"Distance 1,000 meters away, to the left... have you seen those white houses? There is Knights Bridge." Lieutenant Ribbentrop lay behind a white rock and pointed to a village in front and said to Lieutenant Colonel Schunard of the 3rd Battalion of the Great German Brigade.

The 17th Company of the Great German Brigade advanced to the Knightsbridge, a key point behind the British main defense line, an hour ago. Ten minutes ago, the brigade's 3rd Battalion arrived in trucks and semi-tracks. With them, they also arrived with six No. 3 assault guns from the 16th Assault Arsault Company and four No. 4 tanks from the 5th Tank Regiment.

Lieutenant Colonel Schunard of the 3rd Battalion of the Great German Brigade was ordered to capture the Knightsbridge before dark.

"That's Knights Bridge? I thought there would be a river and a bridge. Lieutenant, you're not mistaken?" Lieutenant Colonel Schunard half-squatted beside Lieutenant Ribbintrov, holding a telescope in his hand.

"It's not wrong," Lieutenant Ribbintrov replied with certainty, "It's there... there is indeed no river or bridge, but it's Knightsbridge, with at least 1,500 Indians guarding there, and a few Matilda tanks."

"Matilda tank?" asked Lt. Col. Shunard, "Are you sure it's a tank of this type?"

"Confirm," said Lieutenant Ribbintrov, "at least two of them were rushed out and broke my two half-tracks."

Two broken half-tracks were "lying" on the sand not far ahead, but the broken ones didn't look very bad and should be repaired. Several German soldiers were digging bunkers with infantry shovels.

"So how are their fortifications?" Lieutenant Colonel Schunard then asked.

"Very strong!" said Lieutenant Ribbintrov. "Those white houses have been carefully reinforced by the Italians, and are actually a fortress."

The fortifications and the number of defenders were pried out from the prisoners, and later proved that they were true.

"Italian?" Lieutenant Colonel Schunard shook his head with a wry smile. "Why do I think they are helping us?"

In fact, it was a rush to do. The fortifications of the Tobrook Fortress were also carefully built by the Italians, and the Italians also piled up a large amount of supplies and ammunition there, all of which fell into the hands of the British. If it weren't for these things, the 8th British Army would not have been able to set up defenses in Tobrook.

After shaking his head, Lieutenant Colonel Shunard said to himself: "It seems that there are still several 'Hornets' self-propelled cannons."

Then he said to Lieutenant Ribbintrov and Lieutenant Schwarzenegger: "You can just stay here, you don't have to participate in the attack...My people will take the Knightsbridge."

...

With a "pop", Little Hessman fell on the hard ground and fell from a height of 3,000... Fortunately, there was a parachute, otherwise he would have fallen to death!

This was the second time his plane was shot down. What he shot was an old "Swordfish" plane. While he was chasing the plane, he was shooting happily with a machine gun (the ammunition from the 20mm cannon was completely destroyed), his Folk Zero engine was broken by the opponent's back machine gun, so he had to barely fly to the near Matru Airport to jump, because the airport was occupied by German airborne troops a few hours ago.

The German 7th Airborne Division's operation to raid the Matru's airport was like stabbing a hornet's nest. The British plane rushed over the Matru's airport like a hornet. There were all kinds of aircraft, "Blazerfire", "Hurricane", p39, "Willington", Gross "Fighter", 2a, "Blenheim", and there were actually two torpedo attack aircraft, "Swordfish" and "Big Blue and White Fish", and they also flew with bombs.

However, for Little Hessman and his comrades, this is simply the British sending their heads. From the morning to now, Little Hessman has launched three planes, shooting down 4 enemy planes in total, and the results have increased to 13. Just when he was about to reap the 14th result, he was not careful and letting others shoot down.

"Don't move, raise your hand!"

Several German airborne soldiers carrying rifles ran towards Hessman at this time and called in English to surrender.

"I am German!" Little Hessman shouted while raising his hand, "I am Lieutenant Rudolph von Heinsberg-Hessman! The squadron leader of the 2nd Squadron of the 9th Carrier-Board Aircraft Brigade."

Several German airborne soldiers also recognized that Hessman was wearing the Luftwaffe flight suit.

An airborne sergeant put away his rifle and asked, "Lieutenant, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said Hessman, "but I need to go back to Benghazi's airport right away."

The 9th carrier-based aircraft brigade is now stationed in Benghazi, where there are reserve aircraft stored. After returning to Benghazi, Hessman was able to fly another Folk Zero to attack again.

"Second Lieutenant, there is a Juncker transport aircraft unloading."

After the 7th Airborne Division occupied the airport (there were not many British troops at the airport, so they were soon occupied by the German Airborne Army, but the port of Messematru is still under the control of the British garrison), transport planes immediately took off from Benghazi Airport and sent weapons, ammunition, various supplies, and reinforcements.

Starting from 1 pm, a Juncker plane landed at the Martru Airport almost every 10 minutes, and a nearly idle-loaded (sometimes they will take up several wounded and shot down pilots). The Juncker plane took off and left.

"Okay, take me there quickly!" Little Hessman put away his parachute in a few seconds, and then limped and followed the German airborne troops to a plane that was unloading. When he approached that day, he found that 500 kilograms of aviation armor-piercing bombs were unloading from the Junker plane!

He guessed that these bombs must be prepared to be hung on the Ju87 Stuka dive bomber! This Matru Airport is only 260 kilometers away from Alexandria, completely within the combat radius of the Stuka dive bomber. These bombers that will make harsh screams during dive are not comparable to Ju88 and Folk 99. They are real dive bombers, and the load capacity is very large, and can carry 1 500 kilogram and 2 250 kilogram aerial armor-piercing bombs (or 1 1000 kilogram bomb).

Once several squadrons of ju87 and -190 are deployed to Matru Airport, then the doomsday of the Mediterranean Fleet will come!

...

The British Royal Navy certainly knew the infamous reputation of "Stuka". This is the plane they fear the most, no one! Compared with it, ju88 can only be regarded as the second threat.

So after hearing that the Martru's airport, which was only 260 kilometers away from Alexandria, was occupied by the German Airborne Forces, Admiral Cunningham immediately rushed to the headquarters of Wewell.

"The fleet must leave!" Admiral Cunningham said with a frown, "At least 4 battleships and 2 aircraft carriers must leave, and leave tonight!"

These days he has been looking for opportunities to fight the Italian fleet at night, but the Italians are very cunning. They just bombarded Tobrook with ship guns during the day, and disappeared without a trace at night. After a few days, Cunningham understood that the "German God of War" Hessman would not give him a chance to fight the fleet at all.

Hessmann wanted to use air to control the sea and use powerful shore-based air force to deal with the British Mediterranean fleet. The purpose of the Germans airborne to seize the Matru Airport was to cut off the traffic connection between Tobrook and Alahman, and to find an airport for their most terrifying Ju87 Stuka dive bombers that could attack Alexandria. So the Mediterranean fleet had to escape.

"Tonight?" Admiral Wewell's face turned pale, because he knew that once the fleet left, it would mean that Britain would lose the Battle of the Mediterranean!

Without the fleet, the sea control of the entire Mediterranean belongs to Germany and Italy, and they can land anywhere! And the British troops on Greece, Crete and Cyprus will immediately become lonely.

The most terrifying thing is that Turkey will soon turn to Germany! Once the Mediterranean fleet leaves, the Turks have no choice. The country's foreign trade is mainly carried out through sea transportation in the Mediterranean and land transportation in the Balkans. If the Mediterranean is controlled by Germany, then Turkey's foreign exchange route will be basically controlled by Germany, unless they are willing to defect to the Soviet Union... but this is impossible!

Therefore, Türkiye can only defect to Germany and has no choice!

"Admiral, I think you know what it means to withdraw from the fleet?" Weiville was silent for a while before speaking with difficulty. "Now the 7th Armored Division and the 4th Indian Division are all deployed urgently. In 24 hours, they will counterattack Matru Airport..."

In fact, the emergency dispatch is only a small part of the 7th Armored Division and the 4th Indian Division, which are troops stationed in Alama. However, it is 200 kilometers from Alama to Matru Airport, and even the mechanized troops have to go for most of the day without aircraft bombing! So whether the British team will counterattack Matru Airport in 24 hours is not sure whether there will be British teams in counterattack Matru Airport in 24 hours?

"I know." Cunningham said, "but not withdrawing means that there is a high possibility of losing the fleet...it will be lost within 24 hours! Four battleships and two aircraft carriers are important forces in defending the country, and we cannot take risks with them."

"I understand." Weiville nodded, "Then let's jointly make suggestions to London... Only London can make such a major decision!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a staff officer rushed in anxiously, saluted at Wewell, and then reported loudly: "General, the urgent report of the 8th Army, Knightsbridge has just been captured by the Germans!"
Chapter completed!