"Divisional Commander!" Behind Stephen, the voice of Adjutant Baptiste came: "The British troops in the sortie position suddenly launched a counterattack against our attacking forces. Now our vanguard has been repulsed. ”

Baptiste's words just fell. The voice of another staff officer in charge of operational coordination also rang out: "Report, the second battalion appeared in front of them several times the number of British troops. Due to the situation, the 2nd Battalion has temporarily stopped attacking. The commander of the second battalion sent a request for instructions on whether to continue the offensive order. ”

"The British army has moved!" Baptiste suddenly became nervous: "Could it be that they saw through it?" ”

"See through?" Stephen scoffed: "The plan sent by the German army, I looked at it in front of me in a cold sweat. With just the two blows of the British officers, they can see through it?"

As he spoke, Stephen waved his hand and said, "Order, the second and third battalions will defend on the spot and stop the attack." ”

Turning around, Stephen continued to say to Baptiste: "You have also seen the battle plan. Isn't the current situation exactly what we are looking forward to the most? ”

"Indeed." Battista nodded. Who took a breath and said, "If we can hold it up for about 2 hours, no, even only 1 hour." We won this battle! ”

……

"Sir......" An Australian staff officer suddenly shouted loudly in the headquarters: "The French army on the southern flank has completely stopped attacking and is now defending on the spot!" ”

"What!" The Australian Major General stood up sharply. After a moment of distraction, he looked back at Johnson and said, "General Johnson." Sure enough, the French stopped attacking. It seems that their purpose is to contain us. ”

"Has my transferred battalion converged with the Australian forces on the southern flank?" Johnson asked a staff officer beside him with a serious expression.

"Arrived!" The staff officer hurriedly replied: "They have launched a joint counterattack with the two battalions of the 26th Division, and it is expected that within one hour, the French troops on the southern flank will be pushed back to the periphery of our main position." ”

"Heights 4, are you starting to be raided by the Germans?" Johnson looked at the time on his watch.

"Not yet, but they have already drawn out 2 platoons according to the suggestion of the command and transferred them to strengthen the eastern defense line."

"Good! It seems that we are still moving faster! Johnson ordered: "Order the southern flank troops to intensify their attack, the French colonial troops cannot stop us." In addition, the garrison of Heights No. 4 was ordered to carry out a circular arming with the top as the core. Let the reserves move around in a cross, cooperate with the remaining chariots, and keep the attack of the German and French armies out of the circular defensive formation, until we destroy the French army on the southern flank and draw out our forces......"

Listening to Johnson's series of orders, the Australian Major General hung in the air, and then it fell.

He knew that what Johnson was doing now was to grab time, with the German troops who could attack Heights 4 at any time, and with the approaching Italian troops. Whoever concentrates his forces first and disrupts the opponent's deployment will usher in victory!

With the No. 3 and No. 4 heights respectively in the hands of the two sides as the axis, the three sides attacked tens of thousands of troops, and fought continuously on the last barrier of the oil fields in eastern Algeria.

Without witnessing it, it's hard to imagine what a tragic scene was in this small area. A large number of black soldiers of the French army, white soldiers of the British army and the Australian army, were dyed with bright red blood, the same color.

Under the offensive tasks demanded by Rommel and Johnson, the battlefield, which was relatively stable, was disturbed and messed up.

First, the defenders of Heights 3 turned to attack. Then the French army, which attacked the main position of the British army, turned to a defensive position again.

Back and forth, offense and defense are reversed, what changes is the pattern, and what does not change is the casualties.

Both attack and defense are accompanied by countless sacrifices and wounds. In particular, the black soldiers of the French colonies who launched the attack, because their training level was not in place, left the fortifications and took the initiative to attack, which made their losses rise in direct proportion. However, their sacrifice was enough to make the British army insane, unable to concentrate and strength, and unable to use their fists and feet.

On the southern flank of the British sortie, the French army, led by Stephen himself, had been defeated by the counterattacking British army. Without the planned fortifications, it would be difficult for these colonial levies, even if they wanted to defend on the spot, to do so.

Led by a battalion of British infantry, two other Australian battalions followed, and the formation of three battalions, like a triangular cone, stinged the French retreat again and again. Faced with a group of under-trained, poorly equipped defenders who had no fortifications to rely on, it was not too difficult for the British army to fight back.

"The French army on the southern flank retreats to the periphery of the preset cordon!"

"The pursuing force continues to suppress the opponent and is expected to completely defeat the enemy in 30 minutes."

"The French offensive attacking Heights 4 has weakened and is gradually turning into a semi-defensive state, with only three attack points remaining in the exchange of fire."

Just as the god of luck favored Johnson and them, the originally menacing French army was finally unable to maintain their seemingly ferocious offensive, whether it was on the southern flank of the British army's main position, or on the periphery of Heights 4, the French army, which was already weak, could no longer continue their bluff offensive.

Every commander of the 24th and 26th Divisions understood that the battle situation had reached the most critical moment. The current British and Australian armies have completed the comprehensive suppression of the French army. It won't be long before the French army will have to pay the final price for their self-defeating martial arts-like death-type offensive!

Not to mention the lively fighting of the army not long ago, these are all the regains they have gained in exchange for huge losses. From Johnson's point of view, the hand was beautifully played, but it wasn't worth it at all!

When Johnson dealt with the annoying fly-like diversion force on the southern flank, both the German army that successfully launched a surprise attack on Heights 4 and the Italian reinforcements that were far away would only be doomed.

Fortunately, the German commander's measurements were seen through by him!

If the British commander was to be slower, when the southern flank was attacked, he conservatively adopted a solid defense strategy and could not retreat. Then, perhaps, the German general's plan really succeeded.

It's a pity that there is no if!

"Let the 3 battalions fighting on the southern flank end the battle as soon as possible." Seeing that the fatigue of the French army on the battlefield was becoming more and more obvious, Johnson sneered and ordered: "After the battle is over, do not stop to rest, immediately rush to the No. 4 heights, and join forces with the garrison there to destroy the enemy!" ”