By the time Petain reached the front headquarters, Siddle's 1st Panzer Division had already launched fire reconnaissance on the two remaining SS high ground positions.

The French front command designated these two heights as "No. 2 and No. 3" respectively. Of course, such a number, in a sense, also hints at the marshal, that the French army has also taken the "No. 1 Heights". As for who moved this careful thinking, it is unknown.

Of course, Pétain didn't bother to bother with these little things. The great French marshal was now thinking about how to capture the Ruhr as soon as possible.

The French army can't afford to drag it out! To this day, there are many complaints in the country about the government that caused the war. Although the discordant sound can still be suppressed now, it will inevitably go wrong in the long run.

Moreover, the occupation was originally launched for the purpose of looting oil and water, but now it is constantly subsidizing the country's overstretched military spending.

Prime Minister Poincarh was even more anxious about this and urged him many times.

Pétain knew he wouldn't have much time to spare. Prime Minister Poincaré would propose to urgently transfer himself to the front at such a time, in order to use his fame to boost morale and encourage the French army to achieve a quick victory.

The new front-line headquarters of the French army was set up in a small town in the German countryside. At this moment, there are no more original inhabitants in the town, and the people of the town have moved away as early as the first battle broke out three days ago.

The general command post of the French army, set up in a school in the town. At the bottom of the old gray-and-white walls of the school, there are still graffiti by naughty students from the past. But on the school square, there are no more students who used to frolic. In their place were French officers of all ranks, who walked through in silence.

A small officer's car, which was also equipped in the French army, was parked in front of the school where the makeshift command post was housed. In the car, a general wearing a French officer's standard five-silver-ringed military cap and a dark blue waist belt quickly got out of the car and walked into the command post in the building.

Originally, the use of dark cloth waist belts had been a habit in the French army for centuries, but because of the officer's status as a general, his waist belt was a little more special. And the silver dagger pattern on his belt reveals his identity from the Panzer Division - the commander of the 1st Panzer Division of France, Sidel.

Entering Petain's room, Siddle consciously walked behind the marshal who had promoted him, and accompanied Petain to look at the large map spread out on the wall.

"Here we are," said Petain without replying.

Hearing Pétain's words, Siddle continued: "Marshal, I'm late. As you requested, I have already figured out the forward deployment of the Germans. Their remaining two highland positions, also with 5,000 men, were also unarmed. ”

In Siddle's opinion, even if the German side was aware of its disposition, the French army would not have time. Even if the next two heights were to be taken, the French army would be able to take them twice as fast as before. How much time would the French army be consumed by the German troops who remained in the Ruhr industrial area? Do the French really have that much time?

Siddle understood, and he believed that Petain also understood, that the country would give them another week at most, and if the Ruhr could not be taken away, the French army would have to retreat into the country in disgrace. Because today's France no longer has the courage to endure a world war.

Siddle's apprehensions, however, did not affect Petain. As a generation of famous players, Petain had more means than Siddle could have imagined.

Compared with Verdun back then, the situation in front of us is much better. At least the initiative has always been in the hands of France, and even if it can't win, France is not a loser.

What's more, since he Petain, the number one in France, has come to the future, it is impossible for the French army to return empty-handed!

The arrival of Pétain also had a great impact on Steve, who had participated in the First World War.

Although when Petain Verdun became famous, Steve was nothing more than a junior officer. However, Steve still knows a lot about Pétain's reputation.

In Steve's eyes, the French marshal, who graduated from the Saint-Cyr Military Academy in France, has always been known for his watertight and steady tactical style. is a respectable opponent. Even, he Steve doesn't even have the qualifications to be Petain's opponent!

Think about the original Battle of Verdun. Originally, with the brazen increase of German troops in Chambeni, it made a gesture to launch an offensive in Chambeny. The commander-in-chief of the French army, Xia Fei, had been fooled, and almost all the main forces of the French army were deceived into going to Chambéni.

At that time, the German army corps was already attacking the fortress of Verdun, which lacked major generals, at the speed of lightning, and was ready to storm the French capital Paris at any time. In the face of the almost complete collapse of the French army, the entire German top brass was optimistic that the main force of the German army could easily advance to Paris!

But unexpectedly, Petain, who had just assumed the post of commander of the Verdun fortress, stabilized the situation as soon as he arrived at the Verdun front. He commanded two second-rate divisions hastily transferred by the French army, and blocked the key road of the German army to Verdun!

That offensive and defensive battle has been repeatedly studied by Germany and France as a war example. Petain used two second-rate divisions plus two of his own, a total of four divisions, to fill the theater of operations with additional fuel. Although the Germans advanced 6 kilometers on the first day, they finally stabilized their position.

Four divisions bought Pétain 96 hours!

During these four days, he desperately gathered the remnants of his troops, desperately drawing small forces scattered throughout the rear. And these armies will be resolutely thrown into the battlefield. This death-like tactic made the German General Staff helpless. They don't know why those troops who have been defeated some time ago have appeared in front of them again?

The Germans attacked with all their might, trying to achieve a breakthrough. However, as time passed, when French reinforcements appeared on the Verdun line like a tidal wave, the German General Staff let out a deep sigh.

They know that the best opportunity has been missed!

Since then, the two sides have formed a strategic stalemate in the Verdun area. And this kind of stalemate, in a sense, is more cruel than the decisive battle with all your might! The two sides continue to invest troops and fill in strategic points with human lives. The huge Fort of Verdun has since become synonymous with meat grinders.

The Germans did not want this, and the French could not stand it. However, everyone still has to fight like this without technical content.

The battle has reached this point, and it is already difficult to ride a tiger. Whichever side can't withstand it first will collapse completely. Such a collapse will be like dominoes, leading to a collapse of the whole line!

Both sides continued to transport supplies to the front line and bring back the wounded.

The French army used the Baledique-Verdun road, the only one to maintain contact with the rear, to continuously transfer troops and supplies to Verdun, organizing 3,900 trucks in a week, transporting 190,000 personnel and supplies. 50,000 tons. The first large-scale automobile transportation in the history of the war was formed.

Germany, as the attacking side, repeatedly brought back the wounded to the rear. Often, after a major attack, the Germans had to return within a week tens of thousands of seriously wounded who could not be treated by the front-line hospitals. Coupled with the supplies sent to the front, Germany used every car to the fullest. Bringing supplies when they came, and transporting the wounded when they left, it can be said that there was no waste of transportation capacity.

Even so, there was no progress in the war at the front. A reorganized regiment was pulled to the front and quickly lost. Then pull a regiment up, one regiment is not enough, just a brigade; One brigade is not enough, just one division!

An ordinary high ground, which was often in the hands of the French in the morning, became a German position in the afternoon, and returned to the French in the evening. Both sides are filling with human lives, and no one dares to stop!

This kind of tug-of-war is so cruel that it makes people crazy. From the moment the two sides formed a stalemate at Verdun, the artillery fire on the front line never stopped. Everyone is desperately trying to find the final decisive battle with superior forces! The decisive battle came one day earlier, and this kind of torturous day would be over!

By April, Petain, who had a small number of troops, was on par with the Germans in terms of strength. In desperation, Wilhelm II even sent the crown prince to personally conquest and used poison gas bombs for the first time. But Petain still stopped the German offensive in front of the fortress again and again.

In July, the Germans launched their final offensive climax, but were still held back by Petain. By the autumn, Bey's counteroffensive was ordered, and the French, with superior forces, finally relieved the siege of Verdun.

Returning to the Battle of the Ruhr, after Petain once again confirmed the markings on the map, a confident smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Order all troops to attack according to Plan B, and if there is any panic and leak the attack plan, it will be dealt with according to military law!" ”