Therefore, some people's evaluation of Rommel is "a tactical giant and a strategic dwarf".

The meaning of this is that Rommel only cares about immediate interests and completely ignores the importance of Malta... They believe that Malta is the key to long-term interests and the ability to control the outcome of the entire battlefield.

But objectively speaking, it is biased to evaluate Rommel in this way.

Because Rommel also considered strategies, not only considered but also considered a larger strategy... As mentioned earlier, Rommel was considering the support of the American industrial machine to the British army.

In other words, if the battle was not quick and the development was allowed, even if the German army occupied Malta Island and completely improved the supply conditions of the African legion, it would still have to face the situation where the German army replenished one tank while the British army replenished two, three or even four tanks. The tanks supplemented by the British army were even more advanced than the German "No. 3" tank.

Facts also prove that Rommel's concerns make sense, because in history Rommel was unable to make a quick decision. The African army was blocked by the British on the Alamein Line, which turned the war in North Africa into a protracted stalemate... Over time, Britain obtained a large amount of American equipment, including the "Bazouka" bazooka, self-propelled artillery, anti-tank guns and various types of tanks. The most worth mentioning is the "Sheerman" tank that was not even urgently installed after just leaving the factory.

The Sherman tank weighs 33.6 tons in total, and its protection and firepower are far superior to the German tank with only 20 tons. Only the new tank of "No. 4" can barely match it, while the African Legion has only a dozen "No. 4" tanks.

From this we can also know how bad the British army fought in North Africa... The British army actually had an advantage in North Africa's military strength and equipment, but they still failed repeatedly. They won until the equipment and forces could be described as "darling the sky".

However, the British cheered for such victory and called Montgomery, the commander who only knew the positive push, a "military genius."

This can actually reflect the mentality of the British at that time from the side... So far, they are still recognized as the world's largest country. They are unwilling to come down from this altar and cannot accept it psychologically. So they did everything possible in public opinion to amplify their victory and deliberately ignore the objective conditions that are enough to determine the outcome.

As the saying goes, "History is written by the victors", this is the case in Britain, and Rommel is the case.

Rommel decided to bet on the African battlefield, but he lost, so he became a "tactical giant and strategic dwarf".

At this time, Rommel had Hitler's support, and his ideas and plans quickly became reality.

Kesseling was able to resolve it, and Hitler sent a telegram to immediately stop all actions against Malta and instead fully support the African army's attack on Egypt.

Kesseling called back several times to object, but the telegrams were like rocks and no response... Kesseling soon understood that he had to accept this order, and Hitler did not give him any chance to discuss, that is, there was no room for negotiation.

On the other hand, the African Legion needs to be supported by the Italian army. After all, Italy is the "logistics defense" force of the African Legion, and it is difficult for the German army to launch an attack without their coordination.

(Note: The Italian commander Garipo's general also opposed the attack on Egypt, but Rommel did not take his opposition seriously)

Hitler's approach was to send a telegram to Mussolini: "Dear Prime Minister, the last moment has come. If you can give the African Legion absolute support, then Cairo is just around the corner, and it's up to you!"

Mussolini is an ambitious man himself, but he is helpless because he is the "Miss's Heart's Maid's Life". He tried to expand the Italian territory several times and was frustrated because his strength was too weak. Now a great opportunity is right in front of him, but he would not let it go easily...

So Mussolini immediately ordered all Italian troops to cooperate with the German army's actions, and instructed the Italian General Staff to postpone the capture of Malta Island until two months later... Mussolini estimated that the battle would take two months.

This fully reflects the romantic character of the Italians. They always depict a beautiful future in their minds. Even the Germans don’t know when they can win, and Mussolini thought about it for them.

What's more, Mussolini was anxious to fly a white horse to Tobrook by air, so that he could ride this white horse into Cairo with his mighty power...

The British army also realized that the German army would launch a full-scale counterattack.

In fact, the telegram between Rommel and Hitler was cracked and used as a warning function by "super secret", so the entire Eighth Army and even the United Kingdom became busy.

Churchill could not believe that the "Crusader" operation failed like this. This failure not only had a serious military impact, but more importantly, it greatly damaged the reputation of the British army... You should know that the United States fully supports the British Eighth Army. They handed so many tanks and supplies to the British in a short period of time, which proved that these tanks were even destroyed by the Germans as soon as they landed. What's worse is that the war loss ratio reached an unimaginable twenty to one, that is, the Germans lost twenty or even more of a tank.

Roosevelt was very unhappy about this. After hearing this, he sent a telegram to Churchill: "Dear Prime Minister, I don't know why this battle was lost. I only know that people all over the world think that American tanks are just coffins, and they are vulnerable in front of German tanks!"

The United States made a fortune by arms, so of course it was very concerned about the performance of its equipment, which was directly related to their economy, but this signature almost caused the British Eighth Army to smash it.

"Sorry, Mr. President!" Churchill hurriedly replied: "I believe this is why the soldiers have not adapted to the speed and operation of American tanks. Your tanks have good performance and they rarely fail in the desert. This is the consistent reaction of the frontline soldiers, and they also hope to continue using your equipment."

After pausing, Churchill sent another electric signal: "So I hope to get more equipment and more help..."

Churchill was a little panicked.
Chapter completed!