“You know Zhukov,” said Model. “When he commits a full tank army, he means business. This is no spoiling attack. It has some depth. We have reports of units from three separate armies already involved, and one is a Guards formation.”
“Anything happening further west along your lines?”
“Not yet,” said Model. “I’ve been watching my other flank, but there’s no activity there. Thus far, this appears to be an isolated attack, but with a lot of mechanized units. It could be a prelude to something more.”
“Any word from Heinrici?”
“Nothing. His 56th Infantry Division was just to the right of this attack on Schubert, but aside from some pressure there, his entire front is quiet, all the way to the Oskol River, and then down to Valuki—dead quiet.”
“Which is somewhat strange,” said Manstein. “This may be a bull, but so far it only has one horn if they intend anything more with this.”
“What do you want me to do?” asked Model. “24th Panzer Korps is long gone, off to Germany for the refit. My problem now is that I’ve had to put damn near every division on the line to hold the front, so I’ve very little in reserve.”
“Dietrich is at Kharkov,” said Manstein.
Sepp Dietrich was indeed posted there, and with all of his 1st SS Leibstandarte Division. “If this is something big, then tell Oppenländer to give them Prokhorovka if they want it. You have my permission to make any adjustments to your line that you deem necessary. I’ll notify Dietrich. Otherwise, hold your front. If those tanks continue south, then they want Belgorod; and if they want that, then they’re after Kharkov.”
“A pity they sent all my Panzer Divisions home last month to refit,” said Model.
“Not all of them. 22nd Panzer moved back to Poltava to get ready for the trip home, but it looks like that will have to be delayed. I’ll alert them to the trouble, but for now, let’s see what develops. I’ll contact you tonight.”
Oppenländer’s situation became more serious hour by hour. Both the red villages had been taken, his flanks penetrated and pushed back, and he was perhaps two hours away from finding his whole division in a pocket centered on Prokhorovka. Siebert finally got hold of him again by radio, finding that he had moved his HQ just east of the rail line near Belenkino. That was where most of the divisional and Korps support artillery had been positioned, which had been firing nonstop for the last hour. With permission to withdraw in hand, he now had to decide whether he could pull the maneuver off. Oppenländer and his entire division, had escaped the carnage of Stalingrad, finding this post with Model’s 2nd Army to be a lucky reprieve from the heavier fighting—until now.
It seemed that fate was capricious and vengeful, and was conspiring to put the division into a little pocket all on its own. Moving men from long held defensive bunkers was never easy. His division would become scattered, exposed to attack the whole time, and it would likely be days before he could get it back in any semblance of order. Yet if he left the men in place, they might find themselves in an enemy POW camp soon, or worse. He decided to stand his ground, ordering his division to assume all around defensive positions and ride out the storm. The division artillery was sent north, into the pocket that would now form. The Korps artillery he sent south, hoping there would be better use for it when the Army came back to relieve him. Oppenländer then ordered his staff north towards Prokhorovka, saying nothing to their wide-eyed stares. When a staff Lieutenant complained under his breath, he turned on the man with an angry rebuke.
“That is our division fighting up there, and we will fight right alongside them. Understand?” The General had seen far worse in the first war, and he had the medals on his chest to prove it.
Model was a whirlwind once he knew what was happening. Heinrici’s 12th Korps near Prokhorovka was already starting to fold back its left flank, with 56th Infantry there still under heavy pressure. The 305th was already pocketed, and there was now a gap in the front 20 kilometers wide. The only division Model had in reserve was the 102nd, but it was well to the west, south of Sumy. His right flank was now Siebert’s middle division, the 294th, and Siebert himself was already motoring northwest with his HQ to avoid being overrun. His problem was that “Festung Oboyan” was now sticking out like a sore thumb where the River Psel made its turn to the southeast. As long as he was charged with holding that city, he would have to hold that flank. The first thing he did was to put in a call to General Hell in the 7th Korps, the center Korps of the three that made up 2nd Army.
Learning that Hell still had s single regiment of the 299th in reserve, he ordered him to send it east immediately to shore up Siebert’s right flank. Then he looked to Schmidt’s Korps for the one major reserve he still had in hand. Friesner’s 102nd Infantry Division was behind Sumy, and he told Schmidt to send it to Siebert.
“I know it’s a long march, but the situation demands it.”
“General,” said Schmidt. “I just unloaded my latest supply delivery at Nizhnaya. That’s what Friesner’s men were doing. I’ll put them all right on that train and simply send it east.”
“Perfect!” Model was elated. “That rail comes right to me here at Tomarovka, and this attack might be heading my way. So send it here, Schmidt. Heinrici has a division screening Belgorod, and with the 102’nd we might just be able to throw up another defensive front. Get it moving as soon as you can. And if you can spare any Sturmgeschutz Battalions, send them as well.”
What Model really needed now was the power to counterattack, but that would only be possible if he could mass at least three infantry divisions, or get his hands on a Panzer division. Knowing the 1st SS Division was at Kharkov was a good consolation, but all that had happened up to this point was but a prelude.
At dawn on the 11th of April, the other shoe fell. Zhukov launched his second pincer from the Oskol River between Novyy Oskol and Valuki. The attack in the north would be made by Shurkin’s 63rd Army, and the Popov Mobile Group, with two Tank Corps and a column of three motorized brigades. To their immediate south, in the center of the breakthrough zone, the entire 1st Shock Army under Yeremenko would focus on one point in the line near Volokonovka, and just south of that, all of Kuznetsov’s 1st Guards Army would cross the river. This force had 1st Guard Tank, 1st Guard Mech, three Guards Rifle Divisions, the 81st Motorized, six other rifle divisions, and a lot of heavy artillery. It would be strongly supported on the left by Morozov’s 3rd Shock Army, and down near Valuki, where the five divisions of 3rd Guards Army would force a bridgehead there. Gagen’s 58th Army held the southern flank of this intended breakthrough zone, and Shurkin’s 63rd Army would hold the north shoulder. This was a much bigger attack than the attack near Prokhorovka, and once it got over the Oskol River in force, there was good open country to the west.
The full scope of Operation Red Star would soon become apparent. (See map for Red Star General Plan).
Chapter 21
Manstein had been keeping one eye on the situation in the north, while he monitored the progress of the assault over the Terek River east of Groznyy. The sector west of that city was a maze of heavy fortifications, and he had been hammering at them for three days. Yet his real hope was on the cross-river operation east of Groznyy, as it would unhinge this defense by threatening to flank the entire city. He had every confidence in Model’s ability to handle this attack near Prokhorovka. Then he got the news of the second Soviet offensive.
So… The other horn of the bull, he thought. They always come in pairs. It is obvious that they are now attempting a pincer operation against 4th Army, but that is an awful lot to chew on. Heinrici has seven decent infantry divisions, and they are well rested. Model’s army is even stronger, completely rebuilt over the winter, with three strong infantry Korps—ten divisions. If this attack had come in February, he would also have all of 24th Panzer Korps in reserve, but for now, the 22nd division will have to do.