At sunset again, the setting sun was like blood above the brilliant yellow desert.
In the beautiful sunset, the sparkling surface of the Suez Canal was dyed rose-colored. Through the carefully constructed positions of the Germans on the other side, a long evening prayer was heard from the horizon, one after another, echoing on the river for a long time.
Ye Cheng knew very well that these were soldiers of the Arab National Army first formed by the German army saying evening prayers. At this moment, he was standing on a four-story building behind the town of Kantala on the east bank of the Suez Canal, holding a telescope and facing the
The sun slowly sets on the horizon, checking the movements of the German troops on the other side.
The Suez Canal starts from Port Said in the north and ends at the City of Suez in the south, with a length of 190 kilometers. It connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, and connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean through the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal. It is an important economic and strategic canal.
An international shipping waterway, it is also the most frequently used route in the world.
After the completion of the Suez Canal, and the detour around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, the distance from the European Atlantic countries to the Indian Ocean has been shortened by nearly 8,000 kilometers, the distance from the Mediterranean countries to the Indian Ocean has been shortened by tens of thousands of kilometers, and for the Dark Coast, it has been shortened by more than 12,000 kilometers.
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The Suez Canal was excavated with investment by the French in the 1960s and was paved with the bones of 100,000 Egyptian migrant workers. Later, Britain took advantage of France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and bought out the shares of the canal company. The British cavalry then stationed in the canal, and the canal was
The coastal area thus became an independent kingdom under British protection.
Eight years ago, Britain and Egypt signed the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty, and Britain insisted on retaining control of the Suez Canal. After the outbreak of World War II, the Italians' dream of seizing the Suez Canal was shattered. They also almost lost Libya, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.
Later, Rommel turned the tide and, with Hitler's strong support, occupied the Suez Canal in May 1940. It joined forces with the German troops coming from Turkey and laid a solid foundation for the German army to attack the Soviet Union.
Just over two years later, the once all-powerful Germans switched from strategic offensive to defensive. As the two armies of the Anjia Army approached the Suez Canal, the Germans were in a hurry and had to repeatedly strengthen the defenses of the Suez Canal.
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The German fortifications were built along the canal. However, it can be seen that due to the tight time schedule, the preparations were not sufficient. Not only were there few areas of reinforced concrete, but in many places there was not even time to pull up the barbed wire fences, and the machine gun bunkers were unevenly distributed.
If he directs the attack by himself, Ye Cheng is confident that he can break through the enemy's deep defense line within two hours.
Just when Ye Cheng was lost in his reverie, a crisp voice sounded: "Report. General Montgomery is asking for a meeting!"
Ye Cheng turned around and saw that it was the duty officer of the First Tank Division, so he waved his hand: "Please...forget it, I'd better go and greet you in person!"
After Anjia's army defeated the Germans in the Battle of Two Rivers and spread the flames of war to the Middle East, Montgomery received orders to urgently fly to Yemen from Central Africa, where there were frequent exchanges of fire with the Germans. He took over the 300,000 people who had retreated here.
Command of the Allied Forces.
As Rommel's defeated general, Montgomery was eager to express himself on the battlefield. In the battle on the east coast of the Red Sea for more than a month, the German army, which was eager to retreat, was in a panic. If the Italians had not sent a transport fleet to pick up the people in the northern coastal area of the Hejaz,
It is estimated that more than 50,000 German troops will become Montgomery's first victory.
At the end of last month, Montgomery ignored the ongoing negotiations between the British government and China and directly led the troops from the central Sinai Peninsula to the other side of the Suez Canal. After taking over the defense line from the Fourth Tank Group, there was no rest and preparation.
Time to launch the battle across the river.
At that time, Ye Cheng was also curious about the combat effectiveness of the Allied forces and sent someone to observe it. As a result, the Allied forces fought very haphazardly and suffered heavy casualties while crossing the river. They finally broke through, but German reinforcements had arrived, like
They were driven back like a duck, and more than 20,000 people were lost in the war.
Now that Montgomery is visiting, I'm afraid he has some agenda.
Ye Cheng followed the duty officer and came to the entrance of the military camp. In front of a row of American jeeps, there was a skinny old man, wearing a beret with the two cap badges of armored soldier and general, and a tank soldier's training uniform.
, looked over with bright eyes.
Ye Chengzheng was curious about Montgomery's strange attire. Unexpectedly, after Montgomery saw the military rank on Ye Cheng's shoulder, he stepped forward and saluted with a "slap". Ye Cheng was surprised and was about to return the salute when Montgomery already stretched out his hand and smiled.
He said: "General Ye, I deeply admire the armored troops commanded by your Excellency. In the Battle of Two Rivers and previous battles in the Middle East, the armored troops commanded by you have performed outstandingly. I should have come to visit the general a long time ago."
Ye Cheng met Montgomery's hand, shook it hard, and then said: "I also admire the general. Our Chairman An Yi once mentioned several famous armored generals, such as Manstein, Guderian, and Rommel of Germany.
American General Patton, and
The generals are juxtaposed, which shows the extraordinary abilities of the generals. I am a very disciplined person in my military use. I rarely have flashes of inspiration, so I am not necessarily much better than the generals! I hope that in the next battles, we can see classic examples of battles commanded by generals.
"
Montgomery, who was exhausted from defeats and battles, had a great impression of Ye Cheng and An Yi in his mouth. After all, he was facing a famous general who had remained undefeated against the Soviet and German armies, and he was mainly responsible for the loss of Egypt and even the entire East Africa.
He was much less responsible in comparison. If it weren't for Churchill's full trust in him, he would have retired and returned home.
Ye Cheng met with Montgomery's adjutants and entourage, and directly welcomed Montgomery into the living room on the ground floor. After the guard brought a pot of freshly brewed fragrant tea, he sat opposite Montgomery and asked with a smile: "General
What's going on here?"
Montgomery walked for a while and felt thirsty. He took a sip from his teacup and felt that his throat felt better. Then he put down the teacup and said gratefully: "First of all, I am deeply honored by the general for handing over the southern Suez Canal defense zone to us.
The barracks we took over were all newly built and equipped with sufficient water, food and ammunition. This allowed us to not spend extra energy on logistical supplies and had sufficient energy to prepare for battle."
"This is not my fault!"
Ye Cheng smiled and waved his hand: "All these supplies are part of the trade agreement reached between our central government and your government, including the barracks. Everything has to be paid for. The task I received is to wait for you
After the troops arrived, they handed over the defense area to your troops, and then the troops retreated to the Gaza area to deal with the increasingly serious unrest there."
Montgomery was slightly startled: "What happened to Gaza?"
Ye Cheng said with some annoyance: "Before the Germans evacuated, they promised the Arabs there to establish a Palestinian state, organized a central government in Gaza, recognized each other and established diplomatic relations. And the Jewish state Israel that we support is preparing
, there are great conflicts between the two sides.
"Now, the Jews and the Arabs are in constant conflict. At the same time, the Germans left a large amount of weapons and equipment to the Arabs, which makes the fight very bloody. The purpose of our intervention is to let the two sides sit down and negotiate. By peaceful means
Resolve disputes instead of starting to target civilians and continue killing like now.
"Next step, we estimate that we will collect the guns and ammunition scattered among the people and ask the Jewish army to exercise restraint. After all, our desire is for peace, not to create conflicts!"
Montgomery was deeply sympathetic: "Our government is also very troubled by the issue of Jewish immigration to Palestine. Since the last European War, the policies towards both parties have changed again and again, and many efforts have still failed to bring the two parties to a reconciliation. However, based on the Allies and the Axis
The Arabs in this region have now defected to Germany. As for the enemy, we don’t have to carry too much psychological baggage and we can do whatever we want.”
After talking about it later, there was a hint of sarcasm on Montgomery's face, obviously feeling incomprehensible to An Jiajun's soft-heartedness.
Ye Cheng pretended not to see it and shook his head slightly: "Arabs are united, and we must fully consider the feelings of the Arab countries we have supported and established in the Mesopotamia and the Arabian Peninsula. The key to the issue now is Palestine.
The Arabs are unwilling to give up the Gaza Strip, let alone Jerusalem, which makes our attempt to completely isolate the two peoples come to nothing.
"The mediation committee sent by the foreign affairs department of our central government was even willing to offer double the land on the Jordan River and the West Bank of the Dead Sea in exchange for the Gaza Strip, but the Arabs remained unmoved. Now think about it, the countries along the Persian Gulf were
The Arab people are so simple and kind!"
Montgomery laughed: "There is no comparison between the two. After the tragic massacre by the Japanese army on the Persian Gulf coast, there are very few Arabs from various tribes left. Your army can provide precious materials to rebuild the homes of these tribes in other places."
, it’s too late for them to be grateful, so how can they object?
"The Gaza Strip is different. It is a natural harbor on the east coast of the Mediterranean. After the establishment of the Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip, it has access to the sea and can receive external assistance. Once the territory is limited to Jerusalem, the Jordan River, and the West Bank of the Dead Sea, the entire
The territory is surrounded by the Jewish state, and it will be difficult to do things in the future. Moreover, in essence, it was originally the land of the Arabs, and their persistence is not wrong!"
"There is no outlet to the sea? Don't they know that they can communicate with the outside world through Jordan and Amman, which border on them?"
Ye Cheng shook his head incomprehensibly: "Life is only once for a person, and it must be fully respected! If the territorial dispute between the two ethnic groups is not completely resolved, I estimate that the hatred between the two sides will grow bigger and bigger in the future, and the killings will become more and more common.
The more serious it is, if even the basic rights of civilians on this land are threatened, what is the point of using such land?
"Moreover, the Gaza Strip is an enclave for the Arabs, which is very unfavorable for the formation of a new country and is easier to be artificially used to create chaos. As the re-creator of order in this region, we will never allow it to be because of our
Mistakes have led to the continuation of the hatred between the two nations and brought instability to world peace. I estimate that the central government of our country will soon issue a new order..."
Montgomery listened quietly, picked up the tea cup in front of him, and felt that the water temperature was right. He raised his head and drank it all. Seeing Ye Cheng looking at him with a smile, he asked cautiously: "General Ye, after the last battle across the river,
I found that the firepower of our troops is too weak, and because we have too few fighter planes, we cannot control the air at all. I came here this time to ask for help from you. Can I borrow your artillery and artillery when we attack?
air force?"
Ye Cheng did not hesitate at all: "I'm sorry, it is our country's established policy not to get involved in wars in Europe and Africa. Moreover, your diplomatic representative, General Ismay, emphasized this point again when he visited our country, and expressed his disapproval of our lack of sympathy.
The British communicated and regretted purchasing the three major islands of Cape Verde, Canary and Madeira in the East Atlantic Ocean and Spanish West Africa from Spain and Portugal.
"General Montgomery, I know that your government is wary of our country's entry into the traditional sphere of influence in Europe. It is very worried about the emergence of the 'yellow peril' theory that was popular at the end of the last century and the beginning of this century. Moreover, in the minds of many people in Europe, it has a negative attitude towards Germany and the Germanic people.
The conquest has been peaceful, but if we set foot on this ancient land, things may not be so wonderful. Therefore, please forgive me for my incompetence!"
Montgomery's face became very ugly. Thinking of the difficult future, he seemed to have aged ten years for a moment. He was stunned for a long time, covered his face in pain and said: "Now that the Torch Operation Plan has been a complete success, the country requires me to fight a big victory in Egypt. So.
Coordinate the offensive in the west. But I have nothing now, how can I complete this impossible task?
"If I stand still by the Suez Canal, I highly doubt that Prime Minister Churchill, who has gradually lost patience with me, will dismiss me from my post and leave my beloved army! The saddest thing in life is to accomplish the impossible.
Mission. Alas, maybe once we meet today, it will become an eternal memory!"
While listening to Montgomery grumble, Ye Cheng filled the tea cup in front of Montgomery. When Montgomery fell into desperate silence, he said slowly: "Dear General, it is impossible for our army to send troops, otherwise we would have no need at all.
If we leave the defense zone to you, we can directly cross the Suez Canal. I think with the strength shown by our army in the Battle of Two Rivers and a series of wars in the Middle East, the Germans will not be able to stop our progress at all!
"However, politics always takes precedence over military affairs. We are unwilling to tear up the series of agreements we have just reached with your country... Well, I also do not want the general to return empty-handed. Look at this, our army captured a lot of
A large amount of German heavy firepower equipment, only
Thousands of 88mm guns alone have been seized. I think the general can apply to your government to purchase these heavy guns. You can even buy the aircraft we have reinstalled. I think with your pilot reserve, we can basically
There is no need to rely on the power of our army!”
Montgomery's eyes lit up, and he stood up suddenly, pacing back and forth. After a long time, he turned his head and asked, "I wonder how much it will cost?"
"The market price of an 88mm flak18 anti-aircraft gun is US$15,000. We can give it a 20% discount, which is US$12,000 per gun. 1,000 guns are only more than US$10 million. If the general can apply for US$50 million in military expenses, I will
I think I can even gain control of the air.
"The price of an A28 fighter-bomber is US$85,000, the price of an A29 fighter is US$51,000, and the price of a B2 bomber is US$53,000. Based on a rough calculation, at least a huge fleet of more than 500 fighter planes can be armed.
This kind of air power is enough to offset the German air superiority.
"You know, the Germans almost lost all their aircraft fleet in West Asia. More than 70% of their fighter planes had to be rebuilt, and they were unable to support the North African battlefield in a short period of time."
Montgomery was greatly moved. After returning to his seat and sitting down, he said gratefully: "Thank you, General Ye, for reminding me. I will make an application report as soon as I get back. If our troops can really break through the Suez Canal defense line because of this, I will always remember the general's help."
From the bottom of my heart.”
Ye Cheng said with a smile: "We are allies, and we should help each other. Here I have another piece of news for the general. Our navy will hold a grand ship review in Nanhua Bay in the middle of this month. Maybe the general will be surprised by that time.
Discover……"
Montgomery did not take Ye Cheng's words to heart. In his mind, how could the Chinese play with the navy? Perhaps the so-called ship review is just to use a few old and worn-out old battleships to fill the number.
Montgomery finished the tea in front of him and immediately said goodbye. Ye Cheng sent him outside the barracks door. When he saw the convoy quickly leaving, a playful smile appeared on his lips.
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