Chapter 129: Desperation and Apprehension (11 to 15 May 1941)
Prologue
This account of Turkey’s role in the Second Great War resumes with S.I.T.H. agent Cennet ‘Connie’ Kavgaci en route from
Monte Carlo, via
Nice, in a Swissair flight to
Lisbon. There, she will meet a British MI6 contact, where the plan is to then travel to British-occupied
Cagliari to take up a lead the British think may be of interest to their Turkish allies-of-convenience. Or is it an elaborate plot to discover and kidnap or ‘turn’ a well-placed Turkish S.I.T.H. agent? Cennet is prepared for anything that may happen. Including a well-concealed cyanide capsule should the worst transpire …
… while on the
Yeniçeri Line, the blood-soaked battleground of
Timisoara has finally been conceded to the Axis after many epic struggles. Ismet Imönü has vowed he will return – but for now, he is desperately trying to construct fall-back defensive positions in
Lugoj and
Faget. And hoping the Soviets and Romanians can cover the rest of the line to the north-east, because Turkey is now stretched too far to cover any more: and indeed may be inching towards the breaking point of the line that has held back the Axis – against all expectations – for the first year of the
Great Liberation War between the Axis and the Comintern.
The situation around Timisoara at the end of 10 May 1941.
A defence is being scrambled in
Lugoj and
Faget, with three divisions – two of them virtually spent, the other very worn out – still in retreat from their former positions.
Faget in particular is weakly held – the units there need more time to regain strength and dig in. 1 Cav Div will form the core of the defence in
Lugoj – even though it is best employed in the offence or counter-attack. Axis forces continue to build, with a large column sighted moving into
Timisoara from the north-west.
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11 May 41
With no serious combat or air action currently in progress along the
Yeniçeri Line, the morning is spent with units continuing their retreat and those already in place desperately digging in, reinforcing and reorganising. At 9am, Namut’s battered 5 Inf Div arrives in
Lugoj. Rather than being sent to a depth position to recuperate, they are ordered to entrench where they are and recover in place. The supply situation seems to have been restored by the evening in
Lugoj and
Faget, but some of the units are still replenishing their stocks – especially of fuel – from the previous shortages.
Meanwhile, Cennet – now posing as a French-Syrian émigré for her transit through Vichy France and Portugal – arrives in
Lisbon. A message awaits her from a British operative at the airport: her ‘old friend Francois Moreau’ (the pre-arranged code name and phrase for her MI6 contact) wishes to meet her at the Viewpoint on the
Largo das Portas do Sol in the historic quarter of
Alfama. Apparently ‘one can obtain a magnificent view of the city of
Lisbon overlooking the Tagus River’ from this lookout.
Cennet finds herself walking in the Alfama along the Largo das Portas do Sol, on her way to her MI6 rendezvous on a pleasant spring afternoon, 11 May 1941.
She arrives at the lookout and leans on the railing, taking in the view. Soon afterwards a man wanders up, offering the seemingly casual comment (in French) that “The
Alfama is a jewel – it is a blessing it survived the ‘quake of 1755.” Cennet replies “I myself love the Moorish influence on
Al-Hamma. Some of the architecture reminds me of home.”
The password exchange complete, ‘Francois’ quickly briefs Cennet on the details for her transit to
Cagliari. It has been determined that a submarine transit from
Gibraltar would take too long.
And perhaps, she thought to herself,
they don’t want me seeing the inside of one of their subs.
“It so happens there is a BOAC service that runs from
Lisbon, via
Gibraltar to
Malta. It is now making stops at
Cagliari too, when we need it to. It hasn’t been shot down yet, so we’re presuming it will be
reasonably safe.” He looks casually but searchingly at the young Turkish agent to see what she makes of this.
Cennet simply shrugs and says “That sounds fine to me – it will be quicker. I am in your hands. Or, if it crashes, God’s.”
‘Francois’ nods. “Very well, my dear. I will be accompanying you through to
Cagliari.”
“What can you tell me of this ‘lead’ I am meant to be following up?”
“Nothing, I’m afraid. I am being sent to be briefed in myself. Need to know, you know.” At which Cennet rolls her eyes. “And I think my superiors want this one held very close. Wouldn't do for us to be captured on the way and then spill the beans.”
‘Francois’ wanders off, with a parting “See you at the airport at 9am the day after tomorrow – the 13th. We’ll be catching the ‘St Louis’ to
Gibraltar.” Cennet stays a little while to take in the wonderful views. She has no idea whether she will ever see
Lisbon again, so may as well make the best of her ‘flying visit’.
Cennet gazed out over the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, a 17th-century church and monastery in the Alfama district of Lisbon - one of the most significant of such in Portugal.
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12 May 41
The leaderless 14 Inf Div arrives in
Lugoj at midnight. Having left before the bitter end in
Timisoara, it is still operating at about 30% efficiency. They too start digging in and recovering.
Lugoj will assume the same defensive importance that
Timisoara had – its hilly terrain providing a better natural defence than the plains of
Faget to the north-east, which will remain the weakest point in the line – and more vulnerable as the boundary between the Turkish lines and those of their allies. With now only 6 Inf Div to return from
Lipova, the new defensive line is taking shape. These are the units that will have to turn back any renewed Axis assault in this area.
While Cennet takes in a few more of the sights of
Lisbon, all remains relatively quiet on the
Yeniçeri Line. Wishing to further focus Soviet efforts on defending Romania and the boundary between it and the Turkish-held front, allied defensive objectives in
Sabac,
Ruma and
Ada are cancelled that afternoon (not that the Soviets seemed to have been taking much notice of them). They remain for the more vulnerable provinces of
Kikinda,
Lugoj and
Faget to the north-east.
That evening, the Soviets (upon request
[ie a quick tag to have a look was deemed justified given it is right next door]) provided an update via GRU Liaison Agent SkitalecS3 on their dogged defence of
Dezna – which is due north of
Faget and has been providing some distraction from a continued drive on it: the Italian 133rd Armoured Division has been diverted to assist with the Axis attack on
Dezna. The Soviets are fighting hard, but the Axis have plenty of reinforcements they can keep feeding into the battle if they wish.
And three hours later, second-hand reports indicate more Axis units - including German light armour - have indeed joined the attack on
Dezna, which must now be in considerable danger of falling. But in better news, the Soviets have rushed a couple of rifle divisions to hold
Deva behind it – which should also help to protect the right flank of
Faget. And, elsewhere in Romania, the Comintern seems to be hanging on and even counter-attacking in some areas. The fight is not lost yet, by a long stretch! "Temeşvar'ı Hatırla!" (
Remember Timisoara!)
OTL Event: Berlin, Germany. The Nazi Party issued a press release on the subject of Rudolf Hess, claiming that he was "suffering from mental illness" and that the Führer had ordered the immediate arrest of those who helped Hess. Hitler abolished Rudolf Hess's post of Deputy Führer, transferred its duties to the new title of Chief of the Nazi Party Chancellory and appointed Martin Bormann to the job. [No change in game – Hess is still there. Useful for comic relief either way – for now he remains Deputy Fuhrer: a bratwurst-eating buffoon and arch-enemy of the Glorious Union.]
Martin Bormann - yet another odious Nazi creature inhabiting the foul and foetid swamps of Hitler's Third Reich. We will hope we don't have to make his acquaintance during the story - but if we do, will report on him as much as we must.
13 May 41
Another spy is apprehended from Manchukuo: he had made an obvious error, being picked up at a Chinese restaurant in
Istanbul specialising in Manchu cuisine. He was tucking into a midnight snack in the back room: a traditional Manchurian hot pot (满洲火锅; 滿洲火鍋; Mǎnzhōu huǒguō) of pickled Chinese cabbage, pork and mutton. Naturally, the restaurant was under surveillance by Kaya’s Secret Police. As were most meeting places with some kind of Axis connection. These agents from 'Manchukuo' really were hopeless amateurs. Even Kaya was able to outsmart them! If only 'the Thorn' was so easy to catch!
A rookie error: this Manchurian spy was arrested (and never seen again) not long after posing for this 'happy snap' in downtown Istanbul, shortly after midnight on 13 May 1941. He was not nearly so happy when held at the tender mercies of Kaya's Secret Police at the local Interior Ministry depot.
“A Manchurian hot pot, eh? That gives me an idea for the interrogation!” says one of Kaya’s goons with a loud cackle as he marches the unfortunate captive away to the nearest Interior Ministry building –
“There’s one in every neighbourhood!” as they say.
By this time, the rebuilding of Ögel’s foreign intelligence agency was progressing: he now had nine teams of spies ready for infiltration. Once he gets to around 12-13 (ten plus some spares) he will contemplate deploying them to their next target: which on current reckoning will be Italy. At least, that is what Ambassador Mike Ceylan is counting on to be able to bring his plans to fruition.
That morning – 13 May 1941, Cennet had boarded her BOAC flight to Gibraltar and that afternoon was flying into the great strategic naval base. As they approached ‘the Rock’, she could see a British convoy had just arrived. The place was a hive of activity. She would overnight there – but in this case, general sightseeing was strictly curtailed by the British. [Picture is of a British convoy that had indeed arrived in Gibraltar 8/9 May 1941 in OTL.]
At 5pm, the badly worn and out-of-supply 6 Inf Div finally arrived in
Faget from
Lipova. It was in no position for a fight any time soon: it was instead put aboard trucks and sent south to
Beograd, to refit and prepare a reserve defensive position there. That key city would be held for as long as possible and would make a very strong intermediate defensive position if necessary.
The rest of the day passed quietly, with no attacks on the ground or from the air.
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14 May 41
But the relative quiet of the last few days was shattered very early on the morning of 14th May: in
Kraljevo, Inönü was gently shaken awake by his orderly.
“Sir, you are requested at the CP. It is a major attack.”
“Where?” asks the Milli Şef. “
Faget?
Lugoj?”
“No, sir – in
Ada!”
“
Ada! Perhaps we will find their teeth on our knuckles in that place. Tell the Duty Officer I will be there shortly.”
“General, German panzers are attacking from
Srbobran [NB: afterwards I noticed I kept misspelling it on the maps – will fix next chapter] and are making heavy going of it across the river. Panzer-grenadiers and Hungarian infantry are attacking from
Senta. They are finding it hard going for now, though will be more effective in daylight. The defence is holding strongly, but 2 and 7 Inf Divs were still recovering from their exertions in the great
Battle for Timisoara. 2 and 12 Divs are fully dug in, 7 Div’s entrenchments are about 70% complete.”
“Let us hope those sauerkraut and goulash munchers end up with a severe case of indigestion trying to consume
Ada. Everything seems under control for now. Keep me posted.” He headed back to bed, happy Eldelhun had things in hand in
Ada. Soon after, air raids commenced on the defenders there, which would keep up all day. The first wave, at 4am, consisted of two Italian TAC wings.
By 7am, with daylight, the Axis attack stepped up in intensity
[ranging from 7 Pz Div at 56.5% up to 4th Leichte at 148.2% - all less than the defenders’ percentages, at least]. In
Gibraltar, later that morning Cennet and ‘Francois’ – now calling himself Rupert (still probably not his real name) prepared to board the ‘St Louis’ again for the last leg of the mysterious trip to
Cagliari.
The BOAC Curtiss CW-20A/C-55, G-AGDI "St Louis”, seen here refuelling in Gibraltar, prior to taking Cennet to occupied Cagliari in Sardinia. BOAC’s “St Louis” has been running regular supply flights between Lisbon, Gibraltar and Malta throughout 1941 to date. Today, it will be making a stop in Cagliari on the way through.
At 10pm, SkitalecS3 had to report the sad news that
Dezna had fallen to German light armour – the Axis had indeed continued to reinforce until the Soviets decided the position was no longer tenable.
“I have also been requested to inform you that 41 SD will be retreating to your positions in Faget,” said Skitalec.
“Skitalec, would you ask the STAVKA to have them stay in
Faget to aid with the defence? Our force there is not yet strong and we need all the help we can get to hold it, especially now
Dezna has fallen. We’re afraid they will now be coming for us next.”
“I will do what I can, Milli Şef.”
Air Report. Three Italian air raids caused 432 casualties in
Ada that day.
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15 May 41
Midnight in Ankara
It is midnight in
Ankara. In a bordello (actually an Interior Ministry owned and operated ‘honey trap’), not far from the city centre, a man presenting himself as a small trader from Haytay is enjoying some horizontal refreshment. But, as he approaches the culmination of his pleasures, the door bursts open. The room is soon filled with a detachment of Kaya’s Secret Policemen. The deflated man – in fact, a Vichy French spy from Syria – is apprehended without a fight, his
coitus well and truly
interrupted.
“So, scum, I don’t think you will be enjoying your
next lodgings quite so much. You’re off on the
Midnight Express!” This last is apparently an in-joke amongst Kaya’s men, who laugh heartily - and evilly. Midnight of course being the traditional time for arresting and ‘neutralising’ enemy agents. For the prisoner, it will be a Turkish prison cell of the worst sort – at the HQ of the Interior Ministry.
The Vichy spy will be enjoying neither the 'Midnight Express' nor his lodgings in Ankara. Though his stay is likely to be precipitately brief.
Elsewhere in the capital, research work is being done. With doctrine for TAC pilot training completed, focus is switched to improving basic infantry warfare. In a related field, the next level of tactical command structure doctrine will soon be ready for implementation. That research will be continued to lead eventually to the application of superior firepower, with divisions capable of harnessing the efforts of more brigades – a key Turkish research objective, which would also help with the shortage of trained generals by consolidating the number of divisions.
At the Front
After around a day of fighting, the latest
Battle of Ada rages on. The Axis are now showing a fair degree of wear and tear – but have brought the still-damaged German 23rd Inf Division into their reserve to help compensate. This could be another long and bloody fight.
Battle-hardened troops of the Turkish 12 Inf Div defend their entrenchments against a determined enemy assault in the hills of Ada, 15 May 1941.
In the mid-afternoon, MAJGEN Orbay (another crack Turkish commander, leading the Mighty First) reports contact in
Faget:
“This is One-One: contact; German SS troops assaulting from Timisoara. The Romanians have taken command of the battle – but are up against the accursed von Schweppenburg. The situation is in the balance. Out”
The feared blow on
Faget has been struck. Although it is a single division attack only, it is the dreaded and ubiquitous SS-Verf Division – still not fully recovered from previous battles, but in a better state than either of the two main Turkish defenders (HQ 3rd Corps will only be able to provide limited assistance). The Soviet 41 SD is still retreating from
Dezna – and there is no way to tell how strong they are or whether they will stay once they arrive.
Five hours later, the Soviets do arrive in
Faget: and immediately join the defence – Skitalec has come through. Huzzah! They are in quite reasonable shape, too. And the German attack has now faltered somewhat with the falling of night.
Fighting still rages on in
Ada, where the Hungarian 7th Division is now almost spent and 4th Leichte is not far behind. The Turkish defenders are damaged but holding on well.
Air Report. The Hungarians took over air strike duties in
Ada from the Italians that day and had just a CAS wing available. Three raids only caused a total of 95 casualties.
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Cagliari
Earlier, in the late afternoon, Cennet and her MI6 escort officer had arrived in occupied
Cagliari. The city looked peaceful enough from the air as they approached – but she remembered her last visit here, just before the French invasion the previous year. The place held dark memories. She was informed that it would be too late that evening to proceed on the next stage of the mission. Cennet was escorted to a small hotel being used (and secured) by the British military and spent an uneasy night’s sleep, wondering what the morrow would bring.
Cagliari, seen from the ‘St Louis’, during its approach on the evening of 15 May 1941.
OTL Event: London, UK. The British attempted to keep the Nazis guessing as to what Rudolf Hess had told them by having Ernest Bevin say in the government's first official statement on the matter: "I do not believe that Hitler did not know that Hess was coming to England. From my point of view Hess is a murderer. He is no man I would ever negotiate with and I don't change even for diplomatic reasons. I am not going to be deceived."
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Coming Up: The next (shorter) episode will cover the events of 16 May in
Cagliari and on the
Yeniçeri Line, plus provide a mid-month situation report of global combat theatres. Can both
Ada and
Faget hold? What have the British found in
Cagliari that may be of interest to the Turks? What is the situation on the rest of the Patriotic Front and in the Far East? Will enemy spies continue to be so lax and easy to apprehend in Turkey – providing more unwilling passengers for the
Midnight Express? When will Mike Ceylan be ready to strike?
