Major Jones did not guess wrong, the tunnel fortifications were not as simple as the British thought, it was a combination of ground fortifications and underground fortifications, not only the tunnels and tunnels could cover each other, if the fortifications were attacked from the front, the ground fortifications and the tunnel mouth could also form a strong cooperation.

For example, in the tunnels located near the hilltop position, when the enemy attacks the central defensive line, those tunnel openings can form side fire and reverse fire against the charging enemy.

In this case, the US offensive will undoubtedly be in a dilemma:

Clear the nearby tunnels first, and you will expose yourself to the guns of the Germans in the defense line a hundred meters away.

Attacking the line of defense is tantamount to rushing into the enemy's trap.

After much thought, Patton had no choice but to order Major General Allen to withdraw all the troops.

Major General Allen also expressed his incomprehension.

"General!" Major General Allen objected: "We have paid such a great price to occupy the hilltop position, how can we just give up?" ”

"It'll be dark in another hour, Alan!" General Patton said: "Have you forgotten how the British were defeated at the Gabès Line? ”

Alan couldn't help but be speechless.

He, of course, did not forget that the Germans would launch a counteroffensive at night, according to the British...... The mouth of the German pit was even close to them, but they could not detect it unless the Germans had come out of it. And by this time it was already too late.

Thinking of this, Allen could only order to abandon the high ground and withdraw to his own defensive line.

"Look at them!" Before leaving, Patton confessed to Major General Allen: "I have a hunch that they will make some moves in the evening!" ”

"Yes, General!" Alan replied.

As soon as General Patton returned to command, he contacted Eisenhower.

"God!" When Eisenhower heard Patton's voice, he complained, "Where have you been?" I couldn't reach you for seven hours! ”

"I'm going to the front!" Patton replied, "1st Infantry Division!" ”

"Don't you know that you are the commander of the army group?" Eisenhower couldn't help but roar angrily when he heard this: "There are a lot of things in the headquarters that you need to be responsible for and command, and you are running to the front!" ”

"General!" "I got at least one definite answer, the 1st Infantry Division fought bravely, but they just couldn't break through the high ground that stood in their way," Patton said. ”

"What do you want to say, Joe?" Eisenhower's anger continued: "Do you want to tell me that the main force of the Germans is in Enner? No, it was just an illusion created by the Germans, who were organizing a retreat in Messina at this time! ”

"It can't be!" Barton replied.

"Nothing is impossible!" Eisenhower said: "Our reconnaissance aircraft took pictures of a large number of German tanks there!" ”

Hearing this, Barton couldn't help but be silent, he was also a little confused by the situation in front of him, although he still believed that the main German army was in Enna, but the intelligence told him that this was not the case.

"Don't take matters into your own hands anymore, Joe!" Eisenhower slowed down: "You know, from the beginning we fought with the British, they were the main offensive force. I'm reluctant to do that, but we have to look at the big picture, you know? ”

"Yes, General!" Barton replied.

"Any doubts?"

"No, no!" Barton replied, "I'll do what I have to do as planned!" ”

"Good!"

Barton frowned as soon as he put down the phone, feeling that the Germans would not be so simple.

General Patton guessed correctly, of course, the Germans would not be so simple, but at this time they were also at a loss.

At Rommel's urgent meeting, Rommel said to a map hanging on the wall: "Gentlemen, something happened to us...... Originally, we thought that the Americans would use armored forces to attack Palermo, but we didn't expect them to place tanks in front of us! ”

"Here, here, and ......here," Rommel said, pointing to the markings on the map, "and they have all deployed enemy armoured troops, and they have occupied several high ground along the road to form a defensive line, and they have laid mines and barbed wire in front of the line before dark!" ”

The generals in the conference room couldn't help but talk.

"Can we force a breakthrough?" Major General Normanyi asked, and at the same time turned his gaze to Major General Graf.

The others looked at Graf as well, including Rommel.

Because Graf was the commander of the only German panzer division, he had the most say in the matter.

After thinking about it, Rear Admiral Graf replied: "I think we can force a breakthrough, after all, we have more than a hundred tanks, and a considerable part of them are 'Four' tanks. ”

The "Herman Gorin" Panzer Division is the main Panzer Division, and the number of tanks equipped with the 'No. 4' is much larger than several AFRP Panzer Divisions.

"The question is......" Rear Admiral Graff continued, "the Americans have sixty 'Shermans,' and their strength should not be underestimated. At the same time, we have to fight at night, and even worse these American tanks are guarding the main communication routes......"

Needless to say, what Major General Graf said was the lethality of tank warfare.

The terrain of Sicily is different from that of North Africa, it is mountainous, and most of the roads are built at the foot of the mountains, which will form "checkpoints", and it is difficult for tanks to deploy in such terrain, and it can even be said that ...... Even if a U.S. tank is destroyed on a road, it may cause a temporary traffic jam and bring danger and trouble to the follow-up troops.

So, Major General Graff concluded:

"I believe we can break through, but at a cost! This may make us unable to cover the next battle and quickly advance our troops into the enemy's depths! ”

The officers understood what this meant, and it was also very reasonable...... "Sherman" was not an ordinary tank, its armor, mobility, artillery, etc., was almost a nightmare for the Afrika Korps, so if the Goering division could easily break through the defensive line, it would be just a fool's dream.

However, if the Goering division won miserably...... I'm afraid that the next plan will not be completed.

Because after the breakthrough, the German army had to rely on the maneuver and defense of tanks to quickly advance towards the enemy's depth in several ways: when they hit the checkpoint, they broke through; ran into a convoy and ran over; Hit the enemy and kill it......

But if you don't even have tanks and only infantry to advance, you can easily get entangled in the enemy and be unable to move.

Rommel looked at his watch anxiously and said: "There are still three hours before the counteroffensive, and we don't seem to have any other choice!" ”

"Perhaps, we have another choice!" Qin Chuan said.