Bismarck

If there is a battle merit assessment and I get a bonus, I have to save it to buy her things, such as snacks, toys, paints and brushes. There is no way, Lindman sighed, his battleship just likes these weird things.

Although I have never seen any of the things she drew, I am still curious.

In fact, what he and Bei Zhai pursue are similar, and they are both very simple.

Chapter 464: Go forward, keep going forward!

In the area north of Mount Alanhafa, nearly three thousand Axis soldiers were rushing forward along the bumpy coastal highway along with a group of cars towing artillery carts loaded with supplies.

They are the reinforcements that came by train from Mersa Matruh, 260 kilometers away!

Although the railway from Matruh to El Alamein had an extremely pitiful transportation capacity of only 300 tons of supplies per day on average due to the lack of carriages and locomotives, as well as bombing and blasting by the British army!

The concept of 300 tons of supplies is that this train can only carry these 3,000 officers and soldiers at most, and there will not be much transportation capacity left!

As for what Rommel said about transporting trains from the European continent... considering the pitiful loading capacity of the Matruh port, and the frequent visits of British bombers, and a locomotive weighing 120 tons, is this feasible? !

The only good thing was that the train had been taken at night, and the fighting was in full swing at the front, so the Royal Air Force had not bothered to bomb the train. Now, although it was daybreak, they had already arrived at the front.

Look, the battlefield ahead is already in full swing...

The reinforcements quickly joined the attacking German and Italian troops...

======================

This is already the edge of the farmland in the Nile Delta, and farmland has begun to appear. Under the irrigation of the Nile River, the soil here is the kind of loose and soft muddy soil. The dense ditches and rivers, as well as the soil that has been irrigated for a long time, are one of the most unsuitable places for the use of armored forces! Except for a few deserts and salt fields along the coast, and a limited number of roads, there is basically no space for tank troops to display their power!

However, to the northeast of the breakthrough, five kilometers southeast of Hammam City, there is a Gobi desert that was originally a salt field. Although several canals were opened and several acres of farmland were dug, it was generally easy to pass.

However, that is the defense range of the British 1st Armored Division...

So, there is one more thing to do now...

That is to eliminate the biggest obstacle: the British 1st Armored Division!

"The Afrika Korps calls the German Mediterranean Fleet! Request to bombard the western section of the British positions between Mount Alanhafa and the city of Hammam! Cover the 90th Light Division and the Afrika Korps to join forces!"

"Bismarck received!"

"Tirpitz understands!"

Although it was badly wounded, the Bismarck was indeed a powerful battleship! With the assistance of two Italian light cruisers, its firepower was extremely fierce!

Not to mention, to the north of Mount Alanhafa, the 90th Light Division and the Italian Trento Motorized Infantry Division had joined forces and attacked!

Although the 4200th Light Division only had three tanks left, when combined with the Italian Trento Division and nearly reinforcements, the total strength reached people!

Moreover, according to Rommel's previous order, these 88 people had already pulled all the trucks that could be driven, dragging almost all the heavy weapons that could be moved: 37 anti-tank guns, field guns, three mm anti-aircraft guns, five mm anti-aircraft guns...

The British 125st Armored Division in front of them still had about men and tanks left. In addition, in the bunkers of the preset positions, even under the suppression of the artillery fire of the Grapes, they still preserved a dozen heavy artillery. But...

The distance is too close! It is only 150 kilometers away from the shoal! And 152 kilometers is the maximum range of the mm secondary guns of the two German battleships and the mm main guns of the Italians! !

Behind them, the 2500 tanks and soldiers of the African Corps, who had already penetrated the British frontal defense line! ! Under the cover of the fleet of aircraft that attacked at all costs at Deba Airport, and the cover of large numbers of smoke bombs, they directly concentrated all their forces and launched a desperate attack on the st Armored Division!

Although in just one hour, the African Corps had lost about 3100 men and a quarter of its tanks out of men and tanks, but with the support of the battleships' bombardment, the momentum of the attack was unstoppable! !

In particular, under the guided artillery shells, the bunkers on the positions that were originally more than enough to defend against field heavy artillery were now vulnerable!

Not to mention, the defense line at the back had already been opened, and what was being defended now was just a temporary position simply built with a ditch!

"It's open! It's open! Brothers, charge!!"

"Rush!!"

"kill!!"

The German army gathered into a fist and rushed towards the 1st Armored Division from the north and south!

The brutal air battle in the sky was still going on, with an average of one squadron of aircraft coming in for an air strike every half an hour. However, the battlefield was still in a chaotic battle, and in the thick smoke, it was difficult to distinguish between the enemy and the enemy with the naked eye. In addition, a new round of German fighters that took off from Deba Airport had also arrived at the battlefield, and the anti-aircraft firepower of the two Axis armies that had joined forces did not gain much advantage.

Although the British 1st Armored Division was still fighting bravely, and the British positions on the side of the breakthrough were still attacking the breakthrough, trying to close it again, under the bombardment of the German-Italian joint fleet, all the British officers and soldiers who dared to get out of the bunkers quickly fell to the ground with shrapnel all over their bodies, and turned into blood mud that merged into the earth...

Finally, at about 1941 o'clock in the morning on August 8, 13, the Axis forces in the north and south broke through the last line of defense of the British Army and began to converge with cheers! !

The British 1st Armored Division was split into two halves, leaving behind the wreckage of dozens of tanks. Amid the bombardment of the naval fleet and the pursuit of German soldiers, it retreated to the small town of Hammam in the east and the Australian 6th Division in the south.

Looking at these groups of soldiers crying with joy after reuniting, Rommel felt as if there was sand in his eyes again...

"Commander-in-Chief! Commander-in-Chief!"

I heard a voice calling me from not far away. I turned around and saw it was the commander of the 90th Light Armored Division. I grinned and went to meet him.

The reunion of comrades-in-arms is always so touching.

The African Legion has finally reunited...

Looking at the African Corps that had already gathered together and the British army that was retreating, Rommel could no longer suppress the crazy plan in his heart...

Abandoning the situation that could have been stabilized, leaving only a small number of troops with a certain amount of firepower to defend Mount Alanhafa. He led the main force of the African Corps, which had now been united and carried some ammunition and supplies, ten armored engineering vehicles, twenty-five modified Type 150 tanks, twenty-one long-barreled Type 88 tanks, twenty anti-tank guns, thirty-two field guns, twelve 37mm heavy guns, four mm anti-aircraft guns, and eight mm anti-aircraft guns, taking advantage of the fact that the first-line British troops had just been defeated and the second-line British reinforcements had not yet arrived, and rushed forward!

First, take advantage of the chaos to break into the city of Hammam, and then, under the cover of the fleet, rush along the seawall!

Although, the consequence of doing so is that the situation that could have ended with a tactical B victory has turned into a desperate gamble!

but...

Rommel seemed to always feel that even in this lifetime, he might only have this one chance to enter Alexandria, seize control of the eastern Mediterranean, and then use it as a base to control the Suez Canal...

There are still two and a half bases of fuel and seven bases of ammunition left...

This is a life-or-death gamble!

The glory of military exploits, the strategic judgment, and the fighting spirit of the soldiers are all calling upon the soul of the Desert Fox.

The smile of reunion on Rommel's face gradually turned into a high-spirited smile:

"Brothers, our mission is not over yet!..."

The tanks continued to run on their tracks, rolling over the edge of the desert and heading towards the city of Hammam...

=============

"What? Even the 1st Armored Division was defeated?!"

In the British headquarters, Auchinleck was a little uneasy.

"Yes... the Germans are now chasing after the 1st Armored Division..."

"There are still fortifications over there. It's only been a few hours..."

"Admiral, there is nothing we can do. The German fleet's artillery fire is too brutal. Even our core strongholds, which are built with reinforced concrete more than two meters thick, can't withstand it... and their fire is also very accurate... It is because their artillery fire is too accurate that we lost so miserably..."

"...Tsk, miscalculated." Auchinleck walked back and forth for a few times, scratched his head, and then asked: "What is Rommel doing now?"

"Now they are moving towards the city of Hammam, and they seem to want to seize it, and then fight their way into Alexandria along the main road..."

"I see... This is the best thing for them. Rommel is going to do this after all..." Auchinleck breathed a sigh of relief: "How is the Indian 4th Division now? The Germans should not be chasing them anymore, right?"

"We're not chasing them anymore, but we're still trying to contain and reorganize them. I guess we won't be able to fight for some time..."

"What about the Seventh Armored Division and the Australian Sixth Division?"

"Commander, they have already joined forces, but now they are blocked by the troops of the First Armored Division who are withdrawing from the southeast through a small road. The transportation group of the General Staff is now directing the traffic..."

Auchinleck held his forehead with a headache. It seemed that his troops could not participate in the battle for the time being.

Then, only...

"Report to the commander, General Leclerc, the commander of the 1st Armored Division of the Free French, has sent a report! They and the 1st South African Division are on the Cairo-El Alamein highway. The vanguard can reach the battlefield in three hours at most, and the main force can arrive in four hours!"

"Eh?" Auchinleck turned around with a funny expression on his face: "I was just about to ask them where they were."

Chapter 465: Just Luck

Over there, Rommel, under the cover of the battleships' bombardment, broke through the defenses of the British 1st Armored Division and began to attack the town of Hammam. At the same time, Zeppelin was also dealing with his own opponent...

"The First Reconnaissance Squadron of Crete reports that at 6:35, the reconnaissance aircraft discovered a British aircraft carrier formation! Two aircraft carriers and about six escort warships are located about 100 kilometers due north of Alexandria, heading northwest at a speed of about knots!"

As the communications staff loudly reported the enemy's coordinates, several combat staff officers quickly marked the position, speed and course of the British aircraft carrier force on the nautical chart. Then, according to the speed and course of the enemy fleet when it was discovered, they marked the expected activity area and calculated its relationship with their own positions.

Zeppelin took a look at the position of the British aircraft carrier. With her ability, she naturally calculated the distance, time and other parameters in an instant, and then even drafted a battle plan.

And now, with Bontai's approval and order, the Zeppelin aircraft carrier is about to prepare a wave of attack aircraft!

He looked at the operational staff lying on the chart table, and then looked out the porthole. He saw that the flight deck under the morning sun was busy with operations. While the flight deck was not occupied with takeoff and landing operations, one plane after another was brought to the operation area of ​​the flight deck.

Several planes that had previously bombed the British minelayers have returned. Although the three minelayers have a speed of up to 40 knots, how can they possibly compete with planes in speed?

As for these minelayers, it would have been fine to track or even harass them while the British aircraft carriers and land-based air force were putting pressure on Zeppelin, but three teams of nine Stukas were dispatched to carry out a round of bombing, which turned the three minelayers into disabled people.

Of the nine Stukas dispatched, only two were damaged.

The injured minelayer couldn't run fast, and was soon caught up by the Duke of Abruzzi cruiser of Dazzara, and was sent to the bottom of the sea one by one!

And because of the close distance, the landed Stuka only needs to add a little more fuel and hang bombs before it can attack again!

Eight BF-109s, six FW-190s with torpedoes, and eighteen JU-87s with heavy bombs were ready soon. In the hangar, the twelve FW-190s on duty were also waiting for this wave of releases to go into battle.

"Captain, the Duke of Abruzzi cruiser has sent a communication, General Dazzara has forwarded a report from the Italian Navy Headquarters! The Italian Eighth Squadron in the Dodecanese Islands has come to reinforce! The Montecucoli cruiser and three destroyers are expected to arrive in El Alamein early tomorrow morning! In addition, the Italian Navy has sent the main fleet and transport team to reinforce!!" The communications staff ran in and reported to Bonte and Zeppelin.

"Yes, I got it." Bangtai nodded and signaled the communications staff officer to go down.

"Are there really reinforcements?" Even Zeppelin was a little stunned at this moment.

"It has come to this point. It would be unreasonable not to send reinforcements. The leader of our ally doesn't look stupid, and his reaction is quite fast." Bonte smiled, turned his head and continued to say to Zeppelin: "...and the destroyers under General Dazara only have 36% of fuel...so, the British aircraft carriers must be destroyed!"

"We must destroy it! Only by destroying the British aircraft carrier can we gain control of the sea!!"

Zeppelin nodded heavily.

Although they suffered heavy losses, the aircraft carrier Indefatigable and the light aircraft carrier Hermes, which still maintained a certain combat effectiveness, were probably watching his every move with indifference.

Moreover, those were two aircraft carriers after all. For the Italian reinforcement fleet without aircraft carriers, the suppression effect was very obvious.

Moreover, in actual combat, it is common sense to first knock out the opponent's aircraft carrier that poses the greatest threat...

“…They are about 240 kilometers away from us, and judging from their direction, they are probably preparing to launch a fleet of aircraft… So, you will lead the team yourself! And you must also arrange a team of escort aircraft!…” Having made up his mind and reached a consensus, Bangtai quickly approved Zeppelin’s battle plan.

"Well, the main body of the Zeppelin aircraft carrier is now in your hands!"

The Iceberg Ghost Instructor saluted and retreated.

After emergency repairs, the damage to the Warspite was under control.

On the bridge of the Warspite, Secretary Belle was accompanying Cunningham, assisting the admiral of her own garrison in dispatching the entire battle situation, and was also responsible for sending and receiving battle reports from various units...

"…The Servant-class minelayer reported that it was bombed by ten carrier-based aircraft launched by Zeppelin. One of them sank and two were seriously damaged. It was unable to escape the pursuit of the Axis cruisers and sent a farewell message. In addition, their last report said that Zeppelin's position was in the X sea area, heading 315 degrees northwest, and the speed was 36 knots... At 8:13 in the morning of August ..."

Another piece of bad news, War-weary's tone was a little low.

"…What time is it now?"

"Seven o'clock..."

“…Everyone is doing their job well…” Cunningham sighed, not in a very good mood.

After all, the opponents are three ship girls, and they are protected by the Italian Navy...

War-weary stood aside, head down, not saying a word, just standing there quietly.

Apart from processing some battle reports and combat intelligence, she was still doing her job as a secretary ship diligently and responsibly, and War-weary didn't want to say anything.

Although she was a battle-hardened shipgirl, and although she had caused heavy damage to the Bismarck, she and the Bismarck were not at a disadvantage...

But, it’s just a little bit of luck!

The ammunition depot was penetrated by a single shot, and the massive flooding made the rear main gun unusable, and the left main shaft was blown up... and its two sister ships, the eldest sister Queen Elizabeth, was actually killed by Zeppelin's single backstab! The last remaining Warrior was no match for Bismarck in the artillery battle, and now it was dragged at the end of its own team, even more embarrassed than itself...

Being defeated by a powerful enemy from an enemy country must be very frustrating...

Seeing his wife like this, Cunningham stepped forward and stretched out his hand, with a smile that showed indifference to honor, disgrace, life and death, he brushed away the hair in front of Yan Zhan's forehead:

"…What's wrong? Because I didn't defeat Bismarck? Or are you afraid that Churchill will use me as a scapegoat?"

War-weary did speak, although his tone couldn't hide his depression...

"…No, I just feel that with so many casualties, if we can't kill those German crew members, it would be too unfair to the casualties and the sunken warship…"

"Yeah..." Cunningham also sighed, but soon put on a funny smile again: "However, although we can't directly participate in the war, we can still make plans here."

"Now the Indomitable and Hermes commanded by (Mediterranean Naval Aviation Commander) Major General Lister are still capable of fighting. We can integrate various intelligence and resources to support them in their operations." Looking at War-weary's stubborn eyes, Cunningham smiled and smoothed her hair: "And can't you monitor Bismarck's communications? We can go to General Arthur Tedder and General Auchinleck to report this intelligence?"