Iron Cross

After receiving the news that the leading troops had occupied Tell Akakir and seized a large amount of arms and supplies, Brigadier General Brown, commander of the 24th Armored Brigade, was also surprised. He did not expect such a thing to happen at all, and tentatively The fire reconnaissance turned into decisive occupation, and the process went so smoothly. His first reaction after receiving the telegram was that it was a fake telegram, but then a more detailed telegram came, which not only reported the general process, but also listed the main loot, and couldn't wait to ask him to send the logistics department or staff as soon as possible. The officers came to receive it. The poor strength of the reconnaissance company could not control so many things.

After repeated checks, the adjutant finally confirmed that the telegram was completely authentic - it was conveyed directly by the reconnaissance company and not through the regiment headquarters. Although it was a bit inconsistent with the command system, who cared about this during the war? Brigadier General Brown's concerns were finally dispelled. On the one hand, he quickly reported the situation to the division headquarters, and on the other hand, he immediately issued an order for the entire brigade to advance. He himself was in high spirits. Ride an armored command vehicle and lead the tank troops to take the lead. Infected by this optimistic mood, the tank crews who thought there was a tough battle waiting for them burst into cheers. Then this mood immediately spread to the infantry and artillerymen. Everyone who was worried just now became excited. The matter of being severely beaten by Guderian a few days ago was immediately forgotten, and even the pace of the march became much easier.

I don’t know who took the lead. The troops sang the national anthem "God Bless Our King". The loud singing could be heard clearly in the moving armored vehicles. Major General Brown opened the lookout cover and waved enthusiastically to his men, winning the victory. There was a response, as if the 24th Armored Brigade was going to accept the surrender of the Germans. He had reason to be proud: it was a pity that he could not find Guderian and his main force, but the rapid capture of Tell Akakir and the capture of many trophies was a real achievement. He did not believe that General Montgomery could not see this. As for the main force of the Germans, hum! Let's leave it to the staff officers at the Army Group Headquarters to worry about.

The conditions observed during the march verified the authenticity of the reconnaissance company's report, which was even more convincing than the cold report. Brigadier General Brown told the infantry and artillery that followed to receive the loot left by the Germans. Part of the force was sent to occupy these fortifications, while he himself did not hesitate to lead the tank troops and the main force in depth, directly towards the place where the enemy's headquarters was said to be.

Captain Richardson and several of his men were respectfully waiting at the door for the brigade commander to arrive. After saluting and greetings, he even magically took out Italian cigarettes and presented them to the middle and senior officers. Brigadier General Brown's eyes lit up after tasting it. He motioned to the orderly to put the remaining half of the carton of cigarettes into his briefcase, and asked enthusiastically: "Searched from the warehouse?"

"Yes, sir, I suspect these are German or Italian officers' cigarettes, because the quality is good and the quantity is not too large."

"Very good! You've done a great job!" Brigadier General Brown's attitude was much gentler than that of the regiment leader who had a poker face all day long. He smiled and patted Richardson on the shoulder, "Young man, I think highly of you. ..." The latter was flattered by this move, completely forgetting his initial feeling of walking on thin ice, and bragging in front of the brigade commander about his bravery, rapid advancement, and decisive handling of the reconnaissance company. It was as if the Germans who were originally entrenched here were forced to retreat because of their arrival.

Several officers from the brigade staff took the time to indulge in a cigarette while listening to Richardson's report on the investigation, and they were all smiling. When they were about to take a group photo in front of Guderian's headquarters, Brigadier General Brown first glanced around and did not ignore the "waste paper" on the ground like Richardson did. Instead, he asked the orderlies to collect as much as possible, saying Maybe this information is still useful. Then he sat down on the chair where the person who was obviously chairing the meeting was sitting, and began to draft a telegram with great ambition. He thought about the words carefully, not knowing how to write to report the results of the battle to the commander. The telegram must highlight its speed. Resolute, well-measured, and wise, they must leave a deep impression on Lieutenant General Montgomery and the command. He pondered for a long time and only said one sentence: "Report to the commander, our 24th Armored Brigade of the 10th Armored Division has occupied Tel A Cakir.”

The adjutant waited eagerly for the next sentence. He thought for a while and then choked out another sentence: "I am currently sitting in the seat where Guderian is suspected to have sat in the enemy's headquarters. All the enemies have fled, and our army is counting and receiving the spoils. They include... "

As the 24th Armored Brigade gradually advanced and deployed its defenses, a gun scope peeked out from a hidden hilly area farther away, and then began to greedily observe the entire world.

"Sir, those things really make British people lose their vigilance?"

"Of course, this is basically a bait for the British. How can you not take the bait?"

Several people hesitated for a moment, thought again and again, and finally nodded helplessly - to be honest, Germans usually don't think of this method. Their straightforward minds don't seem to be so cunning, and they are reluctant to abandon it. In their eyes, supplies and equipment were extremely precious, not to mention the quantity was so large. However, Guderian, the commander, was obviously an anomaly. He made bad moves one after another. Several officers couldn't help but think of his intention to let the Italians leave as much supplies and baggage as possible when they drove them away. Could it be that the commander at that time I thought of the next method, which is really incredible.

"Would the British be willing to take the bait without real information? Look, the British army is here now, isn't it?" Guderian smiled calmly, "That's almost it. Send a signal to the troops!"

Brigadier General Brown, who was enjoying afternoon tea in the headquarters and waiting for the next combat instructions, suddenly heard roars in the distance. The sound sounded like the sound of tanks moving. He asked the adjutant doubtfully: "Weren't they taking a break just now? ?I didn’t let them take the next step.”

The adjutant pricked up his ears and listened, then went out to take a look, and reported back: "This is not the sound of our tanks. They are still resting. This sound seems to be coming from far away in the west, and they also find it strange."

Brown turned his inquiring gaze to Richardson who was swallowing pastries in the corner: "Captain, is he one of yours?"

Richardson pricked up his ears and listened. The roaring sound became more obvious and there were obviously a lot of them. He also shook his head in confusion: "I have put the reconnaissance company on standby. Most of them are near the headquarters and warehouse. , it shouldn’t move.”

"Then where is this tank?" Brigadier General Brown stood up irritably, frowned and said to himself, "Could it be that the 1st Brigade of Free France, which was detouring from the south, arrived? But they should encounter the Germans Minefield, why are you moving so quickly? I just received the news and arrived! Maybe the division commander came with other troops of the division, but the sound clearly came from the west... You go and ask. Ask clearly."

"Sir, sir, it's bad, the enemy, the enemy... is coming from the west." At this moment, a tank commander stumbled into the headquarters and spread the bad news everywhere.

This sentence was like a bolt from the blue, shocking everyone present. Brown was so surprised that he sat down and asked rudely: "What, where did the enemy come from? Didn't the Germans retreat? Don't look at it. Wrong." He was still taking a chance at this moment, thinking that the reconnaissance company had just searched the surroundings and found nothing. How could they find the enemy after just a while. If the small unit may have slipped through the net, such a loud noise must be quite powerful. Could it be that the troops on our side have misunderstood each other?

He glared at Richardson, who looked completely confused and didn't seem to have a clue. While he was talking, a "boom" of artillery began to sound, followed by a loud explosion, and then an even louder roar. That was the brigade's tanks moving into action.

"It's really the enemy!" Brigadier General Brown was also anxious now. He took off the helmet on his head and rushed out of the door without hesitation. While running, he issued orders to his men, "Quick, quick, use the German fortifications to defend. "

"Yes!" The chief of staff was about to issue an order when he suddenly reacted, "Sir, no! The German fortifications are all facing the east, but the enemy is coming from the west now. We cannot count on these fortifications. In addition, we in the fortifications The weapons had not yet been deployed, and the soldiers were not familiar with the original German weapons!"

"What? Then retreat quickly."

"Where?"

There are minefields to the north and south. To the west, you are hitting the enemy's gun. You can only go east - retreat towards the road you came from. Although the situation is urgent, Brigadier General Brown's reaction is not slow, "Quick, quick, Exit the center of Tel Akakir, retreat to the open areas of the two mountains first, tell the division commander that there is an ambush here, and ask him to come up as soon as possible to reinforce us..."