Bismarck

The logistics of the African Corps can be said to have been completely resolved. The 40,000-strong Axis African Corps, under the command of Rommel, began to pursue the retreating British army.

According to the latest battle report before this trip, the city of Rashid at the mouth of the Nile has been captured. Damanhur, an important city in Alexandria leading to Tanta and Cairo, has also been surrounded on three sides by the joint attack of the Axis navy and army.

As for why the navy and the army joined forces... it was because after taking down Rashid, Italy's small-tonnage destroyers and various small transport ships could go upstream in the Nile River and advance hand in hand with the Axis Army along the eastern road from Alexandria to Cairo.

On the desert highway in the west, the three Axis armored divisions that had been heavily reinforced were also suppressing the four disabled Allied armored divisions and the hastily transferred Australian Sixth Division that were struggling on the defense line, making it completely impossible for them to reinforce the attack on the Nile River and the eastern highway.

Although the Nile River was flooded over tens of thousands of years and the Egyptians had been developing agriculture for thousands of years, the banks were full of water networks, swamps and muddy land, making it difficult to deploy heavy equipment, but the Desert Fox had been prepared in advance and specifically requested the cavalry of the Waffen-SS Cavalry Brigade and the Savoy Cavalry Regiment transferred from Europe. After being reinforced with light armored vehicles and anti-tank guns, they were like fish in water in such a densely watered area...

In addition to the 20,000-strong garrison of the Suez Canal that could not be mobilized, although Litchi still had more than 60,000 men under his command, they were either remnants of defeated troops who had suffered heavy losses, or defenders on the defensive line who were pinned down and unable to move. Moreover, they had just suffered a great defeat and their morale was low. If this was not a swampy terrain that was not conducive to the rapid attack of heavy troops, and if the light cavalry troops had questionable survivability in head-on confrontations and lacked the ability to attack tough battles, they would have been rushed all the way to Egypt by Rommel.

All of this, at least the operations at sea, were commanded by his own captain, and he participated in the entire operation.

In fact, I almost got sunk.

And that time, he used his last bit of energy before losing consciousness, and together with the captain, he finally drove his main body to the shallows outside Alexandria Harbor.

Fortunately, cats have nine lives, whether in legend or now.

I feel lucky when I think about this.

What she felt proud and scared about now was that history had been completely rewritten thanks to the efforts of herself, the captain, and her companions.

You know, in the "real" history before she traveled through time, Rommel failed to capture Alexandria, not to mention Alamein. Even in late September 1941, let alone Alamein, the African Corps was probably still around the Tobruk Fortress, looking at the British defenders in the city who were resisting to the end, feeling overwhelmed, right?

How could it be like now? After conquering Alexandria, Rommel could still lead the troops of the African Corps and make great progress in Egypt.

In fact, although this caused the big problem of the United States entering the war early, there was nothing we could do about it...

Anyway, she, who traveled through time, knew very well what the United States was planning. Even now, basically everyone knows what Sima Zhao is planning.

The war will come sooner or later anyway, so it’s better to join the war a few months earlier than later.

But after all, the United States joined the war because it fought too well? The British Navy is now basically in a state of disability, and North Africa can be said to have won a decisive victory.

And throughout the whole process, I followed the captain and everyone else in fighting one hard battle after another, using my battle wounds to fight through every shot.

Thinking about the feeling that history was changed because of my participation, I feel a little excited. Hahaha, but I shouldn’t think like that. I feel a little proud when I think about it.

Unconsciously, I have changed history so much. Maybe in the future, when people talk about me, they will no longer say that I am a short-lived warship, but a famous historical ship with glorious military achievements. I am afraid that I have sunk more than one fleet of British warships.

The devil's battleship, Satan's battleship, these are the names the British gave themselves. When others start to scold you and protest against you, it must be that you are on the road to hegemony, this is true.

Suddenly feeling so excited, the Persian cat just wanted to laugh out loud.

I control my own life!

I am who I am!

Then···

"We've reached the shore, we've gotten off the boat, stop being in a daze."

"Ah... okay, okay..."

The Persian cat, who had completely lost his focus, felt that he had become a useless cat because of his laughter, but immediately, a big hand suddenly patted his head and rubbed it a few times. And next to his ear, he heard the voice of his captain urging him.

Well, before I decide, the captain has to decide.

Indirect daydreaming and distraction has become a common occurrence for secretaries, and people around them are used to it.

-----

The startled Bismarck jumped and crawled from the ship to the dock like a frightened Persian cat. After jumping up, a certain Persian cat with conditioned reflexes realized that something seemed to be wrong. Turning around, he saw the soldiers and dock staff around him with different expressions, and the Mediterranean Fleet Command staff who were familiar with him wanted to laugh but didn't dare to laugh, and their faces were red, and his captain had a helpless expression...

What happened... Bismarck, who had just come to his senses, was a little confused.

It seems like... I was daydreaming first, and then I was frightened when the captain told me to get off the ship... and then I jumped back up...

Should I say that I am agile?

Before I knew it, I was the first one to go ashore, and the other side didn't even have a welcoming gangway.

I blinked twice in bewilderment before I realized what was happening. And...it seemed...like just now...

Bismarck quickly turned around and covered his face...

I made a fool of myself...

And so many people saw it...

Uh...

===On the way to find Rommel, Bismarck kept burying his head in embarrassment===

"...So, the Mediterranean Fleet's main battleship has completed its mission and is now preparing to withdraw to Crete for rest and repairs?"

In the headquarters, Rommel asked Lütjens.

"Yes, the fleet's mission here has basically been completed. However, several battleships have suffered heavy losses. Bismarck and Tirpitz were both injured. Although Zeppelin is still okay, the loss of carrier-based aircraft is very heavy. In addition, the consumption of battleships and aircraft carriers is too great, so we have to go back to replenish them."

Lütjens also nodded with a slightly relaxed look.

"To be honest, I really have to thank you for your cooperation in the past few months. The victory of the North African campaign is very much thanks to you and the Axis Allied naval forces you led. If we rely on ourselves, we may not even be able to get through El Alamein in this battle." Rommel didn't say anything, but simply extended his hand: "General Lütjens, it's a pleasure to cooperate with you. I hope we can have the opportunity to continue to cooperate with you in the future!"

"Me too. It's a pleasure to work with you." Lütjens also stretched out his hand and shook hands with Rommel tightly.

Bismarck, who was standing aside, was somewhat moved when he saw this scene.

After all, from Tobruk to now, they have been comrades fighting side by side for the past few months, and together they have defeated the powerful British Middle East-North Africa theater.

Such a friendship is enough to explain everything, this is the friendship between men!

Chapter 519: Three Homeless People...

In late September 111, an HE-1941 passenger plane painted with the German Air Force logo and equipped with a tail gun, flapped its iron wings in the blue sky, flew over the continuous and dangerous mountains of the Balkan Peninsula, and flew towards the German capital of Berlin.

This plane was specially arranged by Marshal Kesselring. The passenger plane, which could only carry 14 people, was now filled with people in military uniforms.

Admiral Lütjens, commander of the Mediterranean Fleet of the Greater German Empire, Rear Admiral Bonte, captain of the aircraft carrier Zeppelin, Major Bismarck, secretary of the commander of the Mediterranean Fleet, Lieutenant Colonel Zeppelin, commander of the GR-186 Wing and commander of the BF-109 fighter group, Lieutenant Colonel Barr, commander of the FW-190 fighter-bomber group, Lieutenant Colonel Tinolt, commander of the JU-87 dive bomber group, and several other pilots. In addition, there are several large boxes of documents, maps and archives, all of which are about the combat records of the German Mediterranean Fleet in the past few months and related information collected in the Mediterranean and North Africa, which are to be taken back to the Navy Department for filing as confidential files.

Among the entire Mediterranean Fleet's top brass, only Lindemann and Haye are left to look after the house.

Haye was responsible for dispatching the entire eastern Mediterranean's shipping and escort forces, while Lindemann was responsible for staying behind in the Mediterranean Fleet Command.

The Bismarck battleship needs a major overhaul for several months. It has undergone a simple repair in a temporary anchorage in Crete. Now it has been towed by its sister Tirpitz as a tugboat from Crete to the deepest part of the Adriatic Sea, near the (former) Austrian border, to the CDRA shipyard in Trieste for a major overhaul. As the parent factory of the Italian battleship Veneto, this large shipyard has sufficient technical capabilities and equipment to repair the Bismarck.

The Zeppelin aircraft carrier also needs to replenish its flight squadron - because of the consumption of war and the need for the modification of the "Europa" aircraft carrier, according to Goering's order, Bar, Tinault, and several other veteran pilots of the GR-186 wing will be transferred back to the German Pilot Training Academy to use their experience to train the new pilots.

This suggestion was made by Zeppelin himself. Even if it would temporarily reduce the combat effectiveness of the frontline troops, it would still be able to meet the needs of a longer-term war.

Although the German aviation school may not train pilots for a long time due to various factors, it must at least allow pilots with less than 100 hours of flying experience to accumulate some practical experience. After being abused by veterans on the other side for eight or ten times in the aviation school, even if these people do not have enough flying time on the battlefield, they can at least last a few more rounds against the enemy's elite pilots.

Although, this was an idea that Bismarck gave Zeppelin through the history of "later generations", as for how effective it was, it is said that the effect of this approach in later generations was - okay, right?

Someone always needs to be the guinea pig...

Bismarck pursed his lips and thought carefully about the future evaluation of a superpower's naval aviation training school.

In fact, I have never paid attention to these things. This kind of thing is rarely shown on TV, so I thought about it for a long time, but I couldn’t think of anything...

This is the difference between relying on yourself and relying on external forces.

Just as the Persian cat was daydreaming, the HE-111 passenger plane flew over Berlin Tempelhof Airport.

This was the main aviation hub for the European continent planned by the Third Reich. Before the war, it was an extremely luxurious and large-scale civil aviation airport.

However, Bismarck wondered if he had seen it wrong. The bumpy runway below and the buildings still smoking everywhere, was that really the airport?

This was an air raid, but how could Berlin be raided?

"Your Excellency General, and all passengers, we are now preparing to land. But please sit down and fasten your seat belts. Tempelhof Airport was bombed last night. Although the runway has been repaired urgently, it will still be a bit bumpy for the passenger plane... Please sit down and fasten your seat belts..."

The chief crew member came out from the cab and spoke to everyone with an apologetic look and tone.

As he spoke, the plane was aimed at a runway that had just been repaired. As for the other runways, many workers were still busy working.

"what?"

"bombing?!"

"let me see!"

Everyone couldn't believe their ears and couldn't help but stick their heads out and look down from the porthole.

Below is a large grass-green circular Tempelhof Airport, with two parallel runways in the middle, and a large terminal building that is roughly a quarter of a circle on one side of the entire airport. But around the airport, runways, and terminal building, there are a few large craters that are obviously caused by heavy bombs, scattered across the vast airport grounds of the huge Tempelhof Airport.

And that's not all.

The roof of the airport building, which was originally luxurious and grand in style, was now completely burnt black. Moreover, two large holes were blown out of the roof of the building, and black smoke was still coming out of the burnt holes from time to time.

The area around the airport and even the entire city of Berlin, which was originally planned by Hitler to be the thousand-year capital of the Greater German Empire, is now covered in black smoke and in ruins...

"This..." Lütjens was so surprised that he was speechless.

Looking at the "scenery" outside, everyone was shocked.

"We were visited by a cluster of heavy bombers. From the looks of it, I'm afraid they were high-explosive incendiary bombs used to massacre civilians." Zeppelin's face was as cold as ice, and his fists were clenched tightly: "... They bombed civilians in retaliation when they couldn't defeat us on the battlefield. It's simply shameless."

Zeppelin's words were just a matter of stance. After all, the German Air Force would also bomb London in the future, and it would be indiscriminate bombing. Although Bismarck knew this, it did not prevent her from being angry at Britain. She lay on the porthole, looking at the scene below. The first thing she thought about was whether anything would happen to her and the captain's home.

Lily didn't have to worry, she was at the institute, not even in Berlin.

"Damn the British!"

"I don't know how things are going at home yet, I need to go home quickly." said one of the passengers.

Looking at the tragic scene outside the window and listening to Zeppelin's gritting teeth, the passengers were worried about their families and all of them were filled with anger. For a moment, no one spoke in the cabin, only the faint sound of clenched fists could be heard.

I originally thought that Berlin would not be attacked, but I didn't expect it to be no different from other places.

Many people also began to complain that the Air Force was not prepared for defense. Of course, they did not dare to say it out loud, after all, Zeppelin was still here.

-------

"Everyone, please get ready and fasten your seat belts. This flight is about to land." The flight attendant was a little anxious. After all, there are only one or two runways at the airport, so takeoff and landing must be in a certain order. Everyone follows the first-come-first-served rule, circling the runway, lowering their altitude, and queuing up to wait for landing.

If you are delayed, you will have to wait until everyone else has landed before it is your turn.

"Everyone, please go back to your seats. There's nothing to see. We can talk about it after we land. May God bless them." Seeing the captain's anxious face, Lütjens, who had been sitting still, nodded to the captain, then reached out and pulled Bismarck, who was still looking out, and began to call others back to their seats. While calling, he picked up the seat belt on his seat and buckled it into the buckle on the other side of the seat.

After all, the passengers on this plane were all soldiers, and after the captain shouted this, everyone sat down and fastened their seat belts. Although, everyone, including Admiral Lütjens, who usually kept his emotions to himself, had a look of worry in his eyes.

"We've landed, everyone sit tight and hold on tight!"

As the captain's voice came from the in-flight broadcast, the plane's wheels roared and bounced on the bumpy runway that was still a little bumpy after the bombing, and it landed safely...

---------

When Lütjens, Bismarck, and Zeppelin, dragging their suitcases and carrying their large suitcases, returned to the place where Lütjens's home was originally, all three of them were stunned...

Lütjens' eyes were full of disbelief; he simply couldn't believe what was happening before his eyes.

The general's residence was originally a small villa, but now there are only a pile of ruins in the entire block. The captain's house was originally a beautiful European-style garden villa, but now there is only a black pit with a faint burnt smell, surrounded by the scorched plants in the surrounding yard and the ruins of the original house.

And the old housekeeper Krupp and the servants in the house have all disappeared.

Everyone was stunned...

But no one will cry, we are all soldiers, and all the sadness will only turn into hatred.

Lütjens asked Bismarck and Zeppelin to wait where they were while he went to confirm the news somewhere else.

After much inquiries, the bad news was finally confirmed.

Although everyone was very reluctant, the British bombed the area and the official residence was reduced to ruins. The captain's home was directly hit by a bomb.

The beautiful house had no ability to resist the war and was directly turned into ruins. After the explosion, it began to burn.

The old butler Krupp and other servants were caught in the sea of ​​fire set off by the British heavy bombers, and no one escaped.

Their bodies had been cleared away, and the scene that Lütjens and his men saw was the ruins that had already been cleared. It had just happened yesterday, and even the ruins were still emitting smoke.

Because the time was too short, there was no time to notify them, so no one knew.

"These damn British bastards." Lütjens frowned and clenched his fists.

It is a shame for soldiers that their own homes were bombed.

The captain, who was usually serious and expressionless, punched the window sill of his ruined home in anger after confirming the tragedy at home.

"We must never let these arsonists off easily in the future. We must take them down one by one."

Zeppelin said with a cold face, she picked up a burnt leaf, then crushed it gently, letting the dust drift away.

He had been living here since Bismarck and Lütjens dragged his body back from Gdynia. Although he had been away from home for more than a year, he had feelings for Krupp and the servants in Bismarck's house.