Rank and File
A Clerk’s War
March 1941
The preparation of the Order of Battle for Unternehmen Barbarossa has caused a great deal of discussion in Berlin. (Although it was supposed to be a restricted document, prepared specifically for the Reichskanzler and for distribution to a restricted audience, copies have mysteriously appeared around the city. The wonders of carbon paper!) There have been many surreptitious conversations in the hallways near my office, with much shaking of heads and pursing of lips. The general feeling is that the Wehrmacht is not ready for such a huge task, that we have insufficient men and tanks. Some officers have even been heard to criticise Unternehmen Barbarossa (maps of the Eastern border areas are also apparently available – what are the security forces doing?) claiming that the plan itself contains the seeds of our destruction.
While not a mindless Party man, I take no part in such defeatist talk. If Hindenburg and Ludendorff had taken the same view, we would never had had the glorious victory of Tannenburg, nor been able to demand the Waffenstillsandsabkommnen signed at Brest-Litowsk. A good soldier is not deterred by numbers: he trusts his commanders and does his duty. I am sure our young men (including my brothers) will do just that.
Victory in the East: the Russians sign the Treaty of Brest-Litowsk in the presence of Oberbefehlshaber der Ostfront Generalfeldmarschall Prinz von Bayern
Meanwhile preparations continue. Road and rail works have been completed in Spain and in the East, but even more work gangs are being despatched to further improve our communications. The amount of productive capacity being expended is enormous, but Fritz Bayerlein is unrelenting in his desire to raise the infrastructure of Poland to modern levels. So train after train rolls east, loaded with cement, rail lines and bitumen for the front line provinces.
Not that the growth of the Heer has been neglected. Two more cavalry divisions have been called up, and two garrison divisions are in training. It would appear to a simple old soldier like myself that preparations are being made for further transfers of combat units to the east.
On the Wednesday 6th news of yet another Spanish revolt. This time it was in Muros, where Galician nationalists have united with various other groups to form a revolutionary army. Troops are scattered in Spain and I worry it will take some time to get our forces to the region.
Rebellion in Muros
Rebel forces in Muros: the local police cannot handle these ill-disciplined but motivated guerrillas.
That was far away, however. Closer to home the excitement over the Order of Battle and the military maps has been put to one side as speculation on the launch date takes over. I have heard a dozen dates mentioned, but there is one that growing in popularity. On 23rd March 1933 the Reichstag passed the Ermächtigungsgesetz (or, to give its full name, the “Gesetz zur Behegung der Not von Volk und Reich”). This signalled the start of the Reichkanzler’s rule and the move towards our current position. I tend to agree that this date is likely: the Führer loves this sort of thing.
On the 11th a second Galician province fell to the rebels: Carballo. The news was that the rebels are now marching on Santiago de Competela. Of course we are holding the port of La Coruña securely as we do not want to give the British any opportunity for an invasion. However, the precautions were not necessary.
Moving into Santiago de Competela was a fatal mistake by the anonymous leaders of the revolt. General Behschnitt, commander of 96.Infanterie Division had been biding his time, waiting for the main rebel force to get within range of his base at La Coruña. On 13th March he sprang his trap. Faced with two regular infantry brigades backed up by a regiment of nebelwerfers, the peasants and socialists simply vanished. By nightfall not one armed rebel remained in the province, and Behschnitt’s men did not have to fire a shot.
Battle of Santiago de Compotela
A glorious day on Friday 15th as the Kriegmarine finally received its first aircraft carrier. The “Graf Zeppelin” immediately loaded its aircraft which have been ready for months, and sailed to join 1st Schlachtflotte at Wilhemshavn. This is a triumph for our navy designers and shipyards. Only five years ago we could not even contemplate building even an outdated escort carrier. Today we possess one of the most modern vessels in the world, armed with two full air groups!
In the euphoria, Minister Raeder managed to persuade Cabinet to sign off on another carrier, to be called the “Seydlitz”. I did notice, however, that the ship and its aircraft have been marked as “Low Priority” by Minister Schacht, who is ultimately in charge of all production.
Still not completely finished, but ready for action, “Graf Zeppelin” is pulled from its berth by two tugs.
The “Graf Zeppelin” was not the only new arrival that week. 162 and 163.Infanterie Divisions were released from training and posted to III Armeekorps, Österreich Army. Two new motorised divisions (161st and 386th) were assigned to 2nd Motorkorps, prompting a change in leadership of that unit. General de Angelis, who showed great promise in Spain, had been appointed to lead 2nd Motorkorps. The unfortunate General Cochenhausen has seen his chance to lead a Korps against the Red Army taken from him and he has been relegated to lead the newly formed 161.Infanterie (mot). Not receiving the same fanfare, but perhaps just as significant, our forward line of radar stations has been completed in the east.
No other expenditure on new units was approved. Minister Schacht has been instructed by the Cabinet that he is ensure that all existing units have the most modern equipment available before the start of Barbarossa, and with time running out factory after factory is being assigned to this task. Our researchers are making Minister Schacht’s job harder, as new equipment is always being developed. New carriages and sights for our rocket artillery units will require re-equipping more than a dozen units. This month researchers also developed new ground attack tactics for our bombers, completed a studies in Assault Concentration and Guerilla Warfare and came up with radical new refining techniques that will make our coal-to-oil and rare material production more efficient. Once again research was sacrificed to the demands of the Heer for more officers: only four new projects were approved. One was a very long term investigation into Mechanised Offensives, the others were short term: development of small navigation radar for our aircraft, training our second-line units in the correct use of support weapons and designing a more powerful gun for our armoured cars.
As we moved closer to the expected commencement date for Barbarossa, tension started to mount. Even on the train on the way to work or walking in the streets one could sense anticipation, though nobody would voice their thoughts openly. Goebbel’s informers are everywhere, and discussion of state secrets is a serious offence. But every has a cousin who has a friend who just happened to see document or hear part of a conversation. I had no doubt that most of the population had a good idea of that something big was in the wind, though I am sure that very few suspect the truth.
So you can imagine the consternation on Thursday 21st that British bombers were active over Leipzig. It is one thing for those of us in Brandenburg to hear of bombing raids far to the west in the Ruhr, but to think that the RAF is hitting Saxony! For people already on edge it was disturbing. For those who knew of the plans for to attack the USSR it was just as bad: had the British somehow learned of Unternehmen Barbarossa? Was this the prelude to a bombing campaign to disrupt our preparations? Minister Göring was summoned to the Kanzler’s office but was not there for long. Bogatsch and 5th Jagdfliegerkorps had responded immediately and inflicted heavy losses on the British. More importantly, investigations in to wrecked bombers and interrogations of the crews had found no link to Barbarrossa. It seems the British have acquired some longer range aircraft and were keen to see how effective they were.
Air Battle of Leipzig: the British are far too close to Berlin. Note the concentration of Sturm-Marine divisions at Stettin where they are finalising their preparations. And the secret rocket research base at Peenemünde in Wolgast.
Well, they were marginally effective over Leipzig, but many of them will not return. Our Messerschmitts chased them all the way to Eindhoven, destroying dozens of the new aircraft.
Air Battle of Eindhoven
On the 22nd I was suddenly sure we were on the brink of war. Three movement orders crossed my desk. 1st and 2nd Fallschirmjäger divisions were ordered to move to Königsberg, as was 1st Truppentransporterluftflotte. And 1st Schlachtflotte was has left for “naval exercises” in the east Ostesee. (I don’t think I have mentioned previously, but for some weeks the Ostseeflotte has been engaged in some mysterious close shore mapping in the northern Ostsee).
The next day I was at work early, but instead of the excitement I expected there was a chilly silence. The sentries at the gates and doorways kept their gaze firmly focussed in the distance, with no eye contact. There was no chatter in the corridors. I have been in Berlin for long enough to know the clues: there has been a mistake made and nobody wants to be the butt of a superior’s displeasure. So straight to work: I knew I would find the truth soon enough.
At lunchtime I had found out. My usual contact in the Foreign Office had rung me during the morning and asked if wanted to share a bite to eat in the park nearby. Of course I agreed. There would be more than sandwiches on the menu. I had speculated on the cause of the delay, but I had stuck to fairly obvious answers: the Russians had obtained a copy of our plans, a vital unit was incapacitated, Russian troop movements had meant a drastic modification was necessary. I was not prepared for the truth.
Unbelievable though it may sound, it seems the delay was diplomatic! If you remember, just under two years ago we signed a Non-Aggression Pact with the USSR. At the time it was seen as a masterstroke: it allowed us to take Poland and then swing west with no risk of a resurgence of conflict in the rear. Now it was time to pay the price. According to my informant it was this treaty that was the cause of the postponement of Barbarossa.
But surely, I asked, we can just breach the treaty? We have done so many times in the past. The Führer has shown he will not allow treaties to stand in the way of our destiny. Apparently that was the Führer’s first response. Break the treaty, then declare war. It was Minister Ribbentrop who had to point out that some unbreakable diplomatic protocol meant this was impossible. Somewhere in the fine-print of the secret sections of the treaty was a clause stating that the treaty could only be broken in the second year of its existence if the party dissolving the treaty had at least 50% of the number of regiments on the border as the other party! I don’t pretend to understand the world of diplomacy but this was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. My informant assured me it was correct. Von Ribbentrop’s hands were tied. We had only 34.3 % of the number of regiments the Red Army had along the border: there was nothing that could be done.
The unbreakable diplomatic barrier: how could this have happened?
All afternoon I sat stunned at how our huge army was being held up by a piece of paper. We must wait until April 18th when the treaty expires. No wonder the Russians decided to mobilise: they knew they would have time to complete the exercise before we could strike. Then the full realisation sunk in. The Red Army was far larger than anyone had suspected. They must have many more than 200 divisions on our border. Could the Wehrmacht take on a foe so numerous? Would our technological edge and military skill be enough?
Unterseebootsflotte Activity Report
During March our U-boats accounted for 34 transports and 1 escort
Axis Military Position Maps
Libia: Victory for the Army of Libia. Benghazi has been recaptured and the Army of Egypt is on the run.
Greece: It would appear the Italians can only operate in one Theatre at a time. It is not Greece.
China: Can Chiang Kai-Shek rally his Kuomintang armies, or will the rout continue?
Indo China: tying up hundreds of thousands of Guangxi troops far the action in China may be paying dividends.
