"So I don't think we should use the 'General Grant' tank as a tank!" Qin Chuan continued: "At the very least, we should not arrange professional tank crews for them, but should assign car drivers and gunners to them, which is what I said about handing it over to artillery." The 'Stuart' tank is a different story! ”

As soon as Qin Chuan's voice fell, there was a lot of discussion in the conference room, and some people agreed with Qin Chuan's opinion, because everyone saw the bad performance of the "General Grant" tank, and the reason why Montgomery ordered the British army to "only allow distant battles and not close combat" is precisely because of this.

But there are also those who disagree, and Major General Gro is one of them.

"Ensign!" "All of this is true, but we have no other choice because we all know it...... Our supply lines were blocked by the British, and it was very difficult for us to get tanks from Italy, which left us in a situation where we were all without tanks. But ......"

Saying that, Major General Gro spread his hands and said with an incredulous expression: "In this case, that is, on the one hand, we have no tanks to use, and on the other hand, you let us hand over the captured tanks to the artillerymen, don't you think this is a great waste?" ”

Rear Admiral Gro's remarks were echoed by many, including an officer of the 15th Panzer Division, who said: "If the 21st Panzer Division is not going to use this batch of tanks, then it is just right...... We don't mind using them, and we promise to use them as tanks rather than armored cannons! ”

The conference room couldn't help but laugh.

"General!" Qin Chuan replied: "So I think it's time to discuss the island of Malta!" ”

The officers couldn't help but be stunned when they heard this, and Rommel couldn't help but look at Qin Chuan in surprise.

"Do you mean to attack the island of Malta, second lieutenant!" Rommel asked.

"Yes, General!" Qin Chuan replied.

There was silence in the room, for they couldn't believe that a second lieutenant would have the idea of attacking the island of Malta, which was a great battle.

"Ensign!" "You seem to have imagined the island of Malta too easily, we don't have extra troops to attack the island of Malta, not to mention that we only have one air wing!" ”

What Major General Gro said was true, the German and Italian troops were originally prepared to attack the island of Malta, but the German 24th Air Wing stationed in Sicily was transferred by Hitler to the direction of the Soviet Union, and this plan went bankrupt.

The reason is very simple: The most important thing in the operation to seize the island is air supremacy, because the enemy's fighters can draw a circle around the combat radius of the island-centered aircraft, and all warships, transport ships, and troop carriers that enter this circle will become the targets of the fighters.

Moreover, the combat radius of the fighters is several hundred kilometers, so if they do not have air supremacy, the landing force is afraid that it will be bombed in scattered places before it even sees the island.

"It's not a question of whether you can or not!" Qin Chuan said: "It's a question of whether you want it or not!" ”

"What do you mean?" Major General Gro asked.

"It is true that there are many difficulties in capturing the island of Malta, but if we do not put it on the map...... What happens over time? ”

Qin Chuan's words immediately made the officers in the conference room shut up.

"We're going to fail, gentlemen!" Qin Chuan said: "One day it will fail." ”

After a pause, Qin Chuan continued: "Although we can grow potatoes to fill our stomachs, although we can use sniper tactics to consume the enemy's shells, although we can use guerrilla warfare to slow down the ammunition reserves of the British and even to demoralize them, and even we can thwart the British offensive again and again and seize equipment from them." But...... We can't get our ammunition and tanks, and we can only watch as the British accumulate more strength and tanks and attack our lines! ”

"Yes!" General Stryk agreed: "This time we can use the method of the second lieutenant to let the British fall into the trap, and next time?" Do we still expect the British to be fooled? What if we have a 'General Grant' tank? We have a measly little over 200 tanks, and there are all kinds of models, 'Matilda', 'Valentine', 'Crusader', 'Three', 'Stuart', and now 'General Grant'...... God, our armored divisions have simply become a tank museum, we can't beat the British with such equipment! ”

"But what else can we do?" Major General Groh said: "Attack Malta as the second lieutenant said? ”

"The second lieutenant is right!" Rommel said: "We have only one choice, because now the situation is obvious, the enemy and us have reached a stalemate, and time is not on our side!" ”

In fact, there is no doubt about this, although there are indeed many difficulties tactically, but strategically it must be fought, otherwise the Afrika Korps will definitely lose.

From this point of view, General Groh still lacks some strategic awareness.

"But how to solve the problem of the plane?" An officer asked: "Without air supremacy, we cannot win!" ”

Rommel raised his head at Qin Chuan and motioned for Qin Chuan to answer this question.

"As you know!" Qin Chuan replied: "We have reached a stalemate with the British army on the Alexandria Line, and the British army has just suffered heavy losses, and they are not capable of launching a large-scale attack in the short term, so we can transfer the 24th Air Wing stationed in Tobruk and Matru back to Tripoli to engage in the battle to seize the island of Malta, and the Italian Air Force ......."

"We can't count on the Italian Air Force!" "They only have some old fighters, and these fighters are no match for the British fighters at all!" ”

"But they can at least provide some cover or attract the fire of the British Air Force!" Qin Chuan said.

"Okay!" General Gro said: "We have to rely on the Italian Air Force. So what forces do we use to attack? The line of defense needs German troops, should we also rely on Italian troops to take the island? ”

The 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions were the mainstays of the Alexandria Line, and once they pulled back Tripoli and threw themselves in the direction of Malta, then the British would definitely take the opportunity to attack the line.

Moreover, Tripoli is more than a thousand kilometers away from Alexandria, there is desert along the way, and the air wing can go back and forth in a few hours, and it takes more than a month for the armored division to go back and forth.

"General Gro!" Qin Chuan replied: "You seem to have forgotten that the 90th Light Armorer is trapped on Sicily and can't be transported!" ”