On cue, the supporting artillery units started firing their ordnance at the Russian positions, throwing up mountains of earth, and occasionally something more fragile.
A simple order rode the air waves.
“Vorwärts.”
Uhlmann, his headquarters tank moving slowly behind the first two companies, remained glued to his binoculars as return fire arrived; some mortars, but no artillery as yet.
Swivelling to his left, he watched as the half-tracks and recon troops of the 1st RdM pushed forward, moving ahead of his tank line.
Pressing his throat mike, he encouraged the 1st Company commander.
“Berta calling Cäesar Zero-One.”
A moment’s pause before the ex-Hauptsturmfuhrer from Das Reich replied.
“Cäesar Zero-One, go ahead.”
“Pick up the pace, Cäesar. Stay in line with Julius elements. Over.”
“Zu befehl, Berta. Cäesar Zero-One out.”
Uhlmann swivelled to watch his First tank company noticeably quicken, encouraging the trailing Second Company to follow.
Enemy artillery started to arrive but it was inaccurate and did not trouble the Legion tanks, although it was of a large enough calibre to worry Uhlmann, should the Soviets get their response organised.
Behind the assault wave, Knocke was focussing his binoculars, his view obscured by the occasional artillery burst as well as the mass of moving soldiery to his front.
His Beobachs Panther possessed no main gun, removed to provide extra room for more radios.
These radios were now alive with reports of targets and contacts, incoming fire, and the first casualties.
He concentrated part of his mind on the messages, the other he used to interpret the sights of battle.
On the left flank, the 1st’s Recon troopers had been hit, one of the Puma armoured cars smoking badly, an accompanying half-track ablaze behind it.
Mortar men from the 1st RdM’s 2nd Battalion swiftly deployed and got to work. They were rewarded with a secondary explosion right where they were told the enemy anti-tank position was, and no further fire came from it.
However, the hedgehog position was bristling with weapons, and more AT guns, supported by machine-guns, started to take a toll of men and vehicles alike.
The commander of the reconnaissance element was dead but his second took over, calmly ordering the pre-arranged smoke to fall and cover the advance.
Knocke decided to give some more assistance.
“Anton to Adler, receiving.”
The air liaison officer, bouncing along in a half-track next to Uhlmann, quickly acknowledged.
“Order one parcel to strike Leningrad immediately, Anton over.”
Again, the liaison officer acknowledged, immediately organising a flight of ground-attack aircraft to drop their wares on top of the hedgehog position, codename Leningrad.
As he did so, Knocke opened the network and broadcast the new information for those on the peripheries.
In the blink of an eye, four Thunderbolts swooped from the sky and deposited their rockets on the Soviet defences, immersing the enemy in more smoke.
Knocke contacted the liaison officer again, partially to recognise the professionalism, and partially to confirm what support was remaining, stifling his disappointment at the limited air power available to his forces.
‘I spent years without air support anyway.’
Prior to the battle, his sixth sense had told him that ‘Rostov’ was going to be a problem, and so his command tank had been directed to proceed favouring the southernmost route, just in case.
1st Company of the tank regiment had enjoyed some success in front of Dagersheim, a sole T-70 light tank having been quickly killed by numerous shells; a number of anti-tanks guns were similarly dispatched.
However, it had not been without cost, two of the Panzer IV’s having been knocked out in return.
1st Company deployed centrally, with 2nd Company splitting up equally and accelerating to right and left, permitting 3rd Battalion of the RdM to launch an attack through the middle.
This attack was under the control of Uhlmann, Von Arnesen having elected to stay with the undoubtedly more difficult assault on the ‘Leningrad’ hedgehog.
With tank cover on both flanks, the 3rd Battalion swept forward and into the Soviet positions, a few men dropping here and there, but mainly without problems.
The two tank companies pushed on again, vacating ground that was struck by artillery shortly afterwards.
Both Knocke and Uhlmann noticed the increased effectiveness of the enemy artillery.
Unfortunately, ‘Camerone’ did not possess the appropriate equipment for effective counter-battery fire as yet, and so manoeuvre was their best defence.
From the reports emanating from the hedgehog, Von Arnesen was having the very devil of a time getting his men in close, a small watercourse having been liberally sown with mines, holding up his attack, and causing casualties amongst his Legionnaires.
‘Camerone’s’ pioneer unit deployed a platoon in SDKFZ 251 half-tracks, bringing small bridges into position and spanning the divide. The brave engineers were swept with fire, killing both the commander and second in line as they shared the dangers with their men. Seven more men were hit and dropped to the earth, the four that were only wounded being recovered by grateful infantry.
Knocke watched intently as Von Arnesen’s voice commanded the air waves, hurling his men over the bridges and up into the enemy position.
The supporting Sturmgeschutz self -propelled guns had been adding to the smoke screen, but now received orders to change tactics and seek more hardened targets.
The mortars switched their fire, bringing down high explosives to try and cut ‘Leningrad’ off from any support.
Knocke satisfied himself that the assault was proceeding and turned his attention to the ‘Alma’ force attack.
The enemy artillery seemed to be building here too, and smoking wrecks marked some losses amongst the reconnaissance element, as well as the motorized infantry company that backed up the lead troops.
A movement caught his eye and he swivelled his binoculars upwards, immediately seeing the forbidding sight of Soviet aircraft.
In his ear he heard the Air liaison officer screaming for fighter cover.
Three Shturmoviks were boring in, even though two of them trailed smoke, a sign of the air combat that had already claimed the rest of their group.
The three aircraft deposited their bombs and turned for a cannon and machine-gun run.
One of the precious JagdPanthers received a direct hit from a 50kgs bomb on the engine grille. The blast dismantled the tank-destroyer, removing sections of armour plate and throwing them in all directions, causing some gruesome casualties amongst ‘Alma’s’ Legionnaires.
A 20mm Quad mounted on an SDKFZ 7 chassis brought one aircraft down, the crew pancaking behind the lines to fight another day.
Selecting one of the Nashorne’s, the leader pumped out shell after shell from his 23mm VYa cannon. He pulled up and left the field, raging at his inaccuracy.
His second aircraft selected a half-track, and was quickly rewarded with a blossoming fire, as his shells set light to the vehicle. Burning steadily, the German half-track drove on, carrying its dead crew forward in a surreal fiery assault.
The second aircraft escaped without further damage, retreating over its lines but subsequently blundering into a group of USAAF Thunderbolts, responding to the calls for assistance, who wasted no time in adding to their total of kills.
Knocke watched closely as the 5th RdM moved forward, sensing its lack of direction, all the time straining to catch some hint of Lieutenant-Colonel Lange on the radio.