【 Chapter 11 – Spanish Civil War – Battle of Brunete (3) 】
July 7, 1937
Central Spain, throughout Brunete West of Madrid
“Fuck, fuck you…!”
“Aaaaaargh!”
The 11th Republican Division was having a taste of hell in an ambitious offensive.
It is painful to charge in the maddening heat, but without proper cover, the enemy’s machine gun grinds them out.
“Aargh, Miguel! I-it exploded again! There are no anti-tank guns firing from this distance!”
Many of the trams, which have always firmly covered them and led the way through the front, have already turned into burning coffins.
The proud Soviet-made tanks of the Republicans, which lightly beat the German or Italian tanks of the Nationalists, and shattered the clumsy defense line, are exploding recklessly!
“What the hell, what the hell!”
Colonel Malo screamed and shook the Deputy by the collar, but there was no way he could tell it was the Deputy.
“Ma-maybe it’s a new weapon…”
The people used anti-tank rifles at best, and the anti-tank guns provided by Germany were sometimes seen, but the effective range was about 300 meters at the longest.
On a clear day like this, on a plain, of course, you can see it with the naked eye, and even tanks can shoot back.
But what the hell did those German guys do? They’re randomly blowing up tanks before they even get close to the range!
It couldn’t have been a field gun. The field artillery exerts great destructive power only on infantry, but it cannot blow the tank unless it is unfortunately hit completely.
At first, the Lieutenant Colonel, who led only the armored troops to charge, lost 10 tanks less than an hour ago and hurriedly retreated, had to accept Colonel Líster’s fury.
‘Damn it, if you want to keep that rank insignia on, this time you’ll have to keep up with the infantry and get a military record!’
And with desperation, he went on the offensive again, but the 11th Division, famous for being the best Republican, was literally in the process of splitting up.
On the battlefield, there were hills and mountains as small as low hills, and other areas were almost open.
The planners of the Brunete Offensive had chosen this battlefield, relying on the Republicans’ superiority in armored forces, but the war situation showed that the judgment was completely wrong.
The Republican army, which launched an open-air assault on the Condor Legion, the most powerful artillery force of the Nationalist faction, was sacrificed for intensive shelling in open view.
The 8.8cm Flak series, a bizarre anti-aircraft gun that earned a reputation as the best anti-tank gun in World War II, was a fraudulent all-purpose gun capable of destroying the T-34, a medium-sized luxury tank that would only appear in a German war, with high-explosive shells, not armor-piercing shells.
Soviet-made light tanks, which seemed powerful enough in the Spanish civil war, could not withstand the heavy artillery fire.
“R-retreat.”
“Lieutenant Colonel…”
“Retreat. The attack is a failure…”
With that said, the colonel’s face was empty as if he had lost his soul.
“Oh, I’m dying. Does anyone have water?”
“Here.”
“Oh, thank you, Captain.”
After handing Clemens the last few canteens, I looked around the wires.
The enemy was successfully repulsed, and the losses were relatively small compared to the fierceness of the fighting.
I didn’t consciously recall the names or faces of those who were ‘lost’.
I have to admit that my mind will collapse first if I pay attention to such things in order to survive.
The morale was good, but the company members were exhausted as a whole.
To be honest, even breathing is difficult. I was desperate for air conditioning.
A cup of cold coffee while enjoying the air conditioning, uh….
Ha, let’s stop.
“Keep the kids to sleep. Each platoon takes turns to sleep, one squad at a time. Two hours each.”
“All right, Captain.”
I gave Clement instructions, and I sat roughly between the trenches and stared blankly at the battlefield.
Blood splattered countless times, bodies rolled around, chariots turned into scrap metal…
At first glance, the losses suffered by the enemy were much worse than those suffered by us.
The indirect fire of the 88 anti-aircraft guns demonstrated greater power than I expected against the light tanks of the interwar period.
Although it was a good open area for the enemy to shoot openly, the enemy’s momentum was already dampened when many of the enemy’s tanks were lost at the start of the battle and the infantry was deployed late.
In addition, the enemy’s artillery was no longer able to fire openly because they were wary of our artillery.
It was a tiring situation to fight in the heat wave, but they somehow brought water in time so that the crew could fight while quenching their thirst…
The power of Colonel Walter Model must be great. The Chief of Staff is new, but the feeling has significantly changed.
Did the Republicans of the original history suffer such a serious loss?
It is unknown. But at least it was certain that their losses would have been more significant.
It’s unlikely that a single battle difference will make a big difference, but making a meaningful change for the first time was encouraging and worrisome at the same time.
Now I know all the major events, but the more I do something, the more it will change.
“Huh, he, heil Hitler!”
“Heil Hitler!”
Suddenly, I heard a salute, so I turned around and saw Colonel Model approaching this way.
Instead of the Nazi salute, I did the Defense Forces salute, and Colonel Model answered as if it were natural.
“Ah, do what you are doing. I’m here to get you some water.”
“Wow, it’s water!”
“Sigh, keep your seat. I’m afraid I’ll share it with you.”
The thirsty members almost turned their eyes to the word water, but fortunately, Clement stopped them in time.
“The enemies will also take time to maintain, so it’s okay to loosen them up a bit.”
“Oh, even if they didn’t, I ordered a rest for each squad.”
The Colonel Model smiled at my words, and I also laughed.
The eyes the soldiers looked at him were close to respecting him. The way Clement and the other Lieutenants see him has changed a bit.
The fact that he came from the Chief of Staff and the aspect of the battle changed must have been felt most clearly by those on the scene.
“It is reassuring to have the Colonel behind me. This is the first time that artillery support and supplies have come in such an appropriate way.”
“You have to use the resources you have. I really appreciate it, gentlemen. The defense line is strong, so there is room for reserves.”
While talking to me, Colonel Model walked along the line of defense and looked at the situation one by one.
It seems that the soldiers also gain morale thanks to him going around the front line, which is rare for a General’s Staff.
Compared to the previous Chief of Staff, who didn’t even show his nose, Colonel Model was walking directly on the front line and analyzing the situation on the front line, and solving it as soon as possible if a problem actually occurred.
“The indirect fire of the 88th anti-aircraft gun is really excellent. The enemy’s armoured forces suffered serious losses. Your credit is big.”
“Thank you, Colonel!”
It would have been difficult to use it in this battle had it not been for Colonel Model who just came up with an idea and processed the data at a monstrous speed, but it feels pretty good to be praised by a master recognized by history.
“So, shall we suggest that we change to the Shacht Shacht (SS)1 gun?”
“Cough.…”
No, wasn’t that a one-off joke?
Regardless, the model took a piece of paper out of her arms and handed it over.
“Colonel, is this…?”
What’s this. Operation plan… is it?
There was no doubt that there was a map showing the layout of each unit and the route of their advance, and an operation plan.
“It’s a draft with the plans and arrangements for each unit, including reinforcements arriving tomorrow. Know when to launch a counterattack, what the problem is with this plan, and do some research before submitting it.”
No, why are you telling a company commander?
Colonel Model smirked as if he had read the question on my face, and slapped me on the shoulder.
Ouch, it hurts so much! What power…!
“An officer should be a person who is always agonizing, not a cool-looking idiot. I’ll see you later. I’ll look forward to it, Lieutenant.”
Colonel Model said nothing and went away.
Oh, my God, I feel like I got an assignment from a professor.
It’s terrible to have a task in the middle of the battle, but there was no choice.
I’ll make sure to satisfy the Colonel Model and get a recommendation from General Staff!
July 10, 1937
Republican HQ, Madrid, Capital of Spain, Central Spain
Republicans higher up were shouting.
“You can’t punch through this?! We poured everything we had into our hands, including the troops, the tanks, and the air force….”
“I thought you said it was a reckless attack.”
“No, when did you say this was a golden opportunity?”
Republican leaders, mostly political soldiers, were initially dubious when Líster’s 11th Division captured Brunete half a day after the start of the battle.
This was because the attack, which was ambitiously prepared by mobilizing all but the minimum number of troops to hold the Madrid defense line, was too successful.
So, higher up tried to check the situation for a while, and the delay gave the Condor Legion time to build a defensive line.
As a result, Colonel Juan Modesto’s 11th Division, especially Líster’s, was making a huge sacrifice by quickly letting Brunete fall into the Condor Legion.
His tribute, Colonel Jurado, also launched an onslaught on Carabanchel, but Colonel Santes of the Nationalists maintained the front line by holding back even with thirteen troops.
“Damn it! All of the Nationalists’ air force is not in the North! Why can’t you push it when you even pushed the air support in the empty sky!”
As a result of sending all the air force to push Carabanchel quickly, the main attack, which was breaking through well, was blocked. General José Miaha, who was in charge of the operation, punched him in the chest as if the fire was boiling.
“Ge-General. Colonel Jurado is suffering from heat stroke and is unable to command, so he wants a change of commanding officer.”
“No, why does the Colonel get heatstroke!”
Being an officer, he was not immune from heatstroke, but in this era, he was still in a meeting with the cool breeze of an air conditioner, which is still classified as a luxury item.
“Ugh…”
As General Miaha glanced around at the ‘colonels,’ everyone had to avert their eyes. Who wants to go out in a battle like that in this heat?
“Colonel Casado, please.”
“…yes.”
Colonel Casado, who had been nominated, was very reluctant, but he had no choice but to belittle his superiors.
“Don’t get sick by going out needlessly. If you are a Commander, you only have to protect the command post. The heatstroke is, uh… “
The remarks of the political shit star made not only Colonel Casado but also a handful of field commanders breathe a sigh, but General Miaha had already turned his attention to the next victim.
“So, can we secure the road to Extremadura? You’re not going to be unable to pierce the tram after driving it like that, are you?
Next up, Colonel Juan Modesto, the commander of the main attack, had to sweat profusely even in the cool air of the air conditioner.
“Perhaps because the Germans introduced a new weapon, it is harder to break through than I thought.”
“A new weapon?”
When General Miaha made a face, Colonel Modesto had no choice but to speak with an unconfident face.
“It seems to be using anti-tank field artillery… or anti-tank bullets for field artillery.”
The faces of everyone at the top changed to ‘What is that?’, but there was no other way to explain it.
The range of anti-tank guns is still as long as 300m. But how else to describe it when it starts blasting tram from 2km?
It would be a good thing to know that the great anti-tank means are anti-aircraft guns that they have seen before, but it was hard for them to know what they saw for the first time in their lives.
‘Damn, if I properly report the loss of the tram, everyone will be shocked. What do I do about this?’
When Líster, who had dropped Brunete, suddenly requested a detour, he immediately ignored it without reporting it to his superiors, saying not to talk nonsense.
But it comes back with such a disastrous result. For Colonel Modesto, it was regrettable.
‘No, why is that my responsibility? That Líster wouldn’t have thought that the enemy would prepare something like this.’
He swallowed his dry saliva. In any case, if this responsibility is taken over, the promotion of the General will be over forever.
If they lose the war, the government itself, which will promote them to the General, will disappear, but at least no one has thought of it yet.
Anyway, they were fighting with the support of the West and the Soviet Union, with Madrid and Valencia in their hands and Spain’s largest cities.
On the other hand, Italy and Germany, which helped the Nationalists, were inferior to the West or the Soviet Union.
Although Italy was one of the three great powers along with France and Britain, it was most recognized that it was not comparable to Britain and France, and the scandal shown by the Italian army in the Battle of Guadalajara put the Republicans at ease.
It goes without saying that Germany, which had just begun re-armament after the defeat of the World War, was disarmed by the Treaty of Versailles.
“Kuhm, it seems that Colonel Líster was too careless after dropping Brunete easily. The enemy has new weapons, but if we concentrate our air force, we will be able to break through with our tanks at the fore.”
“Kkeuh… isn’t artillery alone enough?”
Even in World War II, the infantry-armored artillery-airforce cooperation was basic and not an option, but the situation of the Spanish republican government was not so relaxed.
Although the demands on the front are exorbitant, precious air power has always been in short supply.
“The flower of modern warfare is air raids, haha… If you support me, I will put in the 15th and 34th divisions together and break through one point!”
Colonel Casado’s face, who was in charge of Carabanchel, was wrinkled, but Colonel Modesto turned away.
Colonel Modesto was also desperate for support, although he was not unaware of the situation of Carabanchel, which was unable to break through even with air support.
The artillery, which opened the door to the start of the operation by crushing Brunete’s troops with intensive artillery fire, also hit the Condor Legion without much thought and suffered considerable damage from enemy artillery fire.
After receiving Líster’s loss report, he had no choice but to make up for it.
Even if the organization that exists on the documents of the offensive plan is actually a unit that has been mutilated and crippled.
“Hooo… what do you think of Colonel Casado?”
“The situation will be even more difficult if the Air Force is missing in a situation where it has not been able to break through even after receiving support from the bombing…”
Colonel Casado’s answer to General Miaha’s question was ambiguous. But there was no way he could say anything more specific.
If they insist that they can’t give the air support here, they’ll tell him to make it work.
What would the Colonel, who had become the unit Commander and had not yet grasped the unit situation, assert at this meeting?
At least if you don’t insist strongly here, it will be possible to avoid considering that it’s your role from the middle while pretending to help the other side.
“We absolutely need air support!”
“All right, I’ll send all the Air Force over there.”
“Thank you, General!”
Although it was humiliating to receive air support even after being driven by tanks and field guns, the loss that has occurred so far would be a serious blow to Colonel Modesto’s position.
‘Now that it’s like this, it’s a determinant decision. I just need to win, if I win!’
No matter how many soldiers die and tanks they lose, there is something to be said as long as there are tangible results.
No matter how good the new anti-tank field guns used by the German military were, it was calculated that the artillery would not be able to fire freely in a situation where the air supremacy was taken away.
“Then, is there anything else we can discuss?”
“It is said that the frontlines continue to complain of water shortages.”
“Tsk, what is the only lack of water for us? It’s natural to be thirsty in the summer.”
The officer who shouted like that had half emptied his water cup while having a meeting in the conference hall where the air conditioning was cool.
“It’s already too much to supply ammunition and fuel by putting a large number of troops into the armoured unit! Don’t mess with such incidental matters! What matters is the success or failure of this offensive!”
That’s how the meeting ended.
【 Spanish Civil War – Battle of Brunete (3) 】- End
1Shacht Shacht (SS) gun; from 8.8 (acht acht) cm Flak.
Thank you for reading!
Tram? Not tank??