Chapter 604 Battle of Carragher Pass (Part 1)

The Carragher Pass is a checkpoint on the northern border of Italy and France. It is a gentle **** between the two mountains. Since Roman times, it has been one of the main roads leading to the Savoy region.

However, in 1860, the Sardinian Kingdom at that time unified northern Italy with the help of the French in return for the great cause of unification with the Savoy and Nice regions.

So far, the Carragher Pass, which belongs to Savoy, belongs to France.

Later, as the relationship between Italy and France became tense, fortifications like this kind of checkpoints were built.

As for the Carragher Pass, the same is true. The French army built fortifications such as fortresses and bunkers on both sides of the mountain. A battalion is stationed in this pass all the year round, and after the outbreak of the war between the two countries, the force here increased to a regiment.

As for why only one regiment is stationed, this is already the largest force that can be stationed in the mountain pass. No amount can play a more role, but will cause a waste of troops.

You must know that this mountain pass is located at an altitude of 1,800 meters. The mountains on both sides are more than 3,000 meters above sea level. It is impossible for the army to pass. Besides, it’s October and the weather is getting cooler, which will mean snow for this high altitude area.

As for the violent Italian offensive before, the French defenders of the mountain pass also encountered them. The Italian army of two regiments launched an offensive against them. Under the heroic battle of the defenders, the Italian army lost thousands of people. Only to retreat after that.

For this, Colonel Bielsa, the commander of the garrison, also received a reward for repelling the incoming enemy at the cost of only losing more than 300 people.

Colonel Bielsa, who received the award, was full of confidence. He waited for the Italian army to attack again, so that he could get a bigger award and even a promotion.

What made him so confident was the topography of the Carragher Pass, which could be described as a standard one-man relationship. Although the times are developing, the huge terrain advantage is still an advantage. Although it is not really possible to hold the pass alone, hundreds of thousands can always be.

Even if the Italians go crazy, the defenders of the Carragher Pass will not be afraid, because there is a regiment of troops stationed in Modana, more than 20 kilometers behind them, and it only takes a day for reinforcements to come. In two days, the 39th Infantry Division stationed in Grenobel was also able to reach the mountain pass.

Therefore, although the Karag Mountain Pass looks like a small number of troops, it is actually solid. Besides, the mountain pass is only so big. At most, one regiment can be deployed to attack, and two regiments can be taken in turn. It is the limit. There is no room for more.

Regarding the situation of the Carragher Pass, how could the Italian army as the attacker not be clear about it? The conventional measures for this pass will not work, and some unconventional measures must be used.

The Alps under the night sky were a little cold, so the early mountain people went home to rest. However, in an inaccessible valley, there were people in action at this time.

While listening to the movement in the sky, they poured the gasoline in their hands onto three wooden piles.

“Don’t play with fire.”

A leading man blew out the lighter in the hands of a teammate who wanted to light a cigarette next to him.

“Captain, I’m sorry to be addicted to smoking, I forgot.”

Facing the captain’s actions, the teammate who was addicted to smoking could only put away the lighter and cigarettes.

They are members of the army’s hunter brigade, and they are the army’s most proficient professional soldiers in mountain combat. They can live alone in the Alps, and they are excellent scouts and great hunters.

However, their mission this time has nothing to do with hunting, but a guide.

They were conducting guidance for the airship, and in addition to them, there were several teams of people conducting guidance work for it.

“It’s already up to the appointed time, why hasn’t the airship come yet?”

“Wait a minute, don’t worry.”

Although the temperature has not been greatly cooled yet, the temperature in the mountains at night is several degrees below zero. In addition, the mountain wind is blowing like this, and it is easy for unfamiliar people to get up.

As time passed, the originally calm people finally became a little anxious.

Just when someone wanted to speak, suddenly there was a humming mechanical rotation in the sky. Anyone familiar with the work of airships knows that this is the sound of the airship running.

“They’re here, fire up the pile and mark the location.”

Following the captain’s shouting, five flaming firewood piles immediately appeared in the mountain pass. The flames broke the cover of the night, pointing out the direction for the approaching airships, and of course their identities.

After the fire was lit, the hum in the sky grew louder.

Soon a huge airship appeared above them. Then several ropes were put down, and one after another figure went down from the airship to the ground along the rope.

“Hello, who is Captain Franz?”

An officer with the rank of major, immediately after landing, immediately asked the person who was here to meet them.

“Hello, I’m Franz.”

The big guy who stopped the team members from smoking stood up.

After seeing Captain Franz stand up, the major immediately handed over a cigarette, and the two smoked cigarettes and listened to the major’s introduction.

“Captain Franz, I’m Major Trevor of the 1st Parachute Battalion. I’ll keep it short because of time. We need a guide now to take us to the Vasco slopes.”

The Vasco **** mentioned by Major Trevor is a highland between the Carragher Pass and Modana. As long as it is occupied, the connection between the two places will be blocked.

Since the place is so important, of course the French army will not ignore it, and a company of French troops is stationed here.

And when he heard Major Trevor wanted to go to the Vasco Slope, Captain Franz asked with concern. “I don’t know how many people the Major will take with you?”

“Two platoons of troops.”

“Two platoons?”

“Yes, two platoons.”

Major Trevor is so confident that he wants to take down a French company defending the Vasco **** with his own two platoons?

It is not too confident, mainly because Major Trevor believes that his two platoons are enough to deal with a French company stationed in the Vasco slope.

As a unit that mainly fights behind enemy lines, paratroopers will pursue training and firepower.

Needless to say, training has always been the most rigorous training. As for firepower, paratroopers are currently the only troops in the world that use machine guns at the squad level.

Even at the company level, UU reading www.uukanshu.com paratroopers are armed to the teeth, with heavy machine guns and mortars as standard.

Of course, the paratroopers carry so many automated weapons, so the ammunition required will not be less. However, considering the combat environment in which the paratroopers are located, only airships from the air can provide ammunition supplies for them.

Since it has such a luxurious supply line, it is also destined that the use of paratroopers cannot be used like ordinary troops.

After all, the cost of using it once is too high, except for some critical tasks, otherwise Italy cannot use it itself.

Since the paratroopers are so valuable, they need to be used in key places, and it is absolutely suitable for the Italian army to seize the Carragh Pass to open the passage in the Savoy area.

Of course, this airdrop is not just a few people. In order to open up the mountain pass, Italy has prepared to transport 2,000 paratroopers to the back of the mountain pass in one go.

On the one hand, it was to stop the reinforcements of the French army, and on the other hand, it was to attack the defenders of the mountain pass from behind.