"General, the 13th Army Corps can no longer hold. The front-line troops have already disbanded. The Germans are advancing toward us. At their current pace, it will not be long before they reach our position!" an officer reported to General Haig.
"Damn it! Has the 13th Corps collapsed already? What is General George doing?!" General Haig cursed.
"Sir, General George has fled to London!" the officer replied.
"Curse him! Order the troops to prepare for retreat!" General Haig, left with no other option, issued the command. Although his initial intention had been to hold the southern defense line for as long as possible, with the collapse of the 13th Corps and the 12th Corps seemingly on the brink of following suit, further resistance would be futile and certain death. Under these circumstances, retreat was the only viable course of action.
At least a retreat would allow them to preserve some strength, reinforcing the defenses of London. If these troops were lost here, it would only further weaken the defenses of the capital—rendering it all a wasted effort.
Sadly, while General Haig's plan was sound in theory, its execution was far from easy.
In the face of the relentless German onslaught, the British Army had suffered devastating losses, and their morale had plummeted to its lowest point. With the retreat order issued, large numbers of British soldiers began fleeing in panic, abandoning their positions, and failing even to delay the enemy or cover the main retreat.
The Germans, naturally, did not let this opportunity slip. They immediately launched an even fiercer attack.
The British retreat quickly turned into a rout. Thousands of soldiers, disorganized and desperate, fled toward London, with the Germans in hot pursuit.
No human leg could outrun the tracks of a tank, and the German armored divisions, exploiting their speed advantage to its fullest, rapidly overtook the fleeing British. When the British soldiers were caught, many immediately raised their hands in surrender, desperate to save their lives.
The British officers and men had been so thoroughly terrified by the German forces that survival had become their sole desire. Their courage to continue fighting had been utterly shattered. When confronted by the German Luftwaffe's strafing and bombing runs, many British soldiers simply knelt down in surrender, no longer daring to flee. They waited, heads bowed, for the German infantry to come and take them prisoner.
It was clear that, in this battle, the fighting spirit of the British forces had been entirely broken. Even those who managed to escape back to London would prove of little use, for they had been so thoroughly demoralized that they lacked the courage to take up arms again against the Germans.
The German pursuit did not cease until it reached the outskirts of London. Of the 600,000 British troops stationed along the southern defense line, only around 100,000 made it back to London. The rest, aside from those who were killed, either surrendered to the Germans or were left to die. The makeshift German POW camps soon became overcrowded.
Naturally, the seriously wounded received no medical care. This was not due to the Germans' indifference, but because medical supplies at the front were severely limited. The available supplies were prioritized for German soldiers, and the British had no choice but to wait. As for the lightly wounded, they could be treated, but the conditions were far from ideal. Whether they survived would depend on the grace of God.
The German attack on the entire southern defense line lasted only five days. This was a far cry from the request made by British Secretary of War Richard Haldane, and the loss of over half a million soldiers, with only a few thousand able to retreat, left him furious. Yet Haldane understood the situation—there was nothing that could be done. The German forces were simply too powerful, and the British too weak.
When Field Marshal von Falkenhayn received word of the German victory, he could hardly contain his pleasure, his old face lit up with a broad smile.
"The British are increasingly inept, utterly incapable of standing up to us! At this rate, we will capture London in no time and bring this damn war to an end. His Majesty ordered us to take Britain before Christmas, but it seems we may well finish the job ahead of schedule!" von Falkenhayn declared.
Originally, there had been much concern within the empire about an invasion of Britain. The British had long been the masters of the seas, and it was widely believed they would not easily surrender to the German Empire. Consequently, everyone had expected the battle to be long and brutal, with heavy casualties on both sides. It was assumed that Britain would be reduced to a wasteland, and German losses would be heavy.
But now, the situation had taken an unexpected turn. The British, despite their large numbers, proved to be utterly vulnerable. Their once-mighty forces had been shattered with terrifying ease by the German assault, and now, even their will to resist seemed broken.
"Marshal, perhaps we can capture London by the end of this month. If we do, the war in Britain will practically be over!" General Ludendorff suggested.
"Capture London by the end of this month? There's just over ten days left. Though it's tight, it is certainly within our grasp," von Falkenhayn replied with a nod.
"However, when we advance on London, we must take every precaution to minimize casualties. The war is nearing its end, and we hope more of our men can survive and not perish in the final moments," von Falkenhayn added.
"Indeed, Marshal," General Ludendorff agreed.
"General Ludendorff, the 8th Army Corps will set out tomorrow. Whether we can annihilate the remaining British forces in London will depend on you!" von Falkenhayn instructed.
For the German military to achieve its goal in one fell swoop, the British forces in London had to be completely destroyed. The 8th Corps' mission was to cross the Thames River and approach from the north. The 3rd Corps would cover the western defense, while the 1st and 2nd Corps would be the main force attacking the city itself. The 3rd and 8th Corps would act in a supportive role. If the plan succeeded, the British forces concentrated in London would be finished.