The conductor nodded, then went back to the tank department and covered the tank door. Then the tank gearbox hung up and the gear sound became louder. The tank also sounded a little noisy and drove to the distant highlands.
"Kohlhoff! Transfer two classes of soldiers to attack the north with the tank! Cover the tank flank and the rear! Find a way to hold the highland after occupying it! " The company commander bent through a trench more than ten meters long with his helmet on his head, and then he found his hand and distributed himself.
As soon as they finished their preparations for the attack, two Stuka bombers swooped from a high altitude, and these two planes were part of the forces supporting the German offensive this time. Today, 11 Stuka bombers and five d217 bombers were prepared for attacking the Germans. These planes greeted the British positions in turn and destroyed many strong fortifications.
A Stuka dropped low near the target, with a huge bomb hanging on its belly. With the cover of this Stuka whistling, another Stuka quickly pulled up and returned to the sky.
The other bomber, which covered Stuka, left two bullets at the enemy position with two 2 mm caliber machine guns on the wing, forming a barrage. In a short moment, the British position in this highland was devastated by two Stuka, and then the British soldiers stationed here were horrified to see a German Leopard tank slow down this highland.
"Don’t fire! We surrender! " An Indian soldier raised his rifle and shouted, and then the second and third Indian soldiers also raised their hands. The highland was occupied by the Germans without any decent fighting.
The fighting continued, and the British did not hand over the remaining positions. The British held on to some areas until the last moment. They ran out of ammunition and were finally rushed out of their trenches by German soldiers. The smoke and the horizon rose, and the fighting was so fierce that both sides were exhausted.
"There are still 19 kilometers away from Alexandria. A few more kilometers to push forward, German artillery can bombard that port. At that time, the British Mediterranean fleet will really get out!" General garibaldi in the Italian army command tent is obviously very satisfied with the progress of the current battle. The Germans don’t seem to have much demand for the interests of North Africa. They want a desert for the future weapons test base, and then they want to co-manage the Suez Canal.
Mussolini agreed to all these conditions with great pleasure, because the Italian leader knew that it was a question whether the Italians could hold the Tumnus without the help of the Germans, let alone the Suez Canal, so the two sides signed a memorandum to decide that the term of joint management of the Suez Canal turned out to be permanent, and the attitude and requirements of all countries and Egypt seemed to be forgotten by everyone.
However, General garibaldi’s staff officer obviously has no extravagant hopes for these things. He prefers the fragile logistics of his own army and the high number of casualties. "My general Luo and Suez are still far away for us. According to the current consumption rate of artillery shells and the casualties of troops, it is estimated that there will be one company when we arrive in Luocheng."
When the Italian troops lamented their heavy casualties and consumption, Montgomery’s side was already overwhelmed, and his reserves were already stretched. Most of the remaining troops were left with Indian troops, which was comparable to the original British expeditionary force and New Zealand troops
The Japanese army’s rampage in Southeast Asia is increasing the threat to the Indian border, and there are not many troops that can be transferred from mountbatten. Now Montgomery is in a state of being cut off from foreign troubles and reinforcements. In other words, the Americans are already the main force in the battlefield situation in North Africa, and the British people in Alexandria have tried their last bit of blood.
After much hesitation, Montgomery grabbed the words in his hand, and he could feel the trembling voice. He spoke to General Barton’s headquarters and said, "General Barton, the 9 th British North African Regiment has been able. Now we can rely on your counterattack to finally decide that the whole of North Africa belongs to the Suez Canal!"
There came Barton’s voice, but it was not the news that Montgomery wanted to hear. "General Montgomery has to regret to tell you that the American transportation materials were intercepted by the Germans. Now diplomats from both sides are wrangling over this matter. The key is that there are many new type 4 tanks in the sunken ship to stabilize the battlefield in North Africa, which makes me have to postpone the counterattack."
After he paused, he said earnestly, "Wait for me for three days. After three days, I will put in counter-attack forces to attack the peripheral forces of Alexandria! Believe me, I will definitely launch an attack on time this time! "
Montgomery sighed. He also heard that the American transport ship was attacked by German submarines and cruisers. Although this part of the Middle East is not short of gasoline, it lacks equipment and ammunition, but it has to solve the problem. It is too far for the United States to transport troops to North Africa. Once it is interfered by the Germans, it will have very serious consequences.
"all right! George, I hope the Americans will defend their interests in North Africa and the Middle East, and I hope you can start the counterattack on time! " Montgomery was silent for a long time and finally said
Chapter 66 66 Barton moves
Montgomery asked Barton to be fidgety. He knew how much Montgomery was under pressure at this time of the war. It was very unexpected for Barton that Montgomery could persist until now. He and his staff deduced that Montgomery’s troops should have been defeated a few days ago.
Why Montgomery hasn’t been defeated by the Germans until now can’t be because Montgomery played an extraordinary role in the battle for the periphery of Alexandria and Rommel’s German troops didn’t contribute.
The fact that Barton was most impressed by the fact is the second point, that is, how much strength Rommel’s reserves have retained. Rommel did not invest his elite armored forces in positional warfare, or Rommel did not invest too much armored forces. Now Montgomery can confirm that there are only three pitiful positions of German armored forces, which means that Rommel has not moved at least two armored divisions. This is suspected to be a sword hanging over General Barton’s head.
After all, Barton’s armored forces are not abundant. After such a long period of accumulation, it is not easy for him to get three 4 Sherman tanks and about five 3lee tanks, which is the strength in his hand that can threaten the German armored forces. In other words, Barton can classify the other 46 3 tanks as armored vehicles, so that when these tanks face the German armored forces, there is nothing in the base.
He had hoped to rely on Montgomery’s positional warfare to accumulate strength and consume part of Rommel’s armored forces to gain the battlefield advantage in North Africa before the decisive battle, but now it is obvious that poor Montgomery’s troops consumption is a bit too serious
Due to the recent Japanese-Japanese submarine differential attack on the American merchant ship going to the Middle East, there has been a serious problem in the material replenishment of the American Middle East army. Although there is no problem because of the long-term local operation in the United States, Commander Barton has obtained support from himself and seen his own end.
This is a very simple reasoning. Montgomery accepted the support of the British government in exile. Almost he could rely on the former British colony in North Africa and some British troops who had stayed in North Africa to fight or not. Now these troops have all been lost. Even if Rommel didn’t win this time, Barton expected not to replenish Montgomery from time to time.
While that German-Italian coalition force in North Africa, which has the advantage of supply in the Mediterranean, can gather strength again bit by bit and wait for a fighter plane. For Barton personally, it is better to take his own troops and be annihilated by Rommel’s superior forces at that time than to play a game with his troops now, and perhaps even defeat them.
So Barton sent this idea to Washington Roosevelt and other high-level officials and won the support of President Roosevelt. Now if Barton doesn’t take advantage of Montgomery’s opportunity to fight, he can retreat to the Middle East and wait for Rommel to annihilate him bit by bit.
"Make the troops immediately advance 1 km, and the main three armored divisions will detour to the south to prepare for the counterattack against Rommel’s African legion flank!" Patton stared at the map in front of him and finally decided to fight a decisive battle. His character did not allow him to die slowly. He wanted to have a chance of winning and play a game with his opponent Rommel.
The chief of staff nodded and immediately grabbed the words in front of him, saying, "All standby troops move forward according to the predetermined plan A, and the line will start 24 hours later!"
It is not only here that the command of counterattack was reached, but also the command of the Army Aviation Command was reached, demanding that the planes of the American and British expeditionary forces take off immediately to face the raging German fighter units. With this temporary command, Barton became the commander-in-chief of the Allied North Africa battlefield, surpassing Montgomery.
A car rushed out of the makeshift camouflage shed with an American tank. The soldiers were busy unloading armored vehicles and car camouflage. A cannon was pulled out of the original artillery bunker by the car. The American soldiers held their weapons and shook their bodies slightly with the car.
American soldiers on both sides of the broad road in the desert marched forward one after another with rifles. They lined up in a dense line, followed the slogan neatly, and forged a straight steel torrent to the front roads, tanks and motor vehicles, which extended to the end of the day, and people were shocked at a glance.
Just as American soldiers were facing forward, fighter planes after fighter planes rushed out of the long runway with the roar of engines in the field airport behind the allied defense lines. There were almost German planes, and the German army suddenly became lively. The allied forces fought for losses and prevented German troops from investigating the whole allied forces in depth.
Fierce battles broke out between the two sides. In the end, four planes of German pilots shot down 71 of the 75 American planes that came to the war at a heavy cost, but the battle was still fierce. Although the German army firmly grasped the control, it temporarily supported the ground attack with the French system.
"The reconnaissance plane of the 14th Air Wing returned, and the other side put in a new P-4 fighter plane to prevent our army from approaching for investigation." Rommel’s assistant in the German Front Command asked Rommel, "General, should we inform the 1st Air Wing first to let them continue to send planes to investigate?"
"There is no need for Barton to make moves. After all, it is not easy or impossible that they can spare so many planes to compete for the system. What Barton has achieved is action." Rommel looked at Barton with his hands behind his back and stared at the almost identical battle map in Barton’s headquarters, frowning and staring at the marching arrow. It seems to judge where Barton will launch the World War I to decide the fate of North Africa.
"North! Next to the Mediterranean Tobruk Montgomery left-behind troops ate a small loss. I don’t think they dare to attack … Now there are only two choices, the front and the south. "Rommel repeatedly muttered his analysis while stretching out his hand to point a little finger map like confirming the other party’s position.
"I guess Barton should have deployed his troops to the south, so as to avoid the advantage that our army might dispatch the Mediterranean fleet." Rommel knocked on the wall map and said in a positive tone, "If I were him, I would put my troops to the south! It must be like this! "
He glanced at Schellner in the headquarters and the Italian commander garibaldi who came to attend the war meeting. "My 7th Panzer Corps and the 12th SS Panzer Division are going to prepare for a meeting with my headquarters in the south. Let’s be an old rival Barton! After all, there are not many opportunities for us to meet again! "
战参谋点了点头同样达了主力部队南命令德国汇聚一起装甲部队就好像是一头苏醒起来古巨兽一般挪动起了它那庞大身躯
伴随着出发号令士兵们收拾起自己帐篷还有行囊背起自己枪支检查好自己弹药伴随着隆隆动坦克还有装甲车坚定向着黄沙海洋迈了脚步巨大万字旗铺坦克车顶坐车长舱门德军装甲部队军官们笑着凝望远方那里他们将一场规模浩大战斗
一架战斗机低掠过了公路经过一辆连着一辆德国豹式坦克组成长龙因道路车辆太多加道路两侧士兵徒步行进扬起了漫天尘土远远看去就好像是一场巨大沙尘暴缓慢前行
隆美尔坐自己汽车破旧围巾遮挡住了自己嘴巴因周围车辆卷起沙真让人法睁眼睛所他把大檐帽那个有机玻璃一体成型压制出来风镜戴了眼睛跟着自己部队快速向前
遥远德国柏林阿卡多自己办公室接到了来自北非战役报告围攻亚历山大港战斗已经进行到了白热化地步而巴顿率领盟军第团军已经出现了亚历山大港南部地区隆美尔正率领所部装甲部队赶去阻击决定北非未来归属战斗已经一触即发了
"I hope Rommel and Schellner won’t let us down," arcado said, glancing at the newspaper from North Africa. "I sent them so many materials and equipment, and I also prepared a successor for them. I hope to hear the news of a great victory in North Africa in a few days."
"Sure, dear." Anna went behind arcado and held out Sandy’s jade hand to help arcado press his shoulder. "I heard from the staff of the high command that the possibility of winning this battle is at least 90%!"
Chapter 661 661 Two teachers
"Where is the second battalion tank now?" A German officer stared at his map and asked his staff nearby. A 15mm self-propelled howitzer was blazing violently. The commander of the 7th Armored Division was under great pressure because the former commander was Rommel, the commander-in-chief of the famous African Legion.
It took nearly half a year for Major General Pulitwitz, who was appointed commander of the 7th Armored Division, to sit firmly on the throne of the division commander. In this period, he tried his best to do what his predecessor Rommel would do before the charge. He tried his best to learn Rommel’s style and try to integrate himself into the environment of the 7th Armored Division of the Devil.
At present, his headquarters is less than 1 km away from the front-line war zone, and shells can be seen falling not far away. However, the German teacher did not even wear his helmet, but buckled a big hat on his head. This is also Rommel’s trademark costume. Major General Pulitwitz can be said to have learned from his bones.
"It just came to the news that the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Regiment of the General is now storming eastward here. One of their tanks broke down and two tanks were destroyed." The staff officer pointed to the map to answer his commander. "But they repelled the American attack and destroyed about one American tank!"
"Command them to speed up the attack! I don’t want to wait until General Rommel gets here! " General Plitwitz frowned and said, "In addition, let the division reserve go out to repel the American troops in front. There is no need for any guards here to get orders immediately!"
"yes! General! " The staff officer stood at attention and ran to armoured command vehicle behind him. It was an armored vehicle with a modified command surface and a thick wire antenna, but the department was relatively small. Most commanders would rather stop outside the car to command than squat down to enjoy a relatively safe and crowded environment.
"general! General! A large number of tanks from the 1st Battalion, 2nd Regiment, are trying to break through the front of our army. They are trying to stop each other, but there are too many of them. They want our division to move backwards for a certain distance to ensure safety. "A liaison officer ran to Major General Plitwitz to report the latest situation.
Major-General Plitwitz looked at the officer with a hint of Prussian nobility, reached out and patted the chest of the liaison officer as if to help him dust off. "When did you hear that the 7th Armored Military Division retreated? This kind of suggestion is really ridiculous, which makes the division reserve team attack and drive back the American tanks! "
"But the general! This is already covered by the other artillery! Very dangerous! " Staff officers wake up their commanders and pay attention to safety.
"When General Rommel led the 7th Division to sweep France, several times the other machine guns hit his car! My 7 th division commander must be with my soldiers! " General Plitwitz said to his hand, and then he patted the liaison officer on the shoulder with a smile. "Go and tell the battalion commander of the 2nd Regiment and 1st Battalion that I’m not going anywhere!"
However, at this time, a shell landed not far away, splashing a piece of yellow sand. Everyone was shocked by the shell. Several soldiers on sentry duty had already fallen down with their helmets, but reckless Pritwitz still had no intention of avoiding it.
Shortly after the order was reached, the German tanks around the division passed the position of Pritwitz, and they were ready to counterattack the Americans and block back the American tanks that had broken through the German defense line.
"Boom!" A shell landed on the other side of armoured command vehicle, and the car body blocked the explosion. Everyone in air billow was shaken by the explosion of the shell. Many soldiers saw that the officers in the division were submerged by flying sand everywhere. They quickly ran to the hit place and found several officers from the dim smoke.
Fortunately, almost all the officers were fine, and a few people’s ears were buzzing with shells, but when people found their teacher, they found that a shrapnel had unfortunately hit him in the head.