Chapter 181 Chapter 29 The Last Counterattack (2)

By the end of September 1944, Hitler had lost three allies: Finland, Romania, and Bulgaria. There were further betrayals in October.Admiral Horthy of Hungary, without a navy—the titular ruler of a kingdom without a king—sent an emissary to Moscow to sue for peace.His fictitious independence ended earlier that year when the Nazis occupied Hungary—with Soviet troops less than 100 miles from the Hungarian capital.In Budapest, any secret is usually talked about loudly in cafés.Therefore, Hitler also knew the details of the negotiations.While Hungarian representatives were arguing meaninglessly for better terms in Moscow, Hitler sent his favorite commando captain, Otto Skorzeny, to Hungary to teach his leaders a lesson in order to secure cooperate.The code name for this operation is very suitable, it is called "Mickey Mouse".Skorzeny accomplished this with the least amount of bloodshed, and by means perhaps the most unimaginable in this war.He kidnaps Horthy's son Mickey—wrapped in a rug (an idea he picked up from Shaw's play "Caesar and Cleopatra")—and takes him to the airport.He then took a single battalion of paratroopers to take the castle where Horthy lived and ruled.It took only half an hour before and after, and the cost was 7 lives.

Six days later, Hitler greeted his commandos at Wolf's Lair with "Well done!"He told the Führer how he had kidnapped Horthy Jr., and Hitler listened with gusto.When Skorzeny got up to leave, Hitler kept him. "I want to give you a job, which is the most important in your life." He told him about the surprise attack on Ardennes.He said that Skorzeny would play a leading role in this campaign - training his men to pretend to be Americans, wear American military uniforms, use American vehicles, and operate behind the US military.They must seize the bridges over the Meuse, spread rumors, issue false orders, create confusion and panic.

At this point, Jodl presented Hitler with a counter-offensive plan of his own.It was originally code-named "Christ Rose", but later that morning, the Führer himself renamed it "Rhine Watcher" in order to deceive the spies.According to this plan, the German army needs to use the strength of 3 armies, plus 12 mechanized divisions and 18 infantry divisions. Watchers of the Rhine was based on two premises: a raid and a climate that would have prevented Allied aircraft from taking off.Its purpose was to force a breakthrough on a wide front, cross the Meuse the next day, and reach Antwerp on the seventh day.Not only could this campaign wipe out 30 American and British divisions, but it could also drive a huge wedge between the British and American armies—both psychologically and practically.The Allies would suffer a disastrous defeat and would have to sue separately.Then, the German army swung eastward to deal with the Red Army with all its strength.

For the sake of absolute secrecy, only a few people will be informed of the plan for this counter-offensive; command organizations at all levels will use different passwords, and they will be changed every two weeks; no telephone or telex will be used for matters related to this counter-offensive, each Such documents were to be delivered by officers sworn never to speak; Hitler said that only by taking these precautions would they be able to deceive the spies in his headquarters. The head of state ordered the general himself, and he ordered Model to command the counterattack.After reading the plan, Model couldn't help being dumbfounded. "The damn thing doesn't even have a leg!" he complained.Runsted shared his concerns, and had another plan.According to this plan, the scale of the counter-offensive was small, using only 20 divisions to launch an attack on a front as long as 40 miles. "Obviously, you don't remember Frederick the Great," Hitler quipped. "At Rothbach and Leuden he defeated an enemy twice as strong as himself." How?Attack bravely! ’ It’s still the same old saying: His generals lacked imagination for the ‘Great Solution’. ‘Why don’t you study history? "

He patiently explained how Frederick the Great took such a big risk.Then, he said, as if in reward for his bravery, there was a thunderbolt from the blue sky-an unforeseen historical event happened: the anti-Prussian alliance was suddenly torn apart.Thereafter, Frederick the Great, judged to be a failure by every expert in Europe, achieved the greatest victory in German history. "History will repeat itself," he said.His eyes blazed—the old Hitler, the Hitler of confidence and fantasy. "Ardennes will be my Rosbach and Leuden. Another unforeseen historical event will take place: the alliance against the Reich will fall apart in one fell swoop!"

Incidentally, his own alliance with Japan was of little value.Japan suffered another fiasco not long ago.MacArthur not only made a large-scale landing on Wright Island in the Philippines, but also caused Japan to lose 300,000 combat tonnage in the ensuing Great Battle of Wright Gulf: 4 aircraft carriers, 3 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, and 10 destroyers.Since then, the Japanese navy has been in a slump, playing little role in the senseless battle to defend the homeland.The Japanese troops in Manchuria were no longer a threat to Hitler's formidable enemy, the Red Army, because they were being transported in large numbers to fight the British.

On November 10, Hitler ordered preparations for the Battle of the Ardennes, and he made it clear that this was the last gamble, a battle of fight or death.The tone of this order provoked the commanders on the Western Front to protest in unison.Hitler had no choice but to leave the "wolf's lair" and go to the front to explain its purpose-even though he suddenly collapsed physically and mentally.His hoarseness intensified.The results of Professor Ecken's examination showed that he had a polyp on his left vocal cord.He was listless and irritable; visitors were shocked to see him so pale, half-lying in the spare cot.He disregarded Morel's orders, forced himself out of bed, and groped his way into the map room like an old man.Panting heavily, he sat down on the chair and wiped his eyebrows.In order for his body to be able to support him in the subsequent meetings, Dr. Morell had to give him repeated injections.

Before going to the Western Front, people advised him to take a rest before leaving, because according to his current state of health, the journey would be very difficult if there were no dangers.But Hitler insisted on going; he missed the front and had to go and encourage the generals who were leading the campaign. On November 20, he took his entourage and boarded the train.He must have known that this was the last time he'd see Wolf's Lair, but he kept the builders going with the illusion of coming back.Because Hitler wanted to reach Berlin after dark, his train did not leave until dawn.All the curtains of Hitler's box were drawn down.At lunch, he joins everyone in the dining car.Traudl had never seen the Führer so downcast, so absent-minded. "His voice was soft and small; his eyes were fixed either on the plate or on a point on the white tablecloth. The atmosphere was so gloomy that it gave everyone a sense of foreboding."

Hitler cut to the chase by announcing that Professor van Eiken would operate on his throat for the second time.There was no danger, he said—as if to reassure himself. "It's very possible, though, that I'll speak without a voice and..." But he didn't finish the sentence.For the next few days, he was isolated from the world.His close staff only knew that Professor Ecken had removed a polyp the size of a small grain of rice.One day he unexpectedly came to breakfast; evidently he was looking for company.Everyone put out their cigarettes; the windows were opened to let in the fresh air.He could only speak in a low voice.It was a doctor's order, he said.For a moment, everyone unconsciously imitated his voice. "My ears are fine, there is no need to forgive them," he murmured.Everyone laughed—not so much at the joke as at the Führer's recovery.

Hitler's entourage marveled at the fortitude with which he returned to work.He threw himself into the Ardennes counteroffensive that would change the course of the war. On December 7, he approved the final battle plan.The plan was almost identical to one he had previously proposed.For the sake of secrecy, the radio stations deliberately sent coded telegrams to false headquarters, false telegrams to real headquarters, and real telegrams to headquarters 100 miles away from the much-publicized headquarters.In the lower levels, in beer halls, restaurants, etc., they deliberately spread rumors, deliberately to make the intelligence agents of the allies listen.

At this time, the power in his hands far exceeds that of the lieutenant or even the general Otto.Schkorzeny, the "American School" he opened has expired.Although he has never been to the United States, his volunteer army has learned very well.The school's curriculum includes: American slang, customs, folklore, and how to pretend to be a GI and spread panic behind enemy lines.By December 11, the organizational work was basically ready.The German railways performed a transportation miracle, transporting the first troops to the "counterattack zone" without being detected by the enemy.Early that morning, Hitler moved his headquarters to the medieval Zeckenberg Castle.This is the "Eagle's Nest", which was his headquarters when he invaded the West in 1940; now, he and his entourage have to live deep in the underground shelter. Later that day, he met with about half of the division commanders; the rest would come the next day.After the arrival of the first generals and their entourage, the Gestapo confiscated their pistols and suitcases.Everyone will swear on their lives that they will not say a word about what they are about to hear.No one knew why they had been called; all they knew was that every division had been going around in circles for the past few weeks. The meeting was held in a large room underground.The Führer sat behind a narrow table, with Keitel and Yoddle on the left and right.Opposite were Lunstedt, Model, and Lieutenant General Hasso von Mantefil—who would command the strongest of the three armies.He was a descendant of a famous Prussian family of generals; an excellent knight and a German pentathlon champion.Standing over five feet tall, tough and energetic, he was one of the few men who dared to take on Hitler openly. Hitler talked about Frederick the Great, German history and National Socialism to more than 60 military officers present for more than an hour.His voice was emphatic and his eyes flashed with excitement when he spoke of the political motives for launching a general counteroffensive.Then, he explained "Autumn Mist" - the final code name of the campaign - in detail.The campaign will start at 5:30 am on December 15th.The generals of the various divisions listened with trepidation, not only excited about this huge plan, but also excited about the energy and good health of the Führer.However, Mantefil, who was so close that he could almost touch him, could see it clearly.He was actually "depressed, with a very unhealthy complexion, his appearance sunken, his hands trembling; The body seemed to grow older—he was an old man."Mantefil also saw that the Führer secretly put his hands under the table, using one hand to turn the other hand which was almost completely lame. Of course, those sitting on the periphery couldn't see all of this, and were quite excited from beginning to end.At the end of the meeting, the Führer announced loudly: "This battle must be fought brutally, and any resistance must be crushed! At the critical moment of the motherland, I ask every soldier to be brave and brave. The enemy must be defeated-the opportunity must not be missed, The time has come! This is how Germany must survive!" The next day, December 12, another group of generals heard the same instruction.There was only one difference: the counter-offensive was postponed again (as in 1940). "Day Zero" was postponed to December 16.Hitler said that day has not changed.The so-called unchanged means that the weather was so bad that the Allied planes could not take off.