novelraw Chapter 707: You Need the Loudspeaker More
Chapter 707: You Need the Loudspeaker More
When the First Armored Division advanced towards Verdun again, Estiny stationed in Mezieres sent a telegram: "Only 35 incendiary bombs left, General, not enough to launch the next attack!"
Shire responded with an order: "Throw the remaining incendiary bombs onto the Verdun Defense Line."
The incendiary bombs had little lethality against the ground troops hiding in the defensive line, maybe even less than ordinary bombs, especially since only 35 incendiary bombs were left.
But Shire still decided to do this.
He didn’t want to kill many Germans; he wanted to tell them that Shire’s troops were coming from their rear.
Also, use the flames of the incendiary bombs to give them a bit of psychological shock!
Most importantly...
Shire ordered his staff: "Send a telegram to Petain; it’s time to change the attack strategy."
...
Verdun front line.
The command of the German 5th Army Group was set up in Mouwale Town, two miles from the defensive line.
The group commander, Vice Admiral Valerik, had been stationed by the radio and ordered the signalmen to send telegrams to the First Tank Division repeatedly.
He wanted to know Truk’s battle situation, which was related to the safety of the Verdun Defense Line, but there had been no reply until now.
"General." The staff reported, "Our artillery was suppressed by the French bombers, resulting in heavy casualties."
Vice Admiral Valerik hesitated not, giving the order in a deep voice, "Hold on until the last moment."
This was related to the safety of the entire defense line, no matter the cost, it would be worth it.
"But it’s a kind of gasoline bomb." The staff’s face was troubled: "It has ignited the entire forest, and the fire is spreading around the artillery position; they can’t hold on."
"Gasoline bomb?" Vice Admiral Valerik frowned.
What is that? Does it have such great power? Can it make two artillery regiments lose combat power instantly?
"What about the First Tank Division?" Vice Admiral Valerik asked again, "Have you got any information on them?"
"No, General." The staff replied, "The artillery only received Major General Erwin’s order to open fire; perhaps he is commanding the First Tank Division to fight Estiny’s Armored Division."
Vice Admiral Valerik "hmm"ed, but for some reason, he still couldn’t feel at ease.
Even if they were commanding the battle, there should be time to send a telegram, right?
Could it be that the radio was bombed?
Suddenly, a harsh and long anti-aircraft alarm sounded, and the anti-aircraft machine guns made sounds like tearing cloth, shooting dense bullets into the sky.
Vice Admiral Valerik walked out of the command post and looked up, his forehead instantly feeling a chill.
"Coming from the north." Vice Admiral Valerik muttered to himself, "French bombers!"
There weren’t many bombers, only four. They dropped bombs after seeing the German defensive line below and didn’t even lower their altitude.
"Boom boom"
"Boom boom boom!"
...
Bright red flames rose on the positions, some houses were ignited, and German soldiers were shouting as they rushed to the fire scene in vehicles.
However, Vice Admiral Valerik’s attention was not here.
Although it was his first time witnessing this kind of gasoline bomb that could ignite forests, this was not important.
"If their bombers still have the capacity to bomb here." Vice Admiral Valerik stared blankly at the Caproni bombers returning in the sky: "Does this mean they have already defeated the First Tank Division?"
"No, General." The staff replied, "It’s only been more than half an hour since the battle began; the enemy couldn’t defeat the First Tank Division so quickly."
Vice Admiral Valerik lightly nodded, "Let’s hope so."
Yesterday at noon, when Vice Admiral Valerik learned that Shire’s troops were moving south along the Meuse River, he worried Shire might penetrate through Verdun.
Vice Admiral Valerik wanted to make some preparations but found there was no way to prepare.
The Verdun Defense Line was too long, over twenty kilometers.
At the same time, with the Battle of the River Somme starting, the 5th Army Group had also been hollowed out.
Originally having seven corps with a total of 17 divisions and over 300,000 troops, now there were only three under-strength corps with six divisions, totaling less than 100,000 troops.
With such numbers, they were no longer capable of building another defensive line at the rear.
Moreover, Vice Admiral Varell knew that constructing a defensive line was useless.
Shire’s tanks were meant to break through ordinary defense lines. To stop them, a defensive line with anti-tank trenches had to be constructed.
Over dozens of kilometers, with anti-tank trenches, completed in a day.
This was almost an impossible task!
Vice Admiral Varell could only report to the Chief of General Staff, Fajin Han: "Instead of waiting here to be defeated by Shire, I think the better choice is to retreat early."
But Fajin Han firmly rejected his idea: "No, Vice Admiral. We will block Shire’s troops; the First Tank Division is already on its way to Truk."
Hearing the name of the First Tank Division, Vice Admiral Varell felt somewhat relieved.
Fajin Han added: "Moreover, you must block the news, understand? No one can know that Shire is penetrating Verdun from the rear!"
"Yes, General." Varell replied, "I understand."
As a Vice Admiral, he certainly understood that this concerned the morale of the entire army.
Once the soldiers knew this, then, even before Shire’s tanks appeared, they would have almost all fled.
...
Verdun Duomont Fortress.
Last night, Petain had moved the command to here because it was at the forefront, and from here, he could clearly see the attack situation for miles around.
However, the attack situation was not ideal, very not ideal.
The soldiers often advanced only two hundred meters into the no-man’s-land, and once the enemy’s machine guns and artillery opened fire, they retreated like a tide.
Petain couldn’t even blame them.
His usual slogan to the soldiers was: Blind attacking is equivalent to suicide; it has no effect on the battle except for death. You should remember that flesh and blood can’t withstand the enemy’s artillery and bullets.
Damn, I should have prepared some tanks, Petain thought, with them, I could attack like Shire!
However, of course, he wouldn’t say this; otherwise, it would contradict his emphasized "Defense Theory."
Petain felt he was in a huge contradiction. He was now doing the very tactics he usually rejected.
But from a strategic direction, it was necessary: Shire was advancing towards the German defense line from the rear, and he should cooperate.
While Petain was in a dilemma, not knowing what to do, the staff handed him a telegram: "General, Shire sent a telegram saying you should prepare some loudspeakers and use them as weapons; it might be more effective."
"Loudspeakers? What a joke!" Petain cursed, "Using them as weapons? Shouting at the Germans to surrender..."
Before finishing speaking, Petain realized.
He hesitated for a moment, then shouted excitedly, "God, he is right, we do need loudspeakers; they will be much more useful than rifles and cannons!"
The staff was bewildered.
Was this really not a joke?