The decisive battle against the Third Reich

That intelligence was the content of the call between Colonel Slain and Rommel that the interception unit intercepted, so Lieutenant General Greenhill knew that he had been deceived.

But Lieutenant General Greenhill will not tell the truth, because it means that he made a wrong decision, and this decision made it possible for the British army to easily capture the strategic location of Tobruk Port and is now on the way Flee in despair.

This impact is so great that it will even affect Lieutenant General Greenhill's career, so Lieutenant General Greenhill cannot say anything.

"Even if I say it now, it won't change anything!" Lieutenant General Greenhill said to himself in his heart: "We have blown up all the tanks, which means that the British army will not be able to capture the Tobruk defense line even if they turn back... "

"These cunning Germans!" Then Lieutenant General Greenhill cursed secretly: "I should have known this was a trick of the Germans! I should have given it a go..."

But no matter how much Lieutenant General Greenhill regretted it, it was of no use. The deal was already done.

This may seem like an accident, but it is actually inevitable, because the British army can never escape from the shortcomings of rigidity and conservatism... This may be the tradition of the British, or it can also be said to be the natural division of labor chosen during the colonial period.

The so-called "selective division of labor during the colonial period" refers to the fact that when Britain was establishing colonies everywhere, most adventurous British people went to colonies around the world to pan for gold, take risks, and even form a country (such as the United States).

So it can be imagined that the British aristocrats who stayed in the UK were conservative, content and dogmatic. In addition, the wealth plundered from the colonies could fully support the lives of these aristocrats, so these old-fashioned traditions were very good. Save it and infiltrate the army.

On this basis, it is common sense that Lieutenant General Greenhill and Major General Evans would eventually choose a more conservative retreat plan, while Major General Burton would prefer a risky attack simply because he was dazzled by the victory. Inner swell.

But now it seems that this dazzling and inflated idea is actually correct.

Half an hour later, Rommel's Junkers transport plane landed in Tobruk... This was also a crazy move. You must know that there were only a thousand German soldiers in Tobruk at this time. In principle, there were still many soldiers around Tobruk who had not yet evacuated. The British troops left, but Rommel dared to land here with only two guards and a few signalmen.

But this is exactly Rommel's style. He has always liked taking risks, just like his military use.

The German soldiers welcomed the general with cheers.

The hatch opened, and a short German officer stooped out. The two dazzling stars on his shoulder straps showed that he was an army lieutenant general.

Qin Chuan recognized Rommel at a glance. He was a standard German soldier: blue eyes, a chiseled face, a broad and well-proportioned forehead, a straight nose bridge and protruding cheekbones, from the nostrils to the corners of the mouth. There are a few stern lines, but when these lines are stretched out, they reveal something almost cunning... No wonder he is called the "Desert Fox".

Qin Chuan had studied him countless times in modern times, but he didn't expect Rommel's real person to appear in front of him at this moment.

Rommel walked out of the hatch, put on his military cap, and then walked down step by step, his steps even and powerful. As he walked, he did not forget to wave to the soldiers who came to greet him.

"salute!"

Following the command, the German soldiers saluted Rommel with a "pop" sound.

Colonel Slaine ran up to meet Rommel in small steps. After exchanging salutes with Rommel, he held Rommel's hand and said, "Welcome, General! Your arrival surprised me so much that I didn't even have time to let the soldiers know." Let’s clean it up…”

Colonel Slaine was referring to the nearby tank wreckage, craters, and corpses, which certainly looked unsightly.

"No, you did a good job, Colonel!" Rommel looked around, nodded and said: "This is exactly what I wanted to see, I am honored!"

After a pause, Rommel turned to the soldiers and said: "Soldiers! Do you know what I saw? I saw your bravery, your fearlessness, and your blood and sacrifice! You are the true empire. Warriors, I’m proud of you!”

"Long live the Empire!" the soldiers couldn't help cheering.

Rommel was indeed very contagious. His words combined with the military fortitude on his face made every soldier present feel that they were doing something great, so they would continue to do so, fearing life and death.

Then Rommel even walked up to the soldiers in the front row and shook hands with them one by one, and complimented the soldiers from time to time.

When he walked in front of Qin Chuan, Rommel noticed the sniper rifle on Qin Chuan's back and said to Qin Chuan: "Sergeant, many enemies must have died under your gun, right?"

Colonel Slaine, who was following him, interrupted: "General, he is the soldier who came up with the idea to scare away the British!"

"Oh!" Rommel's eyes couldn't help but light up when he looked at Qin Chuan: "What's your name, sergeant?"

"Frick, general!" Qin Chuan replied.

"Very good!" Rommel nodded and said with a smile: "I should say sorry, Sergeant! I only saw your rifle, but I didn't realize that you have a more dangerous weapon, that is your head! "

The soldiers couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Rommel patted Qin Chuan on the shoulder and said: "Take good care of your weapon, it will play a greater role in the future!"

"I will, General!"

Although Rommel had a sharp and harsh character and had high demands on others, he was also very considerate of his subordinates because he believed that in addition to commanding operations, an important point for an officer is to use the officer's affinity to continuously mobilize the enthusiasm of soldiers for combat.

Rommel once compared soldiers to a volcano. Whether this volcano is a lifeless extinct volcano or an active volcano that can erupt lava that can destroy everything in front of it depends on what the officers do.

Just like now, there is actually no need for Rommel to appear in the port of Tobruk... Tobruk is already under German occupation, and whether Rommel comes or not will not change the outcome.

But Rommel's appearance here at this time will not only mobilize the morale of all the soldiers of the First Infantry Regiment to the maximum extent, but also mobilize the morale of the entire army and even the Italian army.

Because he was actually telling everyone with his actions: "Look, the German commanders are already in Tobruk, why are you still dawdling behind!"