Friday 27 November 2009
Warsaw falls, Russians cross the Vistula
While the Red army was retreating in Rumania, the constant allied attacks in southern Germany finally forced the Germans to reduce their defence in the east. Russian intelligence reported that elite German units in Poland had been replaced by Rumanians who were understrength and badly motivated. The time had come for a massive Russian assault.
The attack, when it came, shattered the Rumanians in Poland. By the 4th of January Warsaw, now a pile of rubble, had fallen, the Red Army were over the Vistula in strength and heading west. Before them many of the Rumanian forces simply crumbled, and by the 13th of January a swathe of Poland west of the Vistula had fallen before the Russians exceeded their supply capability. German high command now had to decide upon their defence of the core of the Thirda Reich.
The attack, when it came, shattered the Rumanians in Poland. By the 4th of January Warsaw, now a pile of rubble, had fallen, the Red Army were over the Vistula in strength and heading west. Before them many of the Rumanian forces simply crumbled, and by the 13th of January a swathe of Poland west of the Vistula had fallen before the Russians exceeded their supply capability. German high command now had to decide upon their defence of the core of the Thirda Reich.
Red Army beaten out of Rumania
As 1945 began Stalin was frustrated by the progress of the Western allies. Bad weather and strong German defences in the east had prevented an all out Russian attack and the communist leader watched appalled as it appeared the western allies were about to defeat Germany single handed. Stalin made plans to avert this.
While the red army massed in Poland to mount an assault on Berlin - before the British and Americans got their, the Russians had unresolved issues in Rumania. On the 3rd of January they renewed their attack, but found the Germans too had been planning an assault. Many more German units, pulled from Yugoslavia and Hungary massed an armoured force against the Russians in the north of the country, taking the Russians by surprise. By the 15th of January the Germans had secured and armoured breakthrough and reached the Black Sea, trapping five Russian divisions who were forced to surrender.
The victory however was a pyhric one. Despite capturing or destroying seven Russian divisions, almost as many German divisions, especially tank divisions, had been destroyed or reduced to mere Batallion strength. The loss in Panthers was particularly severe, so that the gain of the north of Rumania, strategically unimportant, had cost Hitler badly needed troops and equipment which could have been used in the defence of the homeland.
While the red army massed in Poland to mount an assault on Berlin - before the British and Americans got their, the Russians had unresolved issues in Rumania. On the 3rd of January they renewed their attack, but found the Germans too had been planning an assault. Many more German units, pulled from Yugoslavia and Hungary massed an armoured force against the Russians in the north of the country, taking the Russians by surprise. By the 15th of January the Germans had secured and armoured breakthrough and reached the Black Sea, trapping five Russian divisions who were forced to surrender.
The victory however was a pyhric one. Despite capturing or destroying seven Russian divisions, almost as many German divisions, especially tank divisions, had been destroyed or reduced to mere Batallion strength. The loss in Panthers was particularly severe, so that the gain of the north of Rumania, strategically unimportant, had cost Hitler badly needed troops and equipment which could have been used in the defence of the homeland.
Southern Germany capitulates
As Christmas 1944 approached it seemed that the allies in Czechoslovakia were facing a long hard slog north to Berlin as the Wehrmacht withdrew division after division from other areas to block the road north to the German capital. Once again however, General Alexander out-thought and out fought his German opponents.In a daring and co-ordinated move, British force started advancing north on the 17th of December, making slow progress against solid German resistance. then however, on the 19th, Alexander suddenly shifted course, swinging a large contingent west, led by British and German armoured units. Within five days these units had swept across the plains of central southern Germany, capturing Nurenberg and Wurzburg.
Too late the Germans realised what was going on and tried to redeploy, but these troop movements were easily spotted by the RAF and only hastened their demise from the air. Unable to respond with speed, the German army, stuck defending Berlin, was helpless to prevent the Anglo-American advance. By the end of the year the allies had reached the Rhine, from the East at Strasbourg, trapping some five German divisions in southern Germany and taking almost a third of Hitler's Germany in one fell swoop.
Paris retaken by Allies
With much of France now under allied control the Americans decided that the liberation of Paris by Christmas would be politically advantageous. With this in mind the Americans agreed that the crossing of the Rhine would be left to the British and Canadians, while Paris would be their responsibility.
Facing understrength and worn out German defenders, the fresh American units, supported by swarms of Sherman tanks, were able, after a few fierce battles, to retake the French capital on the 20th of December, allowing de Gaule to broadcast to his people from their capital on Christmas day. The collapse of Nazi Germany looked imminent.
Facing understrength and worn out German defenders, the fresh American units, supported by swarms of Sherman tanks, were able, after a few fierce battles, to retake the French capital on the 20th of December, allowing de Gaule to broadcast to his people from their capital on Christmas day. The collapse of Nazi Germany looked imminent.
Saturday 14 November 2009
France liberted
Following the setback of the loss of Paris in late November, the American army in France quickly got moving again, driving at the weakened German lines in three places. In the west, US armoured divisions found only sporadic resistance from the Third Reich and easily pushed over the Loire river, reaching Bordeaux by the 14th.Meanwhile near Poitiers the US achieved another breakthrough, surrounding the Wehrmacht near Limoges as forces pushing up the Rhone Valley met up with those pushing down from Orleans on the 12th. Eight German divisions in France surrendered, but the majority of German forces in France were able to regroup after a hasty retreat to the low countries. The Germans had abandonned France south of a line Paris to Nancy, and on the 15th December 1944 the Americans reached the German border near Strasbourg.
British take Prague
While the Americans were in charge in France under Eisenhowere, General Alexander's large force of mainly British and Canadian troops made more good progress in central Europe in early December 1944. With the Russians bottled up in Rumania, tying down a huge number of German troops, the British force once again acheived a breakthrough in Austria, bypassing Vienna and driving straight for Prague.Once again the German forces were caught off balance and while they pulled back to defend the Austrian capital, British infantry and armoured forces capitalised, reaching Prague on the 10th and taking Plzen on the 16th. They now occupied a large salient in central Europe, aiming straight for Berlin.
Sunday 8 November 2009
German counter attack!
With the Germans retreating on all fronts in November Hitler gathered his generals to stop the rot. In an uncharacteristic moment of clarity, the Fuehrer listened intently to their suggestions and, even more amazingly, agreed to a retreat. The Balkans were evacuated, with Athens and Tirana razed to the ground, to the horror of the allies. South western France was abandonned and before the allies realised it, nearly one million garrison troops suddenly became available on the vital frontlines in Russia and France.
The effect was immediate. Five fresh divisions were allocated to Von Rundstedt in the west and very soon a furious battle developed around Paris. On the 17th Eisenhower realised that to avoid encirclement he would have to retreat from the city. De Gaulle was appalled and distraught, but even the French general understood the wisdom in Eisenhower's assessment of the situation. Reluctantly the Free French were evacuated from Paris, and on the 21st the French capital was retaken by the Nazis, while a division of US shermans fought an unequal battle against three German armoured divisions. The US casualties at the battle of Evry were some of the worst in US military history.
On the eastern front fresh troops from Greece, including heavy tank battalions, made their presence felt in Romania, forcing the Red Army back up the valley and retaking Bucharest on the 23rd November. The German army fulfilled their leader's wish to turn the Romanian countryside red with blood, burning Romanian settlements as a punishment for their disloyalty. By the end of November the Germans, against the odds, had stabilised the situation on both the eastern and western fronts, and all hopes of victory by Christmas had evapourated in the allies' leaders' minds.
The effect was immediate. Five fresh divisions were allocated to Von Rundstedt in the west and very soon a furious battle developed around Paris. On the 17th Eisenhower realised that to avoid encirclement he would have to retreat from the city. De Gaulle was appalled and distraught, but even the French general understood the wisdom in Eisenhower's assessment of the situation. Reluctantly the Free French were evacuated from Paris, and on the 21st the French capital was retaken by the Nazis, while a division of US shermans fought an unequal battle against three German armoured divisions. The US casualties at the battle of Evry were some of the worst in US military history.
On the eastern front fresh troops from Greece, including heavy tank battalions, made their presence felt in Romania, forcing the Red Army back up the valley and retaking Bucharest on the 23rd November. The German army fulfilled their leader's wish to turn the Romanian countryside red with blood, burning Romanian settlements as a punishment for their disloyalty. By the end of November the Germans, against the odds, had stabilised the situation on both the eastern and western fronts, and all hopes of victory by Christmas had evapourated in the allies' leaders' minds.
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