Italy has a similar definition of tanks to Japan, that is, their tanks are to be downgraded. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

That is, heavy tanks can only barely be considered medium tanks, medium tanks can only be considered light tanks, and light tanks can only be regarded as ultralight tanks.

For example, the M14 tank, the main force of the Italian tank regiment, is used as a medium tank in the Italian army, but its total weight is only 14 tons, while the American M3 Stuart tank has 12.7 tons.

In addition, the P40, which was regarded as a heavy tank by the Italian army, weighed 26 tons, while the total combat weight of the "Sherman" tank was 33.65 tons.

The reason for this is that Italy and Japan have relatively weak industrial bases, and it is difficult to produce engines that match heavy tanks, so they can only define their own set of standards for "light, medium and heavy" tanks.

But definition is definition, and it's not the same thing when it comes to fighting.

The tank battle was ostensibly a medium tank versus a medium tank, but in fact it was a light tank versus a medium tank, although the Italian tanks were superior in numbers......

Colonel Enzo was the only one who could comfort him, but he soon found that even this was not tenable, because with the roar of motors, two groups of enemy tanks appeared on both flanks one after another, and to his horror they were also "Shermans".

At that moment, Colonel Enzo had only one word in his mind: "It's over!" ”

The sound of artillery soon rang out, and the battle was one-sided from the start...... THE 47MM CALIBER GUN OF THE ITALIAN TANK ALMOST TICKLED ON THE 76MM THICK ARMOR OF THE "SHERMAN", WHILE THE TANK GUN OF THE "SHERMAN" COULD EASILY PENETRATE THE 30MM ARMOR OF THE ITALIAN M14 TANK.

What's more, the "Sherman" tanks also flanked from several sides, encircling the Italian tank group in the middle.

So in less than 20 minutes, the battlefield was full of Italian tanks, some lying quietly on all fours like a big beetle, and some with the explosion of fuel tanks rising wisps of flames and clouds of black smoke.

In stark contrast, the Italian infantry, which supported the tanks, suffered few casualties, surrendering in groups with their hands raised within minutes of the battle...... A large part of the damage to the tank is that they don't rush to raise their hands or stretch out their white flags when they come to the tank.

This made Zhang Chi feel a little bored, although he had long known that the Italian army's combat effectiveness was not good, but he didn't expect it to be unbearable, and it was not an exaggeration to describe it as "collapse at the touch of a button".

What Zhang Chi didn't know was that the Italian army's "collapse at the touch of a button" in front of the new first division could not be completely said to be the Italian army's combat effectiveness, and part of the reason for this was the difference between Western culture and Eastern culture...... They don't think there's any point in fighting any longer, so they surrender and take it for granted.

This was the case with the Italian tank regiments in the face of the tank regiments of the expeditionary forces.

Launch a "Jade Crush Attack" like the Japanese did or charge at enemy tanks with explosives packs and cluster grenades...... This phenomenon is a rare act of heroism in Western countries.

It's just that the defeat of the Italian army was too fast, which made Zhang Chi feel like he had hit the empty place with a punch.

Zhang Chi secretly said in his heart: It is no wonder that with the combat effectiveness of the Commonwealth Army, it was able to defeat the Italian 10th Army with 40,000 troops, capture 130,000 Italian troops, destroy and capture more than 400 tanks, and more than 1,200 artillery pieces. The British Commonwealth Army suffered less than 2,000 casualties...... This was the result of the British attack on Bedafum in the first campaign.

The first trouble that appeared in front of Zhang Chi was the capture of a large number of Italian soldiers, and there were at least more than 3,000 people on the battlefield, and what made people feel unbelievable was that these Italian soldiers did not look depressed at all after the defeat, and many of them even shouted at the Chinese soldiers in Italian:

"Hey, you're Chinese?"

"I heard that you defeated the German Panzer Division not long ago? Then we deserve to lose in your hands! ”

"Friend, is there any smoke? It's been a long time since we've smoked a few sips, so it's even better if there's wine! ”

……

But then Abner told Zhang Chi that this was not a problem at all.

"General!" "You don't have to worry about these Italian captives at all, you just need to send two armored vehicles to escort them, one at the front of the group and the other at the back of the group, and they will honestly go where we want them to go!" ”

"Only two armored vehicles?" Zhang Chi is a little unimaginable.

"Yes!" Abner nodded affirmatively, "We've always done this, and we've never had problems. Even...... All we need is barbed wire and wood, and then we can order them to build their own 'homes' where they are being held. ”

So the problem was solved smoothly.

Then Zhang Chi thought of a new question: "Damn, let's get to Alexandria soon!" ”

"Why?" Abner asked.

"Because of this battle!" Zhang Chi said: "We may freak out the Italians, they are likely to run away, understand? ”

Abner suddenly realized.

The core of this operation is not to annihilate the Italian army or how many people to exterminate, but to "encircle the point and send reinforcements".

But if the Italian army was frightened and urgently withdrew from Alexandria, then the "encirclement and reinforcement" would naturally not be able to fight.

Zhang Chi immediately made a decision and sent a fast force composed of half-track armored vehicles to quickly intersperse to the west of Alexandria to cut off the retreat of the Italian army...... Fearing that the Italian army would organize a tank breakthrough, Zhang Chi immediately sent another anti-tank gun company to follow, and the main force followed as fast as possible.

Zhang Chi guessed correctly, the Italian army was indeed ready to escape.

When Colonel Enzo saw his tanks being blown up one by one in front of the "Sherman", he immediately ordered the driver to turn around and run away, reporting the situation to the command as he ran.

Littorio couldn't help but be taken aback when he heard this, and the armored units equipped with the tanks of the "Sherman" drove in the direction of Alexandria? And already crushed their own tank regiments ?! If they really hit Alexandria, then where will they be killed!

So without thinking about it, he ordered: "Retreat immediately!" ”

If the Italian army had been well-trained and fast, it might have been able to escape the encirclement before the Chinese army, but the Italian army at this time ...... The vast majority were scattered around Alexandria, plundering and collecting food and belongings.

It is no wonder that they have been starved of supplies for too long, and Alexandria is an important port for transshipment of supplies, and there are many supplies that the Italian army needs.