Chapter 170: The First Panzer Corps

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In the busy office of the 1st Panzer Division, several radio operators were occupied at their machines, while to the side, Guderian was reviewing several important intelligence reports.

His adjutant walked over and handed him a document bearing the seal of the Wehrmacht High Command. Strangely, it also had the mark of a blue seal from the SS High Command. “General Guderian! News just came in! The Führer has ordered the formation of the 1st Panzer Corps, with you, General, as its commander. The newly formed 3rd SS Panzer Division is now under your command. Here is the document.”

“Faehlich’s unit?” Guderian frowned and glanced at his adjutant. “I’ve raised this issue with General von Brauchitsch. It is an unwise choice to give the newest Panther tanks to a newly formed panzer division, especially since this unit lacks training.”

“But we have absolute loyalty to the Führer, General,” a middle-aged man said from the doorway. He walked up to Guderian, stood at attention, and saluted. “Heil Führer! Good evening, Commander! SS-Major General Faehlich reporting to you.”

“Heil Führer,” Guderian returned the salute. “I meant nothing else by my words. Your army lacks training, and more than half of your men are new recruits. I believe it is very dangerous to send them into battle now.”

“The Führer has his own arrangements, General,” Faehlich replied solemnly. “He has prepared the ‘Wolf Riders’ for the SS. These soldiers can complete their missions under the most chaotic conditions! My division fears no sacrifice. Please give the most important mission to me.”

Guderian had also heard a little about the Wolf Riders. It was a joint training program between Germany and the Soviet Union. The soldiers trained there were said to have been forged in real combat and were extremely formidable.

Guderian sighed. “Since the Führer has already made his decision, I will trust and support all of the Führer’s decisions.”

He walked over to the sand table and pointed to a small village on the edge of a forest. “This morning, this area was assigned to my division for capture. At that time, I didn’t have enough troops and thought it was a mistake from Army Group. Now I know the reason.”

Faehlich followed Guderian to the sand table and looked at it seriously.

Guderian drew a circle around the village with his hand. “Once the war begins, your division must attack and take this place. Scouts have discovered a Polish infantry regiment in this vicinity. They are well-equipped and have some tanks.”

“My division is only to attack and take this place?” Faehlich asked, staring at the small village on the sand table, his tone seemingly a bit disdainful.

Guderian pursed his lips while Faehlich was not looking up. He really wanted to curse, Are you an idiot? Would I send an entire division to attack a village? It’s a village, not Warsaw! This Faehlich was clearly a political appointee from the SS. His loyalty to the Führer was probably very high, but when it came to combat, he could only be a fool.

But there was nothing to be done. In order to have troops to defend the western border while attacking Poland, the police and SS units had all been expanded, not to mention the Wehrmacht. Just last week, the Führer had personally promoted four corps commanders and seventeen division commanders. Many people he had never even heard of before were now commanders of a unit.

The consequences of the rapid military expansion were beginning to show. Many units lacked equipment and training. Although the Wehrmacht had a solid foundation, now only a third of the soldiers in a platoon could be called elite. Of course, even so, the combat effectiveness of the Wehrmacht was still the highest of this era, without exception.

“General Faehlich! This village is just a starting point. Your division is responsible for attacking the small town behind this village, then pushing south into this small plain to cover the river crossing of the 44th Infantry Division on your flank and encircle the enemy.”

“Is there a time requirement?” Faehlich asked a question he thought was very professional. “After our army enters the plain, are we to hold our position there?”

Guderian pointed to the areas around the small plain. “According to our intelligence, there are a large number of Polish cavalry in this vicinity. I need you to hold the position. Of course, if you complete these combat objectives, you can continue to attack. As for where to attack—to a position that is off this sand table!”

“Understood! The SS will definitely complete the mission,” Faehlich said, standing at attention.

By conventional standards, Faehlich was indeed not a good frontline commander. He had been a logistics major in the First World War and had never led soldiers. Later, due to the downsizing of the Wehrmacht, he retired and went home. However, with nothing to do at home, he joined the Greater German Party, became a member of the SS, and embarked on a path of rapid advancement.

There were very few senior officers from the Wehrmacht in the SS, and it was rare to find a true commander. Thus, Faehlich, a major from World War I, became a sought-after talent and was appointed commander of the 3rd SS Infantry Division, which had now been upgraded to the 3rd SS Panzer Division.

However, it would be a great mistake to say that this man had no abilities at all. Because he had been an officer in the logistics department, he was very familiar with German military logistics and placed great importance on equipment replenishment and troop provisions. The fact that the 3rd SS Panzer Division was able to obtain sufficient supplies and new tanks was the result of this division commander’s efforts running around.

At that moment, the adjutant walked over, holding a document. With a solemn expression, he handed it to Guderian. “Corps Commander, news just came in! Forty-five minutes ago, the Führer declared all-out war on Poland!”

“Why are we only getting the news now?” Guderian snatched the telegram and read it carefully.

“The Foreign Ministry first delivered the formal declaration of war to Poland. The High Command verified the news. This document was sent out from the Führer’s office later, so it’s almost an hour later than the declaration of war,” the adjutant explained.

Guderian frowned, pressing the document in his hand onto the wooden edge of the sand table. “Is this a joke? A whole hour late! What if the Poles had attacked first? What time is it now, and they’re still dawdling like this?”

“Call the air force! Have them send out reconnaissance planes!” Guderian said to his adjutant. “I want intelligence on the Poles’ movements.”

“I’m afraid it’s too late, General,” an air force liaison officer said, walking over from the radio sets. “The air force took off for battle 37 minutes ago. Three hundred bombers, escorted by 170 fighters, are bombing their designated military targets. They have requested that army reconnaissance planes do not take off to avoid friendly fire.”

“My God!” Guderian sighed. “We prepared this offensive plan for half a year, and these idiots have messed it all up in thirty minutes!”

“Send a notice to all units we can contact! The entire army is to attack at once!” Guderian commanded loudly. “General Faehlich, you return to your division headquarters. The attack begins immediately! Attack the enemy positions according to the pre-arranged plan! Immediately!”

“Yes, General!” Faehlich saluted, then turned and left. Guderian’s command post was in a state of chaos.

At the same moment, the Führer’s Residence was also in chaos. Countless phone calls were flooding the Führer’s office, and telegrams were arriving one after another.

“Secretary Cindra! A call for the Führer! It’s from Army Group A command. General von Rundstedt is asking if the declaration of war he received is real… Understood!” a secretary rushed out.

“A call from General von Brauchitsch. He says the air force attacked Poland prematurely, and the entire plan has been disrupted! He requests that the Führer immediately question Kesselring about what is going on with his air force,” another secretary reported loudly.

“A call from the Turkish ambassador! They are asking if the news of our declaration of war on Poland is true.”

“Get me Army Group D command,” Akado said, pacing anxiously in his room. “Ask General Model! When on earth can his troops begin their attack?”

“My Führer, a call just came from Army Group D. They have begun their attack. General Guderian’s 1st Panzer Corps has crossed the German-Polish border and is advancing toward its designated target,” Cindra said, timely delivering the news the Führer most wanted to hear.

“How are things in Prussia?” Akado asked again.

“Army Group K in Prussia has also begun its attack. They are mainly an infantry force, so their advance will not be too fast. Here is their telegram,” a German liaison officer said, walking in behind Cindra and placing a telegram on Akado’s desk.

“This is just outrageous!” Akado said, somewhat annoyed. “I should have been at the Wehrmacht High Command half an hour ago! And now I’m still sitting behind my own desk looking at a pile of half-hour-old reports.”

Even the meticulous and efficient German command system was in such chaos in the hour before the war began, to say nothing of the commanders on the Polish side. At this moment, they could only know one thing: their troops were under attack, and reports were coming in from most areas that they were under fierce attack by the German Air Force.

“Hello? Hello? Speak more clearly! Where did the German planes bomb? Where? The airfield was attacked? Were the losses heavy?” a Polish general asked his panicked subordinate on the other end of the phone, annoyed. “Call all the airfields you can contact! Scramble all fighter planes to engage the enemy!”

“Report, sir! A call from the army group’s direct airfield. German bombers have destroyed the airfield. Ninety-seven aircraft of various types have been destroyed. The airfield is unable to scramble fighters to engage,” an adjutant reported loudly.

“What about the border? Order the border troops to counter-attack immediately!” the Polish general commanded loudly.

“Yes, sir!” the adjutant replied with a salute.

And at this very moment, the 3rd SS Panzer Division was still advancing on the road to the Polish border, completely unaware that the Polish army was massing, preparing to launch a counter-attack against them.