Along with the intelligence, there was also a supreme instruction from the Naval Command, which came from the Residence of the First Assistant.

Speed up the march to Luxinhai and gallop to help Malta.

This order did not surprise Bai Zhizhan.

Because there was already speculation about Bai Zhizhan, Zheng Jiangming and Li Mingbo didn't feel strange.

As long as the war is not over, no matter how big the grievances between the Manman Empire and the Raleigh Kingdom are, the unity of the Entente must be maintained first.

Anything that leads to division must be put an end to!

The Navy Command has given an order for the minesweepers remaining at the Kib fortress to move north at full speed to assist the task force in clearing the canals.

If necessary, the commander can decide whether it is necessary to venture through the canal.

After receiving the news, the first thing Bai Zhizhan did was to communicate with Liu Xiangzhen, asking him to leave the battleships that were incorporated into the assault formation, and to prepare in time to enter Lu Xinhai with the 11th Task Force, that is, to carry out supply operations in advance and let the main battleships be overhauled.

In any case, the fleet had to be in full condition when it passed through the canal.

In addition, after entering Lu Xinhai, don't think about getting supplies and support in the short term.

Liu Xiangzhen did not raise any objections to this arrangement.

Of course, the key remains the ground forces.

If I want to say, this is also the place that gives Bai Zhizhan the most headache.

The people fighting on this side of the Xifan Canal are all the Yama army!

The main force of the Imperial Marines has returned to Sri Lanka. Because there is no way to mobilize the landing fleet for the time being, even if preparations are made now, the marines will not arrive until half a month later.

Obviously, it will definitely not be able to drag on for half a month.

As for the Manman Army, even if it needs to do face-saving work, there is no need to fight against the Imperial Navy, and it will definitely not go all out in the attack.

In this regard, Zheng Jiangming said it a long time ago.

Rommel only brought 2 panzer divisions to Suez City, and the other 6 divisions were on El Alamein's side, making it clear that he was not prepared to quickly capture and control the canal.

Fortunately, the imperial authorities have long recognized this.

It was on December 13, the day of the arrival of the reinforced minesweeper detachment, that the White Ceasefire received a message from the naval command.

Lian Xusheng had already reached the front line of Poshawan, and was in the armored forces advancing towards the Xifan Canal.

In addition, the armoured unit from Posha Bay, which had only one-way fuel and little ammunition, had to be resupplied as soon as it reached the east bank of the Syvan Canal.

The implication is that the navy will have to seize the bridgehead in advance.

Fortunately, the east bank of the canal was desert, and Bran's army had long since withdrawn, so there was no need to commit marines to land on the beach.

In addition, there were a number of marines on each of the warships of the two task forces, totaling several thousand.

It's not a difficult task to just take control of a beach, and to hold it under the cover and support of the fleet, and to build a few docks where transport ships can dock.

If anything, the imperial authorities are also out of the way.

At least as Zheng Jiangming said, when he was planning, he didn't think about sending Lian Xusheng to lead the army to conquer the Xifan Canal, let alone run thousands of miles.

This reflects from one side that the imperial authorities really do not want the Manman Empire and the Raleigh Kingdom to turn their faces now.

Fortunately, the assault force commanded by Lian Xusheng only needed to overcome the desert on the Wild Sand Peninsula before reaching the Xifan Canal.

Not to mention the enemies along the way, at least no one could have imagined that a feint force would break into the forbidden zone of life without any preparation.

Running thousands of miles in the desert, even Rommel didn't have the guts!

Crucially, the Army Command made urgent adjustments.

According to the information sent, the army air force has sent several hundred additional transport planes to Posha Bay to provide fresh water and food and other supplies to the assault troops by airdrop.

All in all, it is to do everything possible to ensure that the assault force can reach the east bank of the Xifan Canal smoothly.

Because the Bran army guarding the Xifan Canal has been defeated, in the eyes of the army, as long as the assault force under the command of Lian Xusheng can reach the Xifan Canal, the canal can also be taken.

Bai Zhizhan could not control the ground forces, but only the warships sailing on the sea.

In fact, as early as December 12, after all the Bran troops who had surrendered in Suez City were sent away, the operation to clear the mines began.

Unlike on the other side of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, demining operations in the Canal Zone are dominated by forced clearance.

Most of the time, minesweepers use simple and crude means, that is, detonating mines equipped with water pressure fuses by blasting.

As for magnetic mines, one converted freighter is responsible.

Strictly speaking, it is actually a remote-controlled freighter.

In order to enhance the minesweeping effect, the freighter carried several thousand tons of scrap steel, which generated a magnetic field similar to that of a 10,000-ton warship.

As for being bombed, there is nothing to worry about.

This special minesweeper was designed to withstand bombing, because the hull was strengthened, the double bottom was used, and the internal compartments were completely welded, so it was difficult to sink by bombing.

If anything, the key is to keep the canal navigable.

Unlike minesweeping in the open sea, which is not passable, and minesweeping in the canal, what needs to be worried about is that when the mines are forcibly cleared, there will be damage to the waterway.

For example, the formation of shallows, which make the water shallower and pose a threat to passing ships.

Of course, the solution is also to be short and crude.

The detachment of minesweepers was accompanied by several large engineering vessels and, most importantly, three dredging vessels.

In peacetime, the main task of this engineering vessel is to ensure that the main channel of the port is unimpeded, and by means of dredging, the main channel is maintained at sufficient depth.

In addition, it can also be used for reclamation operations, that is, land reclamation.

Many of the Empire's deep-water ports, especially the outer ports of coastal cities, were almost all filled in the offshore land by reclamation operations!

Puzhou alone, with more than 100 square kilometers of land reclamation, is still expanding, and the outer harbor of Puzhou was originally a shallow beach that would be submerged at high tide. On the southern shore of Chongming Island, a piece of land has also been reclaimed, and it is planned to build the world's largest shipbuilding base here.

It is with these engineering vessels that there is no need to worry about the blockage of the Xifan Canal.

Of course, the speed of mine clearance is actually determined by the speed of advance of the ground forces.

In the other day, minesweepers were operating in the southern part of the canal, not far from Suez City, within the range of the ship's guns, there were no security hazards.

All the way to the north, after leaving the range of the ship's guns, the threat came.

Relying on carrier-based aviation, it is not possible to provide uninterrupted cover for minesweepers. Especially at night, the only thing that can cover the minesweepers and prevent the enemy from relaying mines is the guns of the battleships.

It was in this way that on December 15, Bai Zhizhan ordered the cessation of minesweeping operations and sent Li Mingbo to make contact with the Manman army.

Citing the need for rest in the armored forces, Rommel refused to send troops to the north.

However, it was delayed for 3 days.

In the early morning of December 18, the assault force commanded by Lian Xusheng arrived.

After grasping the situation and having his troops replenish their fuel, Lian Xusheng gave the order to let the most elite assault force advance north along the Xifan Canal.

As a result, the Ghman army on the west bank of the canal also heard the wind and joined the attack.

Later that day, the 11th Task Force, headed by the "Pu", entered the Xifan Canal.