Chương 65: 65
"Finally we have a chance! "A golden opportunity to revive the Roman Empire!"
When Britain did indeed attack Norway, Mussolini confidently declared that the time had come.
The fact that not only Norway but also Denmark and Sweden participated in the war was something that neither Mussolini nor even Churchill had expected, but it did not matter.
After all, dealing with the Scandinavian countries is the responsibility of Britain and France, not Italy.
Italy's only promise was to attack Austria and seize part of the German army's strength.
Unlike Mussolini, who was excited as if the war had already ended, Badoglio's expression was still awkward.
He tried to smile on purpose so as not to offend Mussolini, but the deep concern in his heart was evident, making his expression even more awkward.
Badoglio had been earnestly admonishing for two months that the state of the Italian army was in dire straits and that it would be impossible to participate in the war within this year, but Mussolini did not even listen.
In a head full of only the rosy future of building a new Roman Empire, there was no room for dark words such as the reality of the country's military.
Badoglio hesitated for the last time to dissuade him from participating in the war, but soon gave up and kept his mouth shut.
No matter what is said here, Duce's decision will not change. In return, I will only hear reprimands.
Don't you already know this from countless experiences?
Duce is a person who, once he makes a decision, sticks to it no matter what others say.
But that doesn't mean we have to just watch and do nothing as the predicted disaster unfolds. It was an unprecedented humiliation for Marshal Roh, who had served in the military his entire life.
Italo Balbo, Duce's close colleague and Italian Air Force Marshal, shouted confidently, not knowing that Marshal Noh was feeling upset.
"The German Air Force is concentrated on the western border in preparation for air raids from Norway and the Anglo-French Army. "Even if our bombers bomb Vienna, the Luftwaffe won't be able to do anything!"
"Ah! "I can only trust you, Marshal Balbo!"
Balbo had previously been demoted to the position of governor of Libya by Mussolini, who was jealous of his growing popularity, but when the conflict with Germany intensified, Mussolini called him back to Italy and asked for reconciliation.
Balbo, who was a fascist to his core and a true warrior, made peace with Mussolini and actively cooperated with his anti-German policies.
Realizing that he had been tricked by Hitler with the annexation of the Czech Republic, Youngf lifted the economic sanctions imposed on Italy, allowing Balbo's long-awaited plan to modernize the Italian Air Force to accelerate again.
From the German Air Force's perspective, it was still at a baby-step level, but from the Italian military's perspective, it was enough to be confident that it had made some progress.
"We have brave soldiers and talented people, as well as England and France. So what have you got to fear?"
April 19, 1940, 3 p.m.
Italian mountain divisions crossed the border and entered German territory.
It was the moment when the Kingdom of Italy jumped into the huge quagmire of World War II.
***
April 19, 1940
Villach, Ostmark, Germany (Austria)
War broke out in Villach, a small city overlooking the Italian border, and an air raid alarm sounded for the first time.
When the Ca.311 light bombers of the Italian Air Force, which Balbo had raised with great care, appeared in the sky, anti-aircraft guns opened fire in unison.
"Shoot!"
All types of anti-aircraft guns, from 20 and 37 mm anti-aircraft guns to massive 88 mm anti-aircraft guns, spewed flames at the invaders.
Before the bombs could be dropped, one Ca.311 was hit by anti-aircraft fire and its right wing was broken.
The bomber with a broken wing crashed helplessly, leaving a gray tail in the blue sky.
The hardships of the Ca.311 squadron, which quickly began dropping bombs, did not end there.
Upon hearing the news of the Italian invasion, a Bf109 squadron appeared.
Maki C.200 Saetta fighters took on the task of escorting the bombers, but as their name, Saetta, did not suit them, they were no match for the Bf109.
Although the Saeta had the best performance among the Italian military's fighter jets, it was equipped with an air-cooled engine, so its output was low, and its firepower was ambiguous as it was only armed with two 12.7mm machine guns.
In contrast, the Bf109 E type flown by German pilots surpassed the Saeta in all aspects, even though it was an older aircraft with performance inferior to the F type deployed in Norway and the west.
Within three minutes of the start of the air battle, half of Saeta's fighter planes crashed.
"Fuck, why are they so strong?!"
The Italian pilots were unable to come to their senses due to the attack by an enemy plane whose performance was far superior to theirs.
Let alone escorting the bombers, it was difficult to even take care of one's own life right away.
"profit!"
An Italian pilot who twisted the control stick back and forth until he felt dizzy finally succeeded in catching the enemy plane that was chasing him.
He participated in the Spanish Civil War and was awarded the title of ace by shooting down five Soviet fighter planes. He smiled at the fact that his skills had not rusted.
As the Breda machine gun on the top of the nose fired, holes were blown through the enemy plane's wings.
The pilot of the attacked Bf109 quickly turned the nose, but the aircraft had already suffered significant damage.
"Gotcha!"
When the enemy plane, which was flying precariously, finally crashed while emitting smoke, the pilot shouted hurray.
However, before the cheers could end, a new Bf109 appeared and opened fire on the cockpit.
Another Saeta crashed to the ground. The canopy was covered in red blood.
***
"annihilation······? "Not a single one has come back?"
Balbo's voice trembled like an aspen when he heard the news that the bomber squadron had been annihilated by the German Air Force. He looked like he couldn't even believe the adjutant who delivered the news.
"Yes, Your Excellency. "The enemy air force's resistance is not normal, so stop…"
not good.
Balbo was sweating beads as he clinked glasses with his men in hopes of success in conquering Austria. For a first step toward rebuilding the Roman Empire, it was not a very good start.
Balbo, who had long insisted on budgeting for the Navy and instead turned to the Air Force, found himself in trouble.
If Duche found out about this news, what kind of anger would he get into? Balbo, who was wandering around inside the command center, soon came up with a solution.
"Keep it a secret from Duce. "There is no need to announce it."
"I understand, Your Excellency."
When there is a war, of course there is damage, and that applies to both the army, the navy and the air force.
It is not unusual for the first bomber squadron and its escort fighters to be decimated, but in the context of the war as a whole, the damage is not that significant.
It was just unlucky.
"The war is only just beginning. We still have many mountains to overcome. But this is something we shouldn't be discouraged from doing. "Isn't that right?"
"you're right."
The expression on the adjutant's face when he answered was as bad as Balbo's, but what could a mere captain say? If your boss says yes, you should respond appropriately.
Balbo's words could not be said to be wrong.
The war has only just begun, so an opportunity to make up for it will come at any time.
maybe.
***
When the first battle of the Italian Air Force's war against Germany ended in crushing defeat,
The Italian mountain division was crossing the German-Italian border.
"Fuck, it's so fucking hard, really."
Antonio Shabni, a 19-year-old rookie private, let out a curse and grabbed the edge of the rock with his cleft hands.
He was born in a remote village in the mountains and was confident about climbing mountains, but this was too much. No matter how far you go, there are only mountains and mountains.
"What are you going to do next if you start crying this much? "Can you still call it mountain sickness?"
Antonio's senior soldier, Corporal Claudio Carrel, looked down at Antonio, who was panting, and laughed.
"Are you having a hard time, Corporal?"
"me? Of course it's hard. "But it's still okay."
Antonio suspected that Corporal Karel was acting tough, but he could see no signs of fatigue or irritation on his face.
Unlike his comrades who were struggling to climb the mountain, Karel looked relaxed.
"My family was so poor that I couldn't even dream of going to school and had to work unconditionally. Do you know what I've been doing since I was 11?"
"I don't know?"
"It was a job delivering milk and cheese to a house in the mountains. Other houses refused because it took a lot of time and was difficult. However, our family was so poor that we were not in a position to receive work. "That's why I'm good at climbing mountains."
"It's a sad story."
Antonio, who applied to become a mountain soldier because he was confident about climbing mountains and heard that he would be treated better and receive a slightly higher salary than regular infantry soldiers, cursed his choice and walked away.
Not only was the terrain a problem, but the cold of the Alps was also one of the factors that added to the hardships of the Italian army.
Due to Mussolini's misjudgment, despite the fact that the division was a mountain division, the soldiers had to endure the cold because they had little winter equipment.
The ice caps covering the Alps were definitely spectacular. You can only see it in pictures.
For the soldiers who had to climb the mountain shivering in the cold and carrying heavy equipment on their backs, the ice caps were nothing more than white filth.
"If I had known this would happen, I would have applied for the Navy."
If I had applied to the Navy, not only would I not have had to suffer here, but I would have been leisurely standing guard at the base by now.
Since Germany has no territory bordering the Mediterranean Sea, there is absolutely no need for its navy to step forward. If you do well, you can just wait until the war ends and then be discharged!
When I thought about that, I felt so unfair that it drove me crazy. Damn, if only I had known to be a little smarter...
"Why go up the mountain when it's easy to go by road?"
A soldier at the back of the procession grumbled. Then a soldier spoke up.
"If you're going to march comfortably by road, why have a mountain division?"
The few roads leading to Germany were used to move heavy equipment such as trucks and tanks.
The soldiers, who had barely managed to climb the mountain with hands that were on the verge of frostbite, breathed a sigh of relief when they came across gentle terrain.
However, this was where the real hardship began.
-pop!
"W-what?!"
"It's a mortar! "Get down!"
A 60mm mortar shell fell on the heads of Italian soldiers who had barely crossed the difficult Alps and entered Ostmark.
The attack by the German mountain division had begun.
The soldiers, who were preoccupied with climbing the mountain, were confused when a mortar shell suddenly fell.
They were busy running away, forgetting that the Germans were watching them.
"Get down, you bastard! "If you stand up, you'll fall!"
Karel shouted as he grabbed Antonio by the neck and forced him to sit down as he tried to stand up in shock from the shelling.
As soon as he finished speaking, the soldier who got up and ran away was hit squarely by a mortar shell and was pulverized.
Blood was splattered everywhere.
"What!"
Some soldiers were so distracted by running away that they fell off a cliff.
Although they were soldiers from the mountain division, which was considered one of the most elite units in the Italian army, they were unable to control the attack.
When the mortar attack ended, bullets flew. The Germans' MG34s and ZB-53s opened fire and knocked down the Italian soldiers.
"Fire back, you bastards!"
At the company commander's shout, the Italians also fired at the Germans.
However, since they fired without checking exactly where the enemy was, the bullets tended to fly to the wrong place.
Antonio and Carrel also returned fire at the enemy with their respective weapons. Unlike Antonio, who was issued a Carcano rifle like other company members, Karel's gun was a Breda M30 light machine gun.
"shit. "What a damn gun!"
This time, a curse came out of Karel's mouth.
The Breda M30 has an extremely complex loading method that requires pulling the loading handle, retracting the bolt, pressing the magazine stop to rotate the magazine forward, inserting a 20-round clip into the magazine, pulling it out again, and then installing the magazine. It was infamous among the soldiers.
Especially in a battlefield where bullets were moving back and forth, it was not a trivial problem to take a lot of time to reload.
"I feel it every time, but the guy who designed this gun should be burned at the stake! "What the hell is it that made this piece of shit like a weapon?!"
Karel, who had barely finished loading, carefully aimed the muzzle of the gun in the direction from which the enemy's bullets were flying.
Even though I cut and fired as I had been trained to do, the magazine quickly ran out. While Karel was laboriously changing the magazine, a mortar shell fell nearby.
"Wow!"
When someone's ankle fell in front of him, Antonio was so shocked that he stood up.
A bullet flew by and scratched his helmet. Antonio quickly fell to the floor.
"I almost died... Corporal Karel?"
Antonio, who was relieved that his life was narrowly saved, saw Karel's hand suspended in the air and approached him.
The moment I checked Karel's condition, I thought he had stopped breathing.
Karel, who had a mortar fragment stuck between his eyes, died with his eyes wide open.
The blood that flowed from the spot where the fragment was stuck fell on the pure white ice cap, creating a red mark.
"Retreat! "Everyone retreat!"
As the damage from the German attack gradually increased, the Italian army could not hold out any longer and retreated.
The soldiers who heard the company commander's order to retreat quickly retreated, saying, "Let me live!", but Antonio did not move as if he had turned to stone. He couldn't possibly move his body.
"Antonio, what are you doing! Do you want to get lost?!"
"Oh, no!"
"Move quickly! "If you stay here, everyone will die!"
Only after hearing the platoon leader's shout did Antonio move his body. Karel was still lying in the same position he was about to load his magazine.
Mussolini's attack was stopped by German mountain divisions.
***
"They're such idiots. "It's so clumsy."
Lieutenant General Karl Eggerser, who served in three armies, starting with the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Army, the Austrian Army, and the German Wehrmacht, smiled as he looked at the Italian troops struggling under the mortar attack.
When he said he would go to the front line and directly observe the battle situation, Egle Control's staff dissuaded him, saying it was dangerous, but in reality it was quite the opposite.
Far from being dangerous, it even felt like watching a movie in a theater.
"I can't believe they are descendants of the Roman Empire. "I don't think we need to go out and just send in BDM (Bund Deutscher Mädel, German Girls' Federation) members to repel them, right?"
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
The staff took Eggle Control's words as a joke, but Egl Control was not a joke.
It really seemed like if we gave the BDM members military training for about a month, they would be able to fend off the Italian army.
To that extent, the Italian army was showing poor performance.
"I have to tell the President. "I think two divisions will be enough to stop those idiots."
Hitler deployed four mountain divisions to the border in preparation for Italy's entry into the war, but now I think it was more of a waste than necessary.
Not only would two divisions be enough to stop it, but it also seemed possible to invade Italy if it received support from the Air Force.
"I don't think we need to see any more, so let's go back. "What's on the menu for dinner tonight?"
"Sausage, mashed potatoes and sauerkraut."
"good. "I have an appetite for the first time in a while."
Mussolini's ambition to help England attack Germany and take over Austria and Bavaria was faltering from the start.
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