"The head of state..." Zeitzler was a little anxious, "Are we also giving up the oil resources in the Caucasus? We finally captured Rostov and opened the door to the Caucasus."
"The two strategic priorities on the southern flank of the Eastern Front will make us focus on one and lose the other!" Hoffman said decisively, "Our focus is to eliminate Stalin's heavily armed group. Oil resources are not the focus, at least not at this stage. In fact, the Caucasus is a It is a very important strategic fulcrum, not only because there is oil there, but also because the British and Americans supply blood to the Russians through the Caspian Sea and the Iranian passage, and we must cut off this line."
"If we all switch to defense, Stalin may get the respite he dreams of and even recover faster." Guderian chose his words carefully, but his anxiety was obvious. "At that time, it will bring us more strength." A lot of pressure."
"Gentlemen, I know Stalin better than you. Once we retreat, he will not just rest in place. For him, early recovery of the land occupied by us is the only way for him to restore his authority. As long as we have a little If he shows some signs of retreat, he will definitely pounce on us, just like the Battle of Demyansk this spring and the Timoshenko Offensive in the summer." Hoffman smiled coldly, "What's more, we are on the Eastern Front Going defensive does not mean we do nothing, we will shift our strategic focus in other directions, and then the British and Americans will kick his ass."
"What does the head of state mean?" Guderian and Zeitzler were lost in thought at the same time. Could it be that the head of state wants to resume the "Sea Lion" program, but this is an even more difficult goal to achieve.
"My goal is the southern front." Hoffman stood up and pointed out in the habitual tone of the head of state, "In North Africa and the Mediterranean, our troops are too weak, and the poor Italians are even more vulnerable. We can't count on them at all. No, but we are facing the British who are several times more numerous and better equipped than us. What's more, intelligence shows that the Americans are planning to land in North Africa. If we don't want to face a two-front war like the last war , this hidden danger must be eliminated as soon as possible."
Every day, all kinds of contradictory, vague, and full of loopholes in intelligence are presented to the head of state. Of course, there is no shortage of insights, but most of them are guesses, arbitrary and conjectures. However, since Hoffman is a time traveler, Naturally, we can tell which ones are useful and which ones are out-and-out garbage - the Battle of El Alamein is imminent, and the "Torch" landing of the US military in North Africa is also close at hand. If we don't adjust, it will really be over. So he took the opportunity to understand the situation, select all reliable inferences, and make strategic adjustments based on them.
Hoffman pretended to smile mysteriously: "There is another great harvest in North Africa. There are oil fields in Libya and Algeria that have considerable reserves and are not difficult to exploit. The British and French had exploration records before the war. Just because of the exploitation The cost was higher than in the Middle East, so we didn't do it – only the stupid and lazy Italians were kept in the dark."
"Führer, is this true?" Guderian also stood up excitedly. As an armored group commander, he was very aware of the importance of oil in combat. When he heard such good news, he could not sit still. live.
Zeitzler suddenly realized: He originally thought that the head of state's new North Africa strategy was to open up oil channels to the Middle East and then surround the Russians from the flanks, but now it seems that it is a completely new package plan. If North Africa really has oil as the head of state said and it is not difficult to extract it, then the strategic value of the southern route will be greatly improved. Compared with the direction of Stalingrad, the strategic position will not be so prominent.
"Another advantage of fighting in North Africa is that we can fight the British on land, which they are not good at." Hoffman waved his arms enthusiastically, "It is easier to kill a British guy in the desert than to kill a British guy on an island. many."
"Rommel will definitely cheer for the Führer's wise decision when he knows this news." Although Guderian had a smile on his face, he could not hide the sour taste at all costs.
"It's not him, it's you!" Hoffman smiled broadly and his voice was full of temptation. "Rommel has been suffering from stomach problems recently. I am determined to let him rest for a while. I want to appoint you as the reorganized Imperial Africa Army." Commander, are you willing to take full command of all land operations in the African and Mediterranean theaters?"
"I am willing to serve you, Führer!" Guderian stood at attention with a snap, standing up straight, with a very excited expression. Although the position of the commander of the African Army Group does not seem to be comparable to the positions of the three major army groups on the Eastern Front, if As the head of state said, it is also exciting to be able to take charge of the North African front.
"Führer, what is my combat goal? How many reinforcements can I get?" After being excited, Guderian felt a little uneasy when he thought of the weak strength of the African Army's current two armored divisions and one light infantry division (both of which were understaffed).
"Taking into account the needs of combat in desert areas, I am going to send you two additional armored divisions and three motorized infantry divisions, and strive to have them in place within a month. The specific numbers will be dispatched after Zeitzler's appointment is issued tomorrow." Since Adjusting it to a key strategic direction, Hoffman's investment is not small. "By the end of the year, in addition to gradually replenishing battle losses, you can also continue to count on the support of 2 armored divisions and 4 motorized infantry divisions. These troops will They are all German troops. I have a comprehensive plan for the southern front. There will be corresponding strategic measures at sea and in the air, and there will be corresponding coordination with the Italians. At least you will not let the Italians hold you back. But your The goals are also very arduous. There are two in total. The first is to defeat the British North African Army and occupy Egypt; the second is to repel a possible landing attempt by the Americans. If these two goals can be achieved, we can effectively protect the mining areas that will be mined. of North African oil fields without intrusion from land."
"Do a good job!" Hoffman patted Guderian on the shoulder, "Rommel received the marshal's scepter because he captured Tobruk. I believe your achievements will not be inferior to his."
"Yes, head of state! I will do my best for this." Guderian's excitement was beyond words.
"General Zeitzler, your task is also very heavy." After explaining Guderian's task, Hoffmann ordered, "I am determined to adjust or establish three front headquarters, UU Reading www.uukanshu.com Western Front The General Headquarters is responsible for commanding the troops from Norway to France and the mainland. The Eastern Front is responsible for all troops from Finland to Crimea. The Southern Front is responsible for Africa, the Mediterranean and the Balkans. All the institutional settings and troop affiliations that originally conflicted with this have to be replaced. Re-adjustment. We must take advantage of the favorable opportunity when the Russian frontline shifts to offensive defense to complete the reorganization and replenishment of the troops, and make unified adjustments and enrichment of the troop establishment. It is not appropriate to form new units at this stage. The minimum standard of our military's combat effectiveness should be increased after the adjustment , one division of our army should overwhelm a Russian corps, and should be able to withstand the attack of a Russian infantry group during defensive operations. By the end of this year, more than half of the 180 divisions on the Russian frontline should have completed their reorganization tasks, and by the spring of 1943 It should be all done by the turn of the summer - that's when we'll settle the score with Stalin."
Zeitzler looked embarrassed: "Dear head of state, I can find a way to replenish institutions, personnel and materials, but I am afraid there will be a considerable gap in technical weapons, especially tanks and artillery."
"I will ask Speer to find a way for arms production, and the reorganization must not be delayed." Hoffman waved his hand, "In my name, I will inform you to hold a strategic meeting tomorrow night. Personnel at the level of chief of staff and above of each group army will participate. You will explain the future." The strategic policy is to act immediately once the direction is determined, our enemies will not give us much time."
The dinner ended quickly, and Guderian and Zeitzler realized that they had once again listened to the head of state talking incessantly for more than an hour. However, what was very different from the previous boredom and boredom was that both of them felt The spirit is extremely high - the excitement of being used in a big way.
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