Chapter 202: Collapse (1)
"The 2nd Battalion and 3rd Company are to the southeast of us, and they have a very strong barricade next to Westminster Hospital." The communications soldier reported loudly with his headphones covered.
"Don't wait for them, our location is on Victoria Street, just ahead...... This Grosvenor Park. The order of the regimental headquarters was...... Oh my god, where did this bunch of guys come from. The infantry captain watched in amazement as a line of half-track armored vehicles whizzed past him, crammed with commandos in Waffen-SS uniforms.
"Black armband! It's the guard battalion of the Legion Headquarters, isn't this group of guys to the west of us? The German soldiers crouching on the side of the road looked at each other, and when the armored vehicles were far away, they suddenly realized that they were going in the same direction as themselves.
"Their goal is also Buckingham Palace, full speed ahead, we will go down the trail and at least be able to take the Royal Mews before them." The captain knew that his dream of building a miracle had basically come to naught, so he hurriedly retreated to the next best thing, and if he couldn't eat fatty meat, he could at least take a bite of soup.
"We were the only troops that were blocked, and the British put all their main forces on the Westminster Bridge line." Major General Haron, the commander of the 7th Armored Division, slapped the map table hard, and the battle in front of him put him in a very awkward position. In his opinion, this is the biggest crisis he has faced since joining the army, his honor has been challenged, and his ability has been questioned.
"General, Lieutenant Shakter asked for his men to give it a try, and he came up with a genius idea, and I think it might work." Major Rune, the staff officer of the Operations Division of the 25th Panzer Regiment, walked into the tent, followed by the high-spirited SS lieutenant.
Shakt was in the limelight in this battle, and his 77th Storm Commando became the biggest highlight of the battle in the Waterloo area, as soon as this force appeared on the position, the British defense line on the opposite side would quickly crumble.
"The British are holding the Hungerford Railway Bridge, not only because of its important location to the core of the other side, but also because it is the strongest bridge. Once we occupy it, we will be able to use the railroad from here to transport heavy equipment and supplies to the other side. The Waterloo Bridge is being repaired, and Tower Bridge is the only one that has the most convenient way to make a long detour, and the infantry can go straight down the palace boulevard to Buckingham Palace. Lieutenant Colonel Ludvik of the 25th Panzer Regiment took off his military hat and stroked his short blond hair on the top of his head.
"The British are well aware of that, they know we're going to target this place. Now we are far behind our allies. Westminster Bridge was blown several large holes in the bridge deck by the frenzied Cold Creek Guards, and our tanks were completely impassable, and the madmen were holding the parliament building as a bridgehead. We can't blow up Big Ben.
The 1st Infantry Division had breached Lambeth Bridge, the other regiment had taken Vauxhall Bridge, and now they were working on both sides of Whitehall and Royal Gardens, and their progress was the smoothest in the Corps. Of course, their success was a bit flattering, we were facing the elite of the Cold Creek Regiment, but they were facing a group of Irish rookies.
In fact, it is not only us who have a headache, although the 3rd Infantry Division has already taken Tower Bridge, it is blocked by the Tower of London on the opposite bank. The place was originally an ancient fortress that had been fortified and repaired over the centuries. A place that has been used as a treasure trove by successive royal families can be imagined how strong it will be. Because heavy artillery could not be used, the Ludvik commander of the 3rd Infantry Division was already a little mad. Major Xest, a staff officer at the Legion Headquarters, said on the side.
"Lieutenant Shakter, I just heard Major Rune speak. What new ideas do you have for breaking through enemy lines. Major General Haron raised his hand to straighten his collar and said to the Storm Leader with a serious expression.
He had never been very interested in the rabid dogs, and Haron had been involved in Nazi activities in the early years, and he shared most of the Nazi Party's ideas. At the same time, Haalon's heart was full of reverence and love for the current German Führer. However, this did not mean that he would change his attitude towards the Waffen-SS, which he saw as the legitimate armed forces of Germany. The Waffen-SS was a subordinate-level local armed force, similar to some organizations such as civilian security or hunting associations.
I have to admit that this attack on Waterloo Station this group of rabid dogs is too beautiful, this group of guys into the battlefield is completely like a death, with a pre-medicine package through the wall transfer is just a piece of cake, they dare to hit the opponent's cover perforation into the iron fist, the submachine gun sweep after the machine gun sweep, the machine gun sweep after the machine gun sweep throws grenades, after breaking through the British position, the left hand pistol and the right hand infantry shovel, as well as the left and right hand each end a Mauser pistol, both hands shake out a fan. You say that the British are not afraid, and Major General Haron thinks that he is just as afraid of him squatting in the bunker opposite.
"The biggest obstacle we face now is the large fortifications built on the opposite bridgehead against the railway station, and the two 25-pounder guns, which are a great threat to our tanks and infantry, and once our tanks are destroyed on the bridge deck, it will seriously affect the attack of the follow-up troops. However, the infantry will not be able to break through this bridge at all, and the infantry will need to hit 500 meters in a straight line, and you will be completely exposed to enemy fire during the whole process, without any cover. It's not an offense, it's suicide. I asked for the permission of the Corps Headquarters to use large-caliber artillery to bomb the Chanine Cross Street railway station. Lieutenant Colonel Ludwik said, pointing to the map.
"But the above refused, because behind the train station is St. Martin's Cathedral, and it is likely that you will be injured by mistake if you use heavy artillery."
"Infantry artillery doesn't work either?"
"Absolutely not, the other side has an advantage in range, and depending on the solidity of the cover, I estimate that I will need to use 105 mm cannon direct fire." The liaison officer of the Lamb Regiment chimed in.
"You'd better hear Lieutenant Shakter's idea." Haron noticed that the headquarters was getting used to crooked again.
"I'm sorry, General, Lieutenant Shakter, what your plan is." Ludvik looked at the commando leader.
"Sir, this is a railway bridge, and it can pass trains." Shaket walked over to the map. "We heard that the 3rd Infantry Division had captured a freight train at London Bridge station. I just thought about it, maybe we can use that van as a mobile cover and break through this bridge. There were a lot of sandbags and steel plates left on the British position, and we should be able to withstand the British artillery as long as we piled up sandbags in the first two carriages. The key is that the speed must be fast, and the other party must not be given time to react. If they think of blowing up the railroad tracks with artillery, we are putting ourselves in a new obstacle. Shakter pointed to the map and talked.
"What do you think?" Haron felt a little moved, and he sought advice from his men.
"I think it's a bit risky, but it's better than waiting. The worst possible outcome would be to completely block the bridge, but do you see the difference between this and now? I think it is better to try, if it succeeds, if it fails, then as we have discussed earlier, take a long detour, and let the armored troops cross the river from the Blackfriars, hoping that this road bridge will be as strong as the British claim it is. Major Xester agreed.
"Sir, the latest report from the Legion Headquarters shows that the Legion Guard Battalion has advanced to the royal garden on the west side of Buckingham Palace and is engaged in an exchange of fire with the Scottish Guards, and the 1st Battalion of the 43rd Infantry Regiment has taken the Royal Mews. The 3rd Battalion of the 1st Battalion occupied Victoria Station and Westminster Abbey and was advancing towards Hyde Park.
The 22nd Regiment was closing in on Whitehall and was engaged in a fierce battle with the Guards Grenadier Regiment on the front line of Westminster School. The 3rd Infantry Division left one regiment to besiege the Tower of London, and the rest of the troops had already crossed the river from London Bridge in a detour and were advancing in the direction of the Bank of England. The regimental communications staff officer reported loudly.
"Alright, Lieutenant Shakter, you will be in charge of this operation, and if you need any more support, I will fully cooperate with you." The commander of the armored division knew that this was a disguised expression of dissatisfaction with himself by the corps headquarters, and at this time, he didn't care about whether to take any risks or not, so he decided to take a gamble, and the future of honor and disgrace depended on this hammer.
"General, my men have already gone to mobilize the train before, and I need the cooperation of the sappers to carry out the reinforcement work. My men will follow the train in armored vehicles, and I hope that the armored vehicles of the regimental reconnaissance company will join together, after all, this is all my people have, and once the breakthrough is opened, we must mobilize manpower to consolidate it as soon as possible. The 7th Infantry Brigade had to prepare well in advance, and when we opened the passage, we had to cross the bridge at full speed. We're already far behind our allies, and if we can break through here, we'll be able to sweep through Whitehall before they do. Shakter made his request.
"No problem, as long as it's good for the offense, all your demands can be met." The Major General of the Panzer Corps smiled and patted Shakter's arm.
Ask for a monthly pass, ask for a recommendation ticket, thank you for your support.
Thank you. (To be continued.) )