Chapter 373: Flanking Maneuvers
The French High Command was in total disarray; Joffre and his staff had been caught entirely off guard by the German offensive, which was supposed to be preempted by their own attack. Now, an offensive operation had turned into an unplanned defensive one.
"What's the terrain around Cambrai?" Joffre asked urgently.
"It's hard ground, sir," Carnot replied, his voice tinged with unease. "Perfect for tank advances."
Carnot had previously mapped out every hard-ground position along their defensive lines, based on Charles's recommendation. Cambrai was one of them, although it had been excluded from priority planning as it lay within Foch's Northern Army Group's territory, far to the north.
Soon after, more detailed information reached Joffre's desk: Cambrai was composed of solid chalky soil, surrounded by ten miles of flat, open ground—a tank commander's dream.
Closing his eyes with frustration, Joffre knew this terrain was more than "suitable"—it was ideal for tanks.
"How did we hear nothing of this?" he demanded, opening his eyes to glare at Carnot. There had been no sign that the Germans were preparing for an attack.
"It seems their intelligence network is airtight," Carnot replied. "Remember that train loaded with tanks? It's likely the Germans showed it to us on purpose."
He referred to the photographs captured of German tanks covered with tarps, transported by train.
"What do you mean?" Joffre asked.
Presenting the photos, Carnot lowered his voice, "They wanted us to believe those tanks were heading to Messines and that there were only a few of them."
Joffre fell silent, realizing he had been misled. Based on the train's capacity—just two cars carrying six tanks—he had concluded:
"German tanks are limited to a few dozen units, heading for the hilly Messines region, which isn't ideal tank terrain. They don't understand tank warfare."
Afterward, he had even ordered increased aerial reconnaissance around Messines to keep an eye on German movements.
Looking back, it was clear now: this had been a carefully laid trap by the Germans, feeding him the very information they wanted him to see.
Joffre's embarrassment was fleeting, however; with a quick cough, he collected himself and resumed his usual calm demeanor. He scanned the map, and in a steady voice, issued a new order: "Send the First Special Artillery Division to reinforce Cambrai."
"Yes, sir!"
Pausing, Joffre added, "And send word to Charles, directing the Second and Third Air Wings to support our troops."
"Yes, General."
Not long after, Charles received orders from High Command to support operations at Cambrai. Under standard protocols, air units fell under central command and were not Charles's personal property. However, the specific instructions were unusual: Joffre had ordered the Second and Third Air Wings, the ones closest to Cambrai.
Charles responded with a query: "Are you certain, General? You must be aware that the Germans have new aircraft."
The response from High Command was curt and brimming with arrogance: "Of course. I need you to immediately secure air superiority over Cambrai—at once!"
Joffre hadn't given the Germans' new fighters a second thought; in his mind, French forces had always held air superiority and would continue to do so. To him, it was a matter of getting Charles's planes into the air—no other considerations needed.
With no operational plan from Joffre on how air support should coordinate with ground forces, Charles replied, "As you wish, General."
Thinking carefully, he ordered the Second and Third Air Wings to prepare for combat and directed each to send four reconnaissance planes to survey the situation over Cambrai.
He added specific instructions: "This is reconnaissance only. If you encounter resistance, fall back immediately."
As a precaution, he also instructed the First Air Wing in Paris to dispatch additional flights to support the frontline bases.
In Cambrai, the thunder of artillery echoed as German tanks rolled forward, advancing in formation under cover of smoke and rifle fire. Rows of German infantry followed behind, clutching their rifles.
This was the First Tank Division of the German Second Army. The tanks had moved into position under the cover of darkness and artillery, blending seamlessly into camouflaged tank emplacements. Even frontline units had been unaware of their presence. In warfare, information was often best kept from one's own allies, as captured prisoners were a major source of intelligence leaks.
Standing atop an Oberschlesien tank, Major General Nikolaus observed the battle through his binoculars. From his vantage point, he watched German tanks cross French trenches in waves, dividing into smaller groups to sweep along the trench lines and support infantry in breaking the French defenses.
This maneuver, a "flanking tactic," was a strategy Nikolaus had developed.
(Note: This tactic did indeed exist during World War I, though the British pioneered it. Without armored personnel carriers, soldiers couldn't keep pace with advancing tanks. If tanks moved quickly to breach enemy lines and penetrate deeper, they could easily end up isolated, making them vulnerable to being cut off and destroyed. Thus, tanks often broke through the trenches, then looped back to secure the line with machine guns and support infantry in taking the trenches.)
Watching as French troops fell under tank-mounted machine guns and scattered in retreat, Nikolaus couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. He had worried that deploying new tanks with untested tactics might backfire, but those fears had proven baseless.
"General," a staff officer reported, "enemy aircraft spotted—Avro fighters!"
A jolt of alarm ran through Nikolaus; Charles's air corps had arrived. They'd said the new Fokker E.I could down Avro fighters easily, but without real combat, who could be sure?
Especially with Charles as their opponent.
"Number?" Nikolaus asked.
"Four in each direction, sir—eight in total. They appear to be searching for our reconnaissance planes."
The officer's implied suggestion was clear: now was the ideal time to test the Fokker E.I fighters.
Nikolaus felt the same impulse but ultimately resisted.
"Disregard them!" Nikolaus ordered.
"But, General!" the staff officer protested. "Our reconnaissance planes are being shot down."
Nikolaus held firm. "Order them to accelerate and maintain distance."
"Yes, sir," the officer replied reluctantly.
Nikolaus had a nagging suspicion: this could well be Charles probing for information. His thoughts quickly turned to an even more troubling possibility: if Charles was testing the waters, could it mean he already knew about the German Air Force's new fighters?
Worse yet, could Charles have his own new planes as well?
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