WesWorld

Quoted

confurred

should be "conferred".

Ah, going for the pocket, eh?

October 25th, 1935: The 1st AED goes to War

At dawn on the 25th, the wet weather, that had made the night and proceeding day thoroughly miserable for all involved, continued unabaited. Air units of the disposal of the Fliegerfuehrer Lituanen were frustratingly grounded due to a combination of heavy rains, and thick icy fogs. Several of the improvised relay fields set up between Vilnius and Vaskes were flooded out, and rendered unuseable. Weather forcasts indicated a break, but it would be a brief window, if and when it occured.

Lieutenant-General Raoul Daufresne de la Chevalerie, was appraised of this unpleasant development, but took some consolation in the fact that the bad weather could be used as a shield for the troop movements of the I and II LoN Field Corps. Although the troops concerned would have regarded that as a very mixed point, as the vile weather also seriously hampered even their most routine troop movements. At last minute conference requested by his field commander, Daskalov, Patreaus and Fabius successfully convinced, Daufresne de la Chevalerie, that a delay to wait for better weather was not warrented. The Wilno Army of the Northeast had been badly shaken in it's first encounter with the 5th Bulgarian Infantry Division, and it was essential to capitalize upon that before, the Wilno field battalions had a chance to regain their balance and re-fortify their positions.

Major-General Theodosi Petrov Daskalov was surprisingly keen after the rather unexpected mauling his lead regiment had taken in it efforts of the 24th, to take the lead in the re-newed attack. This may have had something to do with maintaining his military reputation and that of his division, which was considered the elite of the Bulgarian Army. Although this effort would not be the hurried, slapdash affair, that an excess of unjustified professional contempt and undue optimism which had infected the 5th Division's commander and staff had been the division's previous effort. This attack would be by the book, utilizing all the divisional assets in a concerted effort to break the western ramparts of the Wilno Army's position.

The 13th Grenadiers Regiment had consolidated their hold on the Crooked J Redoubt and stood, while the battalions of the 14th Grenadier Regiment had firmly established themselves in the hole in the western trench lines caused by the 13th Grenadiers initial attack. The 15th Grenadier Regiment, stood in reserve, ready to exploit any tactical results gained byt the 13th and 14th Grenadiers. The 20th Artillery Regiment had carefully redeployed it's component batteries to better support the two lead regiments with on-call artillery fire, communications with the regimental and battalion headquarters had been firmed up, and numerous field telephone lines had been laid down to assure accurate and swift fire-requests and targetting. Equal care was taken with the divisional, regimental and battalion radio networks.

The 1st Bulgarian Artillery Regiment was tasked with a different assignment. The complete destruction of the remaining elements of the 1st Army Reserve Artillery Battalion with massed counter-battery fire from its 105-mm and 149-mm equiped batteries. fire team observers were to be deployed with the lead attacking elements of the grenadiers, to assure that the counter-battery fire was both accurate and timely. The artillery observers were also tasked to guide fire onto any Wilno fortified strong point that threatened to offer resistence to the Bulgarian advance.

Much to Daskalov's chagrin, and not a few of his staff's, Lt.General Daufresne de le Chevalerie decided that the inital attack would not be conducted from the obvious starting point of the twin lodgements gained by Daskalov's grenadiers and artillery. The honour of the first attack would go to the regiments of the 1st Atlantean Expeditionary Division.

Major-General Arikus Patreaus, had spent a rather wet and muddy night preparing his troops. Patreaus had literally rammed his men, support guns and tanks up mud gutted roads at a murderous pace to get into position on time. After only the briefest of rests, his four regiments and single tank battalion were as ready as they would ever be to go into action. Standing in the rain, the Atlanteans of the 1st Corsair Regiment, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Special Purpose Infantry Regiments, and the 14th Tank Battalion, waited patiently for the order to go forward. Screened by the morning darkness, heavy rain and forest, the soldiers of the Wilno 3rd Field Battalion opposite them hunkered down in their trenches trying to avoid the worst of the weather.

Maj.General Peter Radowski, the 3rd's commander prowled his defensive lines, with a growing anxiety. He'd not been involved in the fighting that had engulfed the 1st and 4th Field Battalions, but had taken the time to discuss the situation during the night with both Witold Haller and Sidor Malecka, both officers were convinced that the next attack would come in the sector of the 1st Field Battalion. Lt.General Bartold Jasunski tended to agree with this assessment it made sense, to strike the Wilno Army were it had already been mauled before. Radowski however disagreed, it was too obvious a move. Sporadic reports from his pickets indicated the movement to the south of his lines, of men and vehicles in strength. Radowski did not realize that this was the movement of the Atlanteans, screening the movement of the Nordmark armoured troops. If Radowski had realized that both an infantry and an armoured division stood within a few miles of him, he could have been forgiven for panicking.

Maj.General Radowski, hoped that his worries were false, but could not shake the feeling that a heavy blow would at some point fall upon his thinly stretched battalion. Maj.General Arikus Patreaus watched the hands slowly move on his watch, the moment was comming. The Atlantean divsional commander had decided to forgo any artillery bombardment prior to his attack, although the assistance of the 1st Bulgarian Artillery Regiment had been freely offered to him. Patreaus felt it was vital to make use of the element of surprise occassioned by the weather, and screening forestry. A barrage while it would disrupt the Wilno line, would also alert them an attack was coming. Two thirds of the 1st Corsairs were formed into storming parties which would lead the Atlantean assault, with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Special Purpose regiments following close behind. The 14th Tank Battalion was held in reserve with the remained of the uncommitted Corsair assault units, for a massed armoured attack deep into the Wilno position, once the front line had been pierced.

The watch hands ticked by, drops of rain spattered the glass cover of the watch face. The pocket watch suddenly chimmed, 8:00 AM. The morning skies were pitched black, the steady drumming of falling rain drowned all sound. The watch snapped shut with a click, Maj.General Patreaus nodded to his nearest aide. The 1st Atlantean Expeditionary Division was going to war. The silently crouching Corsair assault platoons rose as one man, and began to stride briskly forward, as fast as the tree covered terrain and heavy mud allowed. As soon as the assault units had gained a certain distance, the men of the special purpose regiments started forward in support, the sub-sonic growl of tank engines sounded at first faintly then with growing power behind them.

The men of the Wilno 3rd Field Battalion, jerked in surprise in their dug-outs, fox-holes and slit trenches as figures emerged unexpected from the swirling fogs that clung to the trees. The Corsairs, using fire and movement tactics, sprinted forward once they broke the cover of the trees, they had some three-hundred feet of relatively open ground to cross. Whistles shrilled in the Wilno trenches, soldiers dropped food, cards, books, or rolled out of bedrolls and frantically manned their positions. A wild fire-fight erupted between the Wilno lines and the advancing Atlanteans. Thunder and lightning backlighted the conflict, as the two sides traded volleys. Wilno heavy machineguns in weapons pits snarled to life, to be answered with light machineguns, rifles and grenades. Atlantean infantry mortars went into action behind the assault, coughing round after round into the Wilno entrenchments.

Maj.General Radowski rushed up to the front line from his command post to try and gauge what was going on. In the morning dark, mist and rain, he found it extremely difficult to grasp the tactical situation in a single glance. Radowski knew for certain that his field battalion was in trouble, however. His men were responding sluggishly and with less co-ordination then he'd have liked to the unexpected attack. The realization that their foes were Atlanteans rather then the expected Bulgarians was an unsettling and ominous development. Patreaus watched his attack develop, the Corsairs's leading units were making progress, they had cleared the open ground and some elements were already fighting their way through the abatis, that fronted the Wilno Army's field works. Patreaus cursed his lack of organic divisional artillery, the infantry mortar teams were doing their best, but were no substitute for geninue field guns.

Maj.General Patreaus had considered using the armoured vehicles of the 14th Tank Battalion as improvised infantry support artillery, but had decided against it. Despite optmistic reports from the 5th Bulgarian Division's artillerists, Patreaus and his staff were not at all convinced that all the Wilno artillery had been wiped out or neutralized the previous day. The fact that the Bulgarian 1st Artillery was still detailed to counter-battery fire, warned him to expect trouble in that regard. Patreaus had no intention of losing at the moment irreplaceable tanks to surprise artillery fire from concealed guns. Once Patreaus had a better grasp of the Wilno positions, then he'd commit the armour to action. The 1st Atlantean Expeditionary Division was not going to repeat the mistake of the Bulgars and go in piece meal, with an unclear idea of what it was facing. Patreaus had enough force to destroy the Wilno 3rd Field Battalion and was determined to do just that.

Thirty minutes into the Atlantean attack, Radowski realized that his battalion was on the verge of breaking. He'd imformed Jasunski of the situation, but few reinforcements were immediately available. The 1st and 4th Field Battalions were committed to holding the western side of the defensive box, while the 2nd Field Battalion and 9th/10th NSD Wing, held the northern and eastern sides. Lt.General Jasunski was trying to cull what reserves he could from the 2nd and 9th/10th but it would take time for them to be mobilized and then hurried southwards to join him. Radowski seriously doubted his men could hold that long. Gaps yawned in his front line, as Corsairs jumped down into the slit trenches, having emptied them with a volley of grenades and submachine-gun fire and began fighting their way down the field fortifications, widdening the gaps into breachs. Several Atlantean machine-gun teams had worked their way inside, the perimeter and had taken the Wilno positions under a bitter raking fire. Radowski had been forced to retire to his command post, only to discover a Corsair assault platoon had already taken it some minutes before.

The 1st Special Purpose Infantry Regiment stalled on the abatis fronting it's section of the Wilno line, the proceeding Corsairs were still engaged in heavy fighting to clear the entrenchments. The 2nd regiment had better luck and made a shallow but broad fronted advance into the 3rd Field Battalion's defensive area. Two companies of the regiment managed to extridite a wayward Corsair platoon that had gotten to far ahead of it's tactical support. The 3rd Special Purpose Infantry Regiment had the most success of the day, advancing deeply into the Wilno position, piercing all the way into the Wilno Army's rear area. Advancing Atlantean infantry abruptly found themselves in a blazing fire-fight with Lt.General Jasunski's headquarters detachment.

Jasunski hurled the gathering reinforcements for Radowski as they arrived at his HQ at this Atlantean advance, with desperate ferocity. Although this counter-attack was launched piecemeal and without an overall plan, it succeeded in temporarily blunting the 3rd Special Purpose Regiment's enterprising advance. Realising this Lt.General Jasunski delegated command of this counter-attack to Major Valerius Dobovsky, commander of the 9th/10th NSD Wing, a proven figher and motivator of men. Dobovsky immediatedly requested that the artillery reserve be deployed in his support, despite the risk of counter-battery fire. Jasunski and Gradawski immediately agreed to this request. Gradawski had approximately a dozen guns still operational at this time, and ordered them to open-fire once targetting data had been relayed to them.

Maj.General Patreaus was begining to suspect he'd bitten off more then he could chew. The savage if disjointed resistence of the Wilno Army surprised both him and many of his subordinate officers. The majority of his units had broken into the Wilno entrenchments, but save for the 3rd SPI regiment, had failed to advance significantly forward. Several of his staff advocated sending the tank battalioin in, full force to unlock the developing deadlock.

Patreaus gave serious consideration to this option, however his deliberations were disrupted by the Wilno field artillery going violently into action against the 3rd SPI regiment. Lt.Colonel Gradawski managed to find the range the lead elements of the Atlantean regiment with a mere three shells, a credit to his skill as a gunner. The Wilno guns blazed to life, hammering the Atlanteans, who promptly began falling back under the hail of high-explosive rounds. The oberver teams of the 1st Bulgarian Artillery spotted the gun flashes immediately, and quickly aligned their own weapons. Shells were slammed home into gun breeches, gun tubes elevated to the right angle, and fists tightened on firing laynards.

Maj.General Daskalov gave the order. FIRE!

Quoted

Originally posted by Agent148
The 14th Tank Battalion was held in reserve with the remained of the uncommitted Corsair assault units, for a massed armoured attack deep into the Wilno position, once the front line had been pierced.

Er... why? The tanks would should have shock value versus the Wilno infantry, and they'd provide cover for advancing Atlantean troops; and the Corsairs could cover the flanks of the tanks and let them operate unbuttoned...

Quoted

Originally posted by Agent148
The Atlantean divsional commander had decided to forgo any artillery bombardment prior to his attack, although the assistance of the 1st Bulgarian Artillery Regiment had been freely offered to him.

Heh! The Bulgarians are completely mystified.

The fire-plan likely proposed for a comparable Bulgarian infantry assault would likely have put the 75mm or 105s on the front lines for two minutes (~240 rounds) and the 149mms on the rear defensive works for three minutes (216 rounds) starting at, oh, say 0803. Then the first battalion 75s and 105s and third battalion 149s start shooting up 100 for every two minutes second battalion 75s and 105s stand by for call-for-fire. The fire-plan would, admittedly, call for the infantry to advance straight into terrain under active bombardment, which is a tad risky if some artilleryman's not got his watch set right... but the enemy will still be expecting falling shells as the infantry sweeps through.

I have to agree that I'm mystified of why not using the tanks. So they are expecting the Wilno forces to collapse that easily so they are counting for the tanks to pursue the fleeing enemy as cavalry? Either the LoN command is very optimistic or the enemy forces they are facing are not of the best quality. IIRC they are in the majority of the cases the Wilno forces are amateurs so I'm surprised they have performed so well for so long.

In regard to artillery usage I can see the decision as two folded; indeed surprise could be achieved if is customary to start an operation with an artillery barrage to soften the enemy's fortified positions, and in a rolling barrage the fire mission have to be timed perfectly so IMO language and lack of training between the attackers could weight in the decision not to use artillery. Nothing against the quality and abilities of the Bulgarians, just I will try to protect my men of "accidents." Plans only go according to schedule until contact.

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Originally posted by perdedor99
In regard to artillery usage I can see the decision as two folded; indeed surprise could be achieved if is customary to start an operation with an artillery barrage to soften the enemy's fortified positions, and in a rolling barrage the fire mission have to be timed perfectly so IMO language and lack of training between the attackers could weight in the decision not to use artillery. Nothing against the quality and abilities of the Bulgarians, just I will try to protect my men of "accidents." Plans only go according to schedule until contact.

That's very true, and were I an Atlantean infantryman, I would be quite unsettled running straight into an artillery barrage ostensibly intended to stop the moment I get there, and controlled by someone from a foreign army I've never worked with before...

Which is why I'm kicking myself for not sending arty along with the AED.

...somewhere I've read that in open terrain during the 1940s-1970s, the US Army estimated almost 90% of enemy casualties came from artillery. In the mountains and the jungle, it dropped to 75%. I'll have to find that book tonight.

Well, that's a reason to finally modernize my obsolete artillery corps...(kicks self for still useing 76 mm M1902s)

Quoted

Originally posted by Brockpaine
...somewhere I've read that in open terrain during the 1940s-1970s, the US Army estimated almost 90% of enemy casualties came from artillery. In the mountains and the jungle, it dropped to 75%. I'll have to find that book tonight.

I went and did some quick research and turned up this comment:

Quoted

Bellamy (1986), pp. 1-7, cites the percentage of casualties caused by artillery in various theaters since 1941; in the First World War, 45 percent of Russian casualties and 58 percent of British casualties on the Western Front; in the Second World War, 75 percent of British casualties in North Africa and 51 percent of Soviet casualties (61% in 1945) and 70% of German casualties on the Eastern Front; and in the Korean War, 60 percent of U.S. casualties, including those inflicted by mortars.

(Casualties in this case = wounded + killed)

So I don't think it's unreasonable to propose that 50% of casualties will be from artillery. It will be a lower percentage for the LoN troops, however, as Wilno lacks a major artillery force.

Quoted

Originally posted by TexanCowboy
Well, that's a reason to finally modernize my obsolete artillery corps...(kicks self for still useing 76 mm M1902s)

You can get away with using older guns if you've got a well-developed artillery doctrine and if the guns are in good condition. The main hazards with old artillery is that the metallurgy was poorer, the shells are less reliable, and thirty years of practice-shooting has likely worn out the rifling. The carriage is likely obsolescent as well.

The Bulgarians are using mainly 75mm Skoda Model 15 mountain howitzers and old leFH-16 105mm howitzers during the Wilno Crisis (matched with new Skoda K-class 149mm guns). However, Kazanlak Arsenal's comprehensively rebuilt most of the Model 15s and leFH-16s, remounting them on new split-trail carriages with high-speed road tires (for truck towing), and they redid the bores as well. It's not quite up to modern standards, but the enemy won't notice much difference. (Bulgaria also uses Swiss-manufactured M/34 105mm field guns, but those are concentrated in the ARGK and aren't present with the 1st or 20th Artillery Regiments.)

Quoted

Originally posted by Brockpaine

Quoted

Originally posted by TexanCowboy
Well, that's a reason to finally modernize my obsolete artillery corps...(kicks self for still useing 76 mm M1902s)

You can get away with using older guns if you've got a well-developed artillery doctrine and if the guns are in good condition. The main hazards with old artillery is that the metallurgy was poorer, the shells are less reliable, and thirty years of practice-shooting has likely worn out the rifling. The carriage is likely obsolescent as well.

The Bulgarians are using mainly 75mm Skoda Model 15 mountain howitzers and old leFH-16 105mm howitzers during the Wilno Crisis (matched with new Skoda K-class 149mm guns). However, Kazanlak Arsenal's comprehensively rebuilt most of the Model 15s and leFH-16s, remounting them on new split-trail carriages with high-speed road tires (for truck towing), and they redid the bores as well. It's not quite up to modern standards, but the enemy won't notice much difference.

The problem there, though, is that the majority of the pieces were either abandoned by the Russians, semi-wrecked on the battlefield and rebuilt, or, for the lucky 20 or so artillery crews, built using spares from other wrecked pieces.

That will be changing, hopefully.

Yeah, and it's unlikely you'll have anyone to rebuild your artillery like Bulgaria did.

Ask Russia about purchasing the M1927 regimental guns, or perhaps the M1938 mountain guns. Also perhaps the M1938 (M-30) 122mm howitzer. If you're completely replacing all of Latvia's artillery, then you need to cover your bases with a solid howitzer first. (Unfortunately the Russian M1943 regimental gun won't be out yet - that's much nicer than the M1927!)

Quoted

Originally posted by Brockpaine
Yeah, and it's unlikely you'll have anyone to rebuild your artillery like Bulgaria did.

Ask Russia about purchasing the M1927 regimental guns, or perhaps the M1938 mountain guns. Also perhaps the M1938 (M-30) 122mm howitzer. If you're completely replacing all of Latvia's artillery, then you need to cover your bases with a solid howitzer first. (Unfortunately the Russian M1943 regimental gun won't be out yet - that's much nicer than the M1927!)

I was thinking about doing a dual combo between the M1940 107 mm gun, and the M1938 122 mm howitzer.

Quoted

Originally posted by TexanCowboy

Quoted

Originally posted by Brockpaine
Yeah, and it's unlikely you'll have anyone to rebuild your artillery like Bulgaria did.

Ask Russia about purchasing the M1927 regimental guns, or perhaps the M1938 mountain guns. Also perhaps the M1938 (M-30) 122mm howitzer. If you're completely replacing all of Latvia's artillery, then you need to cover your bases with a solid howitzer first. (Unfortunately the Russian M1943 regimental gun won't be out yet - that's much nicer than the M1927!)

I was thinking about doing a dual combo between the M1940 107 mm gun, and the M1938 122 mm howitzer.

I'd still start with some 3" howitzers. Don't try to build your upper-level artillery until you've settled your lower-level artillery - you'll be putting your goose before your duck.

I think that his 107FG/122H combo sounds good since the Romanian army OTL claimed that their 75FG/100H combo was to weak to destroy the Soviets physical or psychological defence. Replacing an entire artillery park wont be cheap though.

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Originally posted by Vukovlad
I think that his 107FG/122H combo sounds good since the Romanian army OTL claimed that their 75FG/100H combo was to weak to destroy the Soviets physical or psychological defence.

They made that claim based on experience in the field which I don't think Latvia can claim at the moment. :/ But I suppose that combination will do.

Quoted

Originally posted by Brockpaine

Quoted

Originally posted by Vukovlad
I think that his 107FG/122H combo sounds good since the Romanian army OTL claimed that their 75FG/100H combo was to weak to destroy the Soviets physical or psychological defence.

They made that claim based on experience in the field which I don't think Latvia can claim at the moment. :/ But I suppose that combination will do.

The 107mm M1940 might not be available. OTL very few were made, though there is dispute over the reason. As a long-range gun, it would not be likely to be held in a division's field artillery.

Quoted

Originally posted by BruceDuncan

Quoted

Originally posted by Brockpaine

Quoted

Originally posted by Vukovlad
I think that his 107FG/122H combo sounds good since the Romanian army OTL claimed that their 75FG/100H combo was to weak to destroy the Soviets physical or psychological defence.

They made that claim based on experience in the field which I don't think Latvia can claim at the moment. :/ But I suppose that combination will do.

The 107mm M1940 might not be available. OTL very few were made, though there is dispute over the reason. As a long-range gun, it would not be likely to be held in a division's field artillery.

Latvia could check with Russia on surplus stocks of the 122mm M1909/37 or M1910/37 122mm howitzers: they're old and not the longest-ranged weapons, but they were recently rebuilt and might well be plenty serviceable for Latvia's needs. Also, you might check on the availability of 107mm M1910/30 guns. Those are reasonably light weight and have a pretty good range. Those are not really a divisional weapon, though.

October 25th, 1935: The 5th Bulgarian & 3rd Dutch Join the fight.

The seventy-two weapons of the 1st Bulgarian Artillery Regiment began to fire, one battery after the other. Observers zeroed in on the weapons pits of the Wilno artillery. Gradawski had feared this would happen and frantically gave the order to cease-fire. It came to late, the Bulgarians had gotten their range and positions. Salvo after salvo of 105-mm and 149-mm shells rocketed in from the 5th Bulgarian Division's lines. Gradawski lost two guns destroyed in as many minutes, a third was disabled by a near miss. Several Wilno guns continued to stubbornly fire, despite the heavy barrage, into the Atlanteans causing them further casualties.

Maj.General Patreaus, ordered the 3rd Special Purpose Infantry Regiment to fall back, while instructing the 2nd and 1st to hold their ground. The Atlantean divisional commander didn't want his men to be caught in the maelstrom of fire the Bulgarians were delivering into the Wilno lines. An errant shell, practically destroyed Lt.General Bartold Jasunski's field headquarters. This one shell cut the remaining field telephone lines linking the field battalions, Maj.General Witold Haller, talking to Jasunski, heard his army commander cut off ominously in mid-sentence. The line, suddenly dead. Haller and Malecka had not time to dwell on the fact that they just might not have a commander anymore. The Bulgarian grenadiers showed every sign of preparing to attack.

Maj.General Jaroslaw Laskowska, commander of the 2nd Wilno Field Battalion, sheltering in his command post realized that he was to have troubles of his own shortly. The fog shrouding his lines had begun to clear, although the rain had not eased much. Dutch soldiers and armoured vehicles came at the startled Wilno troops. Luitenant-Generaal Henrius Fabius had released his three regiments of marines, the 31st, 32nd, and 33rd to commence their attack on the northern lines of the Wilno Army.

Lt. General Fabius had integrated the two armoured reconnaissance companies attached to his brigade into his attack, committing some thirty-four Carden-Lloyd M1931 amphib tankettes each armed with a 13.2mm MG to support his attacking marine infantry. Thirty-six 75mm pack howitzers, and one-hundred and fifty-six 81-mm mortar teams directed a deadly fire into Laskowska's men.

Kolonel Maarten van Roosevelt's 31st Marine Regiment was the first to make a breach in the Wilno lines. Van Roosevelt's attack came forward with two battalions in line, while his third battalion trailed behind as a reserve. The brisk Dutch artillery fire, while not as perhaps heavy in caliber as that managed by the Bulgarian artillery was more then sufficient to force the 2nd Wilno Field Battalion to ground in their entrenchments, and badly disurb their attempts at return fire. The Dutch Marines sped over the broken ground before them, littered with expanses of mud, tree stumps and abatis. The 31st Marine Long Range Reconnaissance Company slithered through the muddy fields in the lead and managed to hack their way through the tree branches barring their pathwith axes. A harsh fire-fight erupted between these troops and the Wilno soldiers scant yards ahead of them, beyond the abatis.

While, the Long Range Recon troops assault had been stalled, it bought time for the following units to close and engage. In an unordered but much appreciated act of support, an enterprising, Dutch Marine lieutenant Barend Kuipers brought forward the six 23-mm AA guns, attached to the regiment's fire support battalion, these light automatic cannons swept the nearest Wilno troops from their trenches. Short bursts of 23-mm shells shreading earth, flesh and timber alike. Dutch Marines begain to clamber over the abatis, grenades in hand, ready to hit the Wilno slit trenches and rifle pits.

Maj.General Jaroslaw Laskowska, at this point urgently tried to request assistance from Jasunski's headquarters but was greeted with a profound silence, as were his increasingly frantic attempts to reach the command posts of the other field battalions. Realizing that something was awry, and increasingly aware of heavy firing to both the south and west, of his own positions, Laskowska gave up hope of any reinforcements. The 2nd Wilno Field Battalion was very much on it`s own, a proposition that did not bode well.

It was however a situation that Lt.General Fabius found to be developing to his advantage. With the 31st Marines, making steady if unspectacular progress against the Wilno defense, Fabius urged on the commanders of his 32nd and 33rd Marine Regiments. Lt.General Fabius pulled back and combined the Carden-Lloyd M1931 tankettes, with the 32nd and 33rd Marine Long Range Reconnaissance Companies to use as a lever in unlocking the 2nd Field Battalion`s field positions. Fabius directed the tankettes and their two companies of supporting elite infantry at a ramshackle cottage hedged by a few scattered trees that stood just inside a bend in the Wilno entrenchments. The 3rd Marine Brigade staff, swiftly directed all of the 75-mm pack howitzers against this position to pave the way for the tanks and men, as they launched their attack.

Although several Carden-Lloyd tankettes were lost to enemy fire, largely from AT rifles, and in one case short range artillery fire. The assault of the Dutch Marine armour and supporting recon troops, cut through the defense like a knife through butter. Maj.General Jaroslaw Laskowska was killed trying to rally his men against this attack, as the tankettes clambered awkwardly over the field works, firing as they came. The Wilno troops panicked and scattered before the tankettes. Now leaderless, the 2nd Field Battalion`s determined resistence began to falter. The 32nd Marine LRR company hurriedly secured the cottage and copse of tree, while the tankettes deployed to support the 33rd Marine LRR company as it tried to widen the gap the combined force had punched home.

At the same time as the tankettes and recon troops were making their attack, the 33rd Marines, worked their way into contact with the rest of the 2nd Field Battalion`s frontline and pinned it firmly in place. The ability of the Wilno troops was now stressed to the breaking point, all tactical reserves had been committed, no reinforcements were available, and the command cohesion of the field battalion was in doubt. Fabius sent in two of the 32nd Marines`s three battalions, in at this moment, to follow up the gains of the recon companies. The Carden-Lloyd M1931 tankettes now rejoined the attack, leading the 32nd Marines deeper into the Wilno defensive line.

Woohoo!