After Rome decided to carry out the Battle of Nice, the Italian army began busy preparations for the war.
At this time, there was a lively scene in Camporosso, eighteen kilometers away from the front line and a small town on the Italian border. The town originally had only a few hundred residents, but now there are thousands of soldiers, which makes the place
The residents felt a little inconvenienced, but they all understood because they were fighting to regain their land.
The best thing in the town is a three-story building. This is the headquarters of the Southern Army Group and the main force of the Battle of Nice. It is now a busy scene.
"Your troops won't be able to arrive until the day after tomorrow... What's going on? Isn't the deadline in the order tomorrow... The bridge was destroyed by floods and it took two days to repair it. What were you doing earlier? There was no extra time left on the road.
"
"Hey, this is the Army Group Headquarters. Your ammunition transport team has arrived. Okay, I'll arrange for someone to come over right away."
"Is this the headquarters of the 15th Army? I will arrange for someone to send you the battle plan. It is expected to arrive tomorrow. Please send someone to take over."
…
At this time, the officers in the small building were very busy, because there were only three days left before the battle started, and they were making final preparations.
The officers on the first floor were busy, and so were the others. Even General Baxter, the commander of the army group, was also receiving his subordinates at this time.
"Lieutenant General Caviglia, welcome your 11th Army to join us."
At this time, in the general's office, he was warmly receiving Lieutenant General Caviglia, the commander of the 11th Army who was newly transferred to their army group.
There is a saying that gold shines everywhere, which describes Lieutenant General Caviglia well. He was born in Liguria and entered the Royal Military Academy in Turin in 1880 to study artillery. In Punishing Abyssini
In the war of King Johannes IV of Asia, he performed well and was promoted to captain.
During the War of Intent, he served as the commander of the 7th Division Artillery Battalion, but because he did not participate in any major battles, he did not perform well.
Although the 11th Army did not participate in the previous battle, it was held by Rome as a reserve force. At this time, the reserve force was full of talents. In addition to the 11th Army, there were also the 3rd Army, the 6th Army, and the 8th Army.
Several veteran and powerful forces can be said to have the elite Italian army in their hands, ready to provide support at any time.
Unfortunately, all fronts are progressing smoothly, so these elites can only watch other troops making military exploits.
However, the Battle of Nice was about to begin at this time, and the Alps organized the border between Italy and France into mountains and crisscrossing ditches. Therefore, the battle there relied more on elite officers and soldiers and abundant firepower.
Therefore, the Southern Front Army, which was the main force of the battle, needed more elite troops at this time. Facing the needs of the Southern Front Army, Rome transferred the 11th Army. Although this army is not as famous as the 3rd and 6th Army, it is
In the past two years, the combat effectiveness of the 11th Army has exploded, and it has defeated its opponents in many confrontation exercises. There are many powerful opponents like the 6th Army. Therefore, the 11th Army, as a new elite that dares to fight and fight hard, was sent to the Southern Front Group Army.
This is why General Baxter was so enthusiastic when he saw Commander Cavilla. How could he neglect this strong reinforcement?
"Your Excellency, Commander, our 11th Army is very happy to join the Southern Front Group Army. If the Commander has any tasks, please leave them to us, and our 11th Army will ensure that they are completed."
Admiral Baxter was very happy to face his new subordinates who were eager to fight. He pulled Lieutenant General Caviglia and said, "Don't be anxious. You have worked hard all the way here. How about taking a rest?"
"No, I've already rested on the road, and there are only three days until the fight starts, so I'm impatient."
Seeing that Lieutenant General Caviglia was really unwilling to rest, Baxter pulled him to the combat map and began to explain. "Your 11th Army's mission is not easy."
As he spoke, he pointed to the position marked by a small green flag on the map. "The mission of your 11th Army is to start from Sospele and attack the enemy's Levant in the middle reaches of the Wa River Valley to ensure that it can attack it from the flank of Nice."
Make threats. In addition, if you still have extra troops, then attack upstream along the Va River and reach Entrevoir upstream. Your 11th Army will be the first contributor to the Battle of Nice."
Listening to Admiral Baxter's story, Lieutenant General Caviglia looked at the map and thought about it. The task given to him by Admiral Baxter was not easy, although from the map it looked like the map from Sospele to Levan
The straight line is only 20 kilometers long. But this way is full of river valleys and ridges, and the actual distance is more than 40 kilometers.
There are three small towns along the map alone, and there are seven or eight mountain passes and key points along the road. He does not believe that his opponent will not take advantage of these excellent terrains. It is very difficult to fight the enemy here.
It's easy to get into trouble if you're not careful.
"This is not easy to fight."
Although Lieutenant General Cavilla and the officers and soldiers of the 11th Army have a strong desire to fight, in this terrible terrain, he is really hesitant to rely on his 11th Army alone.
Perhaps seeing Lieutenant General Caviglia's difficulties, General Baxter said at this time. "As long as you take over the offensive mission in the north, I will just ask for whatever you need. As long as there is something in the army, I will give it to you immediately. If you don't, I will give it to you immediately."
I will apply immediately and have the Army dial it immediately."
Admiral Baxter spoke like this because it was too difficult to fight on the northern front. Just look at how far Sospele, currently occupied by the Italian army, is from the border between the two countries. It is a full five kilometers.
The border battle lasted for so long, covering only five kilometers. How difficult was the northern front? You must know that the French army defended only one division at the time, while the southern front group army assembled two divisions and an artillery regiment to survive casualties.
It cost ten thousand to capture Sospeler.
As for the capture of the Savoy area, it all relied on sneak attacks and airship transportation that had never been seen before. This allowed the Northern Front Army, whose supplies were not restricted by terrain, to capture the area in one fell swoop.
But if you want to capture Nice, a sneak attack is no longer possible. You can only waste your troops and attack the mountains one by one.
Lieutenant General Caviglia, who also understood this truth, also expressed his needs at this time.
"I want two airship squadrons, a group of carriages, a large number of mortars, and..."
From Lieutenant General Caviglia's requirements, it can be seen that he has a very clear understanding of mountain warfare. All he wants are light weapons, and of course an airship capable of air transportation is indispensable.
"No problem, I agree to all the conditions you mentioned. Now the army has three airship squadrons. I will give you two. The logistics department has the number of carriages. You send people to choose. Do you think the mortars in the munitions depot are enough for me?
Let Turin send it, and the ammunition will be approved for you..."
Faced with a series of requests from Lieutenant General Caviglia, General Baxter agreed to them all. As he said, the group army would give them directly if they had some, and ask for what was not enough from the rear.
Lieutenant General Caviglia knew that the requirement to agree to this series of conditions was that Levent must be captured, and then he could go south along the Va River to threaten Nice and put enough pressure on the Nice defenders.
"Thank you very much for the support of the general. Our 11th Army will definitely complete the mission."
At this time, Lieutenant General Caviglia's words made General Baxter smile. "Lieutenant General Caviglia, I am waiting for your good news."
