Volume 2, Chapter 14
Xu Jun took advantage of the cover of night to position the 78th Artillery Regiment"s artillery pieces and to camouflage up the position. Then near the front trenches were positioned some .
And then the remaining medium howitzers and the several 150mm self-propelled artillery pieces have all been withdrawn into the woods, two kilometers behind the main front line.
At this time, Xu Jun finally made contact with the other forces of the 7th Panzer Division.
The 7th Motorized Rifle Regiment had set their position three kilometers northwest of Xu Jun. However, they were defeated by the British and were even more miserable than the 6th Rifle Regiment. Their infantry was only left with one and a half camps, and only half of their light artillery remained.
Just as they were about to completely collapse, they heard the armored vehicles of the 38th Reconnaissance Battalion. Rushing onto the battlefield and rescuing the Germans. The unexpected reinforcements washed away the infantry battalion of the British Army’s 13th Brigade. Leaving behind two of their Matilda tanks.
And then the British again launched a counterattack at a critical moment. Luckily Rommel had included the 25th Panzer Regiment which was able to provide support and finally stabilize the front lines.
The 25th Panzer Regiment commanded by Colonel Karl Rothenburg are not directly linked to the main division. Later it was found out that the regiment was tightly pinned down and was unable to reinforce.
But Colonel Rothenburg finally sent a group of tanks to guard their right wings. Which made it impossible for the British to detour and divide the troops. Helping Xu Jun relieve some of his pressure.
The 37th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion had dispatched a joint armored vehicle to contact the 6th Motorized Rifle Regiment but were met with British anti-tank corps. Although they were not met with too much resistance, they were still unable to reach the regiment.
58th Engineering Battalion and supply line were further behind them. The British had blocked the dirt road and luckily the battalion was able to turn around and hide in the woods. Even now, they had not been found by the British. However, this leaves the issue that most of the engineers were stuck behind enemy lines, leaving Xu Jun dumbfounded.
The two junior officers finally manage to figure out the Enigma machine and connected to command. It seems everything is back on track.
Xu Jun looked at the map in front of him and a plan slowly emerged in his mind. Xu Jun drank the cup of coffee beside him, and then picked up a bottle of red wine on the table and poured himself a cup. Tomorrow morning, the main force will be ready to launch a counterattack, hopefully ending this entire battle.
Xu Jun put the cup before the officers and said, “Gentlemen, I have come up with a wonderful plan, I think we will become very busy tomorrow. So, I propose to take advantage of the current stalemate, to present a toast!” The gathered officers then quickly picked up their cups.
“So, to victory!” Xu Jun drank wine in a single gulp, his mouth exposed a faint malicious smile.
It has been a half days" time; General Rundstedt was almost driven mad. The disappearance of the Deputy Führer was already reported to Headquarters. Now both Hitler and military command sent an order to find Reinhardt von Straud. An order of the highest priority.
Then the arrival of several aircraft made Rundstedt even more worried, they reported that the Deputy Führer was even forced onto the battlefield, and that the local German forces were being attacked by enemy forces. If the Deputy Führer had the slightest mistake, he would be at best captured and at worst killed. Rundstedt was sure that Hitler and headquarters would not hesitate to punish him for the loss.
He desperately wanted to get in contact with Rommel’s 7th Panzer Division. However, no matter how hard he tried, communications were severed. Also, Rommel"s original plan was focused on breaking the enemy lines, making retreat difficult.
Rundstedt called for an emergency message be sent to General Georg-Hans Reinhardt, the commander of the 41st Panzer Corps, who were positioned to the 7th Panzer Division. Asking Reinhardt to send a force to rescue the 7th Panzer Division.
Asking a Reinhardt to rescue another Reinhardt, what kind of situation was this?