Breakout (Kirov Series Book 38) by Schettler John

Author:Schettler, John [Schettler, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: The Writing Shop Press
Published: 2018-07-28T16:00:00+00:00

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The American 11th Armored Division was off to a good start as it cut its combat teeth with its first offensive operation. In the old history, the Thunderbolt division had not arrived in France until late in the year, but under Marshall’s accelerated deployment program to support Overlord , it was shipped directly from the States to land at Dunkerque. Rattling down the road through Beruges, it was now attempting to break the enemy defense and drive to Poppering, where it was to turn east to the famous WWI town of Ypres.

In its path was the capable 3rd Parachute Division, which had held the line for over a week. They were excellent as infantry soldiers, but the division had little in the way of AT weapons. Now they were facing a very powerful thrust, with Guards Armored Division joining the attack on the right, supported by the 52nd Lowland Division. That was three divisions, with a lot of tanks, and backed by powerful artillery. The British General Dempsey was coordinating the battle, and looking for his moment of glory with a breakout in this high-stakes fight.

Just as it seemed the line could no longer be held, the last battalion of what was once the proud 24th Panzer Division, KG Edelsheim, moved to try and close the gap, and against very steep odds. It was led by supporting artillery, a brave advance into the teeth of a grinding armored attack. The infantry rushed forward, the Panzerfausts on their shoulders, but they were faced by all three battalions of the new British Centurion tanks. It was too much steel, moving too fast, and the British rolled right through that battalion, finally overcoming the last line of enemy resistance.

The armored infantry of the Guards raced through, three battalions mounted in the new British Ram Kangaroos. Piling through the rolling smoke, they emerged to see an open field in front of them, and no Germans to be seen. The two armored divisions, side by side, had punched clean through the enemy line, and the road to Poppering was wide open.

General Barenthin’s HQ had nearly been overrun, but he found a working telephone in a small town and was able to call von Salmuth in Lille. “They have broken through on the road to Poppering. We need Panzers!”

That was an understatement. Every mobile division assigned to 15th Army was committed. In order to get one, a withdrawal had to be ordered to shorten lines so that unit could be freed up to move. Leaving a thinned outline as a delaying force, orders were given to the 10th SS and 2nd Panzer to extricate themselves and begin moving at once. Other units on the line would now have to extend their lines, which was going to create weak areas that might lead to more problems. But the problem in hand was one that had to be dealt with first. If that breakthrough was not stopped….

The Germans had flowed in enough support for 15th Army to contain the landings and hold that front stable for just twenty days.

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