After letting his adjutant Robert C. Crawford go down, Lin Wei specially asked General Wey Gang, the French Chief of Staff. The French Army accounted for half of the German-French coalition this time. Even Lin Wei The role played by the French Army in this battle cannot be ignored. After the order to storm is issued, it will inevitably cause huge damage. In order to prevent General Weigang from having doubts about Germany, this kind of communication is also very necessary. Although this matter is not a big deal now, if Germany and the Eastern Front When the Soviet Union is engaged in revolution, it would be bad if France also came to cause some trouble.
Lin Wei has always been polite to French military and political leaders, and General Wei Gang was no exception. It does not point fingers at countries such as France and Italy just because Germany is now in a strong position. On the one hand, this is because the military strength of countries such as France and Italy is not weak. On the other hand, when they attack the Soviet Union in the future, they hope to allow other countries to share some of Germany's pressure. Although Lin Wei was confident that he could defeat the Soviet Union in one fell swoop without having to fight on the line. But there is no guarantee that Germany will win a complete victory. If Germany's victory is achieved at the cost of the lives of three million young adults, Germany will definitely be severely damaged.
It is not impossible for Germany to win in a one-on-one challenge to the Soviet Union. Germany's domestic industrial strength is no worse than that of the Soviet Union. Together with France and other countries occupied by Germany, the total exceeds that of the Soviet Union. Is this also Hit? There are two reasons why Lele dared to launch Operation Barbarossa, but there are two aspects that Germany and the Soviet Union cannot compare with, and that is population and oil. The Soviet Union lost a total of 14 million soldiers in the Soviet-German War. When Berlin was captured, the Soviet Red Army had 12 million soldiers. Germany did not have such a strong manpower to form an army, so in 1945, Hitt? Le can only rely on old people and children to defend Berlin. But not in Germany, there are many people in other European countries, if they can get help from other countries. It is undoubtedly very beneficial to Germany.
Although the gap in oil is also very important in Lin Wei's eyes, it is insignificant compared to the gap in population. After Germany started Operation Barbarossa, it must destroy the Soviet Union's oil production areas as soon as possible. Yes, it was destroyed, not received. It is difficult to completely snatch away the oil industry, but it is easy to destroy it. The Soviet Union must also feel the pain of lack of oil, so that the two countries will be on the same starting line. Perhaps Germany still has some advantages, because Germany's technology for refining oil from coal is very strong. If Farben Chemical gets full support from Germany, it can increase production to four million barrels. These oils will all be supplied to the armored clusters. In order to save high-quality oil for the Air Force and Navy.
Lin Wei looked deep in thought and began to think about the offensive situation against the Soviet Union a year later. The extent of his monograph made General Wei Gang who came here full of curiosity. However, General Wei Gang thought that Lin Wei was thinking about something important and originally wanted to wait. But in the end, he coughed slightly to remind the young man in front of him that he was already here. Although the coughing sound was not loud, it was enough to wake Lin Wei up from his sleepwalking world. Lin Weigang wanted to talk to General Wei Gang about his suggestions for stepping up the attack on Gibraltar, but when the words came to his lips, they unexpectedly turned into,; "General Wei Gang, the Soviet Union in the east is aggressive and has made territorial demands on Hungary and Romania. I don't know when it will be our turn!"
Lin Wei regretted the words as soon as he said them, and secretly cursed himself for being quick to talk. However, beyond Lin Wei's expectation, General Wei Gang's expression was obviously full of fear after hearing the news from the Soviet Union, just like the German generals. Watching the changes, four words flashed in Lin Wei's mind.
"The Soviets want to rule the world, and every country has their supporters. We must solve the Soviet problem as soon as possible!" General Wei Gang's words made Lin Wei feel that the world is really beautiful. When it comes to the Soviet Union, France has the same attitude as Germany, which is beyond Lin Wei's expectations. As a matter of conscience, Lin Wei never said anything bad about the Soviet Union in front of General Wei Gang. As for the relationship with the United Kingdom, it was beyond Lin Wei's control. If this is the attitude of most people in France, God, do you really exist? Did you hear my prayer? Lin Wei was ready to pray properly for the first time.
"Yes, General!" Lin Wei immediately knew what to say in this conversation, and said cautiously, "Hungary and Romania are both European countries. Germany and France, as big countries in Europe, cannot sit back and watch their two countries being destroyed by a barbaric man. The country is bullying, but we can only temporarily sacrifice them now to buy us some time! It would be terrible to anger the five million Soviet Red Army first at any time!" Lin Wei said alarmistly.
"Five million Soviet Red Army?" General Wei Gang said in horror; "Those red devils, do they want to swallow Europe in one bite?"
Lin Wei snickered, "According to the Soviet military service system, once war breaks out, they can also recruit reserves that are no less than the existing army. To be honest, when Germany is fighting with your country, I am very afraid of the Soviet Union anytime and anywhere." Knife Germany in the back!"
"This is too scary. Our two countries can only be compared together!" General Wei Gang seems to be really afraid of the threat from the Soviet Union. Europeans in this era seem to be more afraid of the Soviet Union, not Germany. Sometimes it really makes Lin Wei Feel very strange.
"But no matter what, we still have to solve the British problem in order to protect our own security. If the Soviets launch a massive attack and the British blockade us, the whole of Europe will turn red!" Lin Wei still has not forgotten himself. What are you here for? Finally, the topic returned to the UK.
"Yes," General Weigang nodded and said, "Now the Battle of Gibraltar has reached the final stage. The British have suffered heavy losses. Unlike us, they are now blocked by the navies of our country and Italy. In my opinion, if according to the With the current intensity of the attack, this fortress will soon change its flag!”
General Wei Gang's words were not groundless, but Lin Wei still believed that the current progress was very slow. One week after the war started, the German and French forces only occupied one third of the Gibraltar Fortress. You know, during the Battle of France, Germany had already occupied one third of the Fortress in one week. It laid the foundation for victory in the Battle of France and achieved victory. (Victory was established in one week, and France surrendered in one month. In fact, the war lost suspense in one week!)
"If we can capture the Fortress of Gibraltar within a week, it will have a very positive impact on landing on the British mainland, and even reduce the British's determination to resist!" Lin Wei said seductively, "The British have managed hundreds of If the fortress falls, it will have a huge impact on the British. If we land at that time, we will definitely reduce the casualties a lot!"
"But the British soldiers here are very tough," General Weygand said hesitantly.
"After all, their numbers are limited and they can no longer decide the overall situation!" Lin Wei's tone seemed to prove to General Wei Gang the credibility of his words. If he did not listen to his words, the consequences would be very serious.
General Wei Gang was caught in a contradiction. On the one hand, General Wei Gang always believed that the British chose to maintain their strength when France fought alone, which led to France's defeat, and he hated the British. On the one hand, it is too difficult to conquer this kind of fortress. If the fortress is conquered at all costs, I don't know how many of the French troops brought back to France will be intact. General Wei Gang also thought that he had seen big scenes, but he had never seen so many outstanding troops die in such a small place.
"For the country, someone must make sacrifices!" Lin Wei once again said this sentence that often inspires him. Many times, Lin Wei clearly knew that this situation was inevitable, but he still had to help himself and others make decisions, because Lin Wei knew that it was impossible to fight without killing people. The difference is that if the sacrifice can lead to victory, it proves that the sacrifice is valuable. On the other hand, if the country is defeated, the sacrifice of the army will become in vain.
World War II will be the last battle for countries in the world to strive for hegemony. Other powerful countries do not have the unique advantages of the United States, and they are all in Europe, a place surrounded by powerful enemies. In Lin Wei's eyes, Britain, an empire that had long since expired, although it was still tenaciously guarding its dignity, had already passed. Although France looks powerful, its population and resources are enough to make France a powerful country, but it is still far from being a superpower. Apart from the United States, another superpower can only emerge between Germany and the Soviet Union. The winner of the war between the Soviet Union and Germany will be another country that will compete with the United States in the future.
In history, the Soviet Union became another winner, but Germany caused nearly 30 million deaths to the Soviet Union, which greatly damaged the Soviet Union's vitality. In the end, he was defeated in the battle with the Americans. If the Soviet Union had not suffered such heavy losses in the war with Germany, the Cold War might have lasted longer than fifty years. But the price Germany paid was not light. Not only did it permanently lose the ability to gain hegemony, but as many as three million soldiers died as a result. Germany had to pay the bill itself, because Germany was a loser and could not supplement its own resources through other means. vitality.
"France, France's role is much more than that!" Lin Wei thought.
General Wei Gang finally agreed with Lin Wei. If the Soviet Union had to face the threat without solving Britain, it would be a terrible thing for Germany and France now. Who allowed Germany and France to be tied to the same rope now? But now whether General Wei Gang has any regrets in his heart, he must overcome common difficulties with Germany and win this war.
On July 18, the German-French allied forces launched another offensive. In view of the tight time to land in the UK, the French and Italian navies must be freed up to fight as soon as possible. The sound of gunfire in the Gibraltar Fortress continued. It seemed that people also knew that this place was important for cutting off the enemy. How important Britain's lifeline is. At four o'clock in the morning, the Prince Eugen Division, which had been well prepared, went into battle while the sky was still dark. This time Lin Wei didn't think of any battle strategy at all. Lin Wei's strategy was to press forward across the board, with more people bullying fewer people and crushing the nerves of the British.
At the same time, the French soldiers who had been lurking on the mountain late at night rushed into the heart of Mount Gibraltar. The British did not withstand the attack of the French soldiers at the entrance of the cave, which was shown to be a very big mistake in the subsequent battle. Immediately they discovered that this attack was different from the usual attacks. There was an almost constant stream of French soldiers rushing into the heart of the mountain, almost blocking the passage in. This showed that the French had no intention of retreating this time. It was either life or death. The dilemma once again faced the defending British. In front of the soldiers. Compared with a few days ago, the defending British were very tired, and they had unshaven faces and tired faces. Unlike the soldiers of the German and French allied forces who can rotate, the British defenders, who are already at a disadvantage in terms of numbers, have to be constantly prepared for possible sneak attacks by the enemy. In this case, the quality of sleep can be imagined. .
However, the British defenders who reacted were still fighting hard, hoping to drive out the incoming French soldiers. Their wishes were beautiful, but the reality was cruel. The French attack would not retreat at all. It would either succeed or fail. die. A steady stream of French soldiers rushed in from the passage, making it impossible for the soldiers in front to retreat. Now even if the British have a hundred Maxin heavy machine guns in the passage, they can't stop the French soldiers from desperately attacking.
The passage is only a hundred meters away. It only takes a grown man ten seconds to reach the end, let alone the best soldier among them. Various thermal weapons quickly lose their effect in such a small area. The two sides began the fighting that had been going on for the past few days, hand-to-hand combat.
Although the battle in the heart of the mountain cannot be transmitted to the Prince Eugen Division outside the mountain, the soldiers of the Prince Eugen Division can still feel the tense atmosphere. Although the location and method of their fighting are far less bloody than the battles experienced by French soldiers . But the danger is much higher. Although the heavy machine gun has no effect on the Panzer IV tank, it can effectively kill the soldiers following the tank. Cut off the connection between armored units and soldiers. In large-scale battles, the armored cluster can temporarily break through on its own regardless of whether the infantry can keep up. But in critical battles, tanks are sometimes not so useful. They also need the protection of infantry.
The British soldiers guarding the Fortress of Gibraltar encountered the most dangerous period in hundreds of years. The attack by the German and French forces was so fierce. Now the British soldiers felt like they were fighting a madman. A soldier fell, and his position It was immediately filled by more soldiers, both German and French soldiers and British soldiers. However, the German and French soldiers could get support from the outside world, but the British could not. The only thing left to British soldiers may be their loyalty to the Empire on which the sun never sets.
They fought for their own loyalty. The British soldiers guarding here are respectable. They fought for their country and the absolutely superior German and French forces, facing the two most powerful armies in Europe, even if they failed in the end. It is worthy of its own country, and it can let other countries in the world see the determination of the British Empire to fight to the end.
Although they are worthy of admiration, the German and French forces as their opponents cannot fail. As the European country with the most powerful army, their number is now six times that of the British defenders. In terms of combat experience and historical tradition, they have The land side cannot tolerate failure in even one country other than Germany and France. Especially Britain, which is good at its navy, if Germany and France failed in the land battle, it would be tantamount to defeat for them.
Both sides have reasons why they cannot fail. For a place whose land area is not as big as Switzerland, the three most powerful countries in Europe, oh no, the four most powerful countries in Europe are once again fighting to the death. What they want is to prove their strength to the entire world. The British want to use their own resistance to explain to the Americans that they will come to you soon after the British fail. The Italians hope that after the British fall, they can divide their colonies. The French want to prove their strength. By the way To take revenge and let England know the consequences of abandoning France. What do the Germans want? All Germany wants is for the country of Britain to disappear.
Faced with the fierce attack by the German and French forces, although the British defenders tried their best to resist, they still retreated step by step. They swore that they did not want to do this and were willing to stay and continue to resist. However, the development of the matter was not in the British direction. Compared to the German-French allied forces who had no regard for casualties, God only gave the British one choice, which was to retreat.
The attack on July 18 was generally very exciting. The German and French forces achieved great results. The French army had completely controlled Mount Gibraltar, and the German Prince Eugen Division controlled two-thirds of the eastern plains. . Most of the entire Fortress of Gibraltar is now controlled by the German and French forces. Only the port and the residential areas of Gibraltar Fortress are still in the hands of the British. It seems that at this time there is no power to prevent the German and French forces from taking over here. General Wei Gang even wanted to announce that the German and French forces had captured the Fortress of Gibraltar, but Lin Wei stopped him before the matter settled. Lin Wei will not support victory. Hit? Le once predicted victory, but he failed. The involvement was there before, and Lin Wei didn't want to make the same mistake again before there was no result.
The short-lived victory could not conceal the huge casualties behind the victory. In one day today, more than 700 soldiers of the Prince Eugen Division were killed. The French suffered even greater casualties because their battles were more brutal. The battle in the heart of the mountain simply made There was no place to hide, and 954 French soldiers died.