The decisive battle against the Third Reich - Chapter 906

c903 telegraph

Rommel first communicated with Rundstedt. After all, Rundstedt was Rommel’s boss, and he and Rommel were on the same front in this regard. “Confessing” to Hitler without informing him in advance would inevitably lead to serious consequences. There is a suspicion of “betraying”.

Rundstedt had no problem with that at all.

“It’s time to tell the Führer!” Rundstedt replied: “Otherwise I will be confused between the two systems and cannot tell which one is true!”

So Rommel sent a telegram to Hitler:

“Dear Head of State!

I have to regret to tell you that we did not deploy our defenses according to your order, and the word “deception” is not an exaggeration to describe our behavior. But if I had the choice again, I would do it again and I am not ashamed of it… I believe that if you knew the reason why we did it, you would also agree with what we did!

The most important reason is that we have reason to believe that there are British spies on your side or in the High Command, or at least Military Intelligence, because we have enough evidence that all three spies sent to Dover by Military Intelligence Instigated by British intelligence and provided us with false intelligence.

From this, we can infer that the strategic goal of attacking Dolay shown by the Allied forces was an illusion, and their true direction of attack was the Brittany Peninsula and the first belt of Normandy.

Facts also proved that we were right. Our army broke out in fierce battles with the enemy landing troops in the first area of ​​​​Norman, and captured the enemy’s “suspect soldiers” behind Dolay.

We have not told you this all the time, simply because we are worried… Once you are notified of this via telegram, the intelligence will soon be obtained by the British spies lurking around you and informed to the Allies!

Please believe that we are not doing this out of suspicion or betrayal of you, but out of loyalty to you, Germany and the German nation!

Awaiting your next instructions. ”

Rommel read the text again from top to bottom, and then handed it to Qin Chuan for him to check. If there was no problem, he ordered the staff to send the telegram.

Then the two men, as well as Rundstedt at the Paris headquarters, waited for Hitler’s reply.

But the radio station remained silent, and no message was sent for a long time. Rommel even doubted whether Hitler had received the telegram.

Of course Hitler had received the telegram. His habit was to go to bed at three or four in the morning. Moreover, the French defense line was busy with fighting at this time. It was only around nine o’clock at night. Of course, he would be at the Supreme Command with his staff. In front of the map, there is a “guidance to the country” that is intended to promote prosperity.

This is why he cursed angrily when he received Rommel’s telegram.

Because this means that all his “guidance” is invalid, and the various troop deployments made by Hitler and the Supreme Command are like playing house without any practical significance.

Hitler’s first feeling was that he had been fooled by Rundstedt and Rommel. He even suspected that the two men were self-respecting or planning to betray him and surrender to the Allies… The so-called “worry that the information would be obtained by British spies” was not the case. It’s just their excuse.

“These bastards!” Hitler yelled: “Shameless villains, they betrayed me and betrayed Germany… but I believed in them so much!”

The next second, Hitler was thinking about whether he should forcefully explain the command rights of Rundstedt and Rommel, but then he thought something was wrong… What if Rommel and Rundstedt were to betray him and surrender? As for the Allies, there was no need to send this telegram to inform themselves.

Or do they want to occupy France and make themselves king?

It didn’t seem right either, because the Allies were attacking France, which was obviously not a good time to declare himself king.

Thinking of this, Hitler turned his attention to the telegram and re-read the contents… Then he became somewhat convinced that what was said in the telegram was true. The British were likely to have planted spies at high-level German officials.

After thinking for a while, Hitler called back to Rommel: “I am very shocked to see this. I can’t believe it. There are British spies lurking around me. I think, my general, you’d better go to Berlin to explain this in person!” ”

Hitler killed two birds with one stone. On the surface, he seemed to believe Rommel and asked him to go to Berlin to explain, but in fact he was testing Rommel… If Rommel did not dare to go to Berlin, it meant that Rommel had different intentions. At the same time, if Rommel had other intentions and rushed to Berlin, Hitler could easily arrest him.

Rommel certainly understood this.

Therefore, even though he was still needed to command the front line at this time, and the journey from France to Berlin was not only long but also very dangerous, Rommel still didn’t think much and agreed immediately.

“Yes, Your Majesty the Head of State, I will set off immediately!”

Rommel took the telegram and raised it to Qinchuan and said, “It seems we have to go to Berlin!”

If it were at other times, it would even be said to be unrealistic to rush from the French front to Berlin, because this area was the main area bombed and blockaded by the Allied forces. The roads and railways that were bombed during the day had no time to repair, and there were many roads on the road. Transport and reinforcements were huddled on the road, and Allied aircraft were in the sky, lighting up flares and attacking in the dark night…

But this did not pose much difficulty to Rommel, because the German army had helicopters.

And these helicopters are safe, even if they are deployed on the front lines.

The reason is that this is France, and the Allies dare not bomb civilian areas, or it can be said that they dare not bomb civilian areas blatantly.

And helicopters have almost no requirements for airports, as long as there is enough space.

So the German army placed the helicopters in the barns of French people.

Of course, before placing them in, the barns must be modified so that the propellers will not touch anything.

What’s more, they simply built several hangars in the civilian area… These hangars look no different from civilian houses from the outside, but there are helicopters hidden inside.

“I have to say, this is a good invention, Lieutenant Colonel!” Rommel looked at a helicopter dragged out of the hangar and sighed: “If it weren’t for it, we would only be able to take a car back to Berlin now, so I might have to refuse the Führer’s order… You know what this means!”

Qin Chuan certainly knew what this meant.

However, perhaps Hitler knew that they had the conditions to report to him in Berlin with the helicopter, otherwise he would not have asked for it… Everyone knew that the front line needed Rommel’s command.