The Carragher Pass is a checkpoint on the northern border between Italy and France, a gentle slope between two mountains, and has been one of the main routes to the Savoy region since Roman times.

However, in 1860, the Kingdom of Sardinia unified northern Italy with the help of the French in order to unify the cause of unification, with the help of the French in return to the Savoy and Nice regions.

At this point, the Carragher Pass, which belongs to Savoy, belongs to France.

Later, with the tension between Italy and France, strong fortifications were built on key roads like this.

The same was true of the Carragher Pass, where fortifications such as batteries and pillboxes were built on both sides of the mountain, and a battalion was stationed in the pass all year round, and the number of troops increased to one regiment after the outbreak of war between the two countries.

As for why only one regiment was stationed, this was already the largest force that could be stationed in the pass. No amount of more will do more, but will cause a waste of troops.

You must know that this pass is located at an altitude of 1,800 meters, and the mountains on both sides are more than 3,000 meters above sea level, and it is impossible for the army to pass through. It's October, and it's getting cooler, which means snowfall for this high altitude.

As for the previous vigorous Italian offensive, the French defenders of the pass were also encountered, and two regiments of Italian troops launched an offensive against them, and under the heroic fighting of the defenders, the Italian army had to retreat after losing thousands of men.

The commander of the garrison, Colonel Bielsa, received a commendation for repelling the invading enemy at the cost of losing only 300 men.

And Colonel Bielsa, who received the commendation, was full of confidence, and he waited for the Italian army to attack again, so that he could get a greater reward and even promotion.

The reason why he is so confident is the topography of the Carragher Pass, which can be described as a standard one-man pass. Although the times are developing, the huge terrain advantage is still an advantage, although it is not really possible to hold the pass alone, but hundreds or thousands can always be.

Even if the Italians went crazy, the defenders of the Carragher Pass would not be afraid, because in Modana, more than twenty kilometers behind them, there was a regimental garrison that would only take a day to reinforce it. In two days, the 39th Infantry Division, stationed in Grenobel, was also able to reach the pass.

Therefore, although the Carragher Pass seems to have few troops, it is actually impregnable, and besides, the pass is only so big, at most one regiment to attack, two regiments to take turns is the limit, and there is no place for more.

How could the Italian army, as the attacking side, not know about the situation of the Carragher Pass, for which conventional methods would not work, and some unconventional means must be used.

The Alps under the night sky were a bit cold, so the early mountain dwellers went home to rest. But in an inaccessible valley, there are people moving at this time.

They listened to the movement in the sky as they poured gasoline into three wooden piles.

"Don't play with fire."

A leading man blew out the lighter in the hands of a teammate who wanted to light a cigarette.

"Captain, I'm sorry I got addicted to cigarettes and forgot."

In the face of the captain's actions, the teammate, who was addicted to cigarettes, could only put away the lighter and cigarettes.

They are members of the Army's Hunter Brigade, the Army's most proficient professional soldiers in mountain warfare, and they can live alone in the Alps, making them excellent scouts and great hunters.

However, their mission this time has nothing to do with hunting, but to carry out a guiding work.

They were guiding the airship, and in addition to them, there were several teams of people guiding them.

"It's already the appointed time, why hasn't the airship come yet?"

"Wait a minute, don't be in a hurry."

Although it has not dropped significantly, the temperature in the mountains at night is several degrees below zero, and the mountain wind blows so much that it is easy for unfamiliar people to get up.

As time went by, the people who were still calm finally became a little anxious.

Just as someone was about to speak, suddenly there was a buzzing sound in the sky. Anyone familiar with the work of an airship knows that it is the sound of an airship in action.

"Here they are, hurry up and light the fire and mark the location."

At the captain's shout, five piles of wood with blazing flames immediately appeared in the col, and their flames broke the darkness of the night, pointing the way for the approaching airships, and of course indicating their identity.

After the fire was lit, the hum in the sky became louder.

Soon a huge airship appeared above them. Then several ropes were lowered, and figures descended from the airship to the ground along the ropes.

"Hello, who is Captain Franz?"

An officer with the rank of major, as soon as he landed, immediately asked about the person who was here to meet them.

"Hello, I'm Franz."

The big man who had stopped the team from smoking stepped forward.

After seeing the captain Franz stand up, the major immediately handed over a cigarette, and the two of them smoked cigarettes and listened to the major's introduction.

"Captain Franz, I'm Major Trevor of the 1st Parachute Battalion, and I'll make a long story short for the sake of time. We now need a guide to take us to the slopes of Vasco. ”

The Vasco slope that Major Trevor spoke of was a high ground between the Carragher Pass and Modana, and if it was occupied, it would cut off the connection between the two places.

Since the place was so important, of course, the French army would not fail to pay attention, and a company of French troops was stationed here.

Hearing Major Trevor's desire to go to Vasco Slopes, Captain Franz asked with concern. "I wonder how many people Your Excellency Major will bring with you?"

"The strength of two platoons."

"Two platoons?"

"Yes, two platoons."

Major Trevor was so confident that he wanted to finish off a company of the French army defending the slopes of Vasco with two platoons of his own troops?

There was not much confidence either, mainly because Major Trevor believed that his two platoons would be enough to deal with a company of the French troops stationed on the slopes of Vasco.

As a unit that mainly fights behind enemy lines, paratroopers will pursue training and firepower.

Needless to say, the training has always been the most rigorous. As for firepower, the paratroopers are currently the only units in the world that use machine guns at the squad level.

Even at the company level, paratroopers are armed to the teeth, and heavy machine guns and mortars are standard.

Of course, paratroopers carry such a large number of automated weapons, then the ammunition required will not be less. However, considering the combat environment in which the paratroopers are located, the only way to supply them with ammunition is airships from the air.

With such a luxurious supply line, it is also doomed that the use of paratroopers cannot be used like ordinary troops.

After all, the cost of using it once is too high, except for some critical tasks, otherwise Italy itself cannot afford to use it.

Since paratroopers are so valuable, they need to be used in key places, and the capture of the Carragher Pass to open the passage to the Savoy region is definitely very suitable for the Italian army.

Of course, this airdrop is not just such a small number of people, in order to open up the mountain pass, Italy has prepared to transport 2,000 paratroopers to the back of the mountain pass in one go.

On the one hand, it was to stop the reinforcements of the French army, and on the other hand, it was to flank the defenders of the mountain pass from behind.