Three Kings

“If the results are satisfactory, then move Grossdeutschland to Italy. From there we can send it to Rommel as another strong motorized reinforcement. Feed a good fire, Keitel. I am not yet ready to smash Sergei Kirov’s Soviet Russia. All things in time. If we can link up with Volkov and the Orenburg Federation, that will make Kirov think twice about his advance into the Caucasus. In the meantime, feed a fire. Support Rommel with everything you have. Send someone over there to see what he needs. Who is a good man for the job?”

“General Paulus is available.”

“Good. Send Paulus. Tell him to report on Rommel’s condition, intentions, and timetable. Have him work up a list of everything needed to take the Suez canal in sixty days time. That is the real prize. If we take the canal we have all but knocked the British right out of this war. And at the moment, there is nothing but a few demoralized Commonwealth divisions and the empty desert between Rommel and Cairo! Raeder was correct. I would have to commit over fifty divisions in Russia to get this far, and here this Rommel has brought us to a place where we have the English on the ropes, and with what, two divisions? Send him more! Build that force up to a full Korps, as quickly as possible, Keitel. Fan those flames.”

Hitler’s assessment was largely correct, and he might be forgiven for having overlooked one other odd report that had found its way into the intelligence stream that day. It was from the Italian garrison at Giarabub, and they seemed to be concerned that the British were sending heavy reinforcements to theSiwa Oasis, perhaps intending to attack their own position, or execute a deep flanking maneuver to surprise Rommel. Keitel mentioned it in passing, but Hitler brushed the matter off.

“The Italians,” he said shaking his head. “They are afraid of their own shadow. What could the British possibly have to send that far south toSiwa? It is 230 kilometers from their positions near Bardia andSollum. Why would they do this when they can barely hold the main coastal road?”

“The report indicated that troops bearing the insignia of the British 7th Armored had been spotted, mostly artillery supporting the light Australian patrols snooping around Giarabub.”

“7th Armored?”

“That was the division the British used to make their bold offensive last month. It almost single handedly destroyed the entire Italian 10th Army. Yet all our intelligence indicates it is still reforming at Alexandria. The British are also bringing up the 2nd New Zealand Division. Apparently they have decided not to attempt a reinforcement of Greece.”

“In that they are very wise,” said Hitler. “They would have simply thrown those troops away.” Now Hitler’s eyes darkened, a cloud of worry there. “I was told that we have intercepted a message indicating General O’Connor is no longer commanding the British withdrawal.”

“That is correct.”

“So the rat has fled the sinking ship, eh? What will the newspapers say about the man now that our Rommel is stealing the headlines?” He thought again. “Well, could this 7th Armored Division possibly be ready this soon? Might this man, O’Connor be planning another of his bold offensives?”

“Highly unlikely, my Fuhrer. Not from that deep southern flank. And if he did throw the 7th Armored Division that far south, how could the British keep it supplied?”

Hitler nodded. “Very well,” he said. “But move those units to North Africa as soon as possible. Move Grossdeutschland to Italy, no matter what your war games tell you about Turkey. Cut the orders today.”

It was one of those impulsive decisions that Hitler was noted for over the course of the war. He never concerned himself with logistics, except in the grandest scheme of things as he set his mind on getting control of oil and resources. How his armies would actually extract and use those resources was not his concern.

Keitel might explain the difficulties of supplying troops in the desert, the limits of daily tonnage they might get through the few good ports they had at Tripoli and Benghazi, but Hitler did not wish to hear any of that. He simply wanted divisions moved about, and what the Fuhrer wanted, he almost always got. In this case, however, Hitler’s impulsive order to reinforce Rommel was to prove very timely, for the Western Desert was about to have visitors, with weapons and capabilities the Fuhrer could only dream about now.