The decisive battle against the Third Reich

The British attack was quickly defeated... Without the cover of tanks, they didn't know how to fight.

In a way, this idea is right, because after the large-scale use of Mark Mi machine guns on the battlefield in World War I, everyone no longer knew how to attack...At that time, offense was almost synonymous with seeking death, so it was There was trench warfare in World War I, so there was such a thing as a tank.

What's more, the terrain near the airport is relatively flat and open. The German army only needs to set up a few machine guns in the direction of the British army to make the British army unable to do anything.

The problem is...the British army has much more troops than the German army, and it is also encircling the German army. At this time, there is only one explanation for why it does not dare to attack the German army: it does not have enough courage and confidence.

In this regard, Colonel Smith gave himself a good excuse: "The Germans have new equipment with unknown performance, and German paratroopers may appear in other directions. Therefore, defend your position and protect the airport..."

This gave the Germans more time and space. Otherwise, the first battalion's mission would have ended here.

However, things did not go smoothly, and the German army had less and less time left.

"We only have less than half an hour!" Bazel looked at his watch anxiously.

Qin Chuan understood what Bazel meant. The pressure from the German army came from two aspects:

One is the threat of fighter planes from the British army.

It is 610 kilometers from Port Said to Crete, a distance that only takes about an hour for British Spitfires.

If the British fighter planes rush to Crete, land at the Iraqi airport and then take off again... then the British army will soon seize full air supremacy, and even the British fighter planes will suppress the German 1st Infantry Battalion from the air. At that time It can be said that it is extremely difficult for the German army to capture the airport.

Another threat came from British ground troops.

After the British army learned that the airport was under attack, they would definitely send reinforcements to the airport... This was indeed the case, because according to the intelligence obtained by the German army from aerial reconnaissance aircraft, the fastest reinforcements arrived in twenty minutes. , then reinforcements will come one after another like a tide. At that time, even if the German army had three heads and six arms, it could not withstand the British offensive.

"We must break through the enemy's defenses as soon as possible!" Major Clayman shouted at Captain Barzel: "Otherwise the entire plan will fail!"

"But the enemy's defense is very tight, Major!" Bazelle objected: "If we charge hard, it will be useless even if we break through the enemy's defense line or even occupy the airport!"

Bazel is right, because there is only one outcome for a forced breakthrough, and that is the First Infantry Battalion suffering heavy casualties. However, this also means that the First Infantry Battalion cannot defend the airport. The most that the First Infantry Battalion can play is Blow up some facilities in the airport or ammunition and fuel in the warehouse.

Then, it won’t be long before the airport can be used again.

"Maybe we can think of other ways!" Qin Chuan said.

"What else can we do?" Major Clayman said angrily: "There were serious errors in our intelligence, and twice... We were harmed miserably by those bastards in the Air Force!"

Major Kleiman was obviously very disgusted with the Air Force. Later Qin Chuan learned that there was a reason for this. During a battle against France, the Air Force mistakenly regarded Major Kleiman's troops as the enemy, so a burst of indiscriminate bombing made Kleiman Major Mann's troops suffered heavy losses, including his son.

Therefore, Major Kleiman will find any opportunity to vent his grievances to the Air Force, although he knows that this is not the time to complain.

"Major!" Qin Chuan pointed to a high ground on the flank amidst the sound of cannons and said, "Maybe we can choose to occupy that high ground!"

"Our mission is to capture the airport!" Major Clayman refused without thinking.

"You're right!" Qin Chuan said, "But the purpose of our occupation of the airport is to block the airport, isn't it? What if we occupy that high ground to block the airport?"

"You mean..." Major Clayman looked at the high ground, and then there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes: "Use mortars?"

"Yes!" Qin Chuan replied: "That highland is four kilometers away from the airport, within the range of our 80MM mortars, plus we are condescending..."

"A very good idea!" Major Clayman did not hesitate. He immediately ordered: "Retreat, change the target, and capture the high ground at eight o'clock!"

This highland was later named "Eight O'clock" highland by the German army.

The "eight o'clock" highland is more than a hundred meters high, and is guarded by a company of Greek troops.

However, the Greek army in this company was obviously not a regular army, because they did not even have rifles, so the German army easily captured this high ground with just one charge.

After Major Kleiman climbed to the top of the mountain, he took out his telescope and looked down. He nodded and said to Qin Chuan, "You are right, Second Lieutenant. The runway of the airport is right under our noses!"

There is no doubt about this. From a height of more than 100 meters overlooking the airport, you can certainly see everything in the airport clearly.

At this time, the Iraqi airport was in a state of chaos. Several destroyed fighter jets were piled beside the runway, emitting black smoke. This should have been a good deed by the German fighter jets before. There were several fighter jets at the other end that seemed to have just been loaded with ammunition. We have to take to the air again to fight.

Seeing this, Major Kleiman immediately ordered: "Prepare mortars!"

The mortar is an 80MM caliber mortar with a range of five kilometers. Of course, it will not be difficult to bomb the airport below from a high position.

"Fire!" Following Major Kleiman's order, ten well-tuned mortars fired down a barrage of shells at the airport.

Just hearing the whistling sound of artillery shells, three British fighter planes preparing to take off on the runway were immediately blown up and down. One fighter plane saw that the situation was not good and immediately started an emergency takeoff to escape the mortar bombing range, but at this time It's too late...

Immediately afterwards, the second artillery shell passed by. One of them directly hit the wing of the fighter plane, instantly blowing the fighter plane taxiing on the runway into several pieces. Then there was another loud "boom", and the fighter plane was filled with fuel. It turned into a bright fireball.

"God!" Colonel Smith realized at this time that the German army was not retreating, but occupying the high ground south of the airport.

"We must take back the high ground!" Colonel Smith said: "Otherwise the airport will be under their blockade!"

At this time, Colonel Smith regretted why he had never paid attention to that highland before.

But this is normal, because no one thought that the Germans would attack Crete, and no one thought that the Germans would target the airport on Crete immediately.