"General, dawn is almost upon us. What shall we do?" asked a major general with a deeply worried expression.
General Haig's face, too, was clouded with concern. The German defenses were impenetrable, their will to fight unexpectedly strong. The British forces had paid a heavy price during the night's assault, yet they had achieved nothing in breaking through the German lines. They could only watch helplessly as a thick layer of corpses piled up before the enemy's fortifications.
"Daylight will not offer us any hope of breaching their defenses," General Haig said, his voice tinged with resignation. "The German navy and air force will soon unleash a devastating barrage upon us. In such circumstances, to continue attacking would only send our men to their deaths!"
"Indeed, General. It seems the situation is swiftly turning against us," concurred the other officers, all expressing grave concern over the developing situation.
"Order the troops to prepare for retreat," General Haig commanded.
"Yes, General!" the adjutant promptly replied, setting off to deliver the orders.
Though reluctant and filled with a sense of failure, the British commanders knew there was little choice. To stay and fight would only lead to further catastrophic losses.
Meanwhile, the German officers at the front lines breathed a collective sigh of relief. The arrival of daylight had alleviated their immediate peril. They had successfully entrenched themselves on British soil, and with reinforcements steadily landing, they were now poised for a large-scale offensive. The tide of battle, it seemed, was about to turn in their favor.
"Report to the General: The command has just informed us that the Army Air Corps will soon launch air strikes against the British. The navy will also begin a massive bombardment. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th Infantry Divisions will land shortly. Command orders that we consolidate the forces still fit for combat and, once the naval bombardment and air strikes conclude, mount a counteroffensive to further expand our victory!" a staff officer reported.
"Immediately instruct the troops to rest while they can. Once the naval barrage and aerial support begin, we will strike back. After being under pressure all night, it is time for us to retaliate!" Major General Alexander Linsingen commanded.
"Yes, General!" the officer hastened to pass on the orders.
Though the front-line soldiers were exhausted from the previous night's ferocious combat, they nevertheless managed to wolf down a hasty breakfast of soup and bread, determined to regain enough strength for the coming battle. Their bodies were spent, but their resolve remained unwavering.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The roar of naval guns echoed across the battlefield as shells rained down upon the retreating British forces. The sheer power of the bombardment left the English with staggering losses.
"Boom!"
A 380mm shell struck a truck loaded with ammunition, setting off a deadly chain reaction, killing several nearby British soldiers in the explosion.
"Retreat! Accelerate the withdrawal!" the British commanders on the front lines urgently ordered. They recognized that the German counteroffensive was imminent, and under the onslaught of such overwhelming firepower, holding their ground was no longer feasible.
"Run! The Germans are coming!"
In a panic, countless British soldiers fled the battlefield. The horrors of the previous night's brutal combat had shattered their resolve, and many now viewed the Germans as invincible.
"Buzz! Buzz!"
A sound akin to a swarm of angry bees filled the air, and some British soldiers looked up to see a swarm of tiny black dots in the eastern sky. Having fought the Germans, they knew exactly what those dots represented.
"Planes! Planes! The Germans are coming!" the British soldiers cried out in terror.
The German Luftwaffe's strafing runs and bombings inflicted terrible losses on the British. Soldiers were cut down by machine gun fire or obliterated by the falling bombs.
"Rat-a-tat-tat!" The fighters swooped down to unleash a hail of bullets, mowing down British soldiers. The screams of the wounded filled the air as men crumpled to the ground.
"Boom!"
An aerial bomb dropped squarely into the midst of the retreating British ranks, obliterating dozens of soldiers.
"Take cover! Take cover!" an officer screamed, trying to guide his men to evade the deadly air assault.
But before he could finish his command, he was struck by a burst of bullets, his body torn asunder.
Under the onslaught of the German Army Air Corps, the British suffered devastating casualties.
At the same time, the German Army and Marines launched a furious counterattack, supported by naval artillery and air strikes, against the retreating British forces.
Overwhelmed by the combined assault, the British could no longer hold their position.
"My God! I surrender! I can't fight anymore!" a young British soldier cried out, tossing aside his weapon and raising his hands in surrender to the Germans.
Inspired by his example, other British soldiers, demoralized by the relentless bombardment, began surrendering as well, paving the way for the Germans to achieve their counteroffensive with little resistance.
Many others, unwilling to surrender, fled for their lives. In their desperate scramble, they discarded their weapons and gear to lighten their load. The British retreat had ceased to be a simple withdrawal—it was now a rout.
The German counterattack tore through several of the British defense lines along the coast. The British soldiers had no choice but to fall back into the urban areas, hoping to make a stand. Yet these cities, too, were within range of the German naval guns, and the Luftwaffe's bombers could strike them at will. No matter where the British hid, their fate was sealed.
However, the Germans did not immediately pursue the cities. The British had heavily fortified them, and a hasty attack would cost them dearly. Moreover, after hours of grueling combat, the German soldiers were exhausted. The real opportunity to strike would come once fresh troops arrived.