General Allenby had initially lamented his future. After all, achieving the rank of Army General in the British Empire was no small feat. With his surrender, however, all of that would be lost.
Yet now, the implications of Qin Tian's words seemed to unveil a new path, revealing an alternate world to him.
Indeed, as a British Army General, Allenby felt he had reached the end of his prospects. However, if he aligned himself with the Germans following their defeat of Britain, his future could shine brightly.
"Oh, God! It seems the Germans have illuminated a different path for me. If I can gain their support, once the British Empire is vanquished, I could emerge as a pivotal figure in the new government, perhaps even attaining a position of greater power than I currently hold." The mere thought ignited a fervor within Allenby, causing him to yearn for a swift British defeat in this war.
Qin Tian remained oblivious to Allenby's thoughts. Even if he were aware, he would care little; it was precisely such a traitor seeking personal gain that he could exploit. With figures like Allenby at his disposal, Germany could effectively dominate Britain.
Qin Tian's focus was entirely on the imminent battle. Following the surrender of the British Expeditionary Force's Fourth Army, the southern districts of Paris had fallen into German hands. Only the northern section remained under French control. To secure Paris, the Germans needed to eliminate the remaining French forces.
At an overnight military conference, several corps commanders began to strategize.
"Gentlemen, the key bridges connecting the two districts of Paris are Saint-Michel and Exchange Bridges on Île de la Cité, along with the Tonnerre and Marie Bridges on Île Saint-Louis. If we can seize these bridges, our forces will be poised to launch an assault on the northern Parisian districts controlled by the French. Furthermore, the French command post near the Bastille is alarmingly close. A direct attack on their command would be devastating; the fall of their headquarters could allow us to capture all of Paris," Qin Tian stated.
"Your Highness, securing these bridges is crucial. The French have already laid explosives on them. We must seize the bridges at the earliest opportunity and ensure their artillery cannot strike," General Kluck advised.
For the German forces, this was undoubtedly a prime opportunity to capture Paris and bring the conflict to a swift conclusion. Everyone was determined not to let this chance slip away.
"Your Highness, let us deploy our armored divisions for the attack. Just as dawn breaks, they can cross the bridges at maximum speed, secure the bridgeheads, disarm the explosives, and eliminate any surrounding French forces. As for their artillery, we'll leave that to the air force. Our aircraft will patrol the skies over Paris, suppressing any identified French positions. If we can maintain this for a day, we'll rapidly expand our gains and secure control around the bridges. Even if the French were to destroy the bridges, we would already be entrenched and no longer fearful of them," suggested General Dimlin.
Qin Tian nodded; utilizing armored divisions to capture the bridges was indeed a sound strategy. These bridges spanned only a few hundred meters, easily traversable by tanks in under a minute, potentially catching the French off guard. If the Germans could occupy the bridges while the air force subdued French artillery, they would be in an excellent position to consolidate control and bring more troops across.
Of course, this might come at a cost to the armored divisions, but compared to the stakes of the entire campaign, such losses were a worthy sacrifice.
"Your Highness, we could also concentrate our artillery to bombard the French-controlled areas, inflicting further casualties to support our bridge-seizing operation," proposed Major von Manstein.
"Very well, let us proceed with that plan! The fate of our efforts to conclude the Battle of Paris hinges on this," Qin Tian declared.
"Understood, Your Highness," everyone responded.
The First and Fifth German Armies sprang into action, deploying their elite armored and infantry units to execute a surprise assault, aiming to capture the bridges over the Seine River.
The attack was set for 5 a.m., a time when fatigue would render the enemy less vigilant, allowing for the element of surprise.
As time ticked by, the armored divisions of the Germans positioned themselves at the heads of Saint-Michel and Tonnerre Bridges on the southern bank of the Seine, prepared to launch their offensive.
The First Armored Division would strike from Saint-Michel Bridge, advancing to Île de la Cité and then onto the Exchange Bridge toward northern Paris. Meanwhile, the Fifth Armored Division would attack from Tonnerre Bridge, crossing to Île Saint-Louis before advancing from Marie Bridge to the northern bank.
Additionally, the First, Second, Forty-First, and Forty-Sixth Infantry Divisions would accompany the armored forces. Once the armored units crossed the river, they would collaborate to eliminate nearby French forces and secure the bridges, ready to withstand any counterattacks.
"Attack!"
At 5 a.m., Qin Tian issued the command.
Tanks roared to life, surging onto the bridges with full throttle, charging toward the opposite bank.
Given the narrowness of the bridge, the tanks lined up in single file. Yet, even this short span would not take long to traverse.
Unbeknownst to the French defenders on the bridges, they remained oblivious to the impending threat. Though they heard the thunderous engines, they dismissed them as merely British vehicles from the south.
When the German tanks finally came into view, the French soldiers' eyes widened in disbelief.
"Oh God, tanks! German tanks! How could they be here?"
"Boom!" The tank's cannon fired, obliterating the French defensive position at the bridgehead.