Arthur and Mike Tolan have been following the progress of the Greek campaign.
Long before the German-Italian coalition launched its offensive, Arthur, in the name of Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Theater, sent a telegram to General Henry Maitland Wilson, the commander of the British army in Greece, reminding him of the changes in the strength of the German-Italian coalition.
Compared with the first stage, the German-Italian coalition has a powerful air force, which is enough to form an overwhelming advantage over the Allied air force. If not taken seriously, the Allied forces may suffer heavy losses.
Wilson did not strengthen his short selling preparations because of Arthur's reminder.
This was mainly because the British victory in the "Battle of Britain" gave Wilson great confidence. Wilson had reason to believe that the German Air Force had suffered heavy losses in the "Battle of Britain" and would not be able to recover its strength in a short time.
What's more, Germany still has to prepare for the implementation of the "Barbarossa Plan" and cannot provide too much assistance to the Italians.
A combination of various reasons led to the collapse of the Allied forces after the war broke out again.
When the time came in May, the situation became even more unfavorable for the Allies.
In order to annihilate more Allied troops, the German airborne troops were dispatched again. The 7th Parachute Division airborne to capture the bridge over the Collins Canal, cutting off the main channel for the Allied evacuation.
At the same time, the German 5th Armored Division entered the Peloponnese Peninsula, and the Australian 16th Infantry Regiment and 17th Infantry Regiment were surrounded. About 8,000 soldiers surrendered three days later.
At this time, Yingjun could only evacuate to Crete by sea. The Cyprus Squadron sent transport ships to assist the Mediterranean Fleet in evacuating the Allied forces trapped in the Peloponnese Peninsula.
The Luftwaffe launched a frantic attack, destroying 26 troop transport ships, and about 900 people died during the evacuation.
On May 3, King George II of Greece, other members of the Greek royal family, and senior Greek government officials flew to Cyprus by plane, and Arthur went to the airport to greet them.
At the airport, Arthur and George II shook hands, and the two were speechless.
Pushing back the time to six months ago, no one expected that the Greek battlefield would collapse to such an extent.
If George II could have predicted that this scene would happen, then George II might really give Crete to Southern Africa in order to win the full assistance of Southern Africa.
In the car leaving the airport, Arthur took the initiative to talk to George II about the deployment of the Mediterranean theater.
"We will focus our main efforts on the defense of Crete next. We hope that the Allied forces retreating to Crete can participate in the defense of Crete, if they can still fight." Arthur was worried.
Regarding the morale of the Allied forces, the current Allied forces are a hodgepodge. How to coordinate operations is the biggest problem.
In the first stage of the Greek campaign, the only troops participating in the battle were the Greek army.
Now the composition of the Allied forces is very complex, including British, Australians, New Zealanders, Greeks, Yugoslavs, Egyptians, Indians, and southern Africans.
How to bring these troops together and work together to deal with the German attack is a big problem for Wilson and Mike Tolan.
"We have lost the best opportunity to win the war, and it is up to you to decide. I hope Crete can become the grave of the Germans." George II was disheartened. He was now forced into exile.
The king who has subjugated his country no longer has the right to speak.
Whoever has the most power has the right to speak.
If you look at it this way, then within the current scope of the Mediterranean, Arthur has undoubtedly the greatest say.
Next up should be Mike Tolan.
But Mike Tolan is also in trouble now.
When George II flew to Cyprus, Mac Toland had already landed on Crete to organize its defense.
After days of fighting by the Mediterranean Fleet and the Cyprus Squadron, about 52,000 Allied troops have withdrawn to Crete.
Mike Tolan hopes that these more than 50,000 people can stay in Crete to participate in the defense.
Wilson disagreed.
"My soldiers have been fighting hard for days, and what they need now is rest. Your Cyprus squadron did not participate in this stage of the battle. Now is the time for you to show your strength." Wilson had no intention of staying in Crete, hoping to continue the Allied forces.
Withdraw to Egypt.
Crete is too close to the Greek mainland and may be attacked by the Luftwaffe at any time.
Egypt is far away from Greece, with Cyprus in the middle, making it a safe rear area.
"We did not participate in the war, not because of us, but because you were too confident." Mike Tolan did not take the blame. If the Greeks were not so confident half a year ago, the current situation would not be so bad.
At least with the participation of the Southern African Air Force, the German Air Force would not be so rampant.
"It is meaningless to say this now. Our soldiers evacuated from Albania to Crete in just one month. They are exhausted physically and mentally and need at least half a year of rest to regain their combat effectiveness. If they are allowed to stay in Crete,
If Ritter Island continues to fight the Germans, it may cause a mutiny. Can you bear this responsibility then?" Wilson's worry is not unreasonable. Don't forget that a mutiny just broke out in the French Foreign Legion.
"If we lose Crete and fail to complete the task of delaying the German army, then we cannot bear the responsibility." Mike Tolan said bluntly, and Wilson was also very aware of the Allied plan.
"That is your Cyprus Squadron's business and has nothing to do with us!" Wilson ignored it and insisted on withdrawing to Egypt.
Just when the quarrel broke out between Wilson and Mike Tolan, Pombia, Crete, had become the busiest port in Crete.
The larger ports on Crete are concentrated on the north side of the island, while the south side is severely underdeveloped and there are no ports suitable for large ships to enter and exit.
After Roque ordered the Mediterranean Fleet to strengthen the defense of Crete, Arthur sent troops to build a simple dock and field airport in Pombia. Pombia became the only port in the south of Crete, and all the Mediterranean theaters were sent to Crete.
All supplies for the island need to be landed from Pombia.
In order to strengthen the defense of Crete, the Fifth Army deployed all its elite troops. The first batch of troops to land on the island included three divisions, including the 35th Division, which had been stationed in Cyprus since the outbreak of the European War.
"If your transport ship cannot take my soldiers away by the way, then please give up some of the berths. My children want to leave this damn place as soon as possible." General Bremen, commander of the Australian Third Division, hoped that the Third Division would
Soldiers can leave Crete on transport ships from southern Africa.
Although the Fifth Army is not a heavily mechanized force, it still has a lot of heavy equipment.
The temporary simple wharf does not have large equipment such as gantry cranes, so the speed of landing heavy equipment is a bit slow.
Moreover, there are very few berths on the pier, and only two transport ships can dock at the same time. Now these two berths are all occupied by transport ships of the Cyprus Squadron. The transport ships sent by the Mediterranean Fleet to evacuate the troops can only queue up outside the port.
"Listen to what you say, the war is still going on. My soldiers are going to the battlefield, but your soldiers are running away from the battlefield. Where is the courage and honor of a soldier?" Anthony Jones, commander of the 35th Division, was not angry.
I want to leave Crete on a transport ship in southern Africa, dream!
"When we were fighting in North Africa, where were you? When we were fighting in Albania, where were you? When we were fighting in Athens, where were you?" Bremen was also angry. The Allied forces fought bloody battles for more than a month.
At that time, the Cyprus Squadron and the Fifth Army were watching the fun.
"We do want to participate in the war, do you dare to let us participate?" Anthony was furious. This bad debt can no longer be explained.
Bremen looked at Anthony angrily.
Anthony's eyes opened angrily, full of anger.
"I say gentlemen" General Kalinic from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia wants to speak.
"Shut up!" Blame and Anthony yelled at the same time.
"The Kingdom of Yugoslavia is also part of the Allied Forces, don't go too far!" General Kalinic felt humiliated.
"Let's see, there are two berths in total, one for the Cyprus Squadron and one for the Mediterranean Fleet." Greek General Perkis, as a landowner, thought he had the right to speak.
"This is the dock built by our Cyprus Squadron. If you want to use it, build it yourself!" Anthony sneered. Before all the officers, soldiers and equipment of the 35th Division landed, no ship of the Mediterranean Squadron would be able to use Pombia.
berth.
As for whether it can be used in the future, it depends on whether the generals in the follow-up troops are willing to let it go.
"The Indian army also participated in the construction of this pier, why can't we use it?" Bremen said confidently, India is part of the United Kingdom.
Indian Army!
Okay, I almost forgot about the Indian Army.
However, in the Mediterranean and North Africa, the Indian army can only undertake some tasks such as repairs, and it is only auxiliary.
"The Indian army is involved, but it is not involved in the construction, but it is involved in consuming our supplies. We can complete the work in a day, but your Indian army needs a regiment to work for half a month, and even women are not involved in the work.
You can't even compare to them. You can eat more than pigs when you eat. Let the Indian troops build a port for you alone." Bremen did not mention India, but Anthony was not so angry.
A separate book can be written about the Indian troops.
Just like the status and role of the Italians within the Axis Powers, the Indians have sent 2 million people to participate in the world war. Their biggest role is not in defense or offense, but in consuming supplies.
Anthony therefore suspected that India was using additional troops to reduce the pressure of the disaster in India.
The latest situation is that in the first four months of 1941, an average of 1 million people died of starvation in India every month.
This makes people wonder, why in India, a place where crops are harvested three times a year, do so many people starve to death every year?
"No matter what, my soldiers must leave this damn place as soon as possible!" Breme emphasized.
"Impossible, don't even think about it!" Anthony said forcefully.
"Damn Anthony, can you speed up your troops? My troops have been waiting at sea for two hours." General Mayo, commander of the 91st Division, rushed in angrily. His troops were queuing up to land on Crete.
island.
"Oh, I'm afraid you still have to wait. They asked us to give up a berth to the transport ship of the Mediterranean Fleet to facilitate their escape." Anthony said without hesitation.
"Asshole, what are you talking about?"
"Bastard, who wants to run away!" Bremen and Mayo yelled at the same time.
Anthony was so proud that it would be great if you guys had a fight.
Caricini and Percas hid in the corner and shivered. The gods were fighting, and mortals couldn't intervene.
"Gentlemen, healthy soldiers can stay in Crete temporarily. At least our wounded soldiers must board the ship and leave first. They need to receive treatment as soon as possible." Paul Kamen, the liaison officer sent by the British government, couldn't help but said.
To be fair, it doesn't matter if you are arguing here, the lives of the wounded soldiers are being lost.
Bremen and Mayo, who were about to start a big fight, shut up at the same time.
This is not a problem that can be solved by a battle of wills.
It is very frustrating to say that among the current Allied forces, only the southern African army still has a relatively complete medical system, and other countries, including the United Kingdom, cannot do so.
After the Allied forces withdrew to Crete, the Mediterranean theater took humanitarian considerations into account and sent medical staff to treat wounded Allied soldiers.
This still cannot solve the problem. Crete lacks complete medical facilities, and many operations for wounded soldiers cannot be completed. While the Mediterranean theater built a field hospital in Pombia, it also sent the only medical ship over, but it still could not be completed.
Meet needs.
"Wounded soldiers, well, wounded soldiers can take our transport ship and leave here early." Anthony made a concession. After all, he still couldn't be hard-hearted.
Bremen was silent for a long time, and finally said to Anthony with great difficulty: "Thank you!"
The internal uprising within the Allied forces was temporarily eliminated, and new problems followed.
Since the end of the last world war, the Black Sea estuaries, including the Dardanelles Strait, have been under the control of international coalition forces dominated by southern African troops.
After Japan withdrew from the League of Nations, it withdrew all Japanese troops from the League of Nations. The current League of Nations troops, except for one company of British troops and one company of French troops, are all southern African troops.
The French troops in the League of Nations were also very smart. When Vichy France was established, the French troops did not choose to join Vichy France.
After de Gaulle's Free France was established, the French troops in the League of Nations immediately announced their joining the Free France.
Taking into account the combat effectiveness of the French army, the French company, together with the British company, were deployed in the Dardanelles Strait.
After the German-Italian coalition invaded Greece, the Black Sea outlet was seriously threatened. The Germans might pass through Greece at any time and launch an attack on the Black Sea outlet.
On May 1, the League of Nations issued an order to the League of Nations troops, requiring the League of Nations troops to abandon the Black Sea outlet and withdraw to Cyprus.
League troops refused to carry out the order.
Twenty years have passed since the end of the last world war. Many family members of the League of Nations troops have come to the Garibaldi Peninsula with the army and settled there. Therefore, Major General Lewis, the current commander of the League of Nations troops, decided that the League of Nations troops could
Don't leave the Black Sea, but resolutely defend your homeland.