Kriks refilled their glasses.
“He told me that he has a bill to pay, and that he comes from another time. It is Deniken’s time now, he said.”
Kriks lifted his glass and stood unsteadily.
“Comrade Polkovnik. I give you a toast. To the end of the war and to the start of the peace.”
They drank together until the bottle was gone.
Chapter 146 – THE TWELTH
There are not enough Indians in the world to defeat the Seventh Cavalry.
Patton listened as the officer finished his briefing on the day’s events, and excellent listening the Brigadier General had made too.
The Allied plan to hit the Russians pretty much everywhere seemed to be paying off, with notable successes already in the bag.
Whilst it rankled that he and his Third Army were not totally committed to the opening phase of US Twelfth Army Group’s assault, the part set aside for him and his men would bring him opportunity and glory in equal measure.
But first, the way had to be opened by other units of US Twelfth Army Group, attacking specifically from a hinged base, to sweep Soviet forces apart and open a gap through which Patton could charge, preferably with Rhine crossings secure.
An airborne force, a reinforced Regimental Combat Team from the 17th US Airborne Division, was set aside to make a swift drop to secure such a crossing if necessary.
The French 1st Army’s Legion Corps kept its left flank securely placed against the German Republican Army, whilst, in the south, the right flank and join with US 6th Army Group was maintained by US XXXVII Corps of US 15th Army.
Thus far, the attacks had met with nothing but success, and all advances were as projected, with the exception of French II Corps, whose lead units had taken a heavy hit at Rheinbach. This was partially from a Soviet counter-attack and partially from a devastating friendly-fire attack by US bombers, who dropped on Rheinbach due to a navigational error. However, despite losses amongst command and infantry units, 2nd French Infantry Division continued to press for their objective; the Rhine at Remagen.
US Third Army was playing a modest part in the opening phase, with its US III Corps nestled between US 9th and 15th Armies, its own target Koblenz, unless the door hinged open before the city was reached.
Patton had his force spread wider than would be considered prudent, but he wanted to make sure he could plunge straight through any gap created, and had faith that his boys would manoeuvre as and when asked, to bring about a deep penetration of the enemy lines.
Not that his units stayed still, constantly moving up behind the lead and reserve echelons, topping off fuel tanks, keeping men and machines in top order, waiting for the moment to charge forward.
The briefing followed the same pattern as before, registering more gains but, this time around, without the repetition of the friendly fire event.
Patton, savouring his pipe, listened as more Allied successes were recited, and then reflected on the situation map.
Combining the two was easy for a man of Patton’s calibre.
He looked at familiar ground, earth over which he had already fought, admittedly against a far weaker enemy than that now facing the US units, but one that Patton was confident he could send to hell just the same.
He acknowledged the arrival of a fresh coffee, but never took his eyes off the wall map, eyes that started to narrow at the possibility developing before him.
US 15th Army was making exceptional advances, well beyond projections.
Patton knew the commander well, and could imagine ‘Old Gee’ pushing his men hard and harder still.
In reality, Lieutenant General Gerow’s opposition was melting away quicker than he could pin it down.
What Patton had spotted was the fact that, regardless of the reasons behind it, the Soviet frontline was falling back to settle on the Rhine, clearly intending to use the large obstacle to halt the Allied advance.
Pausing to relight his pipe, he asked for the latest photo recon and intelligence information, specifically for the eastern side of the great river.
Although not always accurate, the intelligence and reconnaissance arms did a pretty good job overall, something that Patton acknowledged openly.
He studied the evidence to hand, trying to understand the enemy’s mind as best he could.
A large concentration of enemy units was sat across the Rhine, opposite the French and Bill Simpson’s Ninth Army.
It made sense, as the shortest route to the Rhine was marked on the situation map by where those two armies were headed.
There were yet more units further south, but less so.
This had been known, but the situation conjured up by Gerow’s success in the advance created new possibilities.
The Moselle valley was not ideal by any means, but if 15th Army could shove the enemy back at the same rate then maybe, just maybe, Patton could get the Third across the Rhine before any units of note concentrated on the east bank.
If he could achieve that, then there were many possibilities open to him, something that titillated his soldierly pride and ego in equal measure.
But for now, unusually, Patton decided to wait.
The last briefing before General George Smith Patton took to his cot had come and gone, the whole Allied front having seemed to lift up and move forward, from the Baltic to the Adriatic.
Sharing a last coffee with three of his officers, Patton was in easy mood, knowing that time would soon bring him the opportunity he sought.
His CoS, Brigadier General Hobart Gay, was complaining about the inactivity.
“Well, Hap, be that as it may, if Leonard’s Fifteenth keep going as they are, then we’ll be busy soon enough.”
The other two officers, his G3 and G4, Colonels Halley Maddox and Walter Muller respectively, were still working over the issues that the rapid movement of the Third Army would bring.
“Sir.”
One of Patton’s personal aides arrived, red faced from his dash from the communications tent.
“Spit it out, Major Stiller.”
“There’s a break, Sir. Confirmed by Fifteenth Army.”
Patton stood, energised immediately.
“Where, goddamnit?”
Stiller extended the message sheet, which his commander snatched unceremoniously.
“Map!”
Hobart Gay grabbed his briefcase and laid one out swiftly.
“Where’s Zell-Mosel?”
Four pairs of eyes swept the map and then followed the finger that appeared before them, as Major Stiller enlightened them.
“Son-of-a-bitch!”
Patton questioned his aide.
“Major, how firm is this? We need to know before we roll the goddamned parade on this.”
“General, I asked for full confirmation and Fifteenth’s intentions before I brought you the message.”
Patton nodded his approval of his aide’s actions.
“Get that confirmation immediately, Major. I want it here right now… and send me the duty signals officer.”
Stiller almost flew out of the commander’s tent, and was very quickly replaced by a worried looking signals Captain.
The four-star commander was in ‘General’ mode, and addressed each man individually, starting with Maddox and Muller.
“OK, I want logistics and planning on moving the army to take advantage of this. Hal, Twenty-two Corps’s nearest, so get ’em prepped for an immediate movement order. Give them a probable destination so they can get the map work sorted. Then prep the rest. Captain, I have a message for you to send Fifteenth Army headquarters.”