xymnovel 81 Italy's valiant attack secures a victory in the first battle.
81 Italy's valiant attack secures a victory in the first battle.
December 1940, 6.
The Italian fleet, in coordination with the army, landed on Conica Island. It was raining; the Mediterranean weather, like a woman's mood, was unpredictable.
The commander of the 47th Barry Infantry Division looked at the sky with a grumbling expression.
"These naval bastards! We were supposed to land on Corfu, why did they send us to Konica? The Greek home front is right across from us, we'll be discovered."
"Sorry, the weather is too bad to land on Corfu."
"You bastard."
"What did you say? You can swim across yourselves." The navy is Italy's first class, and you army people, these second-class people, dare to insult me?
The two major generals were blaming each other.
"Are you serious? You can't be serious, can you? We made a mistake on day one."
"If you don't tell and I don't tell, no one will know. Once the weather gets better, we'll start the real battle. You can take Konica first; that was the original plan, but it was brought forward."
"Are you kidding me? That would slow down our progress and prevent us from coordinating with other ground forces."
The mission of the Italian Navy and the 47th Infantry Division was to capture the Greek Ionian Islands, tie down the Greek forces in Macedonia, and launch an attack on Greece from the coast.
However, the first day's battle plan was not carried out because the weather turned bad.
They were originally supposed to land on Corfu to eliminate the Greek garrison and ships in the archipelago, but instead landed on Konica.
The chaos in the Italian command and combat system was clearly exposed.
The Air Force dislikes the Navy, and the Navy despises both the Air Force and the Army.
Forget about cooperation, even the army is pursuing its own agenda.
The main forces, the Ferrana Division and the Santaro Division, advanced along the coastline toward Elea. Along the way, the Greek army retreated and tightened its defenses. Although they encountered no resistance, their progress was not smooth.
"This terrible weather," the Santa Roshi Master complained as well.
Light armored units and towed artillery moved slowly along the muddy road, their progress gradually being slowed down.
"Report: The Supreme Command has called to inquire about the progress."
Tell them that everything is going well, the Greeks are backing down, they are afraid.
The Italian Supreme Command has received a reply that all troop deployments are proceeding in an orderly manner.
Old Mo laughed heartily, his left hand behind his back, and his right hand holding up his beloved little horsewhip, slapping the map.
"Notify the main force that the 3rd Julia Division of the Alps will cross the Bandos Mountains, capture Metzow, and divide the Greek forces in Macedonia and Epirus."
This would mean the entire western region would fall into Italy's hands.
The 3rd Julia Division, with 11000 men, was Italy's elite force, drawn from Alpine troops, and they were skilled in mountain warfare.
At that moment, Major General Mario Troisi, the division commander, put down his binoculars.
"Notify the Air Force to coordinate an attack on Bandus."
Boom! The Italian infantry artillery was quite good. After the order was given, a heavy artillery barrage came from the Bandus Mountains.
Boom! Rocks and mud were blasted off the mountainside, and fireballs rose up everywhere on the mountainside.
"The Italians are attacking!" shouted the Greek garrison.
A small band of border wolves, a mountain reconnaissance unit that had achieved its only bright spot in the French Alps campaign, quietly advanced from the other side.
They wore coats that were almost the same color as the mountains, like a group of fishermen. This camouflage clothing not only kept them warm, but also made them difficult for the enemy to spot.
They gripped their M1938A submachine guns, a pinnacle of Italian weaponry.
With an effective range of 200-250 meters, it uses 9mm bullets, features a blowback design, weighs only 4 kilograms when unloaded, and has the longest barrel among submachine guns. The barrel even has grooves for heat dissipation, and the muzzle is designed with a recoil brake.
This ensures the stability and accuracy of continuous firing.
It possesses a design concept that transcends its time.
With a bayonet, this thing can even go toe-to-toe with a rifle.
The border wolf quickly crept up to the Greeks' rear.
This elite mountain reconnaissance unit, familiar with their surroundings, crouched low and advanced little by little.
"The Greek rear artillery positions have been discovered."
"Should we call the Air Force?"
"No, the air force is too slow, let's wipe them out!"
The captain raised his hand and waved, and a group of special operations mountain troops quickly approached the enemy's position.
They slowly approached from both directions.
Bang bang bang!
Within a few hundred meters, the submachine gun demonstrated a significant advantage.
Several streams of blood spurted from behind the Greek artillerymen who were carrying shells; their backs were riddled with bullet holes.
"Damn it, they're Italians."
Bang bang bang bang!
The shouts were met with fierce gunfire.
"The Greek shelling has subsided, but what about the air force?" Major General Troisi, the division commander, yelled.
A roar came from the sky as Italy's iconic biplane appeared alongside the P-50 bomber.
P-50 heavy bombers dropped bombs, densely packed like raindrops.
The entire city of Bandus trembled, and the ground seemed to have been struck by a meteorite, with a piercing explosion.
As we see in later generations, a mountainous area was engulfed by explosions.
"Charge!" The division commander raised his cigar.
Large numbers of mountain soldiers ran up the mountain with their rifles, without actually running and firing as seen in the movies.
These veterans knew that speed was crucial. Firepower support was to be provided by the artillery and aircraft; their job was to stay alive and rush forward as quickly as possible.
In the early hours of June 19, the better-prepared Italian 6rd Julia Division captured Vovusa in just one day, like a sharp knife piercing the heart of the Greek Army Group Center.
"Hahaha." A maniacal laugh came from the Italian Supreme Command headquarters.
[The Italians advanced to within 30 kilometers north of Maicov, using their victory to prove just how ignorant Sean's ridiculous mockery was.]
This news from the Italian newspaper El País has attracted significant attention.
"Is Italy going to win? If they break through Metzon, Greece will be in danger of being surrounded."
"Impossible! Didn't Sean say Italy couldn't win this war?"
Europeans are talking about it.
"Has Sean's curse failed? No wonder he's my lifelong nemesis; only Italy can break Sean's myth."
Berlin, Germany.
Manstein looked worried. "The 3rd Julia Division has become a salient. The Italian reinforcements cannot keep up with their speed. In fact, it is the Julia Division that is surrounded."
"It's over. If the Third Julia Division fails, it will trigger a chain reaction. The Ferrana Division, the Santaros Division, and the 47th Infantry Division on the coast will face the risk of being surrounded and annihilated."
Rommel kept shaking his head. Why weren't the Italians advancing according to the battle plan?
They're fighting haphazardly in a chaotic mess; where's their tactical awareness?
"These idiots." The German High Command looked worried; they were still preparing and there was no time to provide assistance.
"Breaking news! Breaking news from the New York Times: The myth of Sean Wayne will end in the hands of the Italians. This is the fall of a myth."
"Really?" Countless Americans stared wide-eyed. Italy was actually going to win?