On the morning of August 31st, on the positions of the German 1st Army Corps, more than 300,000 soldiers had already landed at Margate. Over the past few days, they had been steadily advancing toward Canterbury, with the vanguard now less than five kilometers from the city.
On the artillery positions, over a thousand guns of various calibers had been rolled into place, part of the artillery units assigned to the infantry divisions of the 1st Army Corps.
Further out at sea, numerous German naval vessels patrolled the waters. These included modern dreadnoughts armed with 380mm main guns, as well as older battleships equipped with 280mm guns. These warships would provide heavy fire support to the 1st Army Corps in the upcoming battle, shattering the defenses of the British forces.
At the forward positions, over 200 tanks of the German 1st Panzer Division stood silently in wait. Tank crews were having breakfast, knowing that once the order was given, they would charge forward in a torrent of steel, smashing the British defenses and clearing the way for the infantry.
To the south, the German 2nd Army Corps was equally well-prepared. Over 200 tanks of the 2nd Panzer Division were ready to serve as the spearhead of the corps' assault.
At 7:30 AM, the German artillery barrage commenced. The two corps, divided into two directions, unleashed over 2,000 heavy guns upon the British defenses. Although previous naval bombardments and air raids had already devastated much of the British fortifications, every time a defense was destroyed, the British quickly worked through the night to repair it. While the repairs were far weaker than the original structures, they still posed a significant problem for the infantry. Therefore, it was deemed essential to further annihilate the defenses with overwhelming firepower before the ground assault began.
At sea, the German warships joined in, their large-caliber naval guns booming and sending shells crashing into the British lines. Every shell that landed caused a massive explosion, creating huge craters and inflicting devastating casualties on the British forces.
The carefully constructed British defenses, which had taken months to prepare, were now being obliterated by the relentless German bombardment.
"My God! How many guns have the Germans assembled? Are they about to launch a general assault?" General Hamilton, hidden in his underground command post, listened to the deafening explosions outside, his face pale with worry.
"Call Generals Haig and Benson immediately. They must hold the German assault at all costs!" General Hamilton commanded.
Although the 1st and 2nd Army Corps were the elite of the British Army, Hamilton had no confidence that they could carry out the task. He hoped that they could hold their positions and inflict as many casualties on the Germans as possible. This would give him the chance to organize a counteroffensive. If luck was on their side, perhaps they could even deliver a decisive blow to the Germans.
"Yes, sir." The staff officer immediately set off to relay Hamilton's orders.
Meanwhile, Generals Haig and Benson were frantically adjusting their deployments. Although the German assault had not yet begun, the sheer scale of the artillery bombardment foreshadowed the intensity of the forthcoming offensive. They were worried that their forces might not be able to withstand the German onslaught. If that happened, they would be in serious trouble.
The German artillery barrage lasted only for half an hour. But soon, the fire began to shift toward the British defensive depth.
"Get to the positions, prepare for battle!"
The experienced British commanders on the front lines quickly recognized the shifting fire patterns, realizing that the German assault was imminent. They began organizing their troops into the defensive positions.
However, the British defenses had been devastated by the German bombardment, and it was unclear how much resistance they would be able to offer. Still, having a place to shelter was better than being exposed to the open field.
"1st Panzer Division, move out!" The order to attack was given by the commander of the German 1st Panzer Division. Over 200 tanks roared to life, their engines emitting thick black smoke as they charged out of their positions, advancing toward the British lines.
Following the tanks were the elite infantry of the German Army, ready to exploit any breakthroughs in the British defenses and expand the success of the assault.
The thunderous sound of the tank engines was deafening, and the combined roar of more than 200 tanks shook the ground. Many British soldiers, upon seeing the tanks, were struck with fear—some trembling uncontrollably, and others so terrified they soiled themselves.
"My God! Tanks! The Germans have deployed a massive number of tanks. We're the focus of their breakthrough!" A British officer shouted in despair.
"Report to the division commander! We need reinforcements! We need anti-tank weapons!"
The German 1st Panzer Division chose to strike at the positions held by the 22nd Brigade of the British 8th Infantry Division. Although the 8th Division was an elite unit, it lacked sufficient anti-tank weapons. It was clear that they stood little chance against the assault of an entire panzer division.
"Get the anti-tank guns up here, quickly!" The anti-tank gunners scrambled to position their weapons along the trenches.
"Fire!"
The sound of a shell being fired echoed as an armor-piercing round screamed toward a German tank.
"Clang!" The armor-piercing round hit the tank's weak spot, and the armor was unable to withstand the impact. The shell tore through the tank, and the fragments inside killed the crew members.
"Well done!" A British officer shouted, overjoyed by the success.
"Boom!" A shell exploded near the anti-tank gun crew, killing several soldiers.
Although the British anti-tank gunners had destroyed a German tank, the Germans were able to use their own tank guns to destroy the British anti-tank positions.
Without sufficient anti-tank weapons, the British were powerless to stop the German advance.
To make matters worse, the German Luftwaffe also provided air support.
"Rat-a-tat-tat!"
A German F2 fighter strafed the British trenches with its aircraft machine guns, mowing down several British soldiers in the process.
Meanwhile, several H1 bombers released their payloads on the British positions, and the resulting explosions collapsed sections of the trench, causing horrific casualties among the defending British soldiers.