"General, the German offensive is too strong for us to hold on. The front line has collapsed, and the rout is retreating north. The Germans are in pursuit, so let's run. If it's too late, we will all fall behind." into German hands," suggested a staff officer.
"Escape? What can I do if I escape back? If I fail to fulfill His Majesty's order, I will be sent to a court-martial. At that time, I will definitely be hanged!" Donald's face turned pale.
"General, there will always be a chance. It's not that we don't fight desperately, but that the Germans are too powerful. We are not their opponents at all!" the staff officer persuaded.
Major General Donald hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded. He didn't have the courage to kill himself, and he didn't want to fall into the hands of the Germans as a prisoner. Although, fleeing back to Spain would also be dangerous. However, he no longer cared about that much. If you're lucky, you might be able to save your life.
"Command the troops to retreat across the board!" Major General Donald gave the order.
The Spanish army began to withdraw from Gibraltar across the board. They were all frightened and did not have the courage to continue fighting. Upon hearing the order to retreat, many Spanish soldiers ran. If it wasn't for the commander's order to die, they wouldn't want to stay in this ghost place.
The Spanish army quickly withdrew from Gibraltar and retreated to the north of the border before stopping in fear.
"Will the Germans cross the border to attack us?" Major General Donald asked with lingering fear. Apparently he feared that the Germans would attack across the border. In that case, they simply cannot resist!
If he just lost Gibraltar, maybe he still has a chance to get away. After all, if the war is limited to Gibraltar, the scale of the war is not large. Both sides also ended well. But if the Germans attack across the border, the scale of the war will be further expanded, which is not a good thing for the Kingdom of Spain. Likewise, for Major General Donald, it was a nightmare. Losing Gibraltar and losing the mainland are two different things.
The rapid retreat of the Spaniards was completely beyond the expectations of the German army. The head of the 4th Regiment of the German Marine Corps couldn't believe it. His own regiment defeated an infantry division of the Spanish Army and quickly occupied Gibraltar.
When his troops occupied Takri Mountain, he immediately asked for instructions whether to cross the border and launch a further attack.
Major General Hans couldn't decide on this issue, so he had to ask Lieutenant General Mao Fu for instructions. After all, this time the military operation against Gibraltar is mainly in charge of the Mao Fu Lieutenant General.
"Let the marines garrison on the spot and not cross the border. At the same time, make preparations to prevent the Spaniards from counterattacking." Lieutenant General Mao Fu ordered.
The order issued by the Admiralty is to occupy Gibraltar, not to further attack Spain. Occupying Gibraltar, Germany can still take a reason. If an attack on Spain is launched directly, it is an invasion of Spain. Although, Germany may not care about this. However, if those weak countries are openly attacked, it will also have a very bad impact on the reputation of the German Empire.
After receiving the order, the Marines stopped their operations south of the border. At the same time began to build fortifications. This made the Spaniards breathe a sigh of relief. If the German army continues to attack, the consequences will be serious.
However, even so, when Alfonso XIII learned that the German army had easily captured Gibraltar, he was still furious.
"God! Is our army so vulnerable? We deployed an infantry division in Gibraltar. It turned out that it was defeated by the Germans in less than two hours and suffered heavy losses. If this continues, how can we fight the Germans?" All the military and political ministers in Spain lowered their heads and said nothing.
Although, they also think that Major General Donald played too badly. However, they also knew that the performance of other troops might not be much better than this. The strength of the Germans is too strong. In comparison, the Spanish Army is rubbish! No matter how many troops are sent, they will probably die.
"Come here, order the military police to arrest Major General Donald. I will send him to a military court and then to the gallows!" Alfonso XIII said viciously.
"Your Majesty, this is not good. Our battle with the Germans has just begun. If the general is dealt with at this time, it will have a serious impact on the morale of the troops." The Minister of War began to plead.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Although we were defeated in Gibraltar, there was a reason. The Germans deployed a powerful navy in Gibraltar. Under the blows of their naval guns, we simply could not resist." Prime Minister Count Romanones also said.
Alfonso XIII frowned, and the explanations of the two ministers dissipated a lot of the anger in his heart.
"Okay, let's let Major General Donald go this time. However, I must remove him!" Alfonso XIII ordered.
This time, no one objected. After all, someone had to be responsible for the big defeat on the front line. It is God's blessing that Major General Donald can save his life. Otherwise, Alfonso XIII wanted to send him to a military court.
"Everyone, the Germans forcibly sent troops to attack our army and occupied Gibraltar! This tramples on the sovereignty and dignity of the Kingdom of Spain, and we absolutely cannot tolerate it. We want to speak out internationally to condemn this barbaric behavior of the Germans .To accuse the Germans of atrocities! Let the whole world know the ugly face of the Germans!" Alfonso XIII said angrily.
"Yes, Your Majesty. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will proceed immediately." Foreign Minister Prieto said.
"In addition, we cannot allow the Germans to occupy Gibraltar just like this. If this is the case, it will become a fait accompli. It will be impossible for us to take back Gibraltar in the future. From now on, dispatch the most elite In any case, Gibraltar must be taken back. As long as Gibraltar can be taken back, we will win!" Alfonso XIII said.
He imagined that at that time, the United States could intervene to end the war.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The Secretary of War replied.
On February 2, 1916, the Spanish Army began a massive attack on Gibraltar in an attempt to retake it.
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