Chapter 88: The Battle of the Rhineland

“Woooo… woooo… woooo…” A piercing siren sounded over the German Reichswehr garrison. Soldiers rushed out of their barracks, tidying their messy equipment. They had been issued ammunition a few days ago. All they had to do now was load the bullets in their hands into the chambers of their guns.

“Hello! Hello? What did you say? Speak more clearly! You’re saying the French have counter-attacked? Slow down! What on earth happened?” a major asked anxiously, holding the telephone receiver.

Behind him, row after row of Reichswehr soldiers ran out of the garrison. They had received orders a dozen minutes ago to immediately rush to the outskirts of the city of Mannheim to set up a defense and meet a possible French army attack.

Putting down the phone, the major snatched up the receiver again. “Get me division headquarters! Yes, right away! Division HQ? Colonel Skok! This is Valandu. My regiment is moving out of the barracks, but we don’t have enough anti-tank weapons! We need support! Yes.”

“It’s a complete mess over here too!” The commander on the other end of the line was clearly also extremely anxious. “I don’t have enough anti-tank guns on hand! The 88mm guns under the division’s command, I can only deploy them nearby around Heidelberg. You’ll have to rely on yourself.”

“Colonel! I only have a few dozen anti-tank mines in my hands! What am I supposed to use against French tanks? Rocks? I need support! Otherwise, my regiment won’t be able to hold back the French attack!” Valandu argued loudly.

“Alright! I’ll send you another 20 mines! And then I’ll try to find a way to reinforce you with two more heavy machine guns. That’s all I have to offer,” Colonel Skok said helplessly. “You must hold the front line for at least two days. I heard our panzer division will arrive in two days.”

He had just spoken with Major General Lutz, who was in charge of this defense sector. From him, he had confirmed the fact that the French had opened fire on the Reichswehr troops and also learned that Akado had already ordered the 25th Panzer Division to advance towards Augsburg. Lutz hoped that the 13th Reichswehr Division deployed here could withstand the first round of the French attack.

“What kind of mess is this! That damned Akado has gotten us all killed!” Valandu complained. “And that damned Lutz, why did he have to send troops to the Rhineland at this time?”

“Shut up, Major Valandu! Take your men and set up the defense immediately. The French won’t give you much time,” Colonel Skok, being a member of the Greater Germany Party, had no choice but to reprimand Valandu at this time.

“What’s that sound?” Valandu heard another kind of alarm sound coming from the other end of the line.

“Damn it! French reconnaissance planes! Captain Deko! Have your men use machine guns for anti-air defense! Tell the soldiers to take cover! Quick!” Colonel Skok on the other end didn’t answer Valandu’s question but instead issued a series of orders. “Valandu! I’ll call you back in a bit! It’s too chaotic here right now!…”

Before Valandu could say anything, the line on the other end had already been disconnected. Valandu hung the receiver back on the phone, then ordered his adjutant beside him, “Have the reconnaissance company advance and search! I need to find concrete evidence that the French have started a war!”

He pointed to the German and French border on the map. “From here to here! The final search direction is Kaiserslautern! I need to find the French line of attack! Quick!”

He then gave an order to a battalion commander waiting for orders behind the adjutant. “Have your men deploy here, here, and here! All sniper teams are to be dispersed in the field and in the small towns along the way! No one is to retreat a single step without orders!”

“Sir! If the French forces invade, we have no way to hold such a long defensive line. The entire regiment will collapse,” the battalion commander complained with a frown. “We should call the 9th Division stationed in the city of Mainz and have them come over to assist in the defense.”

“It’s no use. General Lutz’s side is also deploying defenses. They are responsible for the defensive line in the direction of Frankfurt. It’s impossible for them to spare any troops to save us,” Major Valandu said with a wave of his hand.

He once again thought with frustration of the culprit far away in Berlin. “Oh God! Akado has sent us all to hell! We’re going to be shot to pieces by the French!”

…

“The navy’s destroyers are ready for battle and can leave port at any time,” Cindra said, placing the documents in front of Akado. She then continued, “Colonel Guderian has cabled. Their troops are advancing towards Augsburg. He hopes the Inspectorate of Motorized Troops can provide sufficient fuel along the way. He can reach the vicinity of Stuttgart by tomorrow.”

“Rommel’s 26th Cavalry Division is advancing towards the city of Villingen-Schwenningen. He is preparing to counter-attack towards Offenburg from the south when the French attack Stuttgart. But his troops are short on fuel and ammunition and need to be resupplied,” added Lieutenant General Fedor von Bock, Akado’s personally selected Deputy Chief of the General Staff, an old general nearly fifty years old.

Akado looked at the arrows of the troops constantly advancing towards the Franco-German border on the map on the table. His furrowed brow never relaxed.

“Major General Brauchitsch’s 4th Division has already begun to advance towards Cologne. But the analysis from the intelligence department says that Cologne will fall in a few days. The 4th Division has no way to get there in time,” Gascoigne said, almost on the verge of tears. He and Akado had single-handedly planned this operation to enter the Rhineland. If Germany were to suffer defeat again because of this, then he would be a historical criminal of Germany.

“Alright! Don’t lose your heads!” Akado suddenly interrupted their reports. “Who can tell me! Who was it that sent back the news that the French opened fire on us? And where are our troops currently in a standoff with the French?”

“Two hours ago, Lutz ordered three of his battalions to advance into the Rhineland region. They were warmly welcomed by the local residents along the way,” Cindra said, pointing to the Rhineland region map to explain.

She pointed to an area with her teaching pointer. “When our troops advanced to here, one soldier was hit by a bullet. Chaos immediately broke out at the scene.”

“Our soldiers sent back a telegram, claiming the French had opened fire,” Lieutenant General von Bock said with a sigh. “And the order they received was to retreat immediately upon encountering resistance. So they didn’t get a clear idea of the French forces, just quickly retreated to the vicinity of the bridgeheads of several major bridges over the Rhine to set up defenses.”

“I had reporters ready, and speeches prepared, and in the end, they encountered a single gunshot and turned this inspiring operation into a joke?” Akado said angrily. “Letting the whole world see us as a group of timid cowards!”

“General, our troops are enforcing martial law in the Berlin urban area, which has already caused public resentment,” a colonel ran in. “President Hindenburg just called the guardhouse, demanding that we control you.”

“Vice-Chairman Stresemann from the Foreign Ministry asks that we return his call,” Anna walked in hastily. “He said we only have this one chance, which is to let him immediately call the French government and explain our reckless behavior this time.”

“A bunch of idiots! If we back down now, then all our efforts will have been completely in vain!” Akado stood up. “I have expanded the Reichswehr to its current scale! I have used all my heart’s blood to build this powerful nation! History has proven that I have never made a mistake! I will not miscalculate this time either! I order that the troops currently on the move maintain their forward advance.”

“General! We will be completely defeated by the French,” von Bock reminded Akado with a frown. “We only have about 70,000 troops near the French border. Even with reinforcements, it’s less than 150,000. France can mobilize more than four times our strength.”

“I know!” Akado said solemnly. “But at this time, we cannot fall into disarray ourselves! If they want my life, they have to come and take it themselves!”

After speaking, he pulled out his sidearm, pressed it onto his desk, and then picked up the telephone receiver. “Get me General Lutz.”

He waited for the sound on the other end of the line, then immediately asked, “Lutz! I want to know what on earth happened! Why would the French open fire?”

“General! The French did indeed open fire! My troops had no choice but to withdraw from the Rhineland and establish defensive positions at several major bridges,” Lutz’s side was also in a complete mess. “One battalion commander reported to me that the French were retreating, while another battalion commander said that a French machine gun team was firing, but they did not confirm the number of French troops.”

“You go there yourself! I want to know the most accurate situation!” Akado said angrily. “Because of your telegram, we now have 100,000 troops on the move! I need you to confirm the intentions of the French. Immediately! Right now!”

“Yes! I understand!” Lutz put down the telephone receiver, but Akado could still hear him shouting to his men, “Get me a car! We’re going to the bridgehead position to take a look!”

“Kesselring has called to ask for instructions, whether he needs to scramble fighter jets to intercept the French planes,” an officer asked after knocking on the door.

“No need! Have his men stand by at the airfield! Refuel and rearm all aircraft,” von Bock thought for a moment, then turned and ordered him. The officer glanced at Akado, nodded, and went out.

Everyone looked at Akado, at his lips, white as a sheet, pressed together, at a drop of sweat sliding down his bloodless face.

“General! I believe in you!” Anna walked up to Akado, stood at attention, and said, “I believe everything you say! If we fail this time, I am willing to go to hell with you!”

Akado looked up at the girl before him, whose face was also not looking good. He managed a smile, and just as he was about to say something, a soldier suddenly rushed in.

The soldier seemed somewhat panicked. “Sir! Just now, President Hindenburg sent a telegram to the High Command. He said, he said if you have any shame, you should commit suicide.”

Commit suicide? Akado looked at the P-38 pistol on his desk and laughed bitterly.