Capítulo 46: The Suggestion
"Colonel, may I make a suggestion?" Qin Chuan asked.
"Of course!" Colonel Slyne took a sip of his coffee.
"Why don't we join the main force in Mechili after nightfall?" Qin Chuan proposed.
Qin Chuan's suggestion made sense. Staying in Tengger Tel offered no hope; after dark, the German forces could break through without worrying about British air strikes and regroup with the main force.
Colonel Slyne shook his head, "You're not the only one who's suggested that, Sergeant. In fact, I've thought about it too. But..."
At this point, Colonel Slyne stopped speaking.
Qin Chuan understood the meaning behind that "but"... Rommel wouldn't agree to such a plan.
Perhaps it could be said that Rommel would only agree to regroup with the main force if the regiment had suffered such heavy losses that they were no longer able to hold Tengger Tel.
This created a paradox: the regiment couldn't leave Tengger Tel without suffering heavy losses, yet staying in Tengger Tel would inevitably lead to those very losses, possibly even the annihilation of the entire regiment.
"Do you have any other suggestions?" Colonel Slyne asked.
This was almost like a dismissal, but Colonel Slyne added, "At any time, if you have any suggestions or ideas, you can talk to Lucas..."
As he spoke, Colonel Slyne nodded towards the officer who had brought Qin Chuan. The officer stepped forward and introduced himself, "My name is Lucas, the Colonel's adjutant!"
"An honor to meet you, sir!" Qin Chuan stood at attention and saluted.
Colonel Slyne continued, "Or you can come directly to me, because I am eager to hear another suggestion that could defeat the British. We desperately need such suggestions!"
At this point, Qin Chuan should have saluted and taken his leave, but he didn't realize this because he was preoccupied with his own situation.
The current situation was clear: the regiment would be in great danger if they continued to stay in Tengger Tel.
And as the saying goes, "When the nest is overturned, no egg is left unbroken." If the regiment were to suffer heavy losses or be wiped out, then as a member of the regiment, Qin Chuan would undoubtedly face the same fate... so he couldn't let that happen.
But what could Qin Chuan do? Rommel's orders loomed overhead.
Objectively speaking, Rommel's orders were understandable; he needed a force to cut off the enemy's supply lines behind their lines to have a chance of defeating the main enemy force or preventing them from escaping, even if it meant sacrificing that force.
The problem was that Qin Chuan didn't want to be sacrificed.
So, Qin Chuan had only one choice: to defy Rommel's orders.
But that was almost impossible... he was just a sergeant, and Colonel Slyne was unlikely to disobey Rommel's orders.
"Sergeant, Sergeant?" Colonel Slyne called out in confusion when Qin Chuan remained silent for a long time.
"Colonel..." Qin Chuan snapped back to reality.
"Did you think of something?" Colonel Slyne smiled.
"Oh, yes, Colonel!" Qin Chuan replied, "I was thinking that we might not need to hold Tengger Tel to the death!"
"Sergeant!" Upon hearing this, Colonel Slyne's face grew cold, "Are you suggesting that I disobey orders? Remember, this is beyond your authority!"
"Sorry, Colonel, that's not what I meant!" Qin Chuan explained, "I mean... our ultimate goal is to cut off the enemy's supply lines and support the main force in attacking the enemy. That's also why General Rommel ordered us to hold Tengger Tel. But we know that holding Tengger Tel won't achieve that goal. What if... we disobey orders and leave Tengger Tel, but still achieve that goal?"
Colonel Slyne was taken aback and then laughed, "Are you saying... you have a way to cut off the British supply line or prevent them from retreating?"
Colonel Slyne thought Qin Chuan was joking, perhaps even making an excuse to retreat. But seeing Qin Chuan's serious expression made him reconsider.
"Alright, Sergeant!" Colonel Slyne said, "Tell me your suggestion, I'm listening!"
"May I use your map?" Qin Chuan asked.
"Of course!" Colonel Slyne stepped aside to give Qin Chuan some space.
Qin Chuan walked over to the map and quickly located Tengger Tel... he had studied World War II history extensively, especially German history, so he was well-acquainted with every battle and its process.
"We are here!" Qin Chuan pointed to Tengger Tel on the map, "The main British force is in the Mechili area, 64 kilometers away from us!"
Qin Chuan's words immediately made Colonel Slyne take notice because this seemingly simple statement contained information that ordinary soldiers wouldn't know, such as the location of the British main force and the precise distance between Mechili and Tengger Tel.
"How do you know this?" Colonel Slyne asked, curious.
"Uh... part of it I heard, and part of it I guessed!" Qin Chuan answered, "If Tengger Tel is behind enemy lines, then the main enemy force has nowhere else to be but Mechili, right?"
Colonel Slyne nodded, "Continue, Sergeant."
"Well..." Qin Chuan continued, "I boldly guess that most of the British tanks are east of Tengger Tel, around Mechili!"
With that, Qin Chuan looked at Colonel Slyne.
"Yes!" Colonel Slyne confirmed, "Our intelligence shows they have over 900 tanks east of Tengger Tel, with about 100 more in Egypt, and a small number in Tobruk..."
This was no secret. Previously, the British had pursued the Italian forces all the way to Tripoli, deploying their tanks en masse... though many of these tanks broke down due to technical issues along the way, the majority still advanced into Libya, with only a hundred or so remaining in Egypt. This was also evident from the British armored units' attacks on Tengger Tel from the west.
"On the other hand!" Qin Chuan continued, "The British have turned Tengger Tel into a stronghold, storing gasoline and tank parts here to ensure their tanks have timely fuel and repairs..."
"Mhm!" Colonel Slyne didn't disagree.
This was undeniable. The German forces had found large amounts of gasoline and parts in Tengger Tel's warehouses and had even encountered and captured tanks refueling within the town.
"I suspect..." Qin Chuan said, "that the British have established not just one stronghold like Tengger Tel, but several, and these strongholds are likely connected in a line all the way to Tobruk Port..."
"Are you suggesting..." Colonel Slyne looked up at Qin Chuan, his face full of astonishment.
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