The Rise of the Third Reich

Viewed from a high altitude, the Gobi desert in Libya seems to be flat except for sand. But when you get down to the ground, you will find that there are still many low vegetation and huge white rocks in the desert near Tobruk.

Although these vegetation and rocks cannot block a No. 4 tank or No. 3 assault gun, the Pak38 50mm anti-tank gun is only 1.05 meters high. But you can hide behind these rocks and unnamed low vegetation. With a little camouflage, you can blend in with the surrounding desert Gobi.

Lieutenant Blaukustel, commander of the 14th Tank Destroyer Company of the Grossdeutschland Brigade, was running around on the sand at this time, checking the position layout of his 12 artillery squads. Unlike the situation encountered on the Western Front battlefield, this time the tank destroyer company was used in offensive operations, towed by half-track armored vehicles and advancing together with the armored group. After the mechanized scouts and British tanks in the front exchanged fire, each tank destroyer company immediately stopped advancing and began to deploy anti-tank gun positions on the spot.

"Get to your posts, the British are about to attack." Seeing an anti-tank gun position being deployed, Lieutenant Bräu Küstel shouted an order. "Wait until our tanks retreat before opening fire. Hit the British Crusader cruise tanks first."

The 14th Tank Destroyer Company of the Grossdeutschland Brigade is an old unit. It participated in the Polish Campaign and the Western Front Campaign, and fought against French and British tank units many times. It has rich battlefield experience. Now that there is a powerful penetrating Pak38 50mm anti-tank gun (500 meters through 78mm vertical homogeneous steel plate at right angles), the soldiers are of course gearing up and responding loudly with high morale.

"Got it, Lieutenant!"

"We will teach the British a lesson!"

At this moment, the rumbling roar of motors coming from the east became louder and louder. This was the sound made by the German armored groups that lured the enemy and the British tanks that took the bait.

The "enemy luring operation" organized by Lieutenant General von Thoma was actually a trap that was very easy to see through. It was composed of a battalion of the 5th Tank Regiment, the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion (belonging to the 21st Armored Division) and the Grossdeutschland Infantry Brigade. The armored group detoured from the south of the British defense line. After being blocked by the British tank group, it fought and retreated after a brief exchange of fire.

In theory, such a trap cannot fool the experienced British armored group commander Major General Craig. But the question is whether Major General Craig reacts faster or the German anti-tank gun fires faster!

Occupying the top of a wheeled armored command vehicle, Major General Craig held up his telescope and looked for a long time, only to see a vast expanse of sand and dust. The tank battle he expected did not happen. The attack formation composed of nearly 400 Matilda 2 tanks and Crusader cruise tanks kept advancing, and they moved further and further away.

Major General Craig put down his telescope and said to his chief of staff: "It doesn't look like there was a firefight."

"Our tanks were advancing," replied Colonel Phillips, the chief of staff, "while the German armored groups were retreating. Both sides were in motion, so there was no major exchange of fire."

The tank turrets of this era did not have laser rangefinders and two-way balance systems. If fired while moving, they would not be able to hit the target. Therefore, tanks in action would not fire.

"Why didn't the Germans open fire? Is it because we have too many tanks?" Major General Craig frowned. He could already smell a trap!

"They may want to lead our tanks to the preset anti-tank gun positions!" Colonel Phillips had even guessed Rommel's strategy.

"Order the tank group to stop advancing!" Major General Craig also immediately issued an order to stop advancing, but it was already too late.

Because the 48 Pak38 50mm anti-tank guns of Germany's four anti-tank destroyer companies (belonging to the 21st Armored Division, 15th Armored Division, 90th Light Division and Grossdeutschland Brigade) followed the armored group, only It took less than 20 minutes to deploy on the battlefield. At the same time as Major General Craig issued the order, these anti-tank guns, 58 Panzer IV tanks and 4 47mm guns mounted on half-tracks (one belonged to the 17th company of the Grossdeutschland Brigade, and the other three belonged to the 21st The 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion of the Armored Division also started.

"12 o'clock direction! British tank!" Second Lieutenant Ribbentrop was already on the No. 5 car equipped with a 47mm gun. He shouted with a telescope, "It's a Crusader type, aim and fire!"

"Armor-piercing bullets!" Sergeant Schumacher personally controlled the artillery, aimed at a moving British tank, and shouted loudly.

"Armor-piercing shells! Loading completed!" A private with arms full of muscles pushed a shell into the bomb bay.

"Fire!" Sergeant Schumacher yelled.

"Boom!" An armor-piercing bullet flew towards its target with a loud noise. The huge impact caused the Crusader tank to shake violently, and then it reluctantly rushed forward a few steps, and then a burst of black color appeared. Yan was paralyzed on the sand.

As many as 110 anti-tank guns and tank guns fired simultaneously! Therefore, as many as forty or fifty British tanks were hit at the same time. The huge tank attack formation seemed to rush into a death trap. The dozens of tanks at the front were either turned into flames or emerged from the fire. The black smoke lay motionless on the sand. However, the British tanks behind them still charged with their heads covered. I don't know whether they were reckless or fearless. Anyway, these British tanks did not react immediately.

"British tanks! Aim at the target!" Lieutenant Blaukustel of the 14th Tank Destroyer Company of the Grossdeutschland Brigade was half-kneeling next to a 50mm anti-tank gun, also shouting at the top of his lungs. His 12 anti-tank guns were placed at the forefront. They were now less than 500 meters away from the British tank group. The opponent's 40mm tank guns could easily kill all 12 anti-tank guns that had fired and exposed their targets! Therefore, the soldiers of the 14th Company must destroy as many of their tanks as possible before the enemy can react.

"Fire!" Lieutenant Blaukustel saw a 50mm armor-piercing bullet being pushed into the barrel and immediately ordered to fire.

"boom!"

Almost at the same time as the gunfire sounded, a Crusader tank more than 400 meters away burned with thick smoke, and then more British tanks were hit.

In less than 2 minutes, all German tank guns and anti-tank guns fired at least two armor-piercing rounds. More than 80 British tanks were hit and emitted fireworks on the battlefield. But the remaining tanks had already reacted, stopped advancing, and began to turn their turrets to find targets for counterattack.

However, the gunners of these British tanks ignored the low Pak38 50mm anti-tank gun on the chaotic battlefield, and instead targeted the taller and farther away Panzer IV tank. Their underpowered 40mm tank guns cannot hit the 50mm frontal armor of the No. 4 tank at a distance of 600-700 meters. At the same time, the 75mm gun of the No. 4 tank can easily blow up the Matilda No. 2 tank!

The exchange of fire on the battlefield quickly turned into a one-sided massacre. Although the British tanks had an absolute advantage in numbers, they suffered a fatal blow in a short period of time. In less than 45 minutes, the battlefield was littered with the remains of British tanks.

British Major General Craig, who was commanding from the rear, was stunned by this scene. 45 minutes ago he was commanding the most powerful armored force on the North African battlefield, but now his armored force has suffered an annihilating blow, and his opponent Just a few dozen German Panzer IV tanks (he was too far away from the battlefield to notice the low 50mm anti-tank gun).

"How is this possible?" Major General Craig opened his mouth wide, and it took him a long time to utter such a sentence. "We have more than 400 tanks, and they only have a few dozen!"

"General, we are defeated..." His chief of staff, Colonel Phillips, also gasped and said, "The armored forces are finished!"

Major General Craig no longer had the high spirits he had when he defeated the Italian armored forces a few months ago. Instead, he asked his chief of staff in confusion, "What should we do?"

"We can only retreat, General."

"Retreat? To Tobruk?"

Colonel Phillips shook his head: "I think Tobruk can't be defended anymore. We must retreat to Egypt!"

The easy defeat of the armored forces by the Germans had decided the fate of Tobruk. Although relying on the strong fortifications left by the Italians, the British army could still hold on for a while. However, both sea and air control are in the hands of the Germans, and there is no hope for ground troops to be trapped in an isolated city. Therefore, before the Battle of Tobruk began, the British Middle East Command formulated the strategy of "contracting to Egypt and holding on to it under unfavorable circumstances."

"Yes! We have to go to Egypt!" Major General Craig nodded, "Tell Lieutenant General Cunningham the results of the battle... We cannot defeat the Germans and must retreat!"

"We cannot let the British here in Tobruk escape!" Rommel also received news of the tragic defeat of the British armored forces at this time. "If they are allowed to escape to Egypt, it will be difficult to eliminate them."

Even if the British troops here in Tobruk escape back to Egypt, they will be almost empty-handed. It is a dream to defend Egypt. But these people will be transported to India by British ships for reinforcements, and in a few months they will be an elite force capable of fighting. In this way, fighting in the Middle East and East Africa will be more troublesome and will not be conducive to further liberating India.

"They can't run away, General." Lieutenant General Goltz replied with a smile, "Now the 7th Airborne Division can be dispatched. They will block the British's way, so that we can wipe them all out in the desert of North Africa. "