Chapter 137 Return of an Old Friend (sixth update, first order required)
“It must be the Germans who are attacking!” Luo Tai, the captain of the 12th Squadron, shouted in shock.
Then there was an explosion above the head, and the shock wave rushed directly into the room along with the air waves, knocking the deputy captain away. Others were stunned to see that the office had been riddled with holes by the shock wave.
"Damn German guy..."
Luo Tai slowly pulled his foot out of the debris in disgust.
"Luo Tai, how are you..."
"It's okay, I just fell on my butt..."
Seeing that he was fine, Feng Zhijie breathed a sigh of relief and sorted out the mess. Thoughts, ordered loudly.
"Contact the headquarters immediately and report the German attack on our team's station."
Then, he turned his head and shouted an order.
"Order everyone to prepare for evacuation and evacuate immediately..."
When Feng Zhijie issued the order, he did not know that the most violent German counterattack on the Western Front had already begun.
What is even more fatal is that their contact with the outside world has been cut off - the phone lines have been disconnected, and all the bands used have been blocked by various methods. The German music interfered, which caused them to lose contact not only with their rear headquarters, but also with other nearby US military units.
Now he only knows that the artillery fire is intensive, and he also knows that this is not a key area for the German army to attack. The troops have not suffered many casualties so far, but that's all.
Not long after, the German barrage moved further away, and the artillery shells began to continue moving in the towns behind.
Throughout the Ardennes front, all American soldiers, Belgians and Luxembourgers were awakened by this rude wake-up call. However, in the chaos caused by the paralysis of the communication system, every group thought that this was just a local attack and not worth making a fuss about.
They didn't think that the Germans would launch a large-scale attack in this direction at all. After all, in the past few days, the Ardennes region was almost a scene of troops marching to the south. Who would have thought that the Germans would choose this place to launch a counterattack?
However, unlike what the American soldiers thought, Feng Yunzhi, who had never had any experience fighting the German army, felt a thud in his heart when he saw the huge bomb crater in the town. Realized something was terribly wrong.
“It must be a large German force attacking!”
When everyone heard this, they all looked at each other, they all had this intuition.
Why?
Hey, this egg crater is too deep and too big, almost two people deep. They have never seen such a big crater.
Unless it was a major force attacking, how could such a powerful heavy artillery be deployed?
It must be said that poverty limits imagination. For these soldiers from China, it is difficult for them to imagine that the 150-level howitzers in Europe are just divisional artillery.
As for artillery over 200 mm, they are nothing more than military artillery.
That's why such a "misjudgment" occurred. It was precisely because of this "misjudgment" that they were able to escape from the massive German attack.
Now, what to do?
"Captain, what should we do now?"
"What should we do, retreat! Retreat to Bastogne..."
Almost at the same time, scattered in The search teams in the Ardennes region are all evacuating to Bastogne, not only because the boss is there, but more importantly... it is the intersection of seven roads and railways. was their only option to evacuate the Ardennes.
……
December 1, Bastogne.
In the early morning, when the German army was shelling and crossing the Our River, Li Yi'an was still sleeping. When the German army broke through the US military's defense line, which was actually a guard post, the search team in front began to retreat to Bastogne. , Li Yian was observing the terrain in the forest near Bastogne.
In history, the most difficult battle to defend Bastogne took place in the forest area. The total casualties of the US military guarding here were more than 3,000, of which more than 2,000 were members of the 101st Airborne Division defending in the forest outside the city. paratrooper.
"There are no obstacles except trees. No wonder their casualties are concentrated here..."
While feeling emotional, Li Yian looked at the time.
"On December 1st, the advantage lies with me..."
Well, there is still half a month before the German attack!
Until ten o'clock in the morning, Li Yian still didn't know that the German army had launched the Ardennes counterattack in advance, and the advance of the German army's action was inseparable from him-the tungsten sand and molybdenum sand he provided , became a booster for German military production, allowing the German army to obtain equipment in advance for launching the Ardennes counterattack, and the bad weather that continued from mid-November also provided cover for the German offensive.
Sixteen days ahead of schedule!
When he provided those rare gold deposits to the Germans in Switzerland, he never thought that one day the good deeds he had done would be returned to him.
At 10:12 a.m., finally, the dispatch team’s radio station discovered that the search team ahead had lost contact, and the band was also full of noise.
"There must be something wrong."
As the chief of the communications section, Qian Shicheng, when ordering his subordinates to continue contacting the search team, sent someone to report the information to his superior.
"Noise? What noise?"
Li Yi'an, who had just returned from outside the city, said in surprise.
"It seems to be music, sung in German, several channels are full of music..."
"Damn it!"
Almost subconsciously, Li Yian just felt A cold sweat broke out on my back!
"The Germans attacked early!" At this time, Li Yian even forgot to cover up. No one knew better than him the position of Bastogne in this major counterattack, and it was the center of attention. Otherwise, the Germans would not have mobilized five divisions to attack this damn place.
"Quick, send out communications troops immediately and contact other search teams along the road. Everyone is ready to retreat."
"Retreat?"
Chu Yun's command subconsciously asked.
"What about the weapons we seized? Commander Li, it took a lot of effort to find those things in the ice and snow..."
"No matter how rare things are, we have to save our lives first! Captain Chu, what is this place? It is the gathering point of seven highways. If the German army attacks us, tens of thousands of German soldiers will have to eat us alive!"
After saying that, Li Yian immediately shouted an order.
"Hand out all the tactical vests, everyone is ready, and when you meet the people who are withdrawing from the front, retreat immediately..."
What the hell, what happened to the Germans? Can it be done in advance?
At noon, the news was still confusing. Due to the interference of the German army and the cutoff of the telephone lines, the US military in the entire Ardennes region could not find the regiment, the regiment could not find the battalion, and the battalion could not be found. Company, everyone can only fight on their own.
At this time, Li Nian was still commanding the troops in Bastogne, not setting up defenses but preparing for retreat.
The Ardennes Counterattack, day one.
At dusk, the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Versailles was holding an important meeting to discuss the issue of replenishing infantry soldiers. Attendees were Eisenhower, his staff, and Bradley.
Halfway through the meeting, a colonel walked into the conference room and quietly handed a cable to British Major General Ken Strong, who served as Eisenhower's intelligence officer. Strong read the telegram, then interrupted the meeting and read aloud:
"The enemy launched a counterattack this morning and attacked the 1st Army's defense area from five places."
Bradley guessed it was just a harassing attack.
"Hitler must have felt the pressure that Patton put on him, and he had to take steps to reduce it,"
He said with a Midwestern accent,
" If marching into the Ardennes can force Patton to abandon Saar and send him to deal with the counterattack, then he will succeed and gain some time."
"Bradley, this is not partial. Attack,”
After thinking for a moment, Eisenhower said,
"It is illogical for the German army to launch a local attack on our weakest area."
"If it is not a local attack, what is it?"
"We still have to wait and see. But until we find out, we can't sit idly by."
"Then what do you think we should do?"
"Give Middleton some reinforcements. Send about two armored divisions first."
"I think," Bradley said,
"That would certainly be safer. But you know , one of the divisions must be transferred from Patton's side."
"What then?"
"George will launch a large-scale attack on Saarland in a few days, and he definitely doesn't want this. At that time, there was one division less strength.”
"You tell him,"
Eisenhower said with a slightly fierce emotion,
"Ike is directing this bastard's war!"
A minute later, Bray Deli was already on the phone with Lieutenant General George Patton, who was at the Third Army command post in Nancy.
"George," Bradley said,
"You sent the 10th Armored Division to Luxembourg."
Patton reacted strongly after hearing this, and the phone was buzzing with his protest. If the 10th Division were stolen from him, he might not be able to fight Thrall. Besides, if they want another armored division, how can they do it?
Bradley patiently explained the situation to him.
"Go to hell!"
Barton said in his high-pitched voice,
"There's no big threat there. It's just a little fucking harassment attack. They're trying to destabilize my base here and stop my attack."
"Hell, I don't want to do that, either. George, but I'm going to order this division. Troy Middleton must get backup."
Bradley then called his headquarters in Luxembourg and asked his chief of staff to order the 9th Army immediately. Move the 7th Armored Division from the Netherlands to the south.
He hung up the phone, and then Bradley and his staff studied the entire front - Versailles was inundated with telegrams coming from the front one after another. 80% of the messages have the same content - "The situation is completely out of control, the German army is launching a massive attack!".
But even so, no one in the Supreme Command of the Allied Expeditionary Force thought that this would be the biggest gamble operated by Hitler himself, a comprehensive attack with the purpose of recapturing Antwerp.
600, please help me guys...please support me with my first order!
(End of this chapter)