At the end of the telegram: "You can point out to your subordinates that there is no other way but victory or death."
Rommel read the message, utterly confused. Sometimes he flew into a rage, and sometimes he flew into a rage. He knew that the German situation was not good now, but as long as he saved his strength, withdrew his troops to Matru Port and used favorable terrain to confront the British, he still had hope of turning over.
Now Hitler explicitly forbids him to retreat, which is undoubtedly tantamount to suicide.
"What should I do?" Rommel asked himself over and over again.
Rommel once drafted a reply: "My Fuhrer, I will always obey your orders. But I am at a loss between blind obedience and responsibility. " But this call back has never been sent.
He thought that as Hitler's favorite, he must obey orders.
He picked up the receiver: "General Toma, listen, the Fuehrer called and ordered us to do our best to insist,' No victory or death, there is no other way. " "
Thomas replied, "Marshal, a total withdrawal is the only wise choice."
"No," Rommel rudely interrupted him. "You should spare no effort to fight and carry out this command among the soldiers. The troops must stick to the last soldier. "
"So, Marshal, shall we remove the tanks first and then regroup?" "no! Can't withdraw! " Rommel roared into the microphone: "The Fuehrer ordered us not to retreat, but to defend ourselves to the end."
"Yes, obey orders."
Then, Rommel ordered the armored forces to defend themselves and be loyal to the opposition.
He put down the receiver gently, sat down at the table and began to write a short message to his beloved wife: "Dear Lucy, I don't believe it. I almost no longer believe that we will end in victory." Our life and death are in the hands of God. Farewell, Lucy, farewell, my child ... "
He stuffed all his savings-25,000 Italian lira, about 60 dollars-into the envelope and asked Captain Bernd, who was about to leave for Vienna, to give it to Lucy safely. And some secret documents.
He's ready to die.
165438+1At 7: 25 a.m. on October 4, Marshal Kaiserling, commander-in-chief of the German southern line, flew to Rommel camp. He came to cheer up the troops.
As soon as Rommel saw Catherine, he reported, "The Fuehrer's orders were carried out effortlessly."
"Good," Kathleen praised. "The Fuehrer naturally learned a profound lesson from the Russian battlefield: sticking to the existing firm position is always the best strategy."
"How many tanks do you have now?" Catherine then asked with concern.
"There are only 22 cars left." Rommel answered coldly.
"Is there really only 22 cars left?" Kathleen frowned at once, and sweat oozed from her forehead. "It seems that I am insist on not bottom go to. I always think that we should be flexible with the Fuehrer's orders. "
Rommel stubbornly replied: "No, the military orders are like mountains, and we must resolutely implement them."
"But the Fuehrer never wants you and your soldiers to die here. The Third Reich still needs you. " Catherine retorted.
"I think the best way to keep the North African army is to take the tactics of fighting and withdrawing," Rommel said sadly. "However, I can't carry out his orders until the Fuehrer makes a definite amendment."
"Call back the head of state immediately and tell him that the troops suffered heavy casualties and could no longer hold the line of defense. The only way to save strength in Africa for a comeback in the future is to fight and withdraw, "Kathleen said eagerly. "Besides, I will cable the Fuehrer about it."
Rommel did send a telegram to Hitler. At the same time, he still carried out stick-to-stick orders for hours.
Soon, the Italian army began to flee desperately.
At noon, Baierling ran into the underground bomb shelter and breathlessly reported to Rommel: "Your Excellency Marshal Yuan, General von Thomas ... had an accident."
Rommel jumped up like a spring and asked eagerly, "What's the matter? Say it quickly. "
"General von Thomas thought the Fuehrer was crazy, so he ordered him to stick to it. He hung up all the medals and went to the most fierce place by tank. " Belle picked up the glass and took a sip of water, then said, "I drove after him immediately after I learned it, and all I saw along the way were piles of burning tanks, bodies and anti-tank guns." When I saw him from a distance and was about to catch up with him, British tanks came to meet me. I clearly saw General Thomas holding a small canvas bag in his hand. "
"I clearly see that Thomas intends to vote for the British, otherwise his family will suffer." Westphal closed his eyes and shook his head.
165438+1on the evening of October 4th, at the British Eighth Army Command.
Montgomery is having dinner with the captured African corps commander von Thomas. They talked about the fighting in September and the ongoing war together.
After dinner, Montgomery immediately cleared the table, then took out a map of the Egyptian desert and spread it on the table. He said to von Thomas, "Our troops will approach Fukai tonight. what do you think? What will you do with it? General von Thomas? "
However, Von Thomas just said, "Very serious, indeed very serious." (According to Westphal's later recollection, in a later battle, Rommel's troops seized some British documents, including an intelligence summary report of the British Eighth Army, which read: Thomas accepted Montgomery's invitation, and after dinner, * * * told Rommel all about his future plans. )
On the same night, Rommel gave the order to retreat without waiting for Hitler's orders.
Early the next morning, Hitler's retreat agreement was delivered to Rommel, but it was too late.
In this way, Rommel's 70,000 troops began a difficult retreat and began a 2000-mile expedition.
Montgomery finally won the battle of El Alamein. This is a brilliant victory, a turning point in the African battlefield and one of the major turning points in the whole World War II. Since then, the British began to enter the counterattack. The day of the demise of the German Afrika Korps is not far away.
Alaman is not only Rommel's birthplace, but also his sad place. However, when he is sad, it is the wedding day of people all over the world, because the death knell of the devil fascism has sounded.