Chapter 409: The Expanded Trenches
Charles believed that attacking from Cambrai toward Belgium was the best option.
The main reason was that Belgium was by the sea, and Charles felt that with just one division, he could complete an encirclement of the German forces.
Moreover, both the armored and mechanized divisions could advance along highways, capturing key cities in Belgium: from Mons to Halle, then to the capital Brussels, and finally reaching the stronghold of Antwerp. This route was ideal not only because of the highway, which allowed for fast mechanized advances, but also because it was served by railroads, which would ensure steady logistical support.
When the British launched the Battle of Cambrai in history, their failure was largely due to logistics. Charles, of course, had no intention of repeating that mistake.
Another reason for choosing this route was that Charles' intelligence network, "The White Lady," was primarily made up of Belgians. There was no doubt they would be just as passionate as Lucia when they learned that Charles intended to recapture Belgium, throwing themselves into the effort with 200% commitment.
Moreover, Belgium was their home turf, and "The White Lady" was intimately familiar with the terrain in this region. As a result, Charles could easily acquire precise intelligence and gain support from local guerrillas and civilians.
The accuracy of the intelligence directly determined whether bombers and "Saint-Chamon" vehicles could land bombs and shells on German artillery positions. The guerrillas, besides helping the French forces on the battlefield, would provide real-time, more accurate, and detailed intelligence. Civilians could ease the supply challenges of the French military and even provide additional soldiers.
Everything seemed so perfect!
However, the German 2nd Army, stationed on the front at Cambrai, did not share the same opinion. This included the commander of the German 1st Panzer Division, Major General Nicholas.
At the edge of the Bourlon Wood, inside a semi-buried bunker concealed by trees and brush, Major General Nicholas stared blankly at the papers in front of him.
During this time, Nicholas had been desperately trying to reinforce the 1st Panzer Division.
The First Battle of Cambrai had been disastrous for his forces. The "Upper Silesian" tanks had been reduced to only 13 vehicles, all of them damaged. In reality, none of them were likely to be battlefield-ready.
"We're now a tank division without tanks," Nicholas said, somewhat discouraged.
But only he knew the true problem wasn't about the tanks.
Of course, tanks would be lost in battle. After all, they could be replaced. These tanks, based on tractor chassis, were quickly produced and didn't cost much to build. The real issue was that Nicholas had no idea how to defeat the "Charles A1."
The artillery had a low hit rate, and though it had a larger caliber, its armor was too weak, making it unlikely to be able to stand up to the "Charles A1" in a head-to-head confrontation. The machine guns couldn't penetrate its armor either.
It seemed like one tank after another was getting destroyed.
Unless this issue was resolved, no matter how many tanks were sent to the front, the outcome would be the same.
So, after receiving more than 50 additional tanks in the rear, Nicholas still couldn't muster any real excitement.
While Major General Nicholas furrowed his brow in thought, Erwin, one of his most capable subordinates, walked up and saluted.
Erwin had been remarkable on the battlefield. During his first battle, he led three soldiers to defeat a French advance of 20 men and captured three French soldiers using a rifle with no bullets. Later, as the commander of a mountain battalion, he led his troops on a 50-hour march along a little-known mountain path, managing to capture over 5,000 enemy soldiers and 30 artillery pieces.
Because of his outstanding performance, Major General Nicholas had appointed Erwin as the commander of the 1st Tank Battalion, which now had 30 tanks—nearly half of the current tanks of the 1st Panzer Division.
"General," Erwin stepped forward to report, "I still believe Charles is very likely to target our defense lines as a breakthrough point."
"No, Erwin," Major General Nicholas frowned. "I've said it many times—there's no doubt about it."
"But the terrain around here is very suitable for tank operations," Erwin insisted. "And the vehicles... I've heard Charles has been replenishing his forces with all kinds of vehicles..."
"I'll say it one more time," Nicholas impatiently interrupted Erwin. "Charles' forces will join the Eastern Group Army. They'll probably launch an attack somewhere around Evreux!"
"This is a ruse, General..." Erwin argued. "We've seen this happen several times already. Charles always cleverly conceals his true intentions."
Seeing that Major General Nicholas wasn't responding, Erwin continued: "If Charles wants us to think his forces will attack the Eastern Group Army, then he definitely won't appear there."
"He will appear in the Northern Group Army."
"And the attack front of the Northern Group Army—only Cambrai has terrain suitable for tanks and vehicles to advance!"
Major General Nicholas sighed and shook his head. "You might have forgotten one thing, Erwin. From here, where can they attack? Ypres? You know the terrain there. Charles' tanks and vehicles would be stuck and unable to move."
"General," Erwin pointed to the map. "I think he won't attack Ypres. Instead, he will move along the highway and railway straight into the heart of Belgium. We have very few troops in that area. Brussels only has a reserve division, and Antwerp only has a newly drafted infantry division. I heard they're still training on how to use rifles."
"My God," Major General Nicholas said. "Brussels is 100 kilometers from Cambrai. Erwin, how long do you think it will take them to get there?"
Erwin answered Major General Nicholas word for word: "If no one stops them, it could take as little as two days, maybe even just one."
Nicholas fell silent.
A heavily-equipped mechanized force advancing along the highway would indeed reach there in a day or two without any obstacles.
Finally, Major General Nicholas reluctantly asked Erwin, "Even if you're right, what do you propose we do to stop them?"
Erwin replied, "I think we should dig trenches to block their tanks!"
"Trenches?" Major General Nicholas looked at Erwin in confusion. "What kind of trench could stop their tanks?"
"An expanded trench," Erwin answered confidently.
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