Chapter 755 Our goal is to defeat Ciel

In the city of Metz behind the German defense line, the "German Gate" standing in the wind and rain seems to be telling the history of attack and defense of the area.

(The picture above shows the "German Gate" in Metz)

(The above picture shows the location of Metz. The city is the central city of Lorraine and a major military town. It has rich mineral resources and geographical advantages. The city is mainly distributed on three islands separated by rivers, which is not conducive to the attack of mechanized troops. When World War I broke out, the French army, under the command of Joffre, paid more than 300,000 casualties in order to recapture the city but in vain.)

On the island of Petit-Sorcy, in front of the Grand Theatre of Metz, which has been converted into a military camp, teams of German troops are training under the orders of their officers.

Although the officers' shouts were loud, the soldiers' ranks were still neat, and their tactical movements were still meticulous, the air was filled with an atmosphere of frustration, dullness, and oppression.

(The picture above shows the Grand Theatre of Metz, which was built between 1728 and 1752 and is still in use today)

During the breaks in the drill, the soldiers gathered together to smoke. When they saw the officers moving away from the corner of their eyes, they whispered:

"The war is about to end. I heard the situation on the Eastern Front isn't optimistic."

"The failure on the Eastern Front is a minor matter, Geoffrey. The important thing is Charles, who has almost recovered all of France."

"Yes, if Lorraine and Alsace are excluded, they only need one step to accomplish this great mission."

The soldiers looked sad. They didn't want to see the war end in this situation, but they were helpless.

Some people can't help but ask: "Do we still have hope?"

The soldiers shook their heads and sighed, and finally turned their eyes to a dormitory in the middle of the third floor. That was the residence of Major General Erwin of the 1st Tank Division.

…

The residence was in a mess. Major General Erwin, who always paid attention to his image and etiquette, had his collar open and was disheveled. He held the goblet and drank from it. The beard on his face was stuck together like weeds in the overflowing red wine.

As he put down his glass, Major General Erwin's eyes accidentally caught sight of the map in the corner.

"Why?" Erwin murmured to himself:

"Why is this happening? Everything I have done is nothing in front of Charles."

"Is he really impossible to defeat?"

"No, nothing is invincible, and Ciel is no exception!"

However, although he said this, he actually admitted it in his heart.

Charles is unbeatable.

In the Battle of Truk Forest, Major General Erwin thought he had a sure win.

Even if the 1st Tank Division could not defeat Charles' 1st Armored Division, as long as Charles' ammunition was consumed or a small part of it was killed, it would prevent Charles from breaking through the Verdun defense line.

This will create a situation of "tactical failure but strategic victory".

Eventually, Charles's troops would be annihilated under the heavy encirclement of the German army.

However……

Just an invention, something called "incendiary bomb", caused the 1st Tank Division, which Major General Erwin had painstakingly built, to be completely wiped out.

And Charles' First Armored Division didn't even use up a few rounds of ammunition!

"He is simply a devil!" Major Erwin gritted his teeth. The burns on his hands reminded him of the tragic scene at that time. The screams and cries of the soldiers seemed to be right next to his ears.

At this time, there was a knock on the door, but Major General Erwin turned a deaf ear to it.

He didn't want to worry about the army anymore. If he couldn't defeat Charles, the outcome of this war would be doomed, and the only possibility was failure and surrender.

Then, fighting further would be a meaningless struggle and Germany should surrender.

However, just as Major General Erwin fell asleep on the table in a daze, the door was knocked open with a loud bang.

The person who came in was a colonel, with a tall hooked nose, firm and wise eyes, and a straight chest.

He walked up to Major General Erwin, who looked like a puddle of mud, and ordered the guards in a cold voice: "Give me a glass of water."

"Yes, Colonel."

The guard thought the colonel was trying to sober Erwin up, but he took it and splashed it on Erwin's face without hesitation.

Stimulated, Erwin gasped and raised his head, staring blankly at the strange colonel in front of him.

"Watch your attitude, Colonel." Major General Erwin said angrily, "Is this how you show respect to your superiors?"

"I'm sorry, General." The colonel said calmly, "I only respect superiors who never give up, and you have been defeated, completely defeated by Charles."

Major General Erwin was stunned for a moment, then laughed nervously:

"Yes, so what?"

"It's not a shame to lose to Ciel. That's what everyone says."

"So, wait until you defeat Ciel before you teach me a lesson!"

The colonel snorted disdainfully: "It is not a shame to be defeated by Charles, but admitting defeat is, General."

Major General Erwin smiled. He didn't want to listen to the colonel's nonsense, so he simply leaned back on the table and closed his eyes.

The colonel continued calmly:

"What Germany needs more is soldiers like Lieutenant General Nicolas."

"He didn't give up the fight until the very last moment, but that wasn't the case with you."

"What's funny is that many people think that you are more talented than him and that you should be his superior. Some even think that Lieutenant General Nicolas has restricted your command..."

Major General Erwin was unmoved at first, but after a while he suddenly understood the meaning of the words and looked up at the colonel in shock.

"What did you say?" Major General Erwin asked, "What do you mean by the last moment?"

"Isn't it obvious, General?" the colonel replied. "Lieutenant General Nicholas failed to break out. When a shell landed next to him and blew him up, he did what a soldier should do and ended his life with a pistol."

Major General Erwin was stunned for a long time and did not recover: "No, this is not true, no one told me this."

"Because you have been locking yourself up in this room." The colonel glanced at the mess around him and asked, "Are you going to hide here until the end of the world? Or are you going to kneel down and cry and beg him to spare your life when Charles comes to attack you?"

Suddenly, Major General Erwin stood up and rushed forward, grabbing the colonel by the collar, his eyes filled with anger and even a hint of murderous intent.

The colonel smiled softly.

That's right, you can still be angry and resist, which means you haven't given up.

After a long while, Major General Erwin let the colonel go and asked, "Who are you, Colonel? What does this have to do with you?"

"General Erich von Manstein." The colonel stepped forward and answered, "The Chief of the General Staff asked me to work with you to reorganize the 1st Tank Division. Our goal is to defeat Charles!"

Major General Erwin looked at the colonel and nodded: "Okay, let me see what you can do!"

(End of this chapter)