We promised to develop a game called Candy Crush, what the hell is the Third Reich?

Chapter 154 [Battle of Tunisia] Rommel's Last Moments (5.2k words, combined into one)

Duan Yu entered the game.

After not playing for more than half a month, I returned to the game and found that I felt completely at ease.

Perhaps because it's from the same company as [Huaxia] and [World War II: Rise of Empires], the transition is very smooth.

The Earth is still the same Earth, only the point in time is different.

But there's also a slight difference.

because
The moment Duan Yu entered Leningrad, his gaze fell upon the trees in the city.

For an instant.

I feel like I'm not hungry anymore.

Everywhere you look, there are rows of trees with intact bark.

This is all food!
How come I never noticed Leningrad before? It has so much food!

A smile appeared on Duan Yu's face.

His eyes darted around, trying to decide which tree to eat from today.

the other side.

In Yu Feng's live stream room on Tiansha Live.

Yu Feng, who teamed up with Fang Ming to play the closed beta of "Huaxia", had already returned to the "World War II: Rise of Empires" livestream.

Fang Ming, on the other hand, went to stream the game "Huaxia". Now he doesn't do anything else but basically spends his days in immersive mode choosing his identity.

Sometimes, with just one identity and dozens of subcategories, you could play for three days straight and still not finish.

And there are thousands of such identities.

Players may not be able to keep up with all the gameplay, but they enjoy watching, and the player-created identity database is constantly being improved through different identities.

But even so.

There are still many unexplored areas, so there's a lot of fresh buzz surrounding the game "Huaxia". If you want to break into the mainstream, you should stream the game "Huaxia".

Yu Feng, on the other hand, had no interest in experiencing various identities and returned to continue his live stream of "World War II: The Rise of Empires".

We are currently on the battlefield in North Africa.

At this moment, Yu Feng was in a moving truck, sitting in the passenger seat of the driver's cab, looking at a map of North Africa.

[North African Campaign] Here, after last year's 'Battle of El Alamein', the Empire's crushing defeat has gradually shifted the balance of power in North Africa toward the Allies.

This also exposed the empire's most serious problem.

Resources and supplies are insufficient.

From July, when the first Battle of El Alamein began, both sides were forced to switch to a defensive posture due to the issue of attrition warfare.

In October 1942, during the Second Battle of El Alamein.

Even as the fighting raged on the European front, and even as the Reichsführer ordered the deployment of an air force to support supply transport to North Africa.

Even under these circumstances, the empire still succumbed to fuel depletion.

Rommel's armored forces ran out of fuel for a counterattack and had to retreat to defend.

However, with the victory of the Battle of Kharkiv in February on the European front.

Rommel on the northern front also caused quite a stir. Not long ago, Rommel led the Reich 10th and 21st Panzer Divisions in a surprise attack on Sidi Bouzid.

The U.S. military, fresh from its victory in the Pacific theater, had not yet had a chance to make its mark in the North African theater.

He was then slapped hard across the face by Rommel.

The battle group of the U.S. 1st Armored Division was almost completely wiped out.

Meanwhile, Rommel led the 10th Armored Division in a lightning advance, and in just a few days, the American forces retreated more than 50 kilometers.

The defense line collapsed at one point.

It was only then that the US military realized that naval warfare and land warfare were not the same thing.

Although Japan was being fought fiercely in the Pacific Ocean.

However, the steel torrent commanded by Rommel was simply beyond the capabilities of the US military, which was accustomed to naval warfare.

But there is also good news.

Although Rommel turned the tide, his old problem persisted: insufficient supplies.

They dared not continue to push forward and expand their gains.

This gave the Allied forces an opportunity to reorganize their defenses, and Yu Feng's unit was going to provide support.

The support vehicles sped across the desert.

Yu Feng pulled up the 'real-time map' on the Polaris website and compared it with the map he had, chatting casually with the viewers in the live stream:

"As this war goes on, it seems like the main players have changed."

"Originally, it was the Kingdom of Italy that invaded North Africa, but now the empire is at the forefront."

"Originally, it was the British Commonwealth resisting Italy, but now the army of the American Free Federation is standing in front of us."

"After fighting for so long, it's impossible to tell who the main character is on this side."

Not only is it impossible to tell who the main character is, but now no one can back down.

The empire has suffered so many losses in this war, how could it possibly retreat so easily? If it weren't for the lack of supplies, the situation in North Africa would be very different.

The United States, having achieved successive victories in the Pacific, suffered such a great loss as soon as it began providing aid to North Africa, and clearly could not back down.

Nobody knows what will happen next.

After all, Rommel's command ability was truly exceptional.

Although the players on Earth have never clashed directly.

However, Rommel's maneuvers repeatedly turned the tide in the North African campaign, despite the Axis powers' disadvantages.

He is also one of the three most famous generals of the empire officially recognized in the Hall of Fame.

Guderian goes without saying, Manstein's command in the Battle of Kharkov was also a game-changer, and now Rommel's operations in North Africa.

The three great generals of the empire truly deserve their titles.

Yu Feng, observing the situation in North Africa, then shifted his gaze to the 'real-time map,' subsequently zooming in on the European theater for a while before speaking:
"The situation in Europe is similar to that in North Africa."

"Both the Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of El Alamein were victories that were overturned by the brilliant maneuvers of the Imperial generals."

"From the current perspective of the overall situation on Earth."

"Only Japan, across the Pacific, is getting beaten up."

"Although the Axis powers are showing some signs of decline, it is not significant."

"Speaking of the decline."

"Actually, the main problem is the supply issue on the Empire's side."

"The first signs of this were already visible last year."

"Because an air force was deployed to transport supplies to support the North African battlefield, many Imperial soldiers froze to death on the European front, but the situation on the North African front was not much better."

"The support and supplies were available, but the Battle of El Alamein still failed due to supply issues."

"Even now, Rommel's side is unable to expand its gains due to supply problems."

"As for the allies, they don't need to worry about supplies at all."

"Ultimately, it's still a matter of the base number."

"Before the empire went to war, it only had 470,000 square kilometers. From 1939 to 1943, it had been fighting for four years, and it had basically exhausted all its resources."

"Now it's just like Japan. They've exhausted their domestic resources, so they're raiding Southeast Asia to make a quick buck. They'll hold out for as long as they can, except the empire is raiding Europe."

"The United States, on the other hand, had just joined the Allied Powers, and its territory before the war was 963 million square kilometers, with its oil and military resources still in reserve."

"On the other hand, the Empire has been fighting for four years."

"The American Free Federation is rapidly reorganizing its defenses, while the Empire is still debating whether to continue the pursuit. Even a renowned general like Rommel can't do anything about it."

"Because there really is no fuel or supplies."

"War eventually becomes a war of attrition."

After saying that, Yu Feng inexplicably thought of the Battle of Stalingrad.

That was a real war of attrition.

More than 100,000 people died on a small hillside of less than two square kilometers.

Finally, the Empire's casualties became unbearable.

Subsequent support was insufficient.

This led to the victory at Stalingrad.

The Empire was also quite frustrated.

The fighting for a single city lasted for months, with the Reich suffering over 80 casualties. Every inch of Stalingrad was littered with shrapnel from artillery shells.

The Soviet military and civilian casualties have exceeded 200 million, and the cities have been turned into ghost towns.

As a result, the Soviet Union launched Operation Uranus.

More than 110 million troops were mobilized from the Far East and other regions, including the Southwestern Front and the Stalingrad Front, to encircle them.

At that time, the Imperial forces in Stalingrad numbered only about 20.

The situation in the North African theater is actually quite similar.

Although Rommel's actions reversed the situation, the American Freedom Federation was almost finished rebuilding its defenses.

Looking at the 'real-time map', Yu Feng discussed the upcoming battle with his viewers in the live stream.

It seems the Allied side has a better chance of winning.

What no one knew was how quickly the Italian kingdom would vote.
after one day.

North African battlefield.

Outside the Kasserin Pass, the U.S. Freedom Federal Defense Line.

After the Empire broke through the Cassell Pass, it ceased its offensive. Information from various sources indicated that Rommel did not continue the attack because the Empire lacked supplies.

However, no one dared to test the waters.

The two sides remained deadlocked.

Yu Feng and his group had arrived here, following the main force. Players have relatively free roles, and NPCs usually ignore them. Yu Feng wandered around for a while.

Sudden.

boom--! ! !
A muffled thud followed, then a series of muffled thuds, and the sharp whistling of artillery shells filled the sky. The surrounding American Freedom Federation soldiers shouted:

"Those Imperial bastards are attacking! Fight!"

"Ready to fight!!!"

Yu Feng rushed towards the direction he had just come from, where his tank crew was located.

At this time.

Suddenly, several large characters appeared before Yu Feng's eyes.

The Battle of Tunisia

The appearance of the font made Yu Feng realize that a hidden plot had been triggered.

but
Tunisian campaign?
Didn't they attack Tunisia last year? How come it's still called the Tunisian War?

Does this mean it's not over yet?

Last year, the Allied forces attacked Tunisia, but although they didn't capture it, the situation remained deadlocked. Later, due to various battles, the matter came to an end.

It was still showing as the "Tunisian Campaign".

So, does that mean the core issue is in 'Tunisia'?

Yu Feng was thinking about this.

boom--! ! !
The shells fell and landed right in the camp.

Several panicked American soldiers let out a single scream and then fell silent.

The shockwave from the explosion scattered dirt and rubble everywhere. Despite the pain from the falling debris, Yu Feng rushed to his tank and crawled inside.

The rest of the crew members are also ready.

Yu Feng commanded the tank to start, the engine roaring as it turned and charged toward the Imperial tanks pushing towards the outside of the defensive line, directing the shells to fire.

boom!
Yu Feng, inside the tank, felt a jolt, and then saw through the periscope that the shell had hit the Empire's tank.

However, before a look of joy could even appear on his face.

They discovered that even after the shells exploded, the Empire's tanks were still able to move, causing Yu Feng to gasp in astonishment.
"hiss--"

"Tiger tank?"

Yu Feng knew a little about the Imperial Tank that appeared at the end of last year and shone brightly in the Battle of Kharkiv, but he didn't expect that it also existed in North Africa.

And there are quite a few.

Looking through the periscope, there was at least a battalion (20) of Tiger tanks.

Yu Feng gritted his teeth and gave the order:

"Load armor-piercing rounds!"

The loader immediately loaded the armor-piercing round, however...
boom!
With a muffled thud, Yu Feng looked through the periscope and saw that the armor-piercing shell had struck the Empire's Tiger tank, veered slightly, and then veered away.

I don't know where it flew off to.

At this time.

The voice of the US military commander over the radio came through:
"Our artillery is useless against them! Repeat! Useless!!!"

"Don't attack! Retreat! Retreat!!!"

It was clearly a shout directed at the newly arrived support troops, because not only the tanks commanded by Yu Feng rushed out, but other tanks also rushed out.

They were unaware of the Tiger tank's power.

The troops on the Free Commonwealth side have developed a "tiger phobia"—their first reaction upon seeing a Tiger tank is to run, not to fight.

Meanwhile, Yu Feng and others directed the tanks to bombard the Imperial tanks.

The Tiger tanks on the Empire's side also turned their guns around, and then... Boom!
A shell hit the tank next to Yu Feng directly.

The loud tearing sound of steel was clearly audible to Yu Feng inside the tank, and the shock of the explosion even made the tank he was commanding shudder.

Yu Feng felt a chill in his heart.

It's easy to guess what happened to the tank next door.

What the hell is this?

I know the Tiger is fierce, but watching videos and actually encountering it are two different things.

It didn't say that armor-piercing rounds were ineffective.

Our armor-piercing shells hit the enemy like they were just stones, while a single shell from the enemy could blow up a tank.

clang--!
Before he could think any further, Yu Feng felt something hit the tank.

Finished!

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he quickly crouched down and covered his head, followed by a violent explosion that spread across the tank.

The sound of steel tearing apart rang out.

The turret above Yu Feng's head was blown off, and in an instant, the tank was exposed.

Fortunately, the shell went a little too high, only blowing off the turret; otherwise, if it had gone any lower, everyone inside the tank would have been killed.

Yu Feng was bleeding from his mouth and nose from the shock of the explosion, and his ears were ringing so loudly that he couldn't hear anything.

He struggled to his feet, ignoring everyone else, and climbed out of the tank through the opening left by the blasted shells, quickly rolling away before scrambling to a distance.

Yu Feng hadn't even climbed twenty meters yet.

boom--! ! !
The tank behind them was hit by Imperial shells again, and this time, it was the hull.

Torn tank fragments flew everywhere.

Phew!

Yu Feng had no time to react. The shattered tank fragments rolled over him and hit his left arm, tearing it apart and sending it flying.

He was tumbled out of the room, and a sharp pain surged through his entire body in an instant:
"Ah ah ah ah ah!!!"

Even though the pain threshold was already set to 30%, it was unbearable. While screaming in pain, I opened the settings and quickly adjusted it to the lowest setting of 5%, which finally relieved the pain.

Yu Feng lay on the ground, his face pale, covered in cold sweat, and panting heavily.

The left arm was torn off by the huge impact, and it was now a bloody mess. Fortunately, Yu Feng didn't look there, otherwise even from a first-person perspective, it would be terrifying.

As the pain subsided, Yu Feng, having recovered, struggled to move his body.

With his remaining right hand, he pulled out the pistol from his waist, cocked it with his teeth, and then collapsed next to the huge tank fragments, trying to remain still.

From a distance, Yu Feng now looked like an unlucky corpse who had been accidentally injured.

The Empire's tanks probably won't specifically target him, but those Tiger tanks are followed by infantry, and Yu Feng isn't sure if he can survive.

The only thing to do is to stay still as much as possible.

After all, in this situation, the Empire's primary objective should be the military camp, not the corpse of an unfortunate soul.
Yu Feng tried to breathe steadily.

The pain in his arm jolted him awake.

This is the first time I have encountered such a situation.

The main problem is that people used to die very quickly, either from bullets or artillery shells, but now they have a broken arm but they still haven't died.

It is almost a complete simulation of reality.

Inexplicable.

Yu Feng suddenly thought, what if he survived?

What should we do about this arm?
This game probably won't be restored, right?

So the only option is to amputate the arm?

The thought flashed through Yu Feng's mind, but the roar of artillery shells interrupted his train of thought.

Looking through half-open eyes.

With the Imperial Tiger tanks leading the way, the soldiers of the American Freedom in the entire camp lost all will to fight and began to scatter.

I wonder how much trauma the Imperial Tiger tank must have inflicted on them to become what they are now.

The only counterattacks were from the newly arrived reinforcements.

The armored tanks they brought were easily torn apart by the Empire's Tiger tanks, and the heavy firepower and light machine guns only produced sparks when they hit the Empire's Tiger tanks.

Armor that even armor-piercing bullets can't penetrate, machine guns are even less effective against it.

Yu Feng suddenly realized that there seemed to be no way to do this; what was the point of trying?

As the Empire's Tiger tanks advanced, the newly arrived reinforcements had no choice but to retreat along with the original defensive line.

The infantry following behind the Imperial Tiger tanks began their pursuit, with masked Imperial soldiers appearing at the rear of the column.

Following the Tiger tanks into the camp, the flamethrowers held aloft relentlessly burned everything in sight.

This includes wounded soldiers of the American Freedom who are still alive.

Screams mixed with the smell of burning flesh were carried by the strong wind and swept across the entire battlefield.

Some wounded soldiers had already raised their hands to surrender, but the Imperial soldiers' submachine guns mercilessly pierced their chests, clearly with no intention of taking prisoners.

This scene terrified Yu Feng.

Fearing that he might expose himself, he was relieved that the Empire was quick to act and seemed not to intend to stay long.

After dealing with the wounded and confirming that there were no survivors, they began to loot the supplies in the military camp. Some Imperial soldiers even drove American Free Federation trucks into the camp to load supplies.

See this.

Yu Feng and the viewers in Lanxing's live stream were even more certain that the Empire was indeed short of supplies.

They've been fighting and looting to resupply.

At this time.

Behind the main imperial force, a command vehicle drove up, and figures flashed past the window.

But Yu Feng was live-streaming.

Just by replaying it, Yu Feng could clearly see the blurry figure, and his heart skipped a beat.

Rommel?
Despite the victory, Rommel's expression inside the car was not good; instead, he frowned and looked somewhat off.

(A family member was hospitalized, so I went to visit them today. I spent the whole day at the hospital, so I apologize. I'll try to make up for it tomorrow.)
(End of this chapter)