Marta, Germany's famous female journalist in the army? With vivid strokes, Syrus wrote down many unknown details about the offensive and defensive battles of the Maginot Line.

“…… The heavy German artillery fire plowed deep into the fields near the defensive line. Although there were also cases where shells hit the observation hole directly and killed the French soldiers, the personnel of the large French underground fortifications were unharmed and continued to put up fierce resistance. ”

"The large underground fortifications of the Maginot Line were powered entirely by electricity and were equipped with everything from the kitchen cellar area to the dental equipment, from the prison cells to the morgue. Each large underground fortification is a small, self-sufficient underground town with its own wells, food supplies, and power generation facilities, which can be isolated from the rest of the world and survive for up to three months, like an underwater submarine. These underground fortifications were also not afraid of poison gases, and if there was a threat of poison gas attacks that occurred in the First World War, the French were able to solve the problem with ventilation and filtration equipment that generated slightly higher pressures in the fortifications. ”

"A large underground fortification near the small town of Beach, on the western edge of the Laute Defensive Zone, is a concentration of ingenuity and defensive thinking poured into the Maginot Line. After the battle, I visited the fortifications and was amazed by what was inside. At the entrance to this large underground fortification, the main entrance is reached through a steel drawbridge over an anti-tank trench. Through the seven-ton steel gate in the hillside, nearly three miles of concrete passage is in front of you, at an average depth of 118 feet under the sandstone. During the battle, 812 French soldiers fought in three shifts and day and night, just like the sailors on submarines. Despite the fact that the main entrances were equipped with anti-tank trenches and seven-ton steel gates, they were theoretically weak points and were therefore guarded by 47-mm anti-tank guns. If the defenders need to snipe infantry instead of armored vehicles, they can retract the tank gun with a track suspended overhead, and in the blink of an eye, a heavy machine gun is in place. Many of the machine guns in the Maginot Line had cams under them that allowed the weapon to be raised and lowered so that the machine-gun fire could completely cover the fire control zone around it while keeping the pouring bullets at a foot above the ground. ”

"If German soldiers infiltrate through machine-gun fire to reach the outer wall of the fortification, hand-controlled grenade launchers like chutes can send grenades out of the wall to destroy the enemy, and if the enemy breaks through the gate and enters the underground fortification, they will be shot by machine guns inside one of the bunkers inside the large underground fortification, the fortification within the fortification. If they cross the bunker, they can detonate the mines in the passage at the flick of a button, destroying the entire passage. If these defenses still fail to stop them, the warriors can retreat through an emergency secret exit. Through a particularly small small passageway, they can reach a vertical emergency exit. This rare ingenuity is perfect, epitomizing the ingenious design that went into the details of the construction of the Maginot Line. Every large underground fortification has such an emergency exit. The 130-foot-long staircase runs vertically through the formation, and the camouflage at the entrance to the cave is clever. However, if the Germans had discovered the hole, they would have attacked the cave. The designers have taken this into account. If the enemy opens the lid of the cave, they will find that there is nothing more than a tomb in front of them. The mystery is simple: the cave is twice as deep as it needs to be, and the upper half is a real tomb, blocked by a steel door. The small tunnel opening from the large underground fortifications was in the middle of it, and the officer in charge pulled the lever, the steel door opened, and the grave clicked down to the lower part, and the soldiers could drill out. ”

"In other respects, the Maginot Line, as the builders had hoped, proved to be completely difficult to conquer. There has always been an argument that it would be easy for the German [***] team to occupy the line from behind, because 'the muzzles of the line are outward'. In fact, the Maginot Line's large artillery could rotate 360 degrees and fire in any direction. A German tank officer once told me with trepidation that they were fleeing like 'rabbits shot from a shotgun' during the attack on the Maginot Line. ''The fire of the French 75-mm guns stared at us indefatigably. …… As long as a vehicle unfortunately falls within range, it is impossible to escape. ’”

"The anti-aircraft firepower of the Maginot Line is very strong, according to a German army officer I interviewed, the French have countless medium-caliber anti-aircraft guns, but there are relatively few large-caliber anti-aircraft guns, about more than 2,000, anti-aircraft guns are in a semi-bunkered state, and the general army heavy artillery salvation can give effective killing, so soon after the offensive began, many French anti-aircraft artillery fire was destroyed, which allowed the Luftwaffe to send large bombers with large high-explosive bombs to bomb the Maginot Line, Many of the French semi-bunker fortifications were destroyed, but the defensive line remained mostly intact and the defenders were holding out to resist. ”

"With the exception of the Maginot Line, the French had few anti-aircraft weapons, and only a very small number of aircraft were used to protect the dignitaries and outdated tanks on the ground. The French [***] team was attacked by the German [***] team quickly, and was suppressed by superior firepower and quickly outflanked by the detour. The French ground forces fell apart, and the myth that the Rhine was a natural barrier was soon shattered. The planners had speculated that the machine-gun bunkers along the shore would be protected from heavy artillery because they would burst the river embankment and cause flooding. However, they did not take into account the German 88-mm flat-firing guns. This cannon is less powerful and does not harm the river embankment, but it can blow the bunker to pieces. Formidable 88mm guns, Stuka dive bombers and ground forces armed with hand-held explosives work together, sometimes taking down a French fortification on the shore in a matter of seconds. The real resistance of the Germans came from the defenders of the Maginot Line, and the main way the Germans later dealt with the Maginot Line was to bypass it. ”

With the surrender of the French political axe, an armistice was signed in June. Regular fighting stopped. But the French troops stationed in Maginot did not want to believe this, they were still eager to fight, and could still continue to fight. The large underground fortifications of the line of defense held out until July 15, when the order of the commander-in-chief of the French [***] team was issued directly to the Maginot Line. The guards of the Maginot Line marched out of the fortifications in a procession and were transported to the prison. When the German soldiers entered this legendary fortress, they looked around like amazed-eyed rednecks at a rural bazaar, watching all the tricks their enemies had prepared for them, and were amazed. ”

"The French today still express pride and embarrassment when they talk about the Maginot Line."

The rapid defeat of the French Third Republic, the largest military power on the European continent with an army of 3 million, shocked the world, and when the news reached the East, it indirectly affected the fate of both countries.

Yanjing, China.

A cool breeze whirls the fallen leaves on the ground, and the girls wandering on the street, their hair fluttering in the wind, with a happy smile, are quiet and peaceful. Yang Shuoming stood in front of the window, staring at the tall and beautiful buildings in the distance, as if it was the first time to see the scenery of Yanjing City from this angle.

The figure of the building group is so huge, it gives people a sense of oppression. At this time, Yang Shuoming seemed to just want to linger in his cabin and watch the world.

This world where its direction is mastered by its own hands.

"Today's newspaper, General." A familiar voice came from behind him, Yang Shuoming turned his head and saw Xi Xue holding a newspaper in his hand.

"Any good news?" Yang Shuoming asked.

"Most of it was about the war in Europe, and there were predictions of the war." Xi Xue said.

"Are there any articles with documentary surnames?" Yang Shuoming asked.

"Here's an article about the fighting in Dunkirk, which was sent back from the scene by a reporter from the Central News Agency. I think it's well written. ”

"Show me."

Xi Xue found the newspaper and handed it to Yang Shuoming, Yang Shuoming took the newspaper, and the first thing he saw was a large black and white photo on the newspaper.

The photo should be the scene of Dunkirk beach, full of dense defeated soldiers, and all kinds of weapons and equipment discarded indiscriminately, people a little closer to the camera, with frightened expressions on their faces, in the sky, there are planes flying back and forth, and dense anti-aircraft shells exploding to form smoke balls, high water columns rise on the sea from time to time, and the figures of some ships loom in the distance.

Yang Shuoming nodded and looked at the article under the photo.

“…… Under the heavy fire of German artillery, thousands of ships of all kinds advanced in the direction of Dunkirk. It's a quirky 'armada': brightly coloured French fishing boats, tourist boats carrying passengers, maintenance tugs, small escort boats, minesweepers, trawlers, destroyers, British air rescue boats, radar sentry ships...... This extremely bizarre and indescribable fleet was piloted by all sorts of British and French. Among them were bankers, dentists, taxi drivers, speedboat drivers, dock workers, teenagers, engineers, fishermen, and civilian officials...... Among them were the delicate-skinned Sea Scouts and the bronzed-skinned old man with pale hair. Many of them were visibly poor, they had no coats, they wore shabby sweaters and sanitary shirts, they wore cracked galoshes, they were covered in sea water and rain, they were hungry in the bone-chilling wind......"

"This strange flotilla was bombarded by artillery fire, unarmed and unescorted, but the brave men faced the rain of bullets and gunsmoke and fire, and moved forward nimbly on the surface of the sunken ship, knowing that hell lay ahead, and they were not afraid. For what purpose is this courageous fleet forging ahead? ”

"Let's go back in time, when Germany began its attack on Western Europe on May 10, 1940. At that time, Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg had 147 divisions and more than 3 million troops, which was roughly the same strength as Germany. However, the Germans attacked the Maginot Line at the same time as the Maginot Line, which they thought was impregnable, and sent a large army to attack Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg first, and then crossed the river from Sedan into France bypassing the Maginot Line. The Germans soon invaded the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. On May 21, the Germans approached the English Channel, besieging nearly 400,000 Anglo-French troops in a narrow strip of northern France, leaving only Dunkirk, a small port of only 10,000 inhabitants, as a sea retreat. ”

"The situation is dire, and the port of Dunkirk is a very vulnerable target to constant bomber and artillery fire. If 400,000 people retreated from this port, under the heavy fire of German artillery, the consequences would be unimaginable. The British political axe and navy mobilized large crews to mobilize the people to rescue the army. Their plan was to try to evacuate 30,000 people. ”

"There are many complaints and quarrels about the impending tragedy. They lashed out at the political axe for the incompetence of the military and [***], but still threw themselves into the danger of withdrawing troops rather than death. So there was a strange 'Armada' that sailed to Dunkirk. ”

"There were ships requisitioned by political axes in this fleet, but more people who went spontaneously to pick up the troops. They were not registered, nor were they ordered, but they had something more powerful than the organizational caste, and that was the spirit of the British nation to conquer the sea. An Englishman who was personally involved in the transport told me: 'Driving in the dark is dangerous. The clouds were low, the moon was dark, and we had no lights or signs, so we had no way to distinguish friend from foe. Less than halfway through the voyage, we began to meet the first fleet of returning ships. As we dodged the white waves of the fleet passing by the bow, we fell into the half-dummed shadow of the ship ahead. There are often shouts in the dark, but they are only occasional trumpets. We're guessing and we're navigating God......'"

"The soldiers waiting to come aboard the ship have lost the slightest bit of discipline, they have been fighting for evacuation for three weeks, they have been retreating, they have often lost their command, they are isolated, they lack sleep, they are hungry and thirsty, and now they have become desperate. The weary soldiers hobbled across the beach toward the boats; A large number of men and horses waded into the water in the face of bombardment and strafing, and the men in front of them were shoulder-deep, their heads just above the waves that swooped down on the shore, and they did not get into the boat until they were shoulder-deep. The small boat that ferried from the shore to the big boat tilted crookedly because it was overloaded. Some of the big boats almost washed ashore despite the danger of low tide. On the beach there are the wreckage of a destroyer hit by a bomb, an abandoned ambulance...... It's all reflected in the red background, which is Dunkirk burning. There was no water to put out the fire, and no one had time to put out the fire......"

"Everywhere there was a hellish and terrible noise, the artillery kept firing, the artillery was booming, the fire was shining, the sky was full of noise, anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, ......"

"In such a dangerous situation, this motley fleet miraculously rescued 115,000 people in a week or so! , including 12,000 French and Belgian troops! It's a shocking miracle! ……”

Seeing the last number, Yang Shuoming closed the newspaper, closed his eyes, and a trace of pain appeared on his face.

Xi Xue looked at him with some surprise, she could feel that there seemed to be a fierce battle going on in his heart at this moment, she didn't understand why he suddenly became like this, but she didn't speak, just quietly waited for him to regain his composure.

After a long while, Yang Shuoming's face returned to normal, and he didn't look at the newspaper again, but gently put the newspaper on the table.

"Are you uncomfortable? Checkmate? Xi Xue asked softly.

"It's not." Yang Shuoming shook his head and sat down, as if thinking about something.

"This number is much less than I thought, and it seems that the Germans did not really show mercy this time." Yang Shuoming said to himself, "Then, Germany's next step is likely to attack the British mainland." In this case, the British army is afraid that there is not much strength to defend. ”

Xi Xue saw that his expression returned to normal, and she was relieved, but she didn't care much about what he just said.

She didn't know that what Yang Shuoming said just now would become a reality in the near future.

"Germany is so capable of fighting, I guess I will be red-eyed, right?" Yang Shuoming seemed to remember something, and sneered, "They must not be able to sit still now." ”

"You're saying I'm going to join the Germans, aren't you?" Xixue asked.

"That's right." Yang Shuoming nodded and said with a smile, "I guess they should be in a hurry now." ”

The two men were talking when the phone rang suddenly.

Xi Xue turned around and was about to leave the room, Yang Shuoming waved her hand, signaling that she didn't have to go, and then got up and picked up the microphone.

"Yes, I am. …… What the? The French are going to give us the colony? …… Very good, what does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs say? …… Yes, this is an opportunity for us, and I don't think I have any opinion on the president's side. He wasn't a timid man, and he wouldn't be afraid to set himself on fire. …… Yes, I may make a move, but it depends on our strength. …… Yes, I guess the call for the meeting will come in a moment. …… Yes, this time the pressure on the navy side can be greater, our big ship is not finished, but it is not possible to send their big ship for the colony of the French. …… Yes, we have to be prepared. …… Okay, that's all. ”

Yang Shuoming put down the phone, and Chong Xixue smiled slightly, "We can take back a large piece of land again, haha." ”

"Look, you're pleased." Xi Xue couldn't help but purse her lips and laugh when she saw him as excited as a child.

"If I dare to come, let them come! Lao Tzu has saved up enough energy over the years, just for this day! Yang Shuoming showed a vicious expression, "I can't imagine that I have prepared some good things for them, if they dare to come this time, let them open their eyes!" ”

(To be continued)