“Bordeaux? Paris? The Channel?”
Zhukov couldn’t help himself, and his eyes lapped up the possibilities.
‘No!’
He punched a fist into his cupped left hand to frighten away the part of him that agreed.
“Once we get there,” his finger shot out, aiming specifically at Belfort and Mulhouse, “Then we can explore the options.”
Malinin has stated his objections before, but felt the need to cover them again.
“Comrade Marshal, I still believe that committing on a narrow front, one flank to the Rhine, the other to the mountains, is a risky strategy. We will be confined.”
Zhukov sighed the sigh of a teacher trying to explain an easy problem to a difficult child.
“As will they, Mikhail, as will they.”
Pausing to look at the map, a thought occurred.
“Mind you, Comrade, there is nothing to stop us expanding westwards from either point, if circumstances permit it. When we first planned, we did not possess the extra manpower. Have another look at it please.”
Malinin felt more comfortable with that, and moved to start his work.
He opened the door as Nazarbayeva was about to knock.
“Ah, Comrade Polkovnik. Please come in.”
Salutes were exchanged and business commenced.
“Comrade Marshal, General Pekunin has received a full report on the events in Fischausen, and has asked me to pass it on to you.”
Puzzled that such an insignificant matter should be brought directly to him by the head of the GRU, Zhukov skimmed the file.
“Ah yes, the blackmail of the German Knocke.”
He remembered the simple briefing, but had not expected any worthwhile advantage to come of it, and merely acknowledged it, permitting the Chekists and the GRU to play their games.
“Comrade Marshal, the investigating officer believes that the attack was undertaken by rogue SS elements, who had no idea who or what they were attacking.”
Zhukov had just read that section as she spoke it.
“Further to that, the investigating officer also concludes that no knowledge of the fate of the Knocke family has leaked out; all three confirmed dead, of course. General Pekunin endorses this view, and believes that Knocke can still be controlled.”
“And the other projects?”
“Are all in place, Comrade Marshal. We have direct influence over some very senior commanders in the new German army.”
“Excellent.”
There was a silence; one that Zhukov decided needed further investigation.
“And what are your views on the Knocke situation, Comrade Polkovnik?”
“Something is not right, Sir. It is not clear to me, but something is not right.”
Malinin’s interested perked up.
“How so, Comrade Nazarbayeva?”
“Comrade General, I find myself asking about this SS unit. Where have they been, and what have they been doing all this time? There have been a few recorded attacks in the area, mainly in the last three weeks, so have they been somewhere else? Hiding? I don’t know what, but I have a problem with it, Sir.”
“And Comrade Pekunin? What is his view?”
“He sees no issue here, and illustrated his point with examples of other groups that have only recently started to cause trouble.”
“And yet, you disagree?”
“Comrade Polkovnik General Pekunin made an excellent case.”
Malinin looked to Zhukov for further input.
“Comrade Nazarbayeva, thank you for your opinion, honest as ever. In this instance, the overall matter is of little importance I think, but we will bear in mind your concerns, if Knocke becomes involved again.”
Nazarbayeva accepted that without rancour.
“Proceed, Comrade Polkovnik.”
“Comrades, the Italian government have still not declared their neutrality, as you know. That is on hold until you signal a start for phase three.”
That was a bugbear to both men, the supply situation putting ‘Three’ on hold indefinitely.
“However, I have a report that indicates that the Italian’s situation is known to the Allied High Command.”
No surprises there; such a thing was difficult to conceal.
‘Next?’
“There has been a failed attempt on General Patton’s life.”
“When?”
“Last Sunday, Comrade Marshal. We have not learned of it until today. GRU’s agent was shot during the attempt, and has only recently managed to communicate with us. She was attempting to remove Patton, but was shot before she could act.”
“Shot before she could act? I don’t understand, Comrade.”
“Our agent was shot by someone trying to assassinate Patton, before she could act, which is why her cover remains intact, Comrade Marshal.”
“That all sounds very complicated, Comrade Polkovnik. Who was the other assassin?”
Nazarbayeva nearly shrugged.
“Not known at this time, but definitely not one of ours, or of the NKVD.”
“Anything else, Comrade Nazarbayeva?”
“No, Sir.”
“Thank you for your report as always.”
The female officer saluted and withdrew, leaving the two men to their thoughts of Italy.
Eisenhower replaced the receiver, and took a moment to compose himself.
Bedell-Smith, Hood, Foster, in fact, pretty much every man and woman in the close staff was stood watching him, his reaction, his anguish.
Gathering himself, the Supreme Commander reflected on the day’s events.
One hour beforehand, to the minute, McCreery had called in with the bad news about Bremen and its loss, compounded by the destruction of some fine Allied formations, such as the 51st Highland Division, gutted and decimated in the hard city fighting.
Mannheim had fallen that afternoon, and the situation across the board was dire.
The front had ruptured, and Soviet forces were pouring through, headed west into the Saar towards Luxembourg and south-west towards Strasbourg and the Alsace.
And now Bradley.
Eisenhower stood.
“I have just been informed by General Bradley that 78th Infantry has collapsed under extreme Soviet pressure, and that, as a result, enemy units have seized the vital junction at Sindorf-Kerpen. He also reports contact at Wanlo, three kilometres south of Mönchengladbach.”
There was no sound to speak of from the listeners, but a tangible feeling of horror was easily discernable as many eyes turned to take in the situation map, its servant clerks already logging the third major break in the Allied line that day.
“There is nothing I can say that will disguise the seriousness of our position. Nothing at all.”
A few faces grew dark, those affected by doubt and the foreboding of defeat.
A wave of defiance swept over Eisenhower.
‘Not on my watch!’
“What I can say to you all is this.” Ike’s voice grew unusually large, impressing everyone with its strength and belief.
“We will stop them, of that, there is no question. Very soon, I will tell you how we will do it. What I do know is that we will not achieve this unless we are all focussed, and all fully committed to achieving victory.”
Eisenhower set his face and played hardball with his staff. He was a different General to the one they were used to; he needed to be.
“Anyone who doesn’t feel that they can sign up to that, regardless of rank, submit your request for reassignment by midnight. Now is not the time to have doubts. Now is the time for the best of us to produce the best we can.”
Ike looked down, his eyes feasting on the cigarette pack that was calling him so urgently.
“To that end, we are going to give our Armies the resources to patch this up, and then they can start driving the Commies back.”