After a few moments, Zeitzler asked: "Assuming that Morocco's problems still exist, how do we solve them?" ”

"Taking the Middle East and looking back at Morocco is not a big problem." "First of all, we will control Greece and Crete and we will be able to take the island of Cyprus and the Middle East, we will have an overwhelming advantage in the Eastern Mediterranean, even if the whole of West Africa is lost, the road between the Middle East and the mainland will still be open, and we will be able to avoid the incompetent Italians; Secondly, I can send troops to Tunisia to stop the Americans, and the Italians will fight for it; Finally, the Middle East was an important pillar of the British global colonial empire, and Churchill valued the honor and prestige of the British Empire more, and he would not hand over the colonies for the illusory mission of the so-called 'opening up a second battlefield', which would cause deep contradictions between Britain and the United States. ”

Although they were skeptical of some of Hoffman's views and arguments, the three had to admit that the Führer's strategic vision was very vicious, and that this action hit the soft underbelly of the Allies, and they wavered in their main position, and the key point of their thinking shifted to how to ensure the smooth landing of the troops.

Keitel was the first to state: "I agree with the Führer's strategic judgment in principle, the problem is that the risk of landing is too great. ”

"How big is it?"

"Well...... a few people couldn't say it, Keitel and Joddle were inexperienced, Zeitzler knew the whole process of the Battle of Dieppe, but he didn't want to tell the tragic situation of the failed British and American landings to provoke Hoffman.

"If the landing plan is not successful, will Guderian's African cluster be in danger." Hoffman asked the three.

"No, the position of the African Army will not get worse." Keitel was the first to answer.

Hoffman turned to Yodel and asked, "Can you guarantee it?" ”

"Yes, that's guaranteed." Yodel nodded hurriedly.

"Will Crete be lost?"

"Nope! Although the landing force is 60,000 men, the forces that were originally responsible for the defense of the island are not counted, and we can continue to strengthen the forces in Crete. Zeitzler replied.

"Then the problem is with the landing cluster." Glancing at the three of them, Hoffman made up his mind and slapped the map hard, firmly enveloping Crete, "I am the commander-in-chief of the army and the head of state, I am responsible for the overall strategy of the empire and the future of the nation, and I am determined to make this battle ready for the worst - maybe the whole army will be annihilated!" ”

What the? Zeitzler almost didn't fall to the ground, Keitel and Yodel opened their mouths wide and looked at Hoffmann with incredible eyes, and the only thought that came to the minds of the three of them at this moment was: "Crazy!" The Führer is crazy! ”

"Don't look at me like that, I'm not crazy!" Seeing the horrified expressions on the faces of the three men, Hoffman knew what they were thinking, and asked rhetorically, "If I give all these 60,000 men to Guderian and ask him to destroy Montgomery's 200,000, do you think it will be successful?" How many casualties were there after the success? ”

Everyone was silent, this matter could not be predicted, not to mention whether Guderian could kill the Eighth Army with 110,000 troops, even if it succeeded, its losses might exceed 60,000, and even worse, it could not afford to consume, in the process of Guderian and Montgomery's duel, the British could send reinforcements continuously, initially 110,000 against 230,000, and later it may become 110,000 against 300,000 or 500,000.

"The most important thing in this battle plan is time, we cannot afford to spend it and we cannot afford to delay, we must use resolute methods to defeat the Eighth Army and march to Cairo." Hoffman cheered up the three, "Isn't it just 2 armored divisions, 1 infantry division and 1 paratrooper division?" What's there to be reluctant to? We lost 500,000 in the Typhoon campaign alone, and another 200,000 on the Eastern Front this summer. If you are always afraid of casualties, you don't have to fight this big battle at all. Judging whether a campaign is a victory or not is not only based on the number of casualties, but also on whether the overall situation and strategic situation have been improved, and the significance of this campaign is the clearest -- to change the situation in the Middle East in one fell swoop by throwing in the hands of the victor and losing. ”

Zeitzler stubbornly persuaded: "Führer, you can't just look at the number, 2 armored divisions don't seem to be much, but one of them is the SS Viking division, the other is the Great German division, even if the incomplete airborne division is the famous elite unit of our army, serious damage will greatly damage morale, not to mention the annihilation of the whole army such a heavy loss." ”

Hoffman thought to himself: Now 4 divisions and 60,000 people can't stand it? How did the loss of the entire 6th Army and the loss of more than a million men survive at Stalingrad? But he couldn't say this now, he could only explain bitterly: "I just believe in the tenacity of the Viking Division, and I believe in the tenacity of the Great German Division, so I will assign them the most important task, if they dare not use it for fear of the loss of elite troops, they will lose the opportunity to use it forever." You can ask the commanders of the four divisions in advance if they are willing to take on the responsibility of forging a bloody road for the future of the German people. ”

"But ......," Zeitzler wanted to say a few more words, but Keitel had already stopped him, and he knew the Führer's character: this was obviously determined to fight to the death, and if the three of them continued to push on the ground, he was afraid that the angry Führer would bypass the General Staff and begin to dispatch troops directly -- he did not think that the commanders of these divisions would refuse such an order.

"We strive to rethink and refine the battle plan, and we must ensure that the strategic thinking of the Führer is implemented." Keitel played a round and tried his best to ease the atmosphere, "The troops will first replenish and mobilize to make relevant targeted preparations." ”

"This is the work of the General Staff, I don't ask specifically, I just want the result!" Hoffman decided to keep the pressure going, turned his head and asked Yodel, "Paulus doesn't have a lot of work on the Western Front at the moment, do you need me to send him over to work with you?" ”

Yodel blushed and said without hesitation: "Please rest assured, I will definitely come up with a mature plan as soon as possible." "But I was thinking: What are you kidding, what should I do when Paulus comes? I've done a lot of work in the early stage, whose will will this plan reflect when the time comes? What is the credit in the end?

Keitel and Zeitzler looked at each other helplessly, and the Führer was pressing people desperately.

Hoffmann was confident in Yodel's statement: "Guderian has begun to retreat to Tobruk, and although Montgomery is still in the dark, it will not be concealed for long, and the enemy's next move will soon advance." At the end of the month, I will convene an international conference on Serbia in the Eagle's Nest, and I hope that you will be ready to come up with a reasonable plan of operations, which you will be able to discuss as soon as the meeting is over, and that while the plan is being formulated, the mobilization of materials and personnel will continue to be concentrated as originally envisaged -- and the two Chiefs of the General Staff will take this as their main task. ”

"Yes, Führer."

"Be ruthless in formulating plans, have innovative ideas and desperate awareness, be very to the enemy, and even more to yourself! You can talk about resources, transport ships, and planes, and don't be afraid that the troops don't have experience in amphibious landings, they can learn on the spot on the island of Crete, and two weeks is enough time -- we can't prepare everything perfectly, and we weren't perfect when we fought Poland and France, didn't we survive it? Have faith in yourself! Have faith in the troops! In addition, Guderian sent me a telegram saying that Montgomery's defensive line near El Alamein was very tight and strong, and if he were lured out and put in Tobruk, the British would not take the initiative to destroy this line, and we could quickly seize the opportunity to use this line of defense, and perhaps receive unexpected results. ”

Yodel nodded: "We will seriously consider the Führer's suggestion just now. ”，

"Tomorrow I will leave for the Peneminde base to inspect and come back in two days, and I hope that in these two days you can come up with a more feasible draft as the basis for the next discussion."

"Führer, my Führer." Hoffman's adjutant stumbled in from outside.

"What a fuss was going on."

"A telegram has been sent from our latent submarines in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the main forces of the Mediterranean Fleet have just left port and sailed west." The adjutant gasped and handed the corresponding telegram to Hoffman, "You warned me to report to you as soon as there is information from the North African side. ”

"What is this?" Keitel asked suspiciously, "Are they going to Malta?" ”

"Maltese warships are also preparing to leave port!"

"Hahaha!" Hoffman burst out laughing, "The god of luck has really favored us!" ”

"This is? ......" The three of them were puzzled.

"Churchill probably believed that the situation in the Mediterranean was relatively stable at present, so he was relieved to transfer the main forces of the Mediterranean Fleet to ensure their landing in Northwest Africa." "If I'm guessing correctly, these capital ships will return to the mainland for maintenance, replenishment, and then cover the landing of the fleet from the mainland, which is also timed to coincide with the landing at the end of October—and the Eastern Mediterranean will not be able to meet them for at least six to eight weeks," Hoffman explained. ”

"It's providence!" Yodel muttered excitedly, "Incredible providence." ”