PFC Chapter 15 This is a good idea
Chapter 15 This is a good idea
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Montgomery quickly donned his uniform and followed Degangan to the command post.
At this moment, the command post was in complete chaos. The radio was ringing incessantly, staff officers were nervously calling out on the phone, and documents and telegrams were flying everywhere like snowflakes.
The staff officers breathed a sigh of relief when Montgomery came in, but then tensed up again.
They knew that even if Montgomery were to take charge, he would likely be helpless in the face of the current situation.
Gray immediately stepped forward, holding documents in his hand, and reported to Montgomery:
"The German 5th Panzer Regiment broke through our defenses, General."
"We estimate that they did not know the location of our command post, but simply infiltrated from the junction of the two armies."
"But unfortunately, the 5th Armored Regiment's advance was directed at us."
Montgomery paused, glancing at Gray with a strange expression.
He then strode to the deployment map unfolded on the desk and looked at it: Borg Arab's position was exactly opposite the junction of the "First Division of British South Africa" and the "Fourth Division of British India".
This was a defensive blunder, Montgomery thought; he should have anticipated it.
Degangan, standing to the side, understood what was going on.
Montgomery came from World War I, and his tactical thinking was still at the level of trench warfare in World War I.
The practice of having the junction of the two armies directly facing the command post would not have been a problem at all in the trench warfare of World War I.
But in today's context, it would be a fatal mistake that could cause the entire army to collapse.
However, Degangan remained silent.
He had known Montgomery for many years and understood his personality, knowing that Montgomery was aloof, arrogant, and intolerant of criticism.
"It was an accident, General." Degangan gave Montgomery a reason: "The Germans were incredibly lucky. Of all the many junctions along the defensive line, they just happened to choose the 1st Southern Division and the 4th British Indian Division."
Montgomery grunted in agreement, accepting this "reasonable explanation."
"But..." Gray interrupted, his voice trembling with panic.
"In any case, the Germans will be here in about half an hour."
"We should evacuate from here, General."
Montgomery rejected the suggestion without hesitation:
"Evacuate? No, Gray."
"It's only 50 kilometers from Alexandria."
"If the Germans press their advantage and capture Alexandria, we're finished!"
Alexandria had a large stockpile of supplies from India, Australia and other places, as well as equipment and fuel, including tanks, from the United States.
If Rommel were to occupy the area and obtain these supplies, the British army would completely lose any hope of defeating the German army.
"Yes, General." Gray wisely kept quiet.
But the silence also implies: What should we do now? Stay here and become prisoners of the Germans?
After thinking for a moment, Montgomery looked up and asked, "How far are the nearest troops?"
Gray flipped through the folder in his hand, looked around, and replied, "The nearest unit is the South African 28th Regiment, and it will take at least an hour and a half to arrive."
Montgomery felt a chill run down his spine.
There was only one regiment, and it was an infantry regiment, so even if it arrived, it wouldn't be of much use.
Degangan reminded him, "General, we still have 50 'M3' tanks in our warehouse. If we utilize them, along with the two infantry regiments at headquarters..."
Montgomery shook his head helplessly: "We lack tank crews, Colonel."
That's not the real problem.
Montgomery treated them as disposable items; once they were filled with fuel containing impurities for training, they would all become paralyzed within hours.
So this is another mistake Montgomery made.
Just then, the roar of a tank engine sounded outside the window.
Montgomery stepped forward in confusion, his gaze leaping over the window towards the warehouse. He saw several "M3" tanks slowly driving out of the warehouse, then turning around and heading towards the battlefield.
Just as Montgomery was getting annoyed by this unauthorized action, his communications officer reported from behind: "General, it's the 3rd Maintenance Team. Captain Thea asked me to tell you that they've gone to hold off the Germans to buy you time."
"The 3rd Repair Team?" Montgomery was taken aback, and the image of a female captain flashed through his mind.
"Should we order them back?" Degangan asked.
"No." Montgomery watched the tank disappear into the distance: "A brave captain, a group of brave soldiers, though it won't do much good."
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The team was actually assembled by Thorne.
At that moment, Thea was arguing with her subordinates. She believed that they should be prepared because the British army had nowhere to retreat, while her subordinates thought that it was pointless to do so and asked to wait for orders from their superiors.
"We're not afraid, Captain," Lieutenant Ferguson said, his metal dentures gleaming in the light.
"We will try without hesitation as long as there is even the slightest hope."
"But the truth is, it's pointless suicide!"
A hint of guilt flashed in his eyes as he spoke.
A woman thought she could bravely rush to the front lines, but she herself retreated.
The maintenance workers nodded in agreement; they did not approve of "sacrificing" their lives in this way.
Just when neither of them could convince the other, a dilapidated Ford pulled up next to Thea, kicking up dust.
"Get in, Captain." Thorne leaned out of the car window.
"What?" Thea was taken aback, then refused, "No, Thorne, I have to stay here..."
Thea thought Thorne wanted to take her with him as a deserter.
"Remember the salt marshes?" Thorne got straight to the point.
"What does this have to do with the salt marshes...?" Suddenly, Thea stared at Thorne with wide, shocked blue eyes: "You mean...?"
"Yes," Thorne nodded. "It's too late. Let's get in the car and talk."
Then he gestured towards the water tanker: "I need this, and five more tanks, the M3 tanks from the warehouse. Can you do that?"
Thea turned to her subordinates, her eyes pleading, "I think this is a good idea, what do you think?"
Then he asked Ferguson, "Do you still think we have absolutely no hope?"
Ferguson hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and issued a series of orders in a firm tone:
"Perry, you drive the water tanker and follow."
"Wolf, take a few men and drive five tanks."
"Stanton, follow us in the jeep, and get some rifles and ammunition ready; we'll need them!"
Then someone asked, "Lieutenant, we don't have a gunner, I mean, no one is operating the tank gun."
Ferguson turned his questioning gaze to Thorne behind him.
Thorne answered bluntly: "No need for gunners, just enough to drive. I plan to use it to block the road."
Ferguson immediately understood, and he waved to urge his men on:
"Hurry, hurry, get moving!"
"We must reach the salt flats before the Germans, or it's all over!"
"Not just us, but the entire army, the whole of Africa!"