovich, do you think we will be able to reach the Leningraders this time? - Alexander directly asked him his most exciting question.
- Well, what can I tell you, Sasha. You see - there is what a developed defense the German has. Although, on the other hand, we now have much better artillery than before, and, apparently, there are a lot of tanks. Yes, and not so far here, to the Neva, the area is just - all the bogs and swamps with forests.
“I think we'll get there,” Orlov said with confidence, “how many people have already died, we need to break through so that their deaths are not in vain.
- We will break through, of course, we will, - the former colonel lightly patted Orlov on the shoulder. - If only the Fritzes did not throw out some new trick, otherwise they are experts in these matters. For more than a year we have been at war with them, but they no, no, and again they are turning us around. And we still can't learn how to fight. Take the same artillery - they fired a lot, but as soon as we attacked the trenches in the depths, almost all the firing points are intact, we ourselves have to take them by storm. It is clear, of course, that artillery would not destroy all machine guns and mortar positions during artillery preparation, but here there was a feeling that even a third could not be knocked out.
Orlov nodded wearily in response. The weakness from the loss of blood made his body limp and seemed to refuse to obey the signals from his brain.
- Well, it's time for me to catch up with ours. Lie still here, soon, I think, what a medical instructor will find you. And you, when you are okay, come with us. - Nikityansky got up, climbed onto the parapet and, winking goodbye to Orlov, disappeared into the deepening twilight. Ahead, the rumble of the ongoing battle was heard, the darkening sky now and then illuminated by flashes of explosions and cut the threads of multicolored signal flares. The struggle for every piece of land in the direction of the main attacks of the Volkhov Front continued, and soon new characters were to appear on the arena of this battle …
CHAPTER 10. TIGER GROWING
August 29, 1942
Leningrad front, station Mga.
The shrill whistle of the echelon approaching the station and long awaited here made the head of the station Mga rise from his desk. Putting on a cap removed from a hanger in the office, he hurried to the exit from the room, where at the door he almost collided with the commander of the guard company, a young lieutenant. Saluting, he cheerfully reported:
- Major, the train is arriving. The cordon, according to your order, has been set up. Outsiders were ordered not to approach the cars closer than two hundred meters.
The stationmaster nodded silently and, bypassing the chief lieutenant, moved on. Leaving the station building already together, the German officers saw the slowly stopping cars and platforms of the arriving train. There was the metallic screech of its brakes and the hiss of steam being blown out from under the wheels of the locomotive. Finally, the wheels of the approaching train completely froze. The chains of the soldiers of the station guard company, turning their backs to the approaching train, surrounded the forthcoming unloading area in a tight circle. Commands were distributed to the beginning of unloading, soldiers in black uniforms began to jump out of the carriages. The covers that covered it gradually disappeared from the equipment standing on open platforms, from under which freshly painted turrets and tank hulls soon appeared.
“Probably straight from the factories,” the chief lieutenant shared his opinion with the major.
“Yes, most likely,” the station chief replied, who was just as attentively observing the unloading of the train that had begun.
At this moment, their attention was attracted by the platforms, on which the process of the beginning of unloading was much slower than on all the others. Only by approaching the first of them, the German officers were able to understand the reason for such "slowness" - the silhouette of the tank standing on this platform was almost three times larger than any other. When the tankers finally completely pulled off the tarpaulin covering their car, the major and the chief lieutenant froze in amazement. The tank occupying the entire width of the platform, with its dimensions, gave the impression of a huge predatory animal. As if in confirmation of this, on the frontal armor of his hull, a running mammoth was depicted with a white outline, with its trunk raised high (16).
(16) - this was the emblem of the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion, the first combat unit of the Wehrmacht equipped with the latest Tiger heavy tanks (Pz. Kpfw. VI Tiger Ausf. H1). The tanks that arrived belonged to the earliest modifications of the Tigers. The photo clearly shows the absence of the so-called "skirt" - removable sections located on the sides of the tank and covering the upper part of the wide track, which will be present on all vehicles of a later production date. The 1st company of the 502nd battalion, which unloaded at the Mga station on August 29, 1942, included 4 Tiger tanks, two in the 1st and 2nd platoons. To reinforce the battalion, time-tested "troikas" (new modifications, 1942 release) were assigned - 9 PzKpfw III Ausf. N and PzKpfw III Ausf. L tanks each.
- Yes, it's a real monster! - the commander of the guard company exclaimed with undisguised admiration. - Look only at the caliber of the gun! In my opinion, the gun is very similar to the anti-aircraft gun "eight-eight" (17).
(17) - "akht koma akht", or "eight-eight" (German: Acht-acht) - the slang name for the German anti-aircraft gun 8, 8 cm FlaK 18/36/37 (8, 8-cm anti-aircraft gun model 1918 / 1936/1937). In addition to the fact that it is deservedly recognized as one of the best anti-aircraft guns of the Second World War, with the appearance of anti-cannon-armored tanks on the battlefield, only its shells were guaranteed to penetrate the armor of such heavy vehicles, even from a distance of more than a kilometer. On the Eastern Front, these 88-mm German anti-aircraft guns were successfully used against the Soviet T-34 and KV, which in 1941-1942 were extremely vulnerable to low-power shells of German tanks and anti-tank artillery (37-mm anti-tank gun Pak 35/36, which is massively was in service with the Wehrmacht troops, generally received in the troops the derogatory nickname "door knocker", for the inability to fight Soviet medium and heavy tanks, even at close range). When, in May 1941, during a discussion of the concept of a new heavy tank, Hitler proposed to provide the future tank not only with enhanced armor protection, but also with increased firepower, the choice was made in favor of an 88-mm cannon. Soon the new heavy "Tiger" received such a weapon. It was developed by Friedrich Krupp AG, using the swinging part of the 8, 8-cm Flak 18/36 anti-aircraft gun. In the tank version, having received a muzzle brake and electric trigger, the new gun became known as the 8.8cm KwK 36.
In the photo - the calculation of the anti-aircraft gun 8, 8 cm FlaK 18/36 is preparing for battle (white rings on the barrel indicate the number of targets it destroyed).
“That is why the train went with delays in front of some bridges,” said the major thoughtfully. - This tank weighs, perhaps, about sixty tons.
“Fifty-six tons to be exact,” said a voice from behind them.
The stationmaster and the chief lieutenant turned around.
“Major Merker, commander of the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion,” he introduced himself, saluting. After exchanging greetings, the tankman continued. - Gentlemen, I need to unload my unit as soon as possible. This is especially true of the new heavy tanks "Tiger" - he nodded at the multi-ton vehicle standing in front of them. But I would not want to risk unloading them from the platforms on my own. Is it possible to organize their unloading by crane?
“Yes, of course, of course,” replied the stationmaster. “I have received an order to render you all possible assistance. We will now fit a railway crane with a lifting capacity of 70 tons. I think that will be enough.
- Thank you very much, Major, - thanked Merker. - Now I am calm about my "animals" and will be able to fully engage in the preparation of the battalion for the march.
Saluting, the commander of the arriving tankers turned and walked towards the officers standing nearby - apparently, the battalion platoon commanders. At this time, new commands began to be heard, the noise of starting tank engines was heard. The less heavy medium tanks began to slide carefully from their platforms, along the special discharge beams.
Soon the unloading of the Tigers began. A large railway crane gently unloaded them onto the ground, where technicians immediately began to scurry around the tanks. They rolled additional "pancakes" of road wheels to the tanks, while the crew members began to remove the tracks from the tank. Soon a mobile crane from the battalion's repair unit arrived and began unloading alongside one of the Tigers some other tracks, much wider than those on which they had arrived.
- What are they doing, Major? - Quietly, trying not to attract special attention, the chief lieutenant asked the head of the station.
“As far as I understand, they will change the tank tracks to wider ones,” the major answered him, also watching with interest the work of the tankers. - On their narrow tracks, especially on the local roads, and even with such a mass, they will not go far. But it is impossible to transport them at once with wide tracks - they will act beyond the dimensions of our platforms.
In the meantime, having removed the old tracks with a mobile crane, the crews began to mount another row of external road wheels on both sides of the tank. Only after completing this process, they were able to start installing wider tracks on their machines.
While this strenuous work was going on near the Tigers, practically the entire echelon had already finished unloading. The major looked at his watch. The small hand on the dial just touched ten o'clock. It was possible to report on the completion of the unloading of the train. Having ordered the chief lieutenant not to remove the cordon until the unloaded units completely left the station territory, he walked towards the station building.
Fifteen minutes later, the battalion was fully ready for the march. Leaning out of the top hatch of one of his Tigers, Merker scanned the immediate surroundings through binoculars.
- What do you think of this area, Kurt? - turning on the radio, he addressed his question to the commander of the 1st platoon.
- Without preliminary reconnaissance of the ways of advancing, we can get bogged down - he heard the quite expected answer in his headphones.
- We have been ordered to go to the planned deployment area by 11-00. There is no time for exploration. Let's take a risk, - said the major, and commanded, - battalion, forward!
After that, the medium Pz-IIIs were the first to move, as if paving the way for the rest. Behind them, growling with their powerful engines, the multi-ton "Tigers" crawled. The rest of the tanks, vehicles of repair companies and supply companies were drawn into a column, following their armored vehicles.
August 29, 1942
Leningrad front.
Command post of the 11th German army.
Another day of the outgoing summer of 1942 was drawing to a close. Sitting at his desk, Manstein was eagerly awaiting a report on the results of his 170th Infantry Division's counterattack. A separate topic, which was especially interested in the rate of the Fuehrer, was information on the topic of the first use in combat conditions of the newest "Tigers". He was about to pick up the phone and rush the head of the operations department with a report when he finally entered his room himself.
“I beg your pardon for the delay, Master Field Marshal,” said Busse, laying out a fresh map in front of Manstein. - I had to double-check the information about the current front line with the headquarters of the 18th Army, as in some cases we had conflicting data. As we later understood, this was caused by the rapidly changing situation in the zone of our counterattack.
For several minutes, Manstein leisurely independently assessed the changes that had occurred on the battle map over the past 24 hours. Then asked the question:
- As far as I understand, as a result of the counterattack, we did not manage to press the enemy back?
- Mr. Field Marshal, our 170th Infantry Division, with the support of the battle group of the 12th Panzer Division and the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion, struck the southern flank of the advancing group of the 8th Soviet Army and were able to stop their further advance. However, the attempt to push the Russian troops back to their former positions has not yet been successful.
- Well, what is the headquarters of Army Group North doing in connection with the current situation?
- The command of the army group ordered the 28th Jaeger and 5th Mountain Divisions to leave the areas of concentration of the "Northern Lights" and strike at the driven wedge of the Russians from the west and northwest. In addition, the Fuehrer himself gave the order last night to deploy the 3rd Mountain Division, transported by sea from Norway to Finland, and unload it in Tallinn.
“It's clear,” Manstein chuckled. - The forces prepared for the storming of Petersburg are being used more and more to contain this surprise Russian offensive. Well, how did our new "Tigers" show themselves in the offensive?
- Unfortunately, so far it has not been possible to counterattack the Russian troops with the latest tanks, - at these words Busse looked directly at the field marshal.
The man looked up at him in surprise.
- The fact is that three of the four tanks had problems with engines and gearboxes, one of the tanks even had to be extinguished because of the fire that broke out. According to the tankers, the transmission and engines, which are overloaded due to the large mass of the "Tigers", are experiencing additional stress due to movement on wet, swampy ground. In addition, the bridges in the combat area cannot withstand the masses of these tanks, and the logs of the log road break under them like matches.
- I hope the tanks were able to evacuate to the rear, so that they would not go to the Russians?
- That's right, Mr. Field Marshal. Don't worry, the Tigers have been successfully evacuated from the front lines and will soon be back in action.
- Yeah.. I think that in our business here they are clearly … not assistants for us, - said the army commander, faltering a little. At the last moment, Manstein decided not to use the word "burden".
For any tank, especially a heavy one, swampy ground is considered difficult terrain. "Tigers", even of much later modifications, "successfully" bogged down in any wet soil (as, for example, in the photo - this is a tank belonging to the 503rd heavy tank battalion, "floundering" in the mud somewhere in Ukraine, 1944). If we add to this that the "Tigers" that arrived in August 1942 near Leningrad, like any other first production vehicles, suffered from many so-called "childhood diseases" (that is, imperfections in the still "raw" design of parts and assemblies), then the failure their first attempt at application, of course, does not seem to be something extra natural. However, it should be recognized that this machine (which, like any other, was constantly modified in the course of its production), subject to its competent tactical use, soon became a very formidable enemy. As an example, we can cite the fact that from about the middle of 1943 until the end of the war, it was the "Tigers", if they stood in the directions that were dangerous for the Germans, claimed most of the enemy armored vehicles knocked out in such a sector, and from German tankers this vehicle received nickname "Society for the Preservation of Life", for the ability to keep the crew as much as possible when a tank is hit.
To be continued …
