The United States today is not the United States from another time and space that could blame others whenever it wanted and cheated whoever it wanted.
In another time and space, the United States successfully turned around through the First World War, replaced the United Kingdom as the world's only superpower through the Second World War, and then reached its peak through the Cold War. This created the selfish and self-centered America that followed.
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In the European concept, the United States today is still a gangster country composed of thieves, robbers, and shabby people. It is still synonymous with "nouveau riche." In order to take care of the mood of customers, many restaurants in Paris still have "no welcome" signs on their doors.
It’s the brand of American Dining, so the United States doesn’t have much say in the issue of “naming rights.” Even if the Americans strongly protest, the Times still ignores the Americans.
While the Americans were protesting strongly, the German offensive was continuing.
Ludendorff made a desperate move. The entire Western Front was within the attack range of the German army. The protruding part of the defense line near Arras was the focus of the German attack. Ludendorff devoted fifteen divisions to the attack on Vimy Ridge.
Before this attack was launched, the Canadian Army was responsible for defending Vimy Ridge.
A week after the attack was launched, the Canadian Army voluntarily withdrew its position, and the troops defending Vimy Ridge were replaced by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, which had a stronger combat capability.
In just one week, the Canadian Legion paid a heavy price of nearly 65,000 casualties. The reorganized 3rd Division and the reorganized 5th Division were basically crippled and lost their combat capabilities; the 22 companies of the reorganized 1st Division that participated in the battle, 4
A company was completely wiped out, and more than half of the 11 companies suffered casualties. Almost all the surviving officers and soldiers were injured. During the battle, nearly a hundred officers and soldiers suffered an emotional breakdown. Some soldiers walked out of the trenches without warning and walked towards the German positions. These
People were often shot dead by German precision shooters shortly after stepping out of the trenches.
Roque adjusted the defense line in time. The troops would not fight on the front line for more than a week, and then after retreating to the second line, they would have to rest for at least a week before returning to the front line.
The pressure on field hospitals is increasing. The UK urgently converted two cruise ships into hospital ships and docked at the port of Flanders. However, they are still unable to treat all wounded soldiers. The lightly wounded can only receive simple treatment, and they still have to persist on the front line.
In combat, the seriously wounded are also directly abandoned. Field hospitals must save medical resources as much as possible and favor those wounded who are likely to return to the battlefield.
The new freshmen from Johannesburg Medical College and Nyasaland University Medical School came directly to France to participate in the war. They have to grow up quickly in actual combat. They may just be exposed to wound sutures in the morning, and go to the field hospital to help in the afternoon, and their
Teachers and senior brothers and sisters work together.
Since the beginning of the German offensive, the atmosphere at the expeditionary force headquarters has been very depressing. At first, Rock would pay attention to the casualty figures of the expeditionary force, but later he became numb to the daily battle reports. Compared with the British Expeditionary Force, the French and American troops
The casualties were even heavier, and Pétain and Pershing gritted their teeth and persisted.
Cambrai, not far from Arras, is the line of defense responsible for the 2nd Cavalry Division.
Since the outbreak of the battle, the Second Cavalry Division has insisted on fighting on the front line. It is also one of the few units that has not been rotated since the outbreak of the battle. This fully proves the combat effectiveness of the Second Cavalry Division.
The German army was also selective in its attacks. Ludendorff was not stupid and would not throw out all his chips. Facing such a powerful unit as the 2nd Cavalry Division, the German army launched one or two exploratory attacks and found that there were almost no
Once victory is possible, the target will be immediately changed and the focus of the attack will be on areas where a breakthrough is more likely.
This was the case with the 2nd Cavalry Division. After the battle broke out, only about two divisions of troops launched two probing attacks against the 2nd Cavalry Division's defense line. Then the Germans changed the focus of their attack to Vimy Ridge, which was more likely to break through.
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This led to a very magical situation. The brave and capable Second Cavalry Division had nothing to do since the war began, and the tortured Vimy Ridge was ravaged by war every day. This made Don Juan, the commander of the Second Cavalry Division, very unhappy.
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"Isn't it a good thing that the Germans don't attack our positions? What's wrong with you?" Chief of Staff Brad prayed that the Germans would never attack the positions in charge of the 2nd Cavalry Division, so that the good boys of the 2nd Cavalry Division would not have to
Fight to the death with the Germans.
Honors and medals are not so fun, each of them is obtained with blood and life.
"What you said makes sense, but I just don't feel comfortable. I'm here to defeat the Germans, not for a vacation." Don Juan has ideals, and this is the consciousness that a qualified soldier should have.
The consciousness of dying in battle!
"Come on, ask the soldiers in the trenches, they won't think so." Brad doesn't want to see his men die. Many generals in southern Africa are as eager for war as Don Juan. Brad thinks this
This kind of thinking is very dangerous, but I don’t know how to correct it.
Perhaps there is no need to correct it. A country cannot be kidnapped by war, nor can it be afraid of war.
Weather is the eternal enemy. It has started raining in Cambrai a week ago. The rain has been so heavy that water has begun to accumulate in the trenches. In some parts of the trenches, there is two feet of water in the five-foot-high trenches. Soldiers
They soaked in the water every day, many soldiers were troubled by diseases, and non-combat attrition was increasing.
In the entire British Expeditionary Force, the Second Cavalry Division has relatively good medical resources. Almost every company is equipped with professional field doctors. The division headquarters also has a professional field hospital. The level of doctors is no less than that of Paris and France.
Field hospital at Dunkirk.
Even so, the field hospital of the 2nd Cavalry Division has been overcrowded with wounded. Most of the wounded are from the Canadian Corps and the Anzac Corps. The doctors of the 2nd Cavalry Division cannot ignore death, and the generals of the Canadian Corps and the Anzac Corps
They took the initiative to come to Don Juan and Bullard, hoping that the field hospital of the 2nd Cavalry Division could treat wounded soldiers from the Canadian Legion and the Anzac Corps.
"I think maybe we can launch a counterattack to share some of the pressure from the Anzacs." Don Juan also didn't want the soldiers to stay in the trenches. Although both Roque and Pétain believed that defense was the best offense, there were still many
Generals believe in "attack first".
Especially after the British Expeditionary Force and the French Army had more and more tank troops.
When the World War broke out, many people in the French army believed in "attack first". Joffre, Nivelle, and Mangin were all victims of this idea. It was precisely because of "attack first" that the French army
The losses would only be so great in the early stages after the outbreak of the world war.
Now "attack first" has new content, especially for units like the 2nd Cavalry Division. Before this German attack, the 2nd Cavalry Division conducted many drills of infantry-artillery coordination and infantry-tank coordination.
It is to prepare for future counterattacks.
As more and more tanks are sent from southern Africa, the Second Cavalry Division now has an armored regiment equipped with 168 tanks. Now these tanks are dispersed to the defense line to assist in defense. This is in line with the tanks that Rock has always emphasized.
The way the troops are used is completely contradictory.
Rock has always emphasized the concentrated use of tank troops for large-scale group attacks, so that tanks can maximize their effectiveness, instead of being used as fixed gun positions or machine gun positions to assist defense as they are now.
"Don't be impulsive. The headquarters did not issue a combat order. Do what we should do." Brad firmly objected. It was not appropriate to launch a counterattack now. The continuous rain created a huge obstacle for the tank troops. Brad believed that the headquarters
The staff must have noticed this.
"Division Commander, Chief of Staff, we have lost Vimy Ridge." A staff officer hurriedly reported that the Germans had finally captured Vimy Ridge. This was bad news.
In Arras, 30 kilometers away, John Monash also received relevant reports.
"Order George to take back the position." John Monash's voice was calm, like a precursor to a storm.
"George's troops suffered heavy casualties, and we need more reinforcements." Brad Nancy is now the chief of staff of the ANZAC. As the first commander to come to Europe, Brad Nancy knows the ANZAC very well.
Generals, if George still has reserves in his hands, then George will not lose his position.
"I don't care what George does, he will take back the position. I don't have any more reinforcements for him. Reinforcements are needed everywhere." John Monash is more cold-blooded than Roark. He, the commander-in-chief, is also a clever woman who can't make a fool of herself.
"We can send a telegram to the headquarters and the 1st Armored Division is on standby in Yamin. If Marshal Locke sends the 1st Armored Division over, we can regain the position and hold Vimy Ridge." Brad Nancy in Gary
Baldy Peninsula has experienced the worst situation. At that time, Brad Nancy still resented Rock for not giving him more help. Now Brad Nancy can finally understand Rock.
It’s not that I won’t give it, it’s that I really can’t.
John Monash remained silent and acquiesced in sending a telegram to the headquarters to request assistance. This was not the time to get emotional. Stabilizing the defense line was what a qualified general should do.
The 1st Armored Division is the last trump card in Roque's hand. Roque will not send out the 1st Armored Division unless it is absolutely necessary.
However, the request of the Anzac Corps cannot be ignored. Rock sent the 12th Division and the 15th Division of the Southern African Expeditionary Force. The combat effectiveness of these two units is slightly weaker than that of the 1st Armored Division, but their combat effectiveness cannot be underestimated, especially
It is the 15th Division. It came to France from southern Africa not long after the war started. It is also a meritorious unit with many military exploits.
The commander of the 15th Division, Adrian, was an English native from the Cape. Although he had some German ancestry, he was trustworthy. After the war broke out, Adrian, like King George V, gave up his German surname. Such a situation
