Chapter 697 – How Did the Tanks Get Across?
While the tanks were being feverishly modified at the shipyard, Charles personally led his guards to the eastern bank of the Meuse River for an on-site inspection.
It was far from safe. German shells were raining down on the city with no discernible pattern.
Major General Browning had tried to stop Charles: "You don't need to go in person, General. I'll have all the data sent directly to you at headquarters. Nothing will be missed."
But Charles refused without hesitation.
There were many things one couldn't see or imagine from the rear command post—only by experiencing the field firsthand could he simulate and foresee the reality of combat.
This battle was too important. If it failed, the entire maneuver would collapse. Charles couldn't afford to be careless.
So, under Charles' command, they measured everything: the current speed, the width and depth of various river sections, and the presence of islands, sandbars, and submerged rocks.
In the end, Charles selected a school as the launching point.
It was Mézières Elementary School, located right on the riverbank.
He chose it because the rising waters had flooded the school's playground, creating a perfect staging area.
It was hundreds of meters wide—enough for more than a dozen "amphibious tanks" to line up and launch simultaneously, ensuring they would land almost at the same time and apply overwhelming firepower on the enemy.
The surface was paved and connected to multiple hard roads, suitable for tank movement. Even when entering the water, the tanks wouldn't sink into mud.
In the flooded playground area, the water was already 1.3 meters deep. The ground was level and free of obstacles, ideal for trial runs.
Most importantly, the school was situated at the midpoint of a "C"-shaped bend in the river.
The amphibious tanks would enter the water here, advance in a straight line for several minutes, and let the current gently carry them. Their lateral drift would lead them precisely to the intended landing zone at the end of the "C" bend.
…
The operation began in darkness, timed precisely so the tanks would land just before dawn.
Fortunately, the weather was foggy that day. Charles also ordered an artillery bombardment to mask the sound of propellers hitting the water.
Major General Browning personally led the assault.
There were moments of danger. The fast-moving current created unseen whirlpools. One such vortex caught Browning's amphibious tank and spun it around in the middle of the river.
But Browning remained calm. He ordered the engine to be shut off, letting the tank drift with the current until it stabilized. Then, seizing the opportunity, he gave the order to restart. The tank, aided by thrust and inertia, broke free of the whirlpool's grip.
Browning broke into a cold sweat.
He cursed aloud: "That bastard Charles—his invention works, but it's a damned toy! This is practically suicide!"
By the time Browning's tank made landfall, he felt as if he had narrowly escaped death. But before he could catch his breath, he was immediately met with a hail of bullets.
Browning ducked back inside the tank and continued to issue commands.
All around him, tanks were getting stuck or bogged down in the mud.
No one could gauge the conditions under the water—some tanks fell into invisible pits and became immobilized.
But from his viewing port, Browning glanced around and quickly spotted a pattern. He yelled to the driver: "Look at the buildings! The space between them must be the street!"
The driver instantly understood, slammed the accelerator, and charged forward along the gap between buildings.
Sure enough, the tank's tracks sliced through the water, surging up onto firm ground.
Meanwhile, Browning operated the machine gun, laying down continuous fire on both flanks.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
…
Fleeing German soldiers were cut down, their blood turning the already murky water a shocking shade of red.
Some wounded Germans lay struggling in the water, trying to get up. But the rising river filled their noses and mouths, making it impossible to breathe.
The more they struggled, the more pain they endured from their wounds. Eventually, they gave up, their movements slowing until they went still, floating motionless in the water.
Gunfire erupted in every direction as French soldiers followed the tanks and launched a full-scale assault.
Within moments, they had broken through the German riverbank defenses.
…
In the German command post by the Meuse, Lieutenant General Nicholas was trying to regroup the retreating forces.
After a brief consideration, he reported to Falkenhayn:
"General, if we can encircle Charles' forces—I mean completely encircle Mézières—then we may not need to abandon our northern defensive lines."
"We could even consider resuming our advance toward Dunkirk!"
Falkenhayn stared at the telegram for a while. It made sense. If Charles' forces couldn't break out in other directions, recapturing Mézières would mean nothing—it wouldn't compromise the integrity of the German front.
Still, Falkenhayn wasn't convinced things would unfold so neatly.
"Are you certain you can encircle Charles' First Armored Corps?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm sure, Chief of Staff," Nicholas replied confidently. "I can't imagine how they'll breach our lines. First, they'd have to cross the Meuse. Even if infantry can do it, tanks can't!"
"Very well," Falkenhayn replied. "Proceed as you suggested. I'll order the troops to re-establish the defensive line."
So, the German units that had just received a retreat order were now told to reclaim their positions.
Even the First Panzer Division, already on a train heading away from the front, was halted midway and ordered to return.
Nicholas had only one request for Falkenhayn: "I hope to receive five artillery regiments and one infantry division, along with ample ammunition. With those, I can trap Charles' forces in Mézières!"
Falkenhayn agreed without hesitation.
If Charles could be stopped, five artillery regiments and an infantry division would be a small price to pay. Twice that, three times—whatever it took.
But just as Nicholas was poring over a map, planning how to deploy the reinforcements, a communications officer burst into the office in a panic.
"General! Charles' forces have landed!"
Nicholas didn't even look up. "Then push them back. Notify the artillery!"
He assumed that a few volleys of artillery would be enough to solve the problem.
But the communications officer shouted again: "General! They've already landed and broken through our defenses! They—they have tanks!"
"What?" Nicholas's head shot up.
Tanks?
How did tanks get across?
Did they swim over?!
(End of Chapter 697)
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