The decisive battle against the Third Reich - Chapter 948

c945 Metz Fortress (please ask for a monthly ticket)

The Metz Fortress is located at the intersection of the Moselle River and the Serre River, close to Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium. It is an important transportation hub from France to Western European countries, and its location is very important.

However, with the surrender of France, the Metz Fortress also lost its strategic significance. In addition, it became the site of a military academy, so there were ruins of walls everywhere… Military students used the fortress walls for offensive and defensive training, and some It was also used as an artillery target, leaving craters everywhere and pieces of fortifications missing here and there.

“Is it the British or the Americans?” Colonel Becker asked nervously, “Is their attack target here?”

“What difference does it make if it’s British or American?” Colonel Slain asked.

“The difference is their equipment, Colonel!” Colonel Becker replied, “I wonder what kind of attack we are facing!”

Colonel Slaine looked at Becker with some confusion and asked, “So, do you think the British are still equipped with ‘Churchill’ tanks?”

“Isn’t it, Colonel?” Colonel Becker asked.

Colonel Slaine couldn’t help rolling his eyes… But this can’t be blamed on Becker. The British army replaced American tanks in batches too fast. When Qin Chuan fought against the British army in Africa, he faced “Matil” “Da”, but with each stroke it became “Stuart”, then “Grant” and then “Sherman”.

As for the military academy, which is located in this deep mountain and is almost isolated from the world, their teaching materials are not responsive so quickly…or maybe the people who compile the teaching materials think there is no need to change, because they want students to know which equipment is British and which is American. equipment, and then mixing the two together is now the Allied equipment, which is more conducive to teaching.

This is somewhat similar to the German sniper training materials, which are also seriously lagging behind.

In this era of relatively closed information, the pace of peaceful society in the rear cannot keep up with the changes on the front.

“Only Americans now, Colonel Becker!” Colonel Sline replied, “Tell your cadets and round them up!”

“Yes, sir!” Colonel Becker replied. He had just received an order to obey Colonel Sline’s command unconditionally.

Amidst the urgent whistles, the students gathered in groups under the urging of the instructors… To be precise, they were just Wehrmacht cadets, and the SS cadets were on another island.

Calling it an “island” does not mean that it is a real “island”, but that the designers who built the Metz Fortress used the Moselle and Serre rivers that flowed here, plus the artificially dug canals, to transform Metz into an island. The Si Fortress is surrounded by river water to form three “islands”… Little Sorsey Island and Great Sorsey Island are located in the front, and Chambier Island is slightly behind.

These three “islands” roughly form a triangle, which can provide fire cover to each other. If the fortifications are complete, it can be an excellent defense point, but it is difficult to say that it is dilapidated and extremely lacking in equipment.

After the students were gathered together, Colonel Slain took the trumpet from the adjutant and said: “Good news and bad news. The good news is that you have graduated and you have gloriously become soldiers of the Third Reich. One. The bad news is that the war is very close. You have to take up arms and fight the enemy, or you can choose to sit back and wait for death!”

Colonel Slaine’s words immediately caused the students to talk about it.

For them, although this was expected because the Allied forces had already reached here, it was also unexpected… They originally thought that the military academy would retreat before the enemy reached here and be replaced by regular troops.

“They are not ready yet, sir!” an instructor protested: “Some of them have only been here for less than a month, and we only had time to carry out basic physical training!”

“What’s your name, Captain!” Colonel Slaine asked.

“Detrich, sir!” the instructor replied.

“Very well, Captain Detrich!” Colonel Slain replied: “I suggest you say this to the Americans. I also want to know how they will react!”

The students couldn’t help bursting into laughter.

But there were still some voices of opposition, and another instructor stepped forward: “You can’t do this. This is a military academy, and they are all military cadets. In the near future, they will become officers after they are sent to the battlefield!”

This statement quickly gained support from the students:

“Yes, they can’t just send a few people here just to order us around!”

“They sent us to the battlefield as ordinary soldiers!”

“Then what’s the use of what we learned? We just need to learn to use the rifle!”

…

“Sorry, gentlemen!” Colonel Slain interrupted the students’ discussion: “What did I just hear?”

Colonel Slain laughed and said with a smile: “Do you think we are ‘just a few people’? In other words, do you think we are an ordinary army?”

The students were silent for a while, and someone plucked up the courage to ask, “Isn’t it?”

Colonel Slain did not speak, he just raised his head towards Qin Chuan… Then Qin Chuan knew that it was time for him to give a speech again.

“Introduce yourself, Lieutenant Colonel!” Colonel Slain handed over the trumpet: “Let them know who you are!”

“Gentlemen!” Qin Chuan took the trumpet, saluted the students, and said, “Nice to meet you. I am Frick, commander of the 1st Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 21st Armored Division!”

The students fell silent immediately, and after a while they became commotion again:

“They are from the First Infantry Regiment!”

“Is that the Infantry Regiment we heard about? Where is the ‘Legendary Sergeant’?”

“God, the ‘Legendary Sergeant’ is standing right in front of us, and you don’t know it!”

…

Obviously, “Legendary Sergeant” is much louder than “Frick”.

Qin Chuan continued: “We don’t know how many enemies we will face, nor do we know what kind of attack the enemy will launch. We only know that this is the place they must pass through.

Of course, we can choose to retreat.

But behind us is Germany, the Saar River Valley, our important industrial base, and then they will capture the Ruhr Industrial Zone. You know what this means.

So, this is our moment, gentlemen.

Let the whole world look at us because of our persistence, let the enemy tremble because of our blood, and let Germany… be proud of our sacrifice!

Either hold this place, or let the enemy step over our corpses! Who is willing to join me?!”

The speech was a bit rustic, but the students who were still in the ivory tower liked it, and soon teams of students rushed to raise their hands to respond.