Chapter 426: The Generation Gap
Deyoka's doorstep was swarmed with neighbors, each eager to tell him and Camille everything they'd heard:
"I heard Charles reached Brussels by yesterday afternoon, but the military kept it secret and didn't announce it.""That's the capital of Belgium! I also heard the news yesterday, but I thought it was a hoax.""Don't worry, Mrs. Bernard—Charles will be fine. It's his enemies who need to worry."
Camille responded with polite nods and murmurs, though she had no understanding of terms like "encirclement," "cutting supply lines," or "geographic advantage." No matter what others said, she couldn't quite grasp the situation. She didn't understand how Charles's small force could surround over 200,000 Germans in Antwerp, leaving them with no chance to counterattack.
All she knew was this: over 200,000 German soldiers, while Charles led fewer than 20,000. That was a tenfold disadvantage, meaning that each of Charles's men, including Charles himself, would have to defeat over ten times as many enemies.
She remained deeply worried, hesitantly asking her neighbors, "Is that really so? Is the war truly ending?"
The neighbors who understood military tactics explained:
"No, Mrs. Bernard, the war isn't over yet. The Germans haven't surrendered.""But it's close; they'll have no choice soon.""Charles is a military genius, Mrs. Bernard. He was born for victory. You don't need to worry; no one can defeat him!"
…
Indeed, the war wasn't over. Charles was now organizing the defenses in Antwerp.
At this point, the encirclement was still fragile.
This was largely because Charles's forces had advanced so rapidly that Foch's infantry couldn't keep up. The actual reason, however, was that after breaking through the German lines, the infantry simply didn't believe that the battle could be going so smoothly. They were hesitant to use trains or trucks to advance.
One representative of this hesitation was Major General Savinian, commander of the 9th Corps, whom Foch had assigned to support Charles.
"This is madness," Major General Savinian reported to Foch. "I refuse to proceed this way. All it would take is one enemy bomb to derail a train. Traveling by car is just as dangerous; without any armor, we'd suffer heavy losses from enemy ambushes."
Consequently, Major General Savinian insisted on advancing on foot.
Weygand, though he didn't explicitly recommend this approach, partially agreed with Savinian's reasoning.
"Charles's units have armored cars, General," Weygand said, showing Foch photographs of the armored vehicles in Charles's command. "Advancing in these vehicles makes sense, as they provide protection from gunfire on both sides. But we don't have any."
Seeing Foch hesitate, Weygand added, "Besides, how fast can Charles's units go? As they're at the front, they'll face enemy resistance at every turn. Our rear infantry, advancing on foot, won't need to engage the enemy as much and should have no trouble keeping up."
After some thought, Foch agreed to what appeared to be a lower-risk plan.
But they overlooked two crucial factors:
Charles's units were equipped with armored vehicles precisely because they would be fighting at the front, where the need for protection was essential. Units following behind didn't face the same risks.
Secondly, the German defense was like an eggshell: hard on the outer layer, but empty within. Had the rear forces used trains or trucks to follow closely behind the armored and mechanized divisions, they would have encountered minimal enemy resistance and avoided any ambushes or traps.
Ironically, their cautious approach, advancing on foot at five kilometers per hour, was the real risk.
And that was exactly what happened.
The main German force in retreat eventually overtook the advancing 9th Corps, creating the very situation they feared—facing layer upon layer of enemy resistance and struggling to break through quickly.
This was also why Charles's forces, upon reaching Mechelen, encountered fuel shortages—their supply lines were cut off.
Without the support of the Belgian populace, the mission could have failed, with Charles's troops encircled and forced to break out rather than secure victory.
…
In Antwerp, Charles had set up the headquarters of the 1st Mechanized Division in a bunker within the inner defense perimeter.
It wasn't comfortable. The small space was packed with ammunition, dark and damp, with a suffocating stench of decay and sourness hanging in the air.
Yet it was the safest place for now.
Tijani, raised in a wealthy family, found the environment unbearable. He slumped weakly in his chair, looking pale and struggling to breathe like a fish out of water.
"Are we really staying here?" Tijani asked, glancing around with a face full of despair.
"Do you have a better suggestion?" Charles replied.
Tijani was silent.
He knew the situation well.
Though the main German forces in Antwerp had surrendered, numerous German stragglers still hid within the city. Some concealed themselves in the woods, others in abandoned barns, and some even in cesspits.
Clearing out these scattered troops would take time; no one could guarantee that a shot wouldn't suddenly come from some hidden corner.
Sighing, Tijani tried to reassure himself that this was just part of being on the battlefield. He'd stayed in worse places, and, after all, it was better than dying under enemy fire.
But another voice in his mind whispered, "I'd rather die in battle than suffocate in here!"
Tijani checked his pocket watch and began complaining about the 9th Corps' delay. "They said they'd meet up with us at dawn, but they haven't even reached Mons yet. If we hadn't left a regiment to garrison Brussels, the enemy could've easily broken through by now."
Charles remained silent.
He could understand Foch and the others' mistakes.
This was the era of trench warfare. Everyone assumed this was the new normal in warfare. They couldn't conceive of advancing over 100 kilometers in a single day—there was a generational gap in their thinking.
In fact, even an advance of just eight kilometers was once considered unimaginable. The real Battle of Cambrai, in which the British tanks broke through eight kilometers, shocked everyone, even though it occurred two years later.
Without psychological preparation, the British failed to capitalize on their success at Cambrai, unable to hold their hard-won gains.
Charles's advance of over 100 kilometers was unprecedented.
At that moment, a telegram was handed to Charles from General Winter: "Congratulations, Brigadier General, on another victory proving your abilities. However, I must ask—would you consider returning to command at the Dardanelles? We are struggling here!"
Charles smiled and promptly replied to General Winter, "General, do you think I can leave France at a time like this? Besides, the Dardanelles needs something far more than it needs me—it needs a cure for the epidemic!"
Friends, if you enjoyed the novel, you can subscribe to my Patreon channel.
Until November 30st, get 25% off both your subscription and the purchase of your novel. Thank you for your support.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Franklin1