"General, the 8th Infantry Division reports that they are being attacked by German armored forces. The front-line units have suffered heavy losses and are close to being overrun," a staff officer reported to General Haig.
"Armored forces?" General Haig's expression grew grave.
He had witnessed firsthand the ferocity of the German armored units on the French battlefield. The once impregnable defensive lines of the Anglo-French forces had been easily shattered under the onslaught of German tanks. Now, with the Germans committing their armored divisions to the attack, it was clear that the enemy was fully intent on pressing the assault.
"Tell the 8th Infantry Division to hold out for at least an hour, no matter what. Also, allocate the 10th Infantry Division to reinforce them immediately," Haig ordered.
He knew full well that a single infantry division could never hope to withstand a German armored division, and even two divisions would struggle. He could only hope that the British infantry could buy him enough time to reposition reinforcements.
"Yes, sir." The staff officer immediately sent the orders.
"Send a message to the theater command. We urgently need tank reinforcements! Request the deployment of tank units to counter the Germans," General Haig swiftly commanded.
"Yes, sir." A staff officer immediately dialed the theater command.
At General Hamilton's request, the British Army had already deployed more than half of their tank force to Canterbury in anticipation of the German armored assault. Although the British tanks were inferior to their German counterparts, modifications had improved their performance, and at the very least, the issue of supply had been resolved.
In Canterbury, the Southeast Command of the British Army on British soil, General Hamilton's brow was tightly furrowed.
"General, the 1st and 2nd Armies have sent urgent requests for reinforcements. They are under heavy attack by the Germans, particularly since the Germans have deployed over 500 tanks on two separate fronts, placing immense pressure on our forces," a brigadier general reported.
"Damn those Germans, have they thrown in their main forces already?" General Hamilton cursed.
The German air force had just dispatched the Royal Air Force, and now, they were throwing in their primary ground assault. Clearly, the Germans had been planning this attack for some time.
"General, both General Haig and Brigadier General Benson are requesting that we send in tanks. If we don't, the front lines will soon be breached by the Germans," the brigadier general added.
Hamilton shook his head. "If we deploy our tanks now, what will we have left for a counterattack? Tell General Haig and Brigadier General Benson to make the best use of their fortifications and anti-tank weapons to hold off the Germans and take out as many of their tanks as possible. We don't have many tanks, so we must conserve them for the most critical moment."
Hamilton believed the moment for tanks had not yet come. Before the German invasion of Britain, the British had used up all available production capacity, managing to produce only 1,000 tanks. These tanks, similar to the French Renault tanks, had been developed jointly by Britain and France. However, with France already having surrendered, Britain was the only producer left.
Upon evaluation, British military experts believed that the so-called "Hound" tanks were now comparable in performance to the German tanks, but their limited numbers and scarcity of materials severely constrained their production capacity. Therefore, British commanders had no choice but to conserve them. Losses could not easily be replaced, which was why General Hamilton treated these tanks like precious treasures.
Hamilton's belief was that the time to deploy tanks would come after the British had managed to exhaust the German forces and launched a counterattack. Only then would the tanks' full offensive power be fully realized. That would be the moment when they could strike a decisive blow and secure victory.
Unfortunately, Hamilton had not accounted for the possibility that if the British could not withstand the German onslaught and were forced into a full retreat, even the tanks he treated like precious jewels would be of no use.
"Yes, sir." The brigadier general nodded, then conveyed Hamilton's orders to the front.
"Damn it! That fool Hamilton wants our soldiers to launch suicide attacks against German tanks?" General Haig erupted in fury upon receiving Hamilton's response.
To Haig, Hamilton's orders seemed utterly nonsensical.
"General, what should we do now?" a staff officer asked.
"What else can we do? Since Hamilton wants us to fight to the last man, that's exactly what we'll do. Order the front-line units to hold their ground at all costs!" Haig commanded.
"Yes, sir!" The officer's eyes gleamed with a trace of despair. He knew that such orders would result in devastating casualties among the front-line forces. But now that General Hamilton had given his command, what other choice did they have?
On the front lines, German tanks were charging through the battlefield with reckless abandon.
Although British anti-tank weapons had destroyed some German tanks, the massive armored assault, with its overwhelming numbers, barely registered these losses.
The tracks of the tanks crushed the British barbed wire and ground underfoot the bodies of fallen soldiers.
"Dakka dakka dakka!" A British heavy machine gun fired furiously, its bullets ricocheting off the tank armor with loud clangs. But aside from chipping off some paint, the rounds had no effect.
"Boom!" A German 37mm tank gun fired, a high-explosive round striking the heavy machine gun and blowing it to pieces.
Some brave British soldiers, clutching bundle grenades or explosives, charged toward the German tanks. But the tanks' concentrated fire met them first. Many soldiers were cut down before they could even reach the tanks.
Only a few managed to destroy the German tanks.
As more and more German tanks reached the front lines, the 8th Infantry Division, along with the reinforcements from the 10th Infantry Division, could no longer hold. Countless British soldiers fled in disarray, and the entire front collapsed.