Chapter 425 Desert Tiger Epilogue
When the early morning of February 25 arrived, the Bazhi Highway built around Tobruk had become a battlefield for bloody battles between the two armies.
Previously, one regiment of the Indian 10th Division and two regiments of the Indian 5th Division that had blocked the German army on the Adem front had been annihilated in the battle. The German armored group repeatedly demonstrated its strong offensive capabilities, with overwhelming advantages in firepower and offensive organization.
Many more authentic Indian officers and soldiers could not withstand the impact of the German armored group and collapsed, either fleeing to Tobruk or surrendering and becoming prisoners.
However, the Gurkha soldiers of the Indian 5th Division and the Indian 10th Division still used their own unique skills to resist in a considerable part of the positions, but this resistance was only exchanged for large numbers of Gurkha soldiers being killed on the positions.
Although these Gurkha soldiers were all good fighters, they had no means to fight against German tanks. Except for anti-tank guns and anti-tank grenades, they had no anti-tank weapons available. The 2-pound anti-tank guns operated by white soldiers had limited effect against the frontal armor of the No. 4 tank and the No. 3 assault gun. After opening fire and exposing the target, they were quickly destroyed by the German firepower.
Therefore, this crucial battle outside Tobruk eventually turned into a one-sided massacre!
By midnight on February 24, three regiments of Indian officers and soldiers had become scapegoats for their British masters.
Three regiments of Indian troops were consumed in the half-night battle, and then the German tanks and armored vehicles rushed onto the Bazhi Road. This is a two-lane and hard-surfaced ring road built by the Italians before the war, located between the outer defense line of Tobruk (also built by the Italians) and the inner core defense line.
In order to prevent the enemy from rushing directly into Tobruk from the Bazhi Road, the Italians laid a minefield between the Bazhi Road and the core defense line of Tobruk, burying more than 100,000 mines. These mines did not play any role when the British attacked Tobruk, but now they have become an obstacle for the British to reinforce the Bazhi Road. They can only get to the Bazhi Road from the two main intersections of the Bazhi Road (located on the east and west sides of Tobruk respectively), and then fight the German armored cluster along the road. But how can they be the opponent of German tanks and mechanized infantry?
After the Germans rushed to the Bazhi Road, their pace of advancement almost never stopped. Rommel, who had always been more economical in using tanks, suddenly became generous and directly invested in two tank battalions. He also asked the 33rd Self-propelled Artillery Regiment to send 18 "Wasp" self-propelled artillery to accompany the tanks, and ordered more than 2,000 infantrymen of the 200th Infantry Regiment to ride on half-track armored vehicles or directly sit on the tank bodies, and rushed all the way, defeating more than a dozen small British troops who came to block them.
From Adem to the intersection of the Bazhi Road and Badabiya Avenue in the east of the city, the bodies of British officers and soldiers and the wreckage of various British vehicles can be seen all the way. The price they paid was only 18 Type 4 tanks and 5 Type 3 assault guns damaged by British 2-pound guns (all of which were repairable damage), and less than 200 people were killed and more than 100 were injured.
While the German army was struggling to advance along the Bazhi Road, most of the British 8th Army was swarming out of Tobruk and desperately fleeing along the Badabiya Road.
On the road to Egypt built along the North African coastline, various British vehicles lined up in a long queue, all running at full speed. Now the sky has begun to brighten. At most in two hours, the German bombers will fly over the British convoy and drop bombs. Now, while the enemy planes are not coming, run as far as you can.
Lieutenant General Alan Cunningham also got on the car and drove past the intersection of the Bazhi Road and Badabiya Road at around 5 o'clock in the morning. When his car passed the intersection, the British and German armies were fighting fiercely less than 3 kilometers away from the intersection. In order to stop the German advance, Alan Cunningham was forced to use the remaining armored forces in his hands, which were the troops that survived the tank decisive battle in the morning of the previous day. Now, in order to fight for the vitality of the entire army, they were thrown into the battlefield again. And Rommel also threw the last tank battalion on hand into the battlefield.
Looking at the fireballs and smoke columns rising on the battlefield in the south, listening to the dense gun explosions, and smelling the choking smell of gunpowder. Alan Cunningham's face was ashen, and he knew that the hegemony of the British Empire in the Mediterranean had disappeared.
Because the Mediterranean Fleet left Alexandria last night and went to the Red Sea through the Suez Canal.
Although the Middle East Command will conceal the news as much as possible, the Suez Canal is a place with many people and eyes, and all countries have spies there. So the news of the fleet's departure will soon spread around the world. The rulers of Turkey, Iraq and Iran will know, and then they will all turn to Germany!
By then, the German army in the Balkans will be able to advance all the way to the Sinai Peninsula effortlessly through the Turkish railway line with the help of supplies provided by Iran, Iraq and Syria.
Even if the 8th Army can return to Egypt intact, it will not be able to stop the German offensive from North Africa and the Middle East.
Moreover, the possibility of the 8th Army completely escaping back to Egypt is almost non-existent. Because once the sea power in the Mediterranean belongs to Germany and Italy, they will be able to capture the port of Messe Matruh. At the same time, with the support of naval guns and aircraft at Matruh Airport, they repelled the 7th Armored Division and the Indian 4th Division coming from the direction of Alamein.
In this way, the 8th Army's retreat was cut off!
"Tank! Tank! German tanks are coming!"
Just when Alan Cunningham felt that his future was hopeless, the adjutant's frightened call suddenly came to his ears. He turned his head and looked at the battlefield to the south, only to see large amounts of sand and dust rising in the sky at some point. This is not a sandstorm, but hundreds of tracks crushing the sand.
The German tank groups are all here, and they are setting up an assault formation in the desert Gobi south of Batabia Avenue.
The general attack is obviously about to begin!
"It seems that we can't reach Mesematruh," Alan Cunningham said to himself, "we will be trapped in Tobruk!"
"Lieutenant General, what do you mean..." The adjutant sitting next to Alan Cunningham was stunned, "We are not leaving?"
Alan Cunningham shook his head and said: "The troops who have left the city should continue to go to Egypt. Those who have not left the city may not be able to leave. And as the commander of the 8th Army, I naturally have to be with most of the people. , fight to the end for the British Empire in Tobruk!”
…
"Admiral...an urgent message from Lieutenant General Cunningham!"
Wavell, who had not slept all night, leaned back in his chair and fell asleep at about six o'clock in the morning. While he was commanding the British army to land on the European continent and defeat the German armored forces in his dream, he was suddenly awakened by a trembling voice. The voice belonged to the operations director of the Middle East Command.
"What happened?" Wavell's voice sounded very calm.
"The main force of the 8th Army did not emerge from Tobruk...German armor cut off the Balbia Avenue."
"So... where is Lieutenant General Cunningham?"
"We are also surrounded in Tobruk! The lieutenant general said in the telegram that he will command the main force of the 8th Army to hold on to Tobruk until every soldier is killed..."
Wavell smiled bitterly and said: "Give an order to the 7th Armored Division and the 4th Indian Division: cancel the counterattack on Matruh Airport and set up defenses at El Alamein."
Now that the main force of the 8th Army is surrounded and the main force of the Mediterranean Fleet has fled, there is no point in counterattacking Matruh Airport.
Moreover, with the support of the Italian fleet and the German Air Force, the 7th Armored Division and the Indian 4th Division are likely to encounter setbacks near Matruh Airport. These two divisions, plus the Indian 6th Division in East Africa, the South African 2nd Division, and the British 50th Division in Palestine and Syria, were the forces in Wavell's hands that could be used to defend Egypt, East Africa, and the Middle East. These troops are too precious and must be used sparingly to prevent them from suffering unnecessary losses.
…
"Okay! Great!"
In Rome, in the Medici Villa, Marshal Hessmann put down the battle report he had just received and laughed, "Rommel did a good job, surrounding the main force of the British 8th Army... The British Mediterranean Fleet also escaped, It seems that the battle in the Mediterranean is already won!”
Hessmann looks a little ecstatic now, because he feels that he won this battle with his real ability, rather than a "cheated victory."
Moreover, the war in the Mediterranean and North Africa was a victory that the Germans did not win in history! Strictly speaking, the wheel of history has truly deviated from its original main road from now on.
Hans Jeshunek glanced at Hessmann, who was beaming with wonder - in his opinion, the battle in the Mediterranean could be won with eyes closed, and it was much easier than the previous battle on the Western Front.
"Marshal," Hans Jeshunek put away his question and handed Hessmann another telegram from the General Staff. "Yesterday there was a large-scale anti-German demonstration in Belgrade, and there was probably a military coup. Our contact with Prince Paul has been interrupted. In view of the fact that the situation in Yugoslavia may affect the Greek campaign and the march into the Middle East, the high command hopes that you Able to return to Berlin today to attend a meeting on Yugoslavia.”
"What?" Hessman was stunned. He took the copy of the telegram from Jeshunek and looked at it. He said with some laughter and tears, "Are these Serbs crazy? Now that the British Mediterranean fleet has gone, they are still making trouble. What’s the point? Do you think they can defeat Germany with their little strength?”