Published at 13th of February 2023 07:08:12 AM

Rouen, Headquarters of the 1st Army of the British Expeditionary Force, Admiral Haig was frowning.

On the first day when the German army launched an attack on Rouen, it caused great casualties to the British army. They not only lost the defense line outside Rouen, but also lost a lot of area in the urban area. As for the casualties of the troops, Admiral Haig was very distressed.

"General, the German offensive is too fierce. The east and north of the city have lost a large area. Especially in the east of the city, we have already had two infantry divisions defeated by the Germans. The German vanguard is far away from the commander. The straight-line distance from the front is even less than two kilometers." A major general reported to General Haig.

"This is really bad news. Could it be that we have no way to resist the German attack?" Admiral Haig was very speechless. The 1st Army of the British Expeditionary Force is the most powerful force in the British Army. However, in front of the Germans, it seemed vulnerable, which was a huge blow to Admiral Haig for being speechless.

"General, compared to last year, the combat effectiveness of the Germans has indeed been greatly improved. Especially the 8th Army, which newly appeared on the Western Front, feels that they are very good at street fighting. They performed well in street fighting. , Our defenders, even with fortifications to rely on, are still being defeated by the Germans. If this continues, we may not be able to hold on for much longer." The major general continued.

"Damn, isn't there any good news?" Admiral Haig said angrily.

"General, the only good news is that our anti-tank weapons are doing pretty well. When the Germans sent tanks to attack our outer positions, we killed dozens of tanks. However, our anti-tank troops , also suffered heavy losses. The 37mm anti-tank gun can destroy German tanks. However, anti-tank guns cannot penetrate the frontal armor of German tanks, but can only penetrate their side armor. If the Germans dare to fight in the street If we invest in their tank troops, we will definitely make their tank troops suffer more casualties." Another major general said excitedly.

"It's a pity that the Germans didn't send out tank troops anymore. They have obviously realized the threat our anti-tank weapons pose to their tanks. But even so, we still couldn't resist the Germans in Rouen. Attack." Admiral Haig said.

The atmosphere in the office suddenly became a little dignified. The current battle situation is undoubtedly very unfavorable to the British army. If they are not careful, they may lose the battle. At that time, the 1st Army will suffer heavy losses and even be wiped out.

"Gentlemen, we have to find a way to resist the German offensive in Rouen. Otherwise, we may suffer an unprecedented defeat." Admiral Haig said.

However, they have no other choice but to continue to defend Rouen. Not to mention launching a counterattack. Once a counterattack is launched, it will undoubtedly be the German armored forces waiting for them. At that time, their troops will be directly crushed by the German armored forces.

With no alternative, General Haig had to send a telegram to the British Expeditionary Force Command, hoping that the 3rd Army of the Expeditionary Force led by General Benson and part of the 1st French Army would speed up and come to reinforce them up.

And this is exactly what the German army wanted to see.

The German reconnaissance planes have been paying attention to the movements of the British 3rd Army and the French 1st Army. After learning that they are speeding up to Rouen, General Crook, the commander of the German 1st Army, and the staff officer of the 8th Army Lieutenant General Ludendorff, all laughed.

"General, the British reinforcements have arrived, and it's time for us to dispatch." Lieutenant General Ludendorff said.

After the German army captured Rouen, they had to cross the Seine River. In this case, their logistics supply line will be very dangerous. If the British and French allied forces can be defeated before crossing the Seine, then relatively speaking, it will be much easier.

They attacked Rouen, but they did not do their best, just waiting for the British and French allied forces to come to their door.

"The Anglo-French coalition forces who came to the rescue amounted to more than 300,000 people. If we can eat them all, then we will win this battle." Admiral Crook's eyes shone with excitement of light.

The troops deployed by the British and French allied forces in the northwest direction have only three group armies, with more than 600,000 people. If they can eat these 300,000 people in one bite, they can eat another 200,000 people in Rouen. Then, there are only 100,000 British and French allied forces left. Even if they draw reinforcements from other places, it is no longer a concern. After all, the central and right wing clusters of the German army are also attacking.

"This time, both of our armored divisions can be put into battle. There is no problem in defeating the reinforcements of the British and French coalition forces. But it is very difficult to say how much results can be achieved." Lieutenant General Ludendorff said. Of course, he also hoped that the bigger the result, the better.

In order to eat as much as possible the reinforcements of the British and French allied forces, the German 1st Army and 8th Army made careful deployments. The 1st Armored Division and the 8th Armored Division will serve as the main force of the assault. In addition, the 1st Infantry Division and the 34th Infantry Division will be responsible for detours to block the retreat of the British and French allied forces. The remaining infantry divisions will go into battle one by one, trying to encircle and annihilate the 300,000 reinforcements from the British and French allied forces in the area east of Rouen.

The two armored divisions of the German army lost dozens of tanks in Rouen, which was undoubtedly a big loss for them. But this time in the field battle, they are still the main force. Both armored divisions also believed that they could once again play a key role in this battle.

British 3rd Army Commander General Benson, after receiving Sir French's order, ordered his 300,000 reinforcements to march towards Rouen at an accelerated speed. At the same time, he also dreamed of attacking the rear of the German army and defeating the German army in one fell swoop. In his view, the main force of the German army at this moment must have been used to attack Rouen, and there must not be too many troops left. As long as he leads the troops to attack, he will surely win.

Unfortunately, Admiral Benson didn't know that when the German army attacked Rouen, they didn't invest many troops. They only invested six infantry divisions, which made the British army in the city unable to resist. The rest of the main force had their pockets wide open, waiting for the 300,000 people led by General Benson!