Chapter 208
9th March 1942
Northern Italy, outskirts of Bologna
Bologna was the largest Italian City in allied hands north of Rome and a supply hub for the Allied forces besieging the central part of the Gustav line. The Italian civilians in the city had adapted to the immense number of soldiers from all the countries and of every imaginable colour, in fact there were so many of them that they almost drowned out the natives in spite of the irregular artillery fire from the Axis side of the line. Many of the Italians had fled in one direction or another. A great many abandoned houses and flats were now billets for the Officers that served either in the rear area services in the city itself or sometimes in the units that were stationed around it. The Officer now driving down the road towards the Italian Headquarters of the Polish Forces in exile would have been entitled to a modest flat himself for he wore the rank insignia of a British Colonel, but one look at the stripes on his chest and the tankers beret on his head in spite of the weather quickly convinced any onlooker that this Officer share accommodations with his men in the field. The Armoured Forces had it better than the Infantry in this respect, especially in this sort of rest area, because they were usually stationed where there was infrastructure and for him and his men this had resulted in a barracks that had one belonged to the Ariete Division and was now home to the British 7th Armoured and the 1st Polish Armoured Divisons. The Colonel in question was of course Colonel Niemczyk and he was not on a visit but rather a meeting with the rest of the Division's regimental commanders and that of the 1st Polish. It was a strange thing, because both Divisions were quartered together and holding the meeting there would have made more sense, but the General had insisted that it was to be held at the headquarters of the Polish Forces. The meeting was not to take place for another two hours, but the cook at the Polish Headquarters made curry that was to die for, and he wanted to eat to his heart's content. He would ask about what happened and...
The strand of thought was cut off as Artillery shells began to fall everywhere. Shelling was normal, the Germans had at least three railway guns up north but this, this was lighter Field Artillery! Jan instantly decided to forego the meeting and turned the Landy around even as the street around him erupted in shell impacts. He raced back out of the city towards the barracks were someone apparently had already raised the alarm, since the smell of diesel fumes and the roar of Meteor Engines was evident. Most of the two Divisions was dispersed around the area, but this here was where two Regiments of them and the staffs were located, so when Jan stepped inside the main building after blatantly ignoring the pickets that asked for his papers he could see the two Generals already studying maps.
“What's this circus all about, Sir?” Jan asked.
General Maczek answered.
“It seems that the enemy is attacking us with the intent of capturing this lovely town and driving us back towards Rome at the very least.”
Jan was startled but his face did not show it. He took a few seconds to collect himself and then asked another question.
“Any news on where, and enemy strength?”
“It's a bloody mess up there, all we know is that a large Armoured Force is involved. Before they broke the 1st Belgian Infantry reported a huge number of Panzer IVs and T-34 coming at them, and since we are Corps and sector reserve at the moment we have been tasked with stopping them.”
The Polish General held out a map towards Jan.
“Here is everything we know so far.” Even as the British Colonel turned and left without asking to be dismissed he heard some more. “More as it comes in over the wireless.”
Outside the 2nd Royal Hussars and the 24th Polish Lancers were preparing to move out in what looked and was organized Chaos. There had been no leave for several days so the men of the two Regiments were all present, for they were probably the most experienced and disciplined armoured Regiments in Italy (he refused to use 'elite') and he did not have to check to know that all of the men were there. He raced his landy trough the beehive of activity that was the camp towards the Regimental CP in an empty warehouse where the Italians had once stored spare parts for the contraptions they had called tanks and saw to his satisfaction that all of his Officers were already eagerly waiting for him. He went over to the table and dispensed with the pleasantries.
“Gentlemen,” he said and laid out the map on the old box that had one contained a tank engine. “As far as our new boss, General Campbell, could tell me the enemy is breaking through our lines almost dead north of here, it seems that they are intent on depriving us if this piece of real estate. We can't have that of course, and because of that us and the Lancers have been ordered to go forward immediately to about here,” he indicated the spot on the map, “and stop or at the very least delay the enemy as much as possible until the rest of the Corps can me moved in.”
Major General John Charles Campbell, newly minted Commander of the 7th Armoured Division
Jan paused and looked at his Officers in turn. “I hope you realize that we could come up against an untold number of enemy forces, there is simply no telling yet what they are throwing against us.” He paused again. “Any more questions?” Silence. “Good. Then let's get moving. Dismissed.” He stepped outside and his men followed.
As he began to walk over to where Battleaxe II was parked under a camouflage net the air was filled with more than meteor engines and diesel fumes, there was a roar coming from above. Jan looked upwards and was terrified when he saw that a immense swarm of German Ju-87s was diving down at them one after another. Forgetting all sense of dignity he began to ran past one of the Divisional Anti-Air troops AA Crusaders began to spit out 20mm shells towards the diving Stukas. When he reached Battleaxe the drone of their sirens was deafening and the first bombs began to fall. As he climbed the hull he realized that the tank was already moving towards the road that led out of the compound and by the time he closed the hatch, Battleaxe was already swirving onto the road and racing towards the exit. All around them chaos reigned surpreme thanks to the intervention of the Luftwaffe, but by the time the sixteen german planes had dropped their bombs the general direction was outwards to where the unit commanders could sort out their troops.
Still, the Stukas had achieved their goal, the mobilization of the two Regiments was seriously disrupted. While Jan and his counterpart sorted out their units with strength, orders and profanities the three German Divisions that led the counterstroke that was to gain the Germans Bologna and later perhaps even Rome drove southwards as hard as they could against scattered but extremely determined resistance by the Belgian Infantry that had recovered from the shock by then and fought back savagely. By mid-day, 12:11 to be exact, the Germans had covered the distance between the forward Axis positions and the outskirts of Bologna. By that time however something else had happened: The 2nd Royal Hussars and the 24th Polish Lancers were deployed in the outskirts of the town. Most of the three Infantry Divisions was tied down, but the four Panzer Regiments were amply supported by Infantry, whereas the two allied Tank Regiments went to battle virtually alone, only a company from the South Wessex Light Infantry had been found in time. Both Colonels had spaced their tanks in the outskirts of Bologna facing north. Jan was in overall command since he had seniority and a VC under his belt, and that carried a lot of weight even with non-Commonwealth units. Ambush was the name of the game. Let the Germans think they had won and close in and then smash their IV's to bits with superior firepower. Overhead at least five or six Squadrons of Allied Fighters were converging, so no more surprise Stuka attacks. Battleaxe II was placed behind what had been a car workshop that was situated behind a bend in the road, the barrel just so peeping out between the workshop and the next house allowing the tank to conceal itself quickly by putting in the reverse gear. Jan was standing in the hatch and looked at the Germans as they advanced. Behind him light and irregular artillery fire was turning more of the city into rubble but he ignored it. His eyes were firmly on the Germans, and now, only a few more moments...he grabbed the wireless microphone that connected him to the rest of his impromptu command. He painted a mental map. The two Tank Regiments were strung out along a line along the outskirts of the city and beyond. To get into Bologna the Germans would have to cross the river that lay between them and their destination, and he knew that the five or six spots where tanks could cross easily were all zeroed in by Artillery. However if this morning was any indication then he chose not to rely on it being available.
The Germans were a good bit in range now and he was just about to give the order to fire when somewhere along the line first one then several guns discharged early. “Oh goddamn..ALL UNITS, OPEN FIRE!”
He closed the hatch behind himself as he sat down and watched the battle through his optics. The Germans had been caught in the open just as they attempted to cross the river. The Panzers soon pulled back and Jan could see at least half a dozen of them burning merrily away. He called for Artillery on the retreating Infantry, but Badger Six (as Divisional Artillery was known this month) did not answer, and the RAF liaison Officer was nowhere to be found, so there was nothing he could do but watch as the Germans pulled back briefly. When they realized that no retaliatory death from above was incoming, the Infantry soon made another try at forcing a crossing.
Here the German superiority in Infantry came into play. They knew that they had to force a crossing and get into the city before the Allies could put reinforcements on the Battlefield, and the disregard for the danger and the casualties they took from the South Wessex Company and the tanks that fired the few HE shells that they had. The British Infantry was hastily dug in around two houses that covered the easiest for that had probably been in use for decades and the burning Panzer in front of their position told a tale, but less than fifty men were pitted against almost two Battalions of hardened veterans that had crossed the Rhine, the Meuse and countless smaller rivers and creeks over the years of war. They had taken less than half an hour to pull themselves and now they were conducting an improvised river crossing. Jan watched it with fascination and he had to admit that these Germans knew what they were doing, he had to admit that. They were crack troops, that much was sure. By the time they had begun engaging the South Wessex position again the Panzers reappeared and began to engage the Allied tanks hidden away, and by now they had a good idea as to where they were. The Allies began to take serious losses but fought back. Down near the ford the British Infantry still fought back, but the Company had been seriously understrength to begin with and now they were taking losses they could ill afford, only around fifty were still in a condition to fight. The Germans circled around the houses in an effort to catch their enemy from behind and Jan once again wished that he could make contact with the Artillery or the Air Force. He realized that he had become too dependent on the other services and he vowed not to let that happen again. Right now he just watched the catastrophe unfold, unable to do anything because the Tanks had a lot do do fighting off their German counterparts. Both sides began to take losses that would take a while to replace – not that it would be the last today.
Then, one and a half hour after the second crossing attempt the fighting at the two houses died down and in spite of the harassing fire from the few tanks that were not too busy with other things and a few lonely mortars that had found their way forward. Jan, still in command, realized that he was going to be overwhelmed and forced to withdraw sooner rather than later when the Germans began to bring more Infantry across and the first Panzers began to move towards the crossing.
“Time to get out of here.” He switched his throat microphone from the internal system to what normally was the Battalion curcuit and said:
“All Badger Units, fall back towards Halt Line Red Five, I repeat...”
He repeated the order five more times before giving his driver a simple order. The Gunner fired a last round that even killed a Panzer IV as it was about to cross one of the other fords and then Battleaxe II moved backwards, using the rubble of the buildings for cover.
“How are we doing, Gents?” Jan asked.
“We're down to nineteen HEAT. None of the other types have yet been used. If we can resupply tonight we should be fine for now, Colonel.”
“Good.”
The Allied forces withdrew deeper into the city and conducted a fighting retreat through the streets, turning even more of the city into rubble. Near the city centre and the main church the surviving tanks of the two Regiments made another stand. Here their smaller numbers did not matter as much because there were only so many directions the Germans could come from, and the hedgehog positition with which the Allies defended the Square proved to be unbreakable. The Germans could neither bring in Artillery because they would more often than not hit their own troops and the Stukas were grounded because by now every Fighter Squadron in Northern Italy had sent it's airworthy planes to the Battle area and sheer force of numbers had given the Allies Air Surpremacy simply because the local Luftwaffe Commanders had not believed that the Allies would surge their fighters forward like that and risk them to exposure. By the time they had realized their mistake (about the time when the ground forces pulled back from the edge of the city) the enemy already had so many fighters all over the Battle area that any more sorties would most certainly be smashed.
The dogged defence began to pay dividends because Major General Bauer, in charge of the attack, began to get nervous because he knew that if he did not manage to take Bologna quick, his most forward formations would be caught fighting in the city from which they would be hard to extract if or rather when the Allies attacked his dangerously exposed rear areas that were only defended by the three reserve Infantry Brigades that he had decided to leave behind. Pockets of Belgian Infantry that refused to surrender, stragglers and diehards made that spot as dangerous as it was already and now in front of him the British and Polish Tanks that held the town centre refused to budge.
Three more attacks were launched that afternoon but when the sun began to set, the Germans pulled back. The tankers that had fought for their lives throughout the day did not know why and were understandably puzzled when suddenly fighting died down everywhere, but soon they would find out that the Dutch 1st Infantry Division and accompanied by the also Dutch 2nd Tank Brigade launched an not ordered counterattack against the rear areas of the Germans with the intent of cutting off their advance units in Bologna. Eventually that attack failed, but it coerced Bauer into pulling back.
The battles of this day would later be significant in two respects. Not only was it the last combat action of the venerable Ju-87 Stuka Divebomber, but it also turned out to be the last serious Axis attempt at throwing the Allies back. From that moment onwards Rommel, later joined by Field Marshal Kesselring would be too busy to defend against various Allied attacks to do much advancing themselves. Aside from localized counterattacks the Axis forces would never gain make a serious attempt to regain the initiative.
[Notes: Can you tell that I had the time to do this properly?]