Chapter 695: Amphibious Tanks
The 52nd Engineer Regiment, which replaced the 96th Infantry Division, had only a little over 2,000 soldiers. This made the defense line severely underpowered in terms of fire density, averaging only about two shots per meter per minute.
(Note: Normally, fire density should reach over 10 shots per meter per minute, with World War I relying on sheer numbers and modern warfare using automated equipment.)
However, General Nikolaus didn't think this was a problem.
"Charles' forces have almost no possibility of crossing the river," General Nikolaus analyzed while pointing to the Meuse River on the map. "We're in the season of melting ice and snow, and the river water is rising. The water level has flooded the banks, stretching over two kilometers wide."
"Even if Charles dares to build a bridge and cross, they wouldn't be able to construct it quickly."
"So, as long as someone is stationed there, and they notice something unusual, firing a warning shot will be enough!"
The staff officers agreed with this plan.
The river was a natural barrier, and it was an almost impossible obstacle to overcome. Charles couldn't possibly appear suddenly and successfully land when the Germans were sending reinforcements.
Thus, General Nikolaus' orders were carried out.
…
On the 52nd Engineer Regiment's position, the soldiers were trembling in knee-deep river water, holding their rifles.
It was an ordeal for them. They couldn't stand upright because they feared becoming targets for enemy artillery. But they couldn't crouch either, as the ground was entirely flooded.
The only thing they could do was sit on stools to keep their upper bodies dry, but even then, their feet remained submerged in the cold, biting water.
Lieutenant Jerrymai was unlucky. While inspecting the line, he tripped on a branch in the water and got soaked through.
He had to hide in an abandoned shack and take off his wet clothes to wring them out, hoping it would make him feel a little better.
"You should change clothes, Lieutenant," the guard said to Jerrymai.
Lieutenant Jerrymai sighed and replied, "When I left, I put my backpack on a chair, and guess what happened? By the time I came back, the water level had risen, and my bag was floating in front of me."
The river was sometimes magical. You thought it wouldn't rise, but suddenly it exceeded the heights you could imagine.
The guard suggested, "Then you should make a fire to dry your clothes. Otherwise, you might not make it through the night."
Lieutenant Jerrymai immediately refused, "That would just give the enemy a target. Their artillery would blow me to pieces."
He hung another set of clothes outside the shack, hoping they would be dry by morning.
Then, he huddled inside the shack, shivering, and lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply. It provided him with some warmth.
He endured the entire night, thankful he didn't freeze to death.
As the sky began to lighten, a single ray of sunlight pierced through the thick fog over the river, bringing warmth to the world.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; the cold night would finally come to an end.
But no one spoke; they just looked up at the sunlight, hoping it would come through more quickly.
At that moment, Lieutenant Jerrymai heard an unusual sound amidst the artillery fire coming from the center of the river.
He looked out across the river, but it was too foggy to see anything.
At first, he thought he had misheard, but the sound grew louder and more distinct. The soldiers noticed too, and all turned their gaze to the river.
"Alert!" Lieutenant Jerrymai shouted, giving the order, "Enemy attack, combat readiness!"
The soldiers became tense. Ignoring the wet pants from the river, they knelt on the ground, setting their rifles and nervously looking through the sights at the mist.
Closer, closer.
It was clear now—there was the sound of propellers cutting through the water, and paddles splashing.
Lieutenant Jerrymai was confused. Would Charles be foolish enough to attempt a risky river crossing with fishing boats or wooden vessels?
It seemed almost impossible to succeed. They would be sitting ducks, easily eliminated in the middle of the river, and their bodies would be swept away by the cold water!
Suddenly, a square white fabric appeared before them, about 300 meters away. It blended so well with the fog that it was nearly invisible.
Then another one appeared, followed by more, one after another, forming a dense cluster across the river.
"Fire!" Lieutenant Jerrymai shouted.
"Bang! Bang!"
"Da-da-da!"
…
Rifles and machine guns erupted in a chorus, but when the bullets hit the white fabric, there was almost no effect. The fabric merely swayed slightly, and the objects continued advancing without even slowing down, steadily approaching the German defense positions.
"What are those?" The German soldiers gasped.
"Is it Charles' new equipment?"
"Our weapons don't work on them!"
…
Lieutenant Jerrymai remained calm. He loudly ordered the communications officer, "Artillery, immediately contact artillery!"
But it was too late to contact the artillery, as the "square fabric" was now only a hundred meters from the defense line. Then, with a loud roar, the unmistakable sound of tank engines filled the air.
It was a tank—several had already made it to the shallow bank, their tracks and chassis now visible.
Some tanks even fired their guns after coming to a halt, breaking through the surrounding tents and revealing their turrets.
At that moment, the Germans were stunned.
"My God, their tanks can move in the water!"
"They've crossed the river with tanks!"
"How can we stop these monsters?"
…
(A picture above shows a WWII amphibious tank, modified from the American Sherman, called the Sherman DD. The design is simple: a lifeboat-like fabric structure around the tank allows it to float, and two external propellers power the movement.)
(The picture above shows the tank in its collapsed state.)
…
One tank after another successfully landed. The tanks were completely unaffected by German weapons; the bullets merely made a "clang-clang" sound when hitting the armor, without any impact.
Some tanks got stuck in the mud and couldn't move.
This was the risk Charles had feared: the ground was soaked by the river, and it might not be able to support the weight of the tanks.
However, because the water level had risen above the embankment, the tanks that had successfully landed were not in danger and could still rotate their turrets to shoot at the Germans with their 37mm guns or machine guns.
Behind them, French soldiers followed in wooden boats and rubber dinghies.
After a long period of silence, the Germans finally started to return fire. Artillery shells exploded over the river, sending several wooden boats flying into the air, tearing them apart.
But it was too late to change anything…
Charles' greatest fear was that the tanks would be bombarded while crossing the river.
The amphibious tanks, which used the fabric for buoyancy, were very fragile. A single wave could sink them to the riverbed, and they would undoubtedly be unable to withstand artillery fire, even if the shells didn't hit them directly.
Fortunately, none of this happened.
The tanks had successfully landed and were now covering the infantry as they broke through the defense line.
Their next task was to head straight for the German artillery positions behind their lines…
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