Bismarck

"Calling the battleship Tirpitz! A large British bunker has been spotted at coordinates XXX.XXX! Are there any firepower points around it...?"

The radio operators assigned to the tank troops had barely finished speaking when shells fell from the sky and blew up the large bunkers one by one! Without the anti-tank guns in the core bunkers, the small bunkers on the periphery that only had machine guns and barbed wire could not deal with tanks at all!

One after another, the Type 4 tanks were lined up in a reckless horizontal formation, running over the barbed wire that had been blown into a mess, protecting the infantry behind the vehicles who were ready to fight with flamethrowers and blasting tubes, and drove to the bunkers that were trembling with machine guns...

Bunker after bunker was destroyed like this...

The British Army's second line of defense at El Alamein was easily broken! Although the British strongholds had been destroyed into ruins, the remaining walls and trenches could still be used as support points and support for the German Army!

In this way, five or six strongholds were conquered one after another - in fact, there was no need for too many breakthroughs. As long as the width of the breakthrough was more than 3000 meters, the anti-tank artillery positions on both sides would no longer be able to block the breakthrough!

Even though there were only 3,000 people left in the African Legion at this time, the small number of people actually brought the advantage of greater flexibility!

Three thousand men and three hundred vehicles were ready. If they wanted to break through a three-kilometer-wide breach, they only needed to rush through in one go according to the pre-deployed formation! But a fully equipped army with tens of thousands of people, thousands of vehicles, and hundreds of tanks could be deployed over ten kilometers wide, and the defense depth could reach more than ten kilometers. It was equivalent to a division scattered in various strongholds and bunkers. It was not easy to coordinate the actions of all the troops at once and turn the corner from blocking to pursuit!

The British Army was world-famous for its conservatism and slow response. Even though Auchinleck himself had strong abilities and could lead his troops to make various quick responses under normal circumstances, he did not have the ability to accurately micro-manage and command those troops who were already under great pressure when the defense line was shaky...

Moreover, Auchinleck was not aware that Tirpitz was actually using the last few high-explosive shells of its main guns... But the average reaction time was less than one minute, and the artillery fire was extremely accurate. This made Auchinleck, who had served in the army for many years and even overestimated the "German Evil Spirit-class battleship that forced the death of Sir Riedel, the Governor and Garrison Commander of Gibraltar", realize that he had underestimated it when the time came...

To be honest, under normal circumstances, the defense of the troops can be increased by three to ten times! After all, the fortress can have machine guns, anti-tank guns, and firepower networks that can support each other. However, no matter how strong the tank is, it is only the front, and the side does not have much defense! Besides, even in the front, the tank is not as strong as the fortress!

But there happened to be a hamster causing trouble in Germany...

If the Hamster minesweeper hadn't named those sturdy bunkers one by one, it would not have been difficult for the British army to hold on thanks to their strong fortifications. But now it was the Tirpitz that used her extremely accurate bombardment, and under the command of Lindemann, she switched armor-piercing shells, high-explosive shells and secondary artillery shells from time to time, relying on the plan coordinated with the African Corps in advance, and took advantage of the small gap before the main force of the British Air Force came to bomb, and she had to name the bunkers and artillery positions in the second line of defense more than ten kilometers deep one by one!

“…Tirpitz…Tirpitz…!” Even though he was usually gentle and polite, Auchinleck couldn’t help but become ferocious with anger.

"Order the Seventh Armored Division to hold back Rommel at all costs! Also, order the First Armored Division to launch a full-scale attack, except for the troops defending the Alanhafa Pass! Also, call all the airports! Order them to send planes! Bomb the German army!!"

"Yes!!"

Chapter 463: Finally Reunited

“…Yes, right here, lower the buoy.”

In the shallow area at the entrance of the Gulf of Alamein, two German ship-borne transport boats were leaning against each other, and in an area where the water surface had turned a faintly visible orange-yellow color due to dye bullets, they were laying channel buoys.

On one of the transport boats, the sailors, under the command of the chief petty officer, lifted the heavy buoy with great effort and threw it into the sea.

"Hoo, it's done." The sergeant took a breath and looked at the warships that had sailed far behind him. The Bismarck, the first Persian cat-class minesweeper with a displacement of 50,000 tons, which could sweep the sea, shoot, and explode mines instantly, and sweep 350 meters of mines per minute, led the way, followed by two Italian light cruisers and two Italian destroyers. Although the Italian warships and their work boats that placed safety channel buoys looked in the direction of a minesweeper in the Gulf of Alamein, they all looked like they were watching a drama...

But... at least the channel was cleared, right? And it was two kilometers wide!

It is completely safe within the range of the 81mm mortar's high-charge long shells. Isn't it?

Although thinking about it, it is not strange now. Living on this mysterious battleship every day, even the pastor has changed his profession to believe in Satan...

Retracting his thoughts, the Chief Petty Officer shook his head as he watched the battleship sail away.

"The minefield channel buoys have been placed, let's withdraw!"

"Yes!"

They walked and walked back to the boat. What happened next had little to do with them.

----

On the edge of the North African coastal desert under the rising sun, a salon of yellow sand and dust is galloping at high speed across the African land!

Under the bombardment of Tirpitz, the Afrika Korps had already torn through the defenses of the British 7th Armored Division! These were the last 3,000 soldiers of the Afrika Korps, and more than 50 tanks!

It can be said that it is a last-ditch effort.

However, the British counterattack was becoming more and more fierce.

In the sky over El Alamein, more and more British aircraft groups are coming from all directions!

After all, there were fourteen or fifteen airports, a total force of seven hundred aircraft, and Royal Air Force reinforcements that continuously arrived at the battlefield, pressing forward layer by layer!

The sky was filled with fighter planes. So many planes were crowded in this small airspace, and battles on the ground and in the air were taking place at the same time.

The pressure is getting tighter and tighter...

The Second Battalion of JG27 is under great pressure...

"Damn, the sky is so crowded!"

"Damn it! They're bringing reinforcements again!"

"Three, be careful! There are two Spitfires coming up behind you!"

"Report! I'm out of ammunition!!"

"You retreat first, I'll cover you!"

"Damn it! I was shot! Ugh..."

“Skydive! Skydive!!!”

"Hu...Hu...Just...go to hell with me!!!"

There was a loud bang, and blood was spilled in the morning sun...

The radio was full of such desperate attacks.

However...

This is of no use...

The British Royal Air Force's absolute force advantage, with a terrifying number of 700, completely suppressed the Axis fighters! Even though the Italian Air Force also sent a team of 202 MC-109 fighters to reinforce, the Royal Air Force still had an absolute advantage of nearly five to one! If the performance of the BF-202F fighter and the MC- fighter was not inferior to that of the British fighter, the air battle would have ended long ago...

The German army was fighting a tough battle in the sky, but the situation on the ground was even worse!

Although the defense line had been broken, countless British planes carrying bombs, anti-tank ammunition dispensers, mines, or even 40mm machine guns roared down at the top of the African Corps with a grim smile!

Bombs and shells fell one after another like hail around cars and tanks! The flames of the planes and machine guns, along with the rain of bullets, scattered dense clumps of flying dust on the ground, with gasoline explosions and bright red blood!

The African Corps suffered heavy casualties during the attack!

In front of the Afrika Korps, there were still some British stragglers from time to time, fighting and retreating tenaciously, trying to delay Rommel's advance as much as possible. And behind the Afrika Korps, two British armored divisions with 20,000 men and 250 tanks, which had turned around, were desperately catching up from the left and right wings!

Although the last ten remaining anti-aircraft guns of the German army - four 88mm guns and six 37mm guns - were constantly changing their positions under the towing of the cars, trying to stay around the large army. Although there were always some cars loaded with soldiers that took the initiative to drive out of the marching column, the soldiers silently jumped out of the cars and replaced the anti-aircraft gunners who suffered heavy casualties. At the same time, they set up machine guns and even rifles around the anti-aircraft guns facing the sky. Moreover, the few Axis fighters in the sky still guarded the sky around the convoy and covered each other with the anti-aircraft guns and persisted in fighting... Even, perhaps, this was the last moment of many young lives...

Sitting in the tank commander's seat, wearing headphones, holding a telescope in one hand and a machine gun in his arms, Rommel watched the tanks and cars galloping around him in the hail of bullets, which were getting fewer and fewer... However, even if his mount was damaged and his comrades-in-arms suffered heavy casualties, the remaining soldiers, some shouted, some cried, but more people just silently dug out their own or their comrades' weapons from the damaged vehicles, and then silently saluted the sacrificed comrades for the last time, then silently turned their heads, picked up their guns, stuffed as much ammunition as possible into their bodies, opened the safety, pulled the bolt, and finally silently, resolutely, and even without hesitation, headed towards the end of the convoy, and waved nonchalantly to the comrades in other vehicles who were shouting for them to get on and take a ride, and walked away in twos and threes between the smoke of the rain of bullets and the dust of the rolling traffic...

Apart from the roar of artillery fire, traffic, and bombing, not a single soldier who turned back made a sound! It was like a moving black and white painting! !

But everyone knows where they are going...

That's where they came from before.

There, is the direction of more than 20,000 British troops pursuing them!

That was also the battlefield they chose for themselves where a soldier would spend the last moments of his life!

No one looked back, no one spoke, they just saluted, raised their guns, turned around, and marched... The soldiers of the African Corps marched without hesitation!

Even though he was a general who was used to seeing life and death, and even though he was already somewhat exhausted from fatigue, stress, and thirst, Rommel still felt his eyes were wet, as if some sand had entered his eyes...

Wiping his eyes, he asked the radio operator sitting in front of the heading machine gun to connect the channel, and Rommel picked up the microphone himself...

"Is it the battleship Tirpitz, General Lindemann?"

"Support, I still need support!"

-----

In the Gulf of Alamein, the situation of the battleship Tirpitz was definitely not much better than that of the Afrika Korps...

Groups of bombers came over and over to bomb the lonely Beizhai! Even the torpedo boats that were repelled before took advantage of the opportunity when the battleship Tirpitz was busy dealing with air strikes and artillery bombardments, and the remaining ten torpedo boats slipped out again to launch a sneak attack!

Although it repelled another joint sea and air attack, the Tirpitz was seriously injured!

The huge battleship on the sea had been hit by seven bombs and even a ramming plane... Although the main guns and speed were not significantly affected, the superstructure had been damaged and smoke was billowing. The secondary guns and anti-aircraft guns on the ship had also been greatly weakened...

And the biggest problem is that the ammunition is exhausted.

"Lindmann, the main gun high-explosive shells have been fired..."

On the bridge of the Tirpitz, Tirpitz tugged at Lindemann's sleeve pitifully.

"What? The main gun shells have been used up?" Lindemann couldn't help but glare, and Tizi shrank back in fear.

But before the hamster could complain, Lindman put away his expression and touched Grape's head the next second.

Well, actually, Lindemann didn’t mean to kill Grapes, he was just under too much pressure and got anxious...

After all, Lindman had no free time at all during these few hours!

Either they were torpedo boats, or they were hiding from air raids, or they were urged to fire... So far, the battleship Tirpitz has been on the front line for three or four hours, and the gun barrels are all red...

Almost all the gun barrels were firing continuously. The amount of ammunition poured out was unimaginable. Tirpitz was also trying his best.

I really tried my best.

"How many shells do we have left?" Looking out the window, although he couldn't actually see, Lindemann knew that of the secondary guns on both sides of him, only three 150 turrets and four 105 turrets combined could be used.

This was the result of Tizi actively operating the anti-aircraft gun and firing desperately into the air. If it was done manually, the ammunition would obviously be consumed faster.

Not long after, the gunner of the Tirpitz reported the remaining ammunition reserves:

"We're out of 380mm high-explosive shells, but we still have 380 150mm armor-piercing shells! We only have less than 105 800mm shells! We only have 37 mm anti-aircraft shells, and we still have a third of mm anti-aircraft shells, but they're being consumed very quickly... At this rate, we'll be out of ammunition in an hour at most..."

"Tsk, damn..." Lindeman spat through gritted teeth. But immediately, the little grape beside him handed him another headset...

"Lindemann, the African Corps is looking for you."

With a sound of "oh", Lindman took the headset...

"...Yes, I'm Lindemann, hello General Rommel...Are you asking how many shells we have left?...I just counted them, and our artillery fire is only enough for another hour at most, and the 380mm main gun has no high-explosive shells...Humph! There are too many of these British people."

"Well... there's nothing we can do about it. Anyway, Tirpitz and I will hold on until the last moment. Don't worry, our ship will hold on until the last shell is fired! There's nothing to say about that!... Okay, bombard the Arab fort? No problem! I still have enough armor-piercing shells!... That's it, I'm dead! Goodbye, and I wish you a safe journey!"

Bon voyage may not be enough, we should wish you good luck.

After hanging up the radio call, Lindemann breathed a sigh of relief: "Tizi, ask your sister Bismarck how she is doing. I'm running out of ammunition..."

"Lindeman, my sisters are here." Tizi spoke before Lindeman finished speaking.

"Are they here? So soon?" Lindman was stunned.

After all, he had been very busy and Tizi was also very busy, so they had no time to care about the situation on the battlefield.

Although think about it, it is hard for Grapes to work so hard...

As Lindmann thought about it, he turned his head and looked behind him. He saw a damaged battleship, carrying two light cruisers and two destroyers, passing through the minefield, just a few kilometers to the north.

However, Bismarck looked obviously in a worse condition.

Looking at the crooked and staggering appearance of the Bismarck battleship, and then looking at the bullet holes all over her body, even the No. 1 main turret is at a strange angle, seemingly stuck there...

shocking!

Another warship rushed out in the hail of bullets.

"Sister! Are you okay?" Seeing Bismarck injured like this, Grapes in WIFI was about to cry...

"It's okay... Tizi, I still have shells, so it won't be a problem if I give you some support."

"But now you have to protect me. I will start the shelling." Bismarck's voice on the WIFI sounded a little weak.

"Yes! I will protect my sister!!" Tizi clenched his fists.

Lindeman felt relieved when he saw this. It seemed that Tizi could still be relied on at the critical moment.

"But first we have to deal with these damn British planes!"

Watching another large group of aircraft appear on the radar screen, Lindemann and Tirpitz, one big and one small, gnashed their teeth at the same time!

The Italian light warships were indeed well-trained, even under the command of Heyer. The two light cruisers, the Duke of Aosta and the (Italian) Prinz Eugen, quickly moved in front of the Bismarck, while the Blackshirt and the Pilot were towing behind the Bismarck.

The Bei Zhai, which was the closest to the British aircraft group, only had two 105 anti-aircraft guns on each side, but when Tizi got serious, the attack efficiency of the anti-aircraft guns was not much worse than that of her sister!

Although the anti-aircraft shells were decreasing rapidly at a speed almost visible to the naked eye.

But this time, she was not alone, and her psychological pressure was much less.

"Sister, Lindemann, Sister Zeppelin, Commander, Bonte..."

The hamster gnashed its teeth, staring at the approaching aircraft, organizing its own anti-aircraft firepower, desperately intercepting the British bombers! One bomber after another, dragging billowing smoke, fell into the sea under her bombardment!

Come to think of it, she must have shot down thirty or forty planes in just this morning, right?

Beside her, Lindemann listened to the reports of the air observers while silently counting the number of Tirpitz for himself...

After all, this is our family's record.