Chapter 661: A Genius Plan

Under the stunned gazes of the Italian soldiers, a German Ju-52 transport plane slowly came to a stop on the airfield’s runway. It had several bullet holes in its wings, but its sturdy construction had allowed it to return safely to German-controlled territory.

A second plane followed, also coming to a stop on the runway. In the sky, an endless stream of German transport planes, along with the “Butcher” bombers escorting them and the 110 Fw-190D fighters on escort duty, demonstrated to everyone just how massive the scale of this German airborne drop was.

A total of 800 Ju-52 transport planes, plus 70 of the new Ju-62 transports that had only recently entered service. If one included the 200 “Butcher” bombers that had conducted preliminary bombing and served as escorts, and the 110 Fw-190Ds, the Germans had committed nearly 1,200 aircraft in one go.

Such a massive air fleet signified the maturity of the German Air Force’s experience in formation command and air traffic control. It also signified that Germany now had the capability to deploy a large number of paratrooper units to distant battlefields to carry out sabotage missions behind enemy lines.

Originally, it would have been very difficult for the German Ju-52, when heavily loaded, to make a round trip between the airfields on Crete and the area east of Alexandria. But Akado, deeply influenced by the one-way bombing mission plans of American long-range bombers from a later era, proposed a plan that shocked everyone.

Inspired by the American bombers in another timeline that had bombed Japan and then flown on to land in China instead of returning to their starting base, Akado had formulated a daring airborne plan: the Ju-52 transport fleet would take off from Crete, complete its mission, and then land at the field airstrips in Egypt to refuel before returning to Crete. This plan was immediately implemented by Student, and Rommel even mobilized second-line Italian units for the task of building the airfields.

Two understrength German airborne divisions, nearly 21,000 German paratroopers, along with 170 gliders and 40 tank-carrying gliders, were thus thrown into the North African desert battlefield in one fell swoop. These German paratroopers were even still wearing their long, gray-green European trousers.

They were issued some light yellow, desert-camouflaged raincoats, and with that, all their preparations for desert warfare were considered complete. Before boarding the planes, they were still studying small pamphlets on desert warfare, learning how to prevent desert scorpions from crawling into their boots.

And it was just such a hasty yet effective plan that completely disrupted the operational deployment of the American and British forces, plunging like a steel dagger into the heart of the American army. The American forces were originally composed of mercenaries. Although many regular army units were later added, they were not all battle-hardened elites. Under Patton’s command, they could manage a conventional battle, but to ask them to fight while risking encirclement was a bit much.

What’s more, when Patton learned that his rear had been cut off, he immediately retreated with the main forces under his army group’s direct command—namely the 8th Armored Division and some independent armored combat units, including a main infantry division. This led to a temporary breakdown in command, and the situation immediately descended into chaos.

And so, the American soldiers, mixed in with the already weak Indian federal army, began to surrender to the German army opposite them on a large scale. Soldiers of the 8th Army Group, as far as the eye could see, raised their hands, blocking the roads as they waited for their opponents to come and accept their surrender. Hundreds and thousands of soldiers had no idea what had happened and were swept up in the rout.

This was not a case of Patton being overly sensitive and fleeing prematurely, abandoning over a hundred thousand of his allies. Rather, a few days earlier he had received a telegram, jointly signed by the new American Supreme Commander, General Eisenhower, and President Roosevelt. The content required Patton to preserve his main force in the most dangerous of times, to ensure that he could use the Suez Canal as a defense line to block the German army’s further eastward advance.

America was not Britain’s little brother. The mission of the American army under Patton’s command was not to help Britain defend Egypt. In fact, Patton’s ultimate objective was not aligned with Montgomery’s. His task was to stop any German action that threatened the Middle Eastern oil fields and to hold the Suez Canal as long as possible. Even Cairo was not a region Patton was required to defend to the death, so there was no need for him to fight a life-or-death battle with the German army here.

The moment Patton learned that his rear was cut off, the only thing he could do was to preserve as many of his combat-capable troops as possible. As for the miscellaneous units and his British allies, he could only help them as much as he could. He did not dare to wait and had to race against time to retake his lost rear supply line and flee.

Patton’s thinking was very simple: let the troops left behind bog down Rommel’s eastward advance. As long as they could buy him two days, he could lead his own troops to annihilate the German paratroopers in his rear. This way, a large portion of the American army and the British army near Alexandria could safely retreat to Cairo. At least in the short term, the situation in North Africa would not completely collapse.

“Send a telegram to Washington! Have them explain why German paratroopers suddenly appeared in Egypt! Can their planes’ range really complete a round trip?” Patton asked his chief of staff in a rage. No one had ever mentioned the threat of German paratroopers on the North African front before. After all, Crete had been in German hands for a long time. The Allies should have had some predictive reports on the enemy’s paratrooper operations by now.

“The troops that were cut off by the Germans number about 40,000. They lack mobility. Over 30,000 will have to be abandoned on the battlefield. The biggest losses are in trucks and tanks; we’ve lost about half,” the chief of staff replied, ignoring his superior’s complaints. He had just received the estimated loss report. The 8th Army Group had lost about a third of its strength in one fell swoop, and some units were still out of contact.

Patton nodded. He now felt he still had a thirty percent chance of winning. After all, the German paratrooper plan was a bit too daring. As long as his “parting shot” was brilliant enough, he could at least wipe out the German paratroopers who had been a thorn in the Allies’ side. So, this time, it was less that Patton had run fast, and more that he had made a decisive move, deciding to engage in a spectacular exchange of pieces.

“A message from General Montgomery. He requests that you, General, break through the transport corridor. He will hold down as many German troops as possible in Alexandria,” the chief of staff reported. A dozen minutes ago, communication between the 9th and 8th Army Groups had been restored. Montgomery now also knew of Patton’s plan. After marveling at the audacity of the German airborne plan, Montgomery hoped that Patton could fight his way through and ensure that both army groups could retreat safely to Cairo.

“There’s really no time for hesitation. German paratroopers—they became famous in one battle in Holland and Belgium, taking out the local garrisons in the time it takes to eat a meal. Then they rendered meritorious service in the landing on the British mainland, and subsequently fought two brilliant independent operations in Malta and Crete,” Patton said, closing the combat record of the German paratroopers and praising his opponents.

This German paratrooper unit, known as the “Green Devils,” was truly a formidable opponent that couldn’t be dealt with by just any troops. If he hadn’t made a decisive move a few hours ago, he might not have been able to escape even if he had wanted to. With such a unit blocking his rear, if he had waited until he was defeated before turning back, it was really hard to say whether he could have broken through the defense line they had organized.

But now, at least he still had several hundred tanks and armored cars, plus about 50,000 infantry. Another 20,000 might straggle in to join the fight. This way, Patton was still confident he could wipe out these Germans and lead his troops safely to Cairo.

“Order the tanks of the independent armored brigade, all tanks, to attack along the road. Break through the defensive positions they’ve set up!” Patton drew a straight line on the map with his hand. He didn’t want to waste time and decided to use the simplest and most direct method to cut through the enemy’s line. “Then the 8th Armored Division will swing around on the left flank, and the 8th Mechanized Infantry Division will move to the right flank. Encircle all the German paratroopers and fight a battle of annihilation!”

The battle plan was very simple: use the superior armored forces to cut through the enemy’s center, then envelop the opponent from both flanks, divide and conquer. And at this time, the Americans had another trump card: the heavy artillery units that couldn’t keep up with the initial advance were now, by a twist of fate, right in the middle of the army. In terms of firepower, the American forces had an even greater advantage than before.

“Notify all troops. The enemy is just a light infantry force with few heavy weapons. As long as we fight steadily, we can surround them within a day!” Patton did not forget to rally his subordinates at a time like this. Although he had lost many troops, he had also shed a lot of baggage. In his view, it was still uncertain who would win this fight!

At the same time, in Rommel’s command post, everyone was struggling with the large number of prisoners and the occasional resistance. A frontline commander pointed at the map and complained to Rommel about the difficulties he was encountering: “The surrendering troops are blocking the road, and the trucks have been abandoned because they have no fuel. There are still resisting units firing from behind. The scene is too chaotic. My troops can’t advance right now.”

“Reconnaissance planes have spotted Patton’s rear guard. They are retreating rapidly and have already left the battle area,” the chief of staff added. “If we want to solve the various problems at hand, clear the roads, and catch up with Patton, it will take at least two days. If the enemy’s rear guard resists stubbornly, it might take even longer.”

“Everything is to be done at the fastest possible speed!” Rommel said after a long silence, finally issuing his first order after winning this battle. “Then, catch up with Patton at the fastest possible speed! The order I’m giving is very simple: don’t let a single enemy escape!”

Published: 2025-09-16T09:34:06.000+00:00
Last Edited: 2026-02-12T18:39:44.000+00:00
URL: https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair/posts/mtr-c661-genius-139012622

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