Off the coast of Margate, five German "Bavaria-class" battleships, accompanied by five "Deutschland-class" battleships, unleashed a relentless barrage of shells upon the shoreline.
Both the 380mm main guns of the "Bavaria-class" and the 280mm guns of the "Deutschland-class" posed a deadly threat to the defensive works constructed by the British Army. Against the overwhelming power of these artillery pieces, the defenses seemed as fragile as paper, easily torn apart.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The three triple turrets of 380mm guns aboard the "Bavaria" and its other 150mm secondary guns, along with the rapid-fire 120mm cannons, blazed away furiously. The beach was shrouded in smoke from the intense explosions. While the extent of the damage to the British forces remained unclear, one thing was certain: the British had sustained significant losses. Even though the British Army had retreated to the rear, the fortifications could not be moved. Once these defenses were obliterated, how would they resist the oncoming German forces, ravenous like wolves?
"Good job, boys! Fire all the shells and tear those Brits to pieces!" The captain of the "Bavaria" stood on the deck, watching with excitement as his fleet pounded the British defensive positions. They were striking the British Empire itself—an empire that had once commanded global respect and never once imagined such a day would come.
"Boom!" A 380mm shell landed in a trench, exploding violently and collapsing the trench in a massive blast.
A machine gun position on one British stronghold was hit, and the entire structure was obliterated, the machine gun reduced to scrap.
Under the relentless bombardment from the German Navy, the British Army's defenses suffered catastrophic damage. Trenches were obliterated, firepoints destroyed, barbed wire scattered, and even the mines buried along the beach were largely wiped out by the barrage.
Though the German bombardment did not cause massive casualties to the British soldiers, who had already retreated as soon as the German Navy arrived, the damage to their defensive structures was severe. This would cost the British dearly when they faced the German advance in the future.
The devastation was not limited to Margate; the British defenses in Dover and Folkestone were also pummeled by the German Navy. Apart from a few fortifications hidden from view, most of the defensive works had been reduced to rubble.
The British Army's command center was based in Canterbury, just over ten kilometers from the beach, where General Ian Hamilton was stationed. When the bombardment began, its distant rumble could faintly be heard even here.
At the moment the shelling started, General Hamilton was drinking coffee. Startled, he dropped his cup, spilling the coffee onto his pants, but he hardly noticed.
"What's happening?" he asked, though he had a growing suspicion.
"General, we've just received reports that Margate, Dover, and Folkestone are under heavy bombardment from the German Navy. Our defenses are being torn apart by their powerful naval guns!" his aide reported.
"Damn! Have the Germans finally launched their attack?" Hamilton's face darkened. Though he had expected this day, he had hoped it would come later, giving them more time to prepare.
"Report to London immediately. Inform them that the German offensive has begun. The British Empire will face its hardest trial yet. If victorious, the Empire will endure. If we fail, there will be no future for it," Hamilton declared.
"Yes, sir," the aide replied, rushing to send the telegram.
"Alert the front-line commanders—tell them to monitor the Germans closely. If the Germans begin their land assault, they must do whatever it takes to hold them back. We cannot let them land; otherwise, forcing them back into the sea will be nearly impossible!" Hamilton ordered.
"Yes, sir," a staff officer quickly left to relay the command.
Hamilton knew that if the Germans gained a foothold on British soil, the price would be devastating. The only way to defeat them was to destroy them on the beaches.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The German Navy continued its fierce bombardment, gunners focused on obliterating every British defensive structure in sight. Though it consumed vast amounts of ammunition, it was all worth it if they could clear the path for the impending landing of the Marine Corps and Army.
As the naval bombardment raged, the German Luftwaffe joined the assault. Six hundred bombers descended on Margate, Dover, and Folkestone, dropping bombs that obliterated the British defenses on the ground.
"My God! The Germans have not only unleashed their fleet but also their air force! Are they trying to flatten our defenses entirely? If they succeed, what can we do to stop their advance?" a panicked British officer exclaimed.
Not only the officers but the soldiers themselves understood that serious trouble was at hand. Before the German Army had even landed, their naval and air forces had already delivered a devastating blow. Without the protection of these defenses, resisting the German assault seemed nearly impossible.
The morale of the British forces guarding the beaches plummeted under the unrelenting fire and bombing.