I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 205

Chapter 205: Tank Assault Tactics

On the German Rhodes Line, Major General von Beseler braved the rain to personally inspect the firepower deployment along the front line, with Colonel Effry, the front-line commander, hurriedly accompanying him, accompanied by several guards.

As they walked, Major General von Beseler furrowed his brows and said: "Add a machine gun here!"

"Get rid of the standing water here, or no one will be able to move!"

"If you don't want to be blown sky-high by enemy artillery, scatter the ammunition and hide it well!"

...

It was clear that von Beseler was not satisfied with the defenses.

However, considering this was the 22nd Reserve Infantry Division, his expectations couldn’t be too high.

Reserve units are typically troops that have received professional military training but have not yet seen combat.

When these soldiers first face battle, they often become so nervous that they forget everything they’ve learned. The purpose of reserve units is to provide them with a buffer period.

They would undergo some low-intensity combat assignments within the reserve army, and once they had adapted to the battlefield environment and had enough psychological preparation, they would be transferred to regular units.

However, due to the wide stretch of the defense line and a shortage of manpower, the reserve troops had essentially become a non-functioning unit and were directly sent to the battlefield to face the harshest form of war.

Even so, they were much better than the new recruits who had only been trained to fire a rifle and march in formation for a week or two.

As von Beseler continued along the trench, remnants of French soldiers’ bodies could still be seen near the trench. These were left behind when the Germans had recaptured the position, and some of them still twitched and let out faint groans.

Von Beseler had no time to care for them and let them perish on their own.

The task of the 22nd Reserve Division was simple—hold the line and block all enemies from entering the defense zone, especially the enemy's tank units.

Having walked halfway along the defense line, von Beseler thought he had seen enough and turned to Colonel Effry, asking, "How are the 77mm field guns prepared?"

"Everything is according to your instructions, General!" Colonel Effry replied, standing up straight. "We've dispersed them within a 200-300 meter range behind the defense line. They will only open fire when the enemy tanks approach!"

Von Beseler nodded in satisfaction. With the field guns, K-shells, and more than fifty T-type anti-tank rifles, dealing with the enemy's tanks shouldn’t be a problem.

Just as he was about to conclude the inspection and head back to the command post, a shout came from behind: "Enemy! They're coming!"

Von Beseler was momentarily stunned before swiftly turning and running back along the communication trench. Ignoring the blood and mud covering the ground, he crouched down and grabbed his binoculars, cautiously peering out.

Through the rain, he could indeed make out some figures. There weren’t many of them, and they were moving cautiously, using craters and the terrain to advance.

A sense of doubt arose in von Beseler’s mind.

Up until now, French attacks had either been massed infantry charges or tank assaults flooding the trenches. But now, this small group of infantry advancing under cover from 500 meters away was something new.

One by one, the soldiers raised their rifles and crouched near the front of the trench, preparing for battle. At first, they were tense, but seeing the French soldiers in such a "pitiful" state, they couldn't help but scoff: "Don't they have tanks? Why are the infantry in the front?"

"We've probably already wiped out all the French!"

"They should go back and have more children, or soon there will be nothing but women left in France!"

...

The soldiers laughed loudly, and the lighthearted atmosphere spread along the defense line.

Von Beseler ignored them, knowing that the soldiers needed to seize the opportunity to joke and relax.

Colonel Effry quickly ran over and crouched beside von Beseler, reporting, "General, this might be a French reconnaissance operation!"

Von Beseler shook his head lightly, sensing that things were not as they seemed.

He carefully adjusted his binoculars, examining the enemy’s movements more closely.

Most of the enemy forces were active at a distance of about 500 meters, with some crawling closer to within 200 or 300 meters of the trench. He could vaguely hear the sound of sidecar motorcycles, but they were not visible from further away.

At first, von Beseler didn’t understand what the motorcycles could possibly be used for here. Were they planning to use them for a charge?

Soon, he understood. In his line of sight, he saw barbed wire being easily pulled aside...

"They’re preparing for an attack!" von Beseler frowned.

Colonel Effry popped his head out to take a look, then nonchalantly replied, "Do they think they can charge like this? Our machine guns will teach them a lesson!"

The barbed wire wasn’t the key. As long as there were enough machine guns, no one could charge through.

But von Beseler’s expression suddenly changed. "No, they have tanks!"

He pointed ahead at several points and said, "Look at those small red flags!"

Colonel Effry lifted his binoculars in the direction indicated by von Beseler. Sure enough, in the rain, he saw rows of small flags planted in the ground, fluttering in the wind like tiny waving hands.

"Those are to guide the tanks!" von Beseler explained. "With these flags, the tanks can avoid the dangerous areas and reach us in the shortest time!"

Colonel Effry’s face grew serious, and he immediately relayed the orders: "Watch out for enemy tanks, prepare the anti-tank rifles..."

Before he could finish, the sound of shells suddenly filled the air, followed by a sharp whistling noise, getting louder as they came closer.

But they didn’t explode as expected. Instead, they let off thick, acrid smoke. The German soldiers immediately covered their noses and mouths.

Shell after shell came crashing down. Some exploded, while others were smoke shells. Soon, the area near the German defense line was filled with smoke, mist, and dust, and the drizzle further obscured visibility. Even at a distance of only 100 meters, only faint shadows could be seen.

Watching all this unfold, von Beseler felt a deep sense of unease.

He realized this was most likely an entire set of tank assault tactics developed by the French, with meticulously planned steps and clear divisions of labor. Yet, the German army knew nothing of this tactic and, of course, was entirely unprepared.

Including himself, they all knew what the French were doing and why they were doing it, but there was no countermeasure in place.

The artillery fire grew increasingly intense, with many shells directly hitting the trenches, causing screams from the German soldiers. Many instinctively dove into the dugouts to avoid the shells.

But von Beseler sensed the danger. He cautiously lifted his head, listening intently, and indeed, during the artillery gaps, he heard the faint "rumble" of an engine.

"Enemy tanks!" von Beseler quickly withdrew his head and sprinted down the trench, shouting to the soldiers as he ran, "The enemy is coming! Organize the defense!"

However, von Beseler knew it was already too late.

The soldiers had no idea what was happening, and they had lost the opportunity to stop the enemy tanks.

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