CHAPTER 598: CHAPTER 598: THE REAL CRISIS

Erwin carefully observed the fortress defenses, noting that it was a multi-layered defense system combining various firepower.

The fort’s artillery could ensure that they remained invincible in artillery battles: the fort could easily destroy German artillery, while the Germans could only make small dents on the fortress in return.

Using "Big Bertha" again would easily be destroyed by Shire’s fighters.

So this was a deadlock, unless the German Army could maintain absolute air superiority, but that was impossible.

On this basis, the fortress defenses also included barbed wire, anti-tank ditches, minefields, and then the "Saint-Chamond" tanks and fortress artillery... it was impregnable.

Therefore, Colonel Erwin decisively changed the attack plan, from a direct assault on Antwerp to piercing through the British lines, encircling Antwerp while advancing towards the key Belgian town of Ghent.

...

Dunkirk, British Expeditionary Force Command.

Kitchener and his staff were extremely busy, with the sounds of telephones and telegraphs constantly ringing.

Haig was in charge of commanding the River Somme campaign, and Admiral Avis was unable to control the situation in Antwerp, forcing Kitchener, the Minister of the Army, to oversee the overall command personally.

A telegram was delivered to Kitchener: "Your Excellency, Field Marshal, Antwerp has withstood the German attack."

Kitchener felt greatly relieved; this was a rare piece of good news.

The staff at the command center also breathed a collective sigh of relief, and their tense movements slowed down. A few staff members even cheered.

Kitchener asked solemnly, "Who defended it?"

This was important, relating to the British Army’s prestige.

The staff, somewhat embarrassed, lowered their voice significantly: "It was the Belgian Army, Your Excellency. Their fortress defenses made the difference!"

The atmosphere in the command center instantly became awkward, a bit stifling, and somewhat embarrassing.

The British Army had entered Belgium as victorious liberators and protectors.

When Admiral Avis led his elite troops from Dunkirk, their slogan was to show the French what real war was, to teach Shire how to fight, and to show the Belgians which army was truly reliable.

In the end, they not only failed to outdo the French Army, they couldn’t even outdo the Belgian Army.

In fact, let alone outperforming them, they needed the protection of the Belgian Army!

Instead of protecting the Belgian Army, they were barely surviving under the Belgian Army’s protection now.

Kitchener forced himself to stay calm, saying "Hmm" as he changed the subject: "Order Admiral Avis to immediately organize troops to prepare for a counterattack!"

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Kitchener still did not believe that the British Army was inferior to the Belgian Army.

He thought that the British Army had only collapsed because they were caught off guard by the German attack.

As long as the British Army stood firm and launched a planned counterattack, they would surely teach the Germans a harsh lesson.

At this moment, another telegram was delivered to Kitchener: "Your Excellency, Field Marshal, the German Army has bypassed Antwerp and is advancing towards our rear!"

"What?" Kitchener’s face turned pale, he suddenly looked up at the staff, and asked nervously: "What is their route? What is their target?"

The staff studied the telegram for a while and pointed to a route on the map: "The enemy is advancing west along the highway, targeting Ghent."

Kitchener collapsed into his chair, unable to speak for a long time.

After a while, he finally muttered, "Damn it, the Germans have learned Shire’s tactics and are using them against us!"

The characteristic of trench warfare is its egg-shaped defense; it looks very sturdy on the outside, but once the shell is pierced, it’s empty inside.

The British Army was the same.

Though the British Expeditionary Force had nearly a million troops, most were concentrated at the River Somme, while the forces in Belgium, totaling over 300,000, had been heavily defeated and were lagging far behind the fast-advancing German Army.

(Note: In the River Somme direction, the British Army had deployed 54 divisions with over a million troops, suffering 420,000 casualties alone.)

"Your Excellency, Field Marshal," the staff looked at the map with concern, "Once the Germans capture Ghent, it’s not just the Antwerp defenses that will collapse, the entire Belgium will lose its supply lines, possibly threatening Ypres and Dunkirk!"

Ypres had no defenses, and Dunkirk had only two infantry regiments with fewer than 10,000 men.

The issue wasn’t the numbers, but once Ghent was lost, the German Air Force could use the Ghent airport as a base to blockade almost all Belgian roads and railways.

Adding the German submarines blocking the sea routes, the entire Western Front would be left without supplies.

By then, no matter how effective Shire’s Air Squadron was, no matter how good the aircraft and how powerful the armor, they would face a situation where fuel might eventually run out, forcing them to withdraw from the battlefield.

Only then did Kitchener understand what real danger was and see the real crisis.

After a moment of silence, Kitchener weakly said, "We should ask Shire for help."

"But Your Excellency, Field Marshal," the staff asked in confusion, "haven’t we already asked Shire for help?"

Kitchener slowly shook his head:

"Not just aircraft, we need his tanks, his troops, everything he has."

"Now, maybe he is the only one who can save us!"

The staff was stunned, then understood: "I will convey your message to Admiral Avis."

Kitchener was a Marshal of the Army; for him to personally bow his head to Shire would damage the dignity of the Empire that never set on the sun.

Kitchener nodded lightly, his eyes still fixed on the map, struggling internally.

He knew the cost of asking Shire for help— the British Army would be trampled under Shire’s feet, never able to lift their heads on Belgian and French soil, unable to look any soldier in the eye, including the Colonial Army.

So, he still considered the possibility: could the British Army turn this situation around?

Soon, the staff returned:

"Your Excellency, Field Marshal, Admiral Avis has cabled back. He hopes you can give him a chance to launch an attack."

"He believes that since the German main force is advancing towards Ghent, their rear must be empty."

"If our forces send cavalry to launch a counterattack and cut off the German supply lines, they won’t be able to penetrate into our rear, let alone reach Ghent."

Kitchener laughed: "Cavalry? He thinks the cavalry can cut off the German supply lines?"

What a foolish man. Wasn’t the River Somme lesson enough?

But then Kitchener thought, if he didn’t let Admiral Avis try, he and Haig and other commanders would always harbor a little fantasy about cavalry, always thinking they hadn’t performed because the higher-ups didn’t permit it, so the cavalry would never get eliminated.

Thinking of this, Kitchener nodded unemotionally: "Cable back: Do as you wish, you are fully responsible, and you don’t need to go through me!"