Russian forces were girding themselves for a
titanic clash. Like many senior officers, Model
deplored what Hitler was planning, but this
time the Führer prevailed. From July 5 to 16,
Model flailed away at Soviet defenses as or-
dered, lost heavily, and at length the Soviets
successfully counterattacked. Model was
then ordered to disengage under fire, rush
troops and reinforcements to the rear, and act
as a fire brigade. In rapid succession several
breaches were sealed, and German lines were
restored along the Desna River. Thereafter,
Model became known as the Eastern Front’s
troubleshooter. In January 1944, he was dis-
patched to Leningrad, where a new Soviet of-
fensive forced the Germans to relinquish their
three-year siege. After sharp fighting, Model
stabilized the front and established new lines.
Now hailed as the “Lion of Defense,” Model
performed his greatest efforts in the wake of
the destruction of Army Group Center at Kor-
sun in June 1944. Here Soviet columns en-
veloped and destroyed 20 German divisions
and penetrated to within 15 miles of the Ger-
man border. Model, unperturbed, allowed the
Russians to outrun their supplies and air
cover before striking decisively. The enemy
was rolled back and the German line reestab-
lished. It was a bravura performance by a
master of defensive tactics.
Officers’ dissatisfaction with the war effort
culminated in a failed assassination attempt
against Hitler on July 20, 1944. Model, how-
ever, was among the first officers to congratu-
late the Führer for surviving, pledged his con-
tinuing loyalty to him, and was promoted to
field marshal the following August. He was
then dispatched to the Western Front, where
the German situation was critical. Model ar-
rived unannounced at the headquarters of
Gen. Hans von Kluge, with orders to dismiss
that luckless leader outright and take com-
mand of Army Group B. At this time, Allied
forces had penned the fleeing Germans in the
Falaise Pocket, threatening to engulf them all.
Model skillfully ordered his men to break out
in August 1944. Results were nearly cata-
strophic: 50,000 Germans were killed or cap-
tured, with 9,000 tanks and other vehicles de-
stroyed. France was consequently aban-
doned, but Model’s quick reaction allowed
50,000 men and the bulk of their equipment to
escape. Shortly after, Hitler reinstatedGerd
von Rundstedtas theater commander, and
Model repaired to Holland with Army Group
B. There, in September 1944, the Allies
mounted Operation Market Garden in an at-
tempt to seize several strategic bridges.
Model was having lunch on September 17,
1944, when he glanced up and saw thousands
of British paratroops dropping within a mile
of his headquarters. After a hasty retreat, he
and Gen. Kurt Studentorganized a mighty
counterstroke to crush the invaders before
they could consolidate. The British fought
bravely at Arnhem but were handily defeated
by Model’s panzers. His success—Germany’s
last—ruined any chance that the war would
conclude that year.
By December 1944, Hitler had massed
powerful forces in Belgium and was deter-
mined to throw the Allies back to the sea.
Model protested the entire scheme as foolish
and wasteful, but at length he was obliged to
assume command of the overall operations.
On December 16, 1944, Hasso von Manteuf-
fel’s Fifth Panzer Army and Paul Hausser’s
Sixth SS Panzer Army advanced against un-
suspecting U.S. forces in the Ardennes sector.
Surprise was near-total, and impressive gains
were made, but by month’s end the Germans
had been forced back to their original posi-
tions—minus 100,000 casualties. Model now
begged Hitler to allow his weakened forces to
dig in behind the Rhine River, but the Führer
refused and ordered him to defend the indus-
trial Ruhr Valley to the last man. Having re-
signed himself to defeat, Model performed as
instructed, and for 18 days he held out against
tremendous odds. At that point Gen. Matthew
C. Ridgway sent him a message, imploring
him to surrender and save lives. Model defi-
antly refused, but the game was clearly up. On
April 17 he ordered his army disbanded and
sent home. “I would have never thought that I
would ever be so disappointed,” he con-MODEL, WALTER