Chapter 691: Once Again Fooled by Charles
The battle for Mézières was almost one-sided.
General Nikolaus's attempt to stop the French armored units in the forest had completely failed.
There was a reason for the weapons: the First Armored Division was equipped with many "Saint-Étienne 2" light machine guns and submachine guns, which were well-suited for close combat in the jungle.
However, the real reason for the German defeat wasn't the weapons but the thousands of German sappers who had been busy setting up warehouses and unloading goods in the Ardennes. They were the first to be scared by the tanks, fleeing in a panic like headless chickens. Many of them didn't even have weapons, so retaliating was out of the question.
This caused the regular troops arriving for reinforcements to be confused by the sight of so many people running in different directions, unable to distinguish friend from foe.
The fleeing vehicles were all over the place, some crashing into tree trunks, throwing their drivers out along with the shattered glass. Others had their fuel tanks ignited, catching fire but still speeding off, and some even drove over their own comrades, further breaking the German lines.
The forest was chaotic, with panicked shouts and screams that even drowned out the noise of tank engines and gunfire.
By the time General Nikolaus arrived with his reinforcements, he could see the rout from a distance. Soldiers were streaming out from the forest's edge, with gunfire and explosions erupting in the dense woods behind them. Occasionally, flashes of fire illuminated the scene.
If it weren't for the dampness in the forest due to the recent winter, it could have easily caused a forest fire.
Soon, tanks began to slowly emerge from the forest, followed by French troops, who continuously fired their weapons, picking off the retreating German soldiers like targets in a shooting range.
The tanks, like tigers breaking free from their cage, increased speed and relentlessly chased after the retreating soldiers.
General Nikolaus realized that his plan had failed. The forest could not block the enemy, so he immediately gave the order, "Retreat, retreat to the city and organize a defensive line!"
Stay calm, General Nikolaus told himself. Tanks are also unsuitable for city fighting.
On the way back to the city, he quickly devised a new plan.
He decided to scatter his troops among the civilian buildings, preparing grenades and explosives to blow up the tanks. The French would be hesitant to bomb the area because of the risk of hitting civilians, which would likely lead to a standoff and a war of attrition.
And this would be advantageous for the Germans.
But General Nikolaus overlooked one crucial detail: Mézières was a French city, and there were many guerrilla fighters hiding within it. After hearing the sounds of gunfire, civilians would likely take the opportunity to rise up.
By the time General Nikolaus returned to the city, he found gunfire and smoke filling the air.
"What's going on?" General Nikolaus asked, a sense of dread settling in his heart.
"Sir," a communications officer reported, "It's the guerrillas, and the civilians are revolting. They've set their houses on fire to spread the flames to our camps and warehouses."
General Nikolaus was stunned. This was indeed an effective method to throw the Germans into disarray, and it was easy to execute.
After a moment of hesitation, Nikolaus hastily gave the order, "The train station—secure the train station!"
The train station stored a large quantity of supplies, including ammunition and gasoline to be sent to the front lines. If these fell into enemy hands, they would become vital supplies for the enemy.
But it was too late. The communications officer reported, his eyes filled with fear, "Sir, the guerrillas have already taken the train station!"
General Nikolaus's vision went dark. It was over. Everything was over. The French had everything they needed!
"Your orders, sir?" A staff officer looked nervously toward the forest, where French tanks were steadily closing in.
General Nikolaus looked back at the pursuing forces and sighed helplessly, "Abandon the city, cross the river, and organize a defensive line along the river!"
"Yes, sir."
Under General Nikolaus's command, the German forces crossed the Meuse River and blew up the bridge.
It was only then that they managed to catch their breath.
On the opposite bank, the civilians of Mézières cheered as they welcomed the French forces into the city.
When they learned that the forces were Charles' First Armored Division, their excitement was uncontainable:
"My God, it's Charles' forces, the First Armored Division! They crossed the Ardennes Mountains? How did they do it?"
"Because it's Charles' division. Charles can do what others can't even imagine."
"So we're safe now? Unbelievable, this isn't just a transition, it's liberation, a complete liberation!"
...
Many civilians had feared that the French attack was just a small-scale offensive and that they would quickly retreat after taking the city, given that it was deep in the German-controlled area.
But when they learned that it was Charles' First Armored Division, they were convinced that the Germans would lose all control over Mézières.
Because Charles' forces had never been defeated and had never abandoned any land they had retaken!
This was Charles' influence. Wherever he went, he brought morale and confidence to both the military and the civilians.
...
In Berlin, on Wilhelmstrasse, at the German General Staff headquarters.
When the intelligence reached Fagginhan's desk, he was nearly paralyzed with shock, sitting motionless in his chair for two full minutes.
He was only snapped out of his stupor by Colonel Moritz's shouting, and he looked up in disbelief, asking, "Why is Charles' armored division in Mézières? Wasn't it always in Namur?"
"Sir, we may have been fooled by Charles," Colonel Moritz said, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "Once again."
"What do you mean?" Fagginhan still didn't understand.
Because of the concern that Charles would attack the Liege Fortress, his spies and informants had been keeping a close watch on Charles' forces.
Colonel Moritz pointed at the map and said, "Charles' attack on the Liege Fortress was just a decoy, to keep us focused on it. Charles' First Armored Division isn't in Namur; it's likely the First Special Artillery Division of the 6th Army that's in Namur."
Fagginhan's head began to spin.
That bastard Charles, once again, had fooled him—and so thoroughly.
After a moment of clarity, Fagginhan, in a panic, gave two frantic orders:
"Withdraw the forces, all of them. Withdraw from the encirclement as quickly as possible."
"Send reinforcements. We must block Charles' forces in Mézières, at all costs!"
The Allies could not withstand another large-scale "encirclement."
This time, at least 400,000 troops were trapped inside the encirclement.
If they surrendered to Charles, this battle would end in the collapse of the Allies.
At that moment, a communications officer reported, "Sir, Charles' bombers have taken off from Charleroi. They've crossed the Ardennes and are bombing the railroads and highways near Mézières. Our forces are finding it difficult to reach reinforcements."
Fagginhan weakly furrowed his brow and closed his eyes, as if he didn't want or dare to face the situation.
He realized one thing: even if the main forces could break through smoothly, they would be severely stripped of their strength by Charles.
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