Just when the navies of the two sides summed up the lessons and lessons, the German army in the two river valleys finally regained its strength, and after the logistics supply lines were unblocked, the German army on the southern front, which had already been beaten half-dead, began to quickly recover its combat effectiveness after obtaining sufficient supplies and reinforcements, and Hindenburg's proposal to borrow German-style equipment from the Turkish army to form a combatable army was also adopted. As the younger brother of Germany, Turkey naturally could not refuse the boss's demand, not to mention the fact that Germany promised to compensate for the battle losses by 1.5 times. After the family foundation gradually thickened, the German Army, unwilling to lose, was once again ready to compete with China.

At this time, Germany's military strength in the Middle East was divided into two parts, namely the Brauchitsch on the southern front and the Kruger group that had just been formed on the northern front, the original Kruger group only had the size of two armored divisions, but with the German officers and soldiers of the two mechanized infantry divisions coming to Turkey from Europe, and then receiving a large number of Turkish German equipment, the strength of the German army on the northern front soared to the size of 4 divisions, and the German army will start from Erbil and finally expand in the position with Kuisanjag as the core, which happens to be the same as Kirkuk, Sulaymaniyah forms a triangle. If the Huaxia Army wanted to attack Kirkuk, then the flanks would be exposed to the attack of the Kruger group.

The Brauchitsch Corps on the southern front was weaker, and it would be good if the heavy army group, which originally had more than five divisions, could now have half the combat strength of the original. Even after replenishment, its combat strength is only the strength of 1 armored division, 2 mechanized infantry divisions, and a separate armored regiment. In terms of strength, it is weaker than the newly formed Crook Group. At this time, this force tried to return to the Xingao line to deploy, threatening the flank of the Huaxia Army from the south. Two large battle groups have more than 7 divisions and are also very mobile. In this way, the combat effectiveness is already stronger than that of the Central Powers when China launched Operation Babylon.

And the enemy they are facing is also using this time to increase their forces. Huaxia originally had 2 armored divisions and 2 mechanized infantry divisions, although the losses at the previous stage were also very large. But the casualties are relatively small, as long as you can get the equipment. Then the combat power will recover faster. The remnants of Iranian units were nothing to fear in the eyes of the Germans, and the Iranians would be more suitable as a logistical force than in war, as for that Russian corps? The Germans estimated that they would be able to regain the combat strength of a mechanized infantry division at most in the near future.

In addition, according to German intelligence, troops of another Chinese division and a brigade were rushing from Iran to the valley of the two rivers. In this way, on the face of it, the Huaxia army had 6 divisions plus a brigade of troops. Of course, the actual combat effectiveness will be lower, after all, the German troops on the southern front are reorganizing the disabled troops, and after the reorganization, there is basically no shortage of troops. Although Huaxia can replenish equipment, the loss of personnel cannot be made up in a short period of time, and each division will have a certain shortage.

However, considering the advantages of China's equipment and its large establishment, the Germans believed that in this case, it would not be advantageous to rely solely on the German army and Huaxia to fight hard. After all, Guderian once attacked an armored battalion in China with about 3 times the force, and as a result, he suffered a little loss when calculating the exchange ratio. If Huaxia took the initiative to attack and used part of its forces to attack Kirkuk, then the German Army would naturally have an advantage, but unfortunately, such a large-scale mobilization could not be hidden in the eyes of the opponent's aerial reconnaissance planes. The southward movement of the German army on the northern front could not hide from China. The end result is likely to be that Huaxia will settle the crisis on both flanks before considering attacking Kirkuk. German forces were scattered. If the Germans on one side of the Chinese side turned to the defensive and concentrated their forces to attack the Germans on the other side, then the situation would be very critical, after all, the four German divisions were defeated by the three Chinese divisions. And if the Germans adopt go hand in hand. If the two sides launch a centripetal attack at the same time, then the Huaxia Legion in a defensive posture will have a better chance of winning!

After some maneuvering, the German Army found that the situation they faced was no better than it was before Operation Babylon. "We need a lot of motorized infantry. We need these infantry to build a defensive line, we need them to consolidate the breakthrough. Only in this way will we be able to free up valuable mobile forces. Our existing corps is not not not not elite enough. It's so elite that it's too small. It's okay for this kind of combat to deal with a war like Italy. But it is not enough to fight a world war with a behemoth like Huaxia. Lieutenant General Falkenhausen said this at a meeting of senior German officers on the Northern Front.

"We are not far from each other, so the mobility disadvantage of the infantry is not obvious. The opponent's armored forces are strong and mobile, and any tactics that try to quickly annihilate the opponent through guò interspersed divisions will not be effective, and will eventually turn into a large-scale war of attrition. In that case, why don't we slow down and concentrate a large number of infantry to engage our opponents? We can get some defensive artillery from Turkey to build support points, and we should replace the current rapid penetration and partition with a strategy of taking a steady step. Use the numerical superiority of troops to overwhelm the opponent. Seeing that Kruger did not object, Falkenhausen continued.

"If you had proposed this two months ago, it might have made a big difference, but now that the Empire has decided to end the war in due course, our encounter is limited to a limited success. What's more, it's hard for us to get more troops. Nice idea, but it's a pity. Kruger replied.

"No, it's not too late, there are still a large number of infantry divisions at your disposal in Kirkuk, and although there is a lack of armored units, they are fairly well equipped. Before the big war, we could have allocated some trucks for it to transport it to the northern front as a boost to our army. Falkenhausen thought for a moment and continued: "We have deployed a large number of troops on both flanks of the Huaxia Corps, it is impossible for Huaxia to turn a blind eye, they will definitely choose one of them as a breakthrough, Huaxia will not besiege Kirkuk until the threat is cleared from both flanks, so there is no point in Austria-Hungary and Turkey deploying troops there, if we can make up the strength of two infantry divisions then we will have a huge superiority in strength." If we lose, then Kirkuk will be broken no matter how many troops there are. ”

"Great idea, but let's be honest. Is General Schrager still willing to cooperate with us now? The successive defeats caused heavy losses to the Austro-Hungarian army. Kruger said in his heart. However, the temptation of this plan was indeed great, and militarily it could give the German army a great advantage in numbers. And it is possible to free up a considerable part of the armored units for the offensive. Politically, if the Germans can drive China out of the Lianghe Valley, then the Germans will have a great advantage in the subsequent negotiations.

"I'll submit your comments. From a personal point of view, I support your idea. "Kirkuk's troops are not under Kruger's control, so he can only build yì and not decide. Jian yì submitted it, as for how to arrange it, it is not for him to interfere.

In addition to the army, the Luftwaffe also recovered its combat effectiveness quickly after the lines of communication were opened, and a large amount of aviation fuel and accessories were transported to the two river basins by sea. Pilots and ground crews drawn from the mainland also entered the valley of the two rivers from Asia Minor. Although there were fierce battles for some time ago, with a large amount of support, the strength of the German front-line air force has surpassed that before Operation Babylon.

Following the Kaiser's orders, Richthofen removed 2 fighter wings and 1 bomber wing from the Mediterranean Military District and entered the northern part of the Two Rivers Valley. With the addition of the troops originally deployed there, the total number of air forces available to Kruger's department reached 3 fighter wings and 1 bomber wing plus 1 bomber group. The number of available aircraft reached around 500 aircraft. It's almost equal to a smaller air force.

On the Southern Front, the Luftwaffe had a rich base in itself, and after obtaining a large number of parts and fuel, its combat effectiveness recovered extremely quickly, and according to the estimates of the Luftwaffe General Staff on the Southern Front, the available strength of the German Air Force on the Southern Front could reach the size of three fighter wings and two bomber wings before the start of the campaign. This is more than 500 aircraft, and the total number of aircraft in the two air clusters in the north and south together has reached nearly 1,000! And that's not counting the strategic bomber forces that could join the battlefield.

You must know that the most powerful front-line tactical air force corps that Huaxia has put together in this war is only about 800 aircraft. So far, the strength of the Luftwaffe has surpassed the peak of the Chinese tactical air force. According to the estimation of the German General Staff, if Huaxia does not have a major air force replenishment plan in the near future, after a long period of fighting, it would be good if the Huaxia front-line aviation regiment could have 500 usable aircraft! On the one hand, there are combat losses. On the other hand, some aircraft need to be maintained and repaired. The size of the force is only half that of the Luftwaffe! This time, the Luftwaffe has an advantage no matter how it fights! And this time, the Luftwaffe, like the army, began to fight steadily, and the field airfield was gradually repaired to the forefront. And a considerable number of anti-aircraft posts were deployed, together with radar and anti-aircraft artillery. The air defense of German front-line airfields skyrocketed.

The so-called house leak coincided with overnight rain, just as the strength of the Luftwaffe was steadily rising. At a time when the Chinese Air Force itself was at a disadvantage, the British suddenly expressed their desire to withdraw the RAF troops deployed in Iran from the battlefield! This is undoubtedly the bottom of the kettle for Huaxia! You know, although the British Air Force is no longer on the scale of the beginning of the war, the fighters can at least make up the size of a wing! The role of more than 100 Spitfires and Hurricanes is still obvious! And so far, at least 5 squadrons of British fighters are on the front line to support the Chinese troops. As soon as these 5 squadrons left, a large chunk of the air defense network in Huaxia, which was not very thick, immediately emptied!

"This is revenge!" After receiving the text sent by the secretary, Xu Jie said angrily. After thinking about it, Xu Jie believed that the direct reason for the British to make this decision was the aircraft carrier Darius anchored at Ascension Island, and Huaxia refused the British's request to acquire the battleship. And the British, on the other hand, are making trouble for China in the Iranian war situation! After all, everyone is a nominal friendly army, and it is impossible for Huaxia to seize the British planes, and even if they do, the British will not work or contribute to them, and you will have no way to take them! Recalling the practice of the British army in Burma selling his teammates in history, Xu Jie really didn't dare to overestimate the British government's discipline!

The aircraft carrier Darius was only the direct cause, and the fundamental reason was that the British, after realizing that Germany had opened a passage to India, decided that there was no point in fighting any longer. And if China has a foothold in Iran, then once the war begins, China can deploy troops in Iran instead of directly deploying troops to India. The purpose of China can also be imagined by the British, it is nothing more than oil in the Middle East, and if China has a base in Iran, then when the Entente counterattacks, China has a greater geographical advantage than Britain and the United States! Straight down the Iranian plateau, into the valley of the Two Rivers, and finally into the Arabian Peninsula! In the end, the entire Middle East will be included in China's sphere of influence, so the British would rather let Iran fall completely than let China have a foothold in Iran! The British wished that the Chinese and the Germans would fight to defeat each other, and then withdraw to Central Asia in disgrace!

"The victory of China is not in the fundamental interests of the British Empire, and we must let China know that although China is very strong, it is impossible for China to hold off the German attack without the help of the British. The value of an ally is strength, and an ally that is too strong is no better than a weak enemy! The strategy of the future Indian Ocean Theater should be in line with the interests of the British Empire, and China should not be allowed to act recklessly! At a cabinet meeting, Chamberlain said this to Churchill, the special envoy who was preparing to go to China. And the latter expressed their support!

In terms of the overall situation, Roosevelt did much better than the British, although the Americans were a little embarrassed by Huaxia's overly dazzling appearance, but Roosevelt did not do anything to draw salaries from the bottom of the kettle, the US troops on the southern front still held their existing positions, and the US aviation forces in Iran were also fighting side by side with China. In the eyes of the Americans, the British thought a little too far, and the Chinese presence in Iran could itself distract the German army, and if the combined forces of China and the United States and Britain in India could form a pincer offensive in wartime, this would be a good thing for the United States and Britain. As for the distribution of benefits after the war, it's a bit early to talk about it! However, Roosevelt did not intervene in this sudden outbreak of disputes, but watched how China and Britain fought directly and secretly.

"If the Iran war is regarded as a big gamble, then now the contest between China and the Germans has entered the last moment, and at this time, the British suddenly took a stack of chips from China, and used it as a coercion in exchange for more benefits, but I don't know that this approach will make China hate Britain even more, and this time it has set an extremely bad precedent, and the British will have to pay the price sooner or later." Roosevelt once commented.

Thanks to book friends zhouyu1976, hukaikak, anhei016 for their tips~~~, and book friends Ziyueyin, sczboy, xvxinyi's monthly pass support ~~~. (To be continued......)