afterglow

Chapter 561: Operation Gortner; cold attitude
At 10:19 a.m. on October 4, Berlin time, Operation Gortner was launched after a quarter-hour delay due to weather conditions.

Operation Gortner was named after the mountaineer of the same name who became famous five years ago when he aspired to climb Mount Everest but died trying to help a teammate suffering from severe altitude sickness.

According to the requirements of the War Council, the main force in the battle against Italy was not the frightening armored forces, but well-trained infantry and mountain infantry units.

The issued instruction document emphasized: "Terrain restrictions make it impossible for tanks to dispatch. All People's Army soldiers and commanders must display bravery and initiative, fight boldly, quickly defeat the Italian army, and try their best to eliminate the enemy's main force in the Milan Plain. Prevent the enemy from retreating into the complex Apennine mountains."

对意作战的第一梯队为第12集团军，一共拥有32个步兵师、6个山地师、2个伞兵师，总兵力约50万人。

Limited by the terrain, the People's Army General Staff believes this is a more appropriate scale.

The commander of the group army is Lieutenant General Frederic Paulus. During the European War, he served as a staff officer of the 2nd Prussian Infantry Regiment and a staff officer of the Alpine Army. He successively participated in organization and coordination work on multiple fronts, and was responsible for this area. more familiar.

The first echelon's attack is divided into two main attack directions and one auxiliary attack direction at the operational level - the target of the western cluster is Milan, the target of the eastern cluster is Venice, and the middle cluster is responsible for containing part of the Italian army.

Italy's northern border is almost entirely blocked by the Alps from west to east. The rolling mountains make border defense relatively easy. The Alpine defense line built by Italy extends from the border with France in the west to the border with Yugoslavia in the east.

Italy, which is at the tail end of the great powers, has a relatively simple Alpine defense line with a low degree of automation and electrification. It mainly includes semi-permanent fortifications, anti-tank cones, reinforced concrete bunkers, semi-in-the-ground artillery bunkers, etc., thereby implementing a strict blockade of mountain trails.

Immediately afterwards, densely packed butterfly bombs fell to the ground. These sensitive micro-bombs were light and small, but enough to hurt people nearby.

At this moment, more than 20 airports in Austria and Hungary are brightly lit, with hundreds of planes ready to take off, making it a busy scene.

This move largely confuses the Italians into thinking that the Germans are not ready and may not launch an offensive until late spring or early summer next year.

In order to deal with the solid reinforced concrete permanent fortifications, Stuka dive bombers mount heavy armor-piercing and semi-armor-piercing aerial bombs such as PC-500 or SD-500 and drop bombs at low altitudes of hundreds of meters, accurately removing one after another. A tough nail to chew.

It can be said that the German surprise attack was successful, and it indeed worked.

In the early morning, a total of 12 infantry divisions and 32 mountain divisions of the German 6th Army, with the cooperation of airborne troops, launched an offensive on a front approximately 330 kilometers long from Switzerland to Yugoslavia.

Their targets are the 19 air bases and field airports of the Royal Italian Air Force in the Milan Plain, as well as important roads, railways, and bridges. In addition to the He-111H and Ju-88, the most cutting-edge Do-217 heavy bomber was also used in actual combat for the first time.

Patrol teams and reconnaissance teams have fired flares and thrown smoke canisters at the reinforced concrete permanent fortifications. Amidst the sharp, heart-stopping screams, Stukas dropped heavy bombs on the Italian army's tanks. On the head...

Prior to this, the war committee had made careful arrangements and dismissed several generals from their posts with great fanfare; it continuously and deliberately sent telegrams of various feedback issues, complaining that infantry lacking tank support would be difficult to break through the fortified areas.

When the German army launched the offensive, the Italian fortress garrison had not yet entered a battle-ready state. Only 60% of the troops were on the defensive line. It was too late to occupy the defensive positions as planned. In fact, 20~25% of the bunkers and warning positions were empty. .

The Italians have been preparing for the construction of the defense line since the late 2230s, planning to build 1437 fortifications and bunkers. However, due to their limited industrial capacity, the required steel and cement are partially dependent on imports, and the progress is slow. Only have been completed until now. .

At this point, the war against Italy officially started.

Various contradictory and erroneous intelligence prevented the commander from making decisions at all. As soon as the war began, the center of the Italian army was almost paralyzed.

The 1st Parachute Division was in the west and the 6th Parachute Division was in the east. Both of them carried out airborne landings on targets behind the Italian Alpine defense line. The night has not yet faded, and thousands of umbrella flowers are blooming in the sky under the morning light...

At this time, groups of Stuka dive bombers also flew over the Alps, heading straight for targets in the mountains.

At the same moment, dozens of Ju-52 transport aircraft on each of the Western and Eastern Fronts towed DFS-230 assault gliders flew across the border.

Thousands of aerial bombs fell one after another. In the flames of the explosion, hangars, towers, and warehouses collapsed one after another. Many aircraft were torn apart by the shock wave before they could take off.

Fierce air strikes and paratroopers falling from the sky seriously disrupted the Italian army's command system, and the situation was in chaos!

The first wave of air attacks consisted mainly of twin-engine medium bombers, with a total of 362 bombers and 61 escorting fighters.

The Do-217 is a typical all-rounder designed according to the military's excessive "I want it all" requirement. It has a bomb load of 3.5 tons. It can carry aerial bombs, torpedoes, and mines, and can even carry out dive attacks on targets. .

The headquarters of the Po River Army and the Venetian Army were unable to obtain accurate information. There was even news that the German army had appeared on the south bank of the Po River, causing panic among many people.

On the first day of the war, the Royal Italian Air Force suffered the greatest losses. A large number of MC-200 fighter jets and BR-20 bombers were destroyed on the ground. It is initially estimated that the loss was about 300 to 330 aircraft.

The day passed in chaos, and it was not until late at night that the Italian military command roughly figured out the situation on the front line and hurriedly issued a series of instructions based on the plan.

October 10, 20:3 am, Cremona, a city in northern Italy.

"Bolzano reports no main enemy attacks, but the activity of enemy reconnaissance units has been confirmed."

"We don't have time to wait any longer. Let's set off immediately. We can't leave Verona exposed to risk!"

In the temporary command headquarters, Lieutenant General Giovanni Messe issued orders immediately.

The roar of tank engines came from the vast night. A total of more than 132 people from the 52nd "Aries" Armored Division and the nd "Torino" Motorized Infantry Division began to march toward the northeastern military town of Verona.

Verona, the name means "the most elegant city" in Latin, where Shakespeare's love story of Romeo and Juliet took place.

But such a city is also known as the gateway of Italy - because it is adjacent to the Adige River, the Alps to the north, Milan to the west, Venice to the east, and Rome to the south, Verona has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. The main rail and road junction between the Apennines and Europe is also here.

The German 1st Parachute Division was ordered to capture the city by surprise, cutting off transportation hubs and delaying enemy reinforcements.

Yesterday, the 3rd Parachute Regiment was the first to be deployed via airborne and airborne landings, and then started a fierce battle with the local Italian troops who were still confused.

The Italian 23rd Infantry Division, which was caught off guard, was quickly defeated. The division headquarters lost contact with each regiment and battalion one after another. After being bombarded by mortars by German paratroopers, it was forced to retreat alone. Hundreds of The members of the famous division were finally surrounded by a company of the 3rd Parachute Regiment on a mountain on the outskirts of the city. However, there is also a regiment of black shirts stationed in Verona, with two battalions and a total of more than a thousand people.

These fanatics guarded important streets and commanding heights and fought to the death. They even launched counterattacks in individual streets, shouting "Long live the leader" and "Long live Italy" and repeatedly attacked the German troops. At one point, they broke up the temporary positions of the German paratroopers and stopped their attack. Take further action.

The fierce fighting lasted from day to night, with the sound of gunfire resounding throughout the city, and both sides were exhausted.

After dawn, the armored divisions and motorized infantry divisions rushed to the rescue at starry night and went into the battle to eliminate the German paratroopers.

At this time, the 1st Parachute Division was basically deployed - after capturing the airport, follow-up troops arrived soon after.

The two armies started fighting again, and this historic city was devastated by the war almost overnight.

Facing the menacing Italian tanks and armored vehicles, the German paratroopers used rocket launchers and recoilless rifles to fight, and the steel vehicles turned into burning scrap steel!

There were continuous sounds of explosions and shouts, and many buildings hundreds of years ago were marked with dense bullet holes.

A battalion of the 52nd "Torino" Motorized Rifle Division was ordered to seize a bridge. The most brutal battle broke out here. The German troops on the north bank held on with all their strength, while the Italian troops on the south bank desperately attacked. The two sides refused to give in to each other, and even bloody battles broke out four times in a row. Hand-to-hand combat!
Five or six destroyed AB-40 armored vehicles and CV-35 ultra-light tanks were parked on this ancient stone bridge over the Adige River. The scorching flames caused the paint to disintegrate and melt, and the wreckage turned black.

Hundreds of corpses lay scattered across the north and south banks and on the stone bridge. The gathered blood flowed along the blasted cracks and dripped into the Adige River, so that the river water turned into a light blood color visible to the naked eye.

Verona's city symbol, the famous stone Lion Gate, was also blown down during the battle.

This ancient Roman-style arch, which is more than 20 meters high, has stood on the street for centuries, but now it has been shattered beyond recognition by dozens of cannonballs of different calibers.

Lieutenant General Giovanni Messe commanded his men to advance in multiple directions, continuously attacking from the front, and at the same time bravely interspersed to divide and encircle.

The German paratroopers, who had limited strength and lacked heavy weapons, managed to hold on for a whole day and night. The number of casualties approached the 3,000 mark. They were unable to cope with their strength and had to retreat north into the mountains...

The combat effectiveness of the Italian army has long been called a joke, but what is interesting is that the Italian army can sometimes fight well.

Historically, in December 1942, when the Soviet army in Stalingrad began to launch a large-scale counterattack, the defense lines of the Romanian and Hungarian servant armies collapsed, and the Italian Expeditionary Force fought and fought in the face of a Soviet army four times its size. They retreated and fought hard for a month under the severe lack of heavy weapons before finally breaking through.

Among them, the 52nd "Torino" Motorized Infantry Division shouldered the heavy responsibility as the vanguard. Due to insufficient ammunition, it was forced to engage in hand-to-hand combat many times, and abruptly opened a gap in the Soviet encirclement.

When the war in the Apennines broke out, Zhou Changfeng had already left for Paris with some members of the inspection team.

"Some mountain passes are really difficult to break. You see, even if the initial air raid was so effective, communications and dispatching were disrupted in the Italian rear, and the remaining fortresses of the Alpine defense line could still delay a lot of time."

"Yes, it is still difficult to fight in general. Even if the infantry troops break through, they will not be able to encircle them. My opinion is that the two Italian armies can hold on for half a month, fight and retreat, and retreat southward smoothly, but the weapons and equipment Don’t even think about it, 80% of it will be lost.”

On the plane, several generals in the inspection team were discussing the battle situation enthusiastically.

Zhou Changfeng is not very interested in the progress of the war now, because no matter what the process is, the outcome is almost certain. He is more concerned about what will happen to Italy in the future.

It can be said that Italy, which has lost the key industrial area of ​​​​the Milan Plain, no longer poses a threat, but the possibility of voluntary surrender is unlikely. The Italian royal family and Benito leaders would probably rather go into exile than choose prison or death.

In this way, the Apennine Peninsula will become a training ground for foreign armies. Perhaps the entire Italy will be rebuilt on the ruins after the war.

At this time, Xia Xiaoshi, who was leaning against Zhou Changfeng, suddenly patted him on the shoulder, pointed at the square window and said, "Look, a plane is approaching."

Two slender D520 fighter jets were seen approaching from the front left side of the passenger plane, and then separated on the left and right sides to accompany the escort.

The foreign mission still had some final handover matters, so it would arrive one day later, so the Ming Dynasty military inspection team became the first group of representatives to visit abroad in several years.

Compared to the Germans, the French have a much colder attitude. Although there were many reporters waiting eagerly, there were not many officials and honor guards who came to greet him, and the scene was not grand.

"You don't take us seriously." Someone whispered.

"Have a good attitude only when you have needs. Now that they are outside the flames of war, they are at ease." Li Zhijie said calmly.

Zhou Changfeng turned his head and reminded: "Just be cold. Anyway, let's do whatever we need to do. Don't bring trouble to yourself. Just treat it as a tourist visit."

Everyone responded in unison.

After a brief welcome ceremony, the group checked into their hotel.

What Li Zhijie said before is actually biased. Instead of saying that the society is relaxing, it is better to say that it is extremely busy.

The large number of internal affairs issues left over from the Third Republic are worrying, but the French Society cannot leave them alone at the moment and must deal with them one by one.

Paris, known for its prosperity and fashion, now seems a bit depressed. The citizens' mental state is quite optimistic, but the weak economy has obviously not really recovered yet.

After entering the room, Zhou Changfeng took off his shirt and hung it on the hanger, and said casually: "If I had known better, I would have stayed in Germany first."

"Oh?" Xia Xiaoshi, who was taking off her shoes, snorted lightly and asked nonchalantly: "Really? I think you want to find that person, right?"

Hearing this, Zhou Changfeng put his hands on his hips and said sincerely: "Xiao Shi, love and friendship are completely different..."

"Oh, let's just believe your explanation."

(End of this chapter)