Chapter 330: Rushing to the Sea

An armored car left ruts on the soft sandy beach, then, without any scruples, it crashed through a bush that was blocking its path, revealing its already filthy front. Originally, for winter camouflage, its front had been painted white, but due to time and the environment, it was now covered in scratches, with oil stains and mud and dust still on it. In short, with just one look, you would not want to reach out and touch it.

The commander of the armored car opened the hatch on top of the turret, revealing an exhausted face. He had not had a decent rest for three consecutive days. His dirty face was also covered in oil and dust, and many stains could also be seen on his black panzer uniform. The pink piping on his collar, which represented the armored branch, had also turned a slight dark red from not having been washed for a long time.

A thick communication antenna was wrapped around the turret like a railing. This device ensured that even on a fierce battlefield or in a dense forest, this antenna would not be broken by accident. Of course, an antenna of this size also meant that the radio communication equipment inside this armored reconnaissance vehicle was powerful enough to contact the main force dozens of kilometers away.

They were the armored reconnaissance battalion of the 7th Panzer Division of the 7th Panzer Corps. They were the brave warriors who always ran at the forefront of the army. They were the blade of the 7th Panzer Corps, which had made the French army tremble with fear.

This six-wheeled armored reconnaissance vehicle had a very perfect ballistic shape. It was difficult to penetrate its not-so-thick armor from almost any angle. And this piece of equipment had a very powerful engine that could provide stable and strong power, allowing this armored car to maintain a much faster speed than a tank in most situations. Of course, the 20mm cannon it was equipped with was one of the standard weapons of the German fighters. It had an extraordinary rate of fire and first-class penetration performance. Paired with a coaxial 7.92mm machine gun, it was simply a nightmare for French light tanks and infantry.

With such advanced equipment, the German armored reconnaissance units could often face the French army independently. They were like the wolf riders in a game, strangling the opponent’s reconnaissance units, launching surprise attacks and ambushes with great mobility, like insidious and cunning devils, making it impossible for people to figure them out.

Coordinated with a large number of reconnaissance teams equipped with BMW motorcycles, these fully mechanized scouts formed a tight net in front of the advancing tank and armored units, driving away the opponent’s reconnaissance troops, probing the strength of the opponent’s defensive lines, and clearing some simple obstacles. It is no exaggeration to say that it was because of such efficient armored reconnaissance units that the German armored forces were now so swift and invincible.

“Hello! Hello! This is reconnaissance car number 3, 1st platoon, 2nd company, reconnaissance battalion. Calling battalion headquarters, please respond if you hear me!” the commander said loudly, grabbing the handset of the high-power radio.

The upper half of his body, exposed outside the turret, swayed slightly with the movement of the armored car, and a very happy expression appeared on his face. Beside him, the gunner in charge of the cannon also poked his head out and let out a loud cheer.

“Static… This is battalion headquarters! We can hear your call! We can hear your call! Go ahead!” the loud voice of the reconnaissance battalion’s communication personnel came through the headset.

The commander looked at the golden sandy beach directly in front of the armored car, and at the boundless sea in the distance, and licked his lips with a smile. There, on the azure sea, the white waves crashed on the sandy beach, making a refreshing splashing sound.

The commander pressed the intercom and said with a smile, “Report to battalion! Report to battalion! We have reached the English Channel! In front of me is the English Channel!”

“The weather is nice today. If I were you, I’d go down and wash your ass!” the communication personnel on the other end of the radio joked. “I will submit your report to division headquarters. Heil Führer.”

“Heil Führer! I’m taking off my clothes now!” the commander laughed out loud and turned off the intercom. He then looked at his gunner and continued, “Interested in going down to the sea to wash your ass?”

“I’m afraid my precious in the middle will freeze,” the gunner laughed along.

Soon, the news that the vanguard of the 7th Panzer Corps had reached the English Channel reached Rommel’s corps headquarters.

“Heil Führer! Reporting to the general! The 2nd Company of the 7th Panzer Division’s divisional reconnaissance battalion has reached the English Channel. We have completely sealed off the southward retreat route of the Anglo-French coalition forces in Belgium,” the chief of staff said, holding a telegram and knocking on the door of the frontline command post that Rommel had just set up.

Rommel was at his desk, studying the nearby operational map. He had expected that the 7th Panzer Corps would complete the final mission assigned by the Führer today, but he had not expected this news to come so quickly.

He straightened up, took the telegram from his chief of staff’s hand, and read it carefully. He then looked up and said with a smile, “I think at this time we should get a bottle of French red wine and then toast to celebrate. But what I want to do more is to get on the new toy sent from Berlin and go to the beach of the English Channel to take a look.”

“General, although the new equipment has passed its safety tests, if you must go, it would be safer to take an armored car…” the staff officer said with a frown. In his heart, he was complaining helplessly, Can’t you just be a little more stable and let us subordinates have an easier time? Every day you come up with some thrilling experience that makes my heart pound. I already feel like I’m going to live a few years less!

“It’s fine! I’ve talked with the several drivers from the corps headquarters. They all say that thing is actually quite safe,” Rommel said excitedly as he loaded film into his camera. “You don’t know, that thing is really a great gadget. Our Führer is truly formidable. It seems he can create anything!”

Originally, Rommel liked to take a light, high-wing reconnaissance plane to fly over his frontline troops and take pictures. But because of the restriction of needing a field airfield, this kind of recreational activity was often an unattainable temptation for Rommel. This time, Berlin had produced a batch of helicopters. It was said that there were a full 100 of them. This new type of aircraft could take off and land without relying on airport facilities, which immediately made Rommel salivate.

As the Führer’s most beloved armored unit, and as one of the most highly regarded generals in these armored units, Rommel’s request would naturally not be refused by Akado. So the Führer had personally ordered that each panzer corps headquarters be equipped with a helicopter, as equipment for carrying out special missions.

Of course, the content of the so-called special missions was varied. For example, Guderian liked to use his helicopter to deliver some important urgent documents. And Rommel liked to use his helicopter to go to the front to take pictures and inspect.

Rommel, having loaded his camera, put on his leather trench coat and, pulling his staff officer, walked out the door, leaving the task of arranging the defense to his deputy corps commander. The two of them, one after the other, came to a piece of flat land. A brand-new Crusader helicopter was parked there.

“Heil Führer, General!” The helicopter’s ground maintenance personnel saw Rommel and immediately stood at attention and saluted.

“I’m going to take a plane to the English Channel to take a look. Start the engine at once!” Rommel said with a smile, walking to the side of the helicopter, finding a seat, and getting on. He then fastened the seatbelt on himself. He fixed his sitting posture, then took the headset and throat intercom from the side, which were used to communicate with the pilot, and put them on his head.

The pilot had gotten on the plane at about the same time, had checked the fuel tank and the communication system, and then had confirmed whether some of the equipment was working properly. After that, the pilot in the co-pilot’s seat had checked the ammunition of the machine gun fixed beside him, and only then had he started the plane.

The plane’s engine let out a deafening roar, and the huge airflow blew the mud on the ground away in all directions. The entire helicopter shook slightly, then lifted off the ground. The pilot continued to increase the power, and the plane slowly ascended. It wasn’t until it was dozens of meters high that it stopped, slightly adjusted its attitude, and then flew in the direction Rommel had requested.

On the ground, one tank after another was winding its way forward along the highway. On both sides of the highway, the grenadiers, with their weapons on their backs, were tiredly following on either side of these tanks and armored vehicles. Rommel saw some soldiers looking up and waving at his helicopter. The tops of the tanks’ turrets were covered with the German swastika flag, for the air force to use for target identification. He raised his camera and pressed the shutter on this steel torrent that was surging forward.

The helicopter continued forward, and not long after, the scenery below changed a bit. The buildings on the ground were burning fiercely, with black columns of smoke one after another. Thousands of French soldiers were walking dejectedly on the muddy country roads. On both sides of the road, the German soldiers responsible for escorting these French prisoners were leisurely sharing cigarettes.

One after another, captured French heavy cannons were piled up on the side of the road. On them stood curious German soldiers. Everywhere were captured trucks and warhorses, so many that even the staff officer beside Rommel stared with wide eyes.

The French prisoners looked up at the sky in dejection, because from there came the sound of an engine they had never heard before. They watched in terror as a wingless plane flew over their heads, making a thump-thump-thump sound. The huge propeller was actually on top of the entire plane, and the people on the plane were actually taking pictures of them with a camera.

The times were changing so fast. The German army’s new weapons were emerging one after another, not only changing the face of war, but also affecting the people of this world in every detail. The United States and Japan had both begun to hurriedly equip themselves with the new, era-defining thing called a tactical vest. Britain’s new fighter, the “Hurricane,” had already begun its intensive test flights. A year ago, people had never thought of making such a huge change.

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