The Rise of the Third Reich

"Colonel, look, the British are rushing out of Swath Town! There are about dozens, no, at least 100 cruise tanks!"

"It doesn't matter, the Weasel tank destroyer and No. 3 assault gun will take care of them."

The ambush on the potato fields outside the town of Svos was just the beginning. It was three patrol cruise tanks on guard. After they exchanged fire with the German Panzer 3 tank trying to make a roundabout, the ambush was just the beginning. The Crusader tanks that had been huddled in the town of Sworth also rushed out one after another, and the 12 M7 self-propelled artillery that followed the Crusader tanks also began to fire 105mm grenades.

Colonel Wink, who was on a wheeled armored command vehicle, had already anticipated this situation - the British would not be willing to be surrounded. Therefore, the 60 Weasel tank destroyers and the No. 3 assault gun driving several hundred meters away on the left side of the No. 3 tank convoy immediately turned around, aimed their powerful 4-cannon at the British cruise tank, and then began to fire violently .

Boom boom boom!

The few Crusader cruise tanks that rushed at the front were immediately exposed. Although the British thickened the armor defense of the Crusader tanks after the Mediterranean Campaign, no matter how hard these thin-skinned guys were reinforced, they would not be able to defeat them. It couldn't stop the bombardment of 4 guns.

However, the British quickly retaliated, and their 2-pound (40mm) cannon was not weak in armor-piercing capabilities. Among the tanks/assault artillery currently in active service in the German Wehrmacht, the 80mm armor on the front of the No. 4 tank H-type and the No. 3 assault gun can withstand.

However, the British have already figured out the general armor defense of various German tanks/assault guns. All the Crusader tanks on the battlefield today avoided firing No. 3 assault guns, and regarded No. 3 amphibious tanks and 38t airborne tanks as He fired fiercely at the target and achieved many results. Planes from both sides rushed over the battlefield within 30 minutes of the fighting, bombing and fighting each other. The plain west of Swath Town suddenly became a cemetery for British and German tanks!

While the tanks/self-propelled artillery and aircraft on both sides were fighting, the infantry were also taking action.

"Quick, quick, follow up!" Lieutenant Skorzeny jumped out of a truck, carrying an FG42 paratrooper rifle, and shouted to the soldiers behind him, "Don't let the British infantry escape! "

There is no doubt that the British infantry in Swarth Town will definitely run away. Otherwise, those Crusader cruise tanks would not have rushed out to engage in a firefight with the terrifying German tanks - Colonel Walter Wenk had figured out the British mind. They will either be unable to get out, or they will use Crusader cruise tanks to cover the infantry retreat.

Therefore, while Wenck sent the tank group to make a detour, he also sent Lieutenant General Sussman to several of his paratrooper battalions (including the Moonlight Squadron) and an anti-tank company (belonging to the anti-tank battalion of the 7th Airborne Division). Got out. They are not required to block the British's retreat, which would cause the British to retreat to Swarth Town and stand firm. The British vanguard troops holding on to Swarth Town was actually Colonel Wink's biggest headache, because his troops were limited and he simply could not spare enough men to surround a brigade-level armored group.

Therefore, the task of the paratroopers was only to flank the British troops retreating along the roads and railways. It didn't matter how many they killed, as long as they made the British flee in panic. As soon as the British ran away, Colonel Wenke would lead his troops in pursuit. With a louder momentum, he might be able to scare the British 12th Army into fleeing back to Northern Ireland.

"English convoy! They're on the road!"

Lieutenant Skorzeny looked up and saw trucks driving out of the town of Svos one after another.

"Disperse the formation, and the infantry platoons turn into assault formation and advance towards the road! The mortar team unfolds and fires towards the road!" Lieutenant Skorzeny was chased all the way from Dundalk by the British army in front of him. When they arrived in Dublin, many of their comrades-in-arms were beaten to death by them, and now it was more or less like enemies were extremely jealous when they met.

Although there were only a hundred or so paratroopers left in his Moonlight Squadron, they made a big splash when they opened fire - they each had an FG42! Although this gun is called a "rifle," it can definitely produce the power of a light machine gun when fired.

More than a hundred light machine guns, that's the firepower that only one regiment can have! The British infantry retreating along the road was immediately beaten and suffered heavy casualties.

At the same time, 12 75mm LG40 recoilless rifles belonging to the 1st Company of the 7th Anti-Tank Battalion also fired. Although this recoilless rifle is attached to the anti-tank battalion, it can also be used to support infantry. Moreover, this artillery is very light. Krupp used a large number of expensive light alloys to manufacture them, so that its total combat weight is only 145 kilograms. It can also be installed on a very flexible gun mount, and it is very easy to move and deploy. easy.

The explosion of artillery shells and the sound of continuous firing from FG42 quickly reached the headquarters of the British 29th Armored Brigade in the town of Swasworth.

The 29th Armored Brigade is commanded by Major General Phillips. His 29th Armored Brigade is not yet in full force. It is missing a heavy tank regiment (equipped with Churchill Type 2 tanks), an artillery regiment and some other ancillary units. However, it is still missing. There are more cavalry regiments (actually motorized infantry) that originally belonged to the 3rd Infantry Division. There are a total of 1 tank regiment and 2 motorized infantry regiments, with a strength of nearly 7,000 people, which is no better than the German army who wanted to "encircle" them. few people.

However, the Crusader cruise tanks were beaten to the point of bursting into flames and explosions (the German losses were actually not small), and the infantry retreating along the road were flanked by "several" German infantry regiments. This man, who had commanded as early as World War I, was immediately The British major general who passed the tank company panicked.

The confidence in victory accumulated through consecutive battles and victories is gone. They even begin to suspect that the previous victory was a trap by the Germans. This is very possible. The Germans are invincible in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Why? Could it have been defeated so easily by the 29th Armored Brigade?

"Quickly send power to the division headquarters. We were attacked by at least one German armored division in Swath Town. The 29th Armored Brigade is likely to be surrounded by the enemy." Major General Phillips frowned and said to the staff beside him, "Request immediately Send troops to support our retreat!"

…

"At least one armored division?" Montgomery was also startled by the news. "Is it possible that what was transported to Cock Bay on May 3 was an armored division? But today is only May 4th. One armored division in one day. Just finishing the unloading work and arriving in Dublin, aren’t the Germans too efficient?”

"Bernard, the most important thing now is to send troops to meet the 29th Armored Brigade. We cannot lose this brigade." General Alexander said to Montgomery.

General Alexander, who was 5 years younger than Montgomery but much more prosperous in his official career, now personally went to sit at the headquarters of the 12th Army in Dundalk, actually intervening in command.

"Of course, of course we can't lose the 29th Brigade." Montgomery was already timid, but after hearing what General Alexander said, he didn't dare to take risks.

He immediately said to the chief of staff, Major General Rich: "Let the 22nd Armored Brigade and the 3rd Infantry Division move forward faster! Then order the 29th Armored Brigade to organize a breakout immediately and be sure to join the 22nd Armored Brigade before the German encirclement closes. Request again The Royal Air Force sends fighter planes to support the 29th Armored Brigade’s breakout!”

After the order was passed on, Montgomery and Alexander looked at each other, and the faces of the two British generals were a little unhappy.

Montgomery suggested: "General, after the 29th Armored Division successfully breaks through, the troops should retreat to Drogheda first, and then deploy defenses along the Boyne River. Wait for the Germans to attack first, and then we can counterattack after their attack is frustrated. "

Defensive counterattack is the tactic that the British Army is better at, and it must have an absolutely superior force to defeat the Germans.

Alexander nodded and approved Montgomery's suggestion, "It seems that we need more troops so that we can achieve a key victory in Ireland!"

…

"What? The 29th Armored Brigade stood out?"

Late at night on May 4, the good news reached the British War Cabinet Headquarters underground on King Charles Street.

"It has already stood out, and the losses were not great. Less than 100 cruise tanks were lost, and the loss of personnel was less than 1,000."

After receiving an affirmative answer, Fatty Qiu let out a long breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead - it was not the sweat that came out of urgency, but the sweat that came from heat. It's May now, and it's not a good life for him, a fat man, to stay in a stuffy basement all day long.

"In addition, Major General Phillips also reported that the 29th Armored Brigade destroyed at least 60 German tanks and self-propelled artillery during today's battle."

"100:60... This exchange ratio is acceptable." Churchill said this, but he didn't believe it in his heart. After losing 100 cruise tanks, it was considered good to achieve 30 results.

"Mr. Prime Minister, the two sides are currently out of contact. Our 29th Armored Brigade and 22nd Armored Brigade have contracted to the Boyne River area according to General Montgomery's order. General Alexander and General Montgomery are preparing to fight the Germans there. They hope to be reinforced by at least one armored division and two motorized infantry divisions."

"Okay, reinforce immediately, give 2 armored divisions and 4 motorized infantry divisions first!" Churchill decided to double the reinforcements. In this way, the British army in the Irish battlefield will increase from 14 divisions (including 8 divisions of the 12th Army) to 20 divisions, with a total strength of 350,000.

"Where is the Soviet intelligence chief?" Churchill lit a cigar, took two puffs and asked again.

"Just arrived in Belfast."

Fatty Qiu exhaled the smoke, smiled and said, "We must let the Russians see our reinforcements."