One kilometer east of the Du River, the platoon commander of the second company of the 37th reconnaissance battalion, William Brown. Lieutenant Winter lay waist-high in a cornfield, nervously watching the swarming French infantry and R35 tanks seven or eight hundred meters to the east, beads of sweat the size of soybeans slid down his right cheek to his chin and then fell to the ground.

The number of French infantry was about one battalion, and the number of R35 tanks was more than thirty. Only the second company of the 37th Reconnaissance Battalion was deployed here, including more than 100 scouts and 14 armored vehicles. Both in terms of numbers and firepower, the Germans were at a disadvantage.

As the French army approached, the expression on Lieutenant Winter's face became more and more solemn, and his gaze kept sweeping between the French army in the distance and a small stone bridge more than 200 meters in front of him.

Under the small stone bridge is a north-south ditch, the ditch is about 15 meters wide and more than two meters deep, and the water inside is crystal clear, and the depth can only be less than the calf of an adult.

The embankments on either side of the ditch were inclined at an angle of about fifty degrees, and as far as Lieutenant Winter could see, there was only one small stone bridge connecting the east and west banks.

It was clear that the ditch was dug by the locals to irrigate the surrounding farmland, but now it was used by the Germans as an anti-tank trench to stop the French tanks.

The 500-, 400-, and 300-meter French infantry clusters were getting closer and closer to the ditch, and Lieutenant Winter's hand was gripping the grip of the MP38 submachine gun tighter and tighter.

When a French R-35 tank at the forefront of the charge drove onto the small stone bridge, Lieutenant Winter finally waited for the long-awaited sound of the cannon.

Two 37-mm anti-tank guns in ambush in the cornfield opened fire one after another, and with a single salvo, the first French tank on the small stone bridge collapsed in the middle of the bridge, blocking the tanks behind.

Almost at the same time as the cannon fired, the gunfire in the cornfield where Lieutenant Winter was hiding, and the terrible roar of the MG34 machine gun and the clear fire of the Mauser 98K rifle were intertwined, giving the French infantry on the other side of the ditch a death sonata that they would never forget.

Deafening gunfire. Numerous rounds of 7.92 mm rounds swirled towards the French infantry on the east bank of the ditch. The bullets tore through their uniforms and burrowed into their flesh and blood, and countless French infantry fell to the ground with electrocution and collapsed, and some French infantry standing on the edge of the ditch ready to wade into the ditch fell straight into the ditch.

The surviving French infantry were either hiding behind the tanks. Or lie on the ground, and some simply jump into the ditch to escape. The originally aggressive infantry combined with the offensive formation was in chaos.

The French tankers reacted after a brief panic, and the surviving R35 tanks lined up on the east bank of the ditch, more than 30 vehicle-mounted machine guns rang out one after another, and 7.5 mm machine gun bullets flew into the cornfield, crackling and bringing up countless wrecks and leaves.

With a shake of the turret, the 35mm tank guns on the R35 also opened fire, raining shells on the cornfields where the Germans were hiding.

Lieutenant Winter did not shoot, and the distance of more than two hundred meters was a bit far for the MP38 submachine gun in his hands. Shooting at this distance is a complete waste of bullets.

He threw himself low in the cornfield, allowing the stalks and leaves of the corn to fall on him.

Lieutenant Winter clearly saw that the ditch had succeeded in blocking the advance of the French tanks, but not the French infantry. Seeing that the German firepower was suppressed by their own tanks, more and more French infantry took the opportunity to jump into the ditch, and then lay on the west embankment of the ditch and fired at the Germans.

The French infantry who remained on the east bank of the ditch set up more than a dozen heavy machine guns, spewing vengeful bullets from the muzzles of their guns, hoping to avenge the death of their comrades.

Lieutenant Winter waved his hand to the herald on his right, "Friedrich, go tell the second and third squads to stop firing and wait for the French to charge." ”

A moment later. The gunfire on the positions of the platoon commanded by Lieutenant Winter gradually subsided, and not only them, but also the sound of fire on the positions of the whole company became weaker and weaker. until it disappears completely.

Lieutenant Winter nodded with concern to Friedrich, who had returned to his side, and then continued to observe the movements of the French troops on the opposite side.

Seeing that the German firepower in the cornfield on the opposite side was weakened, the French infantry suddenly became emboldened.

Some of the officers, brandishing pistols, led their men out of the ditch, half-bent over and approaching in small steps in the direction of the cornfield.

Seeing that the comrades who rushed to the front were safe and sound, more and more French infantry jumped out of the ditch where they were hiding with confidence, and they rushed over the flat ground of more than 100 meters with vigorous steps and stepped on the slope, rushing towards the German troops hiding in the cornfield at the top of the slope.

A hundred meters from the top of the slope, the Germans on the opposite side were silent; At 50 meters, it was still safe.

Seeing that the infantry brothers in the charge were safe and sound. The French tanks and heavy machine guns on the east side of the ditch stopped firing one after another, so as not to injure their own people by mistake.

It was confirmed that the Germans had abandoned their positions and were running away. The French infantry, encouraged by the shouts of the officers, rushed to the top of the slope and successfully occupied the commanding heights.

did not wait for the French infantry to enjoy the thrill of the victory of the attack. The French officers and soldiers who rushed to the front were dumbfounded together, and a chill invariably appeared in their hearts, what are those black guys?

On the other side of the slope, fourteen Type 251 armored vehicles and nine Type 231 armored reconnaissance vehicles that had just arrived were parked in waist-high cornfields, with the front facing the top of the slope.

On the front of the Type 251 armored car, the German machine-gun shooters pointed their guns at the French infantry standing on the top of the slope in a daze, and pulled the trigger mercilessly.

The KWK30 mm guns on the nine Type 231 armored reconnaissance vehicles also let out a dull sigh and scattered shells on the French.

Relentless bullets and shells reaped the lives of the French soldiers along with the corn stalks around them, and the blood and green branches and leaves of the French soldiers flew through the air, and then fell under the gravitational pull of the earth, staining the new corn fields red.

The German armored killers were more than 200 meters away from the top of the slope, but Lieutenant Winter was only more than 30 meters. He knelt on one knee in the cornfield, raised the MP38 submachine gun in his hand and fired a few bursts, and five or six French soldiers fell convulsively in the cornfield.

Other German soldiers were not idle, and with all kinds of weapons in their hands, they coldly hunted down the French infantry who slipped through the net in the blow of the armored vehicle.

Lieutenant Winter saw that there were no more French infantry on the top of the slope in front of him, so he turned around and shouted to the armored vehicles behind him a few times to stop firing, and then cautiously touched the top of the slope.

Lieutenant Winter frowned, held his breath, walked past a headless corpse, and walked around a cornstalk with a piece of intestines and countless pieces of minced flesh, and finally reached the top of the slope.

Looking condescendingly at the French soldiers who were fleeing with their backs to him, the corners of Lieutenant Winter's mouth showed a curvature, but this arc disappeared before it could be transformed into a smile.

Shit! They're still here, Lieutenant Winter scolded through gritted teeth.

On the small stone bridge connecting the two sides of the ditch, the crippled R35 tank had been pushed into the water, two R35 tanks had driven to the west bank of the ditch, and the other R35 tanks were lining up to cross the river one after another.

Without the blockage of the ditch, with the firepower and armor of these French tanks, the German armored vehicles, which were only equipped with machine guns and 20 mm machine guns, were no match at all, and there was only a dead end in the confrontation.

But if this place is abandoned, these French tanks will carry out a one-sided slaughter of the reconnaissance battalion that lacks heavy firepower on the undefended terrain behind the slopes. Moreover, it was only less than 800 meters away from the river, and although the French tanks were slow, it would not take them more than twenty minutes to advance to the river, and then they would have to lead their troops downstream to cross the river.

Watching more and more R35 tanks drive across the stone bridge, Lieutenant Winter became more and more nervous, did the company commander and the battalion commander really have to watch all his subordinates die here before they were willing? Why not give the order to retreat yet?

Just when Lieutenant Winter was extremely entangled, a herald from the company found Lieutenant Winter and brought the latest order.

"Lieutenant Winter, the company commander ordered everyone to hold out until the last moment, and not to retreat without his orders." (To be continued)