“I will not be handed a battle of attrition at Tobruk,” said Rommel stolidly. “If the enemy is there it is because that is where he wants me to attack him. Well I will not oblige him. Instead I plan to swing around the flank of that division like this.” He pointed to the map, his finger tracing out the route he had in mind.
“Bir el Khamsa,” said Rommel. “The roads meet there, and beyond it is a British railhead in the making near Mishiefa, which we can use. They are extending the rail line from Mersa Matruh to that place, so it looks to be a big supply center. There is your gasoline, Streich. Sidi el Razig and Bir Thalata will be your primary objectives. It is presently undefended, and this whole area is only being screened by light reconnaissance units. Once we take that we will be in a good position to cut the rail line operation and outflank any planned defense of Sidi Barani.”
“Then you are not going to attack up the main road here?”
“Not directly. I’ll give that job to the Italian Ariete Division.”
“The Italians?”
“Yes, they won’t break through, but it will serve as a nice demonstration while we maneuver, as before. 15th Panzer will lead this envelopment, we will follow with 5th Light. Once we appear well behind the enemy on his flank, those infantry will think twice about holding on to their entrenchments. We will do with gasoline what might otherwise cost us men and material.”
“Assuming we have the gasoline!” Streich objected.
“Take what you need from non-essential vehicles, the flak batteries, except the 88s. They will be useful in case the British have more of those Matildas at hand.”
“But sir… Yes, we can probably move another 25 kilometers to Bir el Khamsa, but when we get there we will be wanting fuel, water, food, all left behind in this maneuver. Why not wait for the supply columns to come up and replenish before we make this turning action? That way, when we do reach Sidi Razig, there will still be gasoline in the tanks to do something more.”
“The longer we wait, the more time we give the British to regain their balance,” said Rommel. “This is their last division of any consequence.”
“Yes, but it won’t do us any good to get strung out in the desert again here. Keitel messaged us yesterday to say he is landing the 90th light at Tripoli. Each move we make like this also extends our seaward flank to the enemy. It is being covered by the Ariete Division, but they can only do so much. If you move another twenty or thirty kilometers east, we’ll have to post flak batteries to hold that flank.”
“Don’t worry about that. Do you honestly think the British are going to come out from behind that escarpment and try to attack us there?”
“There is always the possibility.”
“Nonsense!” Rommel was tired of bickering with Streich. The man had been dragging his feet for some days now, since Michili, when he had flatly refused an order to attack that vital British supply depot and airfield for these same reasons. That led Rommel to call him a coward to his face, and Streich had been so infuriated that he tore off the Knight’s Cross he had recently been awarded and demanded an apology or he would throw it at Rommel’s feet. Since then there was little love between the two men, and less cooperation. Rommel had decided to replace the man, but he was here now, and he would have to push him if he wanted to get anything done.
“Listen, Streich, I am not asking for an opinion here. This is what we are going to do. You have your orders. Are you going to disobey your commanding officer yet again and bellyache about gasoline? That Knight’s Cross around your neck only goes so far. I have one as well, along with the Blue Max. Haven’t you noticed?”
Streich tightened his jaw, clearly unhappy. “Only too well,” he said sullenly. “Very well, Herr General, I will do as you ask. And when my tanks and vehicles run out of gasoline, we’ll ask the British if they can spare us any!”
Rommel gave him a wan smile. “Don’t ask politely, Streich, just go and take it from them. Now get moving! And remember, you were given that medal for following my orders and carrying them out successfully, not for disobeying them. I don’t command by committee here. I am Befehlshaber of the Afrika Korps. Understand?”
