A City Too Far
Crossing the Rhine
As Operation Wallenstein kicks in, Patton enters Dortmund on August 15, 1944 and Brooke enters Aachen after a small engagement with OKW Reserve units. The Rhine is becoming increasingly open to crossing as the German Command rushes everything to the Holland Front. Field Marshal Rommel gets the news of the liberation of Eindhoven on August 1, the next few weeks see the Allies advance deeper and closer towards Germany with no one in a position to stop them after the Allies broke the Eindhoven Lines. The OKW Front in Holland is in full retreat to the Fatherland and the the III-SS Corps gathers her remaining forces after being beaten at Rotterdam and Arnhem and then withdrawn to Essen.
~Rommel's HQ, Dusseldorf, Germany.
"The Americans sweep in from the north with Patton here," he slams his fingers on the map at Munster and Dortmund where Patton's Forces have entered. "The British attack from the south out of Belgium and into the Aachen lead by Alan Brooke here!" he slams his fist on the board at Belgium and then point towards Aachen. "This is unacceptal, this is the first time in over one hundred years that a foreign soldier has stepped on the Fatherland."
"We are trying to form defenses in the north," Model says as he is the commander of the Northern Lines based at Wilhelmshafen and now commanding the retreating troops from Dortmund. "In a few days I will counter-attack Patton in Munster, he's weakest there and sweep down to Dortmund and expell the Americans from the Holy Fatherland in a matter of seven days."
"Beyer, take your southern command and sweep back into Belgium through the Ardennes and then re-take Aachen. The British soldiers advancing towards Essen must withdraw then, that's the plan generals. With the II-SS Corps coming up from Calais, they will help in Belgium."
"Generalfeldmarshcal, news about the II-SS Corps."
"Well what is it Model?"
"The Americans have landed back at Dieppe and they're moving to stop them at the beaches before more Allies enter France again."
"They've invaded France again? Who's in command, why wasn't I informed of that right away?"
"Mark Clarke and we just recieved the news an hour ago sir."
"Dammit, I need to now this stuff immediatley, so Hausser is going for Dieppe? Hmm, what about the 15th Armee in Rheims?"
"Oil shortages, sir they wont be moving until they're resupplied."
Rommel scrathches his head and a message enters the room. The young SS officer looks at the generals and field marshals planning the defenses of the Rhine in confusion. "Feldmarshcal, the British have entered Essen and are preparing to cross the Rhine as we speak. They have control of the Essen Bridge across the Rhine, we failed to detonate the bridge on schedule."
Rommel grows angry with this news, "Who's at Essen, my former Headquarters?"
Model walks up and clears his throat, "Schneider's SS Battalion: four panzers, twenty armoured cars and fourty trucks and half-tracks. In total maybe one thousand soldiers are at Essen."
Rommel looks back at the officer with the news, "How many Allied soldiers?"
"Three divisions."
"The Third SS-Corps, they will attack Essen immediatley!"
"What about Schneider's men?"
"Delay them as long as possible." Rommel walks out of the room with sweat coming down from his head, the war is turning against the Germans quickly and he is the man the Reich has turned to too save the empire from utter defeat.
~Essen, Germany.
"Major Harolds, we hold this end of the bridge," the British major looks at the bridge from a nearby hotel. "We believe that there is a German Unit on the other side of the bridge."
"Captain?"
"Yes Major?"
"Can we cross the Rhine right now?" The two soldiers look at each other.
"If you want us too cross the Rhine, it will be done. May I lead the attack across the Rhine?"
"Ofcourse Thomas. Take your battalion across the river, I'll support you from this end, when crossed deploy your flair and the rest of the division will move across and then the Americans and British Tanks will be clear to cross into Germany and in thirty-days we'll be celebrating in Berlin."
"Aye." Captain Thomas runs down the stairs and the British Major Harolds looks at the bridge. The surprised that the bridge is intact he contacts the British Army HQ, the only bridge across the Rhine is at Essen. The Race to take control of the city has begun, the war will not be decided in the east, it will be decided at Essen, Germany. If the Allies hold the city they will cross deep into Germany with no one to stop them, If the Germans hold the lines at Essen, then perhaps victory can still be achieved...