The subsequent battle benefited from the counterattack of the main force of the French Fifth Army.
Major Brownie's unit consisted of only more than three hundred men, even though they were chasing several thousand German Army soldiers, they couldn't wipe them out entirely at once and might choke if not careful.
Especially since the tactic of tanks covering infantry advancement has a vulnerability:
Once German Army soldiers ruthlessly counterattack the tank units and engage in hand-to-hand combat, the tanks will become mere decorations.
Fortunately, the German Army soldiers at the time did not understand this. They were purely worried and frightened of being approached by these "monsters" and eventually chose to flee even if there was no escape route behind.
Then the main French forces arrived; these were the ones advocating attack, attack, and more attack. Their usual training habits made them rush past the tank defense line without hesitation, charging at the German Army soldiers ahead.
Many took a curious and fearful glance at the tanks while passing by, confirming they were their own equipment before confidently charging at the enemy.
Shouts, sounds of battle, cries of agony, sporadic gunfire.
Bayonets, rifle butts, stones, everything was used!
Everywhere French soldiers and German Army soldiers were engaged in close combat. They could be easily distinguished, as French soldiers wore conspicuous red pants.
Shire was astonished at the German Army's remaining fighting capability; the momentum of the French forces seemed to halt as if blocked by a gate.
This was not a force to be insulted; without the tank's support, the French Army would need to pay ten times the casualties to defeat them!
But this was still useless.
Though there were only a few hundred German Army soldiers in the trench defense lines, there were thousands of French soldiers, with continuous reinforcements, the sea of red quickly drowned out the German Army until they vanished.
French soldiers reaching the riverbank raised their rifles again, suppressing the gunfire from the German Army on the opposite bank while shooting at the fleeing German Army soldiers in the river.
Gunfire echoed, German Army soldiers fell into the icy river. Most couldn't even scream, as their mouths would quickly fill with water the moment they fell. The river surface became eerily quiet; no one knew if they were killed by bullets or drowned.
The French Army then set up machine guns, bullets skimming the river surface, producing blooms of blood, and corpses floated like dead fish, their blood turning the river water smoky red.
Kluck looked on, his face ashen. Initially, he thought this battle was assuredly won when the first regiment successfully seized the bridgehead.
However, the situation suddenly reversed, and before Kluck understood what was happening, the German Army had collapsed and suffered a complete defeat.
"What happened?" Kluck asked in confusion, "Did the enemy reinforcements arrive?"
Kluck hadn't noticed the "iron cans" on the riverbank defense line.
The staff didn't know what happened either, but they knew what to do.
A survivor was brought before Kluck, the highest-ranking officer the staff could find.
This was a lieutenant, with mud and blood on his face, seemingly wounded, shaking uncontrollably out of fear and gasping for air.
Kluck frowned, looking at the lieutenant disdainfully, "Is this an officer of the Steel First Regiment?"
"What happened?" Kluck asked coldly, suppressing the urge to have the lieutenant executed.
"General!" the lieutenant answered with a trembling voice, "The enemy has a new piece of equipment; it's invulnerable to our weapons. We... can't penetrate it, but it can mow us down with machine guns..."
The lieutenant, still fearful, glanced across the river. At that moment, an "iron can" came into view, causing the lieutenant to quickly point in that direction, "There it is! That monster!"
Kluck raised his binoculars, looked in the direction indicated by the lieutenant, and indeed saw a strange entity in the viewfinder.
Kluck's face changed, "What is that thing? It can turn the tide at the last moment?"
After contemplating for a while, Kluck ordered the staff nearby:
"Take him away and make him tell everything he knows, every detail, nothing omitted!"
"Yes, General!" The staff responded while signaling two soldiers, who understood and restrained the lieutenant on the verge of madness.
The French soldiers across the river had finished their final operations, cheering and waving at the last few fleeing German Army soldiers, seeming to bid farewell while more likely showing off.
In stark contrast, the German Army soldiers on the north bank had grim expressions.
This was the first such defeat the German Army faced since the war began; the sandbanks between the two armies, the bridge, the river, were all littered with German Army bodies, estimated at four to five thousand lost, all within this brief moment.
What made them feel even more humiliated was that the ones stationed opposite were the French Fifth Army, who they had been chasing all along!
These former enemies had finally made them taste defeat!
...
Shire and Joseph rushed toward the battlefield immediately, worried that Matthew might be one of the tanks trapped in the trench.
If caught in the trench, he could likely be shot close-range by German Army soldiers from the flanks, which would be fatal.
However, Shire and Joseph quickly felt relieved, as they saw Matthew walk out of his tank amid soldiers' cheers, proudly waving to the French soldiers!
Matthew was always so flamboyant; he loved to show off and amplify every achievement he made.
But he deserved it!
"He's okay!" Shire breathed a sigh of relief. Should anything happen to Matthew, he would have no idea how to explain it to Joseph.
Joseph seemed to understand Shire's thoughts and said thoughtfully:
"Even if something happened, I would not blame you, Young Master Shire!"
"He is fighting for France, it has nothing to do with you!"
"And you saved all of us!"
Suddenly, a soldier shouted:
"Hey, there's Young Master Shire! He invented this iron thing that helped us win this battle!"
Everyone turned their eyes towards Shire, followed by a wave of higher cheers. Soldiers crowded in, eager to shake Shire's hand.
"It's an honor, Young Master Shire!"
"Thank you very much, you saved us, you saved this battle!"
"You are our savior!"
...
The soldiers' demands were simple: whoever could lead them to victory would be respected, as it often meant their survival.
Shire spotted Major Brownie in the crowd; they exchanged glances and nodded slightly.
Prior to the battle, Shire had arranged for Major Brownie to handle training, command, and operations.
Initially, Major Brownie was reluctant.
"This is clearly your doing!" Major Brownie said angrily, "I won't take credit for your work!"
Shire countered, "What do you think will happen if they know I did all this?"
Major Brownie was momentarily stunned but soon realized the problem, "They might conscript you, even though you're underage!"
"Yes!" Shire said, "I don't want that, so..."
Major Brownie reluctantly nodded, "Alright, I'll do it! But I will return these honors to you when necessary!"
After a pause, Major Brownie added, "I'll instruct my subordinates to present a unified account!"
That's why someone shouted at Shire, "He's the one who invented this iron thing!"
Compared to the inventor's halo, Shire's military talents seemed insignificant.
Shire was willing to accept the title of the "inventor," especially since his invention helped the military to win the battle.
This would give Shire a good reputation in France and further help him secure a position in the French military industry.