Rank and File
A Clerk’s War
Friday 22nd to Tuesday 26th June 1940
Now that Unternehmen Bohrturm has been successfully completed, General Guderian has new orders. He is to move the Balkans Army to the border with the Soviet Union and start long term preparations for an attack. (Needless to say this order is top secret – the public (and the world) must not know of our intentions). No doubt he will also build his Army back up to full strength, though total losses in Romania were quite low. Nevertheless, Minister Schacht is pleased that he now only has one Army demanding continuous replacements – it should allow the Armaments Ministry to switch industrial capacity to upgrading existing units.
As if in response to Schacht’s pleasure at in increase in available factory prodution, Air Marshall Newall appeared above Dortmund with 263 strategic bombers of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th RAF Strategic Groups. The Luftwaffe response was immediate, with Bogatsch leading 5th Jagdfliegerkorps to drive them off. The RAF, as usual, was not so easily deterred, and returned again at 9AM to complete their task of destroying Dortmund’s economic assets. It was a disaster for the RAF: for the loss of three aircraft (all from Ost 1 geschwader), the Luftwaffe reduced Newall’s airfleet to just 238 bombers. On the other hand, Dortmund is again an industrial wasteland, with smouldering ruins where busy factories once stood. Only one factory in five is still able to operate. Stockpiles of strategic materials were hit, but the losses were quickly replaced. The Flak-Towers are still standing, but the guns are either damaged or silent due to the destruction of ammunition lifts and power supply and the deaths of so many crew.
Before the latest attack, the crew of heavy flak unit (12.8cm Flak 40) trains for the defence of Dortmund. Impressive though such guns are, without power and other ancillaries they are rendered useless
Even though our industrial capacity has been damaged by the RAF, Ministers von Ribbentrop, Schacht and von Blomberg have agreed that the current full occupation policy in Yugoslavia must be relaxed. There will be a loss of production as the new collaboration government employs the country’s industry for its own benefit. On the other hand, the more relaxed policy will increase the number of volunteers for our armed forces and the numbers of gifted individuals prepared to take leadership roles. And not least, it will reduce the likelihood of partisans and insurgents gaining local support, allowing us to have a smaller garrison. Now only Poland is under full occupation: the huge number of troops already present makes the size of any garrison less important.
From Spain we heard Monzon has been lost to the Spanish: and now Rommel is actually moving units away from Catalonia. There are some puzzled faces here: what is Rommel doing? Does he hope to storm Madrid or La Coruña and then turn quickly west? Or does he think the Spanish will stop before they threaten his supply lines?
The only other news for Friday was of a big air battle over the Western English Channel. Generalleutnant Fisser assembled six geschwader (admittedly 172 aircraft short of their “normal” strength of 600) to attack Gore-Sutherland-Mitchell’s 400 mixed fighters from four carrier air groups. Information is sketchy, but it seems that any losses on either side were minimal.
Battle of the Western English Channel: 10PM 22nd June
On Saturday the first results of the relaxation in Yugoslavia became apparent. There was a slight reduction in the number of aircraft and vehicles upgraded for the Wehrmacht, but a number of talented researchers have elected to assist our scientific programs, and funds have been found to start our 32nd project: the development of training and tactical programs to allow our militia and garrison units to use the Karabiner 98K rifle and similar small arms. Such a program is long overdue and, with the large number of such units stationed throughout the occupied areas, will greatly increase our armed strength.
The first thing the garrison troops must do is know their new weapon: if my experience is any guide our Feldwebels will make life a misery for any Schütze who cannot name every part correctly.
North-east of Madrid, General Ott and 3.Infanterie (mot) are fighting for control of La Fuente de San Esteban. The situation is confused, with the official report stating that they are opposed by a single division, 11/6a División Orgánica. Unofficially, we have heard that 3a Division de Infanterie is also present, boosting the number of defenders to just under 12,000 men. Regardless of the strength of the enemy, General Ott had promised Sud-Frankreich headquarters that the battle would be over in a day or so. He was wrong by a fair margin. First contact with the enemy was made at 1AM, and by 9AM it was all over, with 17 German and 95 Spanish dead.
Battle of La Fuente de San Esteban
Meanwhile the drive for La Coruña is still underway. 8 Regimento had the misfortune to be in the way of 3.Infanterie, and General Haase has shown he takes Rommel’s encouragement to speed up the advance very seriously. With no commander and outnumbered more than three to one, the Spanish cavalry would need every horse to escape Ponferrada before being annihilated. As it was they lost 129 men during fighting on the 23rd, and at nightfall they slipped away. 2.Infanterie lost 11 men.
At 7PM a real battle started. General Keppler has been given responsibility for leading the assault on Madrid, with his own 1st leichte Panzer attacking from Segovia and 16.Infanterie (mot) (General de Angelis) moving in from Alcala de Henares. He has roughly 20,000 men with which to expel General Dempsey’s 28,000 mixed Anglo-Spanish defenders. This will not be easy, and I have not spoken to a single officer who thinks that Keppler will be able to occupy the city without both reinforcements and massive air support.
One person who is relieved that the assault has started is General Blaskowitz: Dempsey has halted his attack on 29.Infanterie (mot) in Ávila in order to defend the city. Our motorised infantry fought well but the British were a different proposition to the lightly armed Spanish units we have encountered in the Iberian Peninsula. Blaskowitz lost 1049 in ground combat in just three days – and his losses to air attacks were even more. It will be some time before 29.Infanterie (mot) can be used in any offensive action. It was not all one way, as the7th Infantry and 2nd Indian Divisions suffered 761 casualties between them, but it is some time since our infantry have faced such an onslaught.
29.Infanterie has suffered badly in the past few days, and will need some time to recover
While I was relaxing on Sunday, another province was lost in east Spain. The Republicans have now recaptured Isona. When will Rommel respond?
The expansion of the Republican enclave in north-eastern Spain continues, even in the rain
I also missed a few more massive air battles. The first involved more than 1200 aircraft and ranged over the whole of the Western English Channel. The Luftwaffe had scraped up 579 fighters with which Felmy was to challenge the British for control of the skies over the most congested sea routes in Europe. Against them, Bowhill had assembled 2 carrier air groups and 6 RAF Fighter Groups – 684 aircraft. After we had lost more than 20 aircraft, Waber took command and took the survivors east to the Mouth of the Thames, but Steele chased after our planes, scenting victory no doubt. The carrier aircraft had returned to their ships but Steele still had 6 land based fighter groups. Our pilots claimed at least 13 kills in the first clash, but losses for the second battle are not known.
Air Battle of the Western English Channel: 3AM 24th June
Air Battle of the Mouth of the Thames: 7AM 24th June
Things were also happening in Spain. (With the conclusion of hostilities in Romania it appears that our generals in Spain have become more active – perhaps aware that all eyes in Berlin were on them). General Nehring did defeat the 6,000 men of Commandancia de Baleares, but it took him much longer than he had expected, and he lost 114 men. Some of the Spanish units are putting up more of a fight than others, and General Mije’s men were stubborn in their defence of Honrubia. They lost 379 men before they could hold off the weight of armour and the continuous dive-bombing no longer. Someone in Sud-Frankreich Army headquarters had noted on the final report that it was to be hoped that such resistance was not to become a standard for the Republican Army.
Having seen off 8 Regimento, Haase was marching his division into Ponferrada when he found himself under attack by small groups of cavalry. Somehow the leaderless soldiers had rallied themselves and had reformed and turned back to harry 7.Infanterie. Reduced to just over 2,800 horsemen, these soldiers could have had no hope of repelling 3 infantry brigades with an anti-tank regiment. Nevertheless, whether the Spanish were inspired by a fierce desire to avenge their earlier losses or due to the example set by a few brave individuals, our troops found themselves having to once again fight their way forward, with casualties mounting. The road to La Coruña would have to be fought for: the Spanish would make us pay for every metre.
2nd Battle of Ponferrada
Reinvigorated, cavalrymen of 8 Regimento prepare to return to battle
To the northwest of Ponferrada, 5th Gebirgsjäger Division was also in combat. Villafranca del Bierzo was held by our old foe, Ascasa Abadía, with his 15/8a División Orgánica, supported by 1 Brigada Blindada. The forests of the north are not the best terrain for the light tanks and armoured cars that are all the vehicles the Spanish possess, but our Gebirgers find their mountain training useful, and the Pioniere regiment attached to every Gebirgjäger division makes assaulting prepared positions far easier. Although slightly outnumbered, General Eppich is not concerned.
Battle of Villafranca del Bierzo
The Luftwaffe is also back in the skies over Spain, and not just its bombers. As soon as we began to move on Madrid, RAF bombers started to hit Keppler’s assembly areas in Segovia, inflicting some casualties but creating a fair bit of confusion. Christiansen sent both his Westwall geschwader to Segovia and over the course of the day our Messerschmitts were able to destroy 29 aircraft of Baldwin’s Middle East Group. Only two of our fighters failed to return. One of the most successful Luftwaffe operations carried out in Spain since the start of the campaign.
Dörstling send 6th Kampffliegerkorps to bomb the defenders of Madrid, an exercise that also gave us more information on the enemy units present
Christiansen and 4th Jagdfliegerkorps drive off Baldwin’s Middle East Group from Segovia
Of course I only found out about Sunday’s events when I arrived at the Reichskanzlei on Monday morning, and I didn’t see them for a little while as I was stopped in the corridor on the way to my office. A very senior official in the Ministry of the Interior had some gossip he was dying to share with some-one, and I think I was the first person he saw who had a security rating high enough to risk discussing it. Somehow this official has seen a message from General Rommel to the Führer himself, stating that he could not meet all his objectives with the troops assigned to him and complaining about General von Blomberg’s administration of Unternehmen Stierkampf. It is no secret that the Führer considers himself to be the strategic and tactical match of any general in the Heer, and so it was not surprising that he went along with Rommel’s suggestions. If it infuriated the Chiefs of Staff, well, neither the Führer nor Rommel particularly cared.
As the official whispered all this to me, General von Rundstedt was being informed that he was to lose 1st Marine Sturmkorps from the Nordsee Army. Its commander, General Halder, was arranging for it to be railed from Dänemark to St Jean-Pied-de-Port, on the border with Spain. In addition, von Lenski’s 3rd Panzerkorps was to leave Vienna immediately, bound for Bayonne. Nothing has been said officially, but my informant tells me it is definite: a new Army is to be formed and will assume responsibility for north-eastern Spain, leaving Rommel to concentrate on Madrid and La Coruña.
As you can see, there are plenty of places in the “Lange Halle” of the Reichskanzlei where a quiet and confidential conversation can take place
I do love to start the week with some juicy news, and when it involves intrigue at the highest level of the Heer, all the better. I just wish I could have been present when von Blomberg and his staff received the directive direct from the Reichskanzlei, ordering the troop movements.
Work still had to be done however, and events in Spain would not wait for the arrival of divisions from the other side of Europe. Eppich was mopping up in Villafranco del Bierzo, having lost 25 men in driving out the Abadía’s infantry and light armour. (Spanish reinforcements had arrived, taking the defenders’ numbers up to 15,000 men, but their morale was shaky and it only took 42 dead for them to retreat).
Baldwin’s Middle East Group had had enough with the rough treatment doled out by Christiansen’s fighters, but Dowding replaced them with his two RAF Tactical Groups. With 98 bombers each, 1st and 5th RAF Tactical Groups were detailed to break up our attack on Madrid by hitting our rear areas in Segovia. It was up to the 140 fighters of Christiansen’s 4th Jagdfliegerkorps to protect Kepplers’s men. Although Dowding was reinforced by 4th and later the 12th Carrier Air Groups during the day, Westwall 1 and 2 kept up their attacks, and by nightfall another victory was being claimed in the mess halls of Bayonne. While it was true that 4th Jagdfliegerkorps was down to only 143 effective aircraft, Dowding had lost 39 bombers as well as several carrier planes. There were several unopposed bombing raids over Segovia later in the day, but these were nowhere near as effective as would have been the case if our fighters had not performed so well.
Having punished the Middle East Group for their temerity, Christiansen’s Messerschmitts confront Dowding’s bombers over Segovia
Elsewhere the Luftwaffe was fortunate, but this did not translate to victory, just survival. Waber and 6th Jagdflkeigerkorps were ambushed while patrolling the Western English Channel, and could have been wiped out. With only 129 aircraft available, Waber’s pilots found themselves surrounded by 400 carrier planes and 445 RAF fighters (from six groups). What saved them from total destruction was the inability of Air Marshal Steele to control such a huge number of aircraft. (Our analysts calculate that Steele lost 90% of the effectiveness of his force). As it was, after losing just a few planes Waber radioed that all pilots should break off combat and flee. While still in the air, they were told to proceed directly to Kassel for repairs and refit. With JG 3 “Udet” down to just 32 aircraft, there was little point in keeping them in the front line.
Air Battle of the Western English Channel: 8AM 25th June
Even with this warning, Fisser’s two geschwader blundered into Steele’s swarm of fighters, and although 7th Jagdfliegerkorps was soon reinforced by 1st Jagdfliegerkorps it was once again the sheer number of enemy aircraft that saved them: co-ordinating so many planes is beyond the RAF’s current capacity. Steel must have become aware of the limits of his skill, as later in the afternoon he clashed again with Fisser, but this time he brought only three fighter groups (212 aircraft) and performed much better. However, when Klepke attempted a raid on the Portsmouth air bases late at night, Gore-Sutherland-Mitchell tried to command four carrier air groups as well as three land-based groups, and again suffered a dramatic loss of effectiveness. All in all, our fighters over the Channel could be grateful that the British could not take advantage of their numerical superiority to deal a decisive blow.
Air Battle of Portsmouth: 6PM 25th June
The sooner the fresh troops arrive at the southern tip of occupied Frankreich the better. La Pobla de Lillet was lost to the Spanish on Tuesday morning. The size of the bulge on the left flank in Spain is now quite troubling. The only activity from our forces, however, (other than on-going battles) was from General Behlendorff in Lugo, in the north-west. He and 6th SS Freiwilligen Gebirgsjäger Division are making sure that no reinforcements make it to La Coruña, by striking southwest into Sarria. Líster Forján and 1a Division de Infanterie are short of supplies (and morale!) and will not prove much of an impediment to the now battle hardened volunteers of Freiwilligen. In fact, Behlendorff has ordered a massive assault to lead off, and hopes the additional casualties this will cause will break the resolve of the Spanish even quicker.
Spanish forces based on Barcelona and Tarragona show no sign of slowing their advance westwards
Battle of Sarria
So Tuesday ended with three battles raging in Spain, one at each end of the front and one in the middle. The campaign that began with such quick results has now slowed to a crawl. It will be some days until the new Army is formed, but for Rommel’s sake I hope when it is formed he speeds up his advance. The Führer has now invested some of his political capital in acceding to the General’s request and over-riding OKW – he will expect a quick return.
Unternehmen Stierkampf at end of 26th June
Bombing Summary
Royal Air Force + Royal Navy (Fleet Air Arm)
Priego: Baldwin with Middle East Group (1 x TAC):
43, 91, 55
Ávila: Dowding with 5th and 1st RAF Tactical Groups (2 x TAC):
179, 172, 178, 230
Ávila: Collishaw with 12th Carrier Air Group:
80
Ávila: Dowding with 5th and 1st RAF Tactical Groups (2 x TAC) and 12th CAG:
213, 136
Ledesma: Baldwin with MEG and 12th CAG:
67, 86
La Bañeza: Ludlow-Hewitt with 4th CAG:
17, 13
Murias de Parades: Maltby with 5th CAG:
11
Murisa de Parades: Gore-Sutherland-Mitchell with 16th and 17th CAG:
33
Murisa de Parades: Maltby with 5th, 12th, 16th and 17th CAG:
54
Ledesma: Baldwin with MEG:
134
Segovia: Baldwin with MEG: 46, 75
Alcala de Henares: Dowding with 5th and 1st RAF Tactical Groups:
173, 258, 151Segovia: Dowding with 5th and 1st RAF Tactical Groups:
102, 91
Segovia: Dowding with 5th and 1st RAF Tactical Groups and 4th CAG:
70
Dowding with 5th and 1st RAF Tactical Groups and 4th and 12th CAG:
37
Luftwaffe
Honrubia: Hoffman von Waldau with 4th Schlachtfliegerkorps (2 x Ju 87B):
65, 156, 124, 103, 120
Ayora: Hoffman von Waldau with 4th Schlachtfliegerkorps (2 x Ju 87B):
110, 103, 141, 37, 35, 28, 40, 28
Madrid: Dörstling: with 6th Kampffliegerkorps (1 x Bf 109E, 2 x Ju 88):
282, 276
Military Situation Reports from our Axis Allies
China: the Imperial Japanese Army has advanced to the Yellow River, and Jinan is within reach
IndoChina: even with 12 infantry brigades in Saigon, General Tsuda hesitates
Libia: our military attachés in Rome tell us the Italian plan to start their summer offensive soon
Greece: the Italian supply structure has failed to handle the difficult conditions and this is impacting the course of the campaign
A mule train in the hills of northern Greece: slow and able to carry only small amounts, but the one reliable way of getting supplies to the front
Unterseebootsflotte Activity Reports
South East Azores Fracture Zone:
1 transport (Australian): Geraldton – Dover: Wolf with 4th U-flotte
East Biscay Plain:
1 transport and 1 escort (UK): Plymouth - Banjul: Dönitz with 2nd U-flotte
Horseshoe Seamount:
1 transport (Greek):Athina – Boston: Wolf with 4th U-flotte
Channel Approaches:
1 transport (UK): Portsmouth – Mombasa: von Nordeck with II U-flotte
Coast of Cádiz:
1 transport (UK): Dover – Tel Aviv-Yafo: Wolf with 4th U-flotte
Eastern Charcot Seamount:
1 escort (UK): Dover – Tel Aviv-Yafo: Fricke with 3rd U-flotte
Cape Peñas:
1 transport and 1 escort (UK): Portsmouth – Mombasa: Dönitz with 2nd U-flotte
South East Azores Fracture Zone:
1 transport (Spanish): Cádiz – Boston: Wolf with 4th U-flotte
Iberian Plain:
1 transport and 2 escorts (UK): Bombay – Dover: Aßmann with 1st U-flotte
Goban Spur:
2 transports (UK): Portsmouth – Seychelles: Fricke with 3rd U-flotte
Horseshoe Seamount:
2 transports (UK): Dover – Rangoon: Wolf with 4th U-flotte
Eastern Biscay Plain:
1 transport and 1 escort (UK): Dover – Rangoon: Dönitz with 2nd U-flotte
Agadir Canyon:
1 transport (Greek): Athina – San José: Wolf with 4th U-flotte
Coast of Porto:
1 transport (UK): Dover – Colombo: Aßmann with 1st U-flotte
