Chapter 97 Italy Attacks

　　"Holy shit, that's called a tank?" A German Expeditionary Force soldier looked at a tank (if it can be called a tank) in the distance with an incredulous face. "This thing is also too, too ..." If it is the latter days of the network era, he may still be able to say "meng meng da", but now there is no such popular words, hold half a day and finally thought of a word. The first thing that came to mind was the word "cute". "This is also too small, right?"

　　The companion standing next to him expressed considerable agreement. "Who says it isn't, it's like cat and mouse in size compared to our light tanks."

　　It was the Italian CV33 ultralight tank that they were commenting on. As the two soldiers said, its size is amazingly small, just how small is it? Interested friends can go to the capital's military museum to visit, the first glance gives people the feeling that this thing can really sit in? It's 3.2 meters long, 1.4 meters wide, 1.32 meters high, tall Westerners can only be held back by curling up and squatting inside.

　　There were two members, a driver and a captain who doubled as a machine gunner. The weapon configuration is a twin 8mm machine gun. Its combat weight is only about 3 tons, it can be imagined how thick the armor can be, simply can not give the members enough security. The armor was not only riveted, but also of such poor quality that the rivets sometimes flew around after being shot, and these rivets killed many members like high-speed bullets.

　　The only thing that can be praised is perhaps its speed, even though its engine is only 41 horsepower, it can run a high speed of 43km/h, which is a little bit unbelievable!

　　Any other country might have used the CV33 as a reconnaissance tank, but it was the Italians who used it as their main tank, not only participating in the war of aggression against Ethiopia, but also sending it to the Spanish Civil War, and even equipping thousands of them themselves.

　　It is not difficult to see that the Italians' weak industrial level and backward military thinking did not have no reason for their poor performance in the Second World War.

　　"What about our tanks?" Another soldier asked.

　　"Over there, gotta stay away from the little guy, what if we accidentally knock it apart?"

　　"Ha ha ha!" A few German soldiers around them let out loud laughter that they couldn't help but laugh, causing those Italian soldiers not far away to look at them with a bewildered expression.

　　Just at this time their rear came from the earth-shattering sound of artillery, hundreds of cannons roared and smashed their shells into the opposite government army position, that was Madrid's peripheral position, as long as they broke through this position, they would be able to break through into Madrid.

　　Cannonballs rained down on the position, exploding the dust, falling down is a big pit, some even fell directly into the trenches, the fate of the bad will be struck by the fragments of the shells, died a tragic death in the position.

　　Of course, such unlucky people are only a very few, although Spain did not participate in the last war, but also sent a lot of observation groups, plus this time from all over the world to come to the volunteers are not lacking in veterans who participated in the last war, deployment of the trenches is not inferior to the last war. It is basically impossible to rely on shelling to hit the enemy troops in the trenches.

　　In a command headquarters buried deep underground, a government army officer ignored the dust that fell from the top of his head from time to time, concentrating on polishing a small pistol. Everyone else in the room was doing their own thing, oblivious to the sound of shelling outside.

　　At that moment he heard footsteps coming from the doorway and glanced back as several of the men in the room stood up and saluted. "Captain, why are you here in person? There is any task phone command is not on the line." Said the officer stepped forward and assisted with his hands, letting the headmaster sit on a stool close by.

　　The regimental commander's left arm was wrapped in a thick bandage that hung around his neck. "I'm not at ease, I came to take a look, and in the meantime, I'll replenish some soldiers for your battalion."

　　"Supplementing soldiers?" The officer said with some confusion. "There's no need to use the reserves so soon, right? The enemy hasn't attacked yet. Regiment Commander, don't worry, I can at least withstand a week here."

　　The regimental commander shook his head. "Of course it's not the reserves, it's the soldiers that have been withdrawn from Aranhuez."

　　"Aranjuez?" The officer raised his eyebrows slightly. "Aranhuez fell so quickly? I thought it would have held up for three or four days anyhow."

　　The regimental commander sighed helplessly. "They encountered a massive infiltration of German snipers, those snipers were like hunters who came to hunt, many of them fell without even seeing the enemy's shadow. As a result, the soldiers were too scared to show their heads in their positions, and were overrun by the enemy in one fell swoop." But he couldn't blame those soldiers, after all, the horror of the German snipers in the last war was there for all to see, even those veterans who had experienced the Great War talked about it, let alone these new recruits who were experiencing the war for the first time.

　　"German snipers?" The officer's face became a bit gloomy. "These stupid Brits! Sooner or later, they'll have to get what's coming to them!" If it wasn't for these assholes loosening their grip again and again, how could Germany restore its armaments so quickly? Aren't these assholes afraid of overcrowding? Do they really think the Germans will be at their mercy? Even he had a feeling that the Germans were preparing for the shame of more than ten years ago, how could Britain and France not see it?

　　After cursing fiercely he continued to ask. "Is not the Soviet side also sent snipers?" But the answer was already there in his mind. This time the Soviets did aid a lot of weaponry, there are airplanes and tanks. But airplanes are not opponents, tanks are not opponents, and now it seems that even snipers are not as good as the enemy? He was skeptical that the Soviets were not netting second-rate goods to fool them.

　　The regimental commander let out a bitter laugh. "The Soviets did send out several sniper teams, but in less than half a day's work they were taken out six of them. Although they reported that they took out three sniper teams from the other side, I don't think they even saw the Germans. So there's not much we can do with the German snipers."

　　The two of them had nothing to say for a while, so they stayed in despondency until the sound of shelling outside thinned out, and the chief stood up. "Looks like it's time to prepare for an attack. I'll have to take a look at the next position, you have to hold this place until the last moment!"

　　The officer saluted with incomparable solemnity. "Don't worry, I'll hold it to the last soldier!" Sending the regimental commander away, he picked up the phone and contacted the company headquarters below one by one, asking them to count their wounded and losses.

　　Not long afterward the subordinates reported back. "Reporting to the battalion commander, the enemy has begun to attack, the small Italian tanks and Italians that are leading the charge!"

　　"Small Italian tanks?" The officer was slightly relieved, it seems that this wave can be easily resisted, they still have two T-26 tanks that the Soviet reinforcements drove over, enough for those small tanks to drink a pot of water.

　　As for why the Italians were in the lead, it was at the request of the Italians themselves.

　　I don't know if it is because these days the Germans in the sky and on the ground of the outstanding achievements of the Mussolini red-eyed jealousy, this morning the Italian Intervention Army's commander-in-chief, General Roatta, came to find the German Expeditionary Force commander-in-chief, Hugo Spiel, asked for this battle by their Italian soldiers to play the lead, a breath of fresh air rushed into Madrid.

　　After the Ethiopian War not too long ago, the German high command now simply despised the Italian's battle-hardened fighting ability. As Your Highness said, what else can Italians do besides cooking and playing soccer? How can you call a tank a tank that a few soldiers can turn over with their bare hands? How can they break through the government army's position with just a few soldiers who don't look like soldiers?

　　Although the heart ridiculed, but Hugo Spiel still very quickly agreed to the Italian side of this request, anyway, Germany and Italy is not an ally, and may even become an enemy in the future, who cares about his life and death.

　　So the Germans watched from afar as the Italians "aggressively" rushed toward the enemy positions in the distance.