The Rise of the Third Reich

When Airborne General Theodore von Hipple entered the command post at Grays Harbor Airport, his face no longer looked happy. Because he knew very well that the Battle of Newfoundland had just begun.

Successful parachute and airborne landings are just a good start, and the arduous battle is still to come! According to the intelligence available, the Americans (including the British) have more than 250,000 troops on Newfoundland, probably close to 300,000! And it also has a large number of tanks, armored vehicles and large-caliber artillery.

The total strength of Hipple is only 5 air assault battalions and 18 parachute battalions, a total of 23 battalions, with a total strength of only 15,000 to 15,000. As the trump card, there are more than 70 E-25 tank destroyers and No. 4 H tanks each, as well as dozens of 105mm mountain guns, as well as some 105mm recoilless rifles and 80mm mortars.

This kind of troops and equipment is really nothing compared to the two to three hundred thousand Allied troops on Newfoundland.

However, Hipple must now rely on this airborne force of less than 16,000 to seize two key ports-Port Grays and Port Carbonear, to create favorable conditions for the smooth landing of subsequent landing troops.

"Everyone, I think you all know how critical the situation we are facing on Newfoundland is." Hipple's eyes swept through the temporarily arranged war conference room. Several German leaders on Newfoundland were there. Officers, including the chief of staff of the 1st Air Assault Corps, the brigade commander of the 1st Air Assault Brigade, and the commanders of the 1st Airborne Division and the 7th Airborne Division have all arrived. Like Shipple, they all had long forgotten the joy of a successful landing.

"Although we succeeded in landing Newfoundland," said Hipple, "we did not really gain a foothold, and we are still a lone force far from the continent. If we cannot take Grays Harbor and Cattle this evening Port Bernier, then we will lose the battle in front of us!”

The occupation of Grays Harbor and Carbonir Harbor that night after the airborne and airborne landings were successfully completed was stipulated in the "Operation Columbus" plan. Both ports are located on the west coast of Concepcion Bay, with a straight-line distance of less than 20 kilometers. It is about 25 kilometers from the west shore of Concepcion Bay and more than 35 kilometers from the Churchill Naval Fort near St. John (which is located near the east shore of Concepcion Bay). Although it was still within the striking range of the fortress's 406mm cannon, it was still far away and not easy to hit.

Of course, the giant cannons in Churchill Fortress also need to be destroyed as soon as possible, but that is not the job of Hipple's airborne troops, but the job of the Air Force and Naval Aviation.

"How many troops can you mobilize before dark?" Hipple stared at the map spread on a pile of ammunition boxes and asked his one brigade commander and two division commanders.

"General, our 1st Air Assault Brigade can dedicate 3 assault battalions and invest 102 E-25 and No. 4 tanks." Skorzeny, the commander of the 1st Air Assault Brigade, answered.

Although only 5 combined battalions of his brigade reached Newfoundland, they were the main force in this battle, and as many as 18 battalions of paratroopers were the offensive troops. However, these five battalions cannot all be put into offensive operations, because the US military cannot let go of this critical time tonight - the German army has just airborne (airborne), and its foothold is not stable. It is a good opportunity to counterattack and eliminate them. In addition, at night The German air superiority was also unable to be exerted. If we don't take action tonight, not only will the German Fokkers and Me262s occupy the sky again during the day tomorrow, but more airborne troops will be airdropped. By then it will be difficult for the US military to counterattack!

But for the German army, the situation was similar. Now is the time when the U.S. military on the island of Newfoundland has been suddenly attacked and is panicking. If it is delayed until tomorrow, the US military will recover from the chaos and may also receive reinforcements from the air and sea.

So tonight, it is very precious for both offense and defense on the island of Newfoundland.

"Three battalions are too few." Hipple rejected Skorzeny's suggestion, "Invest 4 battalions!"

"General, the Americans are bound to launch a large-scale counterattack tonight, and are very likely to invest armored forces. If we only use one synthetic battalion and several paratrooper battalions to be responsible for defense, it will be very dangerous." 1st Air Assault Corps Colonel Kirk, the chief of staff, immediately disagreed.

"General, I also agree with Colonel Coker's opinion. We should invest at least 2 assault battalions and 9 paratrooper battalions to be able to block the Americans near the isthmus." Karl Lothar, commander of the 1st Parachute Division. Major General Schultz also supported Colonel Coker's opinion.

He advocated setting up the defense line near the isthmus leading from the Avalon Peninsula to the main part of Newfoundland. The isthmus is about 10 kilometers wide and is also a strategic military location on Newfoundland. It is impossible to capture it, but it can block the Americans there so that they cannot approach the western shore of Concepcion Bay.

"We should set up defenses between Whiteway on the edge of Trinity Bay and Grays Harbor Airport near the west shore of Concepcion Bay." Friedrich August Freher, commander of the 2nd Parachute Division Major General von der Haidt put forward his own opinions on the defense issue, "In this way, we only need to defend a 15-kilometer front line, which can save a lot of troops. If the goal is not to defend the defense line, we only need to delay the opponent for 24- For 36 hours, one combined battalion and five paratrooper battalions are enough.”

Hipple held his chin and thought for a while, and finally made up his mind to take a gamble: "We can't seek stability now, we must have enough enterprising spirit."

He glanced at Major General Haidt: "Friedrich, you are responsible for guarding the Whiteway-Grace Harbor Airport line for at least 36 hours. I will give you the 101st Battalion and the 5 paratrooper battalions belonging to the 2nd Parachute Division. ."Is that enough?"

"That's enough, Admiral, I promise to complete the mission!" Major General Haidt stood at attention and saluted, and hurriedly left the headquarters with several of his entourage.

Hipple continued to give orders. He said to Skorzeny: "You take 3 assault battalions and 6 paratrooper battalions to capture Port Carbonir. You must capture it before dawn. Do you understand?"

"Yes! Admiral!" Skorzeny replied immediately.

Hipple said to Major General Schultz: "Karl, you follow me, and we will capture Grays Harbor together."

"Okay, sir," Schultz asked. "When do we start our attack?"

"After dark," Hipple replied, "Now go and occupy the starting position, and then launch the attack after dark."

Of course there was a reason for choosing to attack after dark, because the German paratroopers airdropped on Newfoundland were equipped with a large number of infrared night vision devices, not only for vehicles, but also for machine guns. This ensures maximum combat effectiveness at night!

In addition, the German carrier-based aircraft will launch several air strikes before dark, and hundreds of Br.810 carrier-based bombers will be deployed to attack the artillery positions near Carbonir Harbor and Grays Harbor with Hs293 remote-controlled gliding bombs. , striving to destroy the large-caliber coastal defense guns (203MM and 240MM) there.

Time passed little by little in the mobilization of troops and preparations for the attack, as well as the continuous air strikes. Soon it was around 7 o'clock in the evening. Newfoundland, which is located at a high latitude, will experience long days and short nights after the spring equinox. However, by this time, night still enveloped the land and the temperature quickly dropped to close to zero.

French Air Force Sergeant Mitterrand was holding an M1 rifle "picked up" from the battlefield and wrapped in a coat plucked from the corpse of an American soldier. He was sitting in a newly dug paratrooper pit and shivering. Curse under his breath "Brandt the Nazi." As a French Air Force airman, he could have stayed at Port Grays Airport to serve as a garrison with other aircrews (including the crew members of the German ZSO523 assault transport aircraft and other German and French aircrews who parachuted). But Brandt used the excuse of insufficient manpower to keep him in his paratrooper platoon as cannon fodder!

But the curse didn't solve the problem. Mitterrand then thought about it. There are also advantages to being on the front line, so that he can easily escape to the free world! The US troops surrendered as soon as they came over, and then went to follow General de Gaulle... He is the real hero of France!

When Mitterrand made up his mind, Sergeant Major Brandt was forcing a smile... He had just been promoted to the front line!

"Great, really great...I am a second lieutenant now." He looked at the appointment letter and military rank sent by the battalion headquarters, and a smile appeared on his face.

Appointment at the front of the line means "military school remediation". After completing the military school training, which will graduate no matter how poor his academic performance is, he is likely to be converted into a professional soldier (the German Wehrmacht officers are also divided into two categories: professional and reserve. Reserve officers will be in He retired after the war, but Brandt, as an elite member of the airborne force, was very likely to become a professional officer), and then he would have to stay in the Wehrmacht for many years.

"Do it well!" said his company commander, a young officer in his twenties, "Herbert (Brandt used his original name in the army as Herbert Ernst Carl Fram), said Maybe you and I will become nobles after the war."

Being an aristocrat was the identity Brandt hated most. He couldn't imagine inserting the annoying "Von" in the middle of his name.

"But before that, we have to hold the line of defense." The company commander, who dreams of becoming a nobleman, then told Brandt the bad news, "We now have to use 121 people to hold the line of defense that is almost 2 kilometers wide, and we may also be attacked. The impact of a large number of American tanks! I think there will be a hard battle, but we will definitely win the final victory!"