11/06/44 - Balkans
June 11th, 1944
Balkan campaign
Operation Blockbuster
XIII Corps front (Drava valley, Hungary) - The left flank of the German position - essentially Joseph Irkens' 19. PanzerGrenadier Brandenburg - is able to rally. It now moves sharply towards Kaposvár, in order to prepare a new counter-attack on the Allied flank, more or less coordinated with the 1. Panzer.
But this cannot happen immediately. Firstly, because the unit, dangerously fragmented (but not routed!) during its retreat through the Zselic forests, no longer has any decisive offensive capability. Secondly, because it has to guard against the vanguards of the 6th Australian (Jack Stevens), which has of course followed the 19. PzGr along the road to Bőszénfa and is already coming up to press the German flank. This forces the Brandenburgers to practise an exercise in defending in a difficult environment... which turns out to be relatively easy, of course. But once again, it also costs men and time - two resources that the Axis really lacks! Finally, Irkens also has to maintain his link with the 199. ID (Walter Wissmath) to the east, towards Dombóvár. Neither want to find themselves enveloped and forced to retreat due north towards Lake Balaton... only to be wiped out on its shores.
In short, the attack from Kaposvár already seems doomed to failure due to the lack of available maneuvring mass. But we have to go for it...
It's time to go, because on the Kisbajom side, things are definitely not going well - which means they're going extremely badly. The 17th/21st Lancers (Lt-General Richard Amyatt Hull) and the 1st Australian Armoured (Horace Robertson), still reinforced by their extra platoons of Fireflies (which are beginning to tire, between exhaustion of ammunition and wear and tear on the cannons*), once again strike in open terrain, obviously targeting Nagybajom in the face of an increasingly weakened 1. Panzer (Walter Soeth) - although it remains valiant and issupported by a 100. Jäger (Willibald Utz) that fights with no sense of retreat. Particularly fierce and bloody fighting ensues, particularly at Kutas, Kisbajom, Nagybajom and throughout the surrounding woods. For the time being, the British are not getting through. This does not mean, however, that the same will happen tomorrow. In fact, the German line is becoming thinner by the hour, and the injunction to hold firm from almost the entire chain of command, right up to the Maybach bunker, does nothing to change that...
It's true, the German resistance is magnificent and tenacious - stupid and desperate too. But neither Utz nor Soeth can do anything about the cavalcade of the 10th Armoured on their right. The latter has given up trying to take Nagyatád completely - Horace L. Birks fears ambushes and left this urban contingency to the right wing of the 4th Indian (Arthur Holworthy). Similarly, he wastes no more time in the woods between Lábod and Kutas, facing a 181. ID (Hermann Fischer), which is on the verge of extinction, but which nonetheless tries to cover the flank of the 100. Jäger against the onslaught of the 51st Highland Infantry (Charles Bullen-Smith). No... Instead, Birks' tanks make another leap forward! They head for Berzence and then Iharosberény, avoiding the worst of the fighting west of Kaposvár via the Drava. It's true, this also means giving up on immediately hitting the German rear... but Monty is interested in taking Nagykanizsa, not in exterminating the Huns immediately. It would always be possible later to turn towards Keszthely, to triumph by closing a larger trap...
For the moment, the important thing is to pin the 173. ID (Heinrich von Behr) and the 907. StuG Abt (Hauptmann Friedrich von Lessen), who have reached Koprivnica and are undoubtedly preparing to cross the Drava towards Drnje. Finding Churchills on the riverbank in front of them should pose a few problems... In fact, by evening, the British armoured vehicles - hampered only by a few ambushes set up by mobile teams equipped with portable anti-tanks - have already lined the Drava and are approaching Iharosberény.
They would undoubtedly have entered the town by now if the leading group had not lost a great deal of time - along with a dozen vehicles and many men - to a strike by P-47s from 97th Squadron (8th Air Force). They were part of the day's (big) raid on Hungary and went down to enjoy themselves along the banks of the Drava, before unloading their projectiles on the first convoy that came along, without trying to find out who it was. Worse still - in the confusion, they also attracted a Marauder flight, which saw fit to join in the fun... Their excuse will be that these Englishmen moved so fast, for once! Too fast! Informed, Birks simply blurts out: "Bloody Yanks - I thought they were with the good guys!"
Aerial warfare
The American season
Allied air staffs - Another American strike on Magyar production lines. The days of the unfortunate kingdom are looking more and more like an interminable ordeal.
After the previous day's raids on the refineries in the Vienna region - the Ostmark-Werke in Gunstransdorf and the Apolló Olajfinomító Művek in Bratislava (the latter having produced... limited results**), 658 bombers in three waves head for the other facilities in Bratislava, its oil reserves and refining plants. Escort: 290 fighters. Faced with this armada, the Hungarian and German fighters once again throw down the gauntlet in a ferocious melee that impresses many. In fact, the Americans claim 70 victories! The reality, of course, is somewhat less impressive.
Intercepted by the 109s of JG.53 just north of Lake Balaton, the Mustangs of the 325th FG draw first blood by scattering the defenders, killing four of them without casualties. A second assault follows, reinforced by 190 Sturmböcks from JG.4 - it is then the Lightnings of the 82nd FG that step in and destroy eight of the heavy armoured fighters. But in so doing, they flank the JG.53 - three P-38s do not return.
JG.4 then intervenes as the Viermots approach Bratislava. It catches the bombers head-on - literally: a 109 slams into the nose of a Liberator. This action, combined with the intervention of some courageous Bf 110s from ZG.1, enable four B-24s to be destroyed over Slovakia; a dozen others are damaged, four of which crash on their return to Hungarian territory, near Magyargencs.
.........
The absence of the Red Pumas will come as a surprise. However, this morning, 28 Bf 109s from 101 vadászrepülő-ezred Miklós (colonel Heppes Aladár) also took off to take part in the festivities. They were led by their colonel in person. But the attack did not go according to plan.
Heppes Aladár recounts: "On June 16th, at 09:04, I left on a mission with 28 aircraft, climbing to 6,000-7,000 metres with the group. My first sighting was of a large number of 'scout fighters' flying in pairs, which meant that the enemy force was definitely aware of our presence and whereabouts. Having assigned Squadron to my left above us to provide cover against possible fighters, I gave the order to attack the main block, now clearly visible, a unit of bombers flying transversely below us. The mass of American fighters then attacked not only 3 Squadron but also 2 Squadron and forced them to fight.
I went on alone with 1 Squadron and opened fire as I fell towards the bombers and then, shortly after a big bang, the roof of my cabin flew off. The air suction caused by the high speed tore off my goggles and oxygen mask. The only thing holding me in the seat was my seatbelt and the fact that I was holding the handle with both hands. But my zinc was intact. Flying the plane in these conditions was of course very difficult, so while I had ammunition I pressed the fire buttons as I fell through the fin of a Liberator I could only vaguely see. Then I regained control of the plane and slowly brought it back down to ground level around Tihany, before reducing speed. I finally landed it at Veszprém airport, as far as I could steer it, stopping in front of the divisional headquarters as I came out.
I immediately boarded a spare plane and took off again a few minutes later! On the radio, I said "Assemble at Tihany, 4000 metres", and 12 machines finally showed up. Some of the planes were still fighting American fighters, but they were mainly on the backs of the bombers. Having received orders to refuel and ammunition, I brought this group back.
In the meantime, of course, my first plane had been inspected. The seat had taken a series of impacts and the whole of its side had been torn off (probably because of the cabin roof).
During this engagement, the unit lost 4 dead (one was killed while hanging from his parachute), 1 seriously injured and 1 slightly injured. Machine losses: 5 completely destroyed, 5 in need of repair, 3 slightly damaged. The 6 claims in the deployment report were increased to 10 after interviewing all the pilots. Of course, the number of fatalities could not be determined.
It is probable that the machines of Divisional Headquarters and No. 1 Squadron also contributed to the destruction of the bombers claimed by the German air force, but in the circumstances described above their observation and claim were totally impossible."
György Pávai-Vajna: "It was an unequal battle. It took place in the airspace south-east of Lake Balaton. At around 10 a.m., I heard the division commander's order on the radio to assemble at 4,000 metres above Tihany. I reported that I had run out of fuel and ammunition. I was ordered to land and refuel.
I approached the airport. I put the flaps down when I felt and heard shells hit my plane. In my rear-view mirror, I saw four Lightnings lined up behind me, in an attack position that was extremely favourable for them. I knew that I would only have a chance of getting out of this situation by accelerating and turning as close to the ground as possible. I didn't have much choice. I retracted the flaps and went full throttle. At that moment, the second Lightning hit my plane. It hit something in the engine. My cabin filled with opaque smoke. I switched off the ignition, opened the cabin roof, but I could only see to the left. Below me was a dense forest. I almost skimmed the treetops. Suddenly I noticed a high-voltage power line across the direction of my flight. Instinctively, I turned the ignition back on and opened the throttle to gain a little extra speed and jump the wire. Miracle of miracles, the engine roared, belched smoke and the plane jumped the wires. I cut the engine again. The forest suddenly disappeared beneath my feet. I landed on a stubble at breakneck speed. After a short skid, my machine stopped. Flames shot out of the bonnet. I jumped off and started running to get as far away as possible in case of an explosion.
When the Lightning pilots saw that I was alive, they might decide to destroy me. I saw them flying straight at me. I threw myself to the ground and cowered. I couldn't take my eyes off the machine coming towards me. Shells were exploding all around me. I saw the pilot of the low-flying plane press the collimator to aim at me. I counted the shots out loud, almost unconsciously. The machine guns in the nose of the plane sparkled. Explosive shells rang out around me. The smell of thatch mingled with the smell of exploding shells. I could feel the dust and dirt whipping around in my nose and mouth. I was sweating.
I knew that one plane would follow another and that they would fall on me in a column. My survival instinct told me to run. I got up and wanted to keep running. Then I felt a sharp blow above my right eye. I don't remember if it hurt at the time or not. I just remember thinking that it was the end. I don't know how long I stayed in the dust. The attacks stopped. At the hospital, it turned out that there was nothing wrong with my eyes."
The result for the Hungarians: 4 P-38s, 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 shot down, compared with ten machines destroyed and five pilots killed. That's a lot... and once again, the Pumas couldn't really get anywhere near the bombers! But it's true that their snarling, daring interventions are beginning to annoy the USAAF, where they were mistaken for Germans. There is talk of "elite fighters" in the Hungarian sector, distinguished by white crosses on a black background...
Catch of the war
Bejlovar (southern Sava valley) - Today's massive strikes on neighbouring Hungary and the generous German sponsor are not doing the Ustashi any favours for a change. In fact, while the entire ZNDH bows its head once again to dodge the American attacks (they're going to the Magyar enemy, why bother them!), a flight of vengeful P-38s returns to the scene of the crime of the day before, to strafe anything that sticks out of the ground. Sky Pirates, hardly easy to camouflage - despite their best efforts! - is mercilessly set on fire. Although the surprisingly efficient Croatian flak still claims two twin-engined aircraft, the Ustasha air force loses the only heavy bomber it has had since its creation.
Schutzstaffel
Enthusiasm is the order of the day
Lines of the V. SS-GAK (Bosnia and Dalmatia) - Three days after the implementation of ReichsFührer-SS Himmler's brilliant idea, it is time for an initial assessment. Unsurprisingly, it's not a particularly good one! With the departure of its Croatians, the SS Handschar has lost much of the fighting potential it could have hoped to retain. The arrival of the Bosnians from the Kama didn't help matters; on the contrary, these second-rate recruits are in no way elite fighters - they are more like second-hand soldiers!
All in all, this exchange between two formations of very different quality and creation has done worse than lower the overall level of Desiderius Hampel's unit - it has significantly affected the morale of the veterans, given that the newcomers hide nothing of what they saw in Slavonia and the centre of the country - in Dalmatia, at least, we're a little safe!
Needless to say, the Kama, an "imperfect" unit from the outset, does not really benefit from the arrival of transplanted Croatian mercenaries, who are demotivated and have little desire to put down roots away from home? The unit commanded by Standartenführer Helmuth Raithel, still stationed in the Banja-Luka sector in Čelinac (Vrbanja valley), is modestly described as a "brigade in reformation". In other words, the SS command considers it unfit for combat.
Things are now clear - the SS feel at least as conscripted as the others. From this point of view, Himmler has succeeded! But as for the rest... it is predictable that desertions are not going to get any easier as time goes by. So much so that the idea of a real merger between Handschar and Kama is beginning to gain ground in the minds of some, if only to maintain a usable unit with a minimum of manpower...
* The Firefly 17-pounder is particularly fragile, due to its high recoil and the strong jolt inflicted with each shot.
** Blinded by the smoke from the Apolló Olajfinomító Művek's multiple burning tanks, the crews missed their target completely, but nevertheless reported destroying it. As a result, until the city was taken, the Allied staff would launch no further attacks against this refinery, convinced that it had been razed to the ground!
Balkan campaign
Operation Blockbuster
XIII Corps front (Drava valley, Hungary) - The left flank of the German position - essentially Joseph Irkens' 19. PanzerGrenadier Brandenburg - is able to rally. It now moves sharply towards Kaposvár, in order to prepare a new counter-attack on the Allied flank, more or less coordinated with the 1. Panzer.
But this cannot happen immediately. Firstly, because the unit, dangerously fragmented (but not routed!) during its retreat through the Zselic forests, no longer has any decisive offensive capability. Secondly, because it has to guard against the vanguards of the 6th Australian (Jack Stevens), which has of course followed the 19. PzGr along the road to Bőszénfa and is already coming up to press the German flank. This forces the Brandenburgers to practise an exercise in defending in a difficult environment... which turns out to be relatively easy, of course. But once again, it also costs men and time - two resources that the Axis really lacks! Finally, Irkens also has to maintain his link with the 199. ID (Walter Wissmath) to the east, towards Dombóvár. Neither want to find themselves enveloped and forced to retreat due north towards Lake Balaton... only to be wiped out on its shores.
In short, the attack from Kaposvár already seems doomed to failure due to the lack of available maneuvring mass. But we have to go for it...
It's time to go, because on the Kisbajom side, things are definitely not going well - which means they're going extremely badly. The 17th/21st Lancers (Lt-General Richard Amyatt Hull) and the 1st Australian Armoured (Horace Robertson), still reinforced by their extra platoons of Fireflies (which are beginning to tire, between exhaustion of ammunition and wear and tear on the cannons*), once again strike in open terrain, obviously targeting Nagybajom in the face of an increasingly weakened 1. Panzer (Walter Soeth) - although it remains valiant and issupported by a 100. Jäger (Willibald Utz) that fights with no sense of retreat. Particularly fierce and bloody fighting ensues, particularly at Kutas, Kisbajom, Nagybajom and throughout the surrounding woods. For the time being, the British are not getting through. This does not mean, however, that the same will happen tomorrow. In fact, the German line is becoming thinner by the hour, and the injunction to hold firm from almost the entire chain of command, right up to the Maybach bunker, does nothing to change that...
It's true, the German resistance is magnificent and tenacious - stupid and desperate too. But neither Utz nor Soeth can do anything about the cavalcade of the 10th Armoured on their right. The latter has given up trying to take Nagyatád completely - Horace L. Birks fears ambushes and left this urban contingency to the right wing of the 4th Indian (Arthur Holworthy). Similarly, he wastes no more time in the woods between Lábod and Kutas, facing a 181. ID (Hermann Fischer), which is on the verge of extinction, but which nonetheless tries to cover the flank of the 100. Jäger against the onslaught of the 51st Highland Infantry (Charles Bullen-Smith). No... Instead, Birks' tanks make another leap forward! They head for Berzence and then Iharosberény, avoiding the worst of the fighting west of Kaposvár via the Drava. It's true, this also means giving up on immediately hitting the German rear... but Monty is interested in taking Nagykanizsa, not in exterminating the Huns immediately. It would always be possible later to turn towards Keszthely, to triumph by closing a larger trap...
For the moment, the important thing is to pin the 173. ID (Heinrich von Behr) and the 907. StuG Abt (Hauptmann Friedrich von Lessen), who have reached Koprivnica and are undoubtedly preparing to cross the Drava towards Drnje. Finding Churchills on the riverbank in front of them should pose a few problems... In fact, by evening, the British armoured vehicles - hampered only by a few ambushes set up by mobile teams equipped with portable anti-tanks - have already lined the Drava and are approaching Iharosberény.
They would undoubtedly have entered the town by now if the leading group had not lost a great deal of time - along with a dozen vehicles and many men - to a strike by P-47s from 97th Squadron (8th Air Force). They were part of the day's (big) raid on Hungary and went down to enjoy themselves along the banks of the Drava, before unloading their projectiles on the first convoy that came along, without trying to find out who it was. Worse still - in the confusion, they also attracted a Marauder flight, which saw fit to join in the fun... Their excuse will be that these Englishmen moved so fast, for once! Too fast! Informed, Birks simply blurts out: "Bloody Yanks - I thought they were with the good guys!"
Aerial warfare
The American season
Allied air staffs - Another American strike on Magyar production lines. The days of the unfortunate kingdom are looking more and more like an interminable ordeal.
After the previous day's raids on the refineries in the Vienna region - the Ostmark-Werke in Gunstransdorf and the Apolló Olajfinomító Művek in Bratislava (the latter having produced... limited results**), 658 bombers in three waves head for the other facilities in Bratislava, its oil reserves and refining plants. Escort: 290 fighters. Faced with this armada, the Hungarian and German fighters once again throw down the gauntlet in a ferocious melee that impresses many. In fact, the Americans claim 70 victories! The reality, of course, is somewhat less impressive.
Intercepted by the 109s of JG.53 just north of Lake Balaton, the Mustangs of the 325th FG draw first blood by scattering the defenders, killing four of them without casualties. A second assault follows, reinforced by 190 Sturmböcks from JG.4 - it is then the Lightnings of the 82nd FG that step in and destroy eight of the heavy armoured fighters. But in so doing, they flank the JG.53 - three P-38s do not return.
JG.4 then intervenes as the Viermots approach Bratislava. It catches the bombers head-on - literally: a 109 slams into the nose of a Liberator. This action, combined with the intervention of some courageous Bf 110s from ZG.1, enable four B-24s to be destroyed over Slovakia; a dozen others are damaged, four of which crash on their return to Hungarian territory, near Magyargencs.
.........
The absence of the Red Pumas will come as a surprise. However, this morning, 28 Bf 109s from 101 vadászrepülő-ezred Miklós (colonel Heppes Aladár) also took off to take part in the festivities. They were led by their colonel in person. But the attack did not go according to plan.
Heppes Aladár recounts: "On June 16th, at 09:04, I left on a mission with 28 aircraft, climbing to 6,000-7,000 metres with the group. My first sighting was of a large number of 'scout fighters' flying in pairs, which meant that the enemy force was definitely aware of our presence and whereabouts. Having assigned Squadron to my left above us to provide cover against possible fighters, I gave the order to attack the main block, now clearly visible, a unit of bombers flying transversely below us. The mass of American fighters then attacked not only 3 Squadron but also 2 Squadron and forced them to fight.
I went on alone with 1 Squadron and opened fire as I fell towards the bombers and then, shortly after a big bang, the roof of my cabin flew off. The air suction caused by the high speed tore off my goggles and oxygen mask. The only thing holding me in the seat was my seatbelt and the fact that I was holding the handle with both hands. But my zinc was intact. Flying the plane in these conditions was of course very difficult, so while I had ammunition I pressed the fire buttons as I fell through the fin of a Liberator I could only vaguely see. Then I regained control of the plane and slowly brought it back down to ground level around Tihany, before reducing speed. I finally landed it at Veszprém airport, as far as I could steer it, stopping in front of the divisional headquarters as I came out.
I immediately boarded a spare plane and took off again a few minutes later! On the radio, I said "Assemble at Tihany, 4000 metres", and 12 machines finally showed up. Some of the planes were still fighting American fighters, but they were mainly on the backs of the bombers. Having received orders to refuel and ammunition, I brought this group back.
In the meantime, of course, my first plane had been inspected. The seat had taken a series of impacts and the whole of its side had been torn off (probably because of the cabin roof).
During this engagement, the unit lost 4 dead (one was killed while hanging from his parachute), 1 seriously injured and 1 slightly injured. Machine losses: 5 completely destroyed, 5 in need of repair, 3 slightly damaged. The 6 claims in the deployment report were increased to 10 after interviewing all the pilots. Of course, the number of fatalities could not be determined.
It is probable that the machines of Divisional Headquarters and No. 1 Squadron also contributed to the destruction of the bombers claimed by the German air force, but in the circumstances described above their observation and claim were totally impossible."
György Pávai-Vajna: "It was an unequal battle. It took place in the airspace south-east of Lake Balaton. At around 10 a.m., I heard the division commander's order on the radio to assemble at 4,000 metres above Tihany. I reported that I had run out of fuel and ammunition. I was ordered to land and refuel.
I approached the airport. I put the flaps down when I felt and heard shells hit my plane. In my rear-view mirror, I saw four Lightnings lined up behind me, in an attack position that was extremely favourable for them. I knew that I would only have a chance of getting out of this situation by accelerating and turning as close to the ground as possible. I didn't have much choice. I retracted the flaps and went full throttle. At that moment, the second Lightning hit my plane. It hit something in the engine. My cabin filled with opaque smoke. I switched off the ignition, opened the cabin roof, but I could only see to the left. Below me was a dense forest. I almost skimmed the treetops. Suddenly I noticed a high-voltage power line across the direction of my flight. Instinctively, I turned the ignition back on and opened the throttle to gain a little extra speed and jump the wire. Miracle of miracles, the engine roared, belched smoke and the plane jumped the wires. I cut the engine again. The forest suddenly disappeared beneath my feet. I landed on a stubble at breakneck speed. After a short skid, my machine stopped. Flames shot out of the bonnet. I jumped off and started running to get as far away as possible in case of an explosion.
When the Lightning pilots saw that I was alive, they might decide to destroy me. I saw them flying straight at me. I threw myself to the ground and cowered. I couldn't take my eyes off the machine coming towards me. Shells were exploding all around me. I saw the pilot of the low-flying plane press the collimator to aim at me. I counted the shots out loud, almost unconsciously. The machine guns in the nose of the plane sparkled. Explosive shells rang out around me. The smell of thatch mingled with the smell of exploding shells. I could feel the dust and dirt whipping around in my nose and mouth. I was sweating.
I knew that one plane would follow another and that they would fall on me in a column. My survival instinct told me to run. I got up and wanted to keep running. Then I felt a sharp blow above my right eye. I don't remember if it hurt at the time or not. I just remember thinking that it was the end. I don't know how long I stayed in the dust. The attacks stopped. At the hospital, it turned out that there was nothing wrong with my eyes."
The result for the Hungarians: 4 P-38s, 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 shot down, compared with ten machines destroyed and five pilots killed. That's a lot... and once again, the Pumas couldn't really get anywhere near the bombers! But it's true that their snarling, daring interventions are beginning to annoy the USAAF, where they were mistaken for Germans. There is talk of "elite fighters" in the Hungarian sector, distinguished by white crosses on a black background...
Catch of the war
Bejlovar (southern Sava valley) - Today's massive strikes on neighbouring Hungary and the generous German sponsor are not doing the Ustashi any favours for a change. In fact, while the entire ZNDH bows its head once again to dodge the American attacks (they're going to the Magyar enemy, why bother them!), a flight of vengeful P-38s returns to the scene of the crime of the day before, to strafe anything that sticks out of the ground. Sky Pirates, hardly easy to camouflage - despite their best efforts! - is mercilessly set on fire. Although the surprisingly efficient Croatian flak still claims two twin-engined aircraft, the Ustasha air force loses the only heavy bomber it has had since its creation.
Schutzstaffel
Enthusiasm is the order of the day
Lines of the V. SS-GAK (Bosnia and Dalmatia) - Three days after the implementation of ReichsFührer-SS Himmler's brilliant idea, it is time for an initial assessment. Unsurprisingly, it's not a particularly good one! With the departure of its Croatians, the SS Handschar has lost much of the fighting potential it could have hoped to retain. The arrival of the Bosnians from the Kama didn't help matters; on the contrary, these second-rate recruits are in no way elite fighters - they are more like second-hand soldiers!
All in all, this exchange between two formations of very different quality and creation has done worse than lower the overall level of Desiderius Hampel's unit - it has significantly affected the morale of the veterans, given that the newcomers hide nothing of what they saw in Slavonia and the centre of the country - in Dalmatia, at least, we're a little safe!
Needless to say, the Kama, an "imperfect" unit from the outset, does not really benefit from the arrival of transplanted Croatian mercenaries, who are demotivated and have little desire to put down roots away from home? The unit commanded by Standartenführer Helmuth Raithel, still stationed in the Banja-Luka sector in Čelinac (Vrbanja valley), is modestly described as a "brigade in reformation". In other words, the SS command considers it unfit for combat.
Things are now clear - the SS feel at least as conscripted as the others. From this point of view, Himmler has succeeded! But as for the rest... it is predictable that desertions are not going to get any easier as time goes by. So much so that the idea of a real merger between Handschar and Kama is beginning to gain ground in the minds of some, if only to maintain a usable unit with a minimum of manpower...
* The Firefly 17-pounder is particularly fragile, due to its high recoil and the strong jolt inflicted with each shot.
** Blinded by the smoke from the Apolló Olajfinomító Művek's multiple burning tanks, the crews missed their target completely, but nevertheless reported destroying it. As a result, until the city was taken, the Allied staff would launch no further attacks against this refinery, convinced that it had been razed to the ground!
