Chapter 35: Strike with Force

After receiving emergency treatment from Chief Military Doctor Berwald Ftagen of the "Führer Guard Banner Team," the unfortunate Waffen-SS General Josef Dietrich finally regained consciousness. If the attacker's grenade had been thrown half a meter closer, he would likely have become the highest-ranking German officer killed in action since the war began!

Despite narrowly escaping death, the Waffen-SS general's injuries were still grave. Numerous grenade fragments had embedded into his body, particularly threatening the left femoral artery. The military doctor judged that if the shrapnel inside him was not removed promptly, the injuries were likely to worsen.

Thinking quickly, Logan ordered officers to transport Dietrich to a field hospital located south of Newport Airport using a half-track armored vehicle. By afternoon, two Junkers Ju-52s had brought relatively complete surgical equipment and experienced field medics, making it feasible to address general trauma. Considering the risks of nighttime flights and the prolonged transport time by submarine, stabilizing Dietrich's condition was the best option for now. He would be transported to a rear hospital with better medical facilities by air or sea once daylight arrived.

Before departing, Dietrich entrusted full command of the troops, especially the Chief of Staff of the Guard Banner Team, Colonel Kyle Sorent, to Logan.

"The Führer said that every soldier landing on White Island is under the command of Colonel Hans Logan!"

Although somewhat nauseating to hear, Logan still solemnly saluted Dietrich. The strength of the German airborne troops was undeniable. With the mass deployment of "Iron Fist," their ground combat capabilities had significantly improved. However, the current battlefield was no longer one where individual qualities and personal will alone could dominate. The battles in Poland, the Low Countries, and France had already demonstrated the immense advantage of armored formations against infantry!

The British assault lasted only about ten minutes, and as the German soldiers cleared the battlefield, the counterattack around Wootton Harbor began as scheduled. Combining the Special Parachute Regiment and elements of the Führer Guard Banner Team, Logan began to strategize with unprecedented confidence!

Until the start of the counterattack, Lieutenant Jansen and his unit had successfully completed their decoy mission. Over a thousand British infantrymen launched a fierce assault around Wootton Harbor, equipped with mortars and small-caliber infantry guns. Facing an enemy with double their strength and naval artillery support, German officers and soldiers, relying on the few remaining buildings in the harbor, put up extremely stubborn resistance. The MG34 machine guns and Panzerfaust anti-tank rocket launchers continued to display their prowess, while the Waffen-SS deployed several 80mm heavy mortars carried by SdKfz 251 half-track armored vehicles, effectively suppressing enemy fire.

Next, the "Left Hook" of this counterattack was formed by the 1st Armored Battalion, 1st and 3rd Infantry Battalions of the 1st Führer Guard Banner Team. They possessed over 80 armored vehicles and more than 1,600 mechanized infantry. As the Führer Guard Banner Team was in the process of being upgraded from a regiment to a brigade, the size of its infantry battalion even exceeded that of a typical reinforced company, almost reaching a "quasi-battalion" level.

Under the command of Major (Lieutenant Colonel) William von Friedrich, this well-equipped Waffen-SS unit bypassed the west of Wootton Harbor, advancing north along the road until they suddenly cut off the British route about a kilometer from the Woodside beachhead. With a swift turn, they enveloped the British troops invading the harbor. Subsequently, Major Friedrich left behind a platoon to construct defensive positions and deployed some armored vehicles and infantry guns towed by trucks. The main force then swiftly turned back and charged into Wootton Harbor. In the urban warfare, the Waffen-SS soldiers swept through the streets in platoon formations, engaging in fierce battles with large numbers of British infantry at two street intersections north of the harbor. With the formidable firepower, especially the strong combat capabilities of the Panzer IV and III tanks, the main force quickly overwhelmed the British, turning the battle into a one-sided clearance operation in the neighborhood...

The "Right Hook" of this counterattack was similarly strong, comprising the 3rd Armored Battalion, 1st and 2nd Infantry Battalions of the 1st Führer Guard Banner Team, and the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the 3rd Führer Guard Banner Team. Equipped with 19 tanks, 59 armored vehicles, and nearly 1,700 infantrymen, under the full command of Major (Lieutenant Colonel) Dieter von Kensal, this elite combat cluster launched an attack toward the Fishbourne coast, where the British initially landed. The sharp armored spearhead pierced through fields, villages, and roads at astonishing speed, breaking through the two outer defensive lines set up by the British within half an hour. The solid silhouette of Panzer IV tanks appeared on the flank of the British marching column. Under the intense barrage of German tank guns and machine guns, hundreds of British infantrymen retreated chaotically towards the beachhead. However, the German forces had no intention of advancing to the coast. When the infantry caught up, the battle-hardened combat cluster made a sharp turn, completely blocking the retreat route of the British landing forces to the east of Wootton Harbor!

As the two heavy blows struck the British forces landing in the Wootton area, Logan was quietly moving his command post to a inconspicuous British village about 2 kilometers southwest of Newport Airport. Since the British command likely already knew the "secret" of the countryside villa, continuing to stay there would be extremely unwise!

Shortly after the headquarters was attacked, news came from the direction of Yarmouth Harbour of small British units infiltrating and attacking: German guard posts deployed near the coast were frequently attacked, and the defensive positions constructed by the Germans around Yarmouth were also infiltrated. Some firing points and supply depots were destroyed, and the temporary telephone lines were cut into pieces. Moreover, judging from the excellent equipment and high morale of these British soldiers, they were clearly not like the daytime British garrison troops.

Seeing the situation worsening, Logan quickly dispatched a Waffen-SS company equipped with Panzer III tanks and half-track armored personnel carriers from Newport Harbour to reinforce Yarmouth. However, this unit ran into trouble before reaching Yarmouth: the leading Panzer III tank had its tracks blown off by a landmine, and the ambushers swiftly withdrew after a volley of random gunfire, leaving the unprepared Waffen-SS soldiers in a dilemma!

Now it was Logan's turn to feel frustrated. The British had always excelled in special operations, and influenced by the "Night of the Thirty-Two Casemates" and the "Calvert Point Massacre," this time they demonstrated their cunning and ferocity. White Island was only a few kilometers from mainland Britain after all. While the mass landing of regular forces was constrained by factors such as maritime transport, weather, and enemy bombardment, small units of troops could simply take two boats and land on a remote coast! What's more, the German officers and soldiers, numbering less than ten thousand and transported by air and sea, could only control all the villages and ports on the island in a scattered manner. However, rapid mobilization relied on the island's transportation network. If the British small units happily

 engaged in guerrilla warfare, constantly destroying various transportation facilities on the island, and coordinated with the landing actions of the British main forces at several important locations, Logan and his troops would soon be in a passive situation. For now, the only solution was to strengthen the night vigilance of all units and launch sweeping operations with the advantage of armored forces after dawn...

The relocation of the headquarters took about 5 kilometers in total, which would take only fifteen to twenty minutes at the normal speed of the convoy. Logan did not choose the crowded SdKfz 14 armored communication vehicle but instead sat in the back of a half-track armored personnel carrier with Dorine, her aunt, and her cousins. Since the British command likely already knew the "secret" of the countryside villa, to avoid accidents, Logan had to continue "humane" protection of the previously detained British civilians.

"The smell of German cigarettes is really unpleasant! It's terrible! Dorine, are you really going to live with such a heavy smoker?"

The quick-witted "Aunt Susan," rivaling the MG34 in sharpness, evidently gleaned everything that had previously occurred from Dorine's demeanor and words. Her initial reaction was probably to tear Logan into pieces, but seeing the formidable German soldiers around her armed to the teeth, she ultimately chose the more prudent path of verbal reproach. Later, observing Logan's unflappable expression resembling that of a dead pig not fearing boiling water, she couldn't help but occasionally resort to sarcasm and ridicule.

Dorine, now back in her long, flowing skirt and wearing a small hat, sneakily glanced at Logan, then continued to bow her head in silence.

Aunt Susan's plump daughter hastily seized the conversation, "Oh, actually, Germany isn't so bad! If you could live in a big city like Berlin, it's not much different from London, really. It's the countryside you should avoid... They say German villagers are quite reckless and dull-witted!"

"Yes, yes! Did you ask him where he's from, and where he plans to settle after the war? And, and, how much does he earn? Will it be enough to buy a small farm after retirement?" Her voice, delicate enough to send shivers down one's spine, spoke rapidly. Thanks to his terror-filled listening lessons back in high school, Logan managed to decipher her meaning. Clearing his throat, he replied irritably, "Who knows, maybe I'll be the governor of the occupying forces here on White Island in the future, and then I'll make British laborers build a grand estate in the most scenic spot on the island?"

The three women exchanged glances, while Dorine remained conflicted, offering no clear response.

"Are you planning on occupying White Island long-term?" Aunt Susan exclaimed indignantly. "This is ground even the Romans couldn't hold onto. I bet as soon as the war ends, you'll retreat back to the European mainland!"

"They might not last a few months!" ventured the delicate voice, bravely.

"Time will tell!" Although not entirely pleased, from the attitudes of these three British women, Logan could still sense the difference in war cultures between the East and the West. While European countries' wars weren't as purely "chivalrous" or "gentlemanly" as some claimed, it was rare for adversaries on the battlefield to become outright enemies off it. Even under the duress of war, there were instances of surprising love stories blossoming amidst the chaos—soldiers and civilians, nurses and wounded soldiers, or other unlikely pairings. Historically, those French women involved with German officers, though labeled as "traitors" or "debauched women," surely some of them sacrificed themselves for love?

Once the women fell silent, the whole world seemed to quiet down. At that moment, Logan earnestly pondered his relationship with Dorine: many wartime romances often turned into romantic but futile love affairs. If he were to just up and leave, these British women surely wouldn't be able to stop him. However, it was evident that Dorine had genuinely invested her emotions in him. They said a young girl's first love was the purest, and he was her first man. Such an encounter, decades later, would be truly rare and precious!

Moreover, the union of a German officer and an English lady could potentially serve as a reconciliatory opportunity for both sides after the brutal conflict.

After some consideration, Logan decided to wait until the situation on the battlefield calmed down before sending Dorine and these three gossipy British women to France.

Just as he made up his mind, the wheeled armored communication vehicle ahead stopped by the roadside. Stephenberg agilely jumped out and waved vigorously, signaling for the driver of their vehicle to pull over. Once that was accomplished, he quickly climbed aboard and reported to Logan, "The battle in Wootton Harbor is essentially over, with a large number of British soldiers killed or captured. The counterattack forces estimate they'll be able to withdraw from the battlefield in about ten minutes! Additionally, the radar station in Seeburg has detected a massive formation of British aircraft gathering north of Portsmouth!"

While the vehicle was still in motion, the noise of the engine and tracks masked some less discernible sounds. Now, Logan perked up his ears and could faintly hear the distinct hum of the aircraft formation!

During the planning stages of Operation "Stronghold," Logan and his staff had speculated that the Royal Air Force would take advantage of the night, when German fighter planes couldn't effectively intercept, to bomb German-held targets on White Island—although the darkness would significantly affect bombing accuracy, White Island was still very close to the British mainland, and experienced RAF pilots could probably locate their targets even with their eyes closed!

Despite being mentally prepared, Logan sternly ordered, "Alert the garrison at Newport Airport and the anti-aircraft units to enter combat readiness. Oh, and also at Portsmouth Harbor, it's likely to be another bombing target! Trent, send out clear, coded messages immediately, and have all units raise their vigilance!"

Finally, as Logan surveyed the long line of vehicles stretching ahead and behind on this road, totaling at least thirty or forty, he ordered the convoy to halt its advance and disperse into the fields to evade air raids—should they continue forward, they'd be sitting ducks for the British fighter planes and light bombers to vent their frustrations on!