Chapter 786： episode

After the war, Beirut is full of traces of the battle. Although simple cleaning has been carried out, rubble with the smell of gunpowder can still be seen everywhere.

Although the smoke in Beirut has not yet dissipated, its lively scene has not diminished at all. A large number of ships piled up in the port area to unload people and cargo. Although the port area was severely damaged in the previous battle, its dock loss was relatively small, and it was repaired as soon as the battle ended.

The first batch of unloading from the transport ship is the loading and unloading machinery, followed by the various heavy equipment urgently needed by the army, and then other materials such as oil equipment.

Now the fleet is waiting for a steady stream of materials and personnel to go ashore through the pier, bringing the current garrison in Beirut to more than 60,000. But today, the stars are gathered on the dock, and you can see that it is the arrival of the big man.

That's right, General Hoffman, who served as the commander of the Middle East Army Group today, moved over with his command.

After several hours of sailing, Hoffman set foot on the land of the Middle East. Looking at the Arab-style city, Hoffman greeted the generals present one by one.

"Major General Torres, this time I fought well."

"Major General Angel, your First Marine Division contributed the most to this battle, and I will write to Marshal Lomodan to inform you of your performance."

Leaving the commander of the First Marine Division with a smile on his face, Hoffman came to the front of Major General Rodier. The Eighth Division under his leadership performed equally well in this battle.

I saw Hoffman shook his hand and said. "Major General Rodiel, your division performed well in this battle."

Hoffman's words made Major General Rodier ashamed, and the performance of the Eighth Division in the battle was nothing at all. The first Marine Division performed the best in the landing operation. After all, this was a professional one.

In the subsequent battle into Beirut, the third division performed much better than the eighth division. Especially at night to withstand the enemy's counterattack, the Third Division not only blocked the enemy's offensive, but also took the opportunity to expand the occupied area. Compared with the fact that their Eighth Division was taken away from a lot of positions, it was simply dull.

Of course, this battle is not limited to their three divisions, but also troops from other divisions. But it was them who played the whole game and the main contribution. Of course, it was inevitable to compare them. Then the Eighth Division would be embarrassed. In no way looked as good as the other two divisions, which made the division's commander Major General Rodier's expression a lot gloomy recently.

As for Major General Rodier's mood, Hoffman, as the commander of the army group, had no interest in understanding. Now he has too many problems to be solved, and he is completely focused on superfluous things.

The former Lebanese Governor's House on Lake Monceau Street was originally the French management agency that governed the region with a strong French style, but has now been transformed into the headquarters of the current army group.

And now the officers of the command headquarters are busy here.

"Hurry up, lads, after finishing the layout, we still have a lot to do."

Lieutenant General Mordelk, the white-haired chief of staff, was commanding these young officers.

"Moderke."

Hoffman, who had just walked out of the war room, walked to the chief of staff.

"What's the matter, Your Excellency Commander."

Faced with Hoffman's interruption, Modelke asked immediately, and Hoffman was a good partner. He has seen the most difficult things. Like him in the Far East, the principal always loves micro exercises, but he still has to make various plans to deal with possible situations.

"I have a plan."

After hearing Hoffman's words, Modelk knew that it was not the time to speak, and signaled to choose a safe environment.

After the two arrived in the war room, Hoffman sent the others away before speaking. "Now we have initially ensured the safety of Beirut. According to the report of the reconnaissance plane, the French army that has repelled has already retreated over Mount Lebanon and retreated to Damascus. The British army is currently mainly holding in Palestine, and the other part has already crossed Jordan and headed towards Syria. To advance, its goal is nothing more than to hold Damascus. If it fails, it will respond to the withdrawal of the French troops in Syria."

"So you plan to solve the British and French forces in Syria first?"

Before Hoffman finished speaking, Mordelk, the chief of staff, made up.

"Yes, I did plan that way."

After Hoffman replied to the other party, he continued to explain why he did this. "Look at it, Chief of Staff. At present, our army has landed nearly 100,000 people, and now it has occupied most of Lebanon. Only in the Hermon Mountains near Damascus are there French troops resisting."

"We can't give them the illusion that they can rely on the terrain to wait for rescue, so they must attack quickly, give the opponent a violent blow, and let them give up their illusions. So I plan to use the newly landed troops and bring the 8th division to form a temporary battle. The group quickly captured Damascus and prevented the British reinforcements."

Hoffman’s words made Modelke frown, because he calculated that if Hoffman’s plan was followed, Beirut’s defensive force would be relatively empty. Although Romania occupies the sea and air advantage, if the opposite Wei Admiral Weir does not count casualties, then Beirut is in danger. As a qualified chief of staff, he thinks it is necessary to point out his shortcomings.

"Does the plan involve a lot of troops? Although the British army is being held back by the Arabs, intelligence shows that there are already nearly 20 troops in Palestine, and the estimated strength should be between 150,000 and 180,000. Left and right. We can't let our guard down on it."

Faced with the problem that Modelk pointed out, Hoffman nodded in agreement, but then he answered the chief of staff's concerns.

"For this point, I have considered. At present, the best offensive route for the British army is the coastal road, where the terrain is flat and it is also convenient for large-scale marches. However, given the naval advantage of our army, they should not dare Take this line. And in order to prevent the enemy's actions in the opposite direction, I have ordered the Air Force to pay close attention to this.

In addition, I contacted the navy to let the fleet roam in the open sea, ready to conduct artillery strikes against possible enemies. Regarding the problem of our army’s insufficient strength in Beirut, I have asked the transport fleet to step up the transport of troops. The commander of the naval transport fleet, Major General Alderney, assured me that the two divisions will be transported within three days. Forces to Beirut. "

Hoffman continued after talking about his arrangement for Beirut . "Compared to Beirut, I am more worried about attacking Damascus troops. Look here, Chief of Staff."

Hoffman pointed to the valley where the Jordan River crossed on the map and said. "Along the Jordan River, you can reach Baalbek from Palestine all the way, and this can cut off the connection between Beirut and Damascus, so I have to keep this Bekaa valley with my troops so that other troops can seize Damascus."

Although Hoffman didn't know the famous Beka Valley air battle in later generations, he still saw the possible danger at a glance. Therefore, an elite force must be sent to guard the Bekaa Valley and protect one's own back.

This is the eighth division that was deliberately selected because the division’s previous combat performance was not as good as the other two divisions, but he saw the spirit of not admitting defeat, and now entrusting such an important task to them, he will definitely not live up to his expectations. .

Then Modelke asked a few more questions, and after getting satisfactory answers, he turned to support Hoffman's plan.

With the agreement of the two commanders, the action to prioritize the strength of the French army began.

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