Chapter 522: The Battle of the Somme
It was early November, along the banks of the Somme. The morning air carried a faint chill, and the trees lining the river had shed most of their leaves, leaving only a sparse scattering clinging to the branches. The landscape appeared bleak and desolate.
From his command post, General Douglas Haig of the British Expeditionary Force cautiously raised his binoculars, scanning the distant German trenches. Everything appeared quiet—almost too quiet. The German positions showed no sign of life, except for a few birds hopping around obliviously.
Lowering his binoculars, Haig turned confidently to his staff officers and nodded approvingly. "The Germans have no idea they're sitting under the hammer. They're finished."
South of the Somme, French Commander-in-Chief Robert Nivelle was similarly observing enemy lines. With a characteristic arrogance, he addressed his subordinate generals, declaring, "When the last leaf falls from those trees, gentlemen—within a few days—our victory will be complete!"
This was typical of Nivelle's leadership style. He often made grand, optimistic statements before major offensives, believing such bravado would boost morale and propel his troops toward swift victory. Yet he failed to recognize the dangerous consequences of these exaggerated promises, should his predictions not come true.
This time, the combined British and French armies had assembled a massive force along the Somme, divided north and south of the river. Haig commanded the British Fourth Army in the north, with 23 divisions, while Nivelle controlled the French Sixth Army in the south, initially bringing 5 divisions to the front. Their combined artillery numbered around 1,500 guns, prepared to unleash one of the most intense bombardments of the war.
Nivelle checked his pocket watch. As the minute hand neared seven o'clock, he stood confidently and issued his order: "Commence firing. Show them our strength!"
Three red flares shot into the sky, hanging briefly before falling slowly back to earth. Moments later, the entire horizon erupted in a deafening roar. Shell after shell streaked toward the German trenches, exploding upon impact and filling the air with dirt, smoke, and flames. The artillery barrage was unprecedented, so powerful that it seemed impossible any living thing could survive.
For half an hour, the bombardment continued relentlessly. Soldiers near the frontline watched shells whistle overhead, hammering the German positions without pause. The earth trembled violently beneath their feet, the roar drowning out every other sound.
Nivelle watched the spectacle proudly, shouting excitedly, "That's right! Blow everything sky-high! Nothing can stand against us now!"
He sincerely believed artillery alone could annihilate the enemy. Every obstacle could be overcome simply by pouring enough shells onto it.
Farther north, General Haig exhaled slowly, relieved to see no German artillery response. To him, the lack of return fire signaled that victory was already assured. After all, this barrage would continue unabated for seven consecutive days. Nothing, surely, could endure such punishment.
In Haig's mind, victory was simple: his infantry and cavalry would wait safely behind the lines until the artillery had pulverized German defenses into dust. Then, at the appointed time, British soldiers would advance effortlessly, crossing over and occupying empty trenches, collecting prisoners, and claiming their triumph.
Half an hour after the barrage began, Haig confidently sent a telegram to Lord Kitchener, the British Minister of War, who was coordinating operations from Dunkirk:
"All is proceeding splendidly. German resistance appears nonexistent. Victory assured. Seven-day bombardment might not even be necessary."
Upon receiving Haig's telegram, Kitchener relaxed slightly. He had accelerated the timetable of this offensive to redirect attention away from the political disaster caused by the failed attempt to trap Charles at Namur.
Now, Kitchener aimed to prove conclusively that Britain didn't need Charles to secure a decisive victory—indeed, an even greater victory than anything Charles had accomplished.
Yet, lingering unease led him to reply urgently:
"Once the initial breach is created, deploy cavalry immediately. Do not hesitate or delay."
To achieve the "spectacular" victory Kitchener envisioned, capturing trenches alone wouldn't suffice. He needed to match Charles's earlier feats by breaking through enemy lines, encircling German forces, and taking tens of thousands of prisoners.
Haig responded confidently:
"Understood, sir. Cavalry prepared and standing by."
Indeed, three entire cavalry divisions—over 40,000 horsemen—waited eagerly for their moment to charge through the breach and into the enemy's rear areas. However, neither Haig nor Kitchener truly grasped the essence of Charles's tactics.
Charles measured success in hours, not days. His tanks and armored units attacked immediately following artillery barrages, exploiting the element of surprise and preventing enemy reinforcements from reacting in time. By contrast, Haig and Kitchener saw no urgency, believing a seven-day bombardment was essential preparation. They had unwittingly given Germany ample time to gather reserves and reinforce the threatened sectors.
Back at his headquarters in Antwerp, Charles received early reports of the massive Allied offensive at the Somme. He showed little interest. He already knew how this battle would end. He saw no reason for urgency.
General Tijani, however, anxiously awaited updates, staying close to the telegraph room. When news finally arrived confirming the scale of the attack, he rushed excitedly to Charles:
"They've started! At the Somme! Those bastards didn't even bother to inform us—we're nothing in their eyes!"
Charles seemed unfazed, prompting Tijani's curiosity.
"You already knew?" Tijani asked suspiciously.
"Did you not notice how many roads and railways they built leading to the Somme?" Charles replied calmly.
Tijani paused, realizing he'd overlooked this obvious indication of a major offensive. Still, Charles himself knew primarily because he had foreknowledge; he'd merely retraced logical clues.
Charles now turned his attention thoughtfully toward the map, specifically the heavily fortified city of Namur.
"Now we can discuss attacking Namur," he said coolly.
Tijani froze in shock, realizing suddenly what Charles intended. Charles had used the Somme offensive precisely as Kitchener had intended to use Namur against him: as bait.
With German attention now entirely focused on the intense fighting at the Somme, Namur would be left vulnerable. Charles had turned Kitchener's trap completely on its head, waiting until British forces had committed themselves fully elsewhere before striking.
"You cunning bastard," Tijani whispered, grinning.
Kitchener had intended to distract and trap Charles at Namur, drawing German reinforcements there. But instead, Charles had done exactly the reverse—he now intended to attack Namur while the Germans were preoccupied at the Somme.
He had set the perfect reverse trap.
(End of Chapter 522)
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