"General, it seems that the Italians don't believe our battle plan." A short lieutenant colonel staff officer followed Rommel and expressed his disdain for the Italians.
"Don't believe it?" Rommel, who was walking in front of the lieutenant colonel, turned around and smiled and said to the lieutenant colonel: "That's because they don't understand our combat effectiveness. Those people only look at the number of troops and don't pay attention to weapons, equipment and operations.
The trained Italians will not understand that as long as they can use fast troops to separate the enemy and defeat them one by one, they can cause the enemy's entire army to collapse. At that time, an armored force can defeat more than ten times the enemy's infantry!"
"As for their so-called famous Italian general Gambara..." Rommel snorted coldly: "I will show him the way our German army fights under the new war mode!"
"General!" The short lieutenant colonel looked at Rommel with more admiration: "Then shall we go back to prepare for the next attack from now on?"
"Get ready..." Rommel smiled and waved his hands and said: "There's no rush, we'd better stay put for now. Let the Italians take action first. When the Republican Army mobilizes its troops and leaves, we will then use thunderous force.
Charge at the speed of the attack."
The short lieutenant colonel was a little worried and said: "General, we have not been involved in the battle before, and now we are using the Italians to divert the troops away... Will it be difficult to explain afterwards?"
Rommel didn't even raise his eyelids and said calmly: "We don't need to explain to the Italians. Just like their famous general Gambara said, the war depends on the results. Besides, we have already given them a better plan.
Yes, they rejected it themselves. When trouble comes, they will have to solve it themselves!"
.........
As the top commander of the Comintern column, Moraca knew very well that the Spanish Republican Army had a slim chance of winning in this war. Only faith in the Communist Party supported Moraca and his troops to stay in Spain and fight.
Although the Comintern column has always been one of the main forces relied on by the Spanish Republican Army due to its high fighting spirit and combat effectiveness. However, even after several reinforcements, Moraca's troops only had about 2,000 people left.
This time, Francisco, the leader of the Spanish Republican Army, personally invited Moraca to attend an internal meeting of the Republican Army, which made Moraca realize the seriousness of the situation.
During this internal meeting, Moraca heard that Spain's northern front was shrinking, and that the last main force of the Republican Army in the Basque Country was less than half the number of the enemy's troops.
Granada, which had been recaptured with great difficulty in the south, was lost again. In the central direction, the German-Spanish Combined Corps, which had not been involved in the battle, also made offensive movements. I heard that German reconnaissance planes that rarely appeared have been frequently spotted recently.
....
In the end, Moracca took the initiative to apply and lead the team to the northern defense line that was about to be lost, fighting the menacing Italian Legion in the most dangerous place.
The Comintern column of 2,000 people, plus the temporary deployment of 10,000 People's Guards equipped with Gew.98 Mauser rifles from the three lines of defense outside Madrid. These are all the reinforcements sent by the Republican Army to the north. They
Instead of directly committing to the Basque front line, they chose to assemble in Burgos, collect the defeated troops, and establish blocking positions. However, no one can tell what to do when these blocking positions are penetrated.
Francisco, as the commander-in-chief of the Republican Army, saw all these disadvantages.
On the combat map, the red arrow representing the National Army camp is constantly approaching the blue defense line of the Republican Army. The Republican Army units in several areas have lost their designations, disrupting their organization.
Cordoba, which the Republican Army was originally bound to win, has now become Franco's rear area, constantly mobilizing new troops of the National Army to the front.
Francisco has gradually mobilized two divisions with 30,000 elite Republican troops to the southern front. Those are full regular troops. However, under the attack of Franco's concentrated superior forces, these two divisions have now been reduced.
The size of a strengthened regiment has been reached. First, the two crippled divisions were merged into one division, and then downsized into one regiment. If the battle continues, this group of troops will probably be completely wiped out.
The Portuguese Volunteer Army, the Romanian Volunteer Army, the Moroccan Volunteer Army, and Franco's National Army on the Southern Front have received too much foreign aid. On the other hand, the only 2,000 Communist International foreign aid left by the Republican Army still have to go north to resist the Italian attack.
The 300,000 People's Guards that were originally left outside Madrid have now been dismantled. About 40,000 people have been gradually transferred to various war zones to fill the gaps. In addition, the 300,000 People's Guards who are now following the Comintern column to the northern front
From 10,000 people, Madrid’s People’s Guard has been reduced by 50,000!
Not only did the southern and northern fronts give Francisco a headache, but the German-Spanish Combined Corps creeping on the central front constantly challenged Francisco's psychological bottom line. They were just here, not sending a single soldier, but they were restraining him.
The Republican Army has 250,000 People's Guards and 30,000 regular troops.
This can't go on like this! Francisco is determined to make some changes. At least, he can't let the nearly 300,000 main force stay here and wait for death.
For the reinforcements transferred to the northern front, it is not a problem to gather the defeated troops and establish several blocking positions. What is worrying is the nearly 200,000 national troops on the southern front. This is the main force in Franco's hands. It is more difficult to fight than the Italians.
Both the Spanish people and the Germans were more interested. Once they were allowed to occupy an inch of land, it meant that the Second Spanish Republic lost an additional inch of land.
Although Francisco knew that the German army under Rommel had the highest combat effectiveness among these enemy forces. After all, the Germans had defeated the French elite, known as the strongest army in Europe, in the Ruhr. According to literal calculations, the current German army should
This is the new number one army in Europe.
However, Francisco also received enough intelligence. He has now roughly determined that the German-Spanish combined regiment deployed in the center will not exceed 100,000 people. Among them, the German army has only one division. It relies on three strong lines west of Madrid.
line of defense, it is entirely possible to withstand the opponent for more than two months.
If you think about it carefully, the 200,000 People's Guard troops remaining in the three lines of defense can definitely buy more than 2 months. Using this time, they may be able to get a turnaround.
We must prepare for a rainy day! If the current deadlock cannot be broken, no matter how many troops remain in Madrid, they will not be able to make a comeback. Instead of waiting for death, it is better to take the initiative. While there is still buffer space, hurry up and mobilize the 50,000 People's Guards in Madrid to cooperate with the 30,000 government troops.
, defeated Franco's troops on the southern front.
Even if Rommel's German-Spanish Combined Corps takes the opportunity to attack Madrid, the People's Guard can rely on its strength advantage and geographical advantage that is twice the opponent's to fight for 2 months! As long as the troops heading south can achieve maximum results within 2 months, they will be defeated.
The National Army on the southern front can return to Madrid and counterattack the German-Spanish Combined Corps.
At that time, the Republican Army will be able to regain the initiative!