[Alt-WWII] 6-11 July 1940- The Siege of Chișinău

Like 2nd Army, 3rd Army also had initial successes in containing the Soviet bridgeheads. Even large armored assaults launched on 3-4 July only resulted in minor extensions of the bridgehead, as opposed to the breakout the Stavka had hoped for. However, on the 6th it was decided to fall back to a secondary line of defense, given the threat of encirclement from the uncontained 9th Army to the north. The Soviets detected this withdrawal, and pushed back the defenders just as they were getting set up at their new line, forcing them into Chișinău. However, instead of pursuing the Romanians into the city streets as they had at Bălți, they proceeded to shell the city, destroying 65% of all buildings. Anticipating another encirclement, it was decided that the 17th and 19th Infantry Divisions would take up positions to the rear, holding the main road out of Chișinău, while the city itself would be held by the 18th Infantry Division and the Special Battalion "Vulturii"

 

The Special Battalion "Vulturii" was founded in 1937 by Colonel Emil Lupescu, a Great War veteran who had acted as a foreign observer in the British district of the International Settlement during the Battle of Shanghai. This elite infantry formation utilized a combination of Great War stormtrooper tactics and newer tactics based on Lupescu's observations on urban warfare. 3rd Army's commander told the Royal War Council that Vulturii tactics would turn Chișinău into the "Shanghai on the Bîc," an assertation that Lupescu would take offense to given how disastrous the Battle of Shanghai was for China. The battalion wore the standard infantry uniform, unusual for many special forces units of the time, but was better equipped, including having a higher concentration of submachineguns than any other unit and having a distinctive fighting knife.

 

The Vulturii guide for urban combat was as follows: "Stay away from the main streets themselves, save the occasional undetectable sniper position, Instead, focus troops in the side streets and alleyways that overlook the main streets, and ambush the enemy as they advance. When possible, organize troops into assault teams consisting of a platoon or, at most, a company, supported by a mortar, anti-tank or regimental gun to create self-sufficient pockets of resistance. When setting up positions inside buildings, choose buildings made of brick or concrete over wood, unless you want the building to collapse on you during a bombardment. Alternatively, the rubble of an already bombed out building can also give excellent cover and concealment. Avoid particularly stubborn enemy strongpoints, or neutralize them by cutting off their supplies and communications. Underground utility tunnels and even sewers can be used to discretely move troops about the battlefield and strike where the enemy least expects. Use machine gun fire, grenades, and makeshift roadblocks to separate tanks from their supporting infantry, then eliminate the isolated units at your own pace. Above all else: demoralize the enemy. A brick or piece of broken glass is deadlier in a close quarters fight than a rifle."

 

The 18th Division did their best to take these lessons to heart, distributing spare Vulturii training manuals to many of its junior officers. The 36th Regiment reorganized most of its formations into Vulturii-inspired assault teams. although the 35th Regiment had lost too many of its artillery pieces in the retreat to make widespread use of this tactic. In the first days of the siege, the 15th Rifle Corps, consisting of the 45th and 62nd Rifle Divisions, was lured into the heart of the city. The two divisions were separated, and soon Romanian troops began cutting off and isolating the Soviet force into smaller, more easily defeatable pockets.

 

When asked how his "Shanghai on the Bîc" was turning out, Col. Lupescu replied, "This isn't Shanghai, this is the Raate Road."

Done