Chapter 470: "The Commander-in-Chief is Resting, You Cannot Wake Him"
September in Verdun was quite chilly. The entire day passed without a glimpse of sunlight. Only as the sun began to set did it shyly break through the mist, casting a few faint rays, as if offering a bit of charity to the soldiers stationed along the border, who were locked in a tense stand-off.
Suddenly, a voice pierced the quiet air: "Hey, Germans, how's it going today?"
It was a young French soldier, leaning against the side of the trench, shouting up at the opposing side, hoping his voice would carry further.
This was a common way for frontline soldiers to relieve their boredom. They often exchanged words with the enemy, seeking some distraction in their otherwise monotonous, tense, and oppressive lives.
Usually, the Germans would reply with a stiff French accent:
"Not bad today. I received a letter from my wife, and she sent me a photo."
"And I heard some bad news. My eighteen-year-old son enlisted too. If you see him, please show mercy."
"By the way, I also got a bottle of wine. It's great!"
...
But today, there was no response. The enemy side remained silent, as if all the German soldiers had vanished.
The French soldier, disappointed at the lack of reply, muttered to himself, "Those bastards, always sleeping. When the battle starts, don't blame me for charging into your trench and cutting off your ears!"
His comrades chuckled.
At that moment, Colonel Deyoka appeared, accompanied by his staff and a few guards. The soldiers immediately stood at attention.
Deyoka nodded slightly, his face expressionless. He asked, "Is there any news?"
"No, Colonel. Nothing new," Captain Erlonchi, who was in charge of this section, responded.
A young soldier added, "The Germans seem quieter these days. Maybe they're scared of us!"
Someone else retorted, "You haven't done anything, Leo. If Charles were here, they'd have reason to be scared!"
The soldiers laughed again.
Deyoka said nothing. He pulled out his binoculars and carefully climbed up the edge of the trench to get a better view.
The trench fell silent as the soldiers held their breath, watching Deyoka. Some of them even grabbed their rifles, prepared to cover the Colonel if needed.
Experienced in combat, they knew that peeking out of the trench while the sunset light was still in the sky was risky.
Luckily, there was no gunfire from the enemy side. A few minutes later, Deyoka withdrew his head.
He sat on the edge of the trench, lost in thought, perhaps recalling what he had seen.
Then, in a low voice, he ordered, "Stay alert, keep an eye on enemy movements."
"Yes, Colonel."
As Deyoka entered the communication trench, he quietly told Colonel Charles, "Something's not right. The Germans may be about to strike."
Charles, pale-faced, nodded. "I feel something's off too, Colonel..."
"No, it's not just something off," Deyoka replied. "Some of their artillery has already removed the camouflage from their gun positions!"
Charles' eyes widened. "You mean, tonight...?"
Deyoka nodded slowly. "It's very likely to be tonight!"
He took a few more steps and then turned to give orders. "Send a telegram to headquarters immediately, report the situation here."
"Yes, Colonel." Charles replied as he always did, but added, "But, just like before, we can't have too much hope."
Deyoka acknowledged with a nod.
Over a month had passed, and Deyoka's unauthorized report had led to Deyoka becoming a target of General Fayolle's ire. Fayolle even issued a message to the entire army:
"Officers should report issues through the proper channels."
"Soldiers under my command who bypass the proper channels to bring complaints or protests to the government are deliberately disrupting military discipline and undermining internal unity!"
Although Fayolle did not name Deyoka directly, everyone knew who he was referring to.
Many speculated that Deyoka had not been removed or disciplined because of his other position as a parliamentarian.
After thinking for a moment, Deyoka added, "We should send a few more messengers, perhaps they can catch the attention of headquarters. Tell the Commander-in-Chief that this is not the time for personal grudges!"
Colonel Charles nodded. "I'll arrange it immediately."
Soon, a sidecar motorcycle sped out of the fortress, carrying three soldiers: a driver, a guard, and seated in the sidecar was the regiment's best-spoken Major Staff Officer, Jules.
Charles hoped that Major Jules might be able to secure something for Verdun, at least a small concession.
...
At the command post in Lagarde, Fayolle's eyes were fixed on a map of Belfort.
A few days ago, he had received a warning from the British, suggesting that the Germans' real target might be Belfort, and all the movements in Verdun could be a feint.
"I knew it!" Fayolle said with a smug smile upon receiving this intelligence. "No one would choose Verdun as a breakthrough point unless they were a fool or blind!"
The next moment, he ordered the main force of the 7th Army to be redirected to Belfort, including the large-caliber artillery that had just been removed from Verdun.
"We should also move the First Artillery Division there," Fayolle said, pointing to Belfort, speaking to Carnes.
"To strengthen Belfort's defenses?" Carnes asked, a bit confused. "But the role of tanks is to attack, isn't it?"
"Of course, to attack," Fayolle answered. "Defense is just a facade, Carnes. Once the enemy's attack loses momentum, the tank units will immediately counterattack, catching the Germans off guard!"
Fayolle remained obsessed with his "encirclement plan."
At this moment, a messenger arrived with a telegram. "General, Colonel Deyoka reports that the Germans are about to launch an attack, possibly tonight."
Fayolle scoffed, a hint of contempt at the corner of his mouth. "He knows nothing."
The messenger added, "But he mentioned that a large number of German forces have gathered at Verdun, and their artillery is ready to fire."
"That's just a show," Fayolle declared confidently. "He's only seeing part of it, and thinking it's the whole picture!"
Fayolle rolled his eyes in exasperation and told the messenger, "Tell him to focus on his own business."
"Yes, General!"
...
By late night, at about 9:30 PM, Major Jules' sidecar arrived at Lagarde.
Jules first found a telephone, hoping to inform Deyoka that they had arrived.
Just as the call was connected, the receiver crackled with the sound of artillery fire and Deyoka's voice shouting:
"They've opened fire! The bombardment is massive—at least a thousand large-caliber guns are bombarding us!"
"Our radio station's been destroyed! Report this to..."
The line went dead before he could finish, no matter how much Major Jules shouted.
Jules guessed the telephone line had been severed by shellfire, cutting off communication with the front.
He quickly hung up the phone and made his way to the command post. Soon, he was running.
The urgency of the situation left no room for delay. Every minute, every second could decide the lives of the soldiers on the front and the outcome of the battle.
However, as he reached the command post, the guards stopped him.
"I must see the Commander-in-Chief, immediately!" Major Jules shouted urgently.
"Sorry, Major," the guard replied coldly. "The Commander-in-Chief is resting. You cannot wake him."
Jules froze. He had forgotten that Fayolle had a habit of resting on schedule!
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