Southern Africa has always been very cautious about the use of airborne troops.
Montgomery's use of airborne troops was completely irresponsible. When ground support could not arrive in time, airdropping airborne troops into the enemy's encirclement was basically sending airborne troops to die.
Southern Africa doesn't do this.
Theoretically, the use of airborne troops is no different from the infantry-artillery coordination during World War I and the infantry-tank coordination during World War II. Without the cooperation of ground troops, casualties will only increase.
Patton was very cautious about the use of airborne troops. Although the Southern African Expeditionary Force faced the same dilemma as the British and American coalition forces, Patton did not dispatch immediately. Instead, he waited for ground troops to be in place before sending out airborne troops to seize key positions.
Of course, this has a lot to do with the German tactics.
Rundstedt had previously ordered that all bridges on the Rhine be blown up if necessary.
There is nothing wrong with this command itself, the key lies in the understanding of "necessary".
The Southern African Expeditionary Force's attack was also spearheaded by the Air Force. So when the Expeditionary Force Air Force's fighters and bombers appeared over the Rhine, was it necessary?
After all, the air force cannot directly seize positions, and must rely on ground forces to resolve the battle.
So is the armored force of the Southern African Expeditionary Force considered necessary when it is only ten kilometers away from the Rhine River?
What about one kilometer?
When the airborne troops of the British and American coalition forces were surrounded, the 9th Armored Division, the forward force of the Southern African Expeditionary Force, was indeed only one kilometer away from the Rhine River.
"Air force intelligence shows that the Germans have blown up most of the bridges on the Rhine River. We have to prepare pontoon bridges-" In the huge and sturdy armored command vehicle, Chief of Staff Tony Anderson frowned. This is very important to the armored forces.
That's not good news.
"The vast majority?" Division Commander Lei Zhen's body swayed with the car. The traffic situation here was indeed a bit bad.
In fact, Germany's transportation is very developed in the whole of Europe, especially Germany's highway network, which is second to none in Europe.
In 1933, when Mustache came to power, there were only 100 kilometers of autobahns in Germany.
After Mustache came to power, in order to alleviate social conflicts and create more jobs, he formulated a nationwide highway plan. From then on, he began to work hard on the road of "if you want to get rich, build roads first".
By 1936, the total length of Germany's highways had exceeded 1,000 kilometers. In the following three years, the number of highways in Germany increased at a rate of 1,000 kilometers per year. Mustache's goal was to build a total length of 14,000 kilometers of highways for Germany.
Germany's highway standards are also very high. The basic standard is four lanes, 34 meters wide, with a five-meter green belt in the middle. There are reflective cement pillars every 200 meters on the roadside to remind drivers, and there are also signs on the road.
There are anti-slip pits, and at regular intervals, there are service areas for the driver and passengers to rest.
The plan was grand, but then the war broke out.
The 9th Armored Division has already invaded Germany. It stands to reason that due to Germany's developed highway network, the advance will be very fast.
Rundstedt was definitely a cruel man. He not only ordered the German army to blow up the bridges on the Rhine River, but also ordered the German army to destroy all the road transportation systems on the south side of the Rhine River.
So now, not to mention highways, even ordinary roads and railways are in a state of interruption. For safety reasons, even if there is a road, the 9th Armored Division does not dare to go.
After entering Germany, it was clearly felt that the German army's will to resist was completely different from that during the French campaign.
During the Battle of France, the German army did not destroy the transportation system, but the Allied forces indiscriminately bombed it, causing a more serious impact.
Affected by the war, the roads in Germany were also seriously damaged. After the 9th Armored Division invaded Germany, it initially tried to repair the damaged roads and relied on Germany's developed transportation system to advance quickly.
So the problem arises.
There are many large holes on the road that were blasted by artillery shells or aerial bombs. Some of these holes have been filled, and some have not yet been filled.
It's easy to say if you haven't filled it in yet, just fill it in directly.
Be careful if you have patched it up, there may be mines or explosives planted by the Germans underneath.
After losing many tanks and armored vehicles, Lei Zhen could only order his troops to leave the road. Even if he opened a road through the mud, it would be easier than making it all the way to Berlin.
It's not like this kind of thing has never happened before.
During the Russo-German War, the German army recruited a large number of Russian prisoners of war and slave labor to build roads in order to mobilize troops and transport supplies faster.
These roads did provide convenience for the German army.
However, after the Russian army counterattacked, the roads built by the German army were more conducive to the actions of the Russian army and caused a lot of trouble to the German army.
The armored command vehicle Lei Zhen was riding in was modified from a heavy-duty military truck. Its body was specially reinforced to withstand attacks from rifle bullets and small grenades. The armored tracks ensured the passability of the command vehicle to the greatest extent.
However, after adding thick armor, the speed will inevitably be seriously affected.
Of course, this is not a problem. The command vehicle does not need to be very fast, as long as it can keep up with the advancing speed of the tank.
"Yes, the vast majority. Within a fifty-kilometer radius of us, there is only one bridge left that has not been blown up." Tony Anderson didn't look very happy.
The heavy tanks of the Southern African Expeditionary Force had a total combat weight of more than 60 tons. Ordinary bridges could not support them at all, and the tanks were crushed immediately after driving on them.
The only bridge that was not destroyed by the bombing was a railway bridge named after the famous German general Ludendorff during World War I.
Compared with ordinary bridges, the load-bearing capacity of railway bridges is still reliable and can be used by heavy tanks of the expeditionary force.
The only question now is how long the bridge can last.
"Don't worry about why it didn't blow up. We have to seize this opportunity and order the troops to advance at full speed!" Lei Zhen was very happy. This is really a God-given opportunity. We must firmly control the Ludendorff Bridge before the German army destroys it.
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Lei Zhen's order was correct. Just as the 9th Armored Division was advancing at full speed, Brakdi, the commander of the bridge guarding force, was commanding the German soldiers to place explosives on the piers of the Ludendorff Bridge.
"We do not have enough troops to stop the advancement of the Southern African Expeditionary Force, and we must blow up the bridge as soon as possible." Brakdi's assistant Thomas was worried. The forward troops of the 9th Armored Division had advanced to less than one kilometer away from the Ludendorff Bridge.
, the tall and powerful "Lion" tanks and "Tiger" tanks can already be seen with the naked eye. If the Ludendorff Bridge cannot be blown up before the Allied forces arrive, both Brakdi and Thomas will be subject to a court-martial.
As for stopping it!
Thomas had never thought of such a thing.
The troops under Brakdi and Thomas had only one company in total, less than a hundred men, and their heavy weapons were two Maxim machine guns that had been in service for more than 30 years.
The Ninth Armored Division opposite is a fully-equipped division with a total strength of 16,000 troops.
Behind them are 14 divisions from the First Army of Southern Africa, with a total strength of more than 300,000, and more than 3,000 tanks alone.
"Our explosives haven't arrived yet, how do you want me to blow it up? Use a grenade to blow it up?" Brakdi's face was full of despair, as if he had already seen the scene where he would either die in battle or be hanged by the court.
Although Rundstedt was very determined and Mustache resisted to the end, Germany really couldn't hold on any longer and was running out of gas.
There are only two heavy machine guns in one company, and they were used in the last world war, and maybe they were captured from other countries.
Now there is actually a serious shortage of explosives to blow up the bridge. To fight——
Hit him on the head.
"We have to try no matter what, even if we only blow up one bridge pier." Thomas made a desperate move.
Before Brakdi had time to speak, the roar of an aircraft engine suddenly came from the air.
It is not a German one, but a "Cheetah" fighter-bomber of the Southern African Air Force. This type of aircraft was also the most versatile fighter aircraft during World War II.
As a fighter jet, the "Cheetah" is equipped with two 20mm cannons and two 12.7mm machine guns, with powerful firepower.
As a bomber, the "Cheetah" can carry up to 500 kilograms of bombs, and the bomb load is similar to that of the early model Stuka.
Don't be too little, 500 kilograms is enough. After all, it is not a professional bomber.
The most common combat method used by "Cheetah" pilots is to first throw away the bombs, and then use machine guns to fire until all the bullets are empty or the fuel is almost exhausted before returning.
Compared with bombers, the "Cheetah" is very fast. The attack of the Southern African Expeditionary Force is also spearheaded by the "Cheetah". All tasks related to fighting for air supremacy, close ground support, warning, and reconnaissance are all performed by the "Cheetah"
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A small force at the level of a company is actually not qualified to dispatch "Cheetahs".
However, with the task of seizing the bridge, the Air Force dispatched 12 "Cheetahs" at once to attack the troops defending the bridge, with unprecedented attention.
call out--
The sound generator mounted on the aircraft bomb roared in with a heart-rending scream.
The power of the 250kg aerial bomb is huge, comparable to the main gun of a battleship.
The Army's largest caliber 203 mm artillery shell weighs only 100 kilograms.
Brakdi and Thomas were lucky that their bunker was not hit directly by bombs, and no bombs even fell within the bunker's attack radius.
A bomb of this level does not rely on shrapnel to injure people. The shock wave generated by the explosion is enough to kill.
Of course, the reason is not that the "Cheetah" pilots are not skilled enough, but that the bunkers of Brakdi and Thomas are right next to the Ludendorff Bridge. The pilots were worried about causing damage to the Ludendorff Bridge, so they dropped the bombs far away from the bridge.
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Even so, after the violent explosion, Brakdi and Thomas were still dizzy, and Thomas even started to vomit.
After dropping the bomb, the "Cheetah" did not fly away, but circled back and continued firing with machine guns.
A German soldier who was in a daze accidentally walked out of the bunker and was targeted by a "Cheetah". A string of 12.7mm bullets hit the German soldier. The German soldier was surrounded by dust splashed by the bullets. When the smoke cleared, the bodies could not be found.
You have to use a shovel.
"Blow up the bridge! Blow up the bridge!" Brakdi picked up the phone and yelled. There was no response on the other end of the phone. It was probably because the phone line was interrupted.
"Commander, order to blow up the bridge!" Brakdi used a manual message.
"Yes!" The orderly soldier trembled and put the helmet on his head. As soon as he reached the bridge, he was shot down.
This is not the masterpiece of the "Cheetah", but the scouts who have arrived on the other side in advance and entered combat mode.
War is a very complex task, and both air and ground reconnaissance are essential. The Southern African Expeditionary Force never makes mistakes in this regard, especially after the invasion of Germany.
When fighting in France, the local French shared the same hatred of the enemy and would actively provide intelligence about the Axis forces to the Allies, and would even take the initiative to attack the Axis forces.
Don't even think about it in Germany. Even if Germans provide information, its authenticity is questionable.
Maybe it's a trap.
Therefore, preliminary reconnaissance work is essential, and each of the scouts has one specialization and multiple abilities. Compared with future special forces, they are no better than future special forces. Precise shooting at medium and short range is considered a basic operation.
It's not that long range is impossible, but it requires professional sniper rifles. The scout troops in southern Africa naturally need snipers.
"Did it explode?" Thomas stumbled over, with a large area of vomit on his chest that had not been cleaned up.
"Not yet, the phone has been disconnected and the bridge is blocked -" Brakdi staggered, picked up a helmet from the ground, and prepared to give the order himself.
"You keep it here, I'll give the order." Thomas snatched the helmet away.
"What else can I do if I stay here?" Brakdi was heartbroken, not just because he failed to complete the order.
If the Allied forces cross the Rhine, the front will be smooth and there will be no obstacles.
Although Rundstedt still had a dozen divisions under his command, they were unable to stop the attack of the Southern African Expeditionary Force.
So what Brakdi is sad about is not only his own fate, but also the fate of the empire.
Not right either.
The fate of the empire cannot be changed.
But your own destiny——
Blakdi looked up at Thomas.
If Thomas can complete the mission, then his mission will be completed, and the fate of the empire will be beyond his control.
Compared with the messengers, Thomas's personal quality is still very good. He was very smart and did not pass directly through the bridge. Instead, he relied on the two destroyed German cars on the bridge and the cover of the steel frame on the side of the bridge to approach the bridge pier.
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Snipers on the other side of the river had noticed Thomas, and at least two sniper rifles fired at Thomas at the same time.
Thomas did not run in a straight line and did not stay in the same place for more than a second. He rolled and climbed to the bridge pier. He just shouted to the engineers under the bridge when he was finally shot by a sniper.
Blakdi lamented Thomas' fate and breathed out a sigh of relief. At least he didn't have to go to court-martial.
The engineers who planted the explosives were very responsible and immediately lit the fuse after receiving the order.
hiss--
The fuse, which is five centimeters in diameter, is affecting the hearts of countless officers and soldiers on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
boom--
The explosives exploded violently, but the bridge deck did not collapse.
