"Quick! Move fast! We must dig trenches before the Germans arrive, otherwise you will have to wait to fight with the Germans with bayonets. Believe me, it will not be fun-" By a small river at night, Australia
The officers and soldiers of the first division of the New Legion were digging trenches. They marched overnight and had just arrived at Chateau Thierry, less than 60 kilometers away from Paris.
The ANZAC received the order to set off on the afternoon of the 19th, and the first reorganized division set out in a hurry. At that time, the railway was already paralyzed, and the roads were full of civilians fleeing the war. Cars, horse-drawn carriages, and oxcarts were crowded together.
The First Division did not even have time to carry heavy weapons. The troops only carried general-purpose machine guns, and there was a serious shortage of bullets.
The reorganized 1st Division mobilized almost all the trucks of the Anzac Corps, and with the help of the French military police and police, they reached Chateau Thierry through the road with great difficulty.
There are rolling hills near Chateau Thierry, which is actually not suitable for building fortifications, but the reorganized First Division has no choice. With Paris behind it, the reorganized First Division must fight to the bitter end.
Just as the First Division was being reorganized to build fortifications, the explosion of artillery shells could be heard faintly in the distance. The light and dark in the distant sky were like clouds containing thunderstorms. They were the attacking German troops and the defending French troops.
The German army is fighting desperately. The German army is eager to capture Paris and completely destroy the French will to fight. The French army is protecting France's last glory. As long as Paris has not fallen, France can persist.
"General, the Second and Fourth Divisions have not followed up. They are still 30 kilometers away from here and may not be able to arrive before dawn." Wayne Stilwell, Chief of Staff of the Reorganized First Division, had an ugly expression, which meant that after dawn
, the reorganized first division may fight alone.
"Where are we now? Is this Chateau Thierry?" Henry Gardner was not worried about the Second and Fourth Divisions. It was normal to march at night and run the wrong way.
"Yes, this is Chateau Thierry!" Wayne Stilwell finally gave a definite answer.
"That's no problem. Urge the troops to hurry up and build fortifications. The Germans will be here soon -" Henry Gardner also had an ugly expression. Within Henry Gardner's line of sight, scattered French troops had already collapsed.
soldiers.
Compared with the French defenders, there were too many attacking German troops. Ludendorff used rotation tactics, and every two divisions formed an attacking front. Each attack would not last more than four hours. More than four hours,
The offensive troops are about to rotate. Now the German army's salient has poured into two armies, the Third Army and the Fifth Army led by Otto von Bülow and Hutier.
Under the crazy attack of the German army, the French army, which was already seriously under-strength, collapsed across the board.
Without the solid fortifications left, the French army's performance in the field was unsatisfactory, and the troops were unable to organize an effective defense. Even if officers temporarily assembled troops to prepare for resistance, they quickly collapsed under the ferocious attack of the German army.
The German army learned lessons from previous battles and attacked throughout the night without rest. Some French troops had been running for a day in a row. They were tired and hungry. Some threw away their weapons and some threw away their coats.
Some people even lost their military boots, and everyone was in a miserable state, even worse than a beggar.
"How is the situation on the front line?" Henry Gardner grabbed a French soldier who was escaping. The French soldier's arm was bandaged and his head was bleeding. It seemed that the injury on his head had not been dealt with yet.
.
Wayne Stilwell asked the guard to call the doctor and wanted to provide simple treatment to the injured French soldier.
The French soldiers were panicked, their voices trembling: "The Germans are so numerous, overwhelming, the front line has collapsed, we are all finished - please let me go, I want to go home -"
"Fuck, you dare to run away!" Henry Gardner pulled out his pistol.
"I don't want to do this either -" the French soldier cried, his body shaking violently: "I don't want to escape either, but I can't find my squad leader. The platoon leader has been sacrificed, and the company commander has also been sacrificed.
,No one told me what to do, I already did what I should do——"
Since the outbreak of the World War, officers in the French army have suffered particularly heavy casualties. There are not even one out of ten officers left when the World War broke out, and not even one out of ten soldiers left.
"Let him go Henry, we don't have time to waste here." Wayne Stilwell did not dare to let Henry shoot. More and more French troops were retreating in front of him. If not handled well at this time, it might cause
Mutiny.
"Let the military police guide them to avoid our defense line. Don't let them affect our defense line. Set up the machine guns immediately. The German army may arrive at any time - mortars, mortars! Order the mortars to fire illumination bombs, and the machine gunners
Get ready, riflemen, keep your grenades handy, get your sapper shovels ready—" Henry Gardner shouted hoarsely, as more and more French troops broke out within sight, and some people couldn't get through in time to cross the only bridge.
Just jump into the river and swim across.
"Sappers, where are the sappers? Blow up that damn bridge, blow up all the bridges -" Henry Gardner ordered the bridges to be blown up, otherwise the bridges would be used by the Germans.
Immediately, engineers rushed over carrying explosive boxes, and then clashed with the broken soldiers who were crossing the bridge.
"Damn it, you guys are going to blow up the bridge before our people have evacuated across the river. You are all butchers!"
"Asshole, is this how you treat your friendly forces?"
"This bridge is the property of the French government. If you dare to blow up the bridge, then you just have to wait for compensation!"
The defeated soldiers who had just crossed the bridge surrounded the engineers who were installing explosives. The engineers who were talking hurriedly were unable to say anything.
"Machine gunner, get ready to shoot!" Henry Gardner's eyes were on fire. This was already imminent, but he still had to pay compensation?
Henry Gardner really wanted to turn around and go back to Australia, and let the damn French go to the Germans for compensation.
Da da da da——
The machine gunner did not hesitate. The bullet chain mixed with tracer bullets was extremely conspicuous in the night sky.
The defeated French troops who besieged the engineers immediately fled in despair, but were stopped by the military police reorganizing the first division.
"You can't leave, you have to stay and help us build fortifications." The military police are catching strong men, and there will be more young men every time.
"Sir, we have been fighting the Germans all day, and now we need to rest-"
"It's not our job to build fortifications——"
"Let us go, gentlemen, be well—"
The French soldiers who came to their senses finally realized who had the final say at this moment.
"We ran all night to help you, not just for you to insult!"
"Hurry up and repair the fortifications, otherwise we won't be able to withstand the Germans. Just wait and watch the Germans' entry ceremony in Paris."
"Stop talking nonsense——"
The military police of the ANZAC were also grumpy. At this time, the engineers had already installed explosives and were setting off the lines. Finally, the silhouette of the German army appeared in the distance.
"The Germans are coming!"
I don't know who shouted, and the French soldiers who had been begging just now became violent. Some people suddenly pushed away the military police blocking the front and tried to escape.
"Clear the area, prepare to fight, prepare to fight!" The officers of the ANZAC were working hard to organize defense.
The French soldiers, who had become frightened, rushed forward.
German soldiers in the distance discovered the broken French troops gathered by the river and were advancing towards the creek.
The speed of the German soldiers was not fast, but their speed was very even and their steps were firm. They appeared in small groups and shot at the fleeing French soldiers unhurriedly, as if they were playing a hunting game.
Tom-tom-tom——
The illumination bombs fired by the mortars illuminated the night sky as bright as day. The German soldiers finally discovered the reorganized 1st Division position on the river bank. The brown soil turned out was still very conspicuous on the white snow. The Germans were not in a hurry to attack.
They lurked on the other side of the river and waited for reinforcements from subsequent troops.
Or waiting for heavy weapons.
"General, do we want to launch a counterattack?" Wayne Stilwell wanted to give the German army a blow.
Henry Gardner looked at Wayne with strange eyes. Who gave you the confidence to give the German army a blow?
Leaving the defensive position and attacking the German army——
Are you looking for death?
"I'm just saying-" Wayne Stilwell smiled awkwardly. It was irresponsible for the chief of staff to give such advice.
The fuse finally detonated the explosive.
boom--
The stone bridge was blown to pieces in front of the sight of officers and soldiers on both sides of the river.
There was obvious commotion among the German troops on the other side of the river. How cold the river water was in March——
Tsk tsk, who knows who travels.
The sky finally turned white, and there were more and more German troops on the other side of the river. They were hiding behind the embankment on the other side of the river, and they happened to be in the blind spot of the machine gunners of the reorganized 1st Division.
"Send a telegram to the headquarters. We need support. We need mortars. We need bombers. No matter what it is, give us some help!" Henry Gardner had an obvious blood blister on his mouth. He could feel it.
Danger is approaching, but I don't know how to solve it.
The position should be placed on the other side of the river——
But it's too late to regret it now.
There were vaguely German soldiers observing on the opposite bank of the river embankment, which was a precursor to the German attack.
"Get ready to fight!" Henry Gardner's voice was more desolate than the howl of a wolf.
Buzz——
The sound of an aircraft engine suddenly came from the distance. When Henry Gardner looked up in surprise, the cheers of the officers and soldiers of the reorganized First Division on the position were already rising one after another.
Six ground support aircraft flew over quickly and dived continuously towards the other side of the river. The bombs flew down with screams. The violent explosions were the most beautiful music. Each explosion was accompanied by a large cloud of gunpowder smoke and the remnants of the German army.
Broken limbs and arms, this is the most beautiful picture in the eyes of the officers and soldiers of the reorganized First Division.
Because of air support, the German attack was delayed for a full three hours.
When the Germans began to attack, the Second Division and the Fourth Division finally arrived.
