Rank and File
A Clerk’s War
26th October to 28th October 1939
Our researchers have been working hard to improve the security of the Reich. One group has succeeded in improving the operation of our fixed anti-air installations. They did not look only at the guns themselves: ammunition types, searchlight co-ordination, personnel training were all included in the review. The technical report claims this should result in a 30% base level increase in accuracy and/or effectiveness. What the report doesn’t include is the shocking neglect in building such installations. Minister Bayerlein, who has responsibility for the non-Luftwaffe air defence of the Reich, has been complaining for months that he cannot obtain sufficient funds, materials and labour to ring our cities with guns. I think he will have to wait until the British bombers hit us again.
Surprisingly, the researchers have not been given another project. The Office of Skilled Personnel has determined that the combination of losses in combat and the growth of the Wehrmacht has stretched our officer schools to the limit. While overall officer numbers continue to rise, our “buffer” is declining. So our research program has been reduced to 27 separate teams, with the extra graduates freed up allowing us to increase military graduate recruitment.
Four new “Wespe” self-propelled artillery regiments have been completed and trained. Three of them have been allocated, all to units in von Mackensen’s 2nd Pzkorps. 2nd Pz Division and 10th and 36th Infanterie (mot) Divisions are now at full strength. From the contract performance and training reports I have seen, a new panzer division will be ready within weeks. This is the division that has been promised to General Rommel. The last SPA regiment is to be held for General Rommel, to ensure he has a full division from the start.
Before being sent to into action, vehicles and crews of the SPA regiments are put through their paces.
Exciting news from the Foreign Ministry dominated the morning of Wednesday 28th October. There have been whispers the past few days that Minister von Neurath may have an important announcement – it seems as though today will be the day. I have had a couple of calls from the Foreign Ministry (confirmed by an official driver having a cigarette out the front of the Kanzlei) to say that the Bulgarian Prime Minister Georgi Ivanov Kyoseivanov is in town. Although Kyoseivanov is also the Foreign Minister, it is no secret that he is a puppet: that the decisions are made by Tsar Boris III. So the presence of the Prime Minister is an indication that a deal has already been struck. My sources told me a series of meetings are planned for this morning, and Minister von Neurath’s secretary told Gisela that he has cleared a two hour period in his diary at noon. I think we can safely surmise that the announcement will be made then.
While we are all excited with diplomatic moves in Berlin, the war continues. General Fleck, commander of Heeresgruppe West, has reviewed the objectives of both the Army of the Ardennes and the Österreich Army, and has decided that they need to be altered to reflect the changing situation. (I wonder how long Fleck will retain that position – his skills in logistics are valuable, but now we are at war, shouldn’t we have a fighting general in charge?) Now that Paris is secure and far behind the front lines, Von Kluge’s Army of the Ardennes has dropped it from its list of objectives, as well as Orléans and Étampes. They have been replaced with the strategic port of Brest, the industrial and cultural centre of Tours and the city of Dijon. The Österreich Army also removed Paris from its goals, to be replaced by Dijon, which will be the boundary between the two armies. Dennerlein is having more difficulty advancing, facing the bulk of the Allied forces.
Overnight General Biess accepted the inevitable and ordered 10.Infanterie (mot) to halt its attacks on Cherbourg. General Harvey’s 87th Brigade was simply too well prepared to be taken by surprise. Perhaps a few more days bombing will weaken the British resolve. It doesn’t appear to have been a really serious attempt to storm the city: our losses were only 64 while the defenders lost 92. To me that seems more like the casualties incurred in a series of probes and “reconnaissance attacks” intended to identify defensive strong points, rather than actually capture them.
If the intention is to bomb Cherbourg’s garrison into submission, it may be more difficult than originally thought. Right on the Channel, the city is close to several British air-bases, and the Royal Air Force is prepared to offer General Harvey all the help it can give. 4th Taktischeluftflotte had barely appeared over the city when it was attacked by Steele’s fighter groups. Some of Steele’s units are starting to show the effect of continual fighting: 13th RAF Fighter Group is at about 85% strength according to our observers.
First Air Battle of Cherbourg
The wisdom of our interceptors being held back has been displayed, as the British have found to their cost. Air Marshall Newall has rebuilt his battered 2nd, 3rd and 4th RAF Strategic Bomber Groups, and presumably hoped to take us by surprise with an early morning bombing raid. He had barely reached German air space when he was met by Bogatsch commanding four fighter geschwader. Newall will need to fight his way to his target, whatever it is.
The RAF is determined to punish our bombers. After completing their bombing mission over Cherbourg (though at reduced efficiency due to the enemy fighters), Grauert’s planes were to fly back along the Channel to their bases around Amsterdam. Rather than remaining over Cherbourg, Steele ordered his Spitfires and Hurricane’s to follow the retreating bombers, harrying them as they made their way north-east. Newly installed radar equipment at Den Haag did assist our planes slightly as they approached the Dutch coast, but only to allow some lucky pilots to avoid the fighters.
Air Battle of Mouth of the Thames
A welcome break from the reports of enemy air action came from Chaumont. Von Arnim has finally broken the will of Beerneart’s Belgians. If every enemy unit fought with the tenacity of these cavalrymen, then our conquest of France would be near impossible. Outnumbered, abandoned by their Allies, their country completely conquered, after 8 days of bombing the Belgians had absorbed all the punishment they could take. They lost 1,112 men in ground combat, and thousands more to the air bombardment. Has their sacrifice bought the French and the British time to regroup? Our three attacking divisions lost 713 men, an indication of the fierce resistance they encountered.
Newall did manage to force his way to his target: the city of Dortmund. Considerable damage was done to production mining and anti-aircraft facilities, and some of the non-ferrous mines were completely knocked out. All of this will take some time to repair. But the RAF was not allowed to carry out its mission unscathed. Felmy had followed the strategic bombers and had been joined by 4 more geschwaders. It will be some time before Newall returns, if the number of planes he has lost is any indication.
At noon, as expected, the official announcement was made at the Foreign Office. What was unexpected was that the Bulgarian Tsar has been in Berlin during the discussions! Why his presence was kept secret is not clear, but it is known that since the two assassination attempts in 1925 and the coup in 1934 the Tsar has been very security conscious. It is only weeks since the Himmler/Patch 1.3 assassination attempt in Paris and probably it was decided to go along with the Tsar’s wish for a discrete appearance. But that isn’t important. What is important is that the Führer and Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria have announced that Bulgaria has joined the Axis powers. We now have a friend in the Balkans, a friend that has renounced the limitations of the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine and is rapidly rebuilding its army. (The Wehrmacht believes they have 40 infantry and 4 cavalry regiments, though we no idea of the level of equipment and training.) My contacts in the Foreign Ministry only have one question: what has prompted the sudden decision by the Bulgars to join us? We have made no diplomatic effort to persuade them to our way of thinking, and we are nearly certain that Italy and Hungary have not done so. Obviously the justice of our cause and the success of our political expansion would be attractive, and the Tsar would hope we support him in his territorial demands against Yugoslavia, Greece and Rumania. But much of politics is personal, and it may be as simple as the fact that Boris is married to the daughter of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, our staunchest ally. He would not be the first man to be won over by the arguments of his wife.
The Führer greets Tsar Boris at the front of the Foreign Ministry before both sign the formal agreement by which Bulgaria joins the Axis.
During the afternoon we received more news from Cherbourg. The original plan may have been to bomb the British for a while and then launch an attack on the survivors, but this was obviously too slow for General Guderian. Regardless of the failure of General Biess to make any progress in his aborted attack, called off only hours ago, “Schneller Heinz” has sent in his tanks. 1st Leichte is already in contact with the 87th Brigade and is forcing its way into the suburbs of Cherbourg. We will soon find if Guderian’s panzertruppen are more successful than the infantry of 10.Infanterie (mot). Gruaert committed his Heinkels in support, despite KG 26 “Löwen” only being able to fly 74 planes, and KG 4 “General Wever” only marginally better, with 16% of its aircraft out of action. As we have now come to expect, Air Marshall Steele pre-empted this move and once more his fighters not only met 4th Taktischeluftflotte over Cherbourg, but also chased it up the Channel again, after Grauert ordered his pilots to abort the attack. Plane after plane plummeted into the Channel, and when the survivors landed at Amsterdam the tally revealed we had lost a further 18 aircraft. A heavy loss for a mission which saw not one bomb dropped over Cherbourg.
2nd Air Battle of Cherbourg
2nd Air Battle of the Mouth of the Thames
Meanwhile Dörstling’s planes were operating in clear skies. Not a single Allied fighter interrupted 1st and 6th Taktischeluftflotte as, together with 2nd Stukakorps they cruised over the battlefield of Aix-en-Othe, searching for concentrations of enemy troops. Two hundred Bf 109G Messerschmitt fighters escorted the bombers but there was no need for their defensive abilities and many of them took the opportunity to strafe the unfortunate infantry struggling along the crowded roads. As might be expected, the arrival of six hundred bombers and the absence of Allied air cover had a depressing effect on Dorman-Smith’s divisions and, as they landed, our pilots reported that the British and Belgians were in full retreat. It was only half an hour later that De Angelis notified General von Kleist, the commander of 2nd Leichte Panzerkorps, that the battle of Aix-en-Othe was over. He lost 252 men from his 20.Infanterie (mot), while the enemy’s 60th Infantry Brigade and 21st Mountain Brigade lost 402 men between them.
When I came in on the 27th, I was not surprised to hear that Grauert’s 4th Taktischeluftflotte had been withdrawn from duty in order to refit and receive replacement aircraft and aircrew. This did not mean, however, that Harvey’s men would have any respite in their Cherbourg foxholes and entrenchments: Schwartzkopf’s 2nd Taktsischeflotte has taken over the task of bombing a route into the city for Guderian’s tanks and motorised infantry. The Messerchmitt Bf 109Gs of “Sturm” geschwader kept a wary eye for a repeat attack by Steele’s fighter groups.
De Angelis had a slight impediment while advancing into Aix-en-Othe: Hubert’s 26ème Infantry in full retreat blundered right into the path of 60.Infanterie (mot). There was only a brief exchange of fire before the French were on the run again, leaving 8 dead behind them. Two unlucky infantrymen were killed on our side.
It was not long before the pilots of “Sturm” geschwader were in action. Like clockwork, Steele’s fighter appeared above Cherbourg, keen to continue their decimation of our bombers. At least this time they met with some opposition. What caused more concern was Guderian’s report that his lead units were being bombed in Granville. Marshalling areas and roads leading to Cherbourg were being targeted by Portal’s RAF Tactical Bomber Groups, with an RAF fighter group circling overhead. Guderian was confident the bombing would not affect his assault but the casualties were having an effect on morale, and the resulting congestion and delays were causing some units to become disorganised. An hour later Guderian was back again: another wave of Allied bombers was hitting his troop concentrations and now things were getting serious. Losses were mounting and confusion was spreading as communications and logistics were thrown into turmoil. He “firmly” requested fighter cover. (From his description of the planes involved, these were the older bombers used by Joubert de la Ferte and his Far East and Indian Groups).
Third Air Battle of Cherbourg
General Guderian provided descriptions of the unknown bombers types seen over Granville. Luftwaffe analysts believe that some of these are Handley Page “Harrows”: a transport plane sometimes used as a bomber. The RAF is definitely using everything that can fly, as our experts have commented that we would never fly such a plane on a combat mission. It has three turrets and four .303 inch guns, but these are totally inadequate defence for such a slow and vulnerable target.
“Sturm” did not have to fight the three RAF fighter groups alone. Within an hour, 6th Taktischeluftflotte had joined the bombing of Cherbourg, and Dörstling directed JG 20 “Blitzen” to assist in the multiple dog-fights over the city. For Dörstling it was essential that the Spitfires and Hurricanes be kept well away from his Heinkels: “Reiher” geschwader was still missing nearly half its aircraft.
Fourth Air Battle of Cherbourg
As if the air battles over the Channel coast were not enough, midmorning we heard that an official of the Donaueschingen Luftgaukommando was on his dedicated telephone line to the Berlin based Luftwaffenbefehlshaber Mitte. (Goering has accepted advice of his Chief of Staff, Hans Jeschonnek, that the Jagdwaffe alone cannot protect all our cities and has allowed the set up of a co-ordinated air defence system, linking the individual air district commands). An air battle was taking place over his city, and some scattered bombs were falling. The analysis filed by Lw Bfh Mitte was that the bombs were simply being jettisoned by aircraft under attack. The formation over the city was the Middle East Group, and it was being attacked by Felmy, leading six fighter geschwader. It was not known where Baldwin’s bombers intended to go, but it is certain that many of them will not get there.
Air Battle of Donaueschingen
The harassed bombers of the Middle East Group made it to Sölden, but could not escape their fighter “escort”. Finally, having lost 40% of its planes, it fled back to England. It is still not known what its target would have been, had it not been so decisively defeated.
Dörstling returned to Cherbourg at noon, leading both the 2nd and 6th Taktsicheluftflottes and as expected, Steele was waiting for him. While the fighters resumed their deadly aerial ballet, the bombers were largely able to carry out their mission uninterrupted. Unfortunately for General Guderian he was not able to take full advantage of the efforts of the Luftwaffe bombers, as Joubert de la Ferte started the afternoon with a massive four hundred bomber raid on Granville, killing hundreds of our men.
Fifth Air Battle of Cherbourg
The final episode of the series of air battles over Cherbourg came at 6PM. Undaunted by the steady losses, Dörstling returned for a final attack before dark. In the dying light, the RAF maintained their attempt to protect their infantry in the devastated city below. Once again, however, they were not able to prevent our planes getting through, and the last dog-fights took place over a landscape of blazing buildings and in a sky punctuated with towering columns of black smoke. As night fell and plane after plane landed at the scattered air bases, staff officers at the various units sent in their final casualty lists for the day (with requests for replacement planes, parts and personnel). Our Bf 109G geschwader took terrible punishment, with “Blitzen” losing 25 aircraft and “Sturm” losing nine. But the Heinkels were not completely safe: a total of about 30 bombers were shot down. Remarkably, “Reiher” was actually stronger at the end of the day, having received substantial reinforcements, and was at 65% of full strength. Our fighter pilots claim to have shot down 27 RAF planes during the day, a number that is within the parameters determined by our ground observers and radio analysts. No overblown “kill” numbers from our fighter pilots.
Sixth Air Battle of Cherbourg
Friday 28th October saw another breakthrough from our military theorists at the Preußische Kriegsakademie. An in-depth analysis of our integrated support practices has identified some inefficiencies and possible improvements. The studies predict that implementing these changes will lead to an increased chance of achieving encirclements of enemy formations, as well as giving our headquarters defence troops an edge against enemy armour attacks. (How these two benefits are linked I cannot say, but then I am not a military theorist). While we have had no serious problems against the French and Belgian defensive positions, the Heer has identified a need for specialised assault weapons. It is hoped these will not only assist our troops in attacks against fortified postions, but will also allow us to give our pioniere more firepower, as well as helping in all infantry units when operating in difficult conditions such as built up areas and forests.
The Luftwaffe is taking a lot of credit for the fall of Cherbourg and the surrender of the 87th Brigade. With the sea at their backs, the British had no option but to capitulate after Guderian’s tanks achieved a breakthrough to the port area. General Harvey was accorded full military honours as he formally accepted defeat: General Guderian acknowledged that the British could have done no more. 1st Leichte lost only 69 men in the city fighting, while the British lost 264. While Reichsmarschall Goering is telling everyone within range that it was the courage of his bomber pilots that led to the victory, it is noticeable that General Goering’s report concentrates on the lack of fighter cover over Granville. The bombing of Cherbourg is mentioned, but only as an aside. I suppose Guderian is popular enough to risk annoying the Generalfeldmarschall of the Luftwaffe, but Goering is known to have a long memory. It is not a risk I would like to take.
Before dawn two more battles began as the massive right wing of Heeresgruppe West started to wheel towards the rear of the Maginot. 18.Infanterie under General List has moved into Les Riceys, where a large number of French units are attempting to regroup. He hopes to catch them off-balance – as he is outnumbered three to one I hope he is successful. He will need to be careful, as there are reports of French heavy tanks present in the area.
Generla Eicke has an even harder task. He has been ordered to seize Neufchateau, held by General Doumenc with 20,000 men. While the 4th Motorised Brigade is probably incapable of defending for more than a day, the 1st Mountain Brigade is in peak condition and will be difficult to dislodge from its well-prepared positions. Even the men of the 4ème Armée headquarters unit cannot be disregarded: they are quite able to support a determined defence. Eicke’s 28.Infanterie has had all casualties replaced, but it will still be an uphill battle unless he receives either massive air support or assistance from another division (or preferably both).
Thankfully the British fighters have had enough: obviously the losses inflicted over Cherbourg will require a few days to replace. It is probably also likely that a full day of air battles has taken its toll on the RAF’s pilots: they cannot be asked to perform at that level on a continuous basis.
It is a bit of tradition here that on Friday evening the senior administrative officers (of whom I am one) have a few drinks. (A throwback to more relaxed times!). This week I wandered around the room, dropping in and out of conversations, trying to gauge the overall opinion. After listening to a lot of nonsense (and some very interesting gossip), I decided that the general feeling was that, while the past few days have been dominated by air actions, it has been successful for the Wehrmacht. Although the Luftwaffe took heavy losses, on the ground our inexorable advance continues. The Heer is meeting few units capable of putting up more than a token resistance. Even in the air, the wisdom of holding back our interceptors has been demonstrated, as the two British raids on the Reich were both decisively beaten, even if Dortmund was bombed. Our Italian allies have kept up the pressure in the south. If the weather holds the French will be forced to the negotiation table within weeks.
Bombing summary for 26th to 28th October
Luftwaffe
Aix-en-Othe: Sperrle with 1st Taktischeluftflotte (1 x Bf 109G, 2 x He 111):
116, 277
Cherbourg: Grauert with 4th Taktischeluftflotte (2 x He 111):
85, aborted
Aix-en-Othe: Löhr with 2nd Stukakorps and 1st Taktischeluftflotte (2 x Ju 87G, 1 x Bf 109G, 2 x He 111):
231
Aix-en-Othe: Dörstling with 1st and 6thTaktischeluftflotte, 2nd Stukakorps (2 x Bf 109G, 4 x He 111, 2 x Ju 87G):
171
Cherbourg: Schwartzkopf with 2nd Taktischeluftflotte (1 x Bf 109G, 2 x He 111):
91
Aix-en-Othe: Löhr with 2nd Stukakorps (2 x Ju 87G):
86
Cherbourg: Dörstling with 6th Taktischeluftflotte (1 x Bf 109G, 2 x He 111):
224
Cherbourg: Dörstling with 2nd and 6th Taktischeluftflotte (2 x Bf 109G, 4 x He 111):
177, 107, 22
Neufchateau: Sperrle with 1st Taktischeluftflotte (1 x Bf 109G, 2 x He 111):
134, 309, 237
Les Riceys: Löhr with 2nd Stukakorps (2 x Ju 87G):
43
Les Riceys: Kitzinger with 3rd Taktischeluftflotte, 2nd Stukakorps (2 x He 111, 2 x Ju 87G):
262, 269
Royal Air Force
Carentan: Portal with 14th Fighter, 1st and 5th Tactical Bomber Groups (1 x MRF, 2 x TAC):
134, 144, 242
Romilly: Joubert de la Ferte with Middle East, Far East and Indian Groups (3 x TAC):
163, 259
Troyes: Joubert de la Ferte with Far East and Indian Groups (2 x TAC):
136
Granville: Portal with 14th Fighter, 1st and 5th Tactical Bomber Groups (1 x MRF, 2 x TAC):
115, 89, 143, 126
Granville: Joubert de la Ferte with Far East and Indian Groups (2 x TAC):
133
Granville: Joubert de la Ferte with Far East, Indian, 1st and 5th Tactical Bomber and 15th Fighter Groups (1 x MRF, 4 x TAC):
231
Unternehmen Stahlknüppel at end of 28th October
French-Italian border at end of 28th October
Libya at end of 28th October
