"What?"

Gaziantep, an important town in southern Turkey, under the protection of Lin Yaodong and many guards, had just taken Ye Zixin and Diana to visit the castle built by Emperor Justinian of the Eastern Roman Empire in the sixth century AD. An Yi, who still felt unfulfilled, listened. Shen Fengdao's report came in a hurry and said in surprise:

"Cairo was lost? How is this possible! Judging from the early battles, although the Allies were retreating continuously in the areas around Cairo, their own strength was not seriously damaged. Montgomery could completely rely on the Toniro River and Cairo city defense to give the German and Italian coalition unprecedented strength. Heavy damage!

"As long as the southern front can hold on and prevent the separated German-Italian forces from joining forces, it is entirely possible to launch a counterattack when the enemy forces on the southern front run out of ammunition and food. What combat effectiveness can a unit without fuel and ammunition supplies have? If you take it down in one fell swoop, the strength of both sides will no longer be at the same level!

"With the previous victory, the troops on the southern front were transferred back, concentrated on attacking the Nile Delta area, regaining Alexandria, and surrounding the rear flank of the German-Italian coalition. Rommel, who was worried that his retreat would be cut off, could only choose to retreat. By then, North Africa The whole situation has changed! How on earth did Montgomery command that he lost a good hand?"

Lin Yaodong, who was originally standing behind An Yi, heard this shocking news and asked strangely: "Montgomery has a large number of weapons and equipment purchased from us, which gives him a defensive advantage. Each department can support each other." ,How could it be like this?"

"The specific situation is not clear..."

Shen Fengdao obviously found it difficult to accept this situation. The analysis said: "We should consider that the composition of the Allied forces is too complicated. In addition to the British who fought for honor, Australian, Greek, Yugoslav and Indian soldiers have all lost their own In this country, their morale is low and their fighting will is generally weak. The Canadians are fighting in areas with harsh climate and high temperatures, and their combat effectiveness is estimated to be less than half of their usual strength.

"Although the South Africans are trustworthy partners of the British, their proportion is not high. As long as the friendly forces have problems, they can only do nothing. At the same time, according to the battle report, a German armored force moved north along the Gulf of Suez and occupied Montgomery had no idea about the situation of the German army and was worried that his retreat would be cut off. Coupled with the continuous defeats on the western and southern fronts, it is understandable that he issued a retreat order."

"What a pity. Didn't Montgomery realize from the beginning to the end that the German and Italian troops in the south were actually at the end of their war effort?" An Yi said to himself regretfully, pondered for a while, and then asked: "The Allied forces retreated to the Suez Canal. Have you gone to central Ismailia?”

Shen Fengdao smiled: "Montgomery has contacted Lieutenant General Han Chengfu, commander of our 23rd Army, and hopes that our army can send a division to help them guard the north bank of the Great Bitter Lake and buy time for the Allied forces to withdraw eastward. "

Lin Yaodong asked An Yi with interest: "I have always thought that both sides have equal strength, and it is normal for whoever loses to win. Why would the chairman think that Montgomery made a mistake in his command?"

"The British are too conservative!"

An Yi explained with emotion: "Montgomery lacks the courage to burn the boat! Think about it. The German-Italian Allied Forces in the south returned from the central and eastern regions of Africa to the lower reaches of the Nile River. During this period, they traveled five to six thousand kilometers. The materials they needed to consume were absolutely An astronomical figure. Just relying on the supply convoy, how much food and fuel can they have left?

"In addition, from the middle and lower reaches of the Nile River to the Gulf of Suez, you have to pass through more than 200 kilometers of desert and Gobi, and from the Gulf of Suez to the north along the coastal road, it is more than 200 kilometers. The total distance is nearly 500 kilometers, and it takes

After crossing many mountains, even if the German troops who attacked by surprise reached the city of Suez, they were already exhausted and unable to fight anymore.

"I made a rough estimate. As long as Montgomery and his army persist for another twenty-four hours, the German and Italian troops on the southern front will face the dilemma of running out of ammunition and food due to long-term consumption, and will eventually become the British.

of prey.

"However, now that the Allied forces have retreated and handed over Cairo to Rommel, the German forces have successfully joined forces. The fuel and ammunition transported from the railways and roads on the Mediterranean coast will keep the Germans well fed and ready to go.

Montgomery will inevitably be under greater pressure!"

Lin Yaodong thoughtfully said: "If the situation in Egypt is in danger, the Allies will definitely find a way in Tunisia and Algeria to prevent Rommel from taking care of both ends. At that time, Montgomery will use his candy spirit to hold Rommel back. As long as

The Allied forces marched into Libya from northwest Africa, threatening the security of Italy's oil fields. Rommel had no choice but to return to aid, and then Cairo would have another chance."

An Yi's eyes lit up and he smiled and joked: "That's right, Xiaojiu, being able to see this means that your class in the General Officer Class at the National Defense University was not in vain!"

Lin Yaodong smiled bitterly: "I feel ashamed to say it. I was ambitious at the time, thinking that I should learn a little bit after being with you for so long, and then go to the National Defense University for further study, and then go on to become a division commander. The army commander is not a big problem.

.However, the idea is good, but the reality is extremely cruel..."

Speaking of this, Lin Yaodong's face turned red. "The war games and sand table exercises held by the general officer class completely drove away my confidence. I did not win a single victory in more than 30 rounds of deductions, although there were some battles."

But I know that others asked me to do it for your sake, and then I realized that I am not the material to lead troops in war at all!"

Zi Xin, who was listening on the side, pursed her lips and laughed. Dianna looked at Lin Yaodong with some surprise: "Brother Lin, you have followed Brother Xiao Yi so early. You can always learn something under the influence of your ears and eyes."

You are so capable, how can you not even win a single victory?"

Lin Yaodong scratched his head: "I am too obsessed with details and like to take advantage of local battlefields. Every time I fail to discover the opponent's intentions in time, I am taken over by the enemy or have my supply line cut off... Oh, I won't say it anymore, I feel aggrieved.

Very well, I’d better follow the chairman honestly!”

"This means that a ruler is longer than an inch and an inch is short!"

An Yi patted Lin Yaodong's shoulder and comforted him: "Our career does not necessarily involve leading troops to fight. Xiaojiu, the security work you are responsible for is also very important. Your perception allows you to easily judge which

The place is dangerous, take precautions in advance and know how to position the security personnel so that they will not be taken advantage of by lurking killers. These are not things that generals can do to you!

"Xiaojiu, Zixin, now the Central Security Bureau is responsible for protecting the safety of party, government and military leaders. You have a lot of courage on your shoulders. Besides, I don't feel comfortable leaving this to others."

Lin Yaodong nodded heavily, and Shen Fengdao said with some concern: "Now Cairo has been lost. The next plan to meet with British Foreign Secretary Eden in Cairo may have to be cancelled."

"No problem!"

An Yi waved his hand and suddenly saw a large Leopard off-road vehicle approaching. It stopped not far ahead, the door opened, and Yang Jiuxiao walked out. Knowing that there was urgent military affairs, he said: "I'm not in a hurry anyway. Next I want to visit eastern Turkey and the Caucasus..."

"I'm afraid I can't go!"

Yang Jiuxiao walked to An Yi and saluted. Then he said: "The Military Commission and the General Staff called, our Guards Group will launch a landing operation on Hainan Island in the near future. Without you at the headquarters, they always feel that they are missing a backbone. I hope you will We can end our trip to West Asia as soon as possible and return to Chang'an."

"Didn't I explain it before I set off?"

An Yi frowned and said to Shen Feng: "Telegraph Huzi, Yang Fei and the others will fight as they should. The battle plan to attack Hainan has been changed several times. We should trust the staff of the General Staff, Navy and Air Force Command." Don't put too much pressure on them.

"I came out this time mainly to see the real situation in various places and provide practical and theoretical basis for the next stage of political decision-making. After finishing the trip in West Asia, I will also go to the subcontinent, Myanmar and Malaya. Circle, including in Karachi. On behalf of our central bank, Chuer has been negotiating with countries in the Mesopotamia and the Arab region for more than a month. Many substantive agreements will be signed in the near future, and I want to witness this historical moment with my own eyes.

"In addition, I will also meet in Mumbai with candidates from the subcontinental countries selected by the intelligence agencies, and strive to establish these countries in the next two to three months and purify the population of the areas under our control."

Seeing that Shen Fengdao was ordered to leave, Yang Jiuxiao said with some concern: "Brothers are worried about your safety... The situation in West Asia is complex, with many ethnic and religious extremists, and the hostile forces have not been completely eliminated. In case of suicide, What should we do if there is a type of attack? A gentleman should not stand behind a dangerous wall. For the sake of our new country, the chairman should think more about it!"

"rest assured!"

An Yi laughed: "I have been through all kinds of storms over the years. I have experienced a lot of assassinations. Is it possible that the ship will capsize here? I believe that our officers and soldiers, and the soldiers of our Central Guard Bureau, will still be able to survive." My personal guards can protect me very well! Don’t you believe in the strength of Lao Shen and Xiao Jiu?”

Yang Jiuxiao glanced at Lin Yaodong awkwardly, and Lin Yaodong smiled at him.

An Yi pulled Yang Jiuxiao over and talked while walking along the gravel road in front of the castle: "Jiuxiao, I heard that you are heartbroken about Lu Yixuan's betrayal, and you often blame yourself for it, right?"

Yang Jiuxiao nodded: "Yes, now I am still reflecting on the various situations when I served as the deputy commander of the 30th Group Army and the commander of the 17th Army. Looking back now, since the army retreated from Hebei to Shanxi, Lu Yixuan began to consciously add sand to our army.

"Although according to Anjiajun's practice, our army also has political workers, and three or eight years later, special political workers such as political commissars and instructors were established to raise political and ideological work to an unprecedented level, but our ideological work still cannot be done. To the point of **. In Shanxi, we have recruited many students. These students are thoughtful, cultured and insightful, brave in combat, and have outstanding performance. Soon after joining the army, they were recommended to the Xufu Non-commissioned Officer School for further study. After half a year of training, they returned Therefore, he was promoted to be the chief of political affairs at all levels.

"These students live and eat together with the soldiers, and they understand the thoughts of the officers and soldiers in a timely manner. Although it sounds similar to our nationalist thoughts, there are many specious things mixed in them. I used to think it was quite good, but now I think about it carefully,

But I found that things are not that simple..."

An Yi interrupted Yang Jiuxiao: "I understand all these situations. Jiuxiao, I'm afraid you don't know that Lu Yixuan is far-sighted. When he turned to me, he had other thoughts. Unfortunately, I have always believed that talents are rare. Plus he

He is my senior brother, and I have not thought deeply about many things. This time he betrayed me, and I thought he did it perfectly, but many of the inside stories have been revealed one by one by our intelligence personnel. Looking back now,

I just realized that I had ignored a lot of things before...

"Think about it, I stand higher than you and can see farther. And the intelligence department helps me monitor and control, but I still haven't seen through Lu Yixuan's true face in time, let alone you who are in a puzzle? You don't have to

I blame myself too much!”

Yang Jiuxiao smiled bitterly and said: "But if I am a little more rational and don't have a head-on conflict with Lu Yixuan. If I don't take away the main backbone of the 30th Group Army, maybe things will turn around. After all, our Anjiajun's good reputation is

It is widely spread in North China that as long as the intelligence agency can discover the situation and the Military Commission gradually deprives Lu Yixuan of his military power, we will not lose the dominance of the army that stretches across North China."

An Yi stopped, turned around and looked back at the majestic castle, with a heroic spirit in his chest: "It's going to rain. Mother wants to get married, let him go! In fact, it's okay for Lu Yixuan to be exposed so early, for us

It was a huge stimulus and avoided the occurrence of greater losses. Through this experience and lesson, the Military Commission and the General Assembly have strengthened their control over the military, implemented ideological and political work into practice, and gained experience and lessons in dealing with similar incidents."

Yang Jiuxiao finally opened his heart, looked back at the castle with An Yi, and asked: "How should we deal with the aftermath in the Middle East? Do we really have to withdraw all the troops?"

An Yi shook his head: "Even if we want to leave now, the British and French will not agree. With the fall of Cairo, at least the situation in Egypt has seriously deteriorated. Montgomery very much needs our troops to stay in the Sinai Peninsula to deter the Germans and provide a new starting point for the Allied forces."

Accumulating counterattack force will gain valuable time. Even the Turkish government does not dare to let us retreat when there are threats from German troops in the west and north.

"I have made a request to the Turkish government to formally establish a land, sea and air base in the Port of Mersin with a lease period of ninety-nine years. Previously, the Free French Movement had agreed to our request and set aside two ports in Latakia and Beirut.

and affiliated areas to us. At the same time, Israel also strongly requires us to station troops in Tel Aviv and Haifa. If we add the Port of Aqaba in Transjordan that we seek from the British, we still have huge influence on the Middle East.

"Jiuxiao, after this period of inspection and visits, I am planning to establish a Mediterranean military region in the Middle East around the above military bases. You will serve as the commander and political commissar of the military region. It has been initially decided that this military region will have a force including two aircraft carriers and four cruisers.

, a fleet of twelve destroyers and several auxiliary ships, a pilot division including 200 combat aircraft of various types, and a combat group with two tank divisions and three armored infantry divisions. The remaining troops will be withdrawn within the next year.

Two Rivers region.

"If the Mediterranean Military District does well, I will gradually reduce the number of troops stationed in the Mesopotamia region. It is estimated that in the end, at most ten divisions of rapid response troops will be deployed in the Mesopotamia region, the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus, and Persia, and the rest of the troops will be deployed south

Adjusted for use in the Indian Ocean and Pacific wars."

Yang Jiuxiao was startled and shook his head casually: "Chairman, rather than staying in West Asia, I would rather return to the Northeast. That is my hometown. I didn't go back when I regained the Northeast last time. There is no big war going on here now. I

I want to rest for a while."

An Yi didn't expect Yang Jiuxiao to give up. He hesitated and asked, "Jiuxiao, did you hear something?"

Yang Jiuxiao sighed: "I know that in order to silence the public opinion in the country, the Chairman has decided that the Northeast will be returned to the National Government after the war. At present, he has quietly begun to relocate key enterprises, and has begun to consciously move towards the Han Dynasty.

Immigration to the Peninsula and the Far East. If I don’t go back and take a look now, I’m afraid it will be difficult to return to my hometown in the future! Chairman, let Yang Guan replace me. I will go to the Northeast, even if I change my job to another place!”

An Yi was finally moved, and after thinking for a long time, he said: "If that's the case, Jiuxiao, you will take over Yang Guan's position as commander of the Northeast Military Region, and the other personnel will remain unchanged for the time being. As for whether Yang Guan will come to the Middle East, I need to discuss with other members of the Military Commission

Let's discuss it carefully and see how we can satisfy everyone. But no matter what, you have to stand on the last duty and don't let trouble happen in the Middle East."

"yes!"

Yang Jiuxiao solemnly saluted An Yi, turned around and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~

ps: It snows continuously in Chengdu, so cold!

Most parts of the country are under a cold wave. It is said that even southern Guangxi is almost freezing. Brothers, you must pay attention to keep warm and keep warm! (To be continued)
Chapter completed!