Battle of the Third Reich Chapter 139: Kucheler and the African Army (2 in 1

The cool sea breeze blows into the cabin from the vent on the deck of the transport ship, adding a hint of the salty taste of Mediterranean sea to the muddy air in the cabin. Baron Von Wycombe led the company platoon commanders of the battalion company to check the maintenance of the battalion’s armored vehicles.

Usually, for safety reasons, combat vehicles must unload ammunition and some fuel during transportation. However, this time the superiors considered that the armored reconnaissance battalion may need to be put into combat immediately after landing, so it is particularly permitted to keep all fuel bombs on the vehicle. .

Major von Wycombe will patrol the cabin every four hours after boarding the ship to check the soldiers' work and rest, and check the safety of equipment, ammunition, and supplies. The crew on the transport ship jokingly said that the major's law of action was more precise than the clanging ship clock.

"It looks like everything is normal, sir. We will arrive in Alexandria in six hours. I suggest you go back to the cabin and take a rest. Let us take care of the rest of the work." The direct company commander, Captain Cot, suggested it.

"Thank you, Captain Kurt, I have no problem at all." Major Wycombe's face looked pale. The baron was slightly seasick. Out of the responsibility of the battalion commander and the pride of the Wehrmacht officer, he He insisted on moving according to the schedule set by himself, but the officers below all knew that this officer was almost reaching the limit.

"Sir, you can go to the infirmary to get a sleeping pill from the doctor." Battalion Communications Staff Captain Durman reminded with concern.

"How many times have I said, Durman, I have no problems with my body." The battalion commander's attitude was extremely firm.

"Well, you don't have to be so excited, this is just a suggestion." Durman quickly calmed down the face-saving Lord Baron.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, there was no specific medicine for seasickness. Although some psychotropic medicines have alleviating effects, they all have serious side effects.

"It's only six hours, Kurt, wait until two hours before landing, so that the soldiers are ready to disembark. I don't want to see the scene that happened last time." Major Wycomb was calm. Said the face.

The battalion commander refers to what happened on the day the armored reconnaissance battalion landed in Tunisia. Because of the order of the disembarkation of the units and the temporary order of the command headquarters, there was a disconnect between the units of the reconnaissance battalion. People and vehicles were jammed on the narrow pier bridge, and the landing site was chaotic.

"Don't worry, battalion commander, that kind of thing won't happen again." Kurt saluted, the iron palm on the heel of the boot and the steel deck made a clear noise.

"Here is the list of the first disembarkation troops, my Excellency." Major General William Hasse, Chief of Staff of the African Legion, pushed a document to General Georg von Küchler Artillery.

"Have you checked everything carefully?" Kucheler looked down at the list.

"It has been checked repeatedly, there are no questions, sir." Hassai nodded and replied.

"Let’s pass on the order." Küciler signed the document and handed it to the communications officer on the side of Shili.

"Yes, General." The major took the document and stood upright with the heel of his boots.

"Now, let's deduce the battle plan again, gentlemen." Küciler stood up and walked to the military map hanging on the wall of the cabin.

"The order given to us by the head of state clearly stated that this is the first battle for Germany to return to the Middle East. The African Legion shoulders the expectations of the German people, so it must win and it is absolutely not allowed to fail." Hillel took the pointer from the staff and said, tapping the map hard.

Kucheler was a very traditional German commander. He participated in the First World War as an artillery lieutenant company commander more than 20 years ago, and he was promoted to captain during the war. At the end, he had become the operational chief of the German Reserve Eighth Division. He was retained by the German army after the war, which is enough to prove the talent of this officer.

In the 100,000 army era, he served as artillery company commander, tactical instructor of the Munich Infantry School, major inspector of the Wehrmacht Military Academy Supervision Department, German Artillery School instructor, Prussian First Military Region Artillery Commander, German Military Academy Major General Inspector, Germany The judge of the military court was finally promoted to lieutenant general in artillery in 1937, serving as commander of the German East Prussia First Military Region and commander of the First Army of the German Wehrmacht.

He is a general who has risen step by step by relying on his personal efforts from the grassroots level. Unlike those officers who have been in the command organization, he has extremely rich combat experience and life experience, as well as extraordinary wisdom, Perseverance and courage.

When Germany invaded Poland, he served as the commander of the German Third Army and belonged to the Northern Army Group under the command of General Bok. This general’s commanding ability and military wisdom were fully demonstrated in the Polish campaign and he lived in ancient times. The Third Army of the Army after the installation of Group A in Delhi marched all the way, breaking through several defense lines of the Polish army in eight days, and finally encircling Warsaw with the Tenth Army, and finally captured this world-famous city.

Kucheler's outstanding performance in the Battle of Poland earned him a precious Knight's Iron Cross. The glorious future of the commander of the group army seemed to be foreseeable at that time.

But at this moment, another outstanding quality he possessed was demonstrated. His traditional military education made him extremely disgusted with the actions of the SS Special Operations Team in Poland. This artillery lieutenant general He did not conceal his dissatisfaction with these **** slaughter crimes. As a result, the lieutenant general’s complaints were regarded as disloyal by the top Nazis. In the end, the lieutenant’s sense of justice led to him being deprived of the command of the group army, and then he was sent to the cold palace. It is about to be included in the reserve service.

However, when Hitler was preparing to launch the battle on the Western Front, because of the lack of a group army-level commander with combat experience, Hitler finally obeyed the advice of the army commander and chief of staff, and Kücheler was reactivated and still belonged to General Bock. Under his command, he commanded the 18th Army of the German Army and launched an offensive against the Netherlands on the right flank of the B Army.

Kucheler still played very well, and soon took the Dutch city of Rotterdam, forcing the Dutch defenders to surrender to the Germans. In the subsequent battles of Belgium and France, the 18th Army became the sharpest in Bok's hands. His spearhead shattered the tenacious resistance of the French army.

As a commander of the group army with real power, Küciler's rank is enough to involve him in the struggle between Xu Jun and Hitler. At that time, all commanders of the group army on the Western Front had already stood in line, and everyone fell to the young deputy head of state. And Kucheler, who had suffered, was caught in the most important decision in his life.

To tell the truth, he didn’t feel cold about this young deputy head of state at first. Although he admitted that the planning and command of the Dunkirk battle was indeed very beautiful, this only proved that Stade was a tactical genius, and it did not mean this. Young people are capable of leading a country. However, in view of Hitler's mental state already having problems, he is said to regard all senior army generals as traitors to the country, and it is obviously more unwise to choose to support this lunatic.

After thinking about it repeatedly, Küchler finally placed his bet on Stade. In his opinion, the interests of the country are the most important. Stade is the only hope for Germany to win this war.

Afterwards, it was proved that this lieutenant’s choice was correct. Steider became the ultimate winner. Küchler led the Eighteenth Army through the remaining half of the French campaign and was promoted to the German artillery in September. General, reached the peak of his military career in the arms, and then the German Field Marshal, to complete this step, he must make a convincing feat.

Since July, Küchelel’s troops have been stationed in central France, responsible for maintaining order in the occupied area, and failed to participate in the landing operation against England, which made the artillery general regret.

As the commander of the French occupation zone, Cuchelel really lived a comfortable and enjoyable life in France, and even his figure gradually became a little blessed. The general was breaking his fingers every day, calculating the time to return home. When he was so bored, he couldn't help but start to miss the pungent gunpowder on the battlefield.

However, Xu Jun quickly found him a job, saving the admiral from the decadent days of salary thieves. Admiral Küciler Artillery was ordered to form a brand new regiment and led this force on an expedition to the coast of Africa.

In the eyes of outsiders who don't know the inside story, Admiral Küciler may have done something taboo before he will be demoted to this position. Because the establishment of the African Army is too small, it is not worth appointing a general to command.

Kucheler’s Eighteenth Army consists of ten infantry divisions and one armored division, with a total strength of more than 180,000. And this newly formed so-called African Legion has only two motorized infantry divisions and one armored regiment under its organization. The combined total strength is less than 50,000. The difference between the two sides is as much as three times. This is not a demotion. What can it be?

Furthermore, on one side is the comfortable French occupation area, holding power like the Emperor, and on the other side is the distant African continent, which is simply barren land compared to Europe. Even the blind can see the difference between the two.

Some people have speculated that Kühlel must have offended Staeder somewhere, just as he provoke Hitler back then, this new head of state obviously started more ruthlessly than Hitler, and Hitler made Kühlel back at most. The family squatted on the bench, and Steeter directly exiled the artillery general to Africa.

Soon reality proved that all these messy speculations from the outside world were all wrong. Instead of falling out of favor, Admiral Küchler became a big red man of the command’s attention. The German head of state was full of expectations for this admiral. The formation of the African army is precisely the proof of the head of state's trust in Kuchelel.

Kucheler also knew this very well. When he received the appointment, there was not a hint of resistance in his heart, but soon he discovered that the appointment did not harm his status, but instead gave him Opportunity to be one step closer in your career.

Kucheler discovered that this army is not a conventional army. The African army has no clear size limit, which means that if necessary, the command can expand the organization of this army without restrictions. More importantly, he was authorized by the head of state. The African army is directly under the command of the head of state base camp, which means that he no longer needs to look at the face of the army command. From then on, he is only responsible to the head of the empire.

At the administrative level, he is at the same level as the headquarters of the German military theaters, but unlike those units, the African Army has a relatively independent system of replenishment and material supply. In the complex logistics system of the German Army, the African Army has The highest priority level of supply, and at the same time, from any army supplementary battalion in the country, the required supplementary troops can be called.

In the history of the National Defense Forces, there has never been such a unit. The high administrative level and generous treatment have even surpassed the two regiments directly under the head of state. From this we can see that the head of state attaches great importance to this legion. Hope, and as the first commander of this unit, Kücheler, who has also entered the head of state, has also entered the line of sight of the head of state. If the artillery general does not have any major omissions during his tenure, from After the resignation of the African Legion, he will definitely be reused by the head of state, and his dream of being promoted to field marshal will be realized sooner or later.

Kucheler put all his energy and enthusiasm into the formation and training of this unit. After all, he was a person who had been a military academy instructor several times. Kücheler was known for training in the German army. At the same time, the troops he commanded have always been famous for their tenacious style. In real history, the 18th Army was under his command. I don't know how many hard bones were gnawed down.

The African Legion is completely self-made. The backbone of the army has only two standard infantry divisions, the 26th and 31st Infantry Divisions. The former was formed in Cologne. The logo of the infantry division is the silhouette of the Cologne Cathedral, and the latter comes from Brunswick, the symbol is a Brunswick lion with two short legs (the coat of arms of Henry III, Duke of Saxony is a lion, and Brunswick is the capital of Saxony. The Duke cast a bronze lion sculpture in the city, Eventually became the symbol of the Duchy of Saxony and Braunschweig.).

Because the senior officers of the 31st Division generally did not participate in World War I and lacked experience in warfare, so that they did not conduct strict training on soldiers in peacetime. The officers and soldiers of the 31st Infantry Division, who felt the cruelty of the war, were quickly controlled by a sense of serious insecurity. During the Polish campaign, they opened fire on all uncertain targets and burned down all the buildings they considered threatening. , Committed a series of completely unnecessary atrocities, causing serious damage to the reputation of the National Defense Forces.

However, after the entire European war, the quality of these two infantry divisions has changed considerably. In any case, they have accumulated a certain amount of practical experience, and they no longer tremble when they hear the gunshots. The rookie.

Kucheler has no opinion on these two infantry divisions. These units already have combat experience. Now they only need to rectify discipline and strengthen some targeted training. They will soon become the soldiers that Kuchyler needs. .

During the landing operation in Sicily, Italy, these soldiers proved their worth as soldiers to their commanders and the great empire. The outstanding performance of these two infantry divisions on the battlefield caused generals who were once familiar with the style of these two infantry divisions to shatter spectacle lenses.

The 26th Cologne Division, whether in Poland or France, has always performed mediocrely. The 31st Brunswick Division performed abnormally on the Polish battlefield, causing a series of scandals. The Army Headquarters singled out these two infantry divisions to form the African Army, and because the two units were of average level, the transfer would not cause the combat effectiveness of the affiliated group army to decline.

At the time, no one thought that after a few weeks of training by Küciler, these troops would be transformed like a reborn. The powerful aura that they showed in front of the Italian army is no longer inferior to those famous main divisions. .

Of course, there is a reason why the Italian army is too big. The Italian coast division on Sicily lacks advanced weapons and the courage to fight against the German army. After the first round of attacks, the entire row of soldiers throws He dropped his weapon, and then ran all over the mountains.

In addition to the two infantry divisions that are transforming into elite forces, the African Army also has an armored regiment. This armored regiment has outstanding performance during the occupation of Rome, Italy.

In this war on the Arabian Peninsula, these armored vehicles will be the absolute main force of the battle. It can be said that Küciler’s entire combat plan is centered on these tanks and armored vehicles.

Kucheler knows very well that in the vast desert plains, whoever has greater mobility will have the initiative in combat. Those nomadic cavalry and camel cavalry who are accustomed to vertical and horizontal sand seas are best at long-distance raids. If they do not have comparable or overwhelming mobility, they can only trail behind the opponent’s **** to eat ashes, or in order to maintain a long supply line. Tuyu ran for life until he was dragged down by his opponents, and finally disappeared into the vast desert like those failed conquerors in history.

Kucheler is familiar with history, he has specially studied the battles of those predecessors, and he has learned the experience he has exchanged for blood. In his opinion, although the battle formation has not changed in essence, the methods used have already made a qualitative leap. If the weapons and tactics are too far from the times, they will definitely be eliminated by the times.

The desert peoples are an excellent example of breaking away from the times~IndoMTL.com~ Saudi Arabia currently only has ground troops, the main force is horse and camel cavalry, and there are a large number of foot infantry mainly composed of urban residents. The weapons are mainly from the First World War. Interestingly, most of the rifles manufactured are Mauser produced in Germany. In addition, during the honeymoon with the United Kingdom, they also bought ten British Vickers wheeled armored vehicles.

This is a war of unequal power. Germany will undoubtedly win the final victory. The question is how much Germany will pay in the battle. Küchler never underestimates the enemy, he believes Once a war breaks out, the German army will encounter the most tenacious resistance. If the loss of soldiers and equipment in the war is too large, even if it is eventually won, it will affect the reputation of the Third Reich.

"Battlefield reconnaissance is the key to the battle. Don’t blindly rely on the air force. Ground fire reconnaissance is more effective in this terrain. Enemies have lived here for generations. They are familiar with every inch of rock and land here. Once a firefight begins , They will be the most tenacious and craziest warriors you have ever seen. This must be kept in mind by every soldier.” Quhillel pointed at the Saudi border on the map with his pointer.

PS: Thank you for your support. Today’s update is here.

Don’t say much, the author will continue to work hard and write more exciting plots to reward everyone.