SWDnovel Chapter 56 Defeating the enemy doesn't require direct physical action
Chapter 56 Defeating the enemy doesn't require direct physical action
In downtown Cairo, the Egyptian capital, at the intersection of Port Said Street and July 26th Street, a twelve-story building stands out among a cluster of low-rise buildings.
A scallop icon hangs at the entrance of the high-rise building, and anyone with a discerning eye can immediately recognize it as the famous "Shell".
In the general manager's office on the tenth floor, McLeod was drinking coffee and flipping through the newspaper. To his right was a thick stack of newspapers, all about Thorne.
Legal counsel Anderson stood nervously to the side, awaiting instructions.
After a long while, a smile appeared on McLeod's lips.
"Interesting," he said. "They actually managed to devise an ambush on the German Luftwaffe!"
Anderson said, "I believe Thorne didn't do this. He's just an incompetent playboy who knows nothing about military affairs. How could he possibly set such a trap!"
McLeod asked in a flat tone, "So what do you think is going on?"
"I think the British government needs to create a hero," Anderson replied.
"They attributed all the credit to Thorne and then created a media frenzy."
"Recent media reports prove this point, and the government hopes to use this to stabilize public sentiment."
Churchill could also use this to garner more support.
Anderson was in charge of the acquisition of Red Sea Oil Company. He knew Thorne and didn't think one person could make such a big change.
McLeod smiled and said, "You're right, that's exactly their idea—to create a hero to reassure people."
"but……"
He tossed the newspaper in front of Anderson:
"Salt marshes, and aerial traps—have you ever seen the British army fight like that? Can anyone give you even one similar example?"
Anderson was speechless. The British army had only ever suffered defeats; there was never such a brilliant success story.
"No doubt about it, Anderson," McLeod said.
"Don't let jealousy blind you; it's pointless."
"The British army had suffered a crushing defeat before Thorne appeared, and the situation only changed then."
"So I believe it was this guy who did it; he's a tactical genius. This will allow him to gain a foothold in the army and acquire a great deal of prestige, perhaps far beyond what you or I can imagine."
Anderson's eyes widened in terror: "Then, what can we do?"
The most important aspect of oil trading is cooperating with the military and having a say in the deal, which is why oil giants go to great lengths to create a "revolving door" system.
But now, if Thorne gains prestige and status in the military based on his talent, even oil tycoons will have to show him respect.
McLeod didn't answer. He took his coffee to the window and leisurely sipped it while gazing at the scenery, as if waiting for something.
A moment later, Secretary Evelyn came in: "Sir, His Excellency the Prime Minister has arrived in Bog Arab. As you expected, he said that sentence."
McLeod nodded slightly: "Very good."
Anderson looked confused and cautiously asked Evelyn, "What did you say?"
Evelyn turned her gaze to McLeod, not daring to reveal anything without his permission.
McLeod gestured for Evelyn to leave, then turned his gaze to Anderson:
"Many times, defeating the enemy doesn't require us to take direct action, Anderson."
"We all know Montgomery is stubborn and has an extremely strong sense of pride. Didn't you ever think of using that to your advantage?"
Anderson still didn't understand.
Utilize? How?
McLeod looked at Anderson with pity in his eyes.
This is what the lower class is like; they can never understand the power struggles of the upper class.
"We're praising Thorne, Anderson," McLeod replied.
"Whether in Britain or Egypt, we are praising Thorne's achievements."
"We've sent a message through lawmakers and the media: there will be no war if Montgomery leaves Thorne."
"Even worse, some people said that we should let Thorne command the Eighth Army, which would end the war sooner, at a lower cost and with fewer casualties."
Anderson suddenly realized.
Montgomery, with his strong sense of self-respect, will definitely be affected by these words, which will create a rift between him and Thorne, and he may even set a trap for Thorne to fall into and embarrass him.
Anderson looked at McLeod with admiration, finally understanding what he meant: defeating the enemy doesn't require direct physical force.
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Assam Delhi.
Ochinlake sat at his desk, looking at documents while listening to the guard Drake's report:
"Thorne assigned artillery observers to the armored company level and equipped them with radios."
"He also reformed the tank formation, replacing all the model tanks with 'Grant' tanks."
"Furthermore, he overruled objections and insisted on reducing the crew of the 'Grant' from seven to five..."
Ochinlek frowned: "Change it to five people? How?"
Drake replied, "He scrapped the 37mm gun, removed all the gunners and loaders, and the 37mm gun became nothing more than a decoration."
Ochinlek was taken aback for a moment, then nodded in approval: "Well done."
Drake was somewhat surprised:
"But General, many people have objected to this move, believing that reducing tank firepower is unwise."
"This is the opinion of Lieutenant General Ramsden as well."
"You have to understand that the 37mm gun is omnidirectional, while the 75mm gun has too many blind spots..."
Ochinlek interrupted Drake, asking, "Did the 37mm gun perform any effective combat?"
Drake was speechless for a moment.
The 37mm gun was originally designed for anti-tank warfare, but with the development of German tanks, it could no longer penetrate the armor of the Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks.
Ochinlek then asked:
"What's the point of omnidirectional range if it can't function? What's the purpose of keeping the 37mm gun?"
"Is it to increase the burden on the train commander's command? Or is the cabin already not chaotic enough?"
"Or perhaps they felt they hadn't killed enough tank crew members when the tanks were set ablaze?"
Ordinary people will never understand. He thought that when quality and coordination are not up to par, it is more necessary to subtract rather than add to the tank. Only in this way can we focus on the 75mm gun and allow the tank as a whole to exert its due combat power.
Only Thorne saw this.
Drake still couldn't understand, but he realized that this wasn't something he, as a guard, needed to consider, so he stopped arguing.
At this point, the messenger handed Ochinlek several more telegrams.
Ochinlek unfolded it and looked at it, his brows furrowing slightly.
He got up and paced back and forth in the room for a while, then asked Drake, "Has Thorne been at the tank base all this time?"
Drake replied, "Most of them are still there. There were many problems when the reforms started, and most of them required his attention."
Ochinlek grunted in agreement. "This guy's been completely swayed by praise and has no idea that his opponent is watching him closely. Time is running out for him."
He had originally intended to ignore the matter, but he couldn't sit still and felt uneasy.
Suddenly, he stood up and said to Drake, "Pack your things, we're going to Egypt!"