"Ahead is the defense area where the Italian 'Arriete' Armored Division is stationed." The combat staff officer with a serious face pointed to the corresponding position on the map and reported seriously. There was a hint of solemnity in that tone. After all, the three words "armored division" represented a combat effectiveness that should not be underestimated. "Armored division?" Upon hearing this, Bula's eyes widened immediately, with a look of surprise on his face. He knew very well that he was only leading infantry troops. In terms of equipment, it cannot be compared with the armored division. At most, there are only a few trucks, which are used to transport supplies. They are not considered combat equipment at all. There are only a few infantry fighting vehicles. As for tanks, the number is even more pitiful, and they are mainly light tanks. These light tanks are really not enough when facing truly powerful armor forces. So when he heard that it was an armored division, Bu La subconsciously felt a little scared. Others may not understand the power of the armored division, but he is like a mirror in his heart. Once the armored division launches a charge, it will go on a rampage. It must be extremely powerful, like a torrent of steel, and it is difficult to stop it. And this is not an ordinary armored division, this is an armored division of a great power. Needless to say, its combat effectiveness must be very strong. Its combat capabilities, equipment level, and soldiers' military literacy and other aspects must be far ahead of our own infantry unit. Up. And indeed it is. This "Arriete" armored division is one of the three major armored divisions in Italy. It is the elite of the elite and has a well-known name in the entire Italian army. Even famous generals like Marshal Rommel of the German Army, who had great vision and great military exploits, praised him highly. This shows that the strength of this unit cannot be underestimated.
However, the "Ariette" division at this time was not at full strength. Since the 32nd Tank Regiment was temporarily transferred away, only the 132nd Tank Regiment was left, and there were only about 130 M13/40 tanks. Although the number is slightly smaller than when it was fully equipped, even so, it is still an extremely powerful and difficult opponent for Bu La and their infantry unit. "Can we go around it?" Bula frowned, and after thinking for a while, he asked with a trace of luck. He thought that since the "Ariette" armored division had no chance of winning head-on, if he could go around and avoid this powerful opponent, he might be able to move forward smoothly. "I'm afraid I won't be able to get around it for a while." The combat staff guessed his thoughts at once, shook his head helplessly, and said slowly with a wry smile on his face. He also knew in his heart that Bu La was asking this question because he had no choice but to do so, but the reality did not allow them to do so. "Why." Bu La had a puzzled look on his face. He really couldn't figure out why he couldn't go around. Is there any other obstacle around here? So he quickly asked, his eyes full of doubts. "Because we don't carry enough supplies. If we go around, I'm afraid we will die of thirst before we reach our destination." The combat staff explained patiently. He knew that when fighting in this desert area, water sources were a top priority. Without water, the soldiers would not be able to hold on for long, let alone march and fight. In this desert area, within a radius of dozens of kilometers, only this military town in front of us has water sources and a series of other materials to maintain the survival and combat of the troops. If they choose to go around, their weak logistics supplies will not be able to support the troops to the next place where supplies are replenished. By then, they may really die of thirst on the road, let alone complete the combat mission. Fighting with the enemy. "This is indeed a troublesome thing, but in front of us is an Italian armored division. I'm afraid we won't be able to take it down for a while." Bu La said with a worried face. He knew in his heart that if he encountered an ordinary army, with the soldiers he led and some tactics and strategies, he might be able to fight, and he wouldn't be so worried. But who knows that the opponent is an armored division? That powerful armored force cannot be easily broken through and defeated. If there were other ordinary troops guarding here, he would not be as frightened and timid as he is now, but the reality is that he has encountered such a difficult situation, which is really a headache. "Sir, why do we have to go around it? Can't we attack directly?" the combat staff asked with a puzzled look on his face, frowning. In his opinion, there are many difficulties in taking a detour, but although a frontal attack is difficult, he might be able to find a way out, so he is a little confused about Bu La's idea of taking a detour. "How to attack by force? With the little weapons and equipment we have, how can we fight against an armored division?" Bula shook his head helplessly, with a wry smile on his face. He was not optimistic about this matter at all. There are mostly infantry on our side, and their equipment is poor. The firepower of light tanks is simply not enough to face the steel torrent of armored divisions. If they attack rashly, it will be like hitting an egg with a stone. They will probably be beaten before they can get close to the opponent. Everything was broken, so he couldn't even think about storming this road. At this moment, a soldier hurriedly walked in with a very different look on his face. He was nervous and slightly surprised. Bu La couldn't help but be a little surprised and wondered what was going on. "What's wrong?" Bula asked quickly, staring at the soldier closely, feeling a faint feeling of uneasiness in his heart.
"Sir, the Italians on the other side have sent people over." The soldier explained quickly, with a hint of surprise in his voice. After all, on this battlefield, the other side suddenly sent people over, and no one knew what they were doing. It was really surprising. "What?" Bu La was stunned for a moment, his eyes widened with disbelief on his face. He really didn't expect that the Italian army on the opposite side would actually send people over at this time. This was beyond his expectation. What's the meaning? Why did you send someone here? Could it be a negotiation? No way? Several thoughts flashed through Bu Lai's mind instantly, and he was full of doubts. He couldn't figure out what medicine the other party was selling in this gourd. "Sir, should we let the other party in first? See what they are trying to do?" the combat staff officer was relatively calm and reminded him quickly. He felt that no matter what the other party's purpose was, it would be better to let them in first and understand the situation than to make blind guesses here. "Well, you are right, then let the other party come in first." Bu La came back to his senses and nodded. He felt that what the combat staff said made sense. At the moment, he could only see what the other party wanted to do. Not long after, an Italian major walked in with steady steps. He first looked at everyone in the room. When he saw the unflattering military rank, his eyes lit up, but then he frowned with curiosity on his face. Asked: "Are you a . military?" It's not surprising that he asked this question. In fact, Bu La and others are all wearing . military uniforms. Judging from their appearance, it's not too much to say they are . troops. "What's the matter?" Bu La was naturally a little dissatisfied. He frowned and his tone was a bit cold, but he still asked. After hearing this, the translator next to him immediately translated the words to the Italian major. Hearing English, the Italian major did not feel surprised. After all, on such a battlefield, it is very common for the languages of various countries to meet. He cleared his throat and continued to speak unhurriedly: "My commander sent me here to communicate with you. Can you take a detour or stop advancing and let us go?" He conveyed the meaning of the commander's instructions. , I also hope that the other party will agree to this request, so that they can avoid a fierce battle. Hearing this, Bu La was stunned, his eyes widened, his face full of disbelief. I thought to myself, this Italian is so funny, he actually wants us to take a detour? Are you going to let me go? Why don't you just surrender? Wouldn't that be better? He really felt that this request was a bit ridiculous. He had a mission on his side, so how could he just do what the other party said so easily. "Impossible." Bu La shook his head and rejected the proposal without hesitation, with a very firm attitude. He continued: "The task I received is to occupy this important military town. Seeing that you are so sincere, you can retreat. I can guarantee that we will never pursue you." Bu La thought, since you are scared, it would be a wise choice for you to take the initiative to retreat, so that the two sides do not have to fight, and you can successfully complete the mission. Hearing this, the Italian major's face naturally became a little ugly. The main reason why they made such a request was that they were afraid that they would not be able to defeat the other party. After all, the intelligence they received showed that the other party had 200,000 to 300,000 people coming, and there was support from the United Kingdom and the United States behind it. This meant that the other party must have strong backing in terms of numbers of troops, equipment and supplies, etc. , the combat effectiveness will definitely not be bad. Maybe the force in front of them is just the vanguard, deliberately luring them to attack. If they act rashly, it will be terrible if the other party takes the opportunity to surround them from all directions and make dumplings for themselves. This is exactly That's what they're most worried about. But they didn't dare to retreat without permission. After all, they were fighting in coordination with the Germans. If they just retreated, they would have no way to explain to the Germans. The Germans would not let them go easily, which put them in a trap. We were in a very difficult situation, neither advancing nor retreating, and for a moment we didn’t know what to do. "Can't we discuss it?" The Italian major clearly didn't give up and wanted to fight for it again. He looked at Bu La eagerly, with a trace of expectation in his eyes, hoping that the other party would change his mind. But in the end, Bu La shook his head and refused without hesitation. His attitude was still very firm, and his meaning was very clear. They could either choose to retreat or prepare to fight to the end. There was no other room for negotiation. When the Italian major saw this posture, he immediately became angry and thought to himself, hum, how disrespectful are you? After all, I communicated with sincerity, so why didn’t I give him any room for change? He was completely irritated this time, his face turned red, his eyes were round and full of anger. However, he also knew in his heart that judging from the other party's attitude, there was really no room for maneuver, and it would be useless to continue to pester him. "Then I'll see you on the battlefield." The Italian major gritted his teeth and said these words viciously, then turned around and left angrily, with a look of anger and unwillingness in his back. Bu La was left standing there with a confused face. He really didn't understand what the Italian army was thinking. We were polite to discuss it just now, but now we have fallen out with each other. This change must have been too fast, like a lunatic, and unpredictable.
"Why is he acting like a lunatic?" Bula couldn't help complaining. He scratched his head, his face full of helplessness and confusion. He really couldn't understand the logic of this Italian's actions. Well, not only him, but everyone else in the command headquarters also looked confused. Everyone looked at me, and I looked at you, with the same confusion in their eyes. No one expected that things would turn out. developed like this. "Sir? Why don't you report the situation here to the headquarters?" After thinking for a while, the combat staff couldn't help but ask. He felt that this matter was quite difficult. They couldn't make up their minds, so they had to listen to what the higher-ups said. Maybe the headquarters could have a better way to deal with it. "Well, let's report it first. Let's see what Chief Cun says. These powers really don't understand." Bu La scratched his head, still feeling that this matter was too complicated. He really couldn't handle it, so he could only report the situation first. The commander is waiting for instructions. "Yes." The combat staff responded, and then hurried to sort out the relevant situation and prepare to report to the headquarters. Cun Yunsheng on the other side was stunned for a moment after receiving the non-spicy telegram. His first reaction was also confusion. He kept muttering in his heart, what kind of medicine was this Italian selling in his gourd? How could he propose such a thing to let people touch it? It’s a nonsensical request. But soon, he had a second reaction, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, isn't this a British script? He frowned and thought about it carefully. If he remembered correctly, the British had done something similar to this later. At that time, it was also the Italian armored division that asked the British troops to take a detour and not provoke them. But the British were also stubborn and refused the other side's request without hesitation, not taking the Italian army's words seriously at all. As a result, what everyone did not expect was that after the war started, the Italian armored division was very aggressive and its combat effectiveness was overwhelming. It beat the British hard at once and left the British army in a state of disarray. But what was even more unexpected was what happened next. After the Italian army defeated the British army, they actually surrendered on their own initiative. They also built a prisoner-of-war camp by themselves and locked themselves in it. This operation could destroy the British army. The British army was immediately stunned, and the British army was also in disbelief at the time. They couldn't figure out what the Italian army was doing. (End of chapter)