Chapter 267: The Iberian War
"Mr. José, how long can your troops hold out?"
Manstein picked up his pen and drew a beautiful arc across the map.
José clearly did not understand what Manstein meant.
"Mr. Manstein, is the duration the troops in the tungsten mining area can hold out not determined by you and your forces?"
"No, no, no, Mr. José."
Manstein shook his head.
"What I mean is, how long can the Spanish Advance Army hold the tungsten mining area without our help?"
His pen tapped lightly against the map.
"A week?"
A prolonged life of dictatorship had inevitably fostered arrogance in José. Coupled with the faint trace of contempt in Manstein's tone, his desire to show off was immediately stirred.
"A month."
José raised his chin slightly.
"As long as you give me enough air support, I can hold the British there for a full month."
Because Manstein had not understood José's character before arriving, he did not fully trust this answer.
Even so, he only cut the estimate in half.
He set the maximum holding time of the Spanish Advance Army at two weeks.
"You do not need a month, Mr. José."
Manstein's voice was calm.
"A week and a half is enough."
"Starting today, you only need to hold the tungsten mining area for one and a half weeks. Repel the attacks of the British elite troops, and I will return Portugal to you."
The car slowed and came to a steady stop at the command center.
Panther tanks raced down the street one after another.
Seeing Manstein, the tank commanders standing in the turrets raised their hands in salute at the same time.
Meanwhile, in Portugal, two armored divisions formed from Britain's core resources arrived at the port by freighter.
The commander of these two armored divisions was Percy Hobart, an old soldier who was no longer young, but whose thinking remained exceptionally advanced. He wore glasses and a beret, giving him the air of an eccentric professor more than a traditional commander.
As the commander of Britain's first tank brigade, Hobart shared Heinz Guderian's almost boundless enthusiasm for armored forces.
He believed that this new weapon could revolutionize the battlefield.
They had even faced almost identical difficulties: suppression from cavalry officers, and scorn from high-ranking officials who looked down on mechanized warfare.
But there was one difference.
Heinz Guderian had a leader who stood up for him.
A leader who, for the sake of armored forces, had not hesitated to send Junker officers and their superiors to court.
Hobart had nothing.
He could only endure suppression and bear the title of a self-promoting opportunist.
What was regrettable was that Heinz Guderian greatly admired this pioneer of armored tactics who shared his philosophy.
After all, Hobart's early research into armored forces had provided Germany's military reform with a great deal of direction.
Before every dinner and exercise held by Heinz Guderian's troops, the German officers would always say the same words.
"A toast to Hobart."
Yet this pioneer did not see his dawn until Germany relied on armored formations to sweep through Poland and flatten France.
Only then did he finally receive command of two armored divisions.
After only a few months of training, he hastily led these two new armies to Portugal, tasked with seizing the tungsten mining region and winning the Iberian War.
Of course, Hobart was also aware that troops trained for only a few months could not compete with Germany's armored forces, which had already been tempered by war and possessed rich experience in rapid warfare.
But he still came.
Because in Hobart's philosophy, courage was a weapon more important than the muzzle of a cannon.
To never try and blindly retreat would only lead to defeat.
But if they fought, if they faced the enemy head-on, they might encounter an unexpected turn of events.
"Sir, the First and Third Armored Divisions have all assembled."
The adjutant reported crisply.
"Just now, we received intelligence from the French underground resistance. The German forces have most likely already departed for Madrid."
Hobart took off his beret.
He looked at the dazzling starry sky and the fighter aircraft streaking across it, then nodded.
"Very well. Move the troops to the Spanish border at once."
His eyes sharpened.
"We must race against the Germans."
"The faster we capture the mining area and expand our tactical space, the more advantageous our subsequent operations will be."
"Distance is our advantage."
"We are very close to the mining area, while the Germans must travel from Madrid to the Madura District. That will take them longer."
"This is a distance gap that tank superiority cannot overcome."
Although Hobart was no longer young, his tactical vision remained keen.
He realized that when facing the Germans, they could not simply defend.
Rapid warfare had to be met with rapid warfare.
Only then could there be an exchange of blows.
"Do we have defensive troops stationed in the Salamanca direction?" Hobart asked next.
"Not yet."
The adjutant answered.
"The vast majority of forces have been committed to the Madura District."
Hobart's expression turned serious.
He took a long drag from his cigarette.
"Are the 23rd Infantry Division and the 12th Elite Infantry Division also in the Madura District?"
"They are. The 12th Elite Infantry Division captured two Spanish strongholds on the front line just yesterday."
The adjutant had originally intended to share some good news to lighten the atmosphere.
But after hearing this, Hobart's frown deepened.
"Relay my order."
"Send a telegram back to headquarters, requesting the full transfer of the 12th Elite Infantry Division and the 23rd Infantry Division to the Salamanca direction for defense."
"The Germans are not fools."
"They will not clash head-on with us."
"Sedan proved this point, and the Maginot Line proved it even more."
Hobart's voice became grave.
"We must think about the problem from the German perspective."
The adjutant pressed his lips together.
The 23rd Infantry Division was acceptable.
But asking the 12th Elite Infantry Division to shift to defense immediately after achieving results on the front line…
He felt the chances of that order being fully executed were slim.
After a moment's thought, however, the adjutant decided not to report this speculation to Hobart.
Instead, he nodded and went to relay the order.
More than an hour later, the order reached the desk of General Commander Montgomery in Lisbon.
Montgomery did not quite understand Hobart's intention.
But considering that Hobart was one of the few experts in the military who truly understood armored attacks, Montgomery wanted to respect his opinion.
At the same time, he did not want to place too much pressure on the 12th Elite Infantry Division.
After all, the 12th Elite Infantry Division had just achieved good results.
Pulling them away immediately for a defensive mission seemed unreasonable.
After some consideration, Montgomery instructed, "Order the 23rd Infantry Division to proceed immediately toward Salamanca and organize a defense."
"As for the 12th Elite Infantry Division…"
He paused briefly.
"Consult their division commander first."
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