“Because two of them are here, holding the line of the Kuma River to where it meets the Manych Canal. The other two will not be sufficient, and I may need one more of those divisions north of the Don.”
“That should not be necessary,” said Hitler. “Steiner will master the situation quickly enough.” Hitler waved his hand as if dismissing the whole Soviet offensive, the four regiments Manstein had reported destroyed, all of it. Steiner had stopped Zhukov the previous year, and he would do so again. His mind remained fixed on only one thing, the oil.
“How soon will we have the fields at Groznyy?”
“A matter of days,” said Manstein; “perhaps hours. We have three bridgeheads east of the city on the Terek, and that has unhinged the defense west of Groznyy. That is the same general strategy in play with this new Soviet offensive. They want to get over the Donets, and from there, to threaten Rostov. That would put an end to all our operations in the Caucasus.”
“Nonsense,” said Hitler. “You fail to consider the political situation. Volkov has been at war with the Soviets for twenty years. I do not think they will become nice cozy bedfellows now simply because I have taken the prize they were both tussling over.”
“A moment ago, you stated this offensive was staged at the request of Volkov,” said Manstein.
“I was merely being facetious. Sergei Kirov pursues his own war aims, but I do not think they presently include considerations on the wellbeing of Ivan Volkov. The Soviets may, indeed, be trying to get over the Donets, but for reasons of their own, that should be obvious. They want to force us to yield all territory we now hold in the Don Bend, which would then threaten these more important operations in the Caucasus. But they will never get there.” Hitler put on his eyeglasses, leaning over the map. Yet his eyes were not on the ruptured lines along the Don and upper Donets, but on the far distant fields of Astrakhan and Baku.
“We have done very well up until now,” he said. “Ivan Volkov has learned that we can put steel behind the decrees I put forward. The man presumed to think he would control the oil at Baba Gurgur, but I showed him how wrong he was there with my Fallschirmjagers. Then he presumed to dictate to me concerning control of the Kuban, and all the fields at Maykop. Thankfully, our troops soon put those demented notions to rout. Now we have Groznyy within our grasp. Yet how long before we can continue the drive to Baku?”
Manstein took a deep breath, somewhat frustrated with Hitler’s obsession with these distant economic objectives. He wanted to move the session to the crisis of the hour. “My Führer,” he said. “We have the Caucasus well in hand. Volkov’s forces there have little offensive power, and we can generate sufficient mass to move them any time we choose. Even if we were sitting on Baku at this moment, it would still be months before that resource could be developed to a point where it would be useful. The pipelines have all been destroyed, and so it will need trucks to haul the oil, and rail cars. But all of that is many months away. So Volkov and his oil is not the issue here and now. As for Sergei Kirov, the Soviets are another matter. They clearly do have the potential to mount an offensive, as that situation map shows. Now, it may be necessary for me to adopt some rather sweeping redeployments to contain, and then defeat, the enemy offensives now underway. That is where our minds should be focused.”
“Sweeping redeployments?” Hitler gave him a look half akin to annoyance. “Tell me that is not just another word for retreat. My Generals are always advocating withdrawal in the face of a crisis. I certainly hope that poison has not infected your own thinking, General Manstein.”
“My Führer, have you never watched a good fencing match? The contestants thrust and parry, they move forward, and yet also withdraw. This is the art of mobile war. Consider this first prong of the enemy attack near Prokhorovka. Both Model and Heinrici have had to fold back their respective flanks, and Model is preparing a new blocking force to screen Belgorod. I am not worried about 2nd Army at the moment, but 4th Army’s position is somewhat precarious. The attack across the Oskol river on its lower right has real power, and it could go all the way to the Donets. That would cut off the entire 4th Army. I have added the 22nd Panzer Division to Model’s bag of tricks to help out. It is moving out of reserve status from Poltava.”
“That unit was scheduled to return to Germany for a refit,” said Hitler, his mind an amazing steep trap for all the divisions of his army.
“Under the circumstances, it will have to remain in theater. For that matter, if we could get the other two divisions of that Korps back, then we might easily smash this smaller northern pincer. Kharkov would seem an inviting target for the enemy, but I do not believe they can get there from the north. That drive will be lucky to just take Belgorod, but if it is then supported by this central attack from the Oskol River, things change.”
“In what way?” Hitler gave the General a look that revealed the hidden anxiety within him.
“If the two pincers do link up,” said Manstein, “then Kharkov is on the cutting board for the meat cleavers. If they get that, then they have an opportunity to go for the Dnieper. That is the real prize for the enemy now. 4th Army would do much better on the upper Donets than it would if pocketed while trying to hold the Oskol River line. This is what I mean by redeployments.”
“You want to withdraw 4th Army? What about Steiner?” It was as if Hitler had not been listening. The only thing he grasped was that Manstein was angling to move 4th Army.
“Steiner’s last two divisions are needed here at Millerovo,” Manstein reiterated. “And to really do the job quickly there, I will need to muster forces presently operating in the Caucasus. For that I have chosen Kirchner’s 57th Panzer Korps Headquarters, and to this I will add Grossdeutschland Division and 17th Panzer.”
Hitler squinted, adjusting his eyeglasses with an unsteady hand. It was clear that he was uncomfortable with any transfer of units from the Caucasus. “Why can’t Steiner deal with this situation on his own? If you move the 57th Panzer Korps, then we have no strong mobile units in the Caucasus.”
“We don’t need them there at the moment. As I have said, the operation to take Elista has been cancelled. Once I get a free hand and stop this attack in the south, I propose to move all those forces to the vicinity of Izyum, and for two reasons. First, in that position they block any attempt to cross the lower Donets. The second reason is that it places them in the perfect place to attack the flank of this second enemy thrust if it drives for Kharkov.”
“If you move 17th Panzer Division from the Caucasus, what will hold the ground they now defend?”
Manstein was quite direct in his answer, and equally truthful. He said just one word: “Nothing.”
“Nothing? Then Volkov’s Armies will simply rush through those gaps and the entire front could collapse. Then all the Generals at OKW will be pleased, won’t they? We will have your whole operation at Groznyy turn into another pocket, and then they can hound me endlessly for permission to withdraw. If I order Model to stand fast, as he should, they will say the very same thing about his army—another pocket.”
“They will not have to do so,” said Manstein, “because Heinrici’s troops will not be there if you allow me to operate as I wish. You are correct in stating that the redeployment of 17th Panzer Division creates a gap in our line in the south, but I will still have 18th Panzer on hand there as a good sheepdog, and there are army assets that can help out as well. Volkov will not attack. It is all he can do to hold the line. As for Heinrici, no one eats dinner alone at this table. The Army is a family, and when it moves, it must do so as a whole. So when I maneuver Steiner and 57th Panzer Korps into position, Heinrici goes with them. I propose that he move to a new line here, and anchor his left on Belgorod. That joins hands with Model and restores the front. There is heavily wooded country due east of that city, and look how it is broken by all these river tributaries flowing into the Donets. That is a very good place for our infantry. The northern pincer will try to use that ground for defensive purposes. Their real hopes are pinned on the central thrust. I believe they will attempt to move through Volonovka to Volchansk, then bypass that city to move on the Donets…. And Kharkov. This will leave their southern flank exposed, and when I move adequate force to Izyum, our counterattack can begin.”