Chapter 745 Exeter

If you look at the map, the size of the UK is not large. Once the German tank troops landed on the British mainland, it seems to be just a matter of the accelerator.

However, this is not the case. Although the land area of ​​the United Kingdom is not large, the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands are different countries. The United Kingdom is mountainous.

France, the Netherlands, and Belgium are all low-lying countries. The terrain is flat and suitable for the rapid advancement of tank troops. Except for the swampy areas, the rest are almost flat.

However, the UK is full of mountains.

The terrain of the UK is high in the northwest and low in the southeast. The main terrain in the northwest is plateau; the east and southeast are mainly lowlands.

England occupies the largest part of southern Great Britain, where the terrain is flat, mostly plains, hills and marshes. Especially the east coast of England, the land is fertile and suitable for cultivation.

Scotland is mostly mountains, lakes and islands. It has three natural areas: the northern highlands, the central lowlands and the southern hills.

To sum it up in a simple way, the northern part of the island of Great Britain is all mountainous, and the southern part is divided into two parts, the east is the plain, and the west is still mountainous.

This is also the reason why the British judged that Germany landed in Dover. After all, Dover is the closest to the capital London, and at the same time, it is also the easiest to bypass the mountains and gallop in the east of England on a flat plain.

On the Cornwall Peninsula, the terrain here is relatively steep. (The Geography of the Hero of East China is not good. Does this peninsula refer to a small corner in southwest England, or a large area in southwest England? Let’s say it according to this big one.)

So, to go to London, it can only be the road along the Cornwall peninsula, which is the fastest.

And now in Germany, what is needed is to attack quickly along the road!

The Marines were the first to land, and they had two divisions in strength, but instead of taking part in the war on land, they headed east to attack Torbay, east of Plymouth.

With Plymouth, it is said that Germany already has a solid logistical supply, but the significance of Port Torbay is equally significant. After all, the northwest side of the English Channel is still controlled by the British. What if the British launch a counterattack from here?

The 1st Waffen SS Panzer Division, which was the first to come down, is now charging fast. For them, advance, advance at all costs, and rush to London before the British defenses are established. It is them. task.

Now, they are still fighting a blitz, leaving the British unable to react!

Josef Dietrich, a general in the German army, had the opportunity to enter the Inter-Services Command in Berlin after the last French campaign, just like Schörner.

However, Dietrich did not like to be a staff officer in the rear, he preferred to fight on the front.

Just in the past combat power, he rushed to the front, chasing Montgomery's troops, all the way to Calais, in Calais, the Panther 3 tanks lined up in a wall, forcibly pushed the British army into the sea, Like a bulldozer.

That scene has always been shining in Dietrich's mind, and it was the most enjoyable battle he ever fought!

Victory over Britain is the mission given him by history. Before the British can react, he will rush to London. When the Panther 3 tank starts to pass in front of Downing Street, it will be an even more exciting sight!

Chong, don't worry about being behind you, there are naturally new landing troops behind you to protect yourself! Don't worry about the two flanks, the surrounding terrain makes it difficult to deploy an ambush on the two flanks. At the same time, there are no troops here, and there are very few reserves in the second line, and there is no force to block the advance of German tanks!

In front of him, the first target, is Exeter.

Just look at the map. Exeter is located on the only road from Plymouth to London. This city can only be beaten down, not bypassed.

It is located in east-central Devon, on the east bank of the River Aix, at the foot of a steep mountain range. The city is also located in the open plains of the estuary at the confluence of the Aix and Crete rivers.

This is the main road of traffic, the only way to go, and at the same time, it is also the intersection of railway lines.

The first railway to pass through Exeter was the Great Western Railway line, the Bristol and Exeter line, and in 1844 the city's West St Davids railway station was built. Later, the South Devon Railway Company extended the line westward to Plymouth.

If they don't shoot down here, then the small number of British guerrillas that are constantly appearing here will hide in the nearby mountains, enough for the German logistical supply team to be busy.

Once the British came over and occupied the city, the throat was stuck, and the vanguard of the German army might even be lost on the road to London.

Mechanized troops have a huge demand for logistics. Once the back road is cut off, the tanks will run out of fuel, and there will be no cannonballs. No matter how powerful the army is, it will collapse in an instant.

Tanks can't walk around, this has been a mining area since ancient times, and the mining history here even goes back to the Stone Age.

For example, there are resources such as tin, lead, zinc, silver, red copper and china clay, which have become an important pillar of the mining economy. In the 1850s, the production of tin and red copper here accounted for almost half of the world's mining volume, and it was one of the most important producing areas of tin mines in the world.

After years of digging and mining, a large number of abandoned old mines have been left here, and it is simply impossible for the tank troops to open up a new road.

You can't get around it, you can only beat it!

Just as the German army rushed towards Exeter, Exeter also sounded the horn of battle.

There are not many garrisoned troops here, only a few hundred people, all of them are second-line troops. However, a military column of transporting soldiers just passed by here, and these soldiers happen to be from Plymouth!

Plymouth's army, the 27th Brigade, Brigade Commander Bernard O'Dude, had been rushing in the direction of Dover. As a result, they waited an hour or two at the train station before they arrived. The army column, after that, dawdled until now, and it was not 100 kilometers away from the starting point.

At Exeter Railway Station, their train stopped for another half an hour.

Many people jumped to the platform. After all, it was too uncomfortable in the stuffy tanker. They were smoking on the platform, waiting for the signal to drive. This time on the battlefield, many people were apprehensive.

Just as Bernard threw away his cigarettes and stepped on the platform, he saw the bearded stationmaster and hurried over.

"Big Jim, is our train going?" Bernard asked.

"No, please get off your troops immediately and go into battle, the Germans are about to come up!" said the station master anxiously.