“…… It was the early morning of April 29, 1935, and I will always remember that morning. At about 6 o'clock in the morning, there was a sudden silence around the battlefield of Medina, and the gunfire, shouts, and screams that had lasted for 30 days finally stopped. Since I had been informed by Major General Patton the night before that the U.S. 2nd Panzer Division had attacked less than 20 kilometers from the city of Medina, I knew that we had won! They attacked us with 10 times as many troops (in fact, only 3 times) for 30 days, without stopping, but the Star-Spangled Banner and the Rice Banner still fluttered on the spire of the Prophet's Temple in Medina, standing! We held it! We won! Although more than 25,000 American officers and soldiers (the British lost no less than that) were buried under the city of Medina, the victory in the defense of the city of Medina was enough to comfort all the heroes, I am proud of all of them, America is proud of all of them, they are the best Americans, every single one of them! - The above is an excerpt from Lieutenant General Stilwell's memoir "The Wrong War".

Although the United States eventually lost the Middle East War, the winner of the defense of Medina was indeed the United States, and in the following decades, the defense of Medina was put on the screen by Hollywood more than once, and while defrauding countless tears and dollars, it also told the American people that in that world war, American GIs had fulfilled their responsibilities, and each of them was a hero, whether they died on the battlefield or were captured by Indian Asan and taken to a prisoner of war camp, the United States will never forget them! Because they used to fight for the United States!

As the commander-in-chief of the Anglo-American Allied mechanized group, General Wavell (who drank all the way to Nǎi tea was promoted because of Patton's merits) was in a very good mood. Fought all the way from the Suwan Plain, routed hundreds of thousands of Indian Red Army, and relieved the siege of Medina. And the losses of the British 8th Army were minimal. Before the start of the Medina siege operation, the entire 8th Army was ready to bear heavy losses, but as soon as the battle began, the stupid Americans took over all the combat missions, especially the 2nd and 4th Armored Divisions of the United States, which rushed to the forefront all the way and broke through more than a dozen lines of defense of the Indian Red Army. At least 70,000 or 80,000 Indian Asans were killed, and more than 10,000 prisoners were captured. However, its own casualties also exceeded 10,000! More than 70 percent of tanks and armored vehicles were also damaged. Wavell felt. If all the U.S. forces in the Middle East are so capable of fighting, then this Middle East battle can simply be described as relaxed and pleasant.

Immediately upon his arrival in Medina, Wavell submitted to Sir Massibent of Alexandria the next phase of the operation. According to his plan, the Anglo-American Allied forces near Medina should be divided into two lines. The British advanced all the way south to the port of Jeddah. Forcing the caliphate there to withdraw from this important port on the west coast of the Arabian Peninsula, then use the port of Jeddah to obtain supplies from the sea, and then advance across the Najd Plateau to the Persian Gulf, and occupy the entire Persian Gulf region with the cooperation of the Anglo-American forces landing in the Persian Gulf or the Gulf of Oman, cutting off the rear route of the Indian Red Army; After leaving one division in Medina, the U.S. Army turned back north and returned to Palestine to join the frontal battlefield.

In Alexandria, Sir Massin Bent carefully reviewed Wavell's proposals, and then flew to Haifa himself to consult with Marshall, and finally the United States and Britain reached an agreement after some bargaining. Largely agreed with Wavell's plan, but made some adjustments. It was not the British 8th Army alone that took on the task of raiding the Persian Gulf. Instead, 4 British motorized infantry divisions, 3 British armored divisions, and 3 American armored divisions formed an armored group to accomplish this task. And the commander of this armored cluster was not Wavell alone, but was jointly commanded by Lieutenant General Stilwell of the United States with him.

In addition, Sir Massin Bent and Marshall did not agree to "force" the Caliphate to surrender the port of Jeddah. Because three days ago they had already held an "open and honest" negotiation with the Caliph Hussein and Lin Zuoda in Port Sudan, and reached an agreement on a joint war against the Soviet Union and India -- note that it was the US-British Middle East Theater Command that reached an agreement with the Caliph Hussein, not the British and American agreements with the Arab Empire! In fact, the Anglo-American policy of not recognizing the Arab empire has not changed at all!

Under the agreement, the port of Jeddah will be temporarily managed by the United Kingdom and the United States and the Caliphate, and the United Kingdom and the United States will use the port of Guò to transport supplies to the Wavell-Stilwell cluster in Medina. At the same time, in the next phase of the operation, the Caliphate will also fight alongside the British and American allies.

As for the post-war arrangements, Sir Massingbent and Marshall said that the caliph should start formal negotiations with Britain, the United States, China, Germany, and Italy, and that it was inconvenient for the two soldiers to interfere. However, the Allied Middle East Theater could still open the door for the Caliphate to seize more territory in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula, on the condition that the Caliphate's armored divisions be placed under the command of the Wavell-Stilwell cluster......

"Very well, order that the armored division of the Caliphate must rush to Medina within 48 hours to report, and in three days prepare to march to the Najd plateau." Wavell was quite satisfied with the content of this agreement, but what satisfied him the most was that he had another caliphate armored division in his hands as cannon fodder.

"Mr. Admiral, is 48 hours a short time to travel 400 kilometers from the port of Jeddah to Medina?" Major General Slim's god did not have the slightest joy: "And the chief of the general staff of the caliphate, Lieutenant General Lin Zuoda, is very likely not to abide by the agreement, I think we should not make any extraneous complications, or use the port of Jeddah to divert supplies to replenish the battle losses of the troops, the two armored divisions of the US army have suffered great losses in the previous battles, and they need to be replenished as much as possible." ”

"The losses are great, but the results are even greater. The Belov cluster, one of the three main forces of the Indian army in the Middle East, has lost at least 250,000 men in the past month's fighting, and has now broken up on the Najd Plateau. The Yakir and Fediko clusters are in bitter fighting in Syria and Transjordan, and now there are at most a small number of troops deployed in the Persian Gulf. If he wanted to have a place in the oil-producing regions of the Persian Gulf, then he quickly sent the Panzer Division. When the time comes, we will let them take the lead with the United States. Wavell felt a little smug in his heart. Belov, the invincible Soviet general in India, is now his defeated men!

Moreover, the progress of the battle in the Middle East was also very smooth, and the British and American allies also reported successes on the frontal battlefields in Syria and Transjordan, and had already switched to a counteroffensive three days earlier. Now the US army has occupied Damascus and Amman. Annihilated the two Indian armies there! At the same time, the front was greatly expanded to the north and west. The situation of the British army is also good, having already occupied the Sirkhan Valley, and the vanguard has even attacked the Hamad plateau in the kingdom of Najd.

As for the planned landing in the Persian Gulf, the ships of a huge fleet, including 4 aircraft carriers and 10 battleships, and a landing force of 150,000 have already passed through the Suez Canal and are now being assembled in the port of Djibouti in French Somalia. Once the Wavell-Stilwell cluster had recuperated, it would launch a landing operation, break into the Persian Gulf and occupy Basra and Ahvaz, pocketing the main forces of the Indian Red Army in the Middle East.

Wavell anticipates. Once Basra and Ahvaz were occupied by Anglo-American forces, the only option for the main forces of the Indian Red Army in the Middle East was to flee lightly to Persia and Turkey, where they were surrounded and intercepted by the Anglo-American allies. In the end, 20% of Indians can run back, which is no small miracle!

Slim is also full of confidence in this battle plan, although this plan is somewhat bold, but now that the Indian Red Army in the Middle East is losing one after another, what is there to worry about? But there was always a hint of foreboding in his heart: "Mr. Admiral." At present, both China and Germany are holding their arm. If the Indian Red Army had been defeated on the Middle Eastern battlefield, would it have been possible for the USSR to take it personally? ”

"That depends on whether or not we advance into the Persian hinterland and Turkey," Wavell said, "and the Soviets don't really need oil from the Persian Gulf, they can't run out of their own oil, and the main forces of the Soviet Red Army can't be drawn unless China and Germany and the Soviet Union can make peace." ”

Although the British and American allies won successive battles in the Middle East, most of the British and American commanders did not dare to look at the Soviet Union, the teacher of India's Asan! Because in more than a month of operations, the casualties of the British and American armies have exceeded 160,000! And it's rising. So now in the British and American command branches. The call for an attack on the oil-producing bases of the Soviet Caucasus has been much quieter. At least until China and Germany completely defeat the Soviet Union, it is better not to use this brain, otherwise the number of casualties in the hundreds of thousands a month will not be a joke.

In fact, it is good to be able to take the oil-producing areas of the Persian Gulf. Even if they can't grab the oil-producing areas of the Soviet Union, Britain and the United States can get 80% of the future world oil market, which is enough to use oil as a weapon to divide European countries......

Just when the two British generals fantasized about leading the world with the United States, an officer hurried to the door and shouted without shouting a report: "Your Excellency, the 9th Infantry Brigade left behind in Telob is in an emergency, and a large force of the Indian Red Army is approaching them from the east!" In addition, air force reconnaissance also found an unknown number of units of the Indian Red Army in the northern foothills of the Hejaz Mountains! ”

"What?!" The two British generals jumped up at the same time, and Slim rushed over and snatched the telegram from the British officer's hand, and after two glances, his face turned blue.

"What's going on? What the hell is going on? Wavell also asked with a growl.

"Admiral, Admiral, it may be that the Belov cluster that was defeated by us has received reinforcements and is making a comeback!" Slim looked at the gaffe Wavell, and the ominousness in his heart grew stronger and stronger. There is not much information revealed in the telegram, only that a large number of Indian Red Army troops suddenly appeared near Tabuk, the exact number is not clear, but it is certainly indispensable. As for the Indian troops found by the air force in the northern foothills of the Hejaz Mountains, Slim did not take it too seriously, believing that it was only a small force, and that it might have been scattered and fled into the mountains by Patton's armored forces.

"Sue the 3rd Infantry Division, in any case it is necessary to hold Tebuk! Order Lieutenant General Auchinleck's 1st Panzer Corps to strike immediately and be sure to get to Tabuk within 48 hours! This time Wavell was not slow to react at all, and now it was the British army who were about to be encircled, and the Americans could no longer be counted on.

"General, the 1st Panzer Army is the main force of the 8th Army, without which we would not be able to carry out the plan of assaulting the Persian Gulf." Stilwell didn't know when he heard the news and interjected when he heard Wavell's order.

"General Stilwell, what do you mean...... Was the Indians' attack on Tabuk a feint? Wavell seemed to have regained his composure when Stilwell reminded him.

"It's a big possibility." Stilwell said: "In the past month. The Belov cluster, while besieging Medina, held back our armored forces at an extremely heavy price. At least 250,000 people have been wiped out by us, how can it be possible to recover so quickly? So this time Belov was just bluffing, the purpose was to lure us north, so that our armored forces could delay the time between Teblo and Medina. ”

"And what about the Indian army in the Hejaz Mountains?" Wavell asked again.

"It should be a small force," Stilwell analyzed, "Our hundreds of thousands of troops have just fought a decisive battle in the east of the Hejaz Mountains, and it is normal for some of the scattered Indian troops to flee into the mountains, so there is no need to make a fuss." ”

Wavell still doesn't think it's reliable. Just as he was hesitating, Stilwell further proposed: "General, the key now is not Tabuk at all. It doesn't matter there, it's nothing even if it is occupied by the Indians. We can also get supplies from Jeddah and go straight to the Persian Gulf, as long as we cooperate with the landing force to take the Persian Gulf. We'll be able to pocket the enemy. The battle in the Middle East was won. So. The British 3rd Division should be allowed to evacuate Tabuk. ”

Wavell was persuaded by Stilwell, and he looked back at Slim: "William, how many supplies are being delivered to Jeddah now?" When will it be delivered to Medina? ”

"Three ships of supplies were delivered, including one ship of supplies, one ship of ammunition, and one ship of fuel, totaling more than 31,000 tons." Slim replied: "But it will take some time to transfer these supplies from the port of Jeddah to Medina, which is 400 kilometers away. General, perhaps we can go to Jeddah with our whole army and resupply there. ”

"To Jeddah...... Is there enough fuel? ”。

Slim thought for a moment. Nodding: "No problem, if you go now." Jeddah could be reached in 48 hours, and another 48 hours of rest and resupply would be available for the Persian Gulf in four days. ”

"Good! That's it. Wavell pondered for a moment and nodded heavily.

When Wavell and Stilwell's telegram arrived in Alexandria, the generals of the Allied Middle East Theater Command were debating what to do with the Indian Red Army near Tabuk.

"How's it going? Can you be sure if it's the main force? Marshall flew to Alexandria as soon as he got the news, and now it was a critical moment in the Middle East campaign, and he could not be less careful.

"It's not clear at this point, but both Admiral Wavell and Lieutenant General Stilwell continue to operate in the Persian Gulf." Sir Massin Bent handed Marshall, the telegram he had just received, and he was now hesitant. In order to carry out the landing operation in the Persian Gulf, the British and American allies had already drawn 10 divisions from the front of the Middle East theater of operations, and 27 divisions were now concentrated in Medina. If the Persian Gulf operation were to be carried out as originally planned, these 37 divisions would not be able to engage the Indian Red Army for a long time. In this way, the number of Anglo-American allies still fighting on the battlefield is less than 800,000 (ground troops), and their opponents are likely to be as many as 2.5 million!

"General, the Indian army is likely to launch a new counteroffensive," Eisenhower, who arrived in Alexandria with Marshall, analyzed, "and it is likely that they have already drained the Indian Red Army in the Persian Gulf, and this is the perfect time to carry out the Persian Gulf operation." As for the frontal battlefield, the problem should not be large, and we should be able to cope with it simply by moving the troops to the defense. ”

Marshall realized that he did not have enough intelligence to judge the enemy's situation, and that the sudden appearance of the Indian Red Army in the Tebuk and Hejaz Mountains was likely a sign that the enemy was about to launch a counteroffensive, or it could be a false shot to draw the attention of the Allies so that the defeated Indian army could withdraw to the Persian Gulf. And once he makes a mistake in judgment, he will delay the fighter plane and cause many casualties.

"If the Indian Red Army's counterattack doubles in size compared to the last time, will we be able to hold it?". Marshall asked.

"Impossible," Alexander shook his head, the chief of staff of the British army, and then said with full certainty: "The Indian army has already committed their main forces in the last offensive, and the number that has been ascertained is 150 divisions. According to credible intelligence, their forces in the Middle East consist of 200 divisions. ”

"If all 200 divisions are put on the offensive, will we be able to withstand it?". Marshall asked again. If it was 800,000 U.S. troops fighting on the front line, he would not hesitate to approve Wavell and Stilwell's request.

"We will move all 10 divisions on the Egyptian-Sudanese border to the east of the Suez Canal, so that we have 1 million troops." How could Sir Massin Bent not understand Marshall's words. And his statement was also approved by Marshall.

"Sir, I believe that there is no reason for a million British and American troops to be defeated by the Indians!" Marshall took a deep breath and finally made up his mind: "So I support Lieutenant General Stilwell and Admiral Wavell's construction!" (To be continued......)