Chapter 541 The Battle Seems to Be Over

The pressure on the second anti-tank ditch would be greater because the German infantry could fire accurately, while mortar shells would continue to hit the attacking French troops.

However, these were just a drizzle for the 1st Armored Division, which was armed to the teeth. The "Saint-Chamond" and mortars following behind immediately suppressed the German army.

The 75mm gun had a fast firing rate and high accuracy, and it soon silenced the German machine guns one by one. The German trenches were blown up like a hurricane, and the soldiers were thrown into the trenches screaming as they were thrown by the shock wave and buried in the upturned soil.

The mortar operators were well-trained. Each of them was fed by Charles with huge amounts of artillery shells. During war, they hardly needed to measure. They could adjust the angle of the mortar by feeling just by taking a look at the target. After a few shots, the shells would accurately hit the German bunkers, destroying the German firepower hiding behind them one by one.

(Note: Mortars can often be fired based on feeling. During World War II, the Japanese grenade launcher shooters could accurately shoot based on feeling. They often used grenade launchers to suppress the Kuomintang machine guns. The mortars of this period had a short range and were not much different from grenade launchers.)

The French army took advantage of this opportunity to continue advancing.

The second batch of bridge-laying vehicles crossed the first anti-tank ditch under the cover of tank and infantry fire.

They were not fast, perhaps only a dozen kilometers, but they moved forward slowly and steadily, and a distance of several hundred meters could be reached in just a few minutes.

Then, they extended the steel bridge again and built it over the anti-tank trench step by step...

The German soldiers almost collapsed. They could only watch the tanks approaching them without any way to stop them. Many wanted to retreat, but they were suppressed by the front-line commander Colonel Fein:

"Stop them! Our trenches are widened, so their tanks can't get through easily!"

"They are armored troops, not good at close combat, put on bayonets!"

"Victory belongs to us!"

…

The German soldier forced himself to calm down.

They comforted themselves that what Colonel Fane said made sense, and the "Charter A1" was indeed unable to pass through the widened infantry trenches unless the French had more bridge-laying vehicles.

Moreover, the French army is inferior to the German army in close combat quality, and it has always been like this.

So the German army still has hope of victory and may even be able to launch a counterattack!

However, before they could react, the French army launched a charge under the cover of tank fire.

First, a row of grenades blew the German army into a mess, then there was a long and sharp whistle, and the French soldiers shouted and rushed towards the German trenches.

The battle was unexpectedly one-sided and the German army had no power to fight back.

This was not even a close combat, because there was no clash of bayonets, no tangled grappling, and no hand-to-hand combat with grabbing stones or gouging eyes. It was a one-sided massacre of the German army by the French army.

The submachine gunner stood at the edge of the trench, waving his submachine gun in a fan shape and firing frantically. After a series of "da da da" gunshots, the German soldiers who had not yet reacted to the grenade explosion fell in a pool of blood.

The drum-fed PPD submachine gun has a capacity of 71 rounds, which can kill more than a dozen German soldiers several times in an instant.

Shotgunners tend to jump directly into the trenches, using the short gun barrel to fire darts at the enemies around them.

Its advantage is its strong stopping power, which can instantly knock away enemies rushing towards them. With a gun in hand, there is almost no need to worry about the enemy getting close to them.

(Note: Submachine guns use pistol bullets, which have much weaker stopping power. If an enemy charges head-on with a bayonet at close range, the submachine gun may not be able to kill the enemy before the bayonet pierces the chest.)

The submachine gunners and shotgunners cooperated with each other, assisted by grenades and rifles. The French army killed people everywhere in the trenches, leaving the German army howling in panic. After a short period of holding out, they abandoned their positions and fled.

Erwin had to retreat with the troops. At this time, the terrifying sound of rockets whistling in the air was heard again.

Erwin was shocked and frightened.

Charles's troops were not only equipped with more advanced artillery, tanks, and bridge-laying vehicles, but also new firearms that were good at close combat and hand-to-hand combat, and they fought very bravely.

How could the German army challenge such an army?

Even if we can escape today, how can we defeat this army in future battles?

At this moment, Erwin even had the idea of ​​giving up.

…

When the news of victory reached Charles' headquarters, he just nodded calmly.

He was not surprised by this, as the Germans had placed too much hope on artillery blockades and anti-tank trenches.

The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. When their hopes are shattered one by one, the blow to morale is fatal, and retreat is only a matter of time.

Tijani was stunned for a moment and then laughed: "Incredible, you only took two days to conquer a fortress that others thought was impossible to conquer."

"It's too early to talk about victory now, General." Charles replied: "This is only the first line of defense of the German army. They still have the second line of defense and the final Namur Fortress."

This is the depth of the German defense, and the German tank units have not yet appeared.

Most importantly, the German army might use the city of Namur as a base to engage in street fighting with the French army.

This was what Charles was really worried about, not only because of the complexity of street fighting, but also because there were a large number of Belgian people in the city. Fighting would inevitably injure civilians, and the French army would be tied up as a result.

However, before Charles had time to think of a countermeasure, the signalmen reported one after another:

"General, the Germans have withdrawn from the second line of defense."

"General, the Germans have abandoned the Namur Fortress!"

"The Germans are in full retreat, including the city of Namur!"

…

Charles was confused. How could they retreat so quickly? There was no time to catch up.

Tijani laughed out loud: "Major General, you only considered the difficulties we faced in the street fighting in Namur City, but did not consider the difficulties faced by the German army in the street fighting."

Charles thought about it and felt that it was true.

There were Belgians everywhere, and there were also many guerrillas mixed in. It would be much more difficult for the German army to choose street fighting in Namur than for the French army.

"General, General!" Albert I's excited voice came from outside the command center.

Soon, Albert I and Brigadier General Eden hurried into the tunnel. As soon as he saw Charles, he hurried forward and hugged Charles tightly, his voice trembling with excitement:

"Great, General, you are really fighting to retake Namur."

"I thought it was fake news like last time, but it turned out to be true."

"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't tell you beforehand," Charles replied.

"No, no." Albert I replied cheerfully: "I understand, for the sake of confidentiality."

Brigadier General Eden stepped forward and saluted: "General, the First Belgian Special Forces are ready. They are stationed in Mons and can provide reinforcements at any time. Please give the order!"

Ciel scratched his head in embarrassment: "Sorry, Brigadier General. The battle seems to be over!"

"What?" Albert I and Brigadier General Eden looked at each other. They thought it had just begun.

(End of this chapter)