"General Ludendorff, once the artillery preparation concludes, commence the attack! Deploy the armored units as well. However, after breaching the British outer defenses, the armored forces shall halt their advance and allow the infantry to enter the city of Rouen." General Kruk remarked.
While the assistance of armored units would undoubtedly facilitate urban combat, their losses would also rise significantly as a result. General Kruk had no desire to see his prized armored divisions squandered in the confined streets of city warfare.
General Ludendorff nodded in complete agreement with General Kruk's perspective. Though armored units boasted superior protection compared to infantry, their armor might not withstand the challenges posed by anti-tank weaponry. This was especially true in the narrow confines of urban combat, where tanks were vulnerable to destruction. On the Eastern Front, the Russians, lacking effective anti-tank measures, resorted to desperate tactics, often attempting to take German tanks down with explosives and grenades, which had permitted the 8th Armored Division to participate in such engagements.
However, the Western Front was markedly different. Although the Anglo-French forces had yet to field tanks, they were equipped with anti-tank weapons. Admittedly, the performance of these weapons may not match that of the Germans, yet they should prove effective against German armor. Hence, QinTian had specifically advised against the armored units engaging in urban combat recklessly.
"Indeed, General. Our armored units have far greater utility," Ludendorff affirmed.
At this, General Kruk smiled, grasping Ludendorff's implication. Beyond the British Expeditionary Force's 1st Army stationed in Rouen, additional forces from the 3rd British Expeditionary Force and the 1st French Army were en route. Should they succeed in annihilating the 1st British Expeditionary Force while inflicting severe damage on the 3rd British Expeditionary Force and part of the French Army, the Anglo-French alliance would be considerably weakened. They could even consider altering their strategy to split the left flank, advancing along both banks of the Seine towards Paris.
The German artillery preparation lasted a full two hours. Following this, the 1st and 8th Armies launched their assault on Rouen. The troops, having enjoyed an early lunch and sufficient rest, were energized and ready to engage in the offensive.
Over five hundred tanks from the 1st and 8th Armored Divisions participated in this attack, dispersing into multiple columns to assist the infantry in breaching the British defenses.
"Creak, creak!" The tracks of the tanks crushed the earth beneath, producing a sound that grated on the nerves. Countless infantrymen followed closely behind, charging towards the British positions.
At that moment, the British defenses had already suffered extensive damage from the relentless German bombardment and aerial assaults. The troops stationed there had also incurred significant casualties. The battlefield was strewn with corpses and severed limbs. Yet, despite these overwhelming losses, many British soldiers remained steadfast at their posts. It must be acknowledged that the determination of these British Expeditionary Force soldiers was remarkably resilient. Even while fighting on French soil, they understood that defeating the Germans was synonymous with defending the British Empire.
"Quickly! The German tanks are advancing! Prepare the anti-tank guns and rifles!" shouted a British officer, his voice betraying his anxiety as perspiration pooled in his palms.
"Yes, sir!" the soldiers responded promptly, readying themselves.
At this position, the British had deployed two 37mm anti-tank guns and four anti-tank rifles. If fortune smiled upon them, they could inflict considerable damage on the German armored units.
As the German tanks approached within five hundred meters of the British line, the anti-tank guns opened fire.
"Boom! Boom!" Two 37mm rounds struck their targets with precision, breaching the frontal armor of two German tanks. The armor could not withstand the impact, leaving fist-sized holes and sending shrapnel careening through the confined spaces within, killing the crew members instantly.
The destruction of two tanks sent ripples of alarm through the German armored forces, momentarily disrupting their formation.
"Well done!" exclaimed a British officer, buoyed by the belief that if they could thwart the German armor, defeating the enemy would not prove difficult.
Seizing the moment, the British anti-tank guns fired again, obliterating two more German tanks.
However, their streak of luck ended there.
After recovering from the initial shock, the German armored units regained their composure. Some tanks began seeking out the locations of the British anti-tank guns, their turrets swiveling into position.
Soon, one tank identified the position of a British anti-tank gun.
"Fire!" commanded the tank commander, and the gunner obeyed.
"Boom!" The tank's cannon erupted in a flash of orange flame, hurling a shell that struck the British anti-tank gun, shattering it into fragments and killing the crew.
Within a minute, another anti-tank gun was destroyed. With these threats neutralized, the German tanks pressed forward.
As they closed to within two hundred meters of the British line, both light and heavy machine guns opened fire. Although these weapons posed no threat to the tanks themselves, they were deadly to the infantry sheltering behind them. Consequently, the German tanks systematically targeted and eliminated the British machine gun positions.
As the German tanks advanced ever closer to the British defenses, the remaining anti-tank rifles opened fire.
"Clang!" A round struck a German tank. Unfortunately, the thick frontal armor absorbed the impact, rendering the anti-tank rifle ineffective.
The crew inside the tank was momentarily terrified, believing they were about to be penetrated. Had that occurred, those inside would have faced certain death.
Upon realizing the armor had held, the tank crew exhaled in relief, though they felt the weight of their close brush with death.
The tank's machine gun soon erupted, taking out several British soldiers manning the anti-tank rifle.