Chapter 409: Widened Trench

Charles thought that the best option was to attack from Cambrai towards Belgium.

The main reason is that Belgium is close to the sea, and Charles could encircle the German army with just one troop.

In addition, armored and mechanized forces could capture important Belgian cities along the roads, from Mons to Halle, to the capital Brussels, and finally to the fortified city of Antwerp.

This offensive route not only has roads to facilitate rapid attack by mechanized troops, but also railways to provide supplies.

When the two armies advance forward, supplies and reinforcements from the rear will be transported continuously forward via railways.

The Battle of Cambrai organized by the British Army failed due to poor logistics. Charles would certainly not make this mistake again.

(The picture above is a map of Belgium. The red arrow starts from Cambrai and points to the Belgian capitals of Brussels and Antwerp. The upper left corner is Ypres, which is marked as "Ypres" on the map.)

Another reason is that the intelligence agency "Madame in White" under Charles's control is mainly composed of Belgians.

There is no doubt that they will, like Lucia, put in 200% enthusiasm after learning that Charles intends to retake Belgium.

In addition, Belgium was their home ground and the "Lady in White" was very familiar with the terrain in this area, so Charles could easily obtain accurate intelligence and help from local guerrillas and civilians.

The accuracy of the intelligence directly determines whether bombers and "Saint-Samond" can deliver bombs and artillery shells to enemy artillery positions.

In addition to cooperating with the French army in combat, the guerrillas can also provide the French army with more accurate and detailed intelligence in real time.

Civilians can reduce the difficulty of supplying the French army and even provide reinforcements.

Everything is so perfect!

…

However, the German 2nd Army stationed on the Cambrai front did not think so, including Major General Nicolas, commander of the German 1st Tank Division.

At the edge of the Burlon Forest, in a semi-buried bunker covered by trees and grass, Major General Nicolas was staring at the documents in front of him in a daze.

During this period, Major General Nicholas worked hard to strengthen the 1st Tank Division.

The First Battle of Cambrai caused heavy casualties to his troops. Only 13 "Upper Silesia" tanks remained, and all of them were damaged. It is possible that not a single one could actually go into the battlefield.

"We are already a tank division without tanks." Major General Nicholas was a little frustrated.

But only he himself knew that this actually had nothing to do with the tank.

Of course tanks will be lost on the battlefield, but they can be produced after the losses. This type of tank modified from a tractor chassis can be produced very quickly. It does not take much time and does not cost much.

The point is that Major General Nicolas didn't know how to defeat the "Charter A1".

The artillery has a very low hit rate. Although the caliber is larger, due to the weak armor, it may not be a match for the "Charter A1" in a head-on confrontation.

Machine guns were unable to penetrate its armor.

It seemed that the only result was that one car after another was destroyed.

If this problem is not solved, the result will be the same no matter how many tanks are sent up.

Therefore, even after more than fifty tanks were added to the rear, Major General Nicholas was still not happy.

Just as Major General Nicholas was frowning and thinking hard, Erwin walked up to him and saluted.

(The picture above shows Erwin during World War I)

Erwin is a capable subordinate of Major General Nicolas, and his performance on the battlefield is amazing:

In his first battle, he led three soldiers to defeat the attack of 20 French soldiers and captured three French soldiers with a rifle without bullets.

Afterwards, he served as the battalion commander of a mountain battalion, leading his troops on a continuous march for 50 hours along a little-known mountain road, miraculously capturing more than 5,000 enemies and 30 artillery pieces.

Because of these outstanding performances, Major General Nicolas appointed Captain Erwin as the commander of the 1st Tank Battalion, leading 30 tanks, which is nearly half of the 1st Tank Division's existing tanks.

"General," Erwin reported with a straight face, "I still think that the Ciel is likely to use our defenses as a breakthrough point."

"No, Erwin." Major General Nicolas frowned, "I have said this many times, there will be no doubt about it."

"But the terrain nearby is very suitable for tank combat." Erwin insisted on his point of view: "And vehicles. I heard that Charles has been replenishing various vehicles for his troops..."

"I'll say it again." Major General Nicolas interrupted Erwin impatiently: "Charles' troops will join the French Eastern Army Group, and they may launch an attack in the Evido area!"

"This is an illusion, General..."

"All the intelligence points to this." Major General Nicolas raised his voice and tapped the table heavily with his fingers. "Charles' steel mill is there, and he has met with Joffre. The French and the Italians have a tacit understanding, and they plan to attack us from both sides there!"

"This is what Charles wants us to see." Erwin argued: "Similar things have happened several times, General. Charles always cleverly disguises his true combat intentions."

Seeing that Major General Nicolas did not answer, Erwin added:

"If Charles had led us to believe that his troops would be in Army Group East, then he would not be there."

"He will be in Army Group North."

"Among the offensive areas of the Northern Army Group, only Cambrai is suitable for tank and vehicle attacks!"

Major General Nicolas sighed and shook his head. "Perhaps you forgot one thing, Erwin. Where can we attack from here? Ypres? You know the terrain there. Charles' tanks and vehicles will be stuck there and unable to move."

"General," Erwin pointed at the map and said, "I don't think he will attack Ypres. Instead, he will advance along the roads and railways directly into the heart of Belgium. Our forces in that area are very empty. There is only one reserve division in Brussels and one newly recruited regiment in Antwerp. I heard that they are training how to use rifles."

"God," Major General Nicolas said, "Bressel is 100 kilometers from Cambrai, Erwin. How long will it take them to get there?"

Erwin answered Major General Nicolas word for word: "If no one stops them, it may only take two days, or even one day."

Major General Nicholas was silent.

The troops equipped with a large number of vehicles could advance along the road unimpeded and could indeed arrive in a day or two.

Finally, Major General Nicolas asked Erwin helplessly: "Even if you are right, how are you going to stop it?"

Erwin replied: "I think we should build trenches to stop the enemy tanks!"

"Trenches?" Major General Nicolas looked at Erwin in confusion: "What kind of trenches can stop their tanks?"

"A wider trench." Erwin said confidently.

(End of this chapter)