usatvline Chapter 119 The French Army's Astonishingly Low Combat Effectiveness
Chapter 119 The French Army's Astonishingly Low Combat Effectiveness
Chapter 119 The French Army's Astonishingly Low Combat Effectiveness
Early morning of September 12, 1940.
The British Channel remained pitch black, and in the darkness, a formation of more than a hundred aircraft quietly set off once again.
Because of Germany's meddling, which caused chaos in the Middle East, Britain maintained its policy of retaliation against Germany itself.
This time, their target was still east of the Rhine River.
The Ruhr industrial region has been under constant pressure lately.
Following the bombing of Cologne, Germany deployed a number of air defenses.
Due to the lack of ground radar, a roaring sound came from the sky.
The town, shrouded in darkness, once again resembled a frightened bird.
"Damn it." A husband led his wife and children into the basement.
The streetlights suddenly came on, and more than a dozen bombers began dropping bombs frequently.
The bomb landed above a chemical plant that produced gunpowder.
The factory roof was torn open by a bomb, and flames poured into the workshop.
Then came the second bomb. The moment it hit the ground, it exploded, sending metal fragments and flames swirling around it.
A large number of raw material barrels were ignited, thick yellow smoke rose, and a secondary explosion occurred.
Several workshops were engulfed in flames.
"Damn the British, they're here again."
BF109 of the Second Air Force quickly took off, and the two sides engaged in fierce fighting again.
These frequent air raids became almost the norm, gradually eroding Germany's industrial production capacity.
As the fighting in Iraq subsided, British warships, along with troop transport ships, quietly docked off the coast of Syria.
Vichy France's coastal defenses were somewhat weak, and without radar, a division of Free Frenchmen began landing in the dark, their expressions very serious.
The Free French fighters, armed with Field rifles and Garands, received aid from the United States, a result of what de Gaulle had been working towards during this period.
They lined up to occupy the coastline.
One after another, H39 light tanks drove onto the road.
This force of ten H39 tanks represented almost the entire armored arsenal of the Free French, though the Vichy French were not much better off.
Major General George Carter, commander of the 1st Division, immediately issued the order.
"The entire army will attack Kisvo. The 3rd Battalion and two tanks will be ordered to move back to the south side of the city, seize the Dilri railway station, cut off the supply of Vichy France from the south to Damascus, and demoralize the enemy."
After speaking, Major General George Carter looked at the map, expressing his strong dissatisfaction with Sean Wayne's recent assessment.
"Most of our Free French fighters come from the French army. It's laughable that Sean said we were poorly commanded and poorly coordinated. He underestimated the strength of the French."
The First Free French Division began to move at high speed.
Many French soldiers have already emerged from the shadow of Sean's prophecy.
Their faces bore resolute expressions.
"We will win the war, defy Sean's prophecy, long live France!"
"Glory be with us."
With a loud shout, Free French soldiers launched an attack on the French positions in Kiswolves.
Rows of infantry cannons trembled, their barrels billowing with gunpowder smoke.
Shells rained down on the French positions in Vichy.
The explosions came one after another, like thunder in the sky, making people's blood boil.
The sandy ground was blown up layer by layer by the shock wave of the bomb.
Soldiers from mainland France were not yet well-adapted to the desert environment.
After a fierce shelling, the sky was filled with yellow sand, and visibility decreased.
"charge."
Under the cover of four H39 tanks, a battalion of soldiers, rifles in hand, crouched low and followed the tanks at high speed.
"Commander, the sandstorm is too thick, we can't see the road."
The driver yelled in frustration.
"Slow down."
The sandstorm blinded many soldiers, causing them to lose track of the tanks. They crouched low and quickly made their way forward.
Hearts pounded. Everyone knew they had to be quick; once the enemy opened fire, there wouldn't be any cover around them.
When we passed through the sandstorm, our mouths and faces were full of sand.
"Pah!" Several soldiers spat, looking up for a moment.
"Damn it!" they couldn't help but curse.
They charged into the enemy's defensive heartland. Without the cover of tanks, the French soldiers of Vichy, hiding in the trenches, stared blankly at them.
"You idiots, open fire!"
"They don't have to fight so hard to die if they want to."
A group of Vichy French soldiers laughed, showing no mercy to their fellow countrymen. They raised their rifles, stood on wooden stools on one side of the trench, and pulled the triggers.
Bang bang bang!
Bullets came from all directions.
Bang! Rifle bullets pierced the chests of three free Frenchmen.
The bullet instantly tore through muscle, then broke ribs, and the kinetic energy combined with the rotation completely wrecked the opponent's ventricle.
As soldiers began to fall, the yellow sand on the ground was stained red with blood.
The four tanks and infantry were severely separated, and when they finally reached the position through the sandstorm, the ground was already littered with corpses.
The machine gun opened fire, and the Vichy Frenchmen immediately took cover behind the trenches. The dense bullets only knocked away the sand above the trenches, causing no real damage.
Seeing the enemy deploy tanks, the Frenchmen on the other side grabbed several Molotov cocktails and rushed to the position. Under the cover of sand fog, they quickly rushed to the side of the tank, lit the cloth strips on the Molotov cocktails, and smashed them against the side of the tank.
Bang! Flames started burning on one side of the tank.
One, two, a large group of soldiers vented their anger on the tank.
Despite numerous casualties, the four H39 tanks were moving slower and slower.
The heavy machine guns around them kept firing, and the bullets left small dents in the armor.
"Aaaaaah!" Unable to bear it any longer, two armored soldiers crawled out of the tank, their bodies wreathed in flames.
boom!
A shooter pulled the trigger and placed a spent cartridge case beside him.
"One person was hit."
The Free French's first offensive was repelled. These Vichy Frenchmen were also French soldiers and were very familiar with trench warfare.
On the south side of Kisvo, under the cover of a platoon of soldiers, the two tank commanders, Triska and Adro, raised their binoculars and looked ahead.
"There are concrete bunkers."
Adro nodded. "We only have six shells. I'll draw their fire, and you attack the bunker. There are fortifications here; it should be the Deir Ali train station."
"Let's decide on this."
Adro ordered the tanks to advance, and the moment the enemy saw the tanks, the muzzles spewed flames.
Holding off the enemy's bullets, the H39 made a turn and moved in the other direction.
"They are Free French tanks."
Inside the bunker, soldiers nervously pulled the trigger.
Triska's tank drove up from the side and stopped at the three o'clock position. "Fire!"
boom!
The first shot hit the left side of the bunker.
"Adjust the angle, load the shells, we only have two left."
3
boom.
The shell hit its mark precisely, and as the bunker was blown away, the infantry behind the tank excitedly rushed toward the concrete building.
Gunshots rang out from inside the building, and soon, a lieutenant dragged a Vichy French soldier out.
Adro jumped off the tank and stood in front of the enemy.
"You are also a French soldier. We will not harm you. Surrender. Our only objective is to capture the Dirari train station."
The Vichy French soldiers looked at each other strangely.
"What's wrong? Do you think we enjoy killing our own people?"
"No, that's not what I meant. This isn't Deir Ali; this is Kiswa Station. Deir Ali Station has been moved four kilometers away."
"What did you say? Are you lying to me? You're definitely lying to me."
"Really, Dear Ali station is quite large, so we moved to another place; this used to be Kisworth station."
Oh shit!
Adro's face darkened; Sean was right. Their command was chaotic, and their coordination was a complete mess.
Why didn't anyone tell me?
Upon hearing this devastating news, Trisca patted her friend on the shoulder. "It's alright, it's General George's order. He's the one who sent us to outflank the south."
"So what do we do now?"
"Capturing Kisworth station would also be a blow to the morale of Vichy France."
Okay. Adro agreed to his companion's suggestion, returned to his tank, and patted the roof.
"Quickly, let's take Kisworth Station along the construction fortifications."
The brave Free French soldiers charged toward the inside of the station once again.
They advanced along the railway, and the scattered soldiers were quickly suppressed by the powerful firepower of the tanks.
Five hundred meters away from them.
A large group of French people from Vieix hid near the main building of the station.
At the windows of the waiting hall on the second floor, a large number of soldiers with rifles were leaning against the wall.
A heavy machine gun was set up inside an abandoned train car.
The two anti-aircraft guns near the platform were readjusted, lowered from their tilted positions, and aimed at the source of the gunfire.
With the roar of their engines, two light tanks rolled over the road, and with a metallic clang, they emerged from the station.
Then came the vehicle body, with the menacing cannon barrel slowly emerging, and soldiers behind it hiding on both sides, cautiously moving forward.
"Damn it!"
Looking into the distance, two anti-aircraft guns lowered their barrels.
Adro's expression froze instantly; he knew they had fucking entered enemy territory.
"That damn commander."
Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang!
The anti-aircraft gun fired, instantly tearing through the tank's armor. Adro's chest was blown to smithereens, and his head fell to the ground.
The tank on the side of Triska was also penetrated by bullets.
The armored soldiers inside were directly hit by the flames from the anti-aircraft guns.
The cockpit was filled with scattered pieces of flesh and blood.
The infantry behind suffered even greater losses.
The moment the artillery fired, a dense barrage of gunfire erupted all around.
Like a barrage of arrows.
From a high vantage point on the right, with machine guns and artillery, they felt the warmth of their compatriots.
A platoon of soldiers fell one by one like dominoes.
The last soldier turned and ran.
"Report: The entire squad on the south flank has been wiped out."
Upon hearing the devastating news, Major General George was stunned for a long time.
He underestimated his opponent, who was also a French army.
"Report: A telegram has been sent from Britain inquiring whether support from the 5th British Indian Brigade is needed."
Upon hearing the communications soldier's words, George frowned and hesitated, his heart filled with a great contradiction.
The proud Gallic rooster still refuses to bow its head.
"Tell the British that we can handle this ourselves, that the great Free French fighters will prevail, and that we do not need any aid."
One day, the Free French paid the price of 837 lives, but the station was not captured, and even Quisworth remained unmoved.
Upon hearing the news of the battle at the front, Wavell of the Middle East Command angrily tore the telegram to shreds.
"These stubborn Frenchmen, don't they realize they're wasting valuable time?"
"Report: In the Lebanese direction, the Australian 7th Division is encountering resistance from Vichy French ground forces. Requesting additional air support."
"Fuck air support."
Wavell also wanted to provide support, but after several days of fighting, with the help of the German Luftwaffe and the Italians, the Middle East Command Air Force suffered heavy losses.
Both war zones are stalled.
"Report: Iraqi forces, with the support of the German Air Force, have launched an attack on the remnants of the 1st Brigade of the Indian 10th Division. The Indians are now refusing to fight, and we have no air force."
"Damn it."
Wavell's head was throbbing. He rubbed his temples and looked at the map, but nothing went smoothly.
Italy is currently launching an attack on the Cairo Delta, deploying 180,000 troops.
Egypt simply did not have any spare troops.
"Report."
"What is it now?"
"Iran has made a high-profile declaration of independence, begun a large-scale crackdown on pro-British individuals, and occupied our Tehran airport within Iranian territory."
Five hundred British troops at the airport surrendered.
It's like when it rains, it pours. Is Iran going to retaliate now?
The situation in the Middle East is deteriorating rapidly.
Britain has lost control.
"News from Türkiye indicates that they are frequently trading with the Germans, helping them to open up oil transport routes to Iran."
"Damn it."
This is what Britain fears most: once Germany obtains oil from the Middle East, it will be able to break free from being controlled by the north.
"Send a telegram to London immediately."
London, England.
Churchill received Wavell's telegram, and his face was expressionless.
Overnight, the building was on the verge of collapse.
Britain's decades-long involvement in the Middle East has completely disrupted the existing order.
There is a severe shortage of troops, and reinforcements from Australia, New Zealand, and even Canada are still training.
"It seems we have no choice but to deploy the British Indian Division. Order the 2nd British Indian Division in India to the North African theater, and the 1st British Indian Division to the Middle East."
"Are they really going to mobilize the most elite Second Division?"
"Yes, we can't wait any longer!" Churchill didn't want to touch the Second Division, India's top elite division.
They remained stationed in the area bordering India and Afghanistan to prevent surprise attacks from the north.
But now, Churchill knows that he doesn't have much time left.
"Get me connected to the North. I think I need to talk to Big Beard."
Churchill picked up the office phone and waited quietly.
Soon, a deep voice came from the other side.
"I didn't expect you to call me at this time."
"Do you really think the north is safe?"
"You mean Germany will definitely attack us. I know the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact wasn't very binding, but Germany didn't have enough resources."
Churchill sneered, "You just want us to wear each other down."
"So you should know what's happening in Iran? Aren't you worried?"
"Haha, why should I worry? Shouldn't Britain be the one worried? Once you get through to Iran, your India will be threatened. If Germany's ally Japan launches an attack on Myanmar, India will face a desperate situation."
Without India's two million troops, you cannot defeat Germany.
They can't win on land, at least not.
"If Germany can win over Iraq and Iran in the Middle East, then energy will no longer be a problem."
"And with Türkiye potentially siding with Germany, threatening the oil fields in the Caucasus, aren't you afraid?"
"You can seek help from the United States!" the bearded man sneered. "You want us to be your shield? Churchill, don't even dream about it."
"The United States has indicated that it will remain neutral. Although Roosevelt wanted to help us, the country was in a state of isolationism and did not want to get involved in the war in Europe. Roosevelt's proposal could not pass Congress."
They even held an exchange meeting, and you participated in it, didn't you?
"So that's all you wanted to say today."
"In the joint military intervention in Iran, I acknowledge the North's control and power over parts of Iran."
A smile appeared on the bearded man's face. "What if Germany intervenes?"
Churchill's voice became calm, "You signed a contract that if we send troops first, Iran will be unable to resist. If Germany intervenes at this time, it will be breaking the treaty, and you can stop supplying oil and food. Without these, Germany will be unable to send troops."
They were not prepared to attack the north.
Yes, Churchill's plan was very bold, and as well as well-considered, Germany was not prepared.
They dared not break ties with the North.
"Britain must recognize and guarantee our interests in Iran."
"certainly."
Churchill hung up the phone with a look of delight on his face. He knew that the North had been eyeing Iran and had been secretly developing its territory for some time. These aggressive northern barbarians had an inextinguishable desire for land.
Britain is Iran's suzerain state, so as long as Britain agrees, the northern intervention would be perfectly legitimate.
December 1940, 9.
A series of news items shocked the entire world.
Everyone stared in disbelief, mouths agape, as they realized the war was escalating rapidly.
French Commentary.
Free France was defeated by Vichy France in Kiswa, Syria.
The Vichy French Army withstood the attack of the Australian 7th Division.
Italian newspaper.
Italy occupies Sidi Barani
German Observer.
Iraq defeats India's 10th Division
Iran declares independence, occupies Tehran airport, and arrests large numbers of British troops.
The last piece of news was the most shocking.
[Northern Soviet Union deploys 300,000 troops to the East Asian province of Azerbaijan, near the Iranian border]
"My God, have the North also sent troops?"
"What are they going to do in Azerbaijan, the easternmost part of Iran?"
"Iran's independence will be nipped in the bud."
"Have the British allied with the North? Are they planning a joint invasion of Iran?"
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