Franco breathed a sigh of relief that the Republican Army's insane offensive had finally stopped in the past few days.

The defense line of the National Army has reached the point of collapse. Perhaps even one more charge by the Republican Army could cause a breakthrough in several nodes.

The volunteers from Ireland, Romania, and Portugal have long lost their combat effectiveness in high-intensity combat, and the Moroccan Foreign Legion, which has been severely reduced, can only perform some defensive tasks.

What's more, Franco's Spanish National Army has less than 60,000 people left, and the organization has long been disrupted.

Fortunately, the Republican Army retreated "in time", otherwise, it would have been his Franco's army that should have retreated at this moment!

"General Franco!" A major general of the National Army, with unconcealed joy, said: "According to our intelligence, Francisco's troops were urgently recalled by the Republicans. They feared that Rommel's corps would take Madrid in one fell swoop and pursue it with victory. So, they mobilized all the troops that could be twitched back. ”

Rommel's Corps? Franco smiled wryly. Indeed, he won, winning the duel that belonged to him and Francisco. But it was not his national army that relied on it, but a mere division sent by the Germans.

However, Franco didn't dwell too much on who dominated the victory, he was the winning side anyway, and that was enough!

"Send a message to General Rommel on my behalf to thank him for his contribution to the overall situation. Our army will immediately prepare to move north to join the German-Spanish Combined Corps," Franco summed up cheerfully.

"General Franco." The major general of the Nationalist Army, who was the commander of the front, worried: "Our troops are exhausted, and it is likely to ...... when we go north to pursue the Republican Army at this time."

"Chase?" Franco smiled knowingly, "I didn't say we were going to pursue the enemy. The National Army will go north, but the timing has not yet been determined. Do you understand? ”

After hearing this, the major general looked at Franco with reverence: "I understand, General." You are truly a wise leader. ”

Patting the Major General's shoulder with satisfaction, Franco laughed and said, "It's nothing wise or unwise, I just made a simple judgment question." Since the Germans are so capable of fighting, let them fight enough. As for us, we just need to tighten their pace. ”

....................

In contrast to the fact that the Nationalist Army on the Southern Front had finally stabilized its defensive line, the Italian Expeditionary Force on the Northern Front had also made a breakthrough.

The retreat of the Comintern column took with it more than 2,000 elite and tenacious volunteers, and more than 5,000 soldiers of the People's Guard armed with Mauser rifles. This gave the Italian Expeditionary Force a huge opportunity, a fighter to break the stalemate!

As the commander of the Italian Expeditionary Force, Gabala was also an excellent infantry commander. He decisively threw in all the main forces of the Italian expeditionary force, and pressed the only reserve of the Spanish German armament division. The four dissatisfied Spanish German mechanics deployed in coordination with the south launched a relentless attack on Bilbao.

After five hours of continuous attacks, the Italian Expeditionary Force, which had been stagnant in Bilbao for nearly a month, finally completely captured the city of Bilbao, the capital of the Spanish province of Varras.

After that, the advance of the Italian expeditionary force was no longer hindered. In the entire province of Baras, there was no longer a single force that could compete with the Italian Expeditionary Force.

While the Italian Expeditionary Force was advancing under Gabala's command, the remnants of the Republican forces in northern Spain broke up and fled, and then surrendered and were captured.

Everyone can see that the province of Varas has become an enclave in the north of the Republic. There were no reinforcements, no way out, and the loss of Bilbao was a precursor to the fall of the province of Varas. At this time, the troops that did not follow the international column to the south were all outcasts. The most they can do is run out of bullets and then surrender.

Looking at the battle diagram, the blue arrow representing the Italian Expeditionary Force frantically forward, Gambala, as the commander of the Expeditionary Force, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

For a month, the Italian expeditionary force, which had taken the lead in the campaign, had been slow to open up the situation in Bilbao. In the face of the international column of the Republican army moving north, the fighters of the Italian expeditionary force were obviously a little overwhelmed.

From the first day of the attack on Bilbao, the Italian expeditionary force had already spent 25 days. To put it mildly, the expeditionary force relied on almost a month of stubborn fighting to occupy 3/4 of Bilbao. To put it mildly, the expeditionary force was dragged in Bilbao for 25 days, not moving an inch!

If it weren't for the strong attack on Madrid led by Rommel in the middle, it quickly threatened the bottom line of the Republican Army and forced the Republican Army to withdraw troops everywhere. The long-awaited breakthrough of the Italian expeditionary force may come much later.

Such a victory was a little too embarrassing for Gambala, who prides himself on being a famous Italian player.

As one of the best generals in the Italian Army, Gambala's command was fearless. From the three-way pressure on Bilbao to the centripetal interspersed at the beginning, every step shows Gambala's profound command skills.

However, the Italian army, which relied on poison gas even to attack Ethiopia, inevitably looked a little difficult in this kind of hard-fought trench warfare.

The Italian Expeditionary Force, which is already an elite division used in China to support the scene, is still fighting so hard. Grass-roots officers called for support from the already small number of fighters again and again, which even showed the fatigue of the expeditionary force.

The tenacious will of the Spanish National Army, a separatist army of a second-rate country in Europe, broke out in a desperate situation, and even made the arrogant Italian army fearful!

Gambal was a little worried, perhaps, the self-righteous Italian "Second Roman Empire" was not as strong as it was advertised at home.

Spain, once Italy's greatest rival in the Mediterranean, was definitely not an enemy that the Italian army could easily defeat.

Gabala was suddenly a little glad that there was a strong German division and its excellent commander in the aid of Spain. Otherwise, it's hard to say what your odds are now.

In the last ten days or so, Gambal has more than once recalled Rommel's predictions. His speculation about the republican army's reinforcement of troops in Bilbao is exactly right!

If he didn't insist on going north at the beginning, he joined forces with Rommel's corps to march to Madrid. Perhaps, at this moment, the Italian Expeditionary Force has already taken pictures and promoted in the center of Madrid.

Now, the Italian Expeditionary Force has finally accomplished its strategic objectives. But this was not the result that Gabala wanted, not a victory achieved by Italy's own army.

If it weren't for Rommel's quick and precise rush into the Madrid line, he crushed the Republican Army's most reassuring defense zone at the most critical moment. The northern line may still be in a stalemate. Go south, maybe it has been defeated!

This is the courage that a famous general should have!

Turn the tide and help the building! And what better than such a record that shows the talent of a commander.

In this war, the Italian expeditionary force, which worked so much, would not have achieved the results that the domestic leaders expected to boast about.

In this great battle, which was attended by a million people, the only thing that was truly admirable was the German division of 12,000 men, and their high-spirited major general named Rommel.