On April 21, 1940, an armored cluster collision of unprecedented scale was soon about to unfold in the Arras region, south of Calais.
At about 8:15 in the morning, the British and French 1st Armored Division, the British 1st Armored Division and 3 Light Mechanized Divisions, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Light Mechanized Divisions of France, and the 1st Motorized Rifle Division of France, which broke through from Belgium and advanced westward, formed a huge armored group of the French 1st Motorized Rifle Division, and the German "Greater Germany" flag team immediately went north to meet the 7th Armored Division head-on.
"Boom" "Boom" "Boom" The sound of 75 guns firing came from the front, and Rudolf Ribbentrop, who was dozing off on the truck, was immediately awakened.
Then he heard the company commander, Captain Kruger, shouting: "Get out of the car, get out of the car and get ready for battle."
Second Lieutenant Schwarzenegger, the platoon commander of the "All Inspection Equipment", did not know when he also woke up.
"Done" "Done" “” Rudolf Ribbentrop quickly checked the rifle, bayonet, and ammunition he carried with him like a programmed robot, and then shouted "Done" like everyone else.
"Get off" Second Lieutenant Schwarzenegger, fastening his steel helmet to his head, was the first to roll over the truck.
Rudolf Ribbentrop followed, and found himself between a forest and a village.
The sound of artillery fire.
Tank No. 4, apparently opening the way, belonged to the 7th Panzer Division, and was engaged in an exchange of fire with the enemy. "11th Company, march towards the woods," Captain Kruger ordered at this point, "the 2nd platoon goes up first, followed by the 1st platoon, then the 3rd platoon, the company headquarters and other units in order. ” A few minutes ago, when the officers and men of the "Greater Germany" flag team were already very tired, Gustav Schwarzenegger, who was still sleeping in the car for many days, immediately came to his senses and shouted loudly: "All the two platoons, the battle formation, the woods in front of the target" The officers and men of the 2nd Platoon of the 11th Company of the "Greater Germany" Banner Team have encountered such a scene on the way north from Sedan no longer know how many times.
No French troops opened fire from the woods at the 2nd Platoon of the 11th Company, which was quickly controlled by the officers and men of the 2nd Platoon, and then the other units of the 11th Company followed.
Foxholes began to be dug in the woods, machine guns and artillery bunkers were built.
Anti-tank guns and 1 47 anti-tank guns entered the woods, and the 2 anti-tank gun platoons should have 6 37 guns, but in the battle of Stoney Town, the 14 companies suffered heavy losses, and the 37 guns were almost half lost, and then several 47 guns captured from the French army were obtained.
In the process of the 11th Company entering the woods, the artillery battle in front was still very fierce, and the rumbling cannon sound was heard in the distance, and several Junkers JU87 dive bombers lined up in a V line also quickly came to help, making strange noises and diving to drop bombs.
There was also a fierce battle in the skies, with first the Fokker Zero and Spitfire grappling, and then several BF109s rushing to help.
After a while, the German trucks and half-tracks on the road next to the woods turned and drove away, and with a low roar, three No. 3 assault guns drove down the road, overwhelmed the barren farmland, and rushed directly into the woods.
Wheeled armoured vehicles on the road drove into the village across the woods.
It seemed that another big battle was about to be fought, and the veterans of the "Greater Germany" flag team in the forest immediately understood what was going on.
The No. 4 tank in front must have encountered a more difficult opponent, so the "Großdeutsche Banner" had to take a defensive stance, hold on and wait for the main force of the 7th Panzer Division to arrive.
"Admiral, the 1st Panzer Brigade met the main forces of the German army in Arras."
In the Belgian Allied Command in the port of Zeebrugge, Admiral Verrick was holding his arms and anxiously looking out the window at the sky, the weather was good, there were not even a few white clouds in the blue sky, and if the home fleet came to the port of Zeebrugge to pick up people now, it would definitely become a live target for German aircraft Hearing the report of the Chief of Staff, Major General Henry Bonnard, Admiral Verrick said without looking back: "Tell Lieutenant General Brooke the commander of the 2nd Army of the Expeditionary Force, who is now in charge of commanding the Brooke armored group, and start a war with the Germans in Arras, and be sure to hold out for more than 7 days." ” Although the British 1st Panzer Division and the French 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Light Mechanized Divisions were actually not light at all, with powerful S35 heavy tanks, Admiral Verrick was not at all sure of victory.
Because these British and French first-class mechanized units were defeated by the German armored forces on the Belgian battlefield, they had already suffered heavy losses and their morale was very low under the repeated blows of German aircraft and armored units.
"Henry, what's the news for the Navy," Admiral Verrick asked.
"The main force of the home fleet has been dispatched, and the execution of the generator plan can begin tonight."
According to the current "generator plan", the main forces of the British home fleet will also participate in the withdrawal operation.
The battleship formations of the Home Fleet would cruise at the eastern entrance to the English Channel, driving away the main force of the German High Seas Fleet that might be approaching, and if only one of the two Bismarck-class ships could actually be used, it would be a "Jutland"-style naval battle At the same time, from the night of the 21st, cruiser and destroyer formations would enter the three ports of Zeebrugge, Ostend and Niupult, quietly transporting the retreating British troops there. 810,000 a night, 50,000 or 60,000 a week.
It turned out that this was a "generator plan" based on "smuggling".
However, as soon as the main German forces approached Zeebrugge, Oostend and Niupulte, it was necessary to carry people desperately.
When the time comes, the British government will call on all the inhabitants of the southern coast of Britain who own ships to join the rescue of the expeditionary force, which is how much can be fished out.
"Marshal, the British Home Fleet has moved."
News of the departure of the British Home Fleet soon reached the German headquarters in Tsosen, where there were agents of the Central Security Bureau in several ports where the British Home Fleet was stationed, and there were German submarines in the vicinity of those ports.
Therefore, the dispatch of the Grand Fleet is basically impossible to keep secret.
"The Home Fleet is moving" Hersman was looking at the photos sent by Admiral Kesselring himself at this time The bombing effect photos, when he heard the news, he immediately thought of the "generator", he looked at Kesselring and Halder, "The British are going to run, and the Home Fleet is here to pick up people." ” "We have destroyed the port," Kesselring said.
"Judging by the photos, the bombing worked well."
"There are three more ports on the Belgian side, Zeebrugge, Ostend and Niupulte."
Halder reminded that "and the destruction of port facilities does not mean that the port is completely paralyzed." ” In other words, it is always possible to evacuate some of the historical "Operation Generators", and the British were originally prepared to withdraw at least 30,000 men under the all-out attack of the German army, which is the worst-case scenario.
"Tomorrow the bombing of Zeebrugge, Ostend and Niupulte is arranged," Hersmann ordered without hesitation.
"Marshal, the headquarters of the Western Front wants to keep these three ports."
"That was the starting point for an attack on the British mainland," Kesselring said. ” The plan to land on the British mainland was made by Hersman himself, and to cross the English Channel, of course, there must be a port.
The three Belgian ports, together with Calais and Dunkirk in France and Antwerp in Belgium, were the starting points for the planned landing force.
"Blow it up," Hersman said, "blow it all up, and it will be impossible to land in 40 years." ” "Okay."
Kesselring nodded, "Then he111 will be dispatched tomorrow to carry out an air raid."
He thought for a moment, and then said, "Do you want to keep a certain number of bombers and Fokker Zeros to use against the main force of the British Home Fleet?"
Of course, this is necessary, because as long as the main force of the British home fleet is blown up, the world war will be won, and although the chance of such a thing is not large, it cannot be unprepared.
"Leave this to naval aviation."
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Hersmann commanded, "Starting tomorrow, naval aviation will no longer participate in the bombing of enemy ground forces, and all will return to the Wilhelmshaven base to stand by." ” "Does the High Seas Fleet need to be dispatched?"
Halder asked again.
Now that the High Seas Fleet has a very powerful battleship "Bismarck", it seems that it can go out again to show off its might.
However, the strength of the British home fleet has also recovered considerably, the battleships and battlecruisers damaged in the air raid on Scapa Bay have been repaired, and the overhaul of the "Hood" has been completed.
If there was to be a decisive battle in the fleet, it was clearly not enough to rely on a Bismarck and a Gneisenau.
"It is better not to move," said Hersman, "and when the Hindenburg class is completed, it is more certain that we will go out and fight the British as soon as possible." ” The "Hindenburg" class is the H-class, the lead ship and the No. 2 ship will be launched in June, the name has already been chosen, the first ship is named after Field Marshal Hindenburg, and the No. 2 ship is the "Ludendorff".
By the time these two battleships were estimated to be completed in 1942 and the two "Zeppelin"-class aircraft carriers Zeppelin and Moltke, the German High Seas Fleet should have the strength to defeat the British Home Fleet, provided that of course it could no longer lose existing battleships and aircraft carriers. t1706231537: