Chapter 279 Middle East (4)

After carefully studying the battle map and analyzing the enemy situation, Steiner was convinced that Rommel's strategy and temporary changes were very correct: fight fast and destroy the enemy before they fully wake up.

"Reply to the Marshal, my division will resolutely execute the order and complete the occupation of Baghdad and Mosul on January 1, 1943."

In the afternoon, the British troops in Baghdad were stunned by the sudden appearance of German planes and paratroopers. They thought the Germans were still 300 kilometers away and they had enough time. Just when they were busy gathering troops, building defenses, and replenishing ammunition and supplies, the German Air Force had already swooped over like a swarm of locusts.

What they are fighting now is no longer the clumsy Bf-110 or the Italian Fiat C.R.42 from a year and a half ago, nor the small number of German and Italian aircraft that flew thousands of miles from Crete, but the brand-new large group of Fw-190A or Bf-219, especially the Bf-219, which has a long range, outstanding hovering ability, and flexible maneuverability. It is simply the best killer against old British aircraft. It can often shoot down a British aircraft with two hovers or rolls. Its killing efficiency is much better than that of the Fw-190 using the BZ tactics.

The Iraqi army in Baghdad stared in amazement at the British aircraft that had brought them great psychological pressure and fell from the sky like rain. Speaking of which, they have to thank Royal Air Force Lieutenant General Ted for desperately scavenging aircraft from the Middle East to support Egypt, making the British aircraft left in Iraq vulnerable. When the old biplane trainer with a speed of no more than 300 kilometers and trembling was forced to load bullets and take off to fight German aircraft, the outcome was already doomed.

After the planes cleared the scene, the transport planes that had completed the parachute landing in Mosul in the early morning began to drop again. Although the British troops on the ground tried their best to resist, all the anti-aircraft firepower would inevitably attract fierce attacks from Ju-87 and fighters as soon as it appeared.

When Prime Minister Rashid appeared in front of the Iraqi army under the protection of a platoon of German soldiers, all Iraqi soldiers refused the British officers' order to open fire and immediately cheered: "Rashid... Rashid..."

"Now, as the Prime Minister of Iraq, I order you to turn your guns around and avenge your comrades who died last year!"

"Revenge! Revenge!"

Last year, the Iraqi army was beaten badly by the British, with more than 1,000 deaths and more than 3,000 injuries. Most of the Iraqi officers were dismissed, and dozens of spontaneously organized Arab tribal armed forces were forcibly disbanded by the British. Although the Iraqi army has replaced a group of people from top to bottom, as long as the British still ride on the heads of the Iraqis, this hidden resistance will not stop. Led by the defected Iraqi army, the paratroopers quickly occupied the Rashidi Airport in the suburbs of Baghdad. Not only did they have a place to stay for their transport planes and fighters, but they also obtained a large amount of fuel under the coordination of Rashid - all of which were from the Iraqi Air Force's own inventory.

At about 4 o'clock, 24 British Wellington bombers flew from the southern Basra area to try to provide support, but the well-prepared Fw-190 and Bf-219 severely taught these enemy planes with almost no fighter protection a lesson. This time, the killing efficiency of the Fw-190 finally exceeded that of the Bf-219, defending its reputation as a bomber terminator.

At night, Brigadier General Roberts, commander of the 13th Infantry Brigade of the 5th Infantry Division of the British Army, ignored the threat of the Iraqi army's counterattack and attacked the German army at the airport with all his strength, trying to take back the airport by taking advantage of the favorable opportunity that the German aircraft could not take off at night to support. All tanks were dispatched for this purpose, but the German Me-323 transport plane had already transported two 88mm anti-aircraft guns, and with the iron fists in the hands of the paratroopers, the British tanks caught fire and smoke. Matildas were once again defeated by the 88mm guns since the Battle of Arras.

The development of the war situation greatly exceeded the expectations of General Wilson, commander of the British 10th Army. He originally planned to rely on the city defense in Baghdad and cooperate with the Iraqi troops to resist resolutely, so as to buy enough time for the subsequent troops to deploy and cross the Iraqi and Persian borders to support the operation. As a result, by the morning of December 30, not only had his own troops prepared to support the Iraqi defense line not set out, but the defenders of Mosul and Baghdad reported to him that the German armored division had appeared in front of them.

The Iraqi army's fierce counterattack made the British unable to cope: the Iraqi army in Mosul cooperated with the Italian Paratrooper Brigade to desperately stop the engineers from destroying the oil fields. Even the Iraqi workers who were very submissive and docile on weekdays would pick up wrenches and iron pipes to resist when the British soldiers were not paying attention. Many engineers who buried explosives and prepared to detonate them died silently in the endless yellow sand. The Iraqi army in Baghdad took advantage of the exchange of fire between the British and German armies to directly raid the British embassy and the officers' residences, and looted British expatriates. The screams of terror from women and children were everywhere. Although Rashid tried his best to control the situation, it was obvious that the chaos in Baghdad would not be so easy to calm down.

In the afternoon of the same day, the main force of the Viking Division arrived. The British troops and Iraqi mercenaries at Baghdad and Habbaniya Air Base were forced to surrender, while the Indian brigade in Mosul fled into Persia in a hurry. The 10th Indian Division, which drove out from the direction of Basra and tried to support the direction of Baghdad, was even more unlucky. They ran into the rapidly attacking Grossdeutschland Division in Nasiriya, northwest of Basra. This kind of battle was completely crushed from equipment to combat effectiveness. There was no suspense in the process. It took less than 3 hours for the Grossdeutschland Division to decisively defeat the enemy, driving them back to Basra like ducks, and then forcing them to flee in a panic towards Persia. At this time, from Afghanistan The Indian 6th Division, which sent reinforcements from Vashi, had just crossed the border between the two countries. Upon hearing of the disastrous defeat ahead, the division withdrew quickly.

On the last day of 1942, that is, at 10 o'clock in the middle of the night on December 31, Rommel, who was stationed in Baghdad, sent a message to Hoffman with great ambition: "Dear Führer, as the commander of the Canal Group Army, I have the responsibility to report to you that our army Mosul and Baghdad have been controlled and enemy forces have been eliminated. The integrity rate of the Mosul oil field group has exceeded 70%. Calm has returned to the entire city of Baghdad. Our army is marching towards Basra and is expected to capture it tomorrow. All enemy forces in Iraq have been eliminated. In front of me..."

"Very good..." Hoffman put down the telegram excitedly and stood up. What made him most happy was not the occupation of Baghdad or Basra. Under the fierce attack of the Grossdeutschland Division and the Viking Division, that place was like a ripe fruit. As long as With a little effort, it will fall sooner or later. He is happy to have saved the Mosul oil field group. A 70% integrity rate means that at least 3 million tons of oil can be obtained a year. If more efforts are made to repair it, it means that 1943 The oil gap will be filled in the second half of the year - of course, we still have to be prepared for British and Russian bombings.

"Führer, Marshal Kesselring is here."

"What difficulties did you encounter?" Seeing that Kesselring was not particularly interested when he came in, Hoffman asked doubtfully.

"The British troops in Cairo are determined not to surrender. Even if the situation in Iraq is before them today, they are still very stubborn. Today is the last day of the ceasefire agreement, and there are only two hours left before the resumption of fighting. Although the special envoy has returned to I entered Cairo, but I’m not optimistic about the prospects.”

"What can Heinz do?"

"If the enemy refuses to surrender, then he can only attack. After so many days of replenishment and rest, his troops are ready and can launch an attack at any time. However, he needs the cooperation and cover of the air force."

"What conditions does the enemy offer to surrender?"

"The enemy is determined not to surrender. They only ask us to let them go to Aswan and Ethiopia. If we accept this ridiculous condition, they are willing to give up the fighting and give us the entire city of Cairo - but this is impossible."

Hearing that the British were so stubborn, Hoffman also frowned: "How much damage will be done during the siege? How long will it take?"

"About a week or so, if we engage in street fighting, we have to prepare for nearly 10,000 casualties."

As soon as he heard that street fighting was going to be fought, Hoffman felt a headache. The troops currently besieging the city were either armored divisions or motorized infantry divisions. They were good at long-distance raids and field assaults. When used to siege a city, it was really a short attack, let alone a long-term attack. There will be tens of thousands of casualties - these are his most elite troops, and even 1,000 dead is heartbreaking.

"How long will the siege last?"

"Long-term siege is not an option. There are still 300,000 people in Cairo. The King of Egypt and most of the country's big shots are in the city. I'm afraid..." Kesselin hesitated, "Besieging the city is not an option. In the end, the Egyptians will die. They have more supplies than anyone else, and the British don’t have supplies to rob the Egyptians—they have guns.”

"You really can't do this. There are too many casualties and we can't explain it to the Egyptians." Hoffman sat down again and said, "Let me think about it."

Suddenly an idea flashed through him, and Hoffman asked: "They asked to retreat to the south?"

"Yes. They plan to go to Aswan first and then to Ethiopia."

"Okay, give them a chance to retreat."

Kesselring was shocked: "Führer, no... These two troops are relatively capable in the British army. They have persisted from Tobruk to here, and now they have regained their strength. If we let them go, we will encounter them again in the future." I'm afraid we will suffer more losses when we arrive, in which case I would rather die more Egyptians than..."

Hoffman waved his hand: "Don't worry, I said you were allowed to retreat, but I didn't say how to retreat."

Then he told Kesselring exactly what he had just thought of, and Kesselin asked doubtfully: "Is this okay?"

"Of course, how can you know if you don't try it?" Hoffman smiled slyly, "I believe smart people will know how to choose."