The Rise of the Third Reich

After the two anti-aircraft artillery ring positions were captured, another company-level group of German paratroopers also defeated a hundred or dozens of American troops guarding the west side of the airport and rushed into the airport. In this way, the entire Grays Harbor Airport was completely occupied by the German army.

On the western shore of Concepcion Bay, small-scale battles similar to the battle for Grays Harbor Airport were taking place everywhere. Because the German paratroopers specialized in airborne landings on flat mesas far away from the beach - such terrain was everywhere in Newfoundland and it was impossible to defend it tightly - they encountered no serious resistance in most areas. After less than 2 hours of not-so-fierce fighting, a large area of ​​flat platform on the west coast of Concepcion Bay was controlled by airborne German troops.

However, inside the Allied Forces Command in Churchill Naval Fortress, there was no atmosphere of panic at this time. Not only was there no panic, but there was also a vague atmosphere of joy. Yes, it’s joy! It’s the joy of victory in sight!

This joy is not unreasonable. Unlike those unprofessional anti-aircraft artillery soldiers who were beaten to pieces by the German airborne troops, a staff officer who can find a job in the headquarters of Lieutenant General Collins and Lieutenant General Fraser, They are all very professional soldiers. They all knew that the Germans had made a huge mistake - they had made a wrong landing in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Although the airborne landing seemed quite successful, it caught the US military by surprise and occupied a lot of desolate territory. But it was in vain, because the Germans had not taken or even attacked a single real point so far. Therefore, the German troops that parachuted to the west coast of Concepcion Bay are still a lone army that can only rely on air transportation for supplies. And they don't have any heavy equipment, so they can't stop the counterattack of the mechanized troops.

Because there are now a large number of Fokker aircraft hovering over Newfoundland, and the US mechanized troops lacking air cover have not been dispatched, this is why the German paratroopers were arrogant for a while.

But it will get dark in Newfoundland after all! At that point, Lieutenant General Collins would be able to send out his reserves (which were all mechanized infantry) for a counterattack. There is no need to even use reserves, just send troops directly from important Allied strongholds on the west coast of Concepcion Bay to counterattack.

Because the U.S. infantry division deployed on the island of Newfoundland has a tank battalion, a tank destroyer battalion and a mechanized cavalry company (cavalry companies without horses all ride M8 "Hound" wheeled armored vehicles), it has tanks, tanks The total number of destroyers and M8 armored vehicles is about 120-130, plus an equal number of backup vehicles! Although this level of equipment is not as good as the German armored divisions, it is definitely not inferior to the German Panzergrenadier divisions, and is simply not something that lightly-armed paratroopers can deal with.

In order to invest armored forces at the beginning of the German landing, Collins did not gather the tank battalions and tank destroyer battalions attached to the infantry division for use. Instead, they dispersed them to various important strongholds along the coast of Newfoundland (usually guarding the beaches where landings could be made). and port) inside.

Since the German landing fleet has still not been found approaching Newfoundland, as soon as it gets dark, Collins can dispatch at least 100 tanks, tank destroyers, M8 armored vehicles and thousands of armored personnel from the stronghold on the west coast of Concepcion Bay. Armed officers and soldiers. If that's not enough, Lieutenant General Collins also has tens of thousands of well-equipped reserves available. These troops are all heavily armed troops equipped with a large number of tanks and heavy artillery!

In addition, there are many 203mm and 240mm heavy artillery used as shore artillery in those strongholds. With their support, the US military's counterattack is basically impossible to fail. Therefore, the situation on the Avalon Peninsula can be said to be under control!

"Lieutenant General, the counterattack plan is ready." A staff officer handed the newly prepared plan to Lieutenant General Collins who was studying the map with Lieutenant General Fraser.

"Okay, give it to me." Lieutenant General Collins reached out and took the plan text, read it carefully, and then gave it to Fraser, "Tonight is the unlucky day for the Germans! I really can't figure out why they want to Throwing paratroopers on Newfoundland? Don’t they know we have 3,000 tanks and armored vehicles on this island?”

Frazier smiled: "They underestimated the enemy too much. They were probably dazzled by the victory, right?"

Collins, an Army Lieutenant General who had served as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, could not understand things. Frazier, a Navy Lieutenant General who did not understand land operations, could not understand things even more, so he was as confident as Collins.

…

"Sir, our people have secured at least 5 landing fields for ZSO523 assault transport aircraft, which can allow at least 250 ZSO523 aircraft to complete assault landings. This is enough."

Colonel Kirk, the chief of staff of the 1st Air Assault Corps, handed a newly revised airborne landing plan to the corps commander, Airborne General Theodore von Hipple, and said with a smile: "It seems that Operation Columbus 'It's been a success."

The key to the success of "Operation Columbus" is not how many lightly armed paratroopers can be landed, but how many ZSO523 air assault transport aircraft carrying tanks and other heavy equipment can be allowed to complete the landing operation.

Although there is intelligence that the Americans have 2,000-3,000 tanks and tank destroyers on Newfoundland, the German Wehrmacht General Staff believes that as long as 100 E-25 tank destroyers and No. 4 H tanks are on Newfoundland, , we can definitely secure several key landing sites and ports, and then hold on until the reinforcements of the landing fleet arrive.

"Let's go down first and then talk about it." Airborne General Hipple had already read Colonel Kirk's newly revised plan. "Just follow this plan? Execute it immediately."

"Okay, okay," Colonel Kirk said, "pass the order right away."

The "Airborne Plan" has been formulated long ago, but before it can be implemented, it must be modified to a certain extent based on the previous airborne operations.

Since the airborne operations went very smoothly, the modifications to the airborne plan were not significant. The core of the plan is to land 50 ZSO523s on 4 of the 5 airfields (with a synthetic air assault battalion above).

60 ZSO523 air assault transport aircraft were landed on another landing field. In addition to an air assault battalion, these aircraft also had the headquarters of the 1st Air Assault Army.

…

"Sir, the enemy's second wave of airborne troops has arrived, with more than 200 large transport aircraft."

Lieutenant General Collins in the Churchill Naval Fortress received the news of the arrival of the second wave of German airborne troops at this time. He thought this was good news! Very good news!

"Haha," Collins smiled at Lieutenant General Fraser beside him, "A lot of Germans have come again. It seems that the prisoner of war camp we prepared in advance will not be enough."

"That's a small problem," Lieutenant General Fraser also smiled. "Newfoundland is very empty, and there is always a place to settle them. But before that, we have to capture them all."

"This is not a problem!" Collins was still confident, "Bruce, don't forget that I have an armored division in my hands!"

Collins's U.S. Army's 6th Army had a 16th Armored Division, which was the Allied General Reserve on Newfoundland. Stationed in Clarenville near the intersection of the main body of Newfoundland and the Avalon Peninsula - Clarenville is the most important military location on the island of Newfoundland after St. John's. It is a medium-sized port, with nearby There are 2 large airports and it is also the highway hub of Newfoundland. The transportation is very convenient. If the 16th Armored Division sets out from there, it only needs to march 120 kilometers to reach the battlefield on the west bank of Concepcion Bay. Moreover, there are roads in good condition along the way. Armored troops can drive at a speed of more than 40 kilometers per hour and complete the journey in 3 hours.

"Let's set off as soon as it gets dark," Lieutenant General Collins added thoughtfully. "We can reach the battlefield before midnight today... we should be able to severely damage the German airborne troops before dawn tomorrow."

He looked at Fraser as he spoke, "Bruce, if we can't annihilate them all tonight, more German troops may be airlifted over during the day tomorrow, and there will definitely be German troops coming over from the sea in a few days. I hope The main force of the Royal Navy’s Canadian fleet can be dispatched.”

Not to mention, Lieutenant General Collins still attaches great importance to his opponent, and has already considered that he will not be able to completely annihilate the German army and the German army will land from the sea for a while.

Of course, Vice Admiral Fraser did not have the power to use the Canadian fleet of the Royal Navy, but he still nodded repeatedly and wanted to agree first. But at this moment, a staff officer suddenly reported loudly: "Sir, the German transport plane seems to have landed on the west coast of Concepcion Bay!"

"Landing?" Lieutenant General Collins and Lieutenant General Fraser were stunned at the same time.

"What's going on?" Collins asked.

"It's just landing. More than 200 German transport planes are landing!" the staff officer replied. "All the strongholds on the west coast of Concepción Bay reported this... The second wave of German transport planes did not drop parachutes, but began to drop parachutes. The German-controlled area has landed."

Something seems wrong! Why did the German transport plane land? Can't it be airdropped? What's on it?

And...all the airfields on the west coast of Concepcion Bay were blown up by missiles by the Germans themselves. Although there are many high platforms on which transport aircraft can land, it is impossible to take off a large transport aircraft on that kind of terrain.

In other words, the more than 200 "Universiade" aircraft that landed there were all one-offs! Throwing away more than 200 "Universiade" aircraft in one airdrop operation, this is probably something that even the United States cannot use, right? And the Germans must have had no choice but to take out so many "Grand Luck". The things loaded on these "Grand Luck" must not be airdropped!

Lieutenant General Collins and Lieutenant General Fraser looked at each other, and Fraser said: "There are Royal Navy gunboats and torpedo boats in Concepcion Bay. I can take them to the other side to see what happened."