Three Kings

“Precisely,” said Hitler. “The Italians thought they would have it by now, but this O’Connor has given them a sound beating. Here we are at war with Britain, and yet German troops haven’t seen a Tommy since we showed them how to fight at Dunkirk. Now it is time we teach them another lesson.”

“We have dispatched the 5th Light to Tripoli,” said Keitel. “It will be enough at the outset to form a blocking force here.” He pointed to a spot on the map at the base of the Gulf of Sirte. “Funckdoes not think it will be enough to stop the British, and OKW will be sending you more but, for now, that is your assignment-stop this General O’Connor and get his picture out of the headlines.”

Rommel’s eyes betrayed the energy of his mind, as he was already writing new headlines of his own. He had every confidence that he could do the job, even with this single division that was not yet completely formed. Hitler set his dark eyes on him, and reinforced his own thinking on the matter. Volkov’s warning was in his mind now, and his admonition to send strong forces to North Africa.

“The British will be at the end of their tether, with both personnel and equipment exhausted by now. They won’t get much farther with those old tanks of theirs. The Italians are one thing, but if they come up against some well equipped German troops it will be another kettle of fish. First-stop them and cover the approached to Sirte and Tripoli, but don’t get pulled in to a pointless battle until you have adequate force in hand. Benghazi is a useful port, which should be taken at your earliest opportunity. From Taranto we can use it to steer clear of British planes on Malta until I determine what to do about that annoyance.”

“Yet, if I turn north to Benghazi,” said Rommel, “then I will expose my right to a potential British counterattack. Two divisions would solve that problem.” He was already angling for more men and material.

“In time,” said Keitel. “If you can pull the Italians already there together, all the better. Mussolini has promised to send two armored divisions, if they can be called as much. We will send you another Panzer Division soon enough.”

“In the meantime,” said Hitler, “stop this man.” The Fuhrer placed his finger heavily upon O’Connor’s cover photo, like the hand of fate and doom itself meting out his judgment.

Rommel smiled, knowing he would be that doom, and that his fate was now to be in his own hands there in North Africa. Stop him I will, he thought. But I will do a good deal more than that if I get the troops and supplies I need. He was aware that there were many, in all three services, that now believed the war was destined to head to the Middle East. Hitler insisted on maintaining and building a large standing army on the Russian frontier, but the fall of Gibraltar had opened exciting new possibilities. With the right force in hand, and adequate supplies, he thought he could go all the way to the Suez Canal in 90 days. That thought was now uppermost in his mind.

“And what about Egypt?” Rommel asked the obvious next question.

“It will take us time to build up the forces necessary for such a drive,” said Keitel. “The desert is a singularly harsh environment. Everything an army needs to fight there must be provided, and I am not simply speaking of tanks and ammunition now. You need food, water, petrol, supplies of every kind, and all of it must move over water to Tripoli and then by truck. The farther you move east, the longer that supply line becomes. It is over 1400 miles from Tripoli to Alexandria, and there is only one good road along the coast. Moving supply trucks that distance will consume fuel, perhaps half of everything we send you for your fighting troops. We will see what the Vichy French might send us from Tunisia and Algeria. After all, we have just given them a nice house warming gift in the 77th Infantry Division, so they owe us a favor or two.”

“Yet we cannot ask the French to do anything substantial,” said Hitler. “You will be lucky to get some trucks, supplies and a single brigade from them. If we go for the Suez Canal, then German troops must do the work.”

“I can take it in 90 days if adequately supported,” said Rommel, nipping himself mentally for revealing his thoughts at this early stage of the planning.

Hitler gave him a discerning look, as if he were seeing something in him that spoke of events yet to come, of victories and new glory for the German Reich, and a final end to the stubborn resistance of the British Empire.