Three Kings

“He has certainly stopped the British,” said Keitel. “Yet it is clear that Rommel has made true the old maxim first espoused by Napoleon: the best defense is a good offence. He’s driven O’Connor off, taken Benghazi, which will augment our supply deliveries by over 1200 tons per day. In this light, we can supply three divisions now, possibly even four. He’s takenDerna, another minor port, and invested the British fortress of Tobruk.”

“He has not taken it?” Hitler gave Keitel a sharp glance, his dark eyes playing over the map.

“He’s bypassed it for the time being, and pushed the British all the way back to Bardia, here my Fuhrer.” Keitel indicated the place on the map. “The Italians have invested Tobruk with five infantry divisions.”

“Then they will take it?”

“Perhaps, but Rommel is making sure that the British will not be able to reinforce it by land.”

“And what about Malta?”

“That operation is well underway. Student has two regiments on the island now, and he is presently landing the third. Resistance is much lighter than we expected. I do not think we will need to commit the 1st Mountain Division as planned. Apparently the British had only a single brigade defending the island, and not the two brigades Canaris said he had identified. In another day we will have four regiments of Fallschirmjagers on Malta, and the entire 22nd Luftland Air Landing division in reserve.”

“And the 1st Mountain Division? They performed admirably at Gibraltar. What do we do with them?”

“We could send them over to the operation in Greece. These are experienced mountain troops.”

“We have over 20 divisions there,” Hitler waved his hand, his eyes still fixed on the map, with that strange inner fire burning from a well of blackness. “The Greek Army won’t last another two weeks. Is that Rommel’s present position?”

“Yes, my Fuhrer. The British have not been able to stop him. He is now thinking he might kick them out of Bardia andSollum, and possibly continue east. It appears OKW cannot stop him either.”

Hitler smiled. The lines of the battle were advancing into Egypt now, well ahead of schedule. “I heard that man said he would give me the Suez canal in 90 days. I told him to take up a blocking position, but I did not think he would choose one so close to the Egyptian Border! He’s taken back all of Cyrenaica! Well, he has sixty days left to deliver on that promise about the canal. Can he do this, Keitel?”

“Supplies must be wearing thin after a his long advance. Note how he has kept his troops well inland, away from the coast where the Royal Navy could become a factor.”

“What of Operation Anvil?” That was the code name for the air/naval maneuvers now underway. Malta was the anvil, and the heavy squadrons of planes and ships were the hammers.

“The Italians believe they can finish the job, though our Western Task Force out of Gibraltar has just rendezvoused with the French fleet from Toulon. The Royal Navy is coming out to challenge the Italians, just as we thought they would. They can match the Italians, and their experience at naval warfare may make all the difference, but we will make sure they do not succeed. Admiral Raeder has assured me of this. Lutjens is on the Hindenburg, moving east at this very moment. With any luck, we will soon find and destroy the last of the Royal Navy, and then you may have the pleasure of getting the good news that Hindenburg is shelling Alexandria!”

Hitler laughed at that, clearly pleased. “I like this man, Rommel. And Raeder’s advice has proven well taken.” And Volkov’s advice as well, he thought. That man told me to send strong forces to North Africa… And why not? I have divisions sitting in Spain that are not needed there, strong troops that could be put to better use in Rommel’s able hands. Then he made one of those snap decisions taken in a moment of jubilation that would have dramatic effects on the outcome of the desert war in North Africa.

“Give Rommel anything he needs, supplies, tanks, anything. In fact, you may send him the 1st Mountain Division if it is not needed on Malta. And start putting together more motorized infantry at once.”

“We are presently forming a new division, the 90th Schnell. The French made good on their promise and they will deliver the trucks to Tripoli as planned.

“Then they are good for something after all,” Hitler jibed. “One new motorized division will not be sufficient. What about the Grossdeutschland Regiment that was used at Gibraltar?”

“It has been reforming as a full motorized division in Spain, my Fuhrer.”

“Yes, I was also going to order it to the buildup on the new front we will form near the Ukraine frontier, but this battle in North Africa is looking very interesting now. Once we finish off Greece, only Turkey separates our forces from those of Ivan Volkov. Can our armies in the Balkans subdue Turkey?”

“We are presently war gaming that very question, my Fuhrer.”