The War of Resistance: My Expedition, My Country

Chapter 257 Hopner's Decisiveness

"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!" From a hidden location in Hiseza, countless 105mm rockets shot into the sky like arrows, hurling themselves towards the advancing German troops. Soon, "boom, boom, boom!" a series of deafening explosions overwhelmed the German attacking forces. These rockets used high-explosive shells, which had limited damage to German tanks. However, for the accompanying German infantry, this sudden barrage of fire was like the Grim Reaper's scythe, dealing them a fatal blow.

After the bombardment, the German commander made a prompt decision and ordered the already incomplete attacking force to retreat, which also meant that the German army's first attack ended in failure.

Hoepner remained calm and did not blame his subordinates for the failure of the first attack. He summoned the commanders of various armies and divisions to his headquarters and began to ask them for their opinions on the opponent's defensive deployment and whether there was any good way to break through the opponent's position.

Major General Weissmann-Dink-Schumask, commander of the 1st Tank Division, was the first to step forward. He walked over to the map, pointed at it, and said firmly, "General Hoepner, everyone, the enemy before us is undoubtedly the Chinese 2nd Army, which has repeatedly clashed with our forces. We should be very familiar with their usual tactics. I believe their previous tangle with us on Vitjan Heights was truly intended to delay us, allowing them to reach this place first and establish such a massive defensive position. Continuing to tangle with them here would be not only meaningless, but would also lose sight of our goal, preventing us from quickly breaking through into the fertile southern Iraq and achieving the Empire's grand objectives."

After hearing what Schumacher had said, the German generals began to whisper among themselves. Seeing the chaos, the Chief of Staff coughed several times to silence the chaotic discussion.

Hoepner actually appreciated Shoemask's speech, but this was, after all, a serious military meeting, and order must be maintained. He raised his hand slightly to signal Shoemask to take a seat, then scanned the assembled troops with a sharp gaze. Finally, he slowly stood up and, with a determined look, addressed von Bowmanton, the commander of the 17th Division, who was in charge of the offensive. He asked sternly, "General von Bowmanton, is the 17th Division confident we can break through the enemy positions and capture Hiseza within a day?"

Von Bormanton and his chief of staff quickly stood up and saluted respectfully to Hoepner and his army commander. Von Bormanton replied solemnly: "I think it will be extremely difficult for the 17th Division to capture the enemy's position within a day." Then he winked at his chief of staff, indicating that he should give further explanation.

The chief of staff walked to the map without hesitation and began to explain in detail to everyone the layout, defense, and strength of the enemy positions that they had learned based on the intelligence.

Hoepner listened intently, his brow furrowing. Clearly, the enemy had fully prepared for a positional war. The 1st Tank Army's invasion of Iraq was without heavy artillery or other powerful firepower, and Tiger tanks were not part of its troop formations. This was purely a matter of speed: to quickly capture Iraq and Kuwait before the US and UK could deploy their forces from North Africa. However, to their surprise, before the US and UK troops arrived, they encountered a formidable obstacle: the Chinese army.

Positional warfare was clearly not Hopner's first choice. As Major General Shoemask had said, engaging the Chinese here was pointless. He gazed at the map of Iraq, pondering. The best approach, it seemed, was to continue south, advancing along the valleys and deserts west of the Euphrates River, avoiding the Chinese defenses. Then, at the right moment, he could cross the Euphrates and penetrate deep into Iraq.

However, Hopner did not express his thoughts immediately. Instead, he turned to look at Xiumask and asked calmly: "Xiumask, what do you think about this? Feel free to tell me." He knew very well that Xiumask was an experienced and quick-thinking general who might be able to provide some unique insights.

Shoemask walked over to the map, his steps steady and confident. He gently grasped the guiding stick, as if it were a magic wand that could decide the outcome of a war. His gaze fixed intently on the map of southern Iraq, pinpointing the key location.

"We can definitely leave some decoy troops here to continue to consume the Chinese army. The main force will move south to attack Najaf, seize the road across the Euphrates River, and then move south to attack Basra!"

Xiumask's voice was low and firm, as if every word contained endless wisdom and determination. His eyes revealed a thoughtful glint, as if he had foreseen the future battle situation.

Hoepner listened quietly, delighted that Shoemask's suggestion aligned with his own. But he knew it was a bold and risky plan, and he had to consider unforeseen circumstances. So, he continued, "What if we continue to encounter enemy resistance in Najaf?"

Xiumask smiled, a trace of composure and confidence. He gently waved his compass, pointing to Mishhab on the map, and said, "Let's continue south. Here, in Mishhab, the river is narrowest, making it an easy place for our army to build a pontoon bridge. From here, we can unexpectedly move up the river and capture Kufah on the other side of Najaf. Then, we can flank Najaf, open up the passage, and march straight to Diwaniyah, opening the way south to Basra."

Hoepner nodded, expressing his appreciation for Shoemask's plan. He turned to the Chief of Staff and asked, "Does the Mechanized Engineering Corps have any confidence in building a rapid pontoon bridge?"

The Chief of Staff nodded affirmatively: "General, rest assured. The Mechanized Chemical Corps has rich experience and advanced equipment and will definitely be able to complete the task on time."

Hopner smiled with satisfaction, his eyes radiating admiration and affirmation for Xiumask. He walked over to Xiumask, and at his gesture, Xiumask respectfully handed the baton to Hopner.

Hoepner took the baton, pointed to the current position, and said calmly, "General von Baumanten, I will give you a direct artillery regiment, a Turkish division, and a tank regiment from the 3rd Tank Army. Your mission is to launch a continuous attack on the Chinese troops in the direction of Hisesa within three days and try to hold the Chinese here."

"Yes, General Hoepner!" General von Bowman stood at attention and saluted, his eyes full of determination and loyalty.