175 secretly crossed Chen Cang
It cannot be said that the construction of the port of Sirte was too fast, because the Axis countries did invest a lot of power. Sirte www.biquge.info originally had a population of less than 5,000 people, but now thanks to the efforts of the Italian army and the Germans, the population has expanded to 20,000.
Most of this population is a real labor force, with only a few being local elderly and children.
Under this premise, building a city is very fast, even to the point of being unbelievable.
The locals were responsible for building buildings that were degraded and providing houses for lodging. Although the conditions were a little more difficult, they were also used to the fullest.
The largest number of defeated Italian soldiers were tasked with building docks, ports, and airports, which was not a difficult task for them.
Compared with letting them go to the battlefield, the Italians are happy to be happy (you can read this sentence in a very girly tone), and the progress is also fast and fast.
Because the Germans did not even drive and persecute them, but only casually hinted that those who did not do well in the future would be transferred to the front to fight - and the Italians became full of energy!
And a handful of German engineering troops, who were in charge of the high-tech work, built a large desalination plant here, and a larger power plant to power the entire dock!
After this distribution, 20,000 people, who are small but very suitable for needs, are busy, and Sirte is becoming a port city that meets strategic needs day by day.
Of course, this is far from the whole German and Italian plan - they also plan to increase the number of docks in Tripoli and Benghazi to improve the supply there!
"This stuff is really easy to use!" In the vicinity of Matru, a floating dock belonging to the Axis powers is also being built.
This dock is not as large as the floating dock that transports to Sirte, which is about a third of the size of the one in Sirte.
Rommel's engineers, as well as improvised Italian soldiers, were working to install the pier on top of a bombed-out former dock in Matru.
After such repairs, within the next few days, the supplies arranged by Italy could reach Matroux for Rommel to prepare an attack on El Alamein.
"The Italians are also out of the box this time, and they are really fighting hard to get the conditions offered by the Führer." Looking at the busy scene in front of him, Rommel nodded and praised.
He was really satisfied with the progress of the project, and in a few days he would be able to get the supplies and equipment to attack El Alamein.
As for what the Führer promised Italy, all infrastructure in Libya would be handed over to Italy free of charge after the end of the war.
That is, everything in Libya will be handed over to Italy, except for the oil fields, which is definitely good news for Mussolini.
Through this treaty, he regained face, and once again desperately urged the Italian navy to send reinforcements in the direction of Matru.
This time, including the Italian battleships, a fleet comparable to the size of the British Mediterranean Fleet, participated in the so-called "Coconut Tree Project".
The specific content of the Coconut Tree plan was to carry out an offensive plan in North Africa, which included supporting Rommel to take El Alamein as quickly as possible and threatening Alexandria, the largest port in North Africa.
And to prepare for this attack, it is necessary to immediately turn the port of Matru into a place that can be used as a port for replenishment!
So, in a hurry to provide the large floating dock that the port of Sirte desperately needed, the Germans contracted the work to Italy, and together they began to build a smaller dock.
This dock was specially used to support Matrouh, and with the support of this dock, Rommel could save money and divert supplies to ensure an attack in North Africa.
"General! Reconnaissance units have been dispatched, and the British troops near El Alamein appear to be arranging a defensive system. The officer in charge of the reconnaissance unit reported to Rommel.
Recently, German reinforcements in North Africa have been slightly delayed, and the transportation of the 21st Panzer Division has been delayed again because of the need to concentrate supplies.
And the 21st Panzer Division, which had arrived in North Africa, was still a staff commander at this time.
He stood beside Rommel, looking carefully at the floating dock being installed in the distance, not knowing what to think.
In fact, in recent days, the Afrika Korps frontline has not increased its strength by a single soldier, and most of its capacity has been stockpiling ammunition for the offensive, as well as fresh water and gasoline.
Similarly, the 15th Panzer Division to reinforce Rommel is almost all in place, but the troops of the 21st Panzer Division are still on the way...... They seem to be on the road forever.
"El Alamein is only 90 kilometers from the Nile Delta, and if we take it, we can reach Alexandria in a few days." Rommel looked at the desert in the distance and said to Carl Boucher beside him.
He seemed to want to find someone to talk to, not to say something specific: "As long as we take Alexander, it will not be easy for the British to turn the tables again." ”
Lieutenant General Karl Boucher nodded and agreed with Rommel's words: "You are right, as long as we take El Alamein, everything will be fine." ”
If the distance between the two sides was reduced to 90 km, then the German bombers could visit Alexandria at any time, which was a huge enough blow for the British.
"How's the preparation for the bombing of Alexandria?" Rommel suddenly asked the air force liaison officer beside him.
"Permission has been given to the transfer of bombers to attack Alexandria, 40 Stuka bombers, aimed at port destruction." The Air Force liaison officer replied immediately.
The bombing of Alexandria had actually been prepared for a long time, and it had been eyeing Alexandria from the time it entered Egypt and began its attack on Matroux.
As long as this port is occupied, the lack of German transportation capacity in North Africa will be completely solved.
"The British should not be able to sleep now, our bombers appear in Alexandria, and their fleet will not be able to sit still!" Rommel said this with a smile.
Yes, now, even now, General Cannan's Mediterranean fleet, already feels a great threat.
On the one hand, the Italian fleet did not know why it poured out, and the goal turned out to be to reinforce Matru.
Alexandria, on the other hand, did come within the radius of the German bombers!
In this state, his fleet had to move back and retreat to Port Said. Such a retreat made him feel the pressure, pressure from the land side.
If this continues, will he retreat to the Red Sea next? Who can guarantee that the German army will not hit the Suez Canal?
So, in Alexandria, Canning hurried to the headquarters of the army and met with General Cunningham, who had returned from the front.
Although it is a bit tongue-twisting, the names of these two people are indeed very similar. As soon as the two of them met, Kan Anning couldn't wait to ask the question he was concerned about: "Your Excellency General! Will the Army be able to ensure the security of Alexandria? ”
Can it be? Cunningham wasn't actually sure, and all he could say at this time was, "I'll do my best." ”
"On the air side, the air defense level of Alexandria and even Port Said has been raised to the highest, and if the army retreats again, Alexandria will become a front-line city." When Cannann heard that sentence, he felt even more stressed.
"We have too few weapons, and now we have less than 100 tanks in our hands, and they are all backward equipment." Cunningham was also depressed for a long time, and complained.
He had been looking for such an opportunity to complain lately, but no one understood the enormous pressure on the Army, and he did not have the opportunity to talk to anyone.
So once he opened the conversation, he couldn't hold it back: "Our infantry is not as numerous as the enemy!" The tank is only half the enemy, and no one dares to make any guarantees and promises in the event of a disadvantage. ”
"Has the situation at the front been so bad?" Sighing, Canning felt that the situation in the Mediterranean was already very unfavorable.
Unfortunately, neither he nor the other North African commanders had any way to influence local decisions and increase supplies and reinforcements in North Africa.
"There is news that the Germans are working in Matru and do not know what to do with the big project, do you know the news?" It is no secret that the Germans were engaged in construction in Matru.
The locals have a lot of eyeliner, and even in the rolling sand, the speed of the message is not slow.
And in fact, the news of the construction has already arrived, talking about the Germans repairing the Matroux dock.
"The Germans are trying to find a way to strengthen their logistical supplies, they are not Italians, the German commander is as cunning as a fox, he is not stupid, he will not attack rashly when the supplies cannot keep up!" Cunningham spoke his mind.
"You mean Rommel won't attack in the near future?" Canning looked at Cunningham with some uneasiness and asked.
Cunningham nodded: "It will take at least a month to repair the dock, and even if the dock is repaired, the scale of the dock in Matroux is not large, and Rommel will not be able to get the materials he wants in the near future!" ”