Air & Armor: Attack to Relieve a Pocket

Caught without warning and pummeled from the air, the commander of the 3rd Mechanized Division felt that he had lost the fight before it was even begun. By the end of the first day, half of his command was destroyed and the rest was completely surrounded. However, he still had enough troops and munitions to hold out for a while, maybe even a couple of days, if he was given time to fortify the city. VII Corps wouldn't hear of it. The 3rd Division was going to be rescued... somehow. Taking a great risk, the commander of the 4th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group voluntereed to rail his command up to Kitzingen. CENTAG approved, and the Canadians and West Germans railway workers labored desperately over the long night to get the brigade loaded up and routed over the badly-bombed rail net to Kitzingen. By dawn of D+1, the tank squadron had already disembarked and was probing towards Schweinfurt from the southeast. The rest of the brigade was still en route. Meanwhile, the two brigades of the 12th Panzer had regrouped and were preparing to break into the pocket from the southwest. Help was on the way, if the 3rd Mech could just hold out a bit longer.

D+1 0600: Elements from the two Soviet division begin their assault on Schweinfurt, supported by the 8th Guards artillery, they make short work of the defenders. Meanwhile, the West German 36th Brigade, fresh and equipped with Leopard 2s, smash into the remnants of the Soviet 57th Tank Regiment. A subsequent sally by most the remaining American tanks in Schweinfurt shatter the 57th. Nearby, the depleted West German 35th Brigade take on the fresh Divisional Tank Brigade from the Soviet 57th Division and after exchanging some losses, pushes them back.

D+1 0800: Block by block, Schweinfurt falls to the Soviets. The 8th Guards Army artillery provides devasting support fire to the Soviet regiments and the few remaining elements of the American 3rd Division are pushed back to the south of the city. The two West German brigades take on the 39th Tank Regiment and the Divisional Tank Battalion of the Soviet 39th Division. When the dust settles, the 39th Tank Regiment is no more. Finally, the remainder of the Canadian brigade arrives, ready to attack. Yet despite the string of successes by the relieving forces, the unspoken question remains: Are we too late?

D+1 1000: A renewed Soviet attack in Schweinfurt sees the American defenders holding on precariously on the south bank of the river Main. The exhausted West Germans, with some timely air support, manage to open the way to the city. Yet they now have to surmount entrenched Soviet infantry to reach the beleaguered Americans. With little hope of relief by the West Germans, it is up to the Canadians to mount a relief effort. Supported by American helicopters and all available artillery in the area, the infantry of the 4th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group goes on the attack. After some heavy fighting, they are less than two miles away from Schweinfurt. 

D+1 1200: After six hours of bloody fighting, the objective is in sight. A call is send for CF-18s to clear the way and the remaining Canadian infantry from 4CMBG breaks through to Schweinfurt.

Americans and Canadians hold a brief celebration until they are interrupted by the unrelenting artillery from the 8th Guards Army accompanied by a heavy attack of Soviet infantry. A hard battle ensues in the suburbs of Schweinfurt and the Canadians sell their lives dearly. While their sacrifice buys a bit more time to the relief force, in their overall weakened state it is a forgone conclusion that Schweinfurt will be lost. The Soviets too are near breaking point, but with Schweinfurt nearly taken, the rest of the 8th Guards Army is preparing to reinforce the offensive with the goal of a breakthrough. NATO must withdraw if they do not want a defeat to turn into a catastrophe.