Tukhachevsky's actions not only surprised Franco and Guderian, but also shattered the government of the Second Republic. Because his strategic intention was clear, which was to keep the National Army and the German Volunteer Army in Madrid.

It is conceivable that once the supply routes of the National Army and the German Volunteer Army were cut off, even if they occupied Madrid, it would be nothing more than the last madness. Without supplies and no new aid, they can only sit back and wait for their destruction.

And this situation is definitely the last thing Guderian wants to see, what he has been most worried about has happened, if he does not take drastic measures quickly, it will really be over.

Fortunately, Guderian was always on guard against this, and the main force of his German volunteers was always in a state of rear, and did not massively engage in the battle to attack Madrid. And he had been closely observing Tukhachevsky's movements, and when aerial reconnaissance told him that Tukhachevsky had appeared in Escalona, he immediately ordered his troops to turn to Aranjuez, which was quickly rushing towards the Tagus River, and if he could not control the bridges and crossings on the Tagus River, then he and the National Army would really be finished!

The two mechanized forces launched a speed competition, and whoever could control the bridge over the Zhì Tagus River first would have the initiative in the next decisive battle. So who wins?

On Tukhachevsky's side, his BT-5 tank group rushed forward quickly, along the road towards the Tagus River, recapturing Makda and Torrijos until they reached Toledo, where he was met by the garrison left behind by Guderian.

By the way, this Toledo may not have heard much of a comrade. But the history is very long. It was built in Roman times. It was the former capital of the Kingdom of Castile (Kingdom of Spain). The Tagus River surrounds the city. Its architecture is very Spanish, and it is a famous ancient city.

However, the ancient city became the battlefield of the first head-to-head confrontation between the Soviet and German volunteers. In the afternoon of the same day, the 1st Tank Regiment of the 1st International Column arrived on the outskirts of Toledo, and the infantry soon broke through the junction of the 11th and 12th positions of the German Volunteers under the cover of BT-5 tanks.

At the critical moment, the garrison threw the only armored units into the counterattack (part of the No. 1 tank left by Guderian to repair locally), and under the cover of eight No. 1 tanks, the reserves of the German volunteers carried out a resolute counter-charge. The tanks of both sides fought for several rounds. At one point, the Germans pushed back the international column that had broken through head-on, but soon the German counterattack was routed by the resolute assault of the armored forces that dominated the international column.

Tank No. 1 really can't be called a tank, maybe it's more appropriate to call it a Krupp tractor, and in front of the BT-5, which has an absolute upper hand in all technology, Tank No. 1 can really only be considered a large movable tin can.

The fierce fighting lasted until 5 p.m., when the commander of the local garrison, Lieutenant Colonel Worrall, had to call Guderian for help. The latter was very dissatisfied with the former's appearance, and now the only one who could buy Guderian time was Worrall, and this guy only lasted three hours and couldn't hold on, how could this work?

Three hours was simply not enough for Guderian. His troops were still more than 50 kilometers from the Tagus River, and it would take two hours to get even Tank No. 1 open to run. What's more, the battle march simply can't run open. Along the way, the enemy's air force caused him numerous problems, and he could only advance a maximum of 5 kilometers per hour. That is, the most optimistic estimate is that Worrall will have to buy him ten hours for him!

"Your troops must hold out for another 7 hours, this is a death order!" Guderian hung up the phone without discernible moments, and once again urged his troops to speed up the march, and ordered the vulture regiment to raise an anti-aircraft umbrella for the troops at any cost.

Back on the battlefield of Toledo, for Lieutenant Colonel Worrall, the shape is very severe, if you can't complete the task assigned by Guderian, it is trivial to do anything in military law, and even the German volunteers are wiped out, this sin is too great!

As a result, the lieutenant colonel, who was about to complain and complain just now, showed the fighting spirit of the German soldiers and began to block Tukhachevsky's forward troops at any cost, and the battle was extremely fierce and hard.

The first company under Worrall was stationed in front of Toledo, and this unit, with the cooperation of part of the national army (two companies), was stubbornly defended in the open area. Despite the lack of tank support, the Germans fought desperately to repel the attack of the international column. The 2nd Company on the right flank, defending a farm, engaged in fierce battles with the international columns around the perimeter irrigation canals, which at one point developed into a white-knuckle battle, and finally held its position tenaciously with the support of the department's National Army artillery.

In these two battlefields, the Germans used a weapon that could be used to resist the entry of the international column tanks, many foxholes were crushed by the tanks, and the tenacious German soldiers often threw the last grenade at the tank before dying in battle, or simply carried the explosive bag and died with the tank, and in the end there was really no way, the Germans simply used anti-aircraft guns to intercept the incoming tanks.

The sound of guns and the cries of soldiers mixed on the battlefield, and both sides of the bloody battle paid a heavy price.

The international column had lost about 20 tanks in a few hours of fighting, and the Germans had almost wiped out all the companies on the front line, and if it weren't for Worrall's gritted teeth and thrown into reserve, Toledo would have been lost.

At dusk, Tukhachevsky personally rushed to the front line, and after witnessing the bloody scene on the battlefield, the genius military strategist immediately adjusted his tactics, threw all his artillery in one go, first carried out intensive artillery bombardment, and then ordered the infantry and tanks to skillfully use the cover of the terrain to alternately rush forward. Not seeking to penetrate the German lines in one go, after encountering a nail, immediately call for artillery fire, and then strike with tanks. After a series of constant onslaughts, it grinded down the German line of defense like a tug-of-war.

Fierce fighting continued until dark, and then neither side chose to rest, and the Germans chose to counterattack by night attack. The international column chose to strike with a hot iron. The two sides collided head-on in the night. There was a hand-to-hand encounter. In the face of the superior strength of the international column, the Germans finally could not withstand the strong pressure of the tank forces and chose to retreat.

According to the recollections of veterans of the war, the tanks of the international column at that time, under the cover of artillery fire, were opening fire and accompanied by vehicle-mounted machine gun fire, and at the same time rushing head-on at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour. The German volunteers had to endure artillery fire on the one hand, but had to overcome the confusion of vision in the night, and the final battle was almost chaotic. In the end, a small number of German volunteers could not resist, so they hurriedly retreated driven by the enemy's tank tracks.

According to the recollections of Ravchenko, the tank ace of the international column: "At noon we broke through to the outskirts of Toledo, and fought fiercely until seven o'clock in the evening, when we finally approached the city, where the German devils put up a stubborn and fierce resistance...... A No. 1 tank was hiding in the shadows, and Negerin and I spotted it almost by accident. The next moves are like the ones we practiced over and over again at the troop training ground. The gunner, Vasilyevich, took out a shell from the rack, stuffed it into the chamber, and calmly said: 'Ready!' I observed through the sights that the enemy tanks were about a hundred meters away from us. The crew did not seem to notice us, they kept strafing the other direction with the machine gun on the turret...... With a slam of the launch tube. The shell flew out with a whoosh, chiseling into the armor on the side of the enemy's hull. After a dazzling flash, the hatch on the top of the turret was pushed open, and a human head came out of the smoke, and the next moment, the machine gun went off, and the German devil was immediately hit and fell back. After that, no one could climb out of that tank, and it kept burning there......"

At about half past seven in the evening, Worral's resistance was finally completely crushed, and Tukhachevsky finally captured Toledo, but it was of little significance to occupy Toledo, because the railway from Madrid to Ciudad Real did not pass through here, and the international column needed to continue to advance in order to completely cut off the enemy's retreat.

Tukhachevsky was well aware of this, so after the capture of Toledo, he ordered the attacking troops not to make any stops and to quickly continue their march to the northeast, making sure to capture Aranjuez in front of the Germans. Only by controlling Aranjuez can the enemy's escape route be completely blocked.

At this time, Guderian was also advancing rapidly towards Aranjuez, and like Tukhachevsky, he knew what this strange little city represented, and his troops could only be safe if he had it in hand!

Two armoured armouries rumbled towards Aranjuez, arriving at the city almost simultaneously, though the Germans had a slight advantage, as their garrison still controlled the city. Soon, a fierce battle broke out over the small city:

Afonnia, commander of the 2nd Company of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the International Column, which was engaged in the first wave of the attack, described the scene of the day's attack: "The backbone of the hill could be bypassed on both sides, and the cluster marched steadily to the center of the hill, occupying a very ideal position for firing. We even touched a small bush on the left side of the hill that was full of wheel marks. About a kilometre ahead of us, the terrain slopes forward and downward, extending forward to form a pass. At this time, the reconnaissance unit informed me that I had found an enemy tank. It didn't take long for the tanks to appear clearly in front of me. To tell the truth, the German tanks were really disappointing, compared to our BT-5, they looked small and exquisite, and their firepower was extremely thin, with only two machine guns. ”

"It seems that these damned German fascist bandits also noticed our arrival, and this did not immediately send tanks to welcome us. The Germans maneuvered very fast, and a No. 1 tank crossed through a barely visible pass, and slipped away from my eyes almost in a flash. However, a second tank No. 1 was immediately drilled. Without hesitation, I picked up the walkie-talkie and contacted the three BT-5 tanks that were working with my company: 'Fight at the pass!' Fast! ’。 At this moment, the third tank No. 1 rushed out, only to be hit directly, and the tankmen inside were blown out of the hatch, and one of the dead bodies was still hanging on the hatch. This is followed by the fourth two tanks! But the previously destroyed tank had blocked the pass, and it was clear that they could not get through, and soon it was hit by our tank that seized the opportunity, and this time there was no explosion, and the German devils immediately crawled out of the tank and fled. The previous two German tanks, seeing that the situation was not good, also immediately chose to escape. ”

It looks like a qiēshun lì. But the day was for 18-year-old recruit Bogdan. That was the day he first went to war. But the lad seemed to have bad luck: "At 7 o'clock in the morning, the morning sun rose in a clear blue sky, and in the midst of the deafening sound of gunfire, the attack began. The veterans quickly climbed a hill and disappeared behind in an instant. We recruits followed closely behind, and as I trotted up the hill, I rushed down the other side with my comrades. Suddenly, a shell exploded in the middle of us, and I was struck in the back. The whole person fell forward and fell to the ground. The whole squad disappeared before my eyes, and I lay where I was hit, unable to move. My left hand was hit by a piece of shrapnel that almost cut the palm in half, and my right leg was hanging limply to the side, bleeding profusely and my body was gradually stiffening. My good friend Alexander, on the other hand, was blown to nothing by the same mortar shell, and a few bloody stumps and fragments of his uniform were all he had left. The hygienist rushed over, saw me, rushed to my side, and bandaged my left hand with gauze. Then he untied my belt and tied it firmly around my bleeding right leg, and then he kissed my forehead and told me to wait. He continued to gallop forward, looking for survivors...... After about two hours, the health team finally found the four survivors in the platoon, including me, and they carried me onto a stretcher and staggered to the rear......"

"Compared to other brothers who died in battle, I was lucky, although my left left a partial disability in my left hand, but I was able to save my life. It was my first time on the battlefield, the first time I was wounded, and soon I was sent back to Leningrad to recuperate, and six months later I was honorably discharged. Just when I thought I would be away from war and casualties forever, a few years later I encountered the German devils again on my own soil...... Fighting again, wounded again and returning to the battlefield, I witnessed many deaths, even stepping into the grave with half a foot at one point, but finally I stood on Brandenburg Platz with the scars and the fervent hope of my dead comrades to witness the moment when the Victory Flag was raised! ”

According to Tukhachevsky's orders, the focus of the attack was not really on the city of Aranjuez, but on the vital railway bridge outside the city. In the vicinity of this railway bridge, Guderian placed heavy guards, and around this railway bridge the two sides were constantly tug-of-war.

Fierce fighting lasted all day, but under the fierce defense of the Germans, the international column could barely move forward, and was blocked by the Germans three kilometers from the railway bridge.

"Suspend the offense." In the face of huge casualties, Tukhachevsky frowned, it is not the way to continue to rush so hard, "Let the Air Force find a way to destroy this damn bridge!" ”

After Ferrol's battle, Tukhachevsky's expectations for the air force became higher and higher, and whenever the ground forces were helpless, the air force was the first thing he thought of. It's just that the Air Force was not particularly effective on the first day of fighting, and like the ground forces, they could hardly get close to the railway bridge. The Vulture Legion carried out aerial interception almost at any cost, and both sides fought in the sky almost all day.

"We need more fighters!" Gamarnik wrote in his diary, "The stupid government of the Second Republic was always looking for trouble with us, and they categorically refused to send air power to support us. These guys only have Madrid in their eyes, and they have hoarded quite a lot of fighter planes in the skies over Madrid, declaring that they will not allow the enemy to get closer to Madrid, even from the air. It's a joke at all, when those Spanish pilots flew our fighter planes around Madrid, the main force of the enemy's air force had already gone south, and around the Aranjuez area was repeatedly fighting and fighting with us, and these so-called comrades-in-arms were staring at the white show! ”

In the face of Tukhachevsky's and the Soviet advisory group's request for air support, the Government of the Second Republic resolutely rejected it, citing the fact that the defense of Madrid was not over (in fact, Franco had abandoned his plan to attack Madrid in the face of bad conditions) and could not mobilize more troops to support the international column.

In fact, the gang was actually revenge on Tukhachevsky for not following their orders to defend Madrid. Now that the world has changed and the crisis in Madrid has been resolved, they have naively chosen to retaliate against Tukhachevsky and deliberately do not cooperate.

This made Tukhachevsky so angry that he almost vomited blood, Nima, why is he desperate here? It's not to solve the national army early, okay, at this critical moment, the Second Republic doesn't want to help, but wants to pull back, which kind of teammate is this. Even Tukhachevsky was quite skeptical about whether the Second Republic wanted to win the civil war.

Tukhachevsky immediately complained to Trotsky, who had become so unbearable with the stupid Spaniards that he did not hesitate to say in a telegram: "We should withdraw the international columns at once, the Second Republic is not worthy of the Soviet athletes to shed their blood and die for them!" ”

Unbeknownst to Tukhachevsky, his angry remarks caused an uproar in China, and even led directly to the collapse of the Trotskyist Union...... (To be continued......)

PS: Bow and thank you to the Plane Wanted, Waste S, Chuanliu Huagui, agz00025, Kill Potato and Juventus Comrade!