Four hundred and sixtieth nine chapters two gas Mussolini
Italy, Rome.
Mussolini was leaning in his exclusive ward in San Giovanni Hospital, humming and singing.
With Balbo as a reliable confidant heading to North Africa, Mussolini felt that he could feel a little more relaxed.
Balbo is a famous Italian general recognized by both the United States and Germany. With him in charge of the North African war, there will definitely be no more problems.
However, Mussolini's beautiful fantasy was shattered by his assistant who rushed into the ward in a panic with a telegram in hand.
"Leader! No...it's not good." The short male assistant barged in without even having time to knock on the door and said, "Something big has happened!"
When Mussolini saw this, he said to his assistant with great disdain: "Why are you panicking? I see you are in a hurry. Tell me slowly if you have anything to do. The sky will not fall. If you stay by my side all day long, you don't know."
Do you want to learn from my heaviness and stability?"
But the assistant didn't seem to listen to Mussolini's words at all. He still said in a panic: "Leader, it's bad... it's bad..."
"Why are you panicking! Go out and come back when you have calmed down." Mussolini obviously lost his temper because his assistant did not listen to his instructions.
He didn't even listen to the leader's personal instructions. This dwarf assistant was too ignorant.
The assistant was very helpless and could only retreat out of the door and enter Mussolini's office again. He suppressed his panic and pretended to be calm and said: "Prime Minister, General Balbo..."
He took a long breath and said coherently: "Something happened to General Balbo!"
Unexpectedly, Mussolini just sneered after hearing this.
He just sent Ciano to put Balbo on a plane heading to North Africa for inspection this morning. What could happen?
So Mussolini said to his assistant nonchalantly: "Did Marshal Balbo have a cold? Or did he accidentally fall while walking? Or is he afraid of the British and wants to avoid the battle? You will never tell me that he
Did the plane crash? Hahaha..."
"Prime Minister, General Balbo... the plane he was on did crash, just half an hour ago." The assistant swallowed and replied.
The assistant couldn't believe that the Prime Minister had guessed the crash of Marshal Balbo just by casually speaking. Isn't this too accurate?!
He is worthy of being the leader of Italy, the assistant secretly admired him.
However, it was exactly the opposite of what the assistant thought.
In fact, his answer really frightened Mussolini.
In shock, Mussolini's face soon showed a look of fear.
He timidly and cautiously confirmed to his assistant: "Who, who did it? Didn't Marshal Balbo just leave this morning? Tell me, who did it! Was it the British troops or Berante's French army?"
"
"Yes...it was our cruiser Gilzio that did it." The assistant almost cried before telling the nonsense: "They mistook the marshal's plane for an enemy plane and shot it.
, there were no survivors on the plane on which Marshal Balbo was flying, and there were 8 victims including Count Florio.”
The assistant continued: "The cleanup of the aircraft wreckage is still continuing, and Marshal Balbo's body has been found..."
After hearing this, Mussolini was speechless.
For a long time, he held his head in his hands and leaned against the wall, tapping the wall with the back of his head "dong dong dong" from time to time.
Once, twice, three times...
About ten minutes later, Mussolini was still repeating his incomprehensible act of self-mutilation.
Suddenly, he raised his head suddenly and started laughing.
"Hahaha... You must have lied to me, right? Tell me, you were just joking with me! Quick! Tell me!" Mussolini pulled like crazy.
Passed the assistant's collar and screamed at him.
It looked like he was about to eat the assistant.
But suddenly, he seemed to have discovered his distinguished identity as Prime Minister.
So he immediately loosened his assistant's collar, turned to one side, straightened his tie, cleared his throat and said: "Okay, I understand. You...you...you go
Inform all the senior generals in Rome that there will be a meeting in my ward in half an hour."
"Yes, Prime Minister! I'll do it right away." After saying that, the assistant quickly ran away. He was quite frightened by the Prime Minister today, and he had long been looking for an opportunity to escape.
More than half an hour later, in Mussolini's ward, almost all the senior generals of the Italian armed forces arrived and crowded into this small patient room.
To be honest, the room assigned to Mussolini in San Giovanni Hospital was quite large. However, if dozens of senior generals were admitted at once, there would naturally be insufficient space.
Among the many generals, only Admiral Leifer, who had just returned to Rome, buried his head and did not dare to speak.
Because he is directly in charge of the cruiser Girzio.
Mussolini naturally knew about this, so he directly asked Leifer: "What is going on with your navy? You have never shot down so many British bombers, but our Air Marshal's special plane came from you
The warship passed by and was shot down by you!"
Leifer knew he was in the wrong, but he couldn't help but explain: "Prime Minister, this was an accident, a huge accident. I have ordered the suspension of the captain of the cruiser Gilgio and the gunner who shot down Marshal Balbo's plane.
Investigate, we must get to the bottom of this matter."
"Accident? You told me it was an accident?!"
Mussolini's burning eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets.
I saw him yelling with tears in his eyes: "In my opinion, it's an accident that you guys are here! It was an accident when your father and your mother gave birth to you, right? Don't let me do it by then.
The special plane was also shot down by your navy. You ran to my tombstone again and told me it was an accident!"
Mussolini was very angry and obviously did not accept the explanation that this was an accident.
After all, the one who died was a famous Italian pioneer aviator, leader of the Black Shirt Party, colonial ruler, Mussolini's designated successor and personal friend, and the most important of the four core figures under his command.
Such a key figure under his command died so unjustly and so unjustly that no one else would be able to accept it!
"Well, starting from today, you will fly back and forth between North Africa and Rome every day, and see if you can have an accident!" Mussolini said coldly.
He had no scruples in front of the generals of the three armies and did not hide his anger at all. This is enough to show the important position Balbo has in his heart.
Although Leifer was aggrieved, he still did not dare to speak in the face of Mussolini's indiscriminate bombardment.
He lowered his head and endured all this silently.
Fortunately, General Rodolfo Graziani stood up and spoke for him at this time: "Leader, we are very sad that Marshal Balbo left, but this has become a fact and we have no way to change it. Besides,
Admiral Leifer has just defeated the British fleet in the Battle of Oran and captured the British most advanced aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. This can be regarded as a great achievement, because this accident will not reward but punish, and I am afraid it will shake the morale of the naval officers.
."
"And all we can do now is to suffer the consequences silently, and then try our best to make up for what we lost after Marshal Balbo left." Graziani continued.
Mussolini glanced sideways at Graziani, who was interceding for Leifer, and snorted coldly: "Okay, then I will now officially appoint you, General Rodolfo Graziani, as the new Governor of Libya.
."
"This..." Graziani really didn't expect that the position of governor of Libya would fall on him. If he is allowed to take this position now, doesn't he have to go to North Africa and fight with the British?
Fighting?!
Graziani, who had always been afraid of the British, quickly shook his head and prepared to refuse.
Unfortunately, before he could open his mouth to evade, Mussolini spoke first: "In addition, from the outside world, we must strictly block the news that Marshal Balbo was accidentally injured and died by our own navy. Let's just say...
He was killed by the British!"
And then...and then, Mussolini fainted and fell unconscious on the hospital bed.
After all, the last time I was knocked out by Reinhard was not long ago.
Now, not long after, Italy's own people came again and continued to anger him.
Even if Mussolini had a strong psychological quality, it would be impossible for him to endure it!
Looking at Mussolini who fainted on the hospital bed, Graziani also felt dizzy.
After the leader handed over the task, he collapsed. Didn't Graziani have no way to refuse the hard job of fighting the British...