Chapter 269: Offense Without Defense
"Sir, the 3rd Armored Division and the 14th Panzer Division have fully assembled."
Manstein nodded.
"Old tactics."
His finger pressed against the map.
"The 3rd and 8th Armored Divisions will break through the Portuguese and British lines as quickly as possible. No later than two days from now, I want to see reports confirming their arrival in Porto."
"The 15th and 13th Infantry Divisions will follow closely behind. Establish supply channels as soon as possible, stabilize the front, and then sweep south through every major city in Portugal."
After giving the order, Manstein paused briefly, then added, "Also, the British Army has become smarter. They now only conduct air raids at night."
"The Equipment Department wants us to test new weapons. This is a good opportunity."
His voice was calm.
"Do not miss it."
With a single command from General Headquarters, the first to act was the German Air Force.
Dozens of bombers flew over the border defense troops and unleashed a rain of death.
Although early warnings had been issued, warning did not mean the disparity in strength could be countered.
The retreating Portuguese Army suffered heavily. Because the attack came too suddenly, they received no support from the British Air Force.
Aerial bombs tore deep wounds into the earth, leaving behind charred bodies and blood-soaked remains.
Two infantry divisions collapsed outright.
Only the 6th Cavalry Division, which had maintained its formation, was still capable of resisting.
Knowing that the German Army was unstoppable during the day, they dispersed and prepared to launch night attacks against various German garrisons.
The 1st Company of the 3rd Cavalry Battalion of the 6th Cavalry Division was one of those units.
Company Commander Novende held a German telescope captured from the Spanish and looked at the distant village where lights flickered faintly.
"I knew it."
His voice carried a trace of confidence.
"The German Army cannot possibly avoid sleep. Even a tiger is still only a large cat at night."
"Company Commander, should we launch a surprise attack?"
Novende shook his head.
"What is the hurry?"
He lowered the telescope slightly and looked toward the sky.
"The British planes are already above us."
In the air, two Whitley bombers circled through the dark night.
As a veteran who had carried out many night bombing missions, pilot Jobhan repeatedly examined the tiny point of light in the distance.
"The German Army sleeps too?"
He frowned.
"I heard that once they start an offensive, they are like machines. They can go days without sleep."
The observer replied, "Maybe they have become complacent."
"That is normal. They just took France, and before they even rested for a few months, they rushed to Spain to fight another war."
"Even war maniacs have tired days. This is our chance, Jobhan."
His voice carried suppressed excitement.
"During the day, all we could do was watch German aircraft slaughter our tanks."
"Now, it is our turn for revenge."
But Jobhan could not shake the feeling that something was wrong.
"I agree with you, but…"
His gaze remained fixed on the faint lights below.
"Would they really be foolish enough to light lamps at night?"
The bomber flew over the village.
After the bombs were dropped, a heat wave erupted below.
Only then did Jobhan finally let out a long sigh of relief.
"I told you, Jobhan, you worry too much."
The observer's tone relaxed.
"People all…"
His voice suddenly froze.
By the light of the raging flames, he saw the shadow of an anti aircraft gun not far from the village.
Looking down again, a blinding light as bright as day suddenly flooded his vision.
Jobhan was also startled by this sudden change.
For a moment, he even forgot to pull up the aircraft and hide the fuselage in the clouds.
The next instant, the sky thundered.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the dazzling night sky, the low flying bombers were no different from sitting ducks.
Anti aircraft guns fired in unison, and shells soared into the air, scattering into a black curtain of shrapnel within the bright light.
One Whitley bomber was shot down directly.
Jobhan, who had finally come back to his senses, desperately pushed the engine, trying to pull the plane into the dark clouds.
But it was all in vain.
The next moment, an anti aircraft shell struck his tail fin.
The shrapnel curtain tore through half the fuselage.
The plane spun downward like a top.
By then, Jobhan had already left the pilot's seat, becoming the only white dandelion drifting through the curtain of light.
Looking at the brightly illuminated night sky, the German Army's 3rd Company commander smiled and touched the large lamp beside him.
"This big flashlight is really useful."
He sounded almost regretful.
"It is just too troublesome to carry. If only it could be made smaller."
The adjutant interrupted, "Company Commander, this is called an anti aircraft searchlight."
"The 1st Battalion seems to have a truck mounted version, but I do not know how effective it is."
Seeing that his knowledge of weapons had been surpassed by a staff adjutant, the 3rd Company commander was not annoyed.
"Go bring that pilot back."
He lowered his hand.
"Saving one British pilot is equal to saving one German."
The moment he gave the order, he saw through the telescope that dozens of horses were charging toward the village they had been using as bait.
The 3rd Company commander rubbed his nose.
"The Portuguese really thought we had been bombed."
He gave a faint laugh.
"Now they are coming out, wanting to clean up the mess?"
He put down the telescope.
"Forget that pilot for now."
His eyes sharpened.
"I want to see which is tougher, a tank or a warhorse."
A day and a night passed.
The 3rd Armored Division, acting as the main assault force, easily broke through the Portuguese defenses.
With the speed they had honed while galloping across France, they reached Real, a frontline town on the outskirts of Porto.
The city was defended only by the British 23rd Infantry Division and three second line units temporarily reinforced by Portugal.
Fortunately for them, due to the previous Spanish invasion, Real had many military strongholds and air raid shelters.
This became the source of confidence for the commander of the 23rd Infantry Division as he prepared to hold his ground.
But soon, that confidence was shattered.
The German Air Force found a way to dismantle Real's military strongholds.
After paying the price of three Stuka bombers, the German Air Force destroyed Real's air defense strongpoints.
The 101st Airborne Division then dispatched two companies of elite daredevils for a night parachute drop, successfully disrupting the defensive plans of the 23rd Infantry Division.
Seeing German tanks launch a large-scale assault, the 23rd Infantry Division still tried to retreat toward Porto.
But the 101st Airborne Division organized two more companies for another parachute drop to seize the city ahead of them.
At the cost of more than half their casualties, they captured Porto's eastern district first.
This completely blocked the British Army's retreat route.
The outstanding performance of the paratroopers allowed the 3rd Armored Division to successfully encircle Porto late on the second night.
It also allowed Manstein to see the excellent combat potential of airborne units.
He even began to consider whether a light tank could be developed specifically for airborne operations alongside infantry.
While the German Army made rapid progress, the British offensive also brought good news.
Trujillo was successfully captured by Hobart's tank units on the afternoon of the third day.
The British Expeditionary Force now only needed to chew through the remaining resistance before taking the Madura District.
But now, a choice lay before them.
It lay before Montgomery.
Should they organize a defense and withdraw from the Madura District they were about to capture, committing all their strength to resisting the German Army advancing from the north?
Or should they continue the attack?
.....
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