Chapter 22
Baskov, the General Secretary of the Soviet Union, slammed his fist down on the table. The cups, some still full of coffee, jumped. Splotches of liquid leapt upwards, then rained down on the documents in front of the two generals, leaving dark stains as they were soaked into the paper. Baskov pushed his seat back again, for the third time during this session, his patience running as thin as the strength of his temper was increasing. With absolute frustration, he stormed around the room yet again, fiddling with his signet ring, a memento of a 300 day battle he had been in during WW2. No retreat!
On the right of the extended table sat Yuri Aleksandrov, Chairman of the dreaded KGB, the Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti, or the Committee for State Security. In overall power terms, he was probably only second to Baskov, the most powerful man in the Soviet Union. On the opposite side was Marshal Obraztsov, the Commander-in-Chief of the Teatr Voyennykh Deystviy, Commander of the Western TVD. His battlefront covered an area extending from Southern Norway, through Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Federal Republic of Germany, Northern France, and even including Great Britain. Nearest the General Secretary was General Zavarin. The General Secretary’s rage was such that he had bypassed the Stavka Verkhovnogo Glavnokomaidovaiya, STAVKA, the full Soviet military command, responsible for commanding all of the Soviet forces involved in times of war. Instead, he had called in his Chairman of the KGB and the Marshall responsible for the Western TVD. With the Polish, Czechoslovakian, Hungarian, and the Groups of Soviet Forces under his command, this man had the ultimate responsibility for ensuring the attack on the West was successful. The second officer was Army General Zavarin, Commander of the Group of Soviet Forces Germany (GSFG). His command had the most powerful conventional force in the Soviet Union’s armoury and was conducting the bulk of the assault on NATO’s Northern Army Group.
“Momentum! That’s what we agreed was key to destroying their first echelon quickly. You both sat here and agreed with me. Momentum, momentum, momentum.” Baskov dropped back down into his chair, then leant forward on his elbows and locked eyes with his Western TVD commander. “Destroy the enemies covering force, then their first line of defence, before pushing them back to the Rhine. That’s what you told me would happen. In this very room, you sat there and told me it would take only a matter of days to have them reeling.” His voice got louder and louder. “Did they not, Comrade Yuri?” He said looking at the head of the KGB. The chair was pushed back again and the General Secretary was up on his feet.
Aleksandrov nodded in reply, not wanting to add any more to the discomfort of the two generals sitting opposite him. The two generals also remained quiet, waiting for some of their leader’s wrath to dissipate.
“General Zavarin. Third Shock Army would fight on a narrower front, enabling them… what were the words you used?” The General Secretary looked at the transcript of a recording of the meeting when the plans had been discussed. “…to slice through the Northern Army Group’s meagre defences. So, tell me. Why is the knife so blunt?” It was a rhetorical question. Baskov had not finished his latest rant just yet. “Why haven’t our airborne forces been used yet? I thought our T-80s were a match for any Western main battle tank. Why… haven’t… we… smashed them?” Each word was punctuated by a thump on the table as he leant close to the two officers on the receiving end of his wrath. But this time he wanted to hear an answer, this time he wanted a reply, so sat back down so he could look directly into their faces as they responded.
“Comrade General Secretary, we are making good progress,” responded Obraztsov. He looked tired, his face almost gaunt, but not as tired as Zavarin who hadn’t slept in thirty-six hours, keeping constant control over his advancing armies. “The Northern Group of Forces, led by Comrade General Zhiglov, along with the 5th German Army and the 1st Polish Army, have Hamburg surrounded and are already moving into Denmark and towards Bremen. 20 Guards Army, part of our 2nd Strategic Echelon, are already on the move to reinforce our army and continue the momentum. Your idea to persuade the West to save Berlin and its population from imminent death and destruction, giving them your word that we would not assault or enter the city, but on the condition that they withdraw their forces back to barracks, has released an entire army. It is safe to leave the encirclement of Berlin to the Volksarmee. 2 Guards Tank Army is also advancing on Bremen. To the south, the 3rd German Army are pushing towards the south of Kassel, and 1 Guards Tank Army are hitting the Americans hard at the Fulda Gap.”
“Is it time you switched to the southern axis and made that your main thrust?” asked the KGB Chairman, speaking for the first time.
“The north should remain our main strategic drive, Comrade Aleksandrov. Although there is a delay in crossing the River Leine, it is still NATO’s weakest front.”
“And their reinforcements?”
“The British reinforcements, their 2nd Division, and those reserves that have been called up, are getting closer to their deployment positions, having now crossed the English Channel. But they are taking a beating from our air force.”
“The Americans?”
“The American reinforcements allocated for NORTHAG, a full Army Corps, will be sometime before they can be in a position to make a difference. They will not be in time to delay our crossing of the Leine.”
“But, now the French have decided to come onboard with NATO, that will surely allow the Americans to release forces in the south to support the north?”
“Not yet, Comrade Aleksandrov. The French have not yet moved into position, and the two Czech armies are already across the Danube. Some forces will have to be diverted to support the Austrians. We expect that to be the French. Our Central Group of Forces will add more weight to that sector.”
There was a moment of silence. The KGB Chairman had finished with his questions for the moment, and Baskov was clearly mulling something over.
“But we haven’t solved the Hanover problem yet,” stated Baskov, almost in a whisper.
Zavarin spoke, for only the second time during the meeting. Up until now he had allowed his commander to take the brunt of the heat from their General Secretary. “Within twenty-four hours, Comrade General Secretary, we will be marching on Minden. The Weser will not be able to contain our advance.”
“You say that with confidence, General,” suggested Aleksandrov.
“Now we have the release of our special weapons approved and with one airborne division behind them, with a second to follow, they won’t be able to stop us. Our numbers, firepower and tactical position will be a guarantee of success.”
Baskov searched the man’s eyes and face, seeing total confidence and belief in what he had just said. “Very well, General Zavarin, I will hold you to that statement.”
Obraztsov interrupted. “The Baltic, Byelorussian and the Carpathian Military Districts are already moving their troops to the front, Comrade General Secretary. Once airborne and ground forces have secured the crossing of the river and a divisional OMG exploits the breakthrough, these additional forces will be able to maintain the forward momentum.”
This time it was the KGB Chairman who got up out of his seat and stretched his legs. “What response have you had from the Volksarmee as to the use of the special weapons, Marshall Obraztsov?”
The Marshall’s response was slightly hesitant, but he was soon in full flow. “They are soldiers like the rest of us, Comrade Aleksandrov, and they take orders.”