Battle of Gazala

  Manstein's plan was meticulous and orderly, as were those of the classic German staff officers. With such a basis for operations, the 600,000 German troops and approximately 600,000 Italian troops participating in this campaign could proceed with their battles in an orderly manner!

  The British troops deployed on the Gazala front line had more than 100,000 men. The South African First Division was facing them and its combat effectiveness was not strong. It was a match for the Italian XXI Corps which was tasked with feinting. Under the attack of the powerful artillery units gathered behind the Italian army, the South Africans would soon be unable to withstand it.

  The mobile units of the Afrika Korps, led by the 15th Panzer Division and an Italian mobile unit, as well as the 50th Light Infantry Division, were destined to be blocked by the Bir Hakeim fortress in the south, defended by the Free French First Brigade. To ensure a rapid advance and support for the paratroopers, Rommel arranged for Oberst Frenzen, who had just returned from Malta, to lead 100 ground-attack aircraft in a massive bombing raid on the fortress! Frenzen flew an FW190HSX, using its 300mm rockets to destroy the defenders' only heavy anti-tank gun, a 75mm cannon. The 100 FW190HSXs danced above the fortress like butterflies among flowers, pinning down General Koenig's Free French First Brigade and preventing them from lifting their heads! As soon as the bombing stopped, the tanks rolled in. Two FW190HSXs with 10mm machine guns slung under their wings cleared a path through the minefield by strafing it, detonating the French anti-tank mines one by one! The tanks immediately followed this golden road, pouring into the French positions from the least defended sector of the minefield and firing at the French from the flank. With almost all their 75mm guns destroyed, the French were unable to stop the tanks' heavy firepower! The French position was on the brink of collapse!

  But even so, the brave French refused to surrender! They were determined to defend their honor with blood! Determined to wash away the shame of the 1940 Battle of France with their lives! Seeing the battlefield images transmitted back from Fw190HSX in Freiburg, Rommel couldn't help but admire this group of heroic French soldiers! He immediately ordered ten of the sixty Fw190HSXs used as reserve troops to be equipped with nerve-paralyzing bombs to attack the fortress and save the French army's desperate resistance! The screaming dive-bombed nerve-paralyzing bombs still killed three French soldiers, but saved the lives of most people! The powerful neurotoxin caused about 700 wounded and 2,000 captured French troops. Another 700 French officers and men rested in this desert. For them, the war was over for now.

  Brave General Koenig earned Rommel's respect, yet Koenig still sneered at the Marshal for using "poison gas" to save himself, saying: "Marshal, you have violated the moral code of soldiers! You despicably used poison gas! All your fame and so-called chivalry have disappeared in this battle! You won very unsightly, Your Excellency!"

  Under Rommel's repeated explanations, Koenig still remained indignant. He said: "Thank you for your kindness, Marshal. We are prepared to die in battle! I think it is much better to die gloriously than to be taken prisoner! So you cannot expect me and my men to be grateful for your mercy."

  Romel was also helpless in the face of such a stubborn old man, he could only say uninterestingly: "As a soldier I admire your spirit of sacrifice, but as a commander I find it incomprehensible to drive our troops to make unnecessary sacrifices! Perhaps we have different understandings and treatments of our soldiers' lives, but please forgive me for not fulfilling your martyrdom. Because for me, war is not about slaughter! Victory is not achieved through massacre!"

  Let's end this boring conversation and return to the battlefield. After the German army captured the fortress of Bir Hakeim, they rushed to their next target, Bir el Harmat.

  The elite Italian paratroopers of the "Folgore" division, who had arrived from Malta, were engaged in fierce combat with British forces here. In the air, under the command of Joachim Müncheberg's Afrika Star fighter group, British fighters had vanished, either flying to Egypt or being shot down somewhere over the desert battlefield. 40 FW190HSX attack aircraft supported them from above, and the British army was already demoralized by the superior firepower of the enemy air force, unable to fight back. The Folgore division wasn't just any ordinary Italian cream puffs - they were Italy's toughest bones! Unbreakable fists that couldn't be crushed! Even regular German Wehrmacht troops weren't their match, let alone those old British guys! Unable to break through their defenses, the Germans then saw the arrival of the German tanks! The German tanks had become the final straw that broke the camel's back - they didn't have the courage of the French and quickly raised the white flag!

  Large quantities of materials in the war reserve warehouse, gasoline, food and ammunition all became spoils of war.

  Fw 190s of II./JG 2 and 40 Fw 190s from Italy flew to Tobruk.

  Unfortunately, they encountered the British First and Seventh Armored Divisions moving south. And a hunting competition began! Originally, the task of the attack aircraft was to destroy the British artillery positions and provide firepower support for the attacking troops and paratroopers. Unexpectedly, an accidental encounter ruined what should have been a feast for German tanks! Aircraft had an innate advantage in attacking tanks, especially when they had air superiority! Frenzen ordered all FW190HSX pilots participating in the tank attack to try not to use rockets, so as to save them for the fortress of Tobruk. 30mm or even 20mm cannons were good tools for lifting the tank's turret, and the diving planes and the tanks that were frightened and fleeing wildly formed a magnificent desert drama!

  140 aircraft accounted for less than 500 tanks, in under half an hour! By the time German tanks arrived, the battlefield was littered with smoldering tank wrecks. The poor British First and Seventh Armoured Divisions were annihilated!

  The German tank, which had not eaten anything, sullenly crossed the battlefield wreckage and continued to charge forward! It launched an attack from behind the 150th British Brigade. One by one, it eliminated the defensive fortifications carefully constructed by the British in the rear.

  About 10 of the fastest Panzer IVs, following Rommel's orders, rushed to another British supply depot east of Adem - Salum. Where a hundred battle-hardened paratroopers were defending, namely the third battalion of Ranke's 1st Parachute Brigade, the Berckhardt Battalion. This was a team composed of professional old soldiers. Their usual task was to teach other brother units - demonstrating their extraordinary tactical capabilities and combat skills. It wasn't often that these old veterans got to fight, in order to preserve these precious seeds, so they could train more elite paratroopers later. Rommel sent his limited number of Panzer IVs to protect them. There were also four attack aircraft circling in the sky, providing early warning and support for them (actually for gasoline). The attack aircraft took turns arriving here, as if standing guard in the air.

  Here are stored 180,000 gallons of gasoline plus 90,000 anti-tank mines. All are flammable and explosive materials that can catch fire at any moment! The old soldiers were rarely on guard, setting up a warning far away. They didn't even dare to let a fly in!

  Frenzen's 200 planes took to the skies, intercepting in mid-air any British troops attempting to flee eastward. Anyone with such intentions would be mercilessly struck down by FW190HSXs. This escape route had become a road of death! Yoxin's 100 BF109HSXs also joined in on this hunt, and the British desperately discovered that this path was impassable.

  At this time, the Italian Tenth Army, which was advancing frontally, and the Twenty-first Army in the north, with the help of aircraft and artillery, routed their enemies in front of them. The retreating British troops were then hit by German tanks that had already bypassed them from behind, and they were mercilessly crushed between two fires, leaving them no choice but to surrender! The northern end of the British defensive line, from Halfaya Pass southward to El Agheila, was now in the hands of the Italo-German forces. About 65,000 prisoners of all kinds marched along the roads leading to the prisoner-of-war camps. Their faces, blackened by smoke and grime, showed no expression - neither British nor Indians, Africans or South African whites. Only the Negro brothers walked with joyous enthusiasm, as if they were taking part in a victory parade!

  The battle was only half over, and Tobruk had not yet been taken. The trick that Rommel used in the Gazala battle, loading trucks with wind machines to blow dust and obscure British vision, was reenacted on the front lines of Tobruk! Tobruk, this solid fortress, was also a port, and for Rommel to obtain the complete harbor facilities intact, he needed to occupy it without damaging them. This was impossible without paratrooper support.

  "General, we've repelled another fierce attack by the Germans! Their planes are coming again! Ah! (Stuka dive bombers' screaming, intense explosions) Those damned vultures are back, damn it! He's dropping bombs, oh! Poor Private James!" The chaotic voices repeatedly show that this little Afomin has already fallen into a panic, far from the tone of an English gentleman! No wonder, how could he understand what a gentleman is, living 1000 years later? Apart from technology, he knows nothing else.

  Ludendorff promptly deprived him of his right to speak and used his own intelligence officer to send telegrams. Continue to confuse the British!

  It's just noon now, although the battlefield is still filled with the sounds of killing and cannons that haven't stopped. But the battle has already ended. O'Kinlay couldn't have imagined in his wildest dreams that the German attack would be so swift! Nearly 1 million kilograms of explosives, no less than seven artillery battalions, at least 700 tanks from an armored division. A force of over 100,000 men is enough to make Rommel kill for a whole day! Therefore, none of the British high-level commanders expected it, and in fact, the entire British army has already been annihilated!

  In this raid, the large amount of technical equipment provided by Xiao A Fu played a very important role. Just like the tank bridge layer, it can build a 30-meter-long steel bridge that can carry 60 tons in just one minute. With it, the anti-tank trenches dug by the British cannot stop the German tanks' charge!

  Focke-Wulf's attack squadron also played a crucial role, and not a single German tank was lost in this battle. A large part of the credit goes to the FW190HSX, which carried 5 tons of ammunition with its thick armor, agile response, powerful firepower, and meticulous strikes against the British army, earning the admiration of the soldiers! They affectionately called this new plane "personal machine gun", meaning that it could provide support at any time when needed. The FW190HSX, which coordinated with the ground assault, the tanks that charged forward like a storm, the artillery that provided fire coverage at all times, and the infantry that followed closely behind the tanks, formed the German army's new generation of offensive system.

  The German army felt no fatigue after the battle and was expecting Rommel's new attack order.

  At this time, Rommel was also in high spirits, and many changes had made him healthier than before. The first item on the list of things that Bai Qi specially entrusted to Xiao A Fu was to reduce Rommel's burden and ensure his health. Xiao A Fu designed a new uniform with temperature control, Chinese massage, and bulletproof color-changing fabric for him. In fact, this uniform also had an important function, which was to monitor Rommel's health status. There was a transmitter and sensor system that constantly monitored Rommel's heartbeat, breathing, and other vital signs. Not long after, the successfully extracted oral liquid that combined composite polysaccharides, multiple nutrients, and vitamins was given to high-ranking military officials who were old, in poor physical condition, and under tremendous pressure. Ensuring their health was actually protecting Germany's wealth!

  Romel ordered the troops to stand by and defend in place, and the German army's various attacking units immediately defended in place and set up alerts. It wasn't until late at night that the rumbling sound of artillery fire gradually subsided.

  The German troops were waiting for the arrival of night because the scheduled attack on Tobruk was due to start in the evening.

  The British commander Auchinleck anxiously waited for the telegram from Xiao A Fu, because he heard from individual escaped soldiers that the British army had been defeated. He repeatedly asked Xiao A Fu to confirm the location of the troops, casualties, positions and other details. Xiao A Fu didn't know these messy military terms, so he threw the task of sending the telegram to Rommel's intelligence officer. He himself walked away bored, looking for other interesting things to do.

  At this time, his big brother's phone rang urgently. He took a quick look and found that the "Tiger King" prototype he had asked Big Afu to manufacture using his official powers had arrived in Africa! A large plane had air-dropped the 50-ton vehicle from an altitude of over 10,000 meters. It was more than ten tons lighter than its original design weight because Big Afu had cut corners and used less material. Many materials, such as titanium alloy, were unavailable to him, so he modified the initial design and manufactured this powerful "Tiger King" and sent it to Little Afu by plane.

  However, when Little Afu received it, he scolded loudly! Because he found that his tank had been shrunk a lot, and the titanium alloy tracks he asked for were replaced with carbon fiber and composite plastics. The dark color of this material is not as cool as the shiny titanium alloy!

  He is particular about appearance, and function takes a back seat. The 120mm cannon he requested was replaced with the Leopard 3's 50-caliber gun, and for visual effect, Big Afu gave it a 140mm sleeve, which looks quite intimidating.

  But even so, driving such a guy is still quite prestigious! So he eagerly jumped onto the tank and quickly drove towards Rommel's command vehicle.

  Because it was in the rear, and there were big cross signs on the tank, the curious German sentry still fulfilled his duty and did not block the way without authorization. Little Afu saw that no one was in charge, so he drove even faster!

  He reached the side of Rommel's car and slammed on the brakes! A loud screeching sound, the tracks scraped against the ground, creating a shallow ditch.

  The loud noise startled a whole group of people, including Rommel!

  Rommel, who had been startled, was taking a nap in the command car, thinking that this battle of Gazala was going so smoothly, he was very happy. The casualties of the entire German and Italian army were around 1,500, far lower than his expectations. Seeing the soldiers' excitement after the battle, seeing his intact tanks, hearing that the rich supplies (especially 180,000 gallons of gasoline) in the British warehouse far east of Tobruk had been controlled by paratroopers, he was even more delighted. And a telegram from Manstein was the icing on the cake, making him, who was usually serious, unable to help but put a smile on his face! The telegram was very interesting, actually forwarded by Manstein from Pai Chi, and everyone has their own opinion about where Pai Chi got it from.

  We Are All Sharpshooters

  Every bullet kills an enemy

  We are all flying troops

  Even if the mountain is high and the water is deep

  On that high mountain ridge

  Our campsite is everywhere

  In the vast desert

  Our good brothers are everywhere

  No food, no clothes

  The enemy delivered himself into our hands

  No guns, no cannons

  The enemy is making trouble for us

  We have arrived here

  Every inch of land is ours

  The British would have to take it by force

  We'll see who wins in the end!

  It's interesting to see this little poem, and it's true that the African army has always lacked supplies. Every victory was won by taking large quantities from the British! It really is: no food, no clothes, but the enemy will deliver them right to your doorstep.

  But Rommel's joy was short-lived, his good mood and that rare smile were shattered by the deafening sound!

  He habitually touched the scar on his face and pushed open the car door to take a closer look.

  When he saw what caused the huge noise, he couldn't help but be shocked! In front of him was a huge tank, with a powerful and majestic steel body, and a deep brake mark dragged behind it for a long time. Rommel immediately determined that the huge noise just now was caused by this huge tank braking!

  The tank was over ten meters long, its thick and sturdy body giving a strong sense of security. In front of it, the No. 3 and No. 4 tanks were like hunting dogs in front of a tiger! On the equally massive turret, that short and stout barrel looked to Rommel like it had a caliber of over 100mm! If he took a hit from that cannon, he'd be reduced to dust! Just as Rommel was savoring the grandeur of this war machine, the barrel suddenly rotated quickly, its dark muzzle pointing straight at Rommel! Even someone as brave and steadfast as him couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat!