Chapter 500: Rush (Asking for a Monthly Pass)
While the main forces of the German army and the main forces of the Anglo-French army were fighting on the south bank of the Marne, the offensive of other German troops also began. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. biquge。 info Right flank clusters consisting of the 6th and 7th German corps, began an offensive towards Verdun. The French 3rd and 5th armies, numbering about 400,000 men, faced the Germans here.
The German 1st and 8th Army Corps also set out from Amiens on April 1 and attacked southward, aiming at Rouen on the Seine.
Although, from Amiens to Rouen, the distance is more than a hundred kilometers. At the same time, there were hundreds of thousands of Anglo-French troops intercepted. However, the German 1st Army Corps and the 8th Army Corps, together with 500,000 men, were well-equipped and well-trained, and could be called the elite units of the German army. In particular, the 8th Army Corps defeated Russia on the battlefield on the Eastern Front with its own strength. With such a strong force, it is undoubtedly very suitable for them to take on the task of rushing.
In order to ensure the long-distance attack of hundreds of thousands of troops, Qin Tian prepared a large number of trucks for the German 1st Army Corps and the 8th Army Corps before the war. These trucks can not only be used to tow artillery and transport war materials, but also can be directly used to transport troops at critical moments. The wheels of a car are always faster and less labor-intensive than a soldier's legs. After arriving in a car, you can get out of the car and fight.
"General Ludendorff, Your Highness, they have engaged in a fierce battle with the Anglo-French forces on the south bank of the Marne. Although the battle was fierce, we still had a firm advantage. It can be said that the main force of the Anglo-French coalition has been held back by us. The rest is up to us. "said the commander of the 1st German Army, Colonel-General Crook.
Lieutenant General Ludendorff nodded, compared to Admiral Crook, Lieutenant General Ludendorff was much younger. At the same time, his rank and position are a little lower. Being able to serve as the chief of staff of the 8th Army Corps with the rank of lieutenant general, and when Qin Tian was away, he had full authority to command the 8th Army Corps, which shows how much he was trusted by Qin Tian.
Of course, the most important thing is that Ludendorff has excellent ability, otherwise, Qin Tian would not have the insight to pass him, and let him be promoted from colonel to lieutenant general in a short period of time. Once the war is over, it is not impossible that Ludendorff will be promoted again.
"General, we are fighting all the way from Amiens to Rouen, and we need to defeat the 1st Army, the 3rd Army, and the 1st French Army of the British Expeditionary Force. Although, the total number of these three armies is only more than 600,000 men, which is not much more than us. However, these troops were undoubtedly the real elite of the Anglo-French army. Therefore, we need to be especially cautious in this battle. Lieutenant General Ludendorff said.
Although, at the beginning, the 8th Army was able to defeat the millions of Russian troops on the Eastern Front with one corps of its own. However, the combat effectiveness of the Russian army is much worse than that of the Anglo-French coalition army. Ludendorff didn't believe that the 8th Army Corps would be able to fight such a defying record on the Western Front. However, Lieutenant General Ludendorff also believed that they would definitely win the final victory on the Western Front.
Admiral Crook nodded: "According to the plan, we can follow the road and railway, advance directly to the south, all the way to Rouen, and then cross the Seine in Rouen, attack along the Seine to Dong, and advance to Paris." Although the Anglo-French forces will stop us, I believe that we will be able to defeat them. ”
Although, now the most elite part of Paris, is on the north bank of the Seine. The left flank cluster, on the other hand, attacked the south bank of Paris. The reason why the left flank group attacked the south bank of Paris was to encircle the main force of the remnants of the Anglo-French army in Paris. Qin Tian believed that by the time the left wing cluster reached Paris, the central cluster had also defeated the main force of the Anglo-French army on the south bank of the Marne River and had gone to Paris. When the time comes, the two clusters will be exactly north and south, enclosing Paris. At that time, the main force of the remnants of the Anglo-French alliance could not escape, and could only be annihilated by them.
"General Ludendorff, the 8th Army is ready, right?" Admiral Crook asked.
Because Admiral Crook had the highest military rank, and Qin Tian was not in charge of the 8th Army Corps, the commander of the left flank cluster was Admiral Crook.
"General, it's ready, ready to go." Admiral Ludendorff replied.
Admiral Crook looked at his watch, and then said, "Well, in an hour, the whole army will depart." ”
At 9 a.m. on April 1, the German 1st and 8th Army Corps formed a group of left flanks, divided into two routes, and headed south from Amiens.
Deployed in the northwestern region of France were the 1st Army, the 3rd Army and the 1st French Army of the British Expeditionary Force. These three troops are all elite units of the British and French forces. Not only is it well-equipped, but it is also well-trained. Unlike those newly formed troops, they are undoubtedly a little more combative.
In command of this force was Sir French French, commander of the British Expeditionary Force. The headquarters was located in Crey, north of Paris. Their mission was originally to prepare for the German attack on Paris. You must know that in last year's battle, the German 1st Army directly broke through to a place only a few dozen kilometers away from Paris, which made the French high-ranking cadres choke enough to almost flee rampantly.
In order to prevent such a situation from happening again, the Anglo-French army mobilized the main force to defend Paris.
Only this time they guessed wrong. The German 1st and 8th Army Corps, instead of attacking directly to Paris, chose to make a detour through Rouen and then attack Paris. There is another reason for this, and that is to cut off shipping on the Seine.
Much of the supplies and equipment of the British Expeditionary Force arrived in France from Britain. The route over the Seine has become an important supply for the British Expeditionary Force. As soon as the Seine route was cut off, there would be problems with the supply of the British expeditionary force. When the time comes, combat effectiveness will inevitably be affected. It was relatively easier for the Germans to win.
The German left flank gathered two corps of 500,000 men to attack, which immediately made the British and French top brass nervous. Sir French immediately ordered the 1st Army of the British Expeditionary Force and the 1st Army of the 3rd Army of the French Army to prepare for battle. Once encountering a German attack, it must be resisted. At the same time, Sir French also planned to send reinforcements for reinforcements. The 4th Army of the British Expeditionary Force, as well as the French 10th Army remaining in Paris, as well as the French 11th Army and the 12th Army formed in southern France, could be transferred to the front line when necessary.