CHAPTER 418: AFTER MODIFICATION: CHAPTER 418 ATTACK WHEN UNPREPARED

Shire raised his hand and held it in the air for a while. Then, with a wave forward, the French soldiers hidden in the darkness, each holding a rifle and crouching, advanced towards the enemy lines.

This was a perfect opportunity. Under the torchlight, the enemy’s lines and fortresses were fully exposed. The sound of them digging fortifications with shovels masked the advance of the French infantry, and the flames made it impossible for the German sentries to see the shadows moving in the dark.

The intelligence did not deceive me. The ones stationed in Antwerp were indeed a group of inexperienced recruits. They didn’t know what war was like, nor did they realize how brutal it could be, and they wouldn’t have another chance to make a mistake!

The French made good use of this opportunity and prepared thoroughly:

The barbed wire was cut in many places and hooked with steel ropes, the other end connected to armored vehicles ready to drag it away.

Infantry first crawled through the barbed wire, getting about 50 meters into the defensive lines. Snipers found their positions, and machine guns occupied the high points.

Artillery observers measured the coordinates accurately and checked them multiple times, providing extremely precise data.

Three kilometers away, truck-mounted artillery laid out level artillery positions and aimed the guns in the direction of the enemy based on the coordinates.

...

More than half an hour later, Tijani believed there was nothing more to prepare for, except perhaps assigning numbers to the German soldiers.

It was only then Shire ordered the Armored Division, lying in ambush two kilometers away, to advance.

Tank after tank entered the offensive positions, the commanders poking their heads out to direct the tanks. Armored vehicles followed behind, and lastly, the "Saint-Chamond" tanks.

This was the most awkward time for the "Saint-Chamond".

Although the "Shire A1" tank had similar poor external perception capabilities, it was operated by two people. The commander, who was also the gunner, could stretch his legs to reach the driver. Kicking the left shoulder meant turn left, kicking the right shoulder meant turn right, and kicking the back meant go forward, allowing it to move steadily with no pressure.

(Above image shows the internal structure of a Renault Tank, simple structure with few crew members, making coordination easy. With more crew members, long-term training is needed to form combat effectiveness.)

The armored vehicle naturally had no problems. Its external perception capabilities were the best, and as long as it moved slowly, there would be no issues.

Even though the "Saint-Chamond" tank had been modified to remove the machine gun, it still had a five-man crew, who were somewhat flustered in the dark.

Fortunately, they were artillery, and their task was to stay in the rear and find suitable artillery positions for combat preparations, so no major mishaps occurred.

...

At that time, Major General Marcus was in discussion with his staff under the torchlight about how to strengthen the fortress defenses.

"We don’t need to worry about the positions under fire," Major General Marcus said. "With the combination of trench and fortress defenses, I believe no troops can break through. The problem is the fortresses themselves."

Major General Marcus pointed at the positions of several fortresses: "These fortresses have been bombed to rubble. We replaced them with bunkers that are far inferior in both firepower and defense. The French will definitely use these weaknesses as their breakthrough point!"

"I agree, General," the staff officer replied. "But I don’t think we should dig trenches. Trenches can’t stop enemy artillery shells. What we need more is artillery that can suppress the enemy artillery. Only they can ensure the safety of these fortresses!"

The staff officer had great confidence in the German Army’s 105MM artillery.

But Major General Marcus did not think so: "Shire has bombers, Rolf. Bombers will render our 105MM artillery ineffective. We can’t pin our hopes on them, so we must rely on trenches. Dig more trenches around the fortresses!"

Only trenches could evade enemy artillery and air strikes. Although they looked crude, they were effective.

However, what Major General Marcus and his staff did not expect was that the battle wouldn’t proceed as they imagined at all.

"Blitzkrieg" is not about tactical maneuvers but has strategic significance.

Simply put, it means "catching the enemy off guard."

However, while these four words seem clichéd, achieving them on the battlefield is not easy.

Shire launched this night raid amid much opposition:

"General, our troops have been marching and fighting all day. They are so exhausted they can barely fight anymore."

"General, tanks are not suitable for night battles. Please reconsider!"

"General, we are low on fuel. If the attack fails, we may not even be able to retreat. We might have to blow up the tanks or leave them for the enemy!"

...

Colonel Estiny was the most steadfast opponent. He believed Shire was being rash, letting victory go to his head.

He charged into Shire’s temporary office in Mechelen Town in a fervor:

"General, after dawn, the tanks will have enough fuel and air support. This battle can be fought comfortably!"

"Why are we attacking the enemy’s strengths with our weaknesses?"

"We’re just one step from victory, General! We can’t disrupt our own plans!"

...

Even Tijani was half-skeptical about Shire’s idea of night fighting because it seemed to overturn all the conclusions he had previously drawn. Thinking he had mastered the "Shire Theory," he was once again confused.

Among senior officers, only one stood by Shire: Brigadier General Brownie of the First Armored Division.

However, his trust in Shire was unwavering. He believed that any decision Shire made was the right one.

Facing all the doubts, Shire responded with only one sentence: "If we’re well-prepared, doesn’t it mean the enemy is also well-prepared?"

Everyone fell silent instantly.

Although night fighting would make the armored units uncomfortable and constrained, they were at least mentally prepared, whereas the enemy was completely unprepared.

The enemy was still planning how to defend tomorrow, how many reinforcements to deploy, how to arrange firepower, and how to deal with bombers. At this moment, the enemy suddenly appeared before them...

All their plans would be overturned, leaving them seemingly with no choice but to surrender!

...

Major General Marcus faced exactly this situation.

While he and his staff were debating defense strategies, a faint "rumbling" of engines echoed in the darkness.

At first, Major General Marcus thought it was just their own vehicles, transporting timber to reinforce the fortifications.

But the sound grew louder and more numerous...

Major General Marcus was suddenly alert. He looked up, shocked, at his staff officer, who also sensed something, looking lost into the darkness.

If the enemy attacked now, it was his fault. He had judged the enemy wouldn’t fight a night battle!

Without thinking, Major General Marcus jumped up and shouted into the trenches: "Extinguish the torches, immediately..."

"Bang!" A gunshot cut off his shout.

A bullet accurately hit Major General Marcus in the head. His head tilted, and he collapsed to the ground like a deflated balloon.