Even as Manstein deliberated, a messenger came in to hand him a signal from OKW. When he read it, all he could do was smile, shaking his head. Hitler wanted to know how soon preparations would be complete for the drive on Astrakhan! This message was obviously old, drafted before these offensives had begun. He called for an adjutant, telling the man to send a reply indicating that, in light of the three Soviet offensives presently underway, he was suspending any operation aimed at Astrakhan until the situation could be assessed and brought under control. Needless to say, still heady with the wine of imminent victory, Hitler did not want to hear anything of the kind.
That afternoon, Manstein ordered Grossdeutschland Division to suspend preparations for the attack on the enemy fortress line northwest of Elista, and he signaled General Schilling to put his 17th Panzer Division on the rail line near Divnoye. The war with Ivan Volkov would simply have to wait. He contacted Steiner immediately.
“We have a situation developing that could become serious soon,” he told him. “I want you to move Totenkopf from Donetsk to Millerovo immediately.
“What about Das Reich? ”
He also had a bull with two horns, but now he had to choose where to place this last piece on the board. If he sent Das Reich North to fight with Leibstandarte, he could definitely stop that northern attack towards Kharkov. Yet in Manstein’s mind, the greater threat was the attack against Paulus in the south. So he ordered 2nd SS to follow Totenkopf to Millerovo. He needed two fists in that fight, at least until he could get Grossdeutschland on the trains. Korps Raus was in deep reserve near Kirovgrad south of the Dnieper, so Manstein could send that to Kharkov to bolster the defense of the city if it became threatened. It only had two good infantry divisions, augmented with a Stug battalion, werfers and engineers, but it would have to do.
In the south, the situation went from bad to worse, on the line of the Don. General Polsten reported that two of his reserve infantry regiments had been completely overrun, and a huge gap had opened in the line. On his right flank, what was left of it, the entire 1st Luftwaffe Field Korps had collapsed and was retreating to the south. On their right, Schneken’s independent 17th Korps had been forced back, the 181st and 182nd divisions suffering heavy casualties. His last division, the 260th, was trying to fight its way out of a pocket on the upper Chir.
The situation prompted Manstein to mate both 2nd and 3rd SS, and now he was rushing the Grossdeutschland Division north on the trains through Rostov, and all without stopping a moment to clear this move with OKW. They would begin reaching Millerovo on the 14th, and with those three divisions, he hoped he could put in a credible counterattack and stop this attack.
Then he got news that Hitler himself was coming to the front to meet with him. Like a dark crow circling over carrion, the Führer wanted to personally intervene in the crisis, flying in to Zaporozhe, and requesting that Manstein meet with him there. It was the last thing the General needed at that moment, but he boarded a plane in spite of the urgency of the moment, leaving instructions with his Chief of Staff as to what he wanted done.
When the meeting came, in spite of handshakes and strained smiles, the tension in the room was palpable. Hitler began by asking why the Army intelligence group had not detected the enemy buildup to report it in a timely manner.
“That is a good question,” said Manstein, “but I am not the one to answer it. If any intelligence was gathered, it was certainly not presented to me. I had to hear the reports from Model before I knew what was happening, and by then this offensive was already underway.”
“Well, what is happening? Why has so much ground been lost along the Don?”
“That question I can answer—because four of the ten regiments receiving the attack have all but been destroyed. The enemy began this offensive on the tenth near Prokhorovka north of Kharkov. Since then it has evolved to a series of blows against the line, the second along the Oskol river north of Valuki, and then this attack emerging from the middle Don.”
“Those enemy bridgeheads should have been destroyed long ago. Why wasn’t this done?”
“Because I was tasked with taking Volgograd, and for no good military reason, I might add. Yet I did so as ordered. After that we had to send twenty divisions into the Caucasus that were once on this front preparing to drive the enemy north of the Don. If they were still here now, instead of fighting our former ally, then this attack could not have been prosecuted.”
“Push was coming to shove with Volkov,” said Hitler, wagging a finger. “War was inevitable. There were both economic and political considerations, but chief among them was the oil I have tasked you with securing. It is clear that Volkov has gone running to Sergei Kirov for aid and support. That is undoubtedly what is behind this new Soviet offensive, but it must be stopped.”
“I am already marshalling the resources required for a counterattack,” said Manstein.
“Steiner?”
“Of course, but these attacks are widely spaced. That creates certain difficulties, but also offers opportunities.”
“What is your assessment of the situation?” Hitler seemed calm and controlled, but Manstein could perceive the slight tremor in his hand, a small twitch in his right eye, and a general weariness on the man.
“It is a strong attack, apparently aimed at Prokhorovka as it began, but the real strength is in the center, along the Oskol River from Novyy Oskol to Valuki. I have already sent Dietrich to support the defense of that sector, but this second pincer from the Oskol is a very serious threat. He won’t be able to handle it alone, and before I can stop it, I must first deal with the situation on the lower Don. Steiner will bring the rest of his Korps here.” Manstein pointed out the location on the map. “Millerovo. I have already taken the liberty of moving Grossdeutschland Division there as well.”
“Yes, and I was not happy about that,” said Hitler. “Movement of any major formation like that must be brought to my attention for approval.”
“I am sorry to say that there was no time for that. Moving a division the size of Grossdeutschland is no small matter. It requires a lot of rolling stock, and I had to act quickly.”
Hitler was willing to excuse that transgression, but it led to an inevitable question. “What of the operation against Elista?”
Manstein’s answer was not welcome news.
“It will have to be cancelled, or at the very least, postponed.”
Part VIII
De Führer
“To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture.”
Chapter 22
Hitler was clearly not happy to hear that. “But there are still four mobile divisions in the Caucasus,” he protested. “Why can’t they proceed with this operation?”