Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel- Commander of I. Panzerarmee
Once turned loose by Generaloberst von Reichenau, Rommel and the I. Panzerarmee set to the offensive with a will. Within hours of the order being given, I. Panzerarmee was on the move to the south and driving toward Armeegruppe A's next objective- the city of Salamanca. As Rommel's panzers drove onward, the Tigers of Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 led the way.
As the German panzer troops advanced, they found themselves facing little to no resistance as they approached Salamanca. Unknown to them, the Spanish Army was rapidly pulling out of the area and consolidating it's forces around Madrid. The rapid advance of the two main German Armeegruppen had panicked the government and the High Command was under heavy pressure to protect the capital.
With the bulk of the Spanish Army pulling back into defensive positions around Madrid, the German I. Panzerarmee sliced through the entire Salamanca province in mere days, capturing the city itself on August 6. Rommel did not pause here, but immediately turned his men east to continue the advance and complete one more part of the encirclement of the Spanish capital.
A Tiger of Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 on the advance in Spain
As I. Panzerarmee moved east toward the city of Toledo resistance stiffened slightly and the first instance of German and Spanish armor meeting on the battlefield took place outside of the city on August 9. The engagement was short and one sided with the German Tigers completely decimating the Spanish armored units. German panzergrenadiers advanced past the burning remains of hundreds of Spanish vehicles and into the city which was completely secured by August 11.
The advance of I. Panzerarmee had been as rapid as it had been successful. In the span of just over a week, two entire Spanish provinces had fallen and the ring of steel that the Germans were drawing around Madrid was nearly completed. However, the rapid advance had left I. Panzerarmee in a difficult situation. Rommel had little regard for how far his own units were advancing in respect to others and Generaloberst von Reichenau and the main part of Armeegruppe A had been left far behind. The area between the two fighting groups was lightly held by panzergrenadiers who Rommel hoped would be relieved by Reichenau's advancing men. Reichenau, however, was advancing as carefully as before and the dangerous gap between the two groups remained open.
This was a situation that was not lost on the Spanish in Madrid. On the morning of August 10, even as German troops battled to capture Toledo, they struck.
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August 12, 1940
East of Toledo, Spain
Major Otto Wolf Jumped out the car that borne him to and from headquarters and began walking toward the massive panzer that had carried him across Spain. As he approached, he saw that his crew was hard at work on the war machine. Hoff and Lorenz seemed to be taking care of munitions, while Riegler appeared to be fiddling with a piece of radio equipment. He did not see Hertz right away, but the driver soon rounded the back of the panzer. He was wiping his hands on a cloth and had a black smear across his face. Otto figured that he had been performing maintenance of some kind. They all stopped and turned to stare at him as he approached. Hoff looked him up and down and asked, "You alright, Major?"
Otto turned toward his old friend and replied, "I'm fine. Why?"
Hoff shrugged, "You look like you've seen a ghost or something."
Otto looked down at the ground for a moment, wondering how best to deliver the news he had been given at headquarters. When he looked up, he saw that the crew had all come to stand together and were looking at him expectantly. Otto heaved a sigh and said, "A few days back, the Spanish launched a counterattack into the Salamanca province. We didn't have very many men defending it and they were pushed back almost right away."
A few choice curses from his crewmen interrupted him and he paused until they died down. Once he had quiet he continued, "Reichenau began pushing some of his troops on to turn the Spanish back, but they arrived too late. The Spanish had already driven our men out. Reichenau's men attacked them, but were unable to defeat the Spanish."
A long silence followed Otto's statement as each man considered the situation. Finally, Lorenz spoke up and asked, "What exactly does this mean, Major?"
Otto looked him in the eye and, with a cold feeling in his gut, said simply, "It means that we're surrounded."
While the rest of crew either stood in stunned silence or launched into another round of cursing, Hertz suddenly began to laugh. When Otto raised a questioning eyebrow at him he said, "It's just like they say isn't it, Major?"
"What's that?"
Hertz smiled broadly as he responded, "Same damn shit, different day."
). However, I am an honest man and was compelled to faithfully report the progress of this latest invasion of Spain. I only ask that you be gentle.
