Chapter 275: Encirclement

Colonel Colin got the news quickly.

But he was just stunned for a moment, then nodded: "So, the range of the Germans' new anti-tank equipment is more than 100 meters, not the 30 meters originally estimated!"

Colonel Colin thought this was normal. Just like the British army equipped the "Sherman" tanks with firepower and defense that completely surpassed the Germans without the Germans' knowledge, the Germans would certainly have some equipment that the British didn't know about.

"This is why this German infantry regiment is standing in front of us!" Colonel Colin said.

The staff officer couldn't help but feel a little ashamed of this. Not long ago, he thought Colonel Colin was making a fuss, but now it seems that his worries are justified.

"Colonel, what should we do?" The staff officer asked.

The 7th Armored Brigade has about 90 tanks, 70 of which are "Sherman", but 50 of them have been destroyed by the Germans in one go on the battlefield just now... If the Germans can easily destroy the "Sherman" tanks, then the tanks are actually like paper in front of them.

"Report the situation to General Bolton!" Colonel Colin said, "We need the support of the 4th Armored Brigade!"

"Yes, Colonel!"

Major General Bolton was not so calm when he received the report from Colonel Colin. He called Colonel Colin immediately.

"What's the situation?" Major General Bolton asked, "How could you suffer such heavy losses in front of an infantry regiment?"

"We underestimated the Germans, General!" Colonel Colin replied, "Perhaps you should inform General Montgomery of this situation. The Germans have a new type of anti-tank weapon, and its performance is beyond our imagination. What we know now is that it can penetrate the Sherman at least 100 meters away. More importantly, it is a single-soldier weapon!"

"Single-soldier weapon? Penetrate the Sherman at 100 meters?" Major General Bolton was shocked when he heard this. He knew what this meant. It almost meant that all the tanks in the hands of the British army became useless.

After a pause, Major General Bolton asked again: "How do you plan to fight this battle?"

"What stands in front of us is an enemy infantry regiment!" Colonel Colin said: "And we didn't encounter this kind of anti-tank weapon when we fought against the German 15th Armored Division before, so I guess...the Germans' anti-tank weapons are emergency equipment, and only this infantry regiment has it. Therefore, I think we should concentrate our forces to annihilate this infantry regiment!"

"Are you saying to transfer the 4th Armored Brigade to reinforce you?"

"Yes!" Colonel Colin said: "The 4th Armored Brigade is divided into regiments. Divide into two parts, outflank Gerhasso's right wing and rear. If possible, tell Colonel Abbott to keep our tanks two hundred meters away from the enemy, so that they can't get close to us and the new anti-tank equipment will be powerless! "

Major General Bolton nodded and replied: "That's it, Colonel, I'll see if I can send another artillery battalion to reinforce you!"

Colonel Colin's plan certainly makes sense. The disadvantage of the infantry regiment is that it has a slow mobility, and its firepower and defense are far inferior to those of the armored forces, especially in long-range firepower.

So if a British armored division surrounded the German First Infantry Regiment, and the tanks and artillery bombarded it outside the range of the rocket launcher, the First Infantry Regiment would only be bombed and unable to fight back.

This situation would not have happened originally, because the German army should have defended a line of defense, that is, there were other troops on both sides of the First Infantry Regiment.

But now...

Both the Italian and German armies had been beaten to pieces by the British, so the British 4th Armored Brigade could easily go around the rear of the 1st Infantry Regiment and surround it.

Of course, the penetration of the British armored forces was soon detected by the German reconnaissance aircraft and informed Colonel Slaine.

"Wow!" The pilot said when reporting to Colonel Slaine: "Colonel, the British really think highly of you. They used a whole armored division to fight you. You can be proud of this!"

"I would rather leave this pride to you!" Colonel Slaine replied.

The pilot laughed.

"God, a whole armored division!" said the staff officer.

Colonel Slaine didn't know how to deal with this problem, so he ran out of the command post along the trench with his staff and guards. When he saw Bazel, he asked: "Where is the second lieutenant?"

"Who knows!" Bazel replied: "He always hides in places that others don't know!"

"Find him out!" Colonel Slaine ordered.

"Yes, Colonel!" Bazel said, and asked the messenger to wave the flag to the rear.

This was the way to contact Qin Chuan, so Qin Chuan climbed out of a bomb crater, ran in a zigzag pattern, and then jumped into the trench.

"We are in trouble!" Colonel Slaine took out the map and put it on the ground without saying a word: "The enemy's two armored regiments, respectively from here, here... to encircle our flank and rear!"

"How much time do we have?" Qin Chuan asked.

"Less than an hour!" Colonel Slaine replied: "The reconnaissance opportunity will tell us the enemy's position in time!"

"Less than an hour..." Qin Chuan frowned when he heard it.

This situation is also what Qin Chuan is worried about. The strength of the First Infantry Regiment is too weak.

If this is fighting on other terrains, it would be fine, such as some high ground, or some highway bridge... These terrains are not conducive to mechanized troops fighting.

But now they are in the desert, an empty desert. The only thing the First Infantry Regiment can rely on is the hill in front of them. If they leave this hill... the enemy can even use artillery fire to hit the German army from a few kilometers away, and the German army can do nothing about them.

"We should retreat!" said the staff officer: "With the 15th Armored Division!"

"It's too late!" Colonel Slain shook his head and said: "We are being dragged by the enemy's 7th Armored Brigade, and we don't have a car!"

The First Infantry Regiment flew here directly from Crete, without any means of transportation, not even artillery.

Of course, it is impossible to retreat by plane again, and the British army can easily block the Gerhasso Airport with artillery.

"We need the 15th Armored Division!" Qin Chuan said: "Let them organize to stop these two armored regiments!"

"But they can't stop it at all!" Colonel Slain said: "They don't have anything that can destroy the enemy's new tanks!"

"We can airdrop rocket launchers to them!" Qin Chuan said.

"No!" Colonel Slain replied, "We just got the rocket launchers yesterday. We have all three hundred rocket launchers!"

"But the British don't know this!" Qin Chuan said.

Colonel Slain looked at Qin Chuan blankly.