Chapter 579: Get Ready

After receiving the report, Akado read it in silence. To be honest, the tactics Rommel had used this time could be considered a practical application—a practical application of how to break through a heavily fortified enemy fortress when one has superior firepower. Rommel had fully utilized all the firepower he could find and had also drawn up a very complementary tactical plan to coordinate with this firepower.

Rommel was a general who attached great importance to the development of firepower. Don’t think that he was just a reckless hothead who dared to fight. His rapid breakthroughs and flanking maneuvers were all bold attacks based on having suppressive firepower, not on using soldiers to launch a frontal assault on the enemy’s defensive line. He had once said a famous line: “No matter how small the caliber of the weapon, no matter how few the weapons, they must be used to support the infantry’s attack.” This sentence reflected his personal views and also proved his offensive habits from another angle.

Now, the caliber of the artillery under Rommel’s command could be said to be the largest in the world. The large-caliber cannons of the Italian and French navies were all within his deployment range. Now, the number of his cannons also far exceeded that of his opponent. On the sea alone, there were over 200 cannons from battleships and cruisers, not to mention the bombers of the German and Italian air forces in North Africa, and the over 1,000 tanks under Rommel’s command.

With such fire support, Rommel was no longer a cunning desert silver fox; he had transformed into a fierce desert tiger. The so-called agility and cunning were just helpless moves forced by material shortages and tight logistics. Compared to using four ounces to move a thousand pounds, Rommel was actually better at using ten thousand pounds to crush a thousand.

There is an old saying in China: “A good fighter has no illustrious achievements.” This means that a truly good general does not have a brilliant combat record. Why? Because a good fighter often makes full preparations in the early stages, forcing the opponent to give up any provocations. And if a war does break out, these generals can often create an advantageous situation of fighting with superior numbers. So their combat records look very ordinary, with nothing worth boasting about.

This time, Rommel had no magnificent flanking maneuvers or strange deep penetrations, nor did he launch a frantic frontal assault on the British defensive positions. His attack was simple and short, one blow after another, like a huge hammer striking the already fragile British defensive line. He had no intention of showing off his art of command but, with the premise of reducing casualties and preserving his strength, he had played a classic siege battle of the First World War.

This combat report from North Africa was very detailed, including Rommel’s combat deployment in Africa, as well as the remaining ammunition and fuel of his troops. Because the codes had just been changed, this core secret was also transmitted to the Wolf’s Lair at the first opportunity.

The report showed that as Rommel’s troops, bit by bit like a wedge, drove into the core defensive line of Tobruk, the shelling by the Italian and French navies became more and more accurate. The British defense was becoming more and more difficult. On the contrary, the losses of the troops under Rommel’s command were not as unacceptable as had been anticipated.

Akado put down the telegram and the report, raised the corners of his mouth, and began to hum a country tune from the Ruhr industrial region. His fingers tapped lightly on the report, keeping time with his tune. At this moment, he was in a very good mood. From this report from afar, he saw Rommel’s growth, saw the maturity of a general who could stand on his own.

Compared to when he had just gone to Africa, Rommel was a bit more composed. For Akado, this was definitely a good thing. With Rommel in charge in Africa, he could focus on the Eastern Front and have a good contest with Stalin, to see who would win in the end, to see if the world was truly destined to be dominated by the United States alone.

Thinking of this, Akado stopped, stood up, and walked to the window. He looked at the small courtyard outside and felt the cool breeze that the Polish forest brought him. He could hear the chirping of the larks, their carefree sound making Akado seem to forget all his troubles. He stood by the window, listening quietly, not even noticing when Anna came in.

“My dear, what are you thinking about?” Anna asked, putting down the files in her hand and the coffee she had brought for Akado, calling out to her love in a soft voice. She had originally wanted to stay behind to accompany Mercedes. After all, it was not very good for the two of them to leave Berlin at a time like this, leaving Mercedes, who had just given birth, behind.

But Mercedes was very generous and had asked Anna to follow Akado to the Eastern Front to protect the Führer’s safety. However, everyone knew in their hearts that this was just a superficial excuse. As for the real reason, everyone knew it without saying a word.

“I was thinking about the battle over in North Africa. I don’t know how it’s going. After all, it’s already the sixth day. Intelligence shows that Patton and his Eighth Army in Egypt have disappeared. It’s clear that Montgomery and Patton’s forces are gathering towards Tobruk. I’m worried about whether Rommel can capture Tobruk first,” Akado said, looking out the window without turning his head.

Anna walked up behind Akado, reached out her jade-like hands, and placed them on his shoulders, gently kneading them. The strength in her hands was much greater than that of an ordinary woman, which made Akado feel a sore pain. “What are you worried about? General Rommel has an army of over a hundred thousand. Against a few tens of thousands of Indians, are you afraid he won’t win?”

“Anna, before the news of victory is received, no matter how obvious the advantage, it is still possible to suffer a defeat,” Akado said, enjoying the beauty’s massage. “Send a telegram to Rommel in a little while. It seems Patton is going to fight us at Tobruk. In that case, Rommel should be prepared!”

Rommel also wanted to capture Tobruk as soon as possible. By the time Akado sent the telegram, the battle here in North Africa had already been going on for a full six days. In these six days, Rommel had only advanced one or two kilometers each time before stopping to consolidate his position. He cautiously used the armored forces under his command, committing his infantry bit by bit. And the entire Tobruk had already been blasted into a pockmarked landscape by the cannons of the Italian Navy; even some of the core facilities had been completely destroyed.

“General! With all due respect, if we continue to fight like this, even if we capture Tobruk, it will be of no use,” the commander of the Italian 1st Army Group, General Garibaldi, said, frowning as he stood beside Rommel. His troops’ losses were indeed small enough to be negligible, but Rommel’s shelling seemed to be aimed at destroying the entire Tobruk, not just opening a breach.

Seeing that Rommel had no intention of speaking, he had no choice but to continue, pointing to the not-so-detailed topographical map and the various fortifications built by the Italians on it. “Tobruk has four desalination systems that can provide a large amount of fresh water. And there is a simple repair factory here that can repair tanks… General, to blow them all up is disadvantageous for us, who are about to occupy this place.”

“I haven’t bombed the core area. What are you afraid of?” Rommel said, lowering his binoculars and patting the sand from his knees as he spoke to Garibaldi. “Rest assured, I am also very interested in the things inside, so I will not destroy them easily.”

After speaking, he smiled and beckoned to his chief of staff. By the time the staff officer had walked over, a 150mm howitzer position not far away had been ordered to open fire. The deafening sound made the conversation of the several men turn into shouting, but Rommel still had no intention of waiting. “You, send a telegram to the commander of the 17th Division! Have his troops relieve the 1st Division of the Italian 1st Army Group. The Italian 1st Division is to rest and refit on the spot! Stand by!”

“Yes, sir!” the staff officer saluted and ran, covered in dust, to the armored command vehicle on the other side.

“General, my troops can still continue to fight. If necessary, we can even advance another two kilometers to cover your armored forces as they charge into the core defensive positions of Tobruk,” Garibaldi said. It was clear he did not want to waste any more time on a pile of ruins. He impatiently urged Rommel to speed up the attack so that they could capture this very important fortress on the map in the next few days.

Rommel waved his hand and put on his trademark smile. As he walked towards his convertible, he said to General Garibaldi, who had followed him, “My dear General Garibaldi, it is our established tactic to rotate and ensure that every unit gets its rest. This cannot be changed.”

He put one foot in the car and turned his head. “After this battle is over, I need to get a fully integrated North African corps. Since the Italian troops are not ready for battle, I will personally train them, to let your men learn how to fight, or at least how to fight in sync with the troops of the Third Reich. This is very important for the battles we will have to face in the future.”

“So I’m asking for just a few more hours!” Garibaldi said with a frown.

“No, General! Your troops need to rest!” Rommel said, getting into the car. The two wheeled armored cars responsible for protecting him started up, and for a time, sand and gravel flew everywhere, making the surroundings dusty.

“General Rommel! Intelligence shows that Patton’s troops are rapidly advancing on this position. With all due respect! If we continue to fight like this, it is very likely that we will not be able to take Tobruk and will be driven from this area by Patton’s support forces,” Garibaldi said, trying to persuade Rommel to speed up the attack for the last time.

“Who says we are going to capture Tobruk?” Rommel said, putting one hand in his pocket and feeling the telegram from the High Command. That telegram was the Führer’s supreme directive, a directive that made Rommel very excited.

The telegram read: “Order your unit to besiege the city to attack the reinforcements. After heavily damaging the Anglo-American forces, give up Tobruk. Prepare for the next stage of the operation.”

Published: 2025-09-07T03:32:27.000+00:00
Last Edited: 2026-01-06T19:25:08.000+00:00
URL: https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair/posts/mtr-c579-get-138319853

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