When Bannon reported the seizure of the bridge to battalion, neither Colonel Hall nor Major Shell would believe him. They kept asking him to make sure that he was not confusing the Saale River bridge with a smaller bridge that spanned a stream farther to the south. When he finally convinced them that the Team had in fact seized the main highway bridge, they gave him a wait-out while they conferred on what to do. After a couple of minutes, the battalion commander came back on the battalion net and ordered two companies to reinforce Team Yankee at the bridge. The S-3 would continue to drive to the river with the balance of the battalion and conduct a crossing farther to the west as planned while he contacted brigade to recommend they shift the main effort and passage of the 25th Armored Division to the bridge Team Yankee was holding.
As dawn began to break, Team Yankee found itself momentarily alone and out on a limb again. But there was no sign of fear or apprehension as Bannon went about checking on the platoons under the pale blush of predawn light as they prepared for an enemy attack they expected, but would never receive. Unknown to them, far beyond the outpost line established by the scouts, men were making decisions and issuing orders that would start the final, and potentially, most deadly phase of the war.
CHAPTER 14
THE DAY AFTER
With the arrival of battalion commander another company, orders to expand the bridgehead were issued. Those elements of Team Yankee still south of the river were sent north and ordered to move forward and establish a defensive position on high ground five kilometers northeast of the bridge where the scouts were established. Bravo Company established a position four kilometers north of the bridge. The scouts were sent farther out, but had the same mission of seeking out the enemy, providing early warning, and spreading pandemonium wherever they went. Team Charlie was kept south of the river to protect the bridgehead from attack from that quarter as well as mop up any Soviet stragglers that were still running around.
The only action of the day occurred when a company of Soviet T-55s came trundling down the road from the north. The scouts let them pass after reporting it to battalion. It was clear to everyone who heard the scout’s report either the Soviets didn’t know the bridge had fallen, or they thought that the battalion’s positions were farther south. Whatever the reason, Bravo Company, who was ready for them, made short work of them.
By 0700 hours, the lead element of the 25th Armored Division was crossing the river. From their positions, the men in Team Yankee had little to do but watch endless parade of vehicles and troops stream north. Once the 25th had passed through Bravo Company, it and Team Yankee were ordered to move to new positions farther east, expanding the bridgehead. Team Charlie did likewise on the south side of the river. By noon the entire battalion, minus Team Charlie, was across the river, reconsolidated and again ordered to continue their advance to the east.
It was during a pause brought about by the need to rearm and refuel that word came down from battalion for all commanders to report to the battalion CP ASAP. When Bannon arrived at the roadside gathering, he was greeted with a stone-cold silence by the officers who were already there. They were standing around the rear of the command track listening into a conversation the colonel was having on the radio. Stopping just short of that gaggle, Bannon sighed. “Great,” he thought to himself. “Some dumb son of a bitch at Corps has come up with another nightmare of an operation.”
Inching his way closer, he did his best to listen in on what the colonel was listening to, but could only catch bits and pieces of his conversation with whoever it was he was talking to. When the colonel finished, he put down the mike and stood there a moment. Turning to the S-3, he grunted. “Well, I guess we’re fighting a new war now.”
Bannon turned to Frank Wilson, the commander of Team Charlie, “New war? What’s the Old Man talking about? Did someone pop a nuke?”
Frank looked at Bannon, closed his eyes, and nodded his head in the affirmative. They had crossed the nuclear threshold.
Colonel Hall came out of the track, followed by Major Shell. Stopping midway down the M577 command post carrier’s lowered ramp, he looked out over the gathered officers, taking a moment to composure himself before addressing them. “As some of you have already heard, the Soviets have initiated nuclear warfare.”
Pausing, he let that statement sink in before he continued. “This morning they launched an attack with a single weapon against a British city, destroying it and causing severe damage to the surrounding area. The United States and Great Britain retaliated by striking a Soviet city with several weapons. Although there have been no further exchanges, we have been told to assume that the Soviets will continue to use nuclear weapons, including tactical weapons. Should they do so, I have no doubt NATO forces will meet every new escalation with equal or superior force.”
Once more he paused, this time using the opportunity to look from face to face as if trying to gauge how his commanders and staff were taking the news. “As a result, the battalion has been ordered to increase the distance between the company positions. To make room for this, Team Yankee will be pulled out of the line and held back as a reserve. Bannon, the S-3 will provide you with details. I expect you all to take all measures necessary to protect your force without losing sight of our mission.”
With that, Major Shell moved out from behind the battalion commander and over to the battalion operations map where he pointed out where each company and team was to go. Team Yankee was to move back to an assembly area in the center of the battalion’s sector. To reduce their vulnerability and present a less lucrative target, its platoons were spread out over a wide area. After some additional instructions, the commanders and staff dispersed and headed off to see to adjusting their units and assets to deal with the new threat.
News that nuclear weapons had been used cast a pall on all activities and conversations throughout the Team. Up to now, despite the horrors and losses they had suffered, the war had been manageable on a personal level. The Team had been in some very tight spots but had, when all things were considered, weathered the storm and emerged from it in relatively good shape. The men had met the Russians face-to-face and found that they could be defeated. In the process, they’d become confidence in the Team’s weapons, its leaders, and themselves. Their advance into East Germany had even fostered the belief they could win.
The initiation of nuclear war, however, changed all that. Not only was there precious little that the Team could do in the face of a tactical nuclear strike, a nuclear war threatened the United States. Their families and friends four thousand miles away were now in as much danger as they were.
It was this fear of the unknown, accompanied by a feeling of hopeless that now became Bannon’s chief concern and greatest challenge. As soon as the Team was in its new positions, he went from platoon to platoon, gathering its men around and went over with them what had happened and what it meant to them in as much detail as he could. He explained the possible results of an all out exchange of nuclear weapons and what they had to do if that came to past. For the most part, however, he spent most of his time doing everything he could to keep them from falling into despair, pointing out that they were not entirely helpless. The Team still had a job to do and could still influence the outcome of the war. Most importantly, he was honest with them. They were all hardened veterans by now, men who had the ability to smell bullshit a mile away. This was no time to lie to them or try to blow sunshine up their third point of contact.