On the morning of August 20th, the weather was clear and serene. The once violent North Sea had calmed, and the Strait of Dover was equally tranquil.
At Calais, the Imperial High Command for the British Campaign had gathered. Field Marshal von Falkenhayn, Minister of War and Chief of Staff of the Imperial Army, had personally arrived to assume command of the operation against Britain. He was entrusted with full authority to lead the Imperial Army's campaign against the British forces.
At 5:00 AM, Field Marshal von Falkenhayn rose. After completing his morning routine and having breakfast, he arrived at the operations room to find that the key generals involved in the British campaign were already assembled.
Present were General von Kluck, commander of the 1st Army Corps; General von Bülow, commander of the 2nd Army Corps; General von Hausen, commander of the 3rd Army Corps; and Major General Ludendorff, acting commander of the 8th Army Corps. Also in attendance were General Waldsee, Deputy Chief of Staff, and General von Zeckter, commander of the Army Air Corps. Among the naval leadership, Admiral Reinhard Scheer, commander of the High Seas Fleet, along with his chief of staff, Vice Admiral Hipper, Rear Admiral Richter-Fils, and Major General Alexander Linsingen, commander of the Marine Corps, had arrived as well.
Both Major Generals Ludendorff and Zeckter had only recently assumed their new positions. At the age of fifty, Ludendorff's appointment to a corps command was already a remarkable achievement, making him one of the youngest officers to hold such a post. His title as acting commander would soon be shed after the completion of the campaign, and his rank was expected to rise to General. Within just three years, Ludendorff had gone from a colonel to a general, a meteoric rise in military ranks.
Zeckter, although not promoted in rank, had been appointed as the commander of the Army Air Corps. However, rumors had begun to circulate that after the campaign, the Air Corps would be separated from the Army to form the Imperial Air Force, a new independent branch of the military. This would almost certainly result in Zeckter's promotion, and he would take command of the new air force, a highly coveted position. Moreover, Zeckter, being a year younger than Ludendorff, had the rare distinction of being a general under fifty, a remarkable achievement in the German Army.
Major General Alexander Linsingen, previously the commander of the 1st Marine Division and a rear admiral, had earned his promotion after his resolute actions in quelling the rebellion in Berlin. His loyalty to Emperor QinTian had been crucial in ensuring the Emperor's successful ascension to the throne. As a result, Linsingen was promoted to Marine Corps commander and given command of the 1st Marine Division.
War, despite its brutal cost in lives, also presented opportunities for military honors and promotion. Every soldier yearned for such opportunities.
"Gentlemen, are you all prepared?" Field Marshal von Falkenhayn inquired.
"Ready!" came the unified, resounding reply.
Von Falkenhayn nodded, observing the high morale of the gathered generals. It was clear that everyone was eager for this final opportunity to achieve further military honors. More victories meant more recognition and promotion. After all, no soldier in the ranks of generals would be content without striving for greater achievements, and all present were keen to become Field Marshals of the Imperial Army.
"General von Kluck, the 1st Army Corps, with 350,000 men, is ready for action!" General von Kluck declared.
The 1st Army Corps, the Imperial Army's elite formation, had the largest manpower, even before the rise of the 8th Corps. With the addition of armored divisions, enhanced artillery, and automatic weapons, their strength had been further augmented.
"Field Marshal, the 2nd Army Corps, 280,000 strong, is ready for the offensive!" General von Bülow, commander of the 2nd Army Corps, confidently reported. The 2nd Corps was among the most formidable in the German Army, second only to the 1st Corps in size.
"Field Marshal, the 3rd Army Corps, with 200,000 men, is prepared for battle!" General von Hausen, commander of the 3rd Corps, added. Although the 3rd Corps had fewer troops than the first two, it was still a formidable force.
"The 8th Army Corps is also prepared!" Major General Ludendorff, acting commander of the 8th Corps, affirmed. Although the 8th Corps had only 180,000 men, making it the smallest among the army groups, its combat effectiveness was unparalleled. Even the 1st Army Corps, with nearly double the manpower, could not easily overcome them. As a formation once led by Emperor QinTian, the 8th Corps had the finest equipment and the most rigorous training, with soldiers whose combat spirit was unmatched.
"The Army Air Corps is also ready. We have deployed 1,200 fighter planes and 800 bombers at the forward airfields!" General von Zeckter, commander of the Army Air Corps, reported. The Imperial Army Air Corps had invested heavily in this operation. The prospect of becoming the first commander of the Imperial Air Force, and potentially the first Minister of the Air Force, was a powerful motivator. The Emperor had already hinted at the establishment of an Air Ministry once the Air Force gained sufficient strength, a tantalizing prospect for Zeckter.
"Field Marshal, the Imperial Navy and Marine Corps are ready for action!" Admiral Scheer reported.
In this operation against Britain, the Imperial Navy and Marine Corps would fully support the Army. The Navy would deploy ten of its most powerful battleships and twenty-four battlecruisers in a bombardment fleet. The Navy's two aircraft carriers would patrol the waters off the British coast, ready to launch aircraft upon command. The Navy Marine Corps, with five divisions totaling 100,000 men, was also primed for the assault.