Initiative (The Red Gambit Series Book 6) by Gee Colin

Author:Gee, Colin [Gee, Colin]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, mobi
Published: 2015-10-06T04:00:00+00:00

Fig # 198 – Soviet Order of Battle, Height 493, Fulda.

230th ‘Zhitomir’ Independent Tank Regiment had lost more than a company commander to the lethal 90mm’s of the Super Pershings, its first company T34s mostly burning and smoking in the valley where they had first sprung a surprise on the Battle-axe infantrymen.

The Zhitomir Regiment was not at full strength, but had received reinforcements from units broken up by casualties, and touted an impressive order of battle for a Soviet armoured unit at this stage in the war.

Major Yatzhin, a veteran of Kursk, Bagration, and the final days in Czechoslovakia, commanded a mixed force of T34s, as well as an infantry company and the remnants of a heavy tank unit, whose IS-IIIs now lay in wait for the US advance.

The Cossack General commanding had sent more cavalrymen from the 6th Guards Cavalry Corps to help with the defence of Heights 434 and 493.

The tank Major ensured his own defences on 493 were fully prepared, and ordered the newly arrived horseless cavalrymen to thicken up his defence, and retained his own SMG unit as a reaction force to seal any breach.

Yatzhin’s command tank was dug-in on the slope of Height 493, from where he observed the slow but sure advance of the American heavy tanks.

Puzzled that the artillery had slackened off, Yatzhin contacted the Artillery liaison officer, only to discover that the artillery battalion had been attacked by aircraft and was repositioning…

… what was left of it…

He still had a company of Katyusha up his sleeve, but their value against heavy tanks was limited.

The American juggernaut crept closer.

“Gunner, follow the lead one on the road there. Stay on target.”

He flicked the radio switch to his unit’s frequency and thumbed the mike.

“Kukhnya-Zero, all units Podval, Uchitel-Zero, Kukhnya-Two and Kukhnya-Three, hold your fire… hold your fire…”

He released the mike button and spared a milli-second’s thought for the commander and men of Kukhnya-One, whose men and machines lay blasted in the valley to his right.

The moment passed and he returned to his mental picture of the battlefield, imagining his tanks, and those of the broken heavy tank regiment, the handful of anti-tank guns, and the infantry… and the mines.

“…Hold your fire…”

The mines had been provided from stocks liberated from the former Nazi army, Type 43 Riegel bar mines in large numbers, notorious for their sensitivity and instability due to corrosion in the wiring, a fact attested to by the engineer unit that had laid them, which had lost three valuable men in the process.

The mines were another reason that his artillery had avoided the valley floor, not wishing to set off the sensitive devices before they had a chance to play their part.

“…Hold your fire…”

The large enemy tanks were still progressing, seeking new targets to their front, occasionally halting to fire and pick off a survivor from his First Company.

“… Hold your fire…”

A shell sent from the side of Height 434 achieved success, struck the side of a Super Pershing’s turret and deflected perfectly into the hull armour.

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