12dz Chapter 245: Life-and-Death Battle
Chapter 245: Life-and-Death Battle
The devastating roar of artillery fire resounded through the air once again. The area surrounding the 6th Army's barracks was instantly engulfed in explosions, filling the air with smoke and yellow sand, rising to the horizon. In the skies above, the air forces of the United States, Britain, Germany, and Italy engaged in a life-or-death struggle. From time to time, planes, trailing billowing clouds of smoke and emitting piercing screams, plummeted to the ground like birds with broken wings. Huge explosions formed terrifying mushroom clouds of fire that rose hundreds and thousands of meters.
Li Mo'an knew full well that this was an all-out German assault, a life-or-death battle. Without hesitation, he issued orders to his troops: "Fight to the death!" The chief of staff immediately called the artillery behind him: "Don't hold back, fire with all your might!"
A 76mm anti-tank gun with a 52x scope was quickly deployed on a sand dune, hauled by over twenty soldiers. The gunner, before the gun had even fully stabilized, decisively gave the order to fire. However, the sand dune prevented the gun from leveling. Without hesitation, seven or eight soldiers lifted the gun with their bodies. The gun spun rapidly, steadily aiming at a German Leopard G.
"Fire!" With the gunner's command, a resounding "boom!" erupted as the shells blasted out like lightning. The powerful recoil knocked the soldiers carrying the gun carriage to the ground, some spitting out mouthfuls of blood. "Move!" the gunner roared, and the soldiers, regardless of their injuries, quickly scrambled to their feet, pulled up their cannons, ducked down the sand dunes, and sprinted to another position.
The Panther tank, struck by the impact, instantly erupted in flames. The surrounding German tanks, noticing the anti-tank guns that had attacked them, quickly adjusted their muzzles. "Boom—boom—" shells rained down on the sand dunes. The blast instantly lifted the dunes, sending dust billowing into the air, seemingly threatening to engulf the world. The soldiers struggled forward through the dust, their figures appearing and disappearing, as if racing against death.
Ignoring the constant shelling and explosions around them, several Chinese soldiers bravely rushed into the already chaotic battlefield, using the burning, destroyed tank wreckage for cover as they approached step by step a German tank hidden in the ruins. Their purpose was very clear: to blow it up, even at the cost of their own lives.
The German tanks had discovered these Chinese soldiers. They were hit in the tracks and could no longer move. The tank commander kept calling for help, while the gunner and the reloading officer kept turning the turret and using machine guns to suppress the approach of the Chinese soldiers.
However, these Chinese soldiers were completely prepared for death. As one fell, another rushed out, within seven or eight meters of the tank. The driver, terrified, quickly opened the chassis door, unconcerned with the captain and the others, and rolled out, scrambling swiftly and running in the other direction. A Chinese soldier lit a Molotov cocktail and, with all his might, hurled it at the tank.
"Bang!" The Molotov cocktail shattered upon contact with the tank, and a massive flame immediately engulfed the entire tank. However, before the soldier could even rejoice for a second, a German armored vehicle arrived, and a hail of MG43 bullets ripped through the soldier, splattering countless blood and flesh.
The German armored vehicle was not in a better situation. Two rockets flew out from its left and right sides, immediately blowing it up into the sky.
The battlefield reached a stalemate. Some German tanks had already broken through the 6th Army's positions, seemingly opening a path to the west. However, more German troops were pinned down, especially the grenadiers and armored vehicles. They were unable to deploy along the breaching German tanks, let alone expand and break through the Chinese positions. As a last resort, the German tanks that had broken through the positions circled back, attempting to defeat the Chinese troops still resisting the counterattack. However, this simply trapped them in the quagmire.
Von Arnim gazed at all this from afar and exclaimed in amazement: "Oh my God, what kind of army are these? Are they made of steel?" According to Western logic, the position has been breached, how can flesh and blood withstand the impact of the steel behemoth.
However, they happened to encounter these Chinese. Through his telescope, he witnessed a soldier with a broken arm, holding a mine, and resolutely rolling into the chassis of a Panther tank. With a deafening roar, he and the tank disappeared from von Arnim's sight...
A German lieutenant general approached von Arnim. This man was obviously the commander of the German tank corps in the fast column. He said to von Arnim with a worried look on his face: "Commander, we can't continue to act recklessly like this. If we continue like this, even if we break through the defense line, it will be meaningless to advance westward."
Von Arnim knew the lieutenant general was right. Given the current situation, he couldn't get through unless he completely routed the Chinese. However, even if he managed to completely route the Chinese, his fast column would likely have already suffered heavy losses, making it a sitting duck for the US Second Army.
But he did not dare to disobey Rommel's order. Moreover, evacuating from here would be tantamount to announcing the end of his military career. At this moment, a staff officer ran over like lightning and shouted at the top of his voice: "Urgent telegram from the Marshal!"
Von Arnim hurriedly took the telegram and read it: Von Arnim, your troops must immediately break contact with the Chinese army and return to Tripoli. The British 8th Army has retreated from the sea.
Von Arnim knew exactly what this meant: the German-Italian Afrika Korps had completely occupied Liberia. With their sharp edge already lost, there was no point in engaging the Chinese in a desperate battle. The US and Britain would never give up Tunisia so easily. The German front was overstretched, and a retreat was inevitable.
The Germans retreated in disgrace, leaving behind a devastated battlefield stretching dozens of miles from Gabes to the military camp. The Chinese Expeditionary Force's Sixth Army, at the cost of nearly 6 casualties, stubbornly held off what was arguably the most formidable attacking group of the German North African Army. They also left behind over 4 wrecked tanks and over 300 casualties. Most of these tanks were Tiger and Panther G tanks, all German mainstays. This battle profoundly impacted the subsequent North African campaign.
Li Mo'an, commander of the 6th Army, also died here. His temporary command post was directly hit by a German howitzer. No one survived, including him, his guards, combat staff and more than a dozen others.
Kuang Zhengqi rushed to the 6th Army's temporary headquarters. Chief of Staff Du Weihan sat on the side, weeping but unable to cry. Even Kuang Zhengqi's arrival remained unmoved. The 6th Army suffered heavy casualties, including the commander and three division commanders. This was the heaviest loss for an army group since the Chinese War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.