Breakthrough (The Red Gambit Series) Read Free Page B

what a few minutes beforehand had been human beings and the weapons they served.
    Occasionally , a group of shell-shocked troops rallied and fought back , but in the main , only the odd desultory shot greeted the advancing Red Army.
    The reports of advances were immediately sent back and within twenty minutes Zhukov knew he had all five breakthroughs ready to exploit, and ordered the operations to go ahead as planned.
    Ten minutes after Zhukov’s orders went out , a bleary eyed Eisenhower, woken from his much needed sleep to swiftly throw on his previous day’s shirt and trousers, learned that he no longer had an intact front line and that a disaster was in the making.
    Swift telephone conversations with his Army Commanders took place, each man in turn receiving a simple order.
    “Reform your line , General, reform your line.”
    Each was different, for McCreery had problems contrasting those of Bradley, who had worse problems than Devers et al.
    Eisenhower felt like Old Mother Hubbard. He already knew that he had probably just lost the best part of three divisions of good fighting troops and he sought replacements. The cupboard was all but bare.
    Some units were coming ashore in France, some in England . A few were already moving forward to their staging areas near the Rhine , ready for operational deployment.
    Setting his staff to the problems of logistics , he let them take the strain whilst he sucked greedily on a cigarette and watched the situation map as the disaster unfold ed .
    Report followed report, problem heaped on problem , as the Red Army moved relentlessly and surprisingly quickly forward.
    Ike stubbed out number one having lit number two from its dying butt, spotting the normally dapper but now quite dishevelled Tedder approach, half an eye on his Commander in Chief and half a horrified eye on the situation map.
    So shocked was the Air Chief Marshall that he stopped, mouth open wide, watching as blue lines were removed to be replaced by red arrows.
    Eisenhower moved to the RAF officer , who seemed rooted to the spot.
    “Art hur, they’ve hit us bad and we’ re in pieces as you see.”
    The Englishman managed a nod accompanied by a grimace as arrows, red in colour, appeared moving north of München.
    “I want maximum effort from you, maximum effort. Get everyone in the air that can carry a bomb or a machine-gun. I will get you my list of target priorities within the next hour. Send everyone , Arthur, even those who have been out tonight.”
    That drew a dismayed look from Tedder, this time aimed at Ike.
    The complaint grew on his lips but withered under Eisenhower’s unusually hard gaze.
    “Arthur, I know your boys will be tired , and I know the casualties will reflect that. Send them in later if you must , but send them in, come what may. Are we clear?”
    Tedder stiffened.
    “Yes, General, we are clear. There will be a turnaround time in any case, so I can rest them , but it is a long time since they have done day ops.”
    Eisenhower, both hands extended palms towards his man, spoke softly.
    “I know , Arthur. I am asking a lot of them but I think much will be asked of many this day , don’t you?”
    The Air Chief Marshall couldn’t buck that at all; especially as he caught the stream of arrows around München grow further out the corner of his eye.
    “Very well Sir. I will get them ready for a maximum effort. Target list will be with me by five?”
    “I will do my very best , Arthur.”
    The man sped away, his mind already full of orders and thoughts of incredulous RAF officers reading them as tired crews touched down at bases all over Europe .
    No one was going to be spared on this day.
     
     
    Four Mosquitoes of 605 Squadron RAF had been tasked with destroying a Soviet engineer bridg e laid over the Fuhse River at G ro ß Ilsede, the main road bridge having been dropped into the water by British demolition engineers some days previously .
    The plan was for the lead aircraft to mark with