What is behind the strange French offensive?

This is a question that even many of the front-line commanders of the French 5th Colonial Division itself cannot answer.

To the south of Heights No. 4, Colonel Bliss of the French Army, who had launched an unfocused attack with a regiment of troops, was angrily following the order and launching an offensive.

Bliss did not understand why General Stephen would follow the request of the German generals to launch a senseless attack on Heights 4, which was impossible to take.

Moreover, what made Bliss even more incomprehensible was that even the German staff officers had the leisure to give them the details and instructions for the way of attack.

It was already a whimsical order for the French army, which was still inferior in weaponry and equipment to attack the British army, which had superior weapons, geography, and training, to garrison the high ground.

Moreover, the Germans also demanded that the French army adopt a non-focused multi-point attack, which made it even more impossible to achieve a breakthrough!

I heard that this detailed battle plan was still written by the famous German general Rommel. Bliss really has some doubts about how miserable Rommel, a famous German general, has been to get the title he is today.

Perhaps, the so-called famous German general is simply exaggerated, and it is propaganda material that was blown out by the Germans themselves to boost morale and morale. Otherwise, how could he have given such a barrage of orders that lacked military common sense?

He even asked Bliss and his regiment to launch an attack on the south and southeast of Heights 4, and at the same time launch a larger offensive. Why didn't that so-called famous German general take the time to pour out the water in his head, maybe his paranoia could be cured!

Before the order to further expand the attack surface arrived, the Bliss regiment had already fought for more than thirty minutes against the British troops on Heights No. 4, followed by artillery support. A few fortifications were only taken down by the British army on the preset perimeter defense line. The two all-out attacks that rushed to the main position of the British army were also in vain, and finally had to withdraw from the outer defense line of the British army.

Even the outer defense line is so difficult, why should it penetrate the main position of others and take the No. 4 high ground?

"Colonel, the three battalions we have assigned have launched an attack southeast of Heights 4 as required, but the results are not ideal."

"The 2nd Battalion has broken through the middle of the outer position of Heights 4, but the British troops on both flanks have not yet taken it, and they are unable to further launch an attack on the main British position!"

"What kind of bullshit tactic is this!" Looking at the outside of the headquarters, at the bottom of the No. 4 high ground where there was a lot of artillery fire, Briss, who was unhappy at the beginning, finally couldn't help but scold.

The attack from the very beginning was not smooth, and the chaotic style of attacking from multiple points was a taboo.

Now, it is necessary to further divide the troops and continue to expand the offensive front? If you want to take this high ground, you have to organize your forces and concentrate on a key attack. As for the attacks in other locations, it's almost a feint, casting a net everywhere, and the offensive force is insufficient everywhere, what is this called?

Now, the outlying positions of the British army have finally been taken, but the Bliss regiment has no follow-up forces to support the expansion of the next battle because of the division of troops. Just relying on the second battalion with huge losses and the last remaining company-level reserve in the regiment, if you want to continue to challenge the main position of the British army, it is simply looking for death!

And most crucially, because of the lack of French officers, Briss, the reserve company and guard company, was still commanded by his adjutant's part-time company commander. In other words, in order to mobilize this reserve guard company, Bliss had to separate his lieutenants so that French officers could lead them into battle.

"Commander, we can't go on like this!" A staff officer, also transferred from the French Home Army, said urgently: "We must shrink our forces, otherwise, we will not be able to attack successfully at any point of engagement!" ”

Bliss stared at the No. 4 high ground in the distance, gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and finally made up his mind: "Send a telegram to the commander of the third battalion assigned to the southeast, and ask him to return to ...... with his troops immediately."

"Wait, Captain!"

The telegraph operator of the Bliss regiment, suddenly striding into his headquarters, shouted with great interest: "The battle plan has been successful!" The division commander personally sent a telegram and mobilized additional troops from the first line of defense on Heights 3 to move on to the next stage of our mission. ”

"Commander, the British are finished this time!" While handing Bliss a telegram from the division headquarters, the telegraph operator sighed to the regiment commander with joy.

Picking up the telegram, Bliss quickly digested its contents.

At the same time that their team seemed to launch an assault on the No. 3 Heights, the armored reconnaissance battalion and infantry battalion led by the German General Rommel himself were already under the noses of the British army, sticking to the southeast of the No. 4 Heights, completely annihilating the two Australian battalions in the connection between the No. 4 Heights garrison and the British 24th and 26th Divisions' attack positions, and quickly launched a further in-depth breakthrough.

At the same time, Major General Stephen also personally led the remaining 2 battalions or so of troops to leave the No. 3 heights and launch a counteroffensive.

As for the French troops left on Heights 3, they were nothing more than 4 infantry battalions that had already suffered heavy losses in defensive operations, as well as a small amount of artillery directly under the division.

These remaining 4 battalions of French troops, taken together, may be equivalent to the strength of a consolidated battalion. The reason why they stayed was to continue to hold the front-line position of Heights 3 and prevent the British from jumping over the wall to break through here and easily take Heights 3. At the same time, it was also to protect the 5th Colonial Division's low-powered, but important and scarce artillery units.

"Regiment commander, do you want to ....... over there of the 3rd battalion," the staff officer who had suggested that the troops be reduced reminded in a whisper.

"Report, the battalion commander of the 8th Battalion was ordered to bring the rest to support." A French officer with the rank of major also arrived at the front headquarters in Briss at this time.

Because he was stationed north of the first line of defense on Heights 3 near Bliss's regiment, the major closest to Liblis took less than 20 minutes to march his troops to the south of Heights 4, to Bliss's sortie position.

And what he brought with him was about the 8th battalion of a reinforced company. It's not much, but it's not a little for the current Bruce regiment.

"3 battalions?" After only about two seconds of flurry, and then looking at the major in front of him, Bliss jumped up and shouted: "Quick, go find me the dispatcher, ask him not to send a telegram recalling the 3rd Battalion, and tell me to call the 3rd Battalion to act as planned!" Hurry, hurry! ”

Holding the telegram he had just received for the second half of the battle plan, Bliss's face had swept away the previous expression of dissatisfaction and depression, and his eyes began to glow.