Chapter 538: Anti-Tank Ditches
Heavy rain poured down over Namur, blanketing the city in a dense, wet mist. Though it was afternoon, darkness settled as if it were night, visibility reduced to mere meters, with only blurred shapes visible through the relentless curtain of rain.
Yet, despite the weather, many citizens ventured into the downpour to cheer and celebrate. People formed circles in the streets, holding hands, dancing joyfully to rhythmic claps and spirited songs, shouting with enthusiasm.
To the German occupiers, the locals explained it as a traditional celebration of the rainy season. But that was a lie.
In truth, they celebrated the thunderous artillery booming outside the city, rejoicing because French troops—Charles's army, to be precise—had finally arrived, bringing the liberation they had long awaited.
Huddled in groups beneath the rain, citizens whispered to one another excitedly:
"Are you sure it's Charles's army?"
"Absolutely! Didn't you hear those massive explosions? People say the French have at least ten artillery regiments! The Germans are finally getting what they deserve!"
"Will the Germans harm us if they start losing?"
"Don't worry. Remember Charles's statement after Ghent?"
"Yes, if the Germans hurt civilians, Charles won't spare them! They wouldn't dare!"
Elsewhere, Belgian guerrillas and citizens carried out spontaneous sabotage—vehicles exploded mysteriously, warehouses burned, incidents erupted across Namur.
Inside the German command bunker at Riverbend sector, Major General Nicholas frantically made calls and sent messages requesting immediate reinforcements.
To his immense frustration, no support was available.
"All our fronts are overstretched," General Falkenhayn replied. "Verdun, the Somme—no one has troops or equipment to spare. Reinforcements will arrive at Namur, but you'll need to hold out for at least three days."
Nicholas stared blankly at the telegram, scarcely believing his eyes.
Three whole days? How could he possibly hold Namur for three days?
After nearly a full day of intense bombardment, his artillery regiments had already been decimated. He had started with three artillery regiments, but now only about two battalions remained functional. If he scrambled together all remaining personnel and repaired damaged guns, perhaps one weak regiment could be salvaged.
But to what purpose?
The moment those guns opened fire, the mysterious rockets would rain down again, obliterating any remaining artillery. He had no effective way to fight back.
Nicholas stared hopelessly through the downpour at Riverbend, now a wasteland of mud, craters, and shattered artillery pieces.
"Why is this happening?" he whispered.
These were Germany's feared 105mm howitzers, weapons that had never once lost an artillery duel. Yet now they had been pulverized by an enemy they hadn't even seen.
On the opposite side, Charles had just arrived from Verdun, inspecting the battlefield.
The underground command post was damp, muddy, and uncomfortable, with pools of water seeping in steadily. But the bunker was safe from German artillery, and that was all that mattered.
Under the harsh light of a kerosene lamp, Charles studied combat reports from artillery observers.
General Tijani stood beside him, eager and enthusiastic, reporting:
"Our artillery has destroyed at least two German artillery regiments. We suffered virtually no casualties ourselves. Only one rocket launcher vehicle broke down and was destroyed before it could withdraw, but the crew escaped unharmed."
Charles wasn't surprised by the lack of French casualties. Highly mobile rocket launchers were almost impossible to target effectively. Still, he was somewhat puzzled by the devastating German losses.
"The Germans haven't withdrawn their artillery yet?" Charles asked curiously.
"No," Tijani answered decisively. "If they withdrew, they'd lose their ability to block the route into Namur. That's not their style."
Charles remained thoughtful. Actually, German artillery did have a choice: by retreating slightly, they could still fire at the French from beyond the rockets' range, forcing Charles to expose his armored vehicles to enemy fire. But perhaps the Germans simply lacked enough information about this new weapon's capabilities to realize this.
"Have they at least spread out their artillery positions?" Charles questioned.
"No," Tijani said with a shake of his head. "They still maintain clustered formations."
Charles nodded. Clustered artillery made them easy targets for rocket fire. But perhaps the Germans hadn't yet understood this new threat well enough to adapt. Later battles would likely become more challenging once the enemy adjusted tactics accordingly.
Meanwhile, German Lieutenant Colonel Erwin stood outside, watching the driving rainstorm with cautious relief.
"I think we might be safe for now," he remarked to Nicholas.
"Safe?" Nicholas exclaimed bitterly. "We're about to face an armored assault by Charles's forces, and we have almost no artillery left to stop them. How are we possibly safe?"
Erwin nodded toward the downpour and explained:
"The rainstorm might be our savior. It's giving us the crucial time we need until reinforcements arrive."
Nicholas suddenly understood. "You mean the muddy ground will bog down their tanks?"
"That's only one reason," Erwin clarified. "Even more important are the anti-tank ditches I've constructed."
He pointed to the map, tracing two thick defensive lines.
"I placed the first anti-tank ditch within the firing range of our 77mm infantry guns. The second ditch is within the effective range of our infantry's armor-piercing K bullets. Originally, I worried the French would fill these ditches quickly with sandbags to create crossings."
Nicholas immediately grasped Erwin's point. "But now, after this rainstorm, the ditches have turned to deep mud. They'll become swamp-like, impossible to fill quickly or safely."
"Exactly," Erwin nodded, satisfied. "Even if they manage to create a crossing, the unstable mud will collapse under the tanks' weight, bogging them down completely."
Nicholas visibly relaxed, a faint smile returning. The heavy rains, initially a curse, now appeared to be a blessing in disguise.
Theoretically, Erwin's reasoning was sound.
Unlike the hard chalky soil of the Somme, Namur was characterized by forests, rivers, and soft ground. Rain turned the ground into sticky mud, terrible conditions for tanks and soldiers alike. Add barbed wire and anti-tank ditches, and any attack was almost suicidal. Such terrain explained why military analysts had universally declared Namur unsuitable for Charles's tanks.
Yet, Charles had chosen this battlefield, undoubtedly having some means to overcome these defenses.
The morning after the heavy rain, the world seemed freshly cleansed. Sunshine occasionally broke through the clouds, illuminating droplets glistening on leaves and pools of standing water gathering everywhere, flooding the German anti-tank ditches until they became deep pools of muddy water nearly two meters deep.
German soldiers huddled in their trenches, quietly eating breakfast while nervously eyeing their surroundings. Positioned behind them were scattered 77mm guns, waiting for the French to become trapped by the first anti-tank ditch, just as Erwin had planned.
As Erwin reached the front line to inspect his defenses one final time, German soldiers anxiously asked him about rumors they'd heard.
"Lieutenant Colonel, are those terrible new French rockets that destroyed our artillery yesterday?"
"Are the French really preparing to attack?"
Erwin nodded grimly. "Yes, but thanks to our defenses and the rainstorm, we'll be able to stop them."
As he spoke, however, the sky filled again with the whistling roar of rockets. Hundreds of rockets screamed overhead, striking directly into the German rear, shattering their concealed 77mm infantry guns.
A stunned Erwin realized with horror that Charles had specifically prepared to neutralize every single German defensive measure. The French had designed specialized weapons—precision rockets—to systematically dismantle his anti-tank defenses.
In that instant, he recognized the brutal truth: despite his careful preparations, he had underestimated Charles.
Now, Erwin could only watch helplessly as the carefully planned defenses around Namur unraveled completely beneath the merciless bombardment.
(End of Chapter 538)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Franklin1