After the German Army issued a guarantee that it would resolve the French problem as soon as possible, the Kaiser agreed with the opinion of the army top brass and decided to resume the offensive on the Eastern Front to a limited extent, so as to end the French war as soon as possible, and after the news reached Crete, Count Spee could only pinch his nose and admit it, not to mention that this was an order given by the Kaiser himself, and the German Army's proposal to quickly end the French war was an overriding premise. While Petain was still lying in the German hospital, the German attack resumed, although the above proposed "limited attack" but the fight really started, who cares about this?

So, caught off guard by the French, the German offensive resumed. With the rumbling of artillery, German armored units rushed to the French line under the cover of the air force. This time the offensive went very well at the beginning, and it can even be described as an armed march rather than a battle! In a very short period of time, the French army was largely disarmed, and Petain was right about one thing, that is, the French army on the Eastern Front was now no match for the elite of the French army that had begun to enter the war in terms of equipment, quality, and will to resist.

It is true that the French could not fight anymore, and the French who could fight died in World War I, and another after the start of World War II. Judging by the current pace of German advance, they found that the Germans could end the war in France faster! On the third day of the attack, the Paris government declared Paris an undefended city, and thus something unexpected happened to the British, as the assassination of the British not only failed to terminate or delay the negotiations, but allowed the Germans to end the war in Europe more quickly, after the surrender of Paris. Prime Minister Reynaud was removed because he did not accept the terms of surrender.

The pace of action of the Germans was very smooth in the early days, and they quickly took control of the area around Paris. And spread out in all directions. With the exception of the Brestany Peninsula in northwestern France. The Germans had become the de facto masters of France. At this time, the Germans no longer bothered with the assurances made in the original negotiations, believing that since the treaty had not been concluded in the end. Then the French government and his army were defeated in the war and not surrendered. So the French unceremoniously received what they needed, from French army equipment and warehouse materials, to various factories and transportation routes, as well as French national assets. The Germans' complacent actions found other consequences, which became the main reason why the French navy finally chose the Entente.

"General, our connection with Paris has been severed, and even the backup channel has failed, and General Darlan should have been imprisoned or other accidents. Our eyeliner in Paris reported that the whole of Paris had fallen into the hands of the Germans. At this time, the entire French government was probably controlled by the Germans. It is no longer appropriate for us to wait for the government's order. A naval officer reported to Lacroix that no one expected Paris to cross so quickly, and that the French army had run out of gas, which was a fact, but who would have thought that it would be so vulnerable? This made Lacroix, who was already a little wavering, even more panicked!

"We have to make a choice now, you should know that the Entente has begun to withdraw in large numbers, their material and non-combat units have almost gone, and the troops have begun to leave. Before they finish the evacuation. We have to make a decision, and of course there is only one decision, and that is to evacuate with them, and we are surrounded by American and British troops. The plane from Britain can fly above us in just ten minutes, and the submarines of the United States and Britain are also outside. Maybe they've already started laying mines. Just yesterday, the American and British fleets also left the British mainland. Their purpose, I think it should be clear to you, the main forces of the German high seas fleet are still in the Mediterranean. Then their target can only be us! Another officer was also inclined to defect to the Entente, and his reluctance to accept defeat was one aspect. But most importantly, if they did not accede to the demands of the Entente, I am afraid that the time they would survive in the end could only be counted in hours! Under no circumstances could the United States and Britain let the French fleet out of their control, even if it really remained neutral. And the French Navy did not believe that the Germans would keep their promises! In that case, it is better to continue to mix with the Entente!

Lacroix knew that he had only one way to go, and that he, the commander of the fleet, could only continue to be in office if he obeyed everyone's wishes. But even so, he wanted to sell the French fleet for a good price. Although he has not many options, for the sake of France and the French Navy, he must do as well as possible. Lacroix knew that he had only one way to go, and that he, the commander of the fleet, could only continue to be in office if he obeyed everyone's wishes. But even so, he wanted to sell the French fleet for a good price.

Although he has not many options, for the sake of France and the French Navy, he must do as well as possible. "Help me to get in touch with Admiral de Gaulle, and show that the French Navy is willing to advance and retreat with him, and if it is convenient, I can go to Saint-Nazaire to meet him." Half a bell later, Admiral Lacroix gave the most important order of his life, and it was because of this order that the future of the French navy was determined, and at the same time, he made enough political capital for himself after the war.

Lacroix thought of De Gaulle instead of Britain and the United States at the last moment, as early as after de Gaulle and his first meeting, he was thinking about the future of the French Navy, how to keep this fleet as much as possible, having a certain degree of independence is what he is most concerned about, if he goes to the United States and Britain at this time, then the final result of the French fleet is only as an Entente fleet composed of French. His immediate boss will be a foreigner, but if you look for De Gaulle, it will be different, he can form a government in exile with de Gaulle, and then the French Navy with a government background can participate in the actions of the Entente on a relatively equal footing, and the French Navy will have more options.

And Lacroix is also prepared for the worst, and now the critical moment has come, the Germans have controlled more than 80% of France, and the United States and Britain are also very nervous. He could not guarantee that the troops deployed by the United States and Britain outside the port would not take any drastic action against the fleet! After contacting de Gaulle, at least de Gaulle will communicate with the United States and Britain. And once on the sidelines, the French Army will definitely not allow the American and British Army to take military action against the fleet in the harbor. At the critical moment, it is still reliable for oneself to be relied upon, and many factors are integrated. Lacroix decided to meet de Gaulle!

"Great! The French Navy has finally been saved! When de Gaulle received the telegram from Admiral Lacroix, he was also very happy, because just eight hours earlier, the United States and Britain had jointly sent an ultimatum. If the French fleet still does not take a position on the fourth day, then the American and British troops will enter the French fleet station, forcibly disarm the other side and escort them to Britain, and the American and British fleets will go to sea again is a clear signal! The United States and Britain also told de Gaulle in the understanding of being allies, and when the time came. Whether de Gaulle agrees or not, the United States and Britain will act! Originally, de Gaulle planned to talk to Lacroix about it first, but the other party came to the door first, saving a lot of trouble!

"Friend, I am sure you will finally side with us and let those traitors wail and tremble in the flames of French vengeance!" De Gaulle personally greeted Admiral Lacroix. "The addition of the French Navy has given us another glimpse of the dawn for the dark hour, and I am confident that we will be victors in the end, and that you and your navy will be the pride of France." After some politeness, de Gaulle decided to get down to business. It's too early to talk about component coalition governments. And most importantly, what the French Navy can do during this time!

It's time to get your name! De Gaulle believed in Lacroix's sincerity, but not necessarily in the United States and Britain! If you want the United States and Britain to trust you and value you. You have to do at least something! And this Lacroix has already thought about it! "The Navy's land-based aviation and carrier-based aircraft units can fly directly to the UK, and then the aircraft carriers can carry personnel and supplies, so the fleet aircraft carriers cannot be dispatched. But we can send gunboats to support the Army's battle in Saint-Nazaire! We could even send the battleship Richelieu to participate in the artillery bombardment of the land, but only if the Entente could guarantee air supremacy over the fleet! "Lacroix was very sincere. Even the strongest gunboats in the French Navy can be sent!

"But I have one more condition, I hope that the personnel of the naval base and their families can leave together. And make proper arrangements for their future livelihoods. There are so many things we need to move, and if Britain and the United States can't help these people, we're afraid we'll have to destroy a lot of precious supplies! Lacroix then made a request, taking the fleet with him was definitely not as easy as one might think, and that if he wanted to reassure his men, he had to make arrangements for what was to happen behind them.

"I can guarantee that all French people who are willing to leave will leave." De Gaulle assured that the Navy's help directly solved the Army's biggest problem -- the lack of support firepower. The Luftwaffe has begun to exert its strength, while China, the United States, and Britain are preparing to run away, and the strength of the air force support is getting worse day by day, and the train artillery and heavy artillery units of the French Army to maintain the balance of power on the battlefield will eventually be withdrawn or destroyed. The navy's naval guns make up for the gaps caused by the loss or evacuation of the army's heavy artillery, and they will do a better job than the army.

At the same time that the French Navy decided to intervene in the fighting at Saint-Nazaire, the German forces on the Western Front did not receive relevant information, and they kept focusing on the long-range artillery deployed by the French in the rear and the various reinforced concrete turtle shells on the front line. After several days of preparation, the Germans, reinforced with heavy artillery, resumed their attack, this time with more caution than the last. It's all about smashing a way out of shells.

At the end of the routine artillery support, something like an iron turtle emerged from the smoke of gunpowder. "We have never added such ugly tanks, their territory is very huge, it should be the territory of the Tiger tank. There is a huge fighting compartment in the kilometer. From the side, it looks like a right-angled trapezoid. The front was heavy inclined armor. THESE THINGS DO NOT HAVE THE NARROW TURRET OF THE TIGER TANK, NOR THE 88MM CANNON FULL OF BEAUTY, BUT INSTEAD HAVE A SHORT AND THICK BARREL, WHICH, JUDGING BY THE CALIBER, IS AT LEAST 7 INCHES OR MORE! They don't have the agility of the Tiger Tank, but rather like a giant cocobo turtle. This is how a French officer described the German Army's Bantam heavy self-propelled mortars after the war. This weapon does not have the beauty and agility of the Tiger series tanks at all, and it can be described as stupid, black and coarse, but it is precisely because of this weapon that it has become the key to knocking on the French defense!

A moment later, a dull loud bang came from the front of the position, and heavy reinforced concrete armor-piercing shells like heavy hammers shot out of the muzzle of the gun, smashing into the roof of the French pillbox with a huge falling angle! After the hood shattered, the round blunt warhead hit the reinforced concrete layer like a chisel, and then accompanied by huge potential energy, it directly cut through the outer layer of protection, and then exploded in the process of penetration! Although it failed to destroy the target at once, the huge energy generated by the explosion of the large charge of the cannonball had already destroyed the structure of the fortress, and with a violent explosion, a column of smoke mixed with rubble and smoke rose up. After the explosion, a huge crater was left on the top of the fortress, and cracks like spider webs spread out in all directions! The huge tremors carried down the heavy concrete to the inside of the fortress, and the artillery and machinery inside could withstand it, but the fragile combatants had been knocked unconscious, and some of the people next to the walls were even shattered!

The roar of heavy artillery sounded the death knell of the fall of the French lines. THE BANTAM'S 240MM HEAVY MORTAR WAS SLOWLY ADVANCING AT A STEADY AND SLOW PACE, WHICH MADE UP FOR THE LACK OF GERMAN HEAVY FIREPOWER, AND THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF PROTECTION AND FIREPOWER ALSO MADE THE FRENCH VERY DIFFICULT. RELYING ON EXCELLENT ARMORED DEFENSE, THIS KIND OF BATTLEFIELD IS ALMOST NOT AFRAID OF ANY NON-DIRECT HIT ARMY ARTILLERY, 155MM CANNON AND 8-INCH HOWITZER CAN NOT DESTROY THIS 60-TON BIG GUY, SHRAPNEL IS EASILY ARMORED TANK, CAN ONLY LEAVE A SHALLOW OR DEEP PIT ON IT. THE 105MM ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN CAN NATURALLY PENETRATE THE ARMOR OF THE BANTAM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, PEOPLE NEVER ENTER YOUR RANGE! THE EFFECTIVE KILLING DISTANCE OF 105MM ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS IS NOT MORE THAN 2 KM. Bantams, on the other hand, generally fire at a distance of about 6 kilometers from the target. At this distance, the French could only watch their fortifications being forcibly demolished!

Thanks to the book friend zhouyu1976 for the tip~~~, as well as the book friend thlon9527, piccolo big demon king 007, god and demon swordsman, and Zsuzm for their monthly pass support~~~.

As an aside, yesterday the side position was interrupted for a day, and after the author turned out the subscription data on December 1, the situation can no longer be described as miserable. It is only a subscription in the early 400s, and the author's book collection is 17,000, more than 1,200 chapters, and only more than 400 subscriptions. A 40-to-1 subscription ratio. I don't think the authors are in the mood to continue writing about this achievement.

Regarding the future of this book, the author will continue to update it this month, and if the subscription is not as good as the previous month, then the future must be considered. It's not really interesting to mix full attendance. Everyone looks tired of it, and I don't have much motivation to write. If you just make up the number of words, you might as well open a new one. Well, let's do it for now. (To be continued......)