Opening Moves (The Red Gambit Series) Read online

  2302 hrs Friday, 3rd August 1945, Gopfritz am der Wild. Soviet Occupied Lower Austria. 221

  Chapter 32 – THE RAILWAY.. 226

  0002 hrs Saturday, 4th August 1945, On eastbound train, Soviet Occupied Lower Austria. 226

  Chapter 33 – THE RAILYARD.. 235

  0920 hrs Saturday, 4th August 1945, Persenbeug, Soviet Occupied Lower Austria. 235

  Chapter 34 – THE DANUBE.. 242

  2255 hrs Saturday, 4th August 1945, Ybbs an der Donau, Soviet Occupied Lower Austria. 242

  0155 hrs Sunday, 5th August 1945, Ybbs an der Donau, Soviet Occupied Lower Austria. 244

  0503 hrs Sunday, 5th August 1945, Ybbs an der Donau, Soviet Occupied Lower Austria. 247

  0657 hrs Sunday, 5th August 1945, Ybbs an der Donau, Soviet Occupied Lower Austria. 248

  1147 hrs Sunday, 5th August 1945, Ybbs an der Donau, Soviet Occupied Lower Austria. 255

  1313 hrs Sunday, 5th August 1945, Ybbs an der Donau, Soviet Occupied Lower Austria. 259

  Chapter 35 – THE PEACE.. 261

  2125 hrs Sunday, 5th August 1945, Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, French Alsace. 261

  2158 hrs Sunday, 5th August 1945, Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, French Alsace. 265

  Chapter 36 – THE GENERAL.. 274

  0104 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Enns, US Occupied Upper Austria. 274

  0223 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Enns, US Occupied Upper Austria 280

  0545 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Salzburg, US Occupied Upper Austria. 290

  Chapter 37 – THE ZILANTS. 293

  Early Morning, Monday, 6th August 1945, Airborne over Allied occupied Germany. 293

  Chapter 38 – THE CHTEAU.. 299

  0401 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, With the Zilant #4 Group, Airborne over Allied occupied Germany. 299

  0420 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Zilant #4 Group, Saint-Hippolyte drop zone, French Alsace. 302

  0510 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, French Alsace. 306

  0535 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Temporary Military Laager, Selestat, French Alsace. 322

  0555 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, French Alsace. 327

  0608 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Approach roads to the Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, French Alsace. 348

  0609 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, French Alsace. 350

  0620 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, North road approach to the Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, French Alsace. 360

  0623 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Lower Courtyard, Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, French Alsace. 361

  0657 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, French Alsace. 365

  Chapter 39 – THE BALTIC.. 375

  0521 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Aboard ShCh-307, Baltic Sea, 20kms East-South-East of Gedser Point, Lolland, Denmark. 375

  Chapter 40 – THE ATTACK.. 383

  0522 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Headquarters of Red Banner Forces of Soviet Europe, Schloss Schönefeld, Leipzig. 383

  0531 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Sterninghofen Bridge, US Occupied Lower Austria. 384

  CHAPTER 41 – THE PILOT.. 390

  0535 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, 182 Squadron, RAF, Rheine Airfield, Germany. 390

  0559 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, 182 Squadron RAF, airborne over Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. 393

  0608 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, 182 Squadron RAF, airborne over Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. 394

  CHAPTER 42 – THE COMMANDERS. 398

  0545 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Headquarters, US Forces in Europe. I.G.Farben, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany. 398

  1030 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Headquarters, US Forces in Europe. I.G.Farben, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany. 405

  1035 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Headquarters of Red Banner Forces of Soviet Europe, Schloss Schönefeld, Leipzig. 410

  0530 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Rittmanhausen, Germany. 412

  0810 hrs Monday 6th August 1945, Neumarkt im Mühlkreiss - Kefermarkt Area, US occupied Lower Austria. 415

  2102 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Headquarters, US Forces in Europe. I.G.Farben, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany. 425

  CHAPTER 43 – THE BETRAYAL.. 434

  0525 hrs Tuesday, 7th August 1945, Headquarters, US Forces in Europe. I.G.Farben, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany. 434

  1201 hrs Tuesday 7th August 1945, Heiligenthal, South-West of Lüneberg, Germany. 447

  CHAPTER 44 – THE COUNCIL.. 464

  1400 hrs Tuesday, 7th August 1945, Headquarters, US Forces in Europe. I.G.Farben, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany. 464

  CHAPTER 45 – THE ANNOUNCEMENT.. 475

  0656 hrs Wednesday, 8th August 1945, Headquarters, Allied Forces in Europe. I.G.Farben, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany. 475

  0659 hrs Wednesday, 8th August 1945, Headquarters of Red Banner Forces of Soviet Europe, Schloss Schönefeld, Leipzig. 479

  0721 hrs Wednesday, 8th August 1945, Headquarters of Red Banner Forces of Soviet Europe, Schloss Schönefeld, Leipzig. 480

  1131 hrs Wednesday 8th August 1945, Office of the NKVD Chairman, the Lubyanka, Moscow, USSR. 488

  1210 hrs, Wednesday 8th August 1945, Geesthacht, Germany. 489

  1500 hrs Wednesday 8th August 1945. Former Headquarters of SHAEF, Trianon Palace Hotel, Versailles, France. 491

  1528 hrs Wednesday, 8th August 1945, Headquarters of Red Banner Forces of Soviet Europe, Schloss Schönefeld, Leipzig. 496

  1820 hrs Wednesday, 8th August 1945, Airborne over Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany. 498

  2019 hrs Wednesday 8th August 1945, 12th US Army Group Headquarters, Wiesbaden, Germany. 502

  CHAPTER 46 – THE GENERALISSIMO.. 505

  0520 hrs Thursday 9th August 1945, Rear-line positions, ‘B’ Btty, 60th Field Artillery Btn, 9th US Infantry Division at Neunkirchen am Sand, Germany. 505

  0800 hrs Thursday 9th August 1945, The Kremlin, Moscow, USSR. 507

  0830 hrs Thursday 9th August 1945, Headquarters of SHAEF, Trianon Hotel, Versailles, France. 508

  0845 hrs Thursday 9th August 1945, Curau River crossings, South of Malkendorf, Germany. 517

  1028 hrs Thursday 9th August 1945, Headquarters of the French First Army, Baden-Baden. 530

  1215 hrs Thursday 9th August 1945, Headquarters of the French First Army, Baden-Baden. 531

  2135 hrs Thursday 9th August 1945, Headquarters of SHAEF, Trianon Hotel, Versailles, France. 532

  CHAPTER 47 – THE NIGHT.. 539

  0215 hrs Friday 10th August 1945, Headquarters, US Forces in Europe, Trianon Palace Hotel, Versailles, France. 539

  0257 hrs Friday 10th August 1945, Airborne over Leipzig, Germany. 539

  0259 hrs Monday, 6th August 1945, Headquarters of Red Banner Forces of Soviet Europe, Schloss Schönefeld, Leipzig. 542

  0535 hrs Friday 10th August 1945, Vendeville Airfield, France. 543

  0320 hrs Friday 10th August 1945, Advance Headquarters of 12th US Armored Division, Bad Windsheim, Germany. 544

  0325 hrs Friday 10th August 1945, Airborne over München, Germany. 546

  0423 hrs Friday 10th August 1945, Battle lines of the 15th US Armored Division, Bad Driburg, Germany. 551

  CHAPTER 48 – THE RIPOSTES. 555

  0545 hrs Friday 10th August 1945, 12th US Armored Division and other Assault formations of the US Fifteenth Army, Ochsenfurt- Goßmannsdorf, Germany. 555

  0858 hrs 10th August 1945, American Counter-attack, Vicinity of Rottenbauer, Germany. 560

  1239 hrs 10th August 1945, Soviet Ambush and Counter-attack, vicinity of Reichenberg, Germany. 571

  CHAPTER 49 – THE WEAKNESS?. 584

  1355 hrs 10th August 1945, Headquarters, US Forces in Europe, Trianon Palace Hotel, Versailles, France. 584

  2056 hrs 10th August 1945. Headquarters, US Forces in Europe, Trianon Palace Hotel, Versailles, France. 589

  1422 hrs 10th August 1945, Durnbucherforst, Germany. 596

  1748 hrs Friday 10th August 1945, Ainauwald, Germany. 599

&
nbsp; 1959 hrs Friday 10th August 1945, The Kremlin, Moscow, USSR. 601

  CHAPTER 50 – THE PLAN.. 610

  0255 hrs 11th August 1945, Headquarters, Red Banner Forces of Europe, Kohnstein, Nordhausen, Germany. 610

  0951 hrs Saturday 11th August 1945, Office of the NKVD Chairman, The Lubyanka, Moscow, USSR. 622

  CHAPTER 51 – THE HORRORS. 628

  0341 hrs 11th August 1945, Units of the 1st Guards Tank Army at Stammen, South of Trendelburg, Germany. 628

  0351 hrs 11th August 1945, Soviet attack, Stammen & Friedrichsfeld-Sud, south of Trendelburg, Germany. 630

  0352 hrs Saturday 11th August 1945, US Front Lines, Stammen, south of Trendelburg, Germany. 633

  0400 hrs Saturday 11th August 1945, Trendelburg, Germany. 637

  0412 hrs 11th August 1945, US Front Lines, Stammen, Germany. 638

  0513 hrs 11th August 1945, Trendelburg, Germany. 641

  0512 hrs Saturday, 11th August 1945, Exen, south of Trendelburg, Germany. 647

  0512 hrs Saturday,11th August. Trendelburg, Germany. 647

  0620 hrs Saturday, 11th August 1945, Stammen Heights, Germany. 660

  0655 hrs Saturday 11th August 1945, Stammen, Germany. 665

  CHAPTER 52 – THE FRENCH.. 678

  1001 hrs Saturday 11th August 1945, Headquarters, US Forces in Europe, Trianon Palace Hotel, Versailles, France. 678

  1910 hrs Saturday 11th August 1945, Headquarters, US Forces in Europe, Trianon Palace Hotel, Versailles, France. 685

  CHAPTER 53 – THE RATHAUS. 692

  0437 hrs Sunday 12th August 1945, ‘Haus der Zufriedenheit’, Baltische Straße, Metgethen, East Prussia. 692

  1439 hrs Sunday 12th August 1945, Altona, Hamburg, Germany. 695

  1439 hrs Sunday 12th August 1945, St Georg Krankenhaus, Hamburg, Germany. 695

  1515 hrs Sunday 12th August 1945, The Rathaus, Hamburg, Germany. 701

  1615 hrs Sunday 12th August 1945, The Rathaus, Hamburg, Germany. 707

  1630 hrs, Sunday 12th August 1945, Altstad, Hamburg, Germany. 713

  1930 hrs Sunday 12th August 1945, Altstad, Hamburg, Germany. 738

  2300 hrs Sunday 12th August 1945, Adjacent to the ‘Bride’, Altstad, Hamburg, Germany. 741

  0040 Monday 13th August 1945, Altona, Hamburg, Germany. 745

  2045 hrs Sunday 12th August 1945, Curau River Bridge, south-west of Heiligenthal, Germany. 747

  1807 hrs Sunday 12th August 1945, Headquarters of SHAEF, Trianon Hotel, Versailles, France. 749

  1844 hrs Sunday 12th August 1945, The road to Calvados, France. 757

  2213 hrs Sunday 12th August 1945, French Foreign Legion Camp, Sassy, France. 761

  CHAPTER 54 – THE STORM... 765

  0258 hrs Monday 13th August 1945, The Frontline, Europe. 765

  List of figures. 767

  Bibliography. 768

  Glossary. 770

  About the Author. 790

  ‘Stalemate’ - the story continues. 792

  Chapter 55 – The Wave. 792

  0255 hrs Monday, 13th August 1945, Europe. 792

  The ‘Red Gambit Series’ novels are works of fiction, and deal with fictional events. Most of the characters therein are a figment of the author’s imagination. Without exception, those characters that are historical figures of fact or based upon historical figures of fact are used fictitiously, and their actions, demeanour, conversations, and characters are similarly all figments of the author’s imagination.

  The Foreword

  This is a work about men and their capacity to endure. I hope it is balanced and even, just telling how it was for the soldiers of both sides that fought and died in those troubled times. The references, evidences, and memories that I have been able to consult have been strangely both starkly detailed and sketchy in equal measure, possibly because the mind can be very selective when it wishes to be.

  So I have tried as best I can to tie in personal contributions with the general military and political facts we all now accept. I admit that I have tried to tell little of the politics, save those details that I have considered essential and concentrated upon using the personal details and evidence to weave the story of those awful times in a way that best shows the reader what incredible men all our grandfathers were.

  It is a fact that bravery knows no national boundaries and that the other side always have their honourable and courageous men too. I hope that I have reflected that and done due honour to all those about whom I have written here.

  My prime interest has always been the World Wars, probably because I grew up with their first-hand effects upon my family. The Great War laid my family low, my great-grandfather’s three brothers, and two cousins, permanently entrusted to the soil of France, from where none returned; there were no tales of heroism or of horror brought home from the front in the Great War.

  Whereas, for the conflicts of 1939-1945 and 1945-1947 stories abounded, tales of great-uncles and family friends who perished in the sands of North Africa, fought in the waters of the North Atlantic, were enslaved as prisoners in the jungles of Burma or who died violently on the farmlands of Germany. I would polish an array of medals for Granddad on the occasions he ventured out for reunions and events, and I often listened to the conversations of old men around tables on a warm summer’s eve, when stories of those times came alive in their words.

  I always wanted to write something; not just something to satisfy my own desire for the immortality of a writer, but something that would pay tribute to the good and brave of all sides who fought and died in those difficult years.

  I suppose I was destined to write this particular book. By accident, happenstance or coincidence I came into possession of the knowledge to construct this account, varying from the writings of participants, through official documentation that I hunted out onto personal interviews with surviving combatants or their families.

  Synchronicity took over, that turn of events that make that of which you mused possible if not likely, and Madame Fate started to weave her web over me, delivering into my possession the means to do something really special.

  The first set of memoirs that came into my hands were those of SS-Sturmbannfuhrer Rolf Uhlmann, formerly of the 5th SS Panzer Division “Wiking” and whose exploits in the conflict are now the stuff of legend. A hand written personal journal of his war that was never published was offered to me to consult by the woman into whose hands it had been entrusted, on her explicit understanding that I would faithfully reflect its contents. This I now do Krystal, in tribute to both of your men, so lie easy in your eternal rest.

  It was my privilege to meet with the family of the legendary SS-Standartenfuhrer Ernst-August Knocke, who were able to furnish me with private papers and anecdotes as told them by their husband and father. It was they who secured me an introduction to a secretive and proud group of men who were vilified in the days after the German surrender, despite the sacrifices they made in the name of their country. To all of you my thanks, but especially to Anne-Marie, his wife, and a woman I greatly admire.

  On my first trip to Russia, an official research visit to some of Russia’s Military museums, I was approached in my hotel by an old gentleman who knew surprisingly much of my purpose. He offered to loan me an unpublished document written partially by Colonel [Polkovnik] of Tank Troops Arkady Yarishlov, referring to his role in the Great Patriotic War from 1941 through to its bloody end when it was entrusted to one of his comrades. That comrade then gave me the responsibility to use it wisely and ensure its main author received the laurels he truly deserved. I hope that I have done so and honoured a brave man. To Stefan, who completed the writings, translated them, and filled in missing information, I thank you for seeking me out and entrusting me with those precious documents and the story of a true soldier.

  Gaining access to the fourth set, namely the soon to be published memoirs of Vladimir Stelmakh, was more bizarre. A shared moment with an old man looking at a famous battle-damaged tank in the Kubinka Museum led to an enduring frie
ndship and access to the kind of intimate information historians can normally only dream about, particularly your intermediary work with the family of one of the Soviet Union’s greatest General’s and heroes and the incredible documents they permitted me sight of. Without your direct support for my cause, much of the important events in Moscow during September 1947, one of the most remarkable elements of the history of World War Three, would never have been fully known. Thank you my friend.

  The fifth set I had access to all the time but never knew it. My grandfather, Major John Ramsey, was something of an amateur writer and left many papers relating to his wartime exploits, typically penned in a self-effacing fashion as befitted the modest man he was. My grandmother casually told me of their existence over Roast Pork one Sunday, shortly after I returned from my trip to Russia. It never occurred to her to offer them beforehand and never occurred to me that such things existed. Of his actions, we British know much already. Thank you Nan. If only I had been old enough to understand the nature of the medals I diligently polished!