“There was no southern pincer,” said Berzin. “Shumilov is penned up in the city with Chuikov, and the other armies that attacked from that direction are on the upper Volga. It wasn’t the same at all, so why should we expect a similar outcome?”
“Could this be it then, this Operation Jupiter?”
“We can’t know that. It isn’t anything we can read up on in the Material any longer. Now we live it day by day, and try to make the best we can of it. I will say one thing. I’m glad you have finally given up the strange notion you had in your head about trying to end this war at that railway inn.”
“Thanks to you, Grishin, my strong right arm. I would be dead already if not for you.” Kirov thought about that, for he knew exactly why that Russian Captain had been at Ilanskiy, and he knew that the strange magic that happened on that stairway still persisted.
Yes, Grishin was correct about one thing, he thought. I have finally discarded the notion of trying to end this war on that back stairway, and I think that Russian Captain has as well. No, we must win it ourselves, the hard way, with blood, fire, and steel, and we can win. That was what Fedorov was trying to tell me all those years ago. We can win.
He turned to Berzin, a smile on his face.
“Let us drink, and wait for news of this battle. And God go with our soldiers this winter, be he Jupiter, Mars, Saturn or anyone else with a claim to the heavenly throne.”
“I think the Politburo will have to weigh in on that first,” said Berzin, raising his vodka glass.
Chapter 32
By the 15th of December, the German redeployment was almost complete, and the divisions were settling in to their winter rebuilding cycle. Three Panzer Korps, (41st, 56th and 57th), of three divisions each, had been sent west. They now formed Hoth’s new 4th Panzer Armee, refitting in preparation for the Spring Offensive. Most were understrength, needing new equipment and troops, and it would take some time to flesh them out. Model was left with six divisions, three each in the 24th and 47th Panzer Korps.
The 46th Panzer Korps was pulled into reserve at Kharkov with three more divisions. But with reports of a buildup underway at Kalinin northwest of Moscow, preparations were being made to send that Korps to Vyazma, where the Germans thought they would kill two birds with one stone. If the Soviets were planning a winter attack west of Moscow, then that Korps would be perfectly placed to stop it. If nothing developed, it would still be well placed to participate in the Spring Offensive. It was never once contemplated that the Russians would strike where they did.
Quite coincidentally, three infantry divisions, the 205th, 218th and 246th, had remained in the Voronezh area after the final reduction of that pocket. Now they were being moved up to the line to relieve the 10th Panzergrenadier Division, which withdrew into a second echelon position in accordance with the German sword and shield defensive doctrine. They wanted infantry on the line, and the mobile divisions behind, and this change was taking place east of Voronezh just as the Russians began moving up to their jump off start lines for the offensive. A fourth infantry division from reserve, the 707th, was coming in on the morning train from Kursk. This was going to considerably bolster the defensive arc around Voronezh.
In the meantime, Steiner’s SS Korps fell like a storm on the defenders north of Rostov. They had a brief reprieve when Manstein had recalled Balck’s 11th Panzer and other units to hold the line of the Chir against Operations Uranus and Saturn. The Soviet defense south of the Donets was soon reduced to two small areas, one around the big industrial city of Donetsk, the other at Rostov. Neither would hold for very much longer.
Then the thunder rolled, and Jupiter began to awaken from his long slumber. A huge segment of the German line, from Serpukhov all the way south to Rossosh, now saw a sudden buildup of enemy activity. The kicker that something very unusual was up came when the first Guard Airborne was airlifted over the front south of Tula, to drop on Plavsk and cut the rail line there.
Shortly thereafter, telephones were ringing in the headquarters of 2nd Panzer Armee at Voronezh, Army Group Center at Kirov, and at Army Group Don at Morozovsk. The enemy had crossed the Don south of Rossosh, and the bridgehead at Boguchar had launched what looked to be a pinning attack against the 44th Infantry Division there. 168th and 56th Infantry to the north on the river east of Rossosh reported a considerable buildup, including numerous tank formations and bridging equipment. Then the two newly arrived infantry divisions, the 208th and 218th, both reported they had come under sudden heavy artillery bombardment, followed by a strong attack.
The 707th Reserve Division had just arrived from Kursk, badly under strength. It was nonetheless sent forward, and the men of 10th Panzergrenadier had only just settled into their reserve posting when the orders came that the division was returning to the front line. The other division that had been relieved, 3rd Panzer, was also back in action within the hour.
The initial assessment was that these were spoiling attacks, aimed at harassing the Germans and hindering their scheduled redeployments, but that river crossing operation near Rossosh got Manstein’s attention. He wanted to know more, and got on the phone to OKH to see what Halder knew.
“What word from that attack near Rossosh?”
“Keitel suggests it is no more than an attempt to enlarge their Bridgehead at Boguchar. At the moment, it is contained.”
“Contained by what?”
“360th Security Division is in Rossosh itself, and reports no enemy activity. 4th Luftwaffe Field Division has moved south of the town. That’s where the trouble is.”
“4th Luftwaffe Field Division? They can’t contain anything, particularly a heavy infantry attack.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve ordered the 167th Infantry up from Kharkov. It will be there late tomorrow.”
“Well isn’t there a panzer division available?”
“The nearest would be 17th Panzer, a hundred kilometers north and east of the Don.”
“Good lord,” said Manstein.
“Well don’t you have something at Millerovo?” Halder sounded like he was fishing.
“22nd Panzer is there, but again, that is nearly 150 kilometers to the south.”
“47th Panzer Korps has their 29th Motorized Division in reserve,” Halder replied. “General Lemelsen was going to send them out on an anti-partisan sweep. I could call them, that is unless you prefer to send the 22nd.”
“I think we had better send both divisions.” Manstein sounded concerned. “If it’s a spoiling attack, then all we do is waste a little gasoline. Yet they are crossing the river at a most unusual place, right at the seam between my command and Model’s. If it is something more….”
“Very well. I will get orders off to Model, and then the two of you can coordinate things. How is the Donets Basin Operation?”
“Coming along nicely. We’ll take Donetsk today. Steiner is outside Rostov now, and it is not as heavily defended as Volgograd was. I have ordered him to take the city, and we already have infantry over the Donets to the east.”