IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 41.

THE ATTACK ON GERMANY.

At 3am on the morning of 7th December 1888 UNION artillery fired a heavy barrage on the whole  German front line in the western part of the old Federation. Heavy artillery pounded the roads leading to the German lines and all areas thought to contain German troop reserves or supplies. At 9am the bombardment on the central German front moved a little further west and UNION infantry began to advance . German artillery fired defensive barrages but these were limited in effect as the Germans had long since learned that batteries that did not move after a few salvos would be destroyed by UNION counter battery fire. After bitter fighting in the German lines UNION infantry gained the upper hand and secured the German positions in the centre of their lines. The Germans fell back mostly to the flanks as UNION infantry pressed forward. By noon the centre of the German line had been peeled apart.

Around 1pm the UNION cavalry commander, General Stuart, ordered his five brigades forward into the gap in the German lines. The Cavalry and Horse Artillery regiments poured through the German positions and began a rapid advance west. Stuart's orders were to advance as quickly as possible towards the German frontier, cross the border and move through The Rhineland and seize the three bridges over the River Rhine into the heart of Germany thus cutting off the German troops to the east. He was to destroy the main central bridge, but hold intact if possible the two smaller  northern and southern bridges and await the arrival of the rest of the UNION army.

Stuart's rapid advance through the German rear positions involved a running battle with German supply trains and other rear area services. Never stopping to take prisoners or reduce firmly held positions, Stuart galloped forward. By the afternoon of 9th December Stuart's forces reached the German border and plunged across. The Rhineland was a sparsely populated area of farms and ranches with only one small town called Cologne through which the main road led to the large central bridge over the river. This large bridge not only had a roadway but also carried the railway from central Germany to Cologne which served as the German railhead. Cologne had always been used by the Germans as a staging post and supply centre for their settlements in the old Federation and served the German army in the same way during the current conflict. Stuart knew the town would be full of German troops so elected to bypass it to the south which he did on 11th December. 

Once past Cologne,  Stuart's troops were able to move faster as road traffic gave way to rail born travel for the Germans. He stopped only to shoot up German trains and replenish his food and fodder reserves from ranches and farms along the way. By morning of the 14th Stuart arrived at the main bridge only to find German troops digging in on his side of the bridge. As his primary mission was to destroy the bridge to prevent German reinforcements crossing he decided to launch a full scale attack immediately. The ten regiments of Horse Artillery opened fire on the bridge and German troop positions  while the dismounted cavalry moved forward. After several hours hard fighting Stuarts troops secured the eastern end of the bridge and he ordered the artillery to fire at the bridge to destroy it. The massive structure finally collapsed late in the evening of the same day. 

Stuarts troops were exhausted by their rapid advance and the long days fighting and made camp around their end of the bridge under sporadic German artillery fire from the other side. Stuart knew he now had to reach the other two bridges. The northern one was a light weight suspension bridge suitable only for foot traffic or very light wagons not heavy military vehicles. The southern bridge was somewhat more substantial but still had a limited capacity so that only a single heavy vehicle could cross at any one time. He decided to send just one brigade to the northern bridge and three brigades to the south leaving one to ensure the Germans could not repair the fallen central bridge.

During Stuarts advance the German command had struggled to fully understand UNION strategy.  They knew Stuart's cavalry were heading west but there were few sightings until German trains were shot up west of Cologne. They then realised Stuart was heading for the bridge. With most  regular troops already deployed at the front or in reserve  in Cologne,  a unit of militia were immediately sent to defend the bridge. It was this unit that Stuart defeated on 14th. Knowing the northern bridge to be unsuitable for troops in any numbers, other militia units were sent to the southern bridge to secure it. Once the central bridge was destroyed the movement of militia to the south became a flood.

Back on the front line the German positions had been split wide open. All available reserves were moved forward to seal the gap. The militia would have to deal with Stuart.