Guderian had finally arrived in force.
The first probing attack by 10th Motorized had been held off, the 25 Pounders timely and spot on with their defensive fires. But that single British division, even reinforced by 31st Indian Armored, was not going to be anywhere near enough to hold for any length of time. Speed and concentration of force were the hallmarks of Guderian’s approach, and he was demonstrating the same mercurial skills in the art of maneuver warfare as he had in Russia, his spirits revitalized after those desperate frozen months in the drive on Moscow.
“What is in front of us?” he asked Schmidt of 10th Motorized when he reached the scene.
“A mixed force. It looks to be a regular British Infantry Brigade, and now we’ve seen Indian motorized infantry coming up to support their right flank. But my division is in good order.”
“Well, if you were moving fast enough that would not be the case!” said Guderian. “Alright, you can cover Schneider’s move around their flank.” Now the General looked at the commander of 4th Panzer.
“I’m already executing a wide envelopment to the east,” said Schneider. “I have infantry and the recon battalion south of Hamah! There’s nothing there. We can bypass and go right into Homs if you wish.”
“I do not wish that,” said Guderian. “We don’t want Homs, or even Hamah. They deployed much too far forward, so now we’ll make them pay for that. We can get the mountain divisions up much quicker to establish their defensive front. Then we move all of Hube’s 14th Panzer Korps east. Westhoven’s 3rd Panzer is just coming in by rail. I’ll have them follow your tracks. Herr Schmidt, continue with your envelopment, but be ready to pull out on a moment’s notice to move east. Kubler’s divisions will fix them in place, but I want the Panzer Divisions to push right into this gap here—right astride that pipeline that runs from Homs east to Palmyra.”
“What about the Brandenburgers?” asked Hube.
“Forget about them for the time being. I sent them to Ar Raqqah and the Euphrates. Once we get in to position, then your division moves on Palmyra. When we do so, speed will be of the essence. Leading units should bypass enemy strong points and push on. Be relentless.”
The Brandenburgers were already moving on their first big objective at Ar Raqqah. They had raced east, below the bend of the Euphrates, where Langen’s 4th Regiment crossed to approach the city from the north. Konrad’s Lehr Regiment and Duren’s 3rd Regiment then moved along the south bank of the river. Most of the city sat on the north bank of the Euphrates, with two good bridges over the river. To the east was hill 266, a good point to overlook the town itself, and the airfield was just north of this feature, on a low plateau bounded on the north by a canal and stream that reached down to the Euphrates. There was higher ground south of those bridges, the heights of Tell Assaad, Qaret el Beit, and Qaret Hajana. Beckermann wanted that high ground, for it would not only serve to cut off the enemy garrison from any retreat south, but he could also post his artillery there.
Those three regiments should be enough to take the city, or so he believed. The 1st and 2nd Regiments were already well to the south, racing for that gap in the rugged highlands, Tayyibah Pass.
Chapter 18
“What’s the situation?” asked Wavell. He had flown in to the airfield at Homs, and was shocked to learn that German recon units were already feeling their way around the position north of Hamah. 10th Army commander, General Quinan, was there along with his III Corps commander, General Anderson, and the newly arrived General Walter Clutterbuck of the 1st Infantry Division. That unit had been the Palestine garrison force, but Wavell had already sent two of its brigades north to meet the enemy, one to reinforce the coast against the German mountain troops, and the second right there at Homs, arriving at a most opportune time.
“Jerry’s got round our right,” said Quinan. “Ficklin is too far forward. Remember what happened to Percival in Malaya,” he admonished. “We’ve gone and done the same thing—too far forward, and the Germans are simply bypassing our line at Hamah.”
“Well where’s the bloody Indian Armored Division?” asked Wavell, somewhat irritated.
“Half of it went on up to Hamah, mostly the infantry and engineers. The other half is right here where we need them.”
“What have we identified on the other side?” Wavell leaned over the map.
“4th Panzer is moving in here, just east of our position where we stand. 10th Motorized is on the line facing off with Ficklin. The rest are the mountain troops, west to the coast at Tartus.”
“What about the Brandenburgers?”
“They went east to Ar Raqqah.”
“I see… Well the French won’t hold that for very long. Has King Force moved?”
“Yes sir, they reached Dier-ez-Zour this morning,” said Anderson. That wasn’t exactly true. The fast moving 4th Cavalry was there, but most of King Force was still strung out along the long road from Hadithah, and they were getting low on petrol.
“The good news is that 10th Indian has come up from Baghdad,” said Quinan. “The head of their column is at Hadithah.”
“Can the French get out of Ar Raqqah?”
“They might. The secondary road on the east bank of the river is still open. But if they can hold on a few days that would buy us time.”
“Yes, but at the cost of that brigade,” said Wavell. “I want them out of there. They can move south to link up with King Force and the Indian Division. Then we’ll have enough in hand to make a stand. Glubb Pasha is at Dier-ez-Zour. He can get the French to good ground if they can get south. As it stands, Ar Raqqah isn’t important to us at the moment.”
“Well sir,” said Anderson. “Most of the country east of the Euphrates is fairly wild—Bedu trash and such. Glubb Pasha is up there running them hither and thither every other week. From Ar Raqqah Jerry can just push on east and he can be in Iraq in two days. I daresay those bandits up there would roll out the welcome mat for the Germans.”
“Quite likely,” said Wavell, “but I’ve looked that over and taken measures to prevent it. 5th Indian Division has moved down from Kirkuk. They can serve as a blocking force if Jerry moves as you suggest. Get the French moving. We’ll do much better fighting for Dier-ez-Zour. Ar Raqqah is too far north, just as you cautioned a moment ago.”
“Very good sir.”
“Alright then, what shall we do about Hamah?” Wavell looked them all over. Clutterbuck was quiet, having only just arrived, and deferring to the senior officer present, Anderson.
“Holding Hamah covers the road through Masyaf to the coast, but Ficklin’s 5th is trying to hold a front of nearly 90 kilometers. It just won’t do. They’ll turn his right flank tomorrow, if not today. RAF says there’s still a lot of movement up north on both road and rail lines. They may just be shaking themselves out and getting ready to move.”
“You say Ficklin is 25 klicks north of Hamah?”
“Yes sir, right about here, I should think.”
“Then let’s get him back closer to the city. He can still hold on at Masyaf, but his line can move right through Hamah… and general Clutterbuck.”
“Sir?”
“Would you move anything you have at hand up this road? That should help cover Ficklin’s flank.”
“Right sir, I can send three battalions directly.”