Battle of the Third Reich Chapter 425: Border
In the area bordering northern Italy and Austria, all large and small cities and towns have entered a state of emergency. This is not an exercise. A real war is coming.
Many people chose to hide in the basement with their families, and used all the wood he could find to reinforce the doors, windows and walls. The horror of the Luftwaffe bombing regiment was already deeply rooted at this time.
The adult men in some border villages and towns were gathered to receive weapons and equipment from the reserve armoury of the border police. They were temporarily formed into the reserve army of the black shirt army. At this time, no one cares whether these people are members of the fascist party. At this moment, as long as they are men who can pull the trigger, they are obligated to take on the responsibility of defending Italy. Whether they like it or not, they must go to the front and invade Germany. People fighting.
The Italians felt like they were dreaming during this half-day. Most people didn't even figure out why the Germans declared war with Italy, so they entered a war in a daze.
Time is too hasty. Many places have been busy until midnight, and it turns out that they have not even built basic defenses.
Northern Italy is close to the border between Austria and Germany. It is the Alps stretching for hundreds of miles. This undulating mountain has been a natural barrier for Italy for thousands of years, preventing the invasion from the powerful neighbors in the north. Of course this Mountains are not an insurmountable moat. The prosperous Apennine Peninsula has been looted by powerful foreign enemies many times in history.
Brennero is an important port between Italy and Austria. There is no doubt that it will be used as an important target. This is the junction of the German and Italian railway networks. The Germans will complete it at all costs Get it in your hands.
The commander of the Italian garrison, Colonel Giulio Filiberto, also thinks so. He is very fortunate that the town he guards is of important strategic value to the enemy, which means that the other party will not abuse bombers for indiscriminate Air raids, because they must ensure that the railway facilities here are complete.
Filiberto knows the weight of the burden on his shoulders. There is no second line of defense behind Brunello. Once the Germans occupy Brunello, the powerful German regiment can follow the Alpine Railway. Drove straight ahead and broke into the prosperous and fertile Po River plain.
But now Colonel Filiberto has only two dissatisfied infantry battalions and a border police brigade. There are also two black shirts in the company, but they have their own command system and do not obey Filiberto's orders at all.
There is a 6th Army antiaircraft artillery company stationed outside the city, equipped with eight small-caliber antiaircraft artillery. However, I spoke to the company commander on the phone before. The other party said that because of the year-round lack of repair parts, there are only two 37mm autocannons. Can still hit normally. In the colonel’s view, this was a heinous and serious malfeasance, but in order to stabilize the military spirit, he can only express some verbal dissatisfaction. The military has to do a lot.
Time flies by, and now only five minutes before the start of the war, the colonel took the adjutant and two communicators into the temporary command post set up in the basement of the railway station. The chief and deputy commanders of the two battalions were all rushed to the front line by the colonel to supervise the battle. The staff officers who remained in the command post looked busy at the moment. The officers and noncommissioned officers were holding a pile of forms and maps in the room. Running around from the aisle, it looked as if the German invasion had begun. The colonel knew very well that these were all for him to see.
Sighed secretly, the Italian colonel stroked his gray beard under his chin and strode into the command room. The soldiers who were still spinning like headless flies just stood still and raised their hands to the commander. To fascist salute.
"Connect me to Lieutenant Colonel Leonardo. The telephone line there should be connected?" The colonel threw his military cap on the map table.
"The troops have entered the highest combat readiness, and the war will explode at any time." The adjutant handed a telegram to the colonel.
"It's all nonsense. What I need now is support. Even if I can adjust a few planes, it can at least boost my morale." The colonel crumpled the telegram into a ball and threw it on the floor.
"The call is connected, Mr. Colonel." The communications sergeant ran over with the microphone in one hand and the telephone in the other.
"Leonardo? This is Filiberto...Yes, the voice is clear. How is the situation there? Is there any movement on the other side? Not yet?" Filiberto raised his wrist Checked his watch.
"It’s past twelve o’clock. The Germans observe the time very much. They will attack at any time. Yes, I believe your soldiers are all good. You must pay attention to your safety. Keep in touch with the command post at any time. , You should also pay attention to your own safety, that’s it, thank you, and may God bless you and my children." Putting down the phone, Filiberto supported the map table with both hands, looking down at the picture filled with red and blue pencils. Military map of the defensive positions out.
He only had 530 trained soldiers in his hand, and the anti-aircraft artillery was just in his early 600s, and he couldn't even gather half of the infantry regiment. The only artillery battery is equipped with four 1913 65mm mountain cannons, and the ammunition is also sufficient. Although the style is a little older and the power is a little less powerful, this time it is not allowed to pick and choose.
The border police are evenly distributed to the two infantry battalions. They serve as the second-line reserve team. After the war, they can also help the logistics units to deliver ammunition and supplies to the first-line positions. The number of people is too small, and there is no way to deploy any deep positions.
Finally, the trenches and fortifications on the border are ready-made. They have been there since World War I. Every year, the Sixth Army organizes soldiers to carry out some necessary repairs and maintenance, but they never thought they would be used. That day.
As for the black shirts, they were thrown to the flanks of the first-line position by the colonel, and a trench was drawn to them. Then these people were allowed to entertain themselves. The fighting power of these mobs was not in the colonel's consideration. .
"Has the explosives been deployed?" the colonel asked a staff officer, turning his head.
"This...I don't know. I'm not responsible for this matter, sir." The lieutenant was taken aback for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders and replied.
"Then you go and find someone responsible for this!" The colonel frowned and waved.
"Okay, sir." The staff member walked out of the room quickly, sullenly.
"Damn it..." Feliberto felt his stomach start to cramp again, and he sat down on a chair by the map table.
The Italian colonel never considered leaving the station and the attached railway facilities intact to the Germans. Once the defensive line is lost, he will blow up all the facilities when the troops retreat. The Germans will only get a broken ruin in the end. It is estimated that this can delay the Germans' actions by at least two to three days.
The problem is that he does not have professional engineers, only a few young officers have received some of the most basic blasting training in the military academy, so they can only increase the charge to make up for the lack of theoretical knowledge. In the end, this The progress of the work was much slower than the colonel imagined.
At this moment, a dull roar suddenly sounded overhead, and the entire basement trembled. A large piece of green lime paint fell from the ceiling and smashed into a corner of the map table.
"The attack has begun!" a staff officer exclaimed.
"Connect to the front line soon?"
"It's a bombing! It's a heavy bomb dropped by a bomber!"
"Turn on the ventilation fan, there is all dust here!"
"My merciful lord!" The room was filled with the messy shouts of the staff.
"It's all quiet! Shut up all! The explosion is still far from here." Filiberto stood up frowning, slapped the map table hard, and drank loudly to stop the panic in the room.
"Sir, it's Lieutenant Colonel Petro! Their position was heavily bombarded by the Germans!" A communications sergeant reported loudly.
At this moment, in this basement, you can clearly hear the faint roar of thunder from a distance, and the hardwood floor is also shaking slightly, the chandelier hanging on the beam. Started to shake slowly in this shaking. The staff officers looked at the ceiling with fear. They knew that this basement was just a civilian facility, without the slightest bullet-proof function. Once an unopened shell or bomb fell on top of their heads, they would definitely have a stubborn temper with this basement. The colonel is finished together.
"The Germans will not attack the station, they need this railway." The colonel saw through what his subordinates were worried about, and he pretended to be calm and comforted.
He won’t admit that he didn’t expect the Germans to use heavy artillery before. This is a huge mistake. The Germans can crush them bit by bit with precision artillery outside the range of the Italians. position. He has never been bombarded by heavy artillery in his life, but he can imagine what the poor soldiers are experiencing and what kind of fear they are feeling at the same time.
"I’m Filiberto, what’s the situation now? Did you see the Germans? What? No! Never retreat, I don’t care how many people you have lost...before the enemy infantry attacked Retreat, this will be a shame for the Italian Sixth Army! I don’t want to listen to any reason, you must let your people hold on... Then let the reserve team go up!
Bomber? Did they dispatch a bomber? How much can you see there? Flew over your head just now? Well, Lieutenant Colonel Petro, we can't retreat without fighting. No matter how serious the loss is, we must insist on staying on the ground. I will give you the order to retreat, I swear, but not now! Now your task is to hold on, stop the German offensive momentum, and buy time for the rear troops.
Yes, I will notify you early, so you can rest assured. It will take at least an hour. This is an order. Do you understand it? This is an order! "After shouting into the microphone, the colonel slammed the receiver down.
"Sir! Paratroopers, the sky is full of German paratroopers!" A sergeant rushed into the command post carrying a carbine, carrying a wounded officer on his shoulder, and half of the poor guy's body was stained with blood. famous.
"God, this is Lieutenant Luca from the guard platoon." The two non-commissioned officers rushed forward to help the officer lying on the floor.
"Sir, I personally recommend that you leave here immediately. Now there are German paratroopers everywhere. I think there are at least a few thousand. The guard platoon may not last long. Please make a decision immediately." The sergeant Salute the colonel, then turned and ran out of the command post.
"Telephone, call Lieutenant Francisque and order them to detonate immediately!" Feliberto reacted from the shock, and he commanded loudly.
"Yes, sir!" The communications staff shook the handle of the magnet phone vigorously.
"Immediately burn all the confidential documents in your hand, the telegram of Rome, the roster of the troops, and the map...Yes! Take this one too, and burn them all." The colonel grabbed the map table. The map was stuffed into the hands of the adjutant.
The communications staff next to "The Colonel" reported.
"Go and get the suitcase in my room right away. Those Ethiopian barbarians didn’t catch me Filibetto. Now the Germans don’t want to catch me. Don’t stand stupid and prepare to evacuate immediately. , Our time is running out." Filiberto yelled at the staff members. The staff members rushed out of the room. Finally, they did not forget to take away the ensign Luca who was only half-sighed. .
The old colonel has lost his usual calmness at this time. Is there a paratrooper after the heavy artillery? Germans can't fight a battle upright.
"Colonel." The communications staff continued to call.
"I knew I should destroy everything in the warehouse~IndoMTL.com~ can't leave to the Germans at all." Philippeto muttered, then turned his head to look at the communications staff.
"Why are you still here? What can you do! Oh, yes, has Lieutenant Francisk contacted?"
"Telephone... the telephone line was cut!" The communications staff reported to the colonel with a crying face while holding the microphone.
"What! Damn it! What are you doing standing stupidly? You immediately go and run and tell the ensign that it is my order to immediately detonate all the explosives they have set up." The colonel stared at him with bloodshot eyes. The communications officer put his right hand on the holster around his waist.
"Yes, yes, Colonel." The communications staff hurriedly saluted Filiberto, turned around and sprinted out of the command room like a rabbit hitting an arrow.
"All are incompetent cowards!" Filiberto sipped to the floor.
Before the voice was over, there were a few clear gunshots in the corridor outside, and then I saw the communications staff rushing back to the command post faster than before.
"Germans! German paratroopers!" The staff sergeant yelled loudly while pointing outside the door, and at the same time quickly ran to the file cabinet in the corner of the room and hid.
"Coward!" Colonel Filiberto spit in the direction of the sergeant again, then reached out and took out his pistol from the holster on his waist.
"Raise your hand! Throw away the weapon, you have no way to escape...Major." Three German paratroopers stood at the gate of the command post with submachine guns. The leader was a corporal, talking about Germany. Italian with a strong accent.
"Colonel! It's a colonel, look at this rank clearly! Soldier!" Philippeto threw the pistol on the map table, then raised his hands high.
ps: Sorry for being late today, continue to ask for monthly pass, ask for recommendation, ask for clicks,
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