Fantasque Time Line (France Fights On) - English Translation

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Barashi Sector - The 37th Army continues to advance north against all odds, in the face of an LV. AK, who is unsure of his opponent's intentions and is struggling to maintain the connection with the XLIV. AK, to his left. Vasily Chuikov seizes Yablounets - abandoned by a 9. ID (Siegmund von Schleinitz) which fell back on Simakivka and worries a little more every hour for its right flank. The cutting of the road from Korosten to Novohrad-Volynskyi is confirmed... But that's all the Red Army is able to do in this sector. Erich Jaschke gains time, which he tades for space and - above all - refuses to get bogged down in a static defense. Given the results of his neighbor, nobody could blame him!

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Horshchyk sector - In the morning, the counter-offensive decided by Manstein starts, with the most powerful air support that the IV. FliegerKorps (LuftFlotte 4) could gather. The Stukas of SchG. 1 and III/StG. 77 and Bf 110 of III/ZG. 1 go in front, to break the red positions and allow the Reich soldiers to seize the area between Horshchyk and Vyhiv. It would then be possible to lock up Vasilev's 19th Armored Corps and part of Golubev's 50th Army in a net that could be reduced later. But the effort provided by the airmen does not stop there. Above the battlefield, the Bf 109 of the JG. 52 "with the sword" patrol all day long while behind the front, along the Sluch, the Junkers 88 of KG. 51 "Edelweiss" and the Heinkel 111 of KG. 53 "Condor Legion" have to destroy the bridges built by the Russians, whatever the cost. And, as a sign of the melting of the German manpower, the fighters of the IV. FK are not sufficient to protect all the engaged bombers, it is the Fw 190 of the I and III/JG. 51, lent by the IX. FK, which ensure the escort.
Obviously, the VVS react. On the front however, the Falcons of Stalin are unable to prevent the strikes of the Stukas. The 109 of the JG. 52 shoot down 24 MiG (of which two for Gerhard Barkhorn) against only 8 of theirs. However, the Russian flak is more effective every day and six assault aircraft do not return - the pilots of the ground support (SchG) and dive-bombing (StG) formations would really like a new aircraft*...
But the biggest fight takes place - once again - over the Sluch. The Fw 190 of Oberst Karl-Gottfried Nordmann see no less than 250 fighters of all types that attack the bomber formations! Once again, the Experten enrich their hunting charts: Adolf Borchers (a victory for a total of 59), Joachim Brendel (1 victory, total 67), Diethelm von Eichel-Streiber (2 victories, total 32), Erich Leie (1 victory, total 61), Günther Schack (4 victories, total 64) - the VVS losd 41 aircraft in all. However, the fight cost the Reich 12 fighters - most of them piloted by novices, but not only: hit by a particularly aggressive Mig 3-U, Oberfeldwebel Hubert Strassl (67 victories) tried to evacuate his aircraft but his parachute does not open... As for Josef "Pepi" Jennewein (86 victories), he lost his way in pursuit of a damaged enemy and landed behind enemy lines with his Fw 190 A-6 "7 Noir" - no one would ever hear of him again**... During this time, 17 medium bombers are shot down and despite all the efforts of their crews, only two of the six bridges over the Sluch are destroyed (and one was damaged).
So if in the sky, things are mixed to say the least, it is even worse on the ground.
The pincer attack ordered by the HG Nord-Ukraine may seem logical on paper - but it is also deeply unbalanced, as the left and right claws of the maneuver do not have the same power.
In the west, just after Bondarivka, the 4. Luftwaffen-Feld-Division is cut to pieces by the machine guns of the 50th Army in the woods north of Horshchyk - K.D. Golubev hopes that his men would be able to advance westward to reach out to reach out to the 37th Army. General Hans-Georg Schreder, dejected, can only observe with binoculars his former crawlers in light blue uniforms go to the slaughterhouse against Russian fighters who are in their place. It is one more defeat for the Luftwaffe... In spite of the stubborn support of the 210. StuG Abt - which loses moreover 8 machines for lack of competent infantry to cover them - the assault sinks in the confusion less than 3 kilometers after its start.
But if, in the west, the German maneuver is a complete failure, it is not the same in the east. From Velen' and Kupyshche, the soldiers of the 10. PanzerGrenadier and the 501. schw. Pz Abt are of a different calibre than those of Marshal Göring... Especially since the 50th Army did not expect a counter-attack as fast on this side, after the waltz-hesitation of the panzers in front of Korosten ! Subjected to a very strong pressure on the road Korosten - Simakivka, and while the 56. ID stubbornly counter-attacks to prevent the 11th Armored Corps and the 4th Shock from coming too quickly to Golubev's aid, Vasilev's 19th Armored Corps is finally forced to turn back to help the infantry.
The clash takes place at the end of the afternoon - as the sun is setting under new showers which drives away the planes of both camps. The T-34s, widely dispersed, pour out of Radohoshcha to assault the road between Pisky and Zhupanivka. August Schmidt, whose Panzer IIIs are not of size, is quickly in trouble ... The 501. schw. Pz Abt "with the Panther" of Major August Seidensticker is obviously in front - but with 12 Tiger and 10 Panzer IV against 150 T-34/76, the big Teutonic machines are not really celebrating.
Especially since, on their back, Otto-Joachim Lüdecke reports that his 56. ID comes to the end of its resistance and finally cannot prevent Alexeiev's tanks to pass... They will obviously join the fight.
Thus, a handful of kilometers from Druzhbivka and 24 hours apart, the Panzerwaffe replays once again the scenario of the last square, while the Tiger and the Panzer IVs cover the rear guard of the 10. PzGr, which retreats towards Korosten. Major Seidensticker leads the fight with professionalism and bravery - at least until a 76 mm shell fired at point-blank range by a T-34 that had snuck up behind him sets his mount on fire. He is evacuated, badly burned***. Reduced to 5 Tiger and 4 Panzer IV, facing an aggressive mass of Soviet tanks, the 501. Abt seems close to disappear entirely - when suddenly the first elements of Scheller's 9. Panzer appear. Scheller's 9. Panzer arrive late, but it is better than never. Faced with this new opponent, both intact and numerous, the Soviets prefer to throw in the towel and drop out in the evening...
The 11th Armored Corps, which lost 87 vehicles in less than three days, withdraws to Nova Borova (on the other side of the Sluch) to heal its wounds. As for the 19th Armored Corps, it remains on this side with its 132 vehicles, victorious in this quasi-battle of an encounter, undecided but in any case did not allow the Germans to close the gap in their lines.

* The Henschel 129, twin-engine over-armored aircraft which was to replace the Stuka in its role of flying tank fighter, will never see combat because of the lack of available engines...
** He was promoted to the rank of Leutnant in his absence and finally received the Ritterkreuz posthumously on November 7th.
*** August Seidensticker will receive the Knight's Cross for his actions at Zhupanivka - he will not serve at the front again.

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Korosten sector - In this area, Walter Model - and Manstein, through him - go from bad surprise to bad surprise. The 3. PanzerArmee is attacked by two Soviet armies (the 44th and 60th), reinforced by two armored corps (the 20th CB and the 4th CB of the Malin). The Communist forces push with all the less restraint that they know they are covered on their rear by Mikhail Potapov's 5th Army, which holds the Kalens'ke - Dibrova axis without difficulty.
Unpleasantly hemmed in by the Soviet offensive, while its forces have already suffered significant losses during the fights of the previous days, the LII. AK of Hans-Karl von Scheele can only retreat in front of the 44th Army, which seizes Hrozyne and immediately challenges Synhai in the aftermath, without the XLVII. PanzerKorps of Heinrich Eberbach being able to do anything about it.
Indeed, on the right, the latter has to intervene urgently in front of the red tanks, for a new encounter battle in the vicinity of Roztyazhyn - which opposes tired panzers to the T-34, superior in number and partly fresh. In the evening, as the fighting was ending (or at least calmed down a bit...), everyone on the front is now aware that the Wehrmacht is heading for disaster if it persisted in fighting on the plains against a more numerous and more rested opponent. The Panzers have certainly contained the Russians on the Shatryshche - Iskorost' axis, but they do not stop them at all. And since the Luftwaffe cannot be everywhere either, nobody doubts that tomorrow will be worse than today.
Around 19:00, Heinrich Eberbach receives a special guest at his headquarters in the Korosten town hall.
Walter Model himself, who comes to see the situation for himself. Questioned on his analysis of the current events - and especially on how to deal with them - the leader of the XLVII. PanzerKorps is formal: it is necessary to withdraw immediately behind the Uzh, and perhaps on a line Leltchytsy-Olevsk-Yemiltchyne. That is to say that it is necessary to abandon Korosten! It is at this price, and only at this price, that the 3. PanzerArmee will avoid a fatal fate. Model undoubtedly agrees - but he could not take such a far-reaching decision alone. And so he is forced to counter all the proposals for withdrawal, while waiting for an arbitration in high places...

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Narodichi sector - The events in progress elsewhere give wings to the right flank of the 3rd Ukrainian Front - well, at least they give morale to its leaders. In Zherev, the 8th Guards Army expands its bridgehead (consolidated during the night) and captures V'yazivka, in a non-decisive maneuver, but very inconvenient. Especially since, during this time, Kurassov and his 64th Army continues to push the XXIV. PanzerKorps more and more uncertain...

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Eastern Ukraine - From Chernigov, the 61st Army of Pavel Belov observes the German withdrawal following Büffel and undertakes to follow the enemy by edging it, without pressing the LVII. PzK of Friedrich Kirchner as much as Moscow would like, considering the terrible terrain that the frontovikis face.

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

HG Nord-Ukraine (Kovel), 20:00 - Under the fading light of the lamps in his office, Erich von Manstein looks at the map with fresh eyes. The day has been rich in lessons - not to mention all the things that those incompetent Luftwaffe men failed to spot! In Korosten, against all odds, the Russians attacked again with new forces. In Horshchyk, they are stopped but not reduced.
On reflection, Manstein can only congratulate himself threefold for his sagacity! It allowed him to dispatch the 9. PzD after August Schmidt, first of all. It led him not to relaunch the XLVII. PanzerKorps in pursuit of the Reds, then. And finally, it gives him the idea to bring back the III. PanzerKorps of Werner Kempf to the north, to face the enemy. He will need it! Because today the Heer was lucky, very lucky indeed! The Bolsheviks are caught with their feet in the carpet at Druzhbivka. Had they pressed harder eastward, they would have probably seized Korosten during the day, before encircling two army corps without anyone being able to do anything about it.
In short, we now have to deal with this new situation. The situation is untenable. The HG cannot close the Horshchyk gap without evacuating at least the eastern bank in front of Korosten. But it cannot defend Korosten by letting the enemy break through on its back! All this has an air of déjà vu - and as Kempf will arrive alas too late to play the saviors (his arrival is not scheduled until September 8th, three days from now), the army group can only give ground.
But thank God, the pretext for that is quite found! In the north, that damn Rommel had just given 55 kilometers to the enemy and is now preparing to defend Jlobin. All this obviously runs a risk of major destabilization of the left flank of the HG Nord-Ukraine! The latter is likely to have to withdraw soon on a Mozyr-Olevsk axis in order not to risk to suffer the fate of the defenders of the Smolensk salient! All this, of course, will require some skill and a lot of politics - but even if Manstein hates these maneuvers, it seems to him that a way out has finally opened. That's why he orders Model to hold on for a little longer... 24 hours, at most!

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Occupied Ukraine - While the Red Army seems to be close to breaking through the German lines in Ukraine, great maneuvers are underway in the Axis rear. Dimitri Medvedev's partisans are agitating and multiplying the attacks or sabotages - thus making the fatal wheel turn at a very high speed. In such a period, in order to keep order over such a vast territory, the Wehrmacht obviously needs manpower - a lot of manpower, in fact. But the Germans are short of men to ensure their own security - and now even to fight at the front, it seems. So much so that some in the SS would even talk about forming a Russian Liberation Army to help them!
Obviously, all this can only do the business of Andriy Melnyk's UNO-M, to whom it seems obvious that the Nazis will soon reconsider their racial policy, now that they have no other choice. The interested party is therefore pushing his pawns ever further, in order to eliminate the other competitors for the title of leader of the Ukrainian independentists. And with this in mind, he has just negotiated a meeting (armed, one suspects...) with Tarass Dmytrovych Borovets.
This Borovets is a strange character: a peasant from a large family with an unattractive physique (he was nicknamed "Bulba" in reference to his potato nose), he educated himself almost alone - with the help of a former soldier of the People's Republic of Ukraine - before serving in the Polish army and even marrying a Czech woman. Then, in the 30s, apparently driven mad by the organized famine that devastated his native land, he founded an "Organization of the Ukrainian National Renewal" which displeased the Poles so much that they exiled him to the west of their country. In June 1940, he reappeared alongside Andriy Mykolayovych Livytsky, president in exile of the Ukrainian People's Republic, who ordered him to form the Ukrainian People's Revolutionary Army. So he crossed the border again - which became a demarcation line - under fire from NKVD troops. In 1942, his troops reached 10,000 soldiers! They took possession of Olevsk, which had been abandoned even before the arrival of the Germans, raising the blue and yellow flag and swearing allegiance to Ukraine. His Poliska Sich, the army of a free republic whose capital was in Olevsk, lasted only a short time - the Germans quickly banned it, while they were cutting up the land they occupied.
In April 1943, Taras Dmytrovych Borovets sent his men (reinforced by a host of volunteers and even Soviet deserters!) to fight the Nazis, who retaliated with violence. Operations Shepetivka, Goshchiv and Ludwipil saw the SS confront the Ukrainians, and they did not always win. In particular at Ludwipil, in May 1943, where 2,000 men of the Black Order failed to secure control of the town and control of the city and finally had to withdraw with a hundred dead. In July 1943 - just two months ago - Obersturmbannführer Pütz, head of the security police and the SD of the Volyn-Podillya (Bukovina) General District, preferred to stop the war and open negotiations - at least in appearance, because all of Borovets' demands (recognition of an independent Ukraine, liberation of political prisoners and especially Bandera...) came up against a wall. The Reich is willing to deal with the sub-humans but only if they stay in their place.
In short, between Melnyk and Borovets - and in the absence of Bandera, still in prison - there may be something to discuss. Of course, if the warlord is willing to be realistic and reasonable. But as he was already smart enough to rally (for a while...) colonels Petro Dyachenko and Ivan Treyk, former officers of the Black Cossacks or the army of the Ukrainian People's Republic, and to negotiate (until recently) a truce with the Reds, there is probably no need to worry.

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

South of France - Today, the "milk run" of heavy bombers targets the various bridges and ferries that the Germans had rebuilt or repaired in Arles. It is the work of the B-24 of the 98th BG, escorted by the Lightnings of the 1st FG. The JG 2 reacts, as it kept in several patrols in the air since dawn. Three Liberators are damaged (one of them crashed on landing) and one P-38 is lost, while two Fw 190s are shot down by Captain Allan W. Shaw. It is the third time in a month that a pilot of the "First" makes a double.
If the reaction against this raid remains modest, it is because the airport of Marignane airport and the runways of Montpellier Fréjorgues areattacked by the 12th EB escorted by the 6th EC, and by the 17th and 310th BG, escorted by the 27th FG. Two bombers and three fighters are lost, against six German fighters.
Finally, the airfield of Mandelieu la Napoule is bombed by the Mitchells of the 23rd EB, escorted by the 2nd EC. This raid, arriving at low altitude, benefited from a surprise effect which allowed it to leave without losses, leaving a dozen carcasses of all types on the runway.
The fighter-bombers are not left behind, as the 86th FG, escorted by the 354th FG, attack the coastal defenses east of La Ciotat.
The French Navy puts the finishing touches to this day. The 17F and 19F flotillas, back in Corsica for a few days, attack the coastal sector east of Sète.

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Italian Front (west) - On the coastal plain, the German retreat benefits the 1st Armored Division, whose CCB reaches the southern suburbs of Pisa. The CCB comes into contact with the Texans of the 142nd IR by moving up along Route 31 south of Cascina, and this locality falls almost without fighting. Finally, the CCR enters Livorno, which the Germans have also abandoned.
In fact, the decision is made further east. Not only, north of Pontedera, the 2nd Ranger Btn of TF Bender is able to seize the Ponte alla Navetta intact, but the 143rd IR of the 36th US-ID manages to take advantage of a ford on the Arno river north of the hamlet of Fornacette, despite the destroyed bridge.
On the side of the 34th US-ID, while the 135th Infantry Regiment takes Pontedera, the 133rd Infantry Regiment overruns without too much trouble the hills north of Forcoli, and the 168th overtakes Palaia, expanding its position.
On the Italian side, the 139th Infantry Regiment of the 47th Bari Division moves up north and cut Route 50 north of the hamlet of Corazzano. Meanwhile, the 140th Infantry Regiment moves in the wake of the Friuli to cut Route 46 west of Castelfiorentiono. The Friuli goes up the valley and reaches Empoli from the south and the east, less than 5 km from the town. All contacts with the Resistance report that the Germans have retreated behind the Arno.
The 187th Rgt of the Folgore moves into reserve in the Montespertoli sector. Meanwhile, the 186th marches northeast to support the Cuneense and takes the hamlet of Cerbaia, on Route 4. While the Alpini of the 2nd Cuneense Rgt. continue to fight in the woods and hills around Strada in Chianti, the 1st Rgt spends the day in security operations and extends its perimeter to the north. It resumes contact with the 356. ID, which has established itself in force in front of the hamlet of Tavernuzze.

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Pescara - The French 3rd armored division starts to embark for operation Dragon under the interested eye of the Luftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft, which had already spotted the day before a British squadron apparently getting ready to go up the Adriatic. The orders are to let the reconnaissance aircraft pass over this area: they participate involuntarily to the Zeppelin deception operation. Indeed, the Germans cannot guess that the force which they see embarked, and which is part of the second echelon of Dragon, is going to head south and not north.

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Adriatic - German bunkers and other fortifications continue to be assaulted by the RAF. Thus the sectors of Lignano, Kopa Izola and Losinj are attacked by the Beaufighter, Beaumont and Banshee of Sqn 18, 89 and 227, accompanied by their usual cover of Spitfire. JG 53 shows up - one Beaufighter, one Beaumont and two Spitfires are shot down, against three Bf 109s and two Fw 190s.
At night, as the Germans feared, because these airfields had been subjected to very few night raids, the Wellingtons of Sqn 37, 214 and 221 bomb the airfields of Monfalcone, Gorizia and the island of Osinj.

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Gulf of Genoa - In the afternoon, Italian fishermen returning to port after spending a few days on the Corsican side report a strong concentration of warships between Bastia and the island of Elba. The German authorities having been intoxicated for several months by the false information of operation Ferdinand, the information quickly goes up and several Bf 110 are sent on reconnaissance at the end of the day.
This reaction had of course been foreseen by the allied staff: the fighters based in Corsica pursues the enemy, because it is a question of ensuring that this one will continue to be deceived. Thus, late in the evening, after a final report transmitted by an Italian merchant ship arriving from Marseille, the news falls in Milan that an enemy fleet is heading towards Genoa or La Spezia (or both).
In the middle of the night, unbeknownst to the Germans, the reported ships turn west towards the coasts of Provence, where the surprise is complete.

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Macedonia - The Allied air force is conducting a hellish sabbath over Macedonia - most of the squadrons and groups of Air-Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder are out. Bridges, stations, trains (those which still dare to drive!) are assailed by large twin-engine drones with cockades. At night, the Wellingtons take over from the faster aircraft to crush stations, tracks, railways and switches. An anguish grips the generals Dietl and Felmy, in Skopje and Tirana: what if it was tomorrow?

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Thessaloniki Plain ("Double Tower") - From Efkarpia, which is now under control and cleared of German mines and traps, the men of Stevens' 6th Division (AIF) descend south towards the district of Polichni, along the mountainous and wooded barrier that runs to the east. They ostensibly leave on their right the district of Stavroupoli and its deadly
deadly ambushes.
The weak point that worried General Müller was thus well spotted by the competent officers of the ANZAC - to control the strip going from Polchini to Pylaia, is to lock the Jägers in an extremely small area of play: a rectangle of 7 kilometers long and 2.5 kilometers wide at the most, moreover open to observation from the hills. All this while alleviating the supply difficulties of the XIIIth Corps, whose trucks would have 45 kilometers less to do. Müller's troops did not have time to properly fortify this sector. Their general therefore planned, forced and obliged, to fight a real battle on Polichni, with a possible line of retreat to Sykies, two kilometers further sout. To hold the eminences of the sector - and the villages that surmount them - means keeping the allied corps at bay and facilitating the movement of its troops. If not, the game will become complicated. Well, even more so than it already is!

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Nea Santa - Montgomery goes to the PC of Brian Horrocks, in a calmer atmosphere than the day before. It must be said that the leader of the XIIIth Corps is a genuine British from Sussex, who had consistently demonstrated his worthiness - and his obedience - from 1914 to the present day, including the French campaign of 1940.
Between the English, we will therefore wonder what to do with the siege of Salonika, because it must be called that. Horrocks has just sent from Ligaria a captain and a lieutenant in a jeep carrying a white flag, which is now going down Leof Kon/Nou Karamanli Avenue. These officers carry a letter addressed to the commander of the place, whose name is unknown to the Allies. It is a letter stating the "overwhelming" superiority of the besiegers and proposing a surrender "in order to spare the lives of your men and of civilians, which would otherwise be wasted in a losing battle". It is doubtful that the Huns accept to surrender, but it does not cost anything to try and the Greeks will not be able to say that one will not have tried all!
For the remainder, Horrocks is well forced to recognize that his possibilities of actions are limited. He would like to have heavy artillery: the 5th AGRA remained at Agios Dimitrios, that is to say nearly one week of road... The leader of the 18th Army Group points out that it would be a long time - and that, moreover, this deployment would only partially solve the problem: "I told Lavarack to be delicate, and I'm telling you that too! If it were possible to demolish the city with cannon fire, the Navy would not ask for anything better than to take care of it but it is not desirable."
Right... In this case, we'll have to progress by small steps and take Pylaia, then Triandria - to finally reach out to Stevens' troops at Agios Pavlos. This will be long, painful, while consuming a lot of ammunition. And we are short of ammunition, around here!
Montgomery is not deterred, however: "They are also short of a lot of things in Italy, and they still made good progress!" To which Horrocks can only reply: "Yes, but each time after a more or less long interruption of the operations."
There follows a long, puzzled silence. His Majesty's forces cannot win the decision even six against one! That said, it is annoying, no doubt, but it is the lot of all those who besiege a fortress, even an improvised one. Wounded in his pride, Monty nevertheless goes out to take a few steps in the surroundings, to take stock of his strategy.
In the evening, while Montgomery continues to think, looking out over the plain and Lake Koronia, it is announced by radio that the negotiators' car had returned to the friendly lines. The envoys are still carrying the famous envelope - no German official wanted to take the responsibility of leading them to Müller, or to transmit the envelope to him.
A tragi-comic scene ensued, as the unfortunate British captain, eager to prove that he had tried everything to accomplish his mission, asked that someone write on the envelope that the document had been refused - but nothing could be done! The fear of being accused of being accused of defeatism and treason was such that Jägers refused to even touch the envelope; it is still unknown whether this attempt was even reported to the head of the 97. Jäger. In any case it is highly doubtful that giving Müller the opportunity to read the message would have changed anything to the following days.

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Vardar Valley - The 19. PanzerGrenardier of Joseph Irkens has regained its colors: the arrival of the first elements of the 2. Brandenburger Rgt, after that of the 201. StuG Abt (which had given up some of its equipment to the 242. StuG Abt), allows it to return to a strength compatible with its its denomination. But this is not enough: it still has to dip into its reserves. Or call on convalescents.

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Sofia - General Yanchulev returns to the Bulgarian GHQ quite worried. He did not have time to continue his tour to the 3rd and 5th Armies and above all, his meeting with Major-General Nikola Georgiev Stoychev did not go well. The latter did not seem to understand what his superior was explaining to him, even though he was speaking with less and less cover.
Yanchulev is convinced that he was clear. It is therefore that the head of the 2nd Army will not support the change of alliances - at least not at first. The coward! Before the Regent, the Chief of Staff returns to consult his friend Georgi Mihov Dimitrov - perhaps the latter will be able to obtain something more tangible from the French.
In the evening, this same Dimitrov writes a report that he will be able to transmit thanks to a clandestine post and which concludes in these terms: "The improvised character of the change of alliance elaborated by the prince Kyril of Preslav makes his step hazardous, even more so than that of the Italians last year. I am not able today to confirm the date of September 6th - my contact, general Yanchulev, will try to change the Regent's position. If the date is confirmed, however, I recommend that the Allies give strong support to this attempt if it is to have any chance of success." This document, accompanied by a note from the Second Bureau with a very negative tone, is transmitted as a follow-up to the President of the Council, the Minister of Foreign Affairs... and to the English and American "Services" (MI6, OSS), alliance obliges! It will be for much in the reaction of the Western governments to the events of the following day.
Later that night, General Yanchulev leaves the royal palace, looking desolate - the Prince had remained unyielding. It is true that Muraviev now seems certain of the support of the communists, and therefore of the Red Army, but is this so reassuring? Sitting at his desk, surrounded by his most loyal officers but feeling so alone, Yanchulev is served a glass of raki, then a second one. The night is going to be long, but at this hour, there is nothing more to do.

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Nis - General Alexander Löhr receives a message from the OKW demanding that the 12. Armee launch a counter-offensive to clear Salonika within five days. Outraged by this absurdity, which falls all the more badly that he has the spirit strong occupied by the awaited attack in Macedonia and by his doubts as for the fidelity of Bulgaria, he tries to call directly Keitel to the Wolfsschanze, without however succeeding in passing the barrage of the aides-de-camp Waizenegger and von Freyend. The latter simply repeat to him that the XVIII. and XXII. Gebirgs-Armee-Korps must prepare to attack - this is a Führerbefehl.
Ulcers, Löhr finally blurts out: "But how do you expect me to beat three or four army corps with six divisions, almost all of which are understaffed? All this with a cumbersome ally to watch over and partisans all over my rear?" The answer comes in a flash: "I beg your pardon, Herr General, but how do you think we are fighting on the Russian Front?"
- I don't know and I don't care!
And the chief of the 12. Armee hangs up violently.

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Alger, early morning - Aubert Frère, Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in the Mediterranean, has never seen De Gaulle so moved, nor so respectful of his five stars. "General," says "the General", "between soldiers, allow me to give you a hug." Then: "I will now retire, you have better things to do than... to chat with me."
- We will meet again on the soil of France, Mr. President of the Council," articulates Frère, equally moved. He is indeed about to embark on Le Fantasque, which will take him to the Duquesne, from where he would follow the operations closely.
For both of them, a long night begins, which De Gaulle spent alone in his office.
"I would obviously have liked to share these moments with my son," he admitted much later to André Malraux. Philippe, however, was much happier that night than his father, on the bridge of one of the smallest escort ships in the fleet.

 

[Wings]

September 5th, 1943

Corsica airfields, in the afternoon - Operation Tiamat is the airborne part of Dragon*. It mainly involves the 1st Para Division, the 82nd Airborne and an ad hoc Franco-Belgian regiment of shock troops, known as the Charlier Group (I/113th French, 1st Belgian Para Btn and 1st Belgian Btn Commando).
During the day, General Geille visits most of the units of the 1st DP, who are preparing to take action. Each time, his speech is the same, very brief: "Gentlemen, we have been waiting for this moment for three years and twenty-nine days. When you joined the paratroopers, you wanted to be among the first to liberate the land of France. Well, tonight, you will be fulfilled. Be sure that France, over there, is waiting for you with the same impatience that is gnawing at you. You will know how to show yourself worthy of her and of all our comrades who have fallen to make her liberation possible! Long live France!"

* Tiamat is a Mesopotamian deity often represented as a kind of dragon.