Battle of the Third Reich

At two o'clock in the afternoon on the 21st, a team of limousines entered the Empire Square along Kelso Avenue. The convoy circled the National Altar for a week before stopping at the gate of the Venetian Palace.

Several entourage officers jumped from the open car, then flew to the car behind, and opened the door respectfully for the passengers.

Marshal Pietro Badoglio stepped down from the station and set his pace. He raised his head and looked up at the tall Venetian Palace. This building was originally an official residence that the Pope had repaired for himself. It is relatively tall and sturdy. It is said that many of the building materials were taken from the Colosseum. Later generations can easily distinguish those ancient pale yellow stones.

There were two black shirt sentries standing by the door, and they saw Badogrio in gorgeous dress and the generals who came with them. The two sentries almost forgot to salute, and waited until the entourage officers on the side reminded Then they hurriedly raised their rifles and raised their chins to salute the generals and marshals.

Badroglio didn't see the two black shirts at all. He took a big step into the mansion, and only slightly tilted the sentry as he crossed the threshold.

"Good afternoon, Marshal, I haven't received the notice that you are coming. The Prime Minister is now meeting in the office. I need to inform you first." The deputy guard standing in the reception hall downstairs stepped forward to face Badogrio After a fascist ceremony, a respectful report followed.

"No need to be so troublesome, Captain." Badogrio directly crossed the military officer and walked up the stairs.

"My Excellency Marshal, this does not meet the regulations." The captain tried to block, but was pushed aside by the marshal's entourage aide.

"Cavliani, you go up with me. The others are waiting below. If the Prime Minister wants to see who, he will send someone to notify." Badoglio stopped after walking up two steps. He turned to speak to the generals who were behind him, then raised his arms and beckoned to Cavliani.

The navy blue uniform of the chief of staff of the Italian navy was very dazzling in a pile of gray army uniforms. He squeezed out several army generals and walked to Badogrio.

"Are you really going to tell him the truth?" the Admiral asked with his hand in his trouser pocket, raising his face seriously.

Badogrio didn't answer, he looked up at the roof, and then turned around to climb the stairs.

The admiral stretched his hands around his neck and moved his neck around, then followed the marshal of the army and walked up the stairs.

"What can't be called! You are just perfunctory! This is malfeasance!"

As soon as he walked up to the second floor, Mussolini's angry roar echoed in the corridor. The two officers looked at each other, and both saw a helplessness in the other's eyes.

The floor of the second floor is covered with reddish-brown tiles, still in the style of the seventeenth century. The walls along both sides of the corridor are painted with light cyan paint. The style is relatively simple without too many modifications. But when you enter the room, you will be immediately shocked by the gorgeous furnishings inside. The walls here are decorated with paintings by famous artists in Italian history, or painted with imitation Raphael-style murals, the roof It is covered with various plaster sculptures, mostly of war scenes and myths in ancient Rome.

There is no furniture in these halls, even some are purely ornamental, some rooms are filled with a circle of seats against the wall, and some are placed with several glass display cabinets, which display Roman Empire jewelry Relics and icons and albums handed down during the Pope's reign.

Mussolini's office is at the end of the hallway, at the corner of this rectangular building, next to the Piazza Venezia, and he sometimes speaks to fanatical Italian fascists at the window.

At this time, all the doors are open, and you can see Mussolini's room from the top of the corridor through several halls.

"This is impossible, this is absolutely impossible, the Italian people will not succumb, let the blonde kid come, come and taste our strength!" The roar continued, but it sounded a little inadequate.

"My Excellency Marshal, Your Excellency!" The adjutant prime minister, who was waiting at the door of the office, greeted him.

"It's Minister Ziano, he just rushed back from Paris, and the situation is not good," the major reported softly.

"I know everything. That's why I arrived here." Badogrio stopped the major's words and strode into the office.

"Good afternoon, Your Excellency the Prime Minister (some books call him prime minister, in fact Italy was still a kingdom at the time)." Badogrio stood at the door to salute Mussolini.

"Why are you here, Lord Chief of General Staff? I mean, good afternoon, Lord Badoglio, and General Cavgliani." Badoglio and the Chief of Staff of the Navy visited suddenly, Mussolini was a little surprised.

"I'm sorry I didn't inform you, Your Excellency, I brought some bad news." Badoglio took off his military cap and clamped it under his armpit, then took out a folded one from the jacket pocket The document was handed to Mussolini.

"Will there be worse news? The Germans are looting and looting in Italian villages, the French army is also on the border, and our troops are still gathering in Florence, the fourth army is ready to wait until when to wear Passing the Apennines. Are Grosso’s troops ready? How much command of the Romans did the Germans have, and how many infantry did the Germans use in total? This is impossible!" Mussolini started chattering. The document that Badogrio gave him, he exclaimed before reading three lines.

"Is this true? Why didn't I get any news before this?"

"It has been confirmed that the German African Army is landing in Sicily. The 28th Aosta Infantry Division and the 54th Naples Infantry Division are fighting tenaciously on the island. If they are not supported, they are expected to It was annihilated within 14 hours." Badogri answered with his head raised.

"Then immediately send a support force, we are there." Mussolini hurried to the eight-meter long table in the center of the room. The vases and decorations on the originally decorated table had been taken Move away, now it is covered with maps of various sizes.

Turning over a map of Sicily and the surrounding area, Mussolini picked up the magnifying glass and looked at it for a long time. As a result, the leader clearly saw nothing, and he threw the magnifying glass down on the table with some anger.

"How many troops can we use now?" Mussolini asked.

"There are none, Your Excellency. We can't come up with any effective plan to support Sicily now." Badogrio plucked his beard on his lips and answered calmly.

"How is it possible, I clearly remember that we made ten infantry divisions stationed in the south. Ziano, you were there at that meeting, you also heard it at the time. The Army Staff in Calabria and Basilicata The province has deployed a total of fifteen divisions." Mussolini asked loudly about his son-in-law.

The dog that Ziano was scolded just now was bloody, and it was obviously not good for Badogrio to arrive. The foreign minister quickly shrunk into the corner of the room and put it in a potted plant. It was unexpected that the final topic had spread. In his hand, Ciano blinked his eyes a few times, only to find that his brain was empty, and he couldn't remember the incident in his memory.

Looking at Ziano who was standing there whispering sweat, Mussolini felt that he was not angry, because he was so important to this son-in-law, he never thought that he would be exposed at the critical moment, completely It's a bauble embroidered pillow.

"There are indeed these troops, Your Excellency Prime Minister." When Mussolini was about to attack again, Badogrio quickly stood up and rescued the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

"However, all troops are seriously understaffed and scattered in a large area. We need a week to gather them together. At the same time, we need to call a lot of weapons, ammunition and weight for their use in combat. The bigger problem "Yes," Badogrio turned his head and looked at the chief of staff of the Navy.

"At present we have no way to send them to the island. We lack the ships used to transport them and we cannot mobilize the necessary **** forces.". The Field Marshal reported indifferently.

ps: The good second chapter is served.

Thanks to Iwan, Han Fatty, Empire Infinite, zzzd, and sryny for their 500 book rewards, and ak Yue m4, Maple Leaf Shuangyuan and Pingming Xun Bai Yu book friends for 100 rewards.

Thank you for your support and encouragement. (To be continued.)

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