Chapter 704 – Advancing on Multiple Fronts
Paris City Hall, conference room.
Colonel Dura stood before a large map, gesturing confidently as he spoke.
Given that Briand was a former lawyer and Clemenceau a former doctor, neither of them had any real military expertise. This made Dura feel completely at ease.
"Although Charles has successfully taken Buzancy, it's likely the furthest his army will get," he stated.
"Buzancy is roughly 60 kilometers from Mézières. To defend such a long stretch would require at least 50,000 troops, along with enough time to construct proper fortifications."
"If not, the connection between the two cities remains extremely fragile. Any German unit breaking through between them would sever the link entirely."
Briand and Clemenceau nodded repeatedly, fully convinced by Dura's logic.
What they didn't know was that Dura's analysis applied only to traditional infantry.
Charles's mechanized forces were a different matter. For them, two cities 60 kilometers apart were far from "fragile." They didn't require 50,000 men to hold the line—nor did they need static fortifications.
…
Éperlecques was a small town situated between Mézières and Buzancy. It lay at the junction of three roads and was a critical transportation hub.
Colonel Bernell, leading a mechanized regiment attached to the German 21st Army Group, arrived at the town before nightfall.
This regiment had been hastily organized by Nicholas, modeled after Charles's mechanized structure.
But it was mechanized in name only. The German version lacked tanks, artillery, and armored vehicles—just infantry transported by truck.
Upon arrival, Bernell quickly realized he was in danger.
Which direction should he face his defenses?
To one side was Mézières. To the other, Buzancy.
Both were now held by French forces—both had mechanized and armored troops.
No matter which direction he defended, his rear would be exposed to the other.
Unless… he formed a circular defense line around the town itself.
But that would be foolish. It would be like building a trench around oneself and shouting to the enemy: "We've boxed ourselves in! Come shell us to pieces!"
Soon enough, Bernell found he had no decision to make at all.
Before he even had time to breathe, tank engines began rumbling in the dark—all around.
"Damn it, we're surrounded. It's a trap!" Bernell shouted. "Retreat! Get out of here!"
But it was already too late.
French tanks rolled up onto the highways, blocking all exits. The French forces rapidly fanned out from the tanks, erecting steel walls of fire and metal.
Boom! Boom!
The battle erupted to the roar of St. Chamond 75mm cannons and the screams of German soldiers.
The German so-called "mechanized regiment" stood no chance against coordinated French tank, infantry, and artillery assault.
…
Paris City Hall.
Colonel Dura pointed at Buzancy on the map and continued his analysis:
"Buzancy has no natural defenses. Most of its buildings are made of wood—it can't resist bullets or bombing."
"Charles needs time to build fortifications, but I doubt he'll get it. The Germans will arrive from all directions to surround him."
"Unless… he can mobilize every civilian in Buzancy. Even then, he won't escape encirclement."
…
Meanwhile, in Buzancy, the townspeople were astonished.
After the French forces recaptured the city, they hadn't begun any fortification at all.
The citizens saw no German soldiers, no fighting—only the distant sound of gunfire and artillery.
Then came wave after wave of news:
"They [the French] crushed the Germans at the Moria Bridge, capturing over a thousand prisoners!"
"They surrounded and wiped out thousands at the Priel Bridge—more than 3,000 dead or wounded!"
"They defeated another German unit near the Millau Bridge!"
…
Back in Paris, Colonel Dura stood with his arms folded in front of the map.
"Charles's biggest mistake was choosing to attack Verdun."
"The penetration route is too long—over 130 kilometers."
"They'll need at least two days to reach their objective. That gives the Germans time to regroup and fortify."
"I guarantee it: the further Charles goes south from Buzancy, the slower and harder his progress will become. He'll get bogged down."
…
Thirty-eight kilometers south of Buzancy lay the town of Saulnier.
Charles's First Armored Division reached it in just seven hours—over three hours ahead of schedule.
While advancing toward Verdun, Charles abandoned his usual tactic of marching in a long column.
Instead, he split the division into two brigade-sized formations, advancing in parallel.
Each brigade then divided further into regimental subgroups, taking multiple routes forward.
The purpose was simple: find gaps in the German line.
Night maneuvers posed a challenge—tanks had poor visibility and were prone to blundering into entrenched positions.
Without air reconnaissance or cover, accurate intelligence was impossible.
Charles's solution: advance in multiple lines, spread wide across the terrain.
Units that encountered resistance would avoid head-on attacks. Other units, penetrating through gaps, would circle around and strike from the rear.
Because the Germans had no time to construct solid fortifications, gaps were inevitable.
As a result, French forces again and again collapsed German defenses by attacking from the flanks—or even from behind.
Sometimes, the Germans didn't even know where the French were coming from.
Of course, this required rigorous training.
Otherwise, the darkness and difficult terrain would've left uncoordinated units scattered and ineffective.
In a rocking armored car rolling along a rural road, a staff officer leaned over to Charles.
"General, we're 30 kilometers from the German defensive line at Verdun. At our current pace, we'll arrive by 8:00 a.m. tomorrow."
Charles gave a quiet "hmm." Even he was surprised at the speed.
He'd expected night marches to be a nightmare. He figured if they could cover 30 kilometers overnight while fighting, it would be a success.
But it turned out the night slowed them down far less than anticipated.
Clearly, the Germans were being overwhelmed by this new tactic of flanking armored assaults.
They probably couldn't understand how the French were locating their defensive gaps and executing rapid penetrations—at night, without aerial reconnaissance, with almost zero visibility.
After a pause, Charles issued an order.
"Send a message to Pétain. Tell him—it's time to counterattack."
"Yes, General," the officer replied.
This was Charles offering Pétain a gift.
Even if Pétain didn't attack, Charles's First Armored Division would be able to smash the Germans from behind and relieve Verdun on its own.
Charles didn't worry about whether Pétain was the offensive type or not.
This wasn't about mindset—it was about competence.
(End of Chapter 704)
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