"Führer..." Zeitzler said, a bit anxiously, "Are we also giving up the oil resources in the direction of the Caucasus? We worked so hard to take Rostov and opened the gateway to the Caucasus."
"Two strategic priorities on the southern flank of the Eastern Front will leave us spread too thin!" Hoffman said decisively. "Our priority is to destroy Stalin's main force group. Oil resources are not the priority, at least not at this stage. Actually, the Caucasus is a very important strategic fulcrum, not only because there is oil there, but more importantly because the British and Americans are supplying the Russians through the Caspian Sea and the Iran corridor. We must cut off this route."
"If we shift to full-scale defense, Stalin might get the breathing room he dreams of, and perhaps even recover his strength faster," Guderian said, choosing his words carefully, though his anxiety was obvious. "That will put even greater pressure on us."
"Gentlemen, I understand Stalin better than you do. Once we retreat, he won't honestly rest in place. For him, recovering the land we've occupied as soon as possible is the only way to restore his authority. As long as we show even the slightest sign of retreat, he will surely pounce and attack us, just like in the Demyansk Pocket battle this spring and the Timoshenko offensive this summer." Hoffman gave a cold smile. "Moreover, shifting to defense on the Eastern Front does not mean we will be doing nothing. We will shift our strategic focus to other directions, and then the British and Americans will kick his butt."
"The Führer's meaning is...?" Guderian and Zeitzler fell into deep thought simultaneously. Could the Führer be planning to revive Operation Sea Lion? But that was an even harder goal to achieve.
"My target is the Southern Front." Hoffman stood up and pointed out in his habitual Führer tone. "In North Africa and the Mediterranean, our forces are too weak. The poor Italians are even more vulnerable and cannot be relied upon at all. Yet, we are facing the British, who outnumber us several times over and have better equipment. Furthermore, intelligence indicates that the Americans are already planning a landing in North Africa. If we don't want to face a two-front war like in the last Great War, we must eliminate this hidden danger as soon as possible."
Every day, all sorts of contradictory, vague, and hole-ridden intelligence reports were presented to the Führer. While there were certainly some insights, there was much more speculation, dogmatism, and wishful thinking. However, since Hoffman was a time-traveler, he could naturally distinguish what was useful from what was utter garbage—the Battle of Alamein was imminent, and the US military's Operation Torch landing in North Africa was just around the corner. If he didn't adjust now, they would really be finished. So, using the opportunity to understand the situation, he picked out all the reliable deductions and used them as the basis for strategic adjustments.
Hoffman smiled mysteriously. "There is another amazing discovery in North Africa. In Libya and Algeria, there are oil fields with considerable reserves and low mining difficulty. The British and French had exploration records before the war, but didn't act only because the extraction costs were higher than in the Middle East—only the stupid and lazy Italians were kept in the dark and had no idea."
"Führer, is this true?" Guderian also stood up excitedly. As an armored group commander, he knew all too well the importance of oil for combat. Upon hearing such good news, he couldn't sit still.
Zeitzler suddenly realized: He had originally thought the Führer's new North Africa strategy was to open up the oil corridor to the Middle East and then flank the Russians, but now it seemed to be a brand new, comprehensive plan. If North Africa truly possessed oil as the Führer said, and it wasn't difficult to extract, then the strategic value of the Southern Front would be greatly enhanced. Compared to that, the strategic status of the Stalingrad direction was not as prominent.
"Another advantage of fighting in North Africa is that we can fight the British in land warfare, which they are not good at." Hoffman waved his arms enthusiastically. "Destroying a Brit in the desert is much easier than destroying one on an island."
"Rommel will surely cheer for the Führer's wise decision when he hears this news." Although there was a smile on Guderian's face, the sourness could not be hidden no matter what.
"Not him, you!" Hoffman was all smiles, his voice full of temptation. "Rommel has been suffering from stomach problems recently, and I have decided to let him rest for a while. I want to appoint you as the commander of the reorganized Imperial 'Africa Army Group,' with full authority to command all land operations in the Africa and Mediterranean theaters. Are you willing?"
"I am willing to serve you, my Führer!" Guderian clicked his heels and stood straight, looking very excited—although the position of commander of the Africa Army Group did not seem to compare to the positions of the three major army groups on the Eastern Front, if he could really hold his own on the North Africa front as the Führer said, it was equally promising.
"Führer, what are my operational objectives? How many reinforcements can I get?" After the excitement, Guderian thought of the weak strength of the Africa Corps (currently 2 armored divisions and 1 light infantry division, all understrength) and felt a bit uneasy.
"Considering the needs of desert warfare, I am prepared to send you 2 additional armored divisions and 3 motorized infantry divisions, aiming to have them in place within a month. The specific designations will be scheduled tomorrow after Zeitzler's appointment is issued." Since it had been adjusted to a key strategic direction, Hoffman was investing heavily. "By the end of the year, in addition to replenishing combat losses, you can continue to count on the support of 2 more armored divisions and 4 motorized infantry divisions. These units will all be German units. I have a comprehensive plan for the Southern Front, with corresponding strategic measures in the sea and air, as well as coordination with the Italians—at the very least, they won't hold you back. However, your objectives are also very difficult. There are two in total: the first is to defeat the British North Africa Corps and occupy Egypt; the second is to repel any possible American landing attempts. If we can achieve these two goals, we can effectively protect the North Africa oil fields to be mined from land incursions."
"Do a good job!" Hoffman patted Guderian on the shoulder. "Rommel received his marshal's baton because he took Tobruk, and I believe your merits will not be inferior to his."
"Yes, my Führer! I will do my best for this." Guderian's excitement was overflowing.
"General Zeitzler, your task is also very heavy." After giving Guderian his instructions, Hoffman ordered: "I am determined to adjust or establish three theater commands. The Western Theater Command will be responsible for commanding units from Norway to France and the homeland; the Eastern Front will be responsible for all units from Finland to Crimea; the Southern Front will be responsible for Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Balkans. All existing organizational structures and unit affiliations that conflict with this must be readjusted. We must take advantage of the favorable timing of the Russian front shifting to offensive defense to complete unit reorganization and replenishment, and unify and strengthen unit establishments. It is not advisable to form new units with new designations at this stage. After the adjustment, the minimum standard for our army's combat effectiveness should be raised. One of our divisions should be able to overwhelm a Russian corps, and in defensive operations, it should be able to withstand the attack of a Russian infantry army. By the end of this year, more than half of the 180 divisions on the Russian front should have completed their reorganization, and by the spring and summer of 1943, they should all be completed—that will be the time for us to settle the score with Stalin."
Zeitzler looked troubled. "Respected Führer, I can find ways to complete the organization, personnel, and material replenishment, but I fear there will be a considerable gap in technical equipment, especially tanks and artillery."
"I will have Speer find a way for armament production; the reorganization must not be delayed." Hoffman waved his hand. "Notify everyone in my name that a strategic meeting will be held tomorrow night. All personnel at the level of army chief of staff and above are to attend. You will explain the future strategic policy. Once the direction is determined, we must take immediate action. Our enemies will not give us too much time."
Dinner ended quickly. Guderian and Zeitzler only then realized that they had once again listened to the Führer talk incessantly for over an hour. However, unlike the feeling of annoyance and boredom in the past, both of them felt incredibly energized—the excitement of being trusted with important tasks.
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