The tiresome rain finally ceased. Yet, across the flat fields still muddied, obscured by the thunderous roar of cannons, a small squad of British soldiers, donning Tommy helmets and clad in khaki battle dress, moved forward with heads down and bodies hunched, almost silently groping their way westward.
The day had yet to dawn, but the world was already roused prematurely. Intense battles raged at strategic points across the Isle of Wight – at Newport, Bembridge, and in the wilderness between. This small island had become the focal point of conflict between two major camps, where tens of thousands engaged in brutal combat. Despite their small numbers, these forces gathered the battlefield elites of both the British and German sides, bearing a weight that felt almost unbearable.
"George, help Jim carry the radio transmitter! Others, keep an eye on the surroundings!" Urged by time, the leading British officer intermittently turned to his soldiers, urging them to quicken their pace. Dawn had not yet broken, but the surroundings weren't entirely dark: ahead, flashes of fire accompanied the rumbling of artillery; behind, the intermittent glow of flares illuminated the area between the British positions and Bembridge.
Two similarly built soldiers exchanged their burdens. Despite the technological advancements of the early war, even the radio transmitter was a burdensome load for physically fit soldiers. If it weren't for the specialized vehicles bogged down in the mud, they wouldn't have to march under such difficult conditions.
"Watch out! Looks like there are tanks!" Whispered the British soldier walking to the north to his comrades, prompting everyone to quickly crouch and conceal their low figures in the final dark corners before dawn.
Sergeant gazed through binoculars for a while, muttering to himself, "Fool, that's just an armored car! The German positions shouldn't be too far now!"
As the rumble of the armored car gradually faded from their ears, he waved his hand and shouted low, "Continue forward!"
Scouts always played the role of the sharp edge of the battlefield. Infiltrating enemy lines was commonplace for them, their danger level probably no less than that of paratrooper units. However, the task of scouts was reconnaissance, not combat, unlike paratroopers who faced brutal life-or-death battles as soon as they entered the battlefield!
The group continued westward for more than twenty minutes, and the sound of artillery fire became clearer, with the flickering flames seemingly just ahead. The sergeant signaled his soldiers to stop. Four men were deployed to keep watch around, while he pulled out the binoculars he carried and said softly, "Take note!"
Following closely, another soldier quickly took out a notebook and a pencil from his pocket, recording every word the officer said in the intermittent light.
The soldier carrying the radio transmitter also crouched down, assisting the signalman in preparing to send the telegram.
"Artillery position, southern side of the road, field, seems to have infantry trenches, tanks..."
A flash of light, and the sergeant furrowed his brow.
"At least six vehicles, plus several armored cars, seems to be a complete mobile tank unit! Estimated to be company-level in size!"
"Sir, are we ready to send the report?" The thin-faced signalman asked softly.
"Yes, send what I just said back to headquarters! Cheltenham, come with me to check the situation up ahead!" Saying so, the sergeant put down his binoculars, pulled out a Webley revolver from his holster, and continued forward in the darkness with a nimble soldier carrying a "Chicago typewriter" machine gun.
They didn't have the courage to assault the German artillery positions alone. Instead, after advancing about thirty meters, they stopped about five or six steps from the road.
With the assistance of the soldier responsible for recording, the signalman swiftly manipulated his fingers, transmitting the orderly arranged signals back to the rear via radio waves. Typically, such radio transmissions were of great interest to the enemy's staff organizations.
After receiving the reconnaissance report, the British artillery fire, which was initially far off target, gradually extended towards the German artillery positions. A few shells fell nearby, startling the scouts, who hastily used the radio to send corrections, finally guiding the shells from afar back onto the "right path".
The roaring German artillery fire suddenly ceased, and from the direction of the positions, the faint sound of engines could be heard. The scouts looked at the distance with curiosity, but the light and distance hindered them from seeing more specific details with their naked eyes.
After a moment, the sergeant ran back quickly, panting, and said, "Quick, send the report! The German artillery is moving, the direction is uncertain, but it looks like there are more than ten tanks accompanying for cover!"
"Good Lord, where did the Germans get so many tanks from!" The soldier originally responsible for recording muttered, while the signalman beside him concentrated on sending out this information.
"Is it done? Hurry up, we probably need to move too!"
The reason the sergeant was so panicked was because a group of German soldiers appeared in their line of sight, advancing with motorcycles in the lead, apparently on patrol duty near the positions.
With composure, the final sequence of signals was sent out. The signalman quickly removed his headphones. "Done!"
"Retreat!" The sergeant took one last glance at the direction of the German positions. Fortunately, the artillery fire coming from the east soon fell into the positions, but could the Germans, not being rabbits, withdraw their artillery, ammunition, and vehicles in time?
The British scouts felt proud of their brave actions, unaware of how their report might mislead the higher command. If they had been braver and ventured closer to the German positions, they would have discovered that, except for the artillery, everything else – tanks and armored cars – was camouflaged with wooden boards. These past few days of rain hadn't left the German soldiers idle in their tents!
At this moment, Logan sat in his tank, codenamed "Ditcher IV," smoking a cigarette as he waited in the port area of Bramble for the British infantry to fall into his trap.
To the west, the forces were reduced to less than persuasive numbers, with several hundred non-combatant casualties among them. If the British were to launch a strong attack to the west, only the armored platoons that had previously circled to the north to divert British attention could put up any resistance. In less than an hour, the British could occupy several of the main German ammunition supply points. Of course, after several days of consumption, apart from food, there was only a minimal stock of ammunition, fuel, and medicines left.
It couldn't be called running out of ammunition and food, but Logan and his troops were not far from that point. If this damned rainy weather persisted for another two days, they would surely have to fight the enemy with bayonets!
Logan had never felt the importance of weather as he did now. If there was any flaw in the "Fortress Plan," it was definitely the inability to accurately predict the weather. If the German Air Force could be deployed promptly every day, could the British have transported large numbers of ground troops ashore so quickly?
Fortunately, the rain had finally stopped. Logan had just received word from the Operations Headquarters that after dawn, the German Air Force would launch a massive attack on the British, crossing the English Channel like never before!
Just the thought of the scene of Stukas roaring over the English Channel made Logan regretful for the British officers and soldiers who had landed. Without naval support, they were simply no match for the battle-hardened German soldiers!
"Captain, we've just interrogated the prisoner. He says he belongs to the 4th Infantry Division of the British Army, and their commanding officer is Major General Angus Benson! Additionally, the landing force should also include the British 3rd Division, led by someone named Bernard Montgomery!"
As soon as this name was mentioned, it was Logan's turn to take off his military cap and scratch his head: Why is it this guy again!
"Captain!" The SS captain didn't realize why the young commanding officer made the same gesture as him, but he continued triumphantly, "The British officer initially refused to reveal the size of the landing force, but we applied a little pressure, and he confessed: there are about fifteen thousand infantry troops, and the tank force is drawn from the 7th Armored Division, approximately the size of two battalions!"
"Good, very good!" Logan put his cap back on, muttering to himself, "No wonder the British attack is so steady and sharp. That guy is indeed a formidable opponent! Looking at the entire British Army, he should rank among the top. I wonder how that guy named Alexander is doing; I heard he's also quite capable?"
Without wasting more time pondering, Logan's attention returned to the British main force, which was finally turning back towards Bramble Port after attempting to annihilate the German landing force. Since heavy German forces were present both ahead and behind, attacking westward would likely result in being repelled. However, there was a perfect opportunity for a decisive encirclement battle if they headed eastward, just as Logan had guessed. Indeed, the British took the bait!
Facing the sea to the east and flat terrain to the south, west, and north, Bramble Port's geographical conditions were not suitable for land defense. That's why the Germans had previously abandoned the outer defensive positions. Now, Logan swiftly recaptured the port with his armored units, reclaiming it in a short time. With over ten thousand British infantry advancing from three sides, would he and his troops surrender without a fight?
When paths cross, it's not just courage that's tested; intelligence also plays a crucial role.
Taking advantage of the British hesitation, Logan's infantry used captured British ammunition to blow up several tank emplacements in the existing trenches. They then reinforced them with entrenching tools. With Tanks No. 4 and No. 3 entering the emplacements, only exposing their turrets made them difficult targets to destroy by enemy artillery fire. In the original historical timeline, Allied forces suffered greatly against such tactics when advancing deep into France after the Normandy landings.
In addition to tanks, half-track armored vehicles and some trucks were also half-buried in the defensive line. Such firing points, as long as they could avoid being hit by enemy field artillery at high angles, could inflict significant casualties on British infantry during their attack.
Finally, more than half of Logan's infantry were deployed in the front line, while the rest served as a reserve hidden behind the port. At the critical moment, they could still engage in a Newport-style urban warfare.
With the weather changing, the initially daunting task became less challenging. Now, Logan and his troops just needed to hold out until dawn. And when the first batch of British infantry faced merciless gunfire from the German defenses, dawn was already breaking in the east!