Chapter 663: Tank Coordination
Before all the "deserters" had fallen, the British army, under Haig's command, launched its offensive against the German lines. Leading the charge were the "Whippet" tanks.
Haig had once declared, "Tanks and machine guns are useless—they're redundant on the battlefield."
Even now, he still held that belief, though he'd added a justification:
"Sometimes, it doesn't hurt to use unnecessary things in war, much like knights drawing blood patterns on their armor to prove their valor and achievements."
The soldiers all understood what was really going on. In private, they muttered:
"The great butcher is once again showing off his stubbornness and stupidity."
"If only it were just that—but he's also cold-blooded. All we can do now is pray."
"To God?"
"No. I'm praying I'm not reborn in my next life under his command."
These were the grumblings of the British Expeditionary Force.
Having experienced bloodshed and death firsthand, the soldiers had come to understand the importance of tanks and machine guns—especially after the Germans had used machine guns to slaughter 100,000 British troops in a single day.
They found it unimaginable that, after such devastating losses, Haig still clung to his view that tanks and machine guns were useless.
But the men had no say. All they could do was sigh:
"If machine guns are useless, were those 100,000 corpses fake?"
"If tanks are useless, were all of Charles's victories—where tanks blocked thousands of bullets—also fake?"
"Even fools know they're effective. Only commanders safe in bunkers can ignore them."
Haig's refusal to accept reality wasn't because he was blind or stupid. He simply couldn't bear to admit he was wrong.
And a man pretending to sleep can never be awakened.
Because he pretended to sleep, Haig refused to acknowledge tank tactics—whether offensive coordination with infantry or defensive deployment.
As a result, British strategy lagged behind that of both France and Germany—even though Britain also had tanks.
The "Whippet" tanks rumbled over no-man's-land, their narrow tracks climbing the battered terrain. The chalky ground of the Somme was ideal for tank warfare: firm and flat, though riddled with overlapping shell craters.
But that didn't stop the Whippets.
They crawled at 7 km/h, swaying like ships over waves.
Their four machine guns bounced rhythmically in their turrets, nearly flying off the mounts.
Behind them marched British infantry—ashen-faced, their hollow eyes fixed on the German trenches through the clouds of tank exhaust.
Their white-knuckled grips on rifles showed their terror.
Some trembled uncontrollably, stumbling into craters only to be yanked back up by "sympathetic" comrades.
"Stay close to the tanks!" shouted Captain Monty of the 5th Infantry Brigade, brandishing his revolver.
"They'll block enemy machine-gun fire! Only behind them can we reach the trenches!"
It was Monty's fifth attempt to charge the German line.
He believed tanks were just shields—tools to absorb bullets so infantry could break into enemy positions.
He'd succeeded three times already, and now considered his theory flawless.
In briefings, he confidently claimed,
"Tanks and infantry each have their roles. If both do their part, we win. If we fail, one of them didn't do their job well enough."
He had no concept of "combined arms," no understanding that close coordination between infantry and armor could form a unified force—a greater whole.
He didn't realize that tanks were not just shields, but force multipliers when used in sync with infantry.
Across the lines, hidden in a machine-gun nest, Erwin observed the British advance through binoculars.
He smiled faintly.
Now a Major General and commander of Germany's 1st Panzer Division, Erwin had full authority to conduct an entire battle without oversight.
He even had three infantry divisions under his command.
And as expected, the British still had no idea how to use tanks properly.
Good.
They would soon learn the hard way.
They'd be crushed under German tracks—stepping stones for Erwin's promotion.
Lowering his binoculars, Erwin raised a hand and gestured forward.
His staff and signal officers immediately relayed the order:
"Fire!"
"Fire!"
…
German 105mm howitzers boomed to life.
Their shells whistled over the advancing British troops and slammed into the British rear artillery positions.
For three days, the Germans had held their fire, lulling the British into thinking their guns had been destroyed.
Now, their sudden retaliation sent shockwaves through the British lines.
Caught completely off guard, British gunners panicked.
Their batteries were torn apart; survivors scrambled to shift their guns or abandoned them altogether.
Erwin's artillery strike wasn't meant to obliterate the enemy—it was to suppress them just long enough for his tanks to break through and engage the British directly.
Once the two sides were entangled in close combat, Britain's superior artillery would be useless.
When the timing was right, Erwin gave the next order:
"Advance!"
"Advance!"
"Advance!"
…
The command echoed across the lines.
German tanks roared out of their trenches—both "Upper Silesia" models and the upgraded "LK2" tanks.
Erwin had further evolved tank doctrine. He believed tanks must coordinate not just with infantry, but also with other tanks.
He had once described this in a report to his former superior, Lieutenant General Nicholas:
"It's like a naval fleet—battleships, cruisers, and destroyers each play their role. On land, tanks of different weights must also work in concert."
"Medium tanks, with thicker armor and bigger guns, should spearhead assaults on trenches and strongpoints."
"Light tanks, with speed and flexibility, are best used against enemy armor and mobile infantry."
…
Thus, the first wave of German LK2s, accompanied by infantry, charged ahead. Their goal: to destroy British tanks and scatter enemy infantry.
Behind them followed the Upper Silesia tanks, tasked with crushing fortified positions and rolling over the trenches.
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