“Some high-ranking Nazi? Some General?”
Rossiter fished in his case one final time, extracting a folder heavy with notations, keeping the nametag away from Törget’s sight.
He removed two pictures, one recently acquired, and one copied from an original in the possession of a former enemy.
“I do not know these people.”
He studied the new photograph closely.
“But I do know the Russian. NKVD Major Savitch. He has his hands dirty from Katyn onwards. Any special jobs, he is one of those who get the call.”
Passing the photos back, the Swede shook his head.
“If that piece of rubbish is involved, you can rest assured he will have orders to kill them if there is any sign of trouble, and also know that he will do it.”
Rossiter restored the photos to the file.
“So, whoever he is, is he worth the risk we are all taking?”
Strangely, for him, the Marine changed his mind, extracting the photo of a man in uniform.
“Ah! Now I understand.”
The Swede returned the grainy photograph immediately.
“Colonel Knocke, a worthy adversary to you and the Russians, now fighting under the banner of the French, if my information is correct.”
It was not often you got to score a point over Törget, so Rossiter savoured the moment.
“Indeed he is, but he outranks us both now, as he’s a Brigadier-General in the Army of France.”
Törget conceded the point graciously.
Sipping his coffee, he slipped easily to the next point, bringing Oberst Trannel back into the discussion.
“So, Herr Trannel, this,” he twisted his head slightly to quote from the schematic of the unusual aircraft drawing, “This Achgelis. What sort of strange bird is he?”
Trannel, now in his comfort zone, leant forward and spoke confidently.
“The Focke-Achgelis is a helicopter, Herr Oberst.”
The meeting continued for some hours, the operational capability of the Fa233 helicopter taking some time to explain, its specific needs at the landing stations laid out by the Luftwaffe officer.
Colonel Törget stood watching the Northrop from the pier, the small aircraft disappearing into the growing darkness for its return journey to Norwegian air space.
They had set a timescale, and a first possible date for the mission, if all went well. His orders were already flowing, carefully worded, restricted to a few trusted individuals.
His mind was full of SS Colonels, pretty little girls, and helicopters, the intended mission being a challenge for him personally, as well as risking much for his nation.
His mind cleared, focussing on the single folder that was still sitting on the table in the drawing room, and then it became once more absorbed, turning to how best employ the gift he had been given.
Admiral Søderling.
‘Bastard’.
The force holding Langwedel had been exterminated, Guardsmen from the Guards Armoured Division, stood and fought to the last man, desperate to permit their commanders to establish a strong defensive line on the Kiel Canal, some ten miles to the north-west.
The Soviets had stopped, the darkness preventing them from understanding the completeness of their victory.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, a scratch force was hastily assembled and rushed to fill the gap between the two lakes; Brahmsee to the south-west, and Manhagenersee to the north-east, the distance between the two bodies of water a mere twenty-two hundred feet.
Their orders were simple.
Hold at all costs.
The Soviet Lieutenant-Colonel understood his orders perfectly.
Attack and break the British position as quickly as possible, outflanking and turning the left flank of the solid position at Eisendorf. Open the road to the canal, permitting follow up forces to attack before the British had completed their fortification of the imposing obstacle.
He had been given units from the Army reserve, both of which were impressive on paper, but less so in the flesh.
The tanks of the 249th Tank Regiment had already been badly mauled by the 11th Armoured Division, and were now formed into two platoons equipped with both 76mm and 85mm T-34’s.
The 60th Guards Mortar’s were reasonably intact, despite having sustained some casualties from accurate counter-battery fire, the bane of all Soviet artillery units since day one of the war.
His own regiment had lost its 1st Battalion in the meat grinder of Neumunster, and, even though the 19th Guards Rifle Corps had scarcely been involved, none of his fellow leader’s commands had come away unscathed from the awful fighting there.
The surviving 2nd and 3rd Battalions had absorbed the few survivors of 1st, but both battalions were still significantly reduced in manpower and weaponry. Although their fighting spirit was not in question, Arsevin had requested more bodies. The request was swiftly answered, and a company of penal troops was sent to bolster his force.
A late adjustment was required when an extra company of engineers was also given to him for the attack.
As the command group broke up, he reflected upon the plan.
The initial bombardment from the 60th’s Katyushas would blast the positions hugging the Manhagener See, entrenched infantry from what the hasty reconnaissance indicated.
The Penal Company and the engineers, each supported by a platoon of 76mm T-34’s, would demonstrate noisily against the position, hoping to pin the enemy force in place, as well as draw some reserves across.
2nd Battalion, already inserted into the southern edge of the woods, was ready to drive to the shores of the Brahmsee and secure the vital Mühlenstraβe road. This would enable the bulk of Captain Volnhov’s 34th Guards Tanks to push through, the remainder to move to the right with two companies of 3rd Battalion, and turn the flank of the forces fixed by the penal unit.
Allied Forces- ‘A’ Company, and Support Company [Reduced], both of 3rd Battalion Irish Guards of 32nd Guards Brigade, and ‘A’ Troop, ‘C’ Squadron of 2nd Battalion [Armoured] Grenadier Guards, and ‘B’ Battery of 153rd Field Regiment RA, and 3rd Platoon, 1st Independent Machine-gun Company, all of Guards Armoured Division, and 2nd & 3rd Kompagnies, 58th Reserve-Grenadiere-Regiment, and ZBV Panzer Kompagnie Von Besthausen, all of 160th Reserve Division, all of British VIII Corps, British Second Army, British 21st Army Group, and the remnants of Kommando Neumunster.
Soviet Forces – HQ Company, 2nd & 3rd Battalion, all of 67th Guards Rifle Regiment, of 22nd Guards Rifle Division, of 19th Guards Rifle Corps, and Armoured Combat Group Volnhov, of 249th [Separate] Tank Regiment, and 2nd Company, of 3rd Battalion, of 34th Guards Tank Brigade, and 3rd Company, 3rd Battalion, 13th Engineer-Sapper Brigade, and 60th Guards Mortar Regiment, all of 10th Guards Army, and 33rd Penal Company, all of 1st Baltic Front.
Circumstances dictated that the forces that opposed each other at the Brahmsee Gap were out of position and unready, even unsuited to the tasks required of them.
The British, after days of steady withdrawal, always holding on until the last moment, and then retiring, having given Uncle Joe’s boys a bloody nose.
The Soviet forces had pushed hard either side of the Brahmsee, and met rock hard defences.
The route through between Brahmsee and Manhagener See was less than ideal, and the Soviets initially avoided it. The casualties sustained assaulting Ellerdorf to the south, and Route 255 to the north, were extreme, and forced the Soviet leadership to turn its gaze to the narrow Brahmsee Gap.