Chapter four hundred and seventy fourth serial plan
"But...but there is only about one regiment of British troops guarding Sidi Burani, less than 3,000 people." The staff officer replied, his voice trembling, his eyes full of fear, for fear of Graziani
Will take it out on him.
Sure enough, Graziani roared: "What? You told me that the garrison in Sidi Burani only has 3,000 people? Are you kidding me? Could it be that we were attacking an infantry regiment by stupidly bombing and artillery, and it was all gone?"
Half of the army’s ammunition base. What do your staff officers do? Didn’t you do pre-war reconnaissance?”
"Commander, you didn't ask us to conduct pre-war reconnaissance," the staff officer complained softly.
Although it was very quiet, his words were still heard by Graziani, who had sensitive ears. He roared: "What? What did you just say? Say it again! Do you mean to blame me?"
The staff officer did not dare to speak anymore and stood silently aside to accept General Graziani's "criticism".
Graziani's long criticism was only interrupted when an artillery shell exploded near the Italian military headquarters.
Graziani was shaken by the explosion, and immediately shouted angrily: "Who is shooting randomly? Do you want to blow up this marshal!"
No one answered his question, and the staff members also looked surprised.
It wasn't until the second and third artillery shells exploded on the Italian army's position that he suddenly realized that things didn't seem that simple.
"What's going on? What's going on?" Graziani asked in a panic.
"The British army made a sneak attack from behind our army!" A communications soldier who came from the rear security position had just conveyed the news to Graziani's ears.
After hearing the news, Graziani felt a chill in his heart. His army had just completed the battle against Sidi Bailani. Most of the soldiers were still cleaning the battlefield, and the armored troops sent out had not yet returned.
, the direction of the muzzle is still towards Sidi Burani.
The British army's rear attack was a devastating disaster for the Italian army.
It turned out that General Wavell, the commander of the British army, had already planned the British army's retreat route and ambush location.
They deliberately divided their troops into two groups. The main force actually temporarily retreated to the southeast, and the "ambush force" of 3,000 people stationed in Sidi Burani was a bait, a bait that deliberately lured the Italian army to attack.
While the Italian army bombed and shelled Sidi Burani, Wavell's troops had secretly moved behind Graziani.
"Now the Italian army is finished. I bet that if they don't have more troops to fill in, the initiative in the North African battlefield, and even the entire African battlefield, will be in our hands!"
General Wavell was discussing his views on the entire African battlefield with his deputy general at the headquarters of the British "Nile" Army Group.
He is certain to win this battle!
At this moment, the British army was divided into three groups and launched a large-scale attack on the Italian army's positions from the south of Sidi Burani.
On the right, British tanks attacked the Italian army's artillery positions, but encountered strong resistance from Italian infantry.
However, the Italian infantry could not block the British tanks. After discovering that the resistance was ineffective, they quickly escaped.
Unfortunately, before the artillery here had time to turn the cannons, they were destroyed one by one by the British Matil tanks together with those artillery pieces that could not be taken away.
All two artillery regiments deployed here were almost destroyed and captured, and the Italian troops on the right had to retreat.
In the middle, the British army took a Matil tank regiment as the vanguard and advanced towards the Italian infantry division position. This way, because the Italian army could not defeat the threat posed by the Matil anti-tank guns to them, a
The regiment's Matil tanks rushed into the Italian army's position very smoothly.
As for the 6-ton "mini light tanks" of the Italian 8th Tank Regiment, they were defeated in a fierce exchange of fire with the British Matil heavy tanks. At dusk that day, the British troops in the middle
Successfully captured the defensive position of the Italian army in the middle.
On the left, the British army took the lead with the 7th Tank Brigade equipped with patrol tanks, trying to outflank the Italian army, but General Wavell ordered them to open a hole on the left to allow the Italian army to break through.
Because General Wavell knew that although the Italian army was temporarily at a disadvantage, it was still outnumbered and the British army might not be able to take advantage if they continued to fight.
At dawn the next day, Graziani ordered his 15th Armored Division, which was also equipped only with light tanks, to launch a fierce counterattack on the left of Sidi Burani, and at the same time asked the 5th Armored Division to cut off the British left and right.
connect.
However, the British army on the right strengthened their defenses at night and tried their best to prevent the intrusion of Italian tanks. In addition, the anti-tank guns equipped by the British army were much higher than those of the Italian army in terms of quantity and quality. Therefore, the Italian army
The offensive of the 15th Armored Division did not make much progress.
The decisive battle took place on the Western Front, when the 15th Armored Division broke through the position of the British 7th Tank Brigade on the left.
Graziani immediately bet all his bets and ordered the 15th Armored Division to leave only a few troops to guard the position east of Sidi Burani, while the rest rushed to the western front position and inserted into the flank of the British army together with the 5th Light Division.
, and then break through to the western front.
Finally, after a day and night of fierce fighting, the Italian army finally "teared" a 2-kilometer-wide gap on the Western Front. Under the cover of the 15th Tank Armored Division, the Italian army in Sidi Burani finally broke through the encirclement and marched along the Western Front.
Retreat in the direction of Gebug.
"Sir, the Italian army has broken through from the Western Front." The telegraph operator at the British Army Command just reported the latest situation of the battle to Wavell.
"I know, this is to be expected, and there are good things waiting for them next." General Wavell said lightly.
The gap "teared" on the Western Front was something he decided to open deliberately from the beginning in order to allow the Italians to go there.
Sure enough, on the way back to Bugebug, the Italian army encountered multiple rounds of landmine attacks set by the British army in advance, causing heavy casualties.
"No wonder the British didn't pursue us. It turns out they laid mines on the road, these damn British guys." the chief of staff complained angrily.
Then he glanced at Graziani beside him, only to see that Graziani's eyes were vacant and lifeless, as if he had lost his soul.
The chief of staff asked with concern: "Marshal, what's wrong with you? Are you sick?"
Graziani didn't speak, didn't even blink, and sat blankly on the car seat.
After a long time, Graziani turned his body slightly, faced the Chief of Staff, and said feebly: "This time I led the Italian elite in North Africa, with a force several times that of the British army, but was defeated by the British army.
, the blame cannot be evaded, and I have no face to command the three armies anymore. Remember my words, I am afraid that the Italian army in North Africa will have to be handed over to you in the future."
"Marshal, are you kidding me? I'm just a staff officer...Marshal, the Italian army in North Africa depends on you, Marshal. You must cheer up." The staff officer replied flattered.
However, what Graziani said is not unreasonable. After this battle, it is indeed impossible for him to continue to serve as the commander-in-chief of the Italian army in North Africa. At this time, Graziani may have suffered a serious mental blow after the defeat.
, began to feel a little confused.
It is certain that he will be recalled to the country for accountability. After he leaves, the mess will be left to the next unlucky person who succeeds him and the staff he left behind.
In this battle, the Italian army suffered nearly 20,000 casualties, captured nearly 10,000 people, lost more than 200 artillery pieces of various types, and more than 300 tanks and armored vehicles, while the British army suffered only more than 3,000 casualties and only lost a few tanks and armored vehicles.
More than 20 vehicles.
After that, all Graziani can do now is to be forced to withdraw his troops to organize defense near Benghazi, Libya, so that the next successor can still use the withdrawn troops.
Speaking of which, this is already the third commander-in-chief of the Italian North African Army. Compared with the last Marshal Balbo who was killed by his own people and whose body was cold, Graziani thought that his luck seemed to be better.
It's good enough.
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The last few chapters of Feiyu have started to enter the plot of the war in Africa on a fictitious basis.
To be honest, when Feiyu entered World War II, he was attracted by the African confrontation between Rommel and Montgomery. And this time, Feiyu will do its best to present a completely different African confrontation, one that everyone has never seen before.
Watched Africa Clash.
Well... this plot is very difficult to code, you know