Baty watched through a vision block as a gun-group flung themselves down behind one of the tall trees of the Hohenstein Forest. Within seconds, the butt of the general-purpose machine gun was up and into the infantryman’s shoulder, the ammunition belt flying through his oppo’s fingers as he ensured a smooth feed.
He turned to face the front again, looking for the enemy ahead as another burst of fire from Reid kept the enemy’s heads down. The tang of cordite soured his tongue, and acrid fumes irritated his nostrils. The metal shot had devastated a Soviet section, killing two and wounding two as the deadly bullets tore into the airborne ranks.
“As soon as the infantry relocate, we move again. Fifty metres, got that, Thomas?”
“Sir,” responded the driver, a slight tremor in his voice.
The Scorpion rocked as half a dozen 30mm rounds from an AGS-17 exploded on and around Baty’s vehicle.
He heard the thump… thump… thump as Two-One-Alpha, Sergeant Gough, his second-in-command, the second surviving tank of his troop, fired three rounds in the direction of the enemy firing position.
“Two-One-Alpha, Two-One, moving back now.”
“Roger.”
“Fifty metres, Thomas.”
“Sir.”
The Jaguar engine purred as power was initiated and Thomas took them back a further fifty metres.
“Watch for the infantry. They’ll be pulling back now.”
The turret turned slightly as Reid adjusted his sights so he was aiming directly at a point between two large trees, a route the Soviets would come through to follow the retreating British troops.
“Two-One, Two-One-Alpha. Covering now.”
“Roger,” responded Baty.
The gun-group was up and running as Sergeant Gough’s Scorpion fired short bursts of 7.62.
“There,” yelled Reid as he fired a 76mm round into a Soviet half-section coming through the gap as he had suspected they would. The soldiers withdrew, dragging one of their wounded with them. The infantry unit, B-Company, Royal Green Jackets, used the opportunity to pull back even further. Space was running out though. Now on the Fahnenstein, the ground dropped away behind them. Half a kilometre further and the ground would drop from 300 metres down to 200 metres, and the enemy would then be above them. Not only that but they would be clear of the forest, in open ground, exposed. Their only option then would be to run northwest towards Bad Munder, or southwest towards Hameln. To their north was Coppenbrugge where Combat Teams Alpha, 2RGJ, and Bravo, 14/20th, were also being relentlessly pushed back. If they didn’t coordinate their withdrawal, one unit giving ground too quickly, eventually an unlucky unit would find itself trapped, surrounded and destroyed.
“Two-One, this is Two. Orders. Over.”
“Two-One, over.”
“Five minutes, figures five. Then get the hell out of there. Head for Grid November, Charlie, three, three, zero, seven, three, four. Your other friendlies have the same orders. Understood? Over.”
“Roger that, Two. Over.”
“Don’t hang about. It’s a bloody mess back here. Once you get into position, cover and report. Two, out.”
“All Two-One call signs. Figures five and we’re out of here. Acknowledge. Over.”
Chapter 2
Two Phantom jets roared overhead. The shells from their six-barrelled guns gouged deep ruts in the ground as short bursts of 20mm rounds, at one hundred rounds per second, ploughed a furrow of destruction through the airborne company crouching behind their BMD MICVs. The fighters, an older aircraft in the NATO armoury nicknamed the ‘Wood Burner’, were from 19 Squadron RAF based at RAF Wildenrath near Geilenkirchen, West Germany. They were both Supersonic Interceptors, not close-support aircraft; such was the desperation being felt back at the headquarters of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) and the Northern Army Group (NORTHAG). Two surface-to-air missiles fired from shoulder-launched SA-14 Gremlins trailed the tail end aircraft, both failing to hit their target. An SA-9 Gaskin, positioned alongside its burning companion hit earlier by a West German Tornado sortie, fired its last missile from the quadruple mounted launcher, set on top of a BRDM2 chassis. At Mach 1.5, one and a half times the speed of sound, it streaked after the Phantom. The missile wavered, matching the Phantom’s speed, hunting it down, toying with it. The pilot flipped his craft left and right in an attempt to shake it off; then the afterburners kicked in pushing the aircraft towards its top speed of Mach 1.9, the pilot pulling back on the stick to take it into a steep climb. The missile flicked right, exploding close to the tail, smoke and flame engulfing the back end of the now crippled aircraft, and two blurred shapes launched from the cockpit as the pilot and navigator escaped death.
Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Yezhov, Commander of the 1st Battalion, 108th Air Assault Regiment, crouching behind his command BMD, pulled one of his company commanders in close as the Phantom exploded in mid-air almost above their position. “Baryshev, I want your company to push for Gehrden and secure the eastern outskirts of the town. We have to create a passage for 12th Guards. How many casualties?”
“Seven killed, eight wounded so far, Comrade Colonel. Three vehicles lost. Are they heading for route 65?” Major Nestor Baryshev, Commander of the 1st Company, shouted above the sound of explosions, as an artillery salvo landed not more than 200 metres away.
“Yes, I have already sent Gorshkov to secure Ronnenberg, so watch where you shoot. They’ll be practically opposite your location.”
“Any other support, sir?”
“I’m giving you two of the ASU-85s and two BRDM2 Sagger’s from Regiment. I’ve sent the AGS-17 platoon; air-defence platoon and mortar battery with Gorshkov and the anti-tank platoon is with Volkov. Make good use of your RPGs. How many warheads do you have?”
“Should have at least six left. Have we any idea where the enemy are, sir?”
“None, Nestor. They’re all over the place. Three-Company is fighting with a troop of tanks as we speak. The British are trying to break off contact with 12th Guards so they can establish a line further west. We have to clear a passage for the 12th. That’s the priority, that’s our job, nothing else matters. Once you and Gorshkov have secured your sectors, Volkov’s company will leapfrog you and secure access to the road. Once he can extract, that is. Then they are on their own.”
“Where are the rest of the regiment then, sir?”
“I’ve no idea where Two-Battalion is. They were sent towards the River Leine, to come at the British from behind. Three-Battalion were providing all-round protection, but are now consolidating. General Boykov will direct them towards the canal, and create as much mayhem as possible.”
“Are we done then, sir?”
“Yes, Nestor, go. Good luck.”
They both pulled themselves tighter against the side of the BMD as bullets ricocheted off the other side of the armoured vehicle. Fleeing British units were still fighting a running battle.
With the River Leine breached, the Soviet air-to-ground strikes increased in intensity, and armour and infantry flooded across. Elements of the battered 10th Guards Tank Division had created a bridgehead before releasing elements to strike south increasing the pressure on the British 22nd Armoured Brigade who were desperately attempting to hold back the deluge that was building up to their front. In the meantime, the three battalions of the 108th Air Assault Regiment continued to expand their own bridgehead, creating space and a passage through which 12th Guards Tank Division of 3 Shock Army could transit, quickly overpowering the NATO defence, getting behind them, and cutting them off from their higher command. Once complete, they would push west, at speed, giving the British 1st Armoured Division little time to reform their defence lines. The intermediate objective of the 12th was to link up with 247th Caucasian Cossacks Air Assault Regiment near the Mittellandkanal. The 247th was commanded by Colonel Vydina who had conducted a descent, a parachute assault, further west, securing the western end of the gap. Together, the 12th and the 247th would ensure a crossing of the River Weser before 1st British Corps could complete their defensive preparations.