Modena, one of the most important cities in Italy connecting the peninsula and the European continent, here became a well-guarded German united front work department after the German occupation, on September 5, more than 1 month after the war between Germany and Italy, the German army after taking Bologna turned to the defense again, the seemingly menacing Italian army under the leadership of the so-called elite Italian Royal Army and the navy joined hands to attack Genoa many times in vain, but the navy was traumatized many times, In order to avoid Luftwaffe attacks, the Italian navy no longer sailed in the Gulf of Genoa and Venice, and re-established itself on the island of Elba, near Corsica, and in Ancona in the east.

In Modena, an Italian royal industrial area, about ten minutes' drive from the German United Front Work Department, where all foreign guests lived, Hoffmann did not intend to receive so many people, but President Eric waved his pen, and these observation groups of more than 400 people from dozens of countries went all the way south from Berlin to Modena, wanting to get close to observe the command and military capabilities of the German army.

As defense ministers, Brauchitsch and Stresemann repeatedly dissuaded Eric not to let go of so many people, otherwise it would be difficult to guarantee that there would be no leaks.

But Eric's original words were answered, "What are you afraid of?" I'm also afraid that they won't be able to go back and make a big deal about it, and I'm worried that the business has been a little bad lately, so let them publicize more. Give me good food and drink for them, but we can't slack off, and we have to let them speak for us..."

There were two armored battalions outside Modena, and although Rundstedt held the title of commander of the armored division, he never interfered with the detailed command of these two armies, completely leaving Guderian and Rommel to obey Hoffmann's direct dispatch.

On this day, Rommel was writing a letter in the camp, and the casual smile on the corner of his mouth showed that he was in a good mood, and he should be writing something shameful.

As the curtain was drawn, a non-commissioned officer walked in to report. "General, the Observation Mission is here again..."

That smile, that mood all disappeared with the three words of the observation group, Rommel's mood is now extremely bad, although these observation missions have the personal authorization of their own president, but Rommel is still not very happy to show his treasure.

The reason is that these Type IIIA tanks are not the export type of the III, and the only thing that is not different from the performance of the Type IIIA compared to the export type is the territory, and the gap is too large.

"Find a way to consume them." Rommel had no choice but to drag, too many times, too many people, every day, as long as there was no fighting, these observation groups would come and go everywhere with great fanfare.

At the entrance of Camp 502, a group of members of the Foreign Affairs Corps were looking forward to seeing the Type IIIA tanks, and the most eagerly awaited of these people were the American military attachés, because the No. 2 tanks that had been brought back to China had hit their hearts and minds.

Speed, protection, firepower, price, the II can be said to be the most cost-effective tank before 1918, of course, this cost performance is for the United States.

George Patton, the military attaché and consular chief of the U.S. Special Observer Group, this title is very long, but such a long title represents the intention of George Patton's visit this time, Military Watch. In military observation, there are nothing more than three kinds of learning: strategy, tactics, and weapons, and one of the ways in which the connection between these three is that weapons lead to new tactics, and new tactics promote strategic changes. Tactics do not determine the development of strategy, but they can be a good aid.

George Patton had been here for more than a month, and he had the impression that the German commander was not as good as Erl, and that he might have played better in his place.

What he wants to see is German weapons, and what interests him the most is German tanks, the United States began to return to isolationism after the war, let alone build tanks, even if the army is equipped with MG series machine guns, those congressional bigwigs will shake their heads.

As far as Patton is concerned, if you don't let me build tanks, can you still not let me see other people's tanks? So Congress sent a batch of tickets to Europe to the partial army, escorting his own son Navy, as for the army aviation? I'm sorry, the treatment of the partial house is already very bad, and the son of the partial house is even more unattended.

Just as Rommel's adjutant was doing his best to hold back the observation team, another convoy arrived at the gate of the camp, and Rommel had already walked out of the tent at this time, looking at the gate of the camp from a distance.

"I have the illusion that this doesn't look like a war at all, but like a weapons show..." Rommel's unintentional ridicule was heard by Guderian, who came to the door, who thought that Rommel's unintentional words made Italian Prime Minister Mussolini almost suffocate in his heart.

"Okay, I'll go back to the camp first, you can also let them in, it's useless for you to drag, the president gave an order, it's meaningless, I'm actually the same as you, I don't want to let the IIIB show them like this, but I can't stand the orders of my superiors." After Guderian finished speaking, he jumped into a camouflage jeep and roared away, and as the camp gate was called open by Guderian's motorcade, Rommel's adjutant had no reason to continue to block, and a large number of foreign affairs personnel poured into the camp.

"Is this the cattle hungry and looking for food?" A corporal in the logistics company watched several officers in Soviet uniforms walk in, immediately stood up and gave a military salute, smiling and mocking in German.

A major on the left was still communicating with his colleagues around him, and after hearing the words of the German corporal, he just glanced at it, and his gaze was not different in the slightest, but it made the corporal fall into the ice cellar as uncomfortable, and then he no longer spoke, but asked cordially.

"Do you need anything?" The corporal didn't care whether they understood it or not, so he said to the people around him, "Hurry up and find an interpreter." ”

"No, German is not difficult to learn, it only took me 4 years to learn, and it is not difficult for me to translate some sentences that are not too obscure." The major stopped the German soldiers from going to interpret.

Hearing the Soviet major's slightly jerky German, the corporal felt uncomfortable.

"We're not here to look for food, but why is your food all canned? I don't mention the war in peacetime, but now it's far away from the front line, why is it still canned? I went to see where you were staying and eating at the station, and there were basically no people. "The major asked the question and hoped that the corporal would give him an answer.

When the corporal heard this, he took out a can from a cabinet behind him from which he got it, and then pulled the wrench at the bottom of the can, and a piece of aluminum fell off, and the two Soviet officers didn't ask much, they waited for the corporal to explain, and after ten minutes passed, the corporal lifted the top of the can again, and a hot air rose.

Only then did the corporal speak, "This is my ration for tonight, you two try it, J-class meat rations, we call him canned salted fish." ”

The Soviet officer was curious to see this can that would heat itself without an open flame at all, and he directly tried to grab it with his hands and taste it, but the corporal quickly tore a crack on the side of the jar and pulled out a slender fork, then broke it and extended it and handed it over.

The Major took the fork and sighed before tasting the can, and his colleagues also tried it.

"How? It's delicious, if you don't like to eat sweet, you can also declare it in advance according to your taste, spicy and salty. The corporal said.

The major looked at this boxy iron box, the corners are all rounded and arc transitions, it is obvious that it took a lot of effort, such a shape brings an increase in price. The technology of heating without an open flame seems to be a new technology.

"This heating method is weird, can you explain it?" The Soviet major asked.

"I don't understand this, but it's not an uncommon thing, the "heating rod" is used in many places in the army, you go and ask the technical soldiers, they know better. The corporal scratched his head, obviously a little embarrassed by the animal that he had begun to complain.

The major nodded and exchanged some more with his colleagues before saying to the corporal: "Hello, officially introduce, I am not called an animal, you can call me Zhukov." ”