klisemfg Chapter 239 Kuang Zhengqi's Plan
Chapter 239 Kuang Zhengqi's Plan
The 6th Army comprised the 11th, 13th, 17th, 29th, and 34th Divisions, comprising one tank division, two armored divisions, and two motorized infantry divisions, along with subordinate artillery and engineering units, totaling over 1 personnel. The British provided the first batch of 2 Matilda II infantry tanks and Cromwell cruiser tanks, along with 2 American-made M-series tanks and tank destroyers trained in India, for a total of 118 vehicles. These included over 64 armored vehicles and vehicles, 172 anti-tank guns, and over 200 supporting artillery pieces. The most threatening weapons to the Germans were the 120 400mm 36-barrel rocket launchers and 122 12mm anti-tank guns. In addition, there were a number of close-range anti-tank rockets and grenades.
Kuang Zhengqi's first order was: "Concentrate all vehicles and armor in the entire army and immediately drive 30 miles to the front of the camp! Excavate the sand on the spot and fill it with support frames for fixed positions. This will serve as the foundation for establishing temporary blocking positions! The 13th and 17th Motorized Infantry Divisions will quickly join forces with the Army's direct-affiliated engineering regiment and deploy along these temporary positions. Engage in defensive operations."
"Collect as many sandbags as possible and build more! Not enough? Use all the spare clothes and tents!"
"The 11th Tank Division concentrated its American tanks to form a second line of defense. Each tank and tank destroyer was to be covered with as many sandbags as possible, and then buried in the sand, turning each tank into a short-range, mobile bunker."
"The soldiers of the 29th Armored Division are assigned to the main counterattack artillery squads. We need to use the manpower of an entire squad to mobilize these artillery pieces. This is our only weapon that can counter the German tanks. We must mobilize them as much as possible to achieve a mobile and rapid artillery bombardment!"
Kuang Zhengqi then ordered the 34th Armored Division to stand guard in the second line, waiting for the redundant tank crews from the other divisions to learn how to use the British tanks. This was Kuang Zhengqi's last ditch effort, and their last hope of defending the dignity of the flower-growing soldiers.
After making these arrangements, Kuang Zhengqi emphasized again: "All divisions must immediately return and make arrangements accordingly. At the same time, each division must evacuate as many young student soldiers as possible. Led by the army group's operations chief, they must retreat to the port of Venice. Wait there for the arrival of the tanks. If we can't hold this place and the entire front collapses, then we will follow the US troops in their retreat!"
Kuang Zhengqi finally said with a serious face, "Everyone here has experienced brutal battles back home, but this time, the situation we face is tens, if not hundreds, of times more severe. I will fight on the front lines with you all. Even if I die on the battlefield, I will defend the dignity of the military!"
Li Mo'an was fully aware of the profound meaning of Kuang Zhengqi's arrangement, and was also aware of the seriousness of the current situation. The Sixth Army had no way out, and they could only fight to the death in order to have a chance of survival. It was a dead end anyway, so why bother saying more? He looked at the group of bewildered generals in front of him, slammed the table, and shouted angrily: "What are you still standing there for? Go and make arrangements! Everyone, please remember, this is an overseas battle, and you must not play any tricks. I have Chief of Staff Kuang supervising, and I am responsible for supervising you. If anyone dares to make small moves on the battlefield, don't blame me for being ruthless and ungrateful!"
The entire 6th Army immediately fell into disarray. Li Mo'an ordered the Military Court to organize the guard battalion and some of the direct-affiliated units into a military police unit. He ordered all levels of the General Staff to follow Chief of Staff Kuang's instructions and deploy to each division to urge them to carry out his orders. For a moment, the briefly chaotic units sped up. The area around the 6th Army camp immediately became a sea of people, vehicles, and sand, like a rising sandstorm, obscuring everything...
Pu Zhengsong was about to board a US military plane bound for Egypt when he heard the news and immediately disembarked. He ordered his entourage to return and deploy as many personnel as possible in accordance with Commander Kuang's request. He then quickly drove back to Gabes, where he would join Kuang Zhengqi and the others in a desperate battle.
Eisenhower clearly realized that the poorly prepared Chinese 6th Army alone could not withstand a 24-hour attack by the German fast columns. He forced the nearby 7th Armored Division to rush over, ordering it to accept Kuang Zhengqi's command and defend Gabès to the death. Eisenhower's actions were not out of pity for the Chinese, but rather he needed them, along with the 7th Division, to buy the US military time and opportunity. A large number of US tanks and armor were arriving from the sea, requiring time to unload and then form combat units for combat. Similarly, if the city could not be held, the US would use these transport ships to evacuate as many troops as possible from Tunisia.
The US Air Force in North Africa also mobilized at full speed. Fighter and attack aircraft recklessly attacked the Germans, attempting to slow their advance by any means necessary. Transport aircraft also took action, dropping whatever obstacles and supplies they could onto the front lines of the Chinese positions. For greater effectiveness, they even directly inserted coastal triangular piers, and abandoned armored tanks were their primary transport.
With the all-out assault by both China and the United States, in just three hours, they had established a 6-kilometer-long, 30-kilometer-deep defensive position at the front of the 5th Army's base. Due to the reckless attacks of American aircraft, the Germans arrived in Gabès two hours later than planned. Before them lay a seemingly chaotic, yet eerie, long defensive position.
Lieutenant General von Arnim, Rommel's right-hand man, was once again in high demand, commanding the fast column. He raced all the way to Gabes and, upon seeing what was happening, was horrified. His staff had briefed him on the situation, and he knew they were facing another group of Chinese. The same people who had brought him such a terrible defeat were once again before him.
"Damn the Chinese, damn the Kuang! Are we the sworn enemy of our past lives?" Von Arnim cursed silently. He was determined to slaughter these Chinese and sacrifice them for the Tunisian campaign.
The staff officer continued to report the intelligence he had gathered to von Arnim: "Commander, the enemy is mainly infantry. They can't stop our advance with these temporary positions. This is clearly an American conspiracy. They are using these Chinese to buy themselves time!"
Von Arnim agreed with the staff officer's analysis, but the Chinese deployment wasn't entirely meaningless. If the troops couldn't launch their offensive in one go, it would be fatal for von Arnim. After all, a fast-paced armored assault force, trapped in such a battlefield, would be tantamount to giving up its advantages.