Two batteries of the Legion Group D’Artillerie then brought down a barrage upon both emasculated companies, one battery firing the standard LeFH 105mm, the other the more spectacular Nebelwerfer.
It proved too much for the 424th, and the survivors retreated, ending up back where they had started, but with over a hundred casualties.
Other companies from the 424th started to arrive, and another infantry assault was put in over the Route 321 Bridge, shaping to turn the flank of the defending legionnaires.
It had been partially dismantled by legion engineers, prior to the arrival of the Soviet forces, but still the guardsmen threw themselves at the standing piles and remaining cross-members, swinging across as best they could.
The six-barrelled Nebelwerfers, reloaded after Soviet counter-battery fire from the 1027th Artillery Regiment had caused casualties amongst the crews, brought down a full strike on the assault force, and the arrival of accurate Legion heavy mortar fire again caused the 424th to falter.
Blagoslavov, his misery added to by a painful cut from a piece of flying glass, commandeered the tank belonging to the 2nd Tank Battalion’s third officer.
2nd Tank Battalion drove hard up the Route de Scherwiller, angling away from the Aubach defences, looking for an advantage against the ‘Alma’s’ left flank.
One of his leading tanks stopped, and he watched as the turret swung.
Assessing the aiming point, the covering smoke screen opened up by a sudden stiff breeze, Blagoslavov finally got a look at one of his tormentor’s, the huge anti-tank gun bouncing along behind a German half-track as it tried to relocate.
With difficulty, he communicated his orders to the gunner, the turret eventually turning to engage the distant vehicle.
A number of shells had already been fired at the beast, but none had come close to scoring a hit, so far away and fast was it moving.
The Artillery liaison officer with the 110th Tanks calmly called it in, knowing he needed to state the coordinates of where the PAK would be, not where it was now.
His efforts were rewarded, and the 122mm’s of the 1027th Artillery smashed both the gun and prime mover in their second volley.
Enemy artillery was now dropping smoke rounds between their lines and the infantry of the 424th.
‘The bastards are going to withdraw!’
Blagoslavov halted his tank again, concealed in a small stand of trees, and quickly scribbled on a pad, communicating his orders to the loader.
Fiddling with the radio, the man contacted 3rd Battalion, and ordered them forward immediately.
From his position on the flank, Blagoslavov could see the enemy infantrymen moving backwards, unmolested by fire from Ebersheim, their escape concealed by the smoke barrage.
However, the smoke did not prevent 2nd Battalion’s tanks from seeing the movement, and a number of vehicles started to engage the legionnaires with high explosives and machine-guns.
The mass of men suddenly went to ground.
3rd Battalion’s tanks, sporting grapes of infantry, rushed forward into the smoke, intent on running down the retreating men.
Emerging from the smokescreen, they were puzzled to find an empty landscape, not the target-rich environment that they had anticipated.
Beneath the metal tracks, the small anti-personnel mines started to detonate, with no effect.
The mass of tanks converged on the two bridges over the Aubach.
“Right about now.”
St.Clair judged the moment almost perfectly, the flash of exploding mines filling his binoculars less than two seconds after his words.
He watched as the trap was sprung, enemy heavy and medium tanks rolling over anti-tank mines, shattering tracks and bogies, and coming to an enforced halt in an extremely dangerous environment.
“Wait.”
Grudgingly, he recognised the courage of the enemy soldiers, watching as the infantry grapes dismounted and rushed forward, intent on securing the bridges, as well as covering the tankers while they worked on repairs.
Men were bowled over as the deadly anti-personnel mines in the third layer started their harvest, linked combinations, and strings of all shapes and sizes of mine inflicting heavy casualties on the running men.
“Fire!”
Behind Colonel St.Clair, two radiomen spoke into their mouthpieces, passing his order to the waiting units.
Legion mortarmen filled the sky with bombs, intent on smashing the infantry force.
The heavy anti-tank guns, now in their secondary positions, started working the crippled vehicles, enjoying the turkey shoot.
Soldiers from ‘Alma’, whose feigned ‘retreat’ had started the planned trap, rose up out of their second line positions, and ripped more holes in the ranks of the advancing Soviet infantry.
St.Clair watched the destruction of the Soviet assault force with a professional eye, revelling in his contribution to the plan that had delivered the enemy up, although a small part of him felt sympathy for the men who were being destroyed in front of his eyes.
As a soldier of France, most of him enjoyed the sight of the invaders being vanquished so totally. As an officer, and commander, he felt immense pride in the discipline and expertise of his men, regardless of its lineage.
The crack of high-velocity weapons to the west drew him momentarily, but the sight of two T-34’s starting to burn confirmed that his left flank was secure.
Blagoslavov ripped off his bandages, tearing his stitches, his anger driving him through the pain, just as if it was not there.
Ordering his own artillery to set down smoke, he attempted to extricate what was left of his command.
3rd Battalion was in real trouble, with its leadership gone, and its vehicles mainly immobilised, either by mines or by fear.
2nd Battalion had been stopped by enemy tanks, positioned west of the Route de Scherwiller. In any case, moving further up that route was pointless, with the main body being butchered behind him on the outskirts of Ebersheim.
The men of the 424th were dying in droves as mines, mortars and machine-guns gave them a working over, an examination the like of which none of the Soviet veterans had experienced before.
Lieutenant Colonel Blagoslavov ordered his unit to fall back, knowing that he was condemning some of those lying immobilised, but knowing that he needed to save as many of his men as he could.
Acknowledging an incoming message from Major General Konovalov, and warning the 38th’s commander not to proceed too far forward, Blagoslavov prepared to move his own tank to safety.
The 2nd Battalion had enjoyed a success against their tormentors, and one of the enemy vehicles on their flank had been set alight by direct hits.
The mix of T-34’s and IS-II’s pulled back, making the edge of Ebersheim with only one more loss.
Smoke from the Soviet barrage had drifted on the wind, helping to mask 2nd Battalion’s withdrawal, and Blagoslavov also used it to cover his own drive back to the relative safety of the German village.
The survivors of the main thrust started to appear, a man here, three there, a tank moving at high speed, jinking from side to side to escape the enemy guns that still fired across the smoky divide.
Returning his borrowed tank to the normal commander, Blagoslavov started the job of reassembling his shattered regiment.
2nd Battalion was still relatively intact, fifteen vehicles ready to move on orders. 1st Battalion now had three tanks up and running, testament to the skill of his mechanical engineers.
3rd Battalion had seven tanks back in the village, probably more still marooned in the minefield beyond.