Anti-Japanese War: My equipment is infinitely refreshed

The defense line built by the German-Italian coalition in Tunisia seemed indestructible, but in fact it was already full of contradictions, like a dangerous building that was about to collapse.

The Italian army, a force that has always been in an awkward situation during the war, is now in an unprecedented predicament.

Their supply lines were long and fragile, like a candle in the wind, and could go out at any time.

Supplies were extremely scarce, the soldiers were starving and their morale was at its lowest, like eggplants hit by frost.

In sharp contrast, the German army still maintains a certain advantage on the battlefield thanks to its efficient logistics support system and advanced and powerful military equipment.

However, this advantage could not conceal the deepening and irreconcilable rift between the German and Italian coalition forces, which was like a chasm between the two.

The Italian commander, General Messe, a middle-aged general with gray hair and haggard face, was sitting in a makeshift and slightly shabby headquarters tent, his brows tightly knitted into the shape of a "川" character.

Spread out in front of him was a huge map of the North African battlefield, densely packed with thumbtacks of various colors, marking the troop deployments of both sides.

His finger moved slowly across the map, from the area where the Italian army's defense was weak and full of loopholes, to the area where the German army was heavily concentrated and guarded, and finally stopped at the route where the Allied forces were steadily advancing.

He knew very well that if they continued to resist in this hopeless manner, the Italian army would undoubtedly be completely swallowed up and reduced to ashes.

"General, we can't just sit here and wait for death." Adjutant Antonio Vitali hurried into the tent and broke the oppressive silence.

His face was filled with anxiety and worry, and his eyes revealed a deep fear of the future. "The soldiers have lost their fighting spirit and are like lambs to be slaughtered. Our ammunition is running out, and the food can only last for two days. If this continues, we will all die here."

General Messer slowly raised his head and looked at his adjutant, with a trace of painful struggle in his eyes.

How could he not be aware of the dire situation at hand? But as a soldier, the word "surrender" was like a heavy shackle in his heart, tightly binding his heart.

"But, Vitali, surrender means betraying the Axis powers. Our honor...what about our years of perseverance?" His voice was low and hoarse, as if squeezed out from the depths of his soul.

"Honor?" Vitali was so emotional that he couldn't help but interrupt the general. "General, in such a cruel and meaningless war, what honor can we talk about? Our soldiers are suffering, and their lives are being ruthlessly consumed, like candles in the wind, which may be extinguished at any time. We are soldiers, but we are human beings first. We have the responsibility to protect them, not let them die in vain." There was a hint of sob in his words, and his eyes were slightly red.

General Messe was silent, his eyes slowly falling on the map again.

Outside the tent, there were the weak coughs of soldiers and the dull roar of vehicles. These intertwined sounds seemed like the death movement played by war.

After a long time, he slowly spoke, with a hint of helplessness and fatigue in his voice: "Call the main officers, let's hold a meeting and discuss countermeasures together."

The meeting was held secretly in a tent. The atmosphere was so tense and oppressive that it made people feel breathless, as if the air was frozen.

The officers sat around the table, each with a completely different expression on their face, but one thing was the same, that is, deep confusion and fear about the future, their eyes were full of helplessness.

General Messe spoke first. He analyzed the current serious situation in a clear, detailed and in-depth manner, and finally put forward the idea of ​​surrender with difficulty.

As soon as this proposal was made, it was like throwing a huge rock into a calm lake, instantly causing a thousand waves.

"Surrender? This is absolutely not possible!" A young and energetic officer stood up angrily, his hands clenched into fists, his face flushed red, "We are Italian soldiers, shouldering the honor and mission of the country, how can we surrender to the enemy? We should fight to the end and die on the battlefield!" His voice was full of unwillingness and anger.

"Fight to the end?" Another older officer laughed coldly with a hint of sarcasm on his face, "What can we fight with? Our ammunition is only enough to last for one day, and the food is only enough to last for two days. Do you want the soldiers to die hungry and unarmed? What's the difference between that and suicide?" His words were like a sharp blade, piercing the young officer's heart.

"But..." The young officer wanted to refute, but was stopped by General Messer with a wave of his hand.

"I understand how you feel," General Messe said slowly, his voice low and firm, "but we have to face reality. If we continue to fight, we will have no chance of winning, and more soldiers will lose their precious lives and become victims of the war. Although surrender is painful and humiliating, like rubbing salt into the wound, it can at least save everyone's lives and give them a chance to return home alive." His eyes revealed a trace of reluctance and helplessness.

The officers fell silent, each of them engaged in a fierce ideological struggle deep in his heart, weighing the pros and cons.

Finally, after a heated discussion, most officers agreed to the proposal of surrender, with helplessness and relief on their faces.

At the same time, the atmosphere in Cun Yunsheng's headquarters seemed particularly relaxed and cheerful, forming a sharp contrast with the depressing atmosphere on the German-Italian side.

At this moment, Cun Yunsheng was standing in front of a huge battle map, listening carefully to the intelligence officer's report.

"Commander, according to the latest intelligence, there are serious divisions and conflicts within the German-Italian coalition, especially the Italian army. Their morale has dropped to the lowest point and they are almost on the verge of collapse," the intelligence officer said hurriedly.

Cun Yunsheng nodded slightly, with a barely perceptible smile on his face, as if everything was within his expectations.

"This is to be expected. The Italian army has been in a difficult situation, struggling in a thorn bush. Their supplies are not keeping up, and the soldiers are already tired of the war. It is only a matter of time before disagreements arise."

His voice was steady and confident.

"Then should we increase the intensity of our attack, break through their defenses in one fell swoop while they are in civil strife, and deal them a fatal blow?" the intelligence officer asked anxiously, with excitement flashing in his eyes.

Cun Yunsheng pondered for a moment, then said calmly: "Don't act rashly or impulsively. Although they have differences, the combat effectiveness of the German army should not be underestimated. They are a group of well-trained tigers. If we attack rashly, we may get into a tough battle and the gains will outweigh the losses. Let's keep a close eye on their movements first and see how the situation develops, and then we will wait for an opportunity to act." His eyes revealed caution and wisdom.

At this moment, a signalman hurried into the headquarters and handed a telegram to Cun Yunsheng. Cun Yunsheng took the telegram and quickly read it. His expression instantly became a little surprised, but soon returned to calm.

"What's the matter, Commander?" the intelligence officer asked curiously.

Cun Yunsheng handed the telegram to the intelligence officer and said, "The commander of the Italian army has sent someone to deliver a request for surrender. They want to negotiate with us and seek a peaceful solution." There was a hint of surprise and expectation in his tone.

The intelligence officer took the telegram and was also surprised after reading it. "This is too sudden, General, what are you going to do? How should we respond?" There was a hint of nervousness and confusion in his voice.

Cun Yunsheng smiled slightly and said, "This is a good opportunity, but we can't take it lightly and must treat it with caution. I will send Adjutant Li to negotiate with them and make sure that the negotiations go smoothly. At the same time, we must increase our vigilance to prevent the German army from becoming desperate and making crazy moves." His eyes revealed decisiveness and determination.

Adjutant Li, a smart, capable and experienced young officer, immediately led a negotiation team after receiving the task.

They met representatives of the Italian army at the agreed location.

The representative of the Italian army was a colonel named Giorgio Mancini. He looked a little nervous, his hands trembling slightly unconsciously, but there was a hint of relief in his eyes, as if a heavy shackle had been removed.

After a few pleasantries, the two sides quickly got down to business.

"We are willing to surrender," said Colonel Mancini, with a slight tremor in his voice, "but we have several conditions. First, we hope that the Allies can guarantee the life safety and basic rights of all surrendered soldiers and treat them humanely; second, we hope to be properly resettled and not be treated as prisoners of war or like criminals; finally, we hope to end this war as soon as possible so that our soldiers can return home and reunite with their families as soon as possible." His eyes were full of expectation and desire.

Adjutant Li listened carefully, then said: "I will report your conditions to my superiors. But I can assure you first that the Allies have always abided by the rules of war, upheld the humanitarian spirit, and will treat every surrendered soldier well. As for other conditions, further negotiation is needed, and we will do our best to meet your reasonable demands." His tone was sincere and firm.

The negotiations went relatively smoothly and the two sides reached a preliminary consensus on some key issues.

Adjutant Li reported the negotiation results to Cun Yunsheng. Cun Yunsheng expressed satisfaction with the negotiation results and a gratified smile appeared on his face.

However, things were not that simple and smooth.

The German army soon learned that the Italian army was preparing to surrender. They felt extremely angry and shocked, like beasts that had been betrayed.

The German commander, General Arnim, a general known for his toughness and decisiveness, immediately convened an emergency meeting.

"The Italians are simply a bunch of cowards!" Arnim slammed the table angrily, and the documents on the table were scattered all over the floor. "How can they surrender at this critical moment? This is a betrayal of the Axis powers and an unforgivable crime!" His face turned red and his eyes burned with flames of anger.

"General, now is not the time to be angry," a staff officer said calmly, "We must find a way to stop them from surrendering, otherwise there will be huge loopholes in our defense line and the Allies will easily break through it." His voice was steady and calm, trying to calm Arnim's emotions.

Arnim took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, his chest heaving violently.

"You are right, we can't just sit there and do nothing. Immediately send troops to surround the Italian army's camp and prevent them from making contact with the Allies. If they dare to resist, destroy them, leaving no one alive!" His eyes revealed coldness and determination.

The German army acted swiftly and decisively, and they soon surrounded the Italian army's camp.

The Italian soldiers were frightened by this sudden change and were like frightened birds.

They picked up their weapons and hurriedly prepared to resist, their faces filled with fear and helplessness.

When General Meser learned that the German army had surrounded the camp, he became extremely anxious, like an ant on hot pan.

He immediately contacted the German commanders and tried to persuade them not to take drastic actions.

"General Arnim, we just don't want to make any more unnecessary sacrifices," General Messe said on the phone with a hint of pleading in his voice. "This is not a betrayal of the Axis powers. We just want to end this cruel war so that the soldiers can survive." His eyes were full of helplessness and pain.

"End the war?" Arnim sneered, "You are deserting the battlefield, which is a cowardly act! In war, there is only victory and death, no surrender! You must give up the idea of ​​surrender immediately, otherwise I will order an attack and make you pay a heavy price!" His voice was full of threats and anger.

General Messe was caught in a dilemma. He did not want his soldiers to clash with the German army and die in vain, but he also did not want to give up his surrender plan and let his soldiers lose the chance to survive.

He knew that once war broke out with the German army, the Italian army would face a devastating disaster and be completely annihilated.

At this time, the Allies learned that the German army had surrounded the Italian army camp.

Cun Yunsheng realized that things had reached a critical moment, like an arrow on a string that had to be shot.

If timely action is not taken, the Italian army's surrender plan is likely to fail, and may even trigger a larger-scale and more brutal battle.

"Immediately issue a warning to the German army," Cun Yunsheng said decisively, his voice firm and powerful, "Tell them that if they dare to attack the Italian army, we will regard it as a declaration of war on the Allies. We will immediately launch a full-scale offensive and let them taste our power!" His eyes revealed fearlessness and courage.

At the same time, Cun Yunsheng ordered his troops to prepare for battle and be ready to support the Italian army at any time.

The Allied warning made Arnim hesitate. He knew that once a full-scale war with the Allies broke out, the German army would face tremendous pressure and be attacked from all sides. He had to reconsider his actions and weigh the pros and cons. (End of this chapter)