Chapter 712: Propaganda Offensive
On the Verdun front, a tense atmosphere pervaded the trenches of Germany's 5th Army Group.
But what they feared was not the immediate assault from the French forces.
Under Pétain's command, the 3rd Army might have formidable defensive capabilities, but when it came to offensive action, the word "child's play" would be a generous description. Their attacks posed little to no threat to the German lines.
Amidst the haze of gunpowder, Major Kenyon crouched low as he moved swiftly along the communication trench to observe the battlefield. Reaching the forward trench, he laid down behind the parapet made of sandbags, carefully poked his head out, and raised his binoculars.
Behind him, German soldiers, their faces covered with dust and soot, exchanged glances. Their eyes finally settled on Second Lieutenant Paulino, who was sitting on an ammunition crate taking a rest.
Paulino gave a small nod. He stubbed out his cigarette, grabbed the rifle leaning next to him, and jogged over in a crouch to Major Kenyon's side. He took position with his back to the trench wall, rifle ready to provide cover fire.
But Paulino had another motive.
After a short pause, he whispered, "Sir, don't you find the French offensive a little strange?"
Major Kenyon furrowed his brow but didn't move, replying in a low voice, "What do you mean?"
"The French haven't launched an attack in over a month," Paulino replied. "We all know Pétain focuses on defense. Plus, most of their main forces have been transferred to the Somme. I don't understand what they're hoping to achieve by attacking here."
The implication was clear: the French only wanted to hold Verdun. The decisive battle between the main forces would be fought at the Somme.
Therefore, a French attack at Verdun was illogical—there must be another reason behind it.
Major Kenyon pulled back his head and lowered his binoculars. Turning toward Paulino with a warning in his eyes, he asked slowly, "So, what are you trying to say?"
Paulino hesitated, intimidated by the major's expression, but eventually mustered the courage to respond, "It's Charles, sir. I believe he might be maneuvering his forces behind Verdun, behind our lines…"
"That's none of your concern, Lieutenant!" Major Kenyon interrupted sharply, his tone turning stern. "Your only job is to carry out your orders!"
"Yes, sir," Paulino replied.
"And keep your mouth shut," Kenyon continued his reprimand. "You should know how dangerous your so-called 'speculations' can be to troop morale."
"Yes, sir!"
"There better not be a next time." Major Kenyon pointed a finger at Paulino's chest. "Unless you want to be court-martialed!"
"Yes, sir!" Paulino answered, though his expression was filled with frustration.
This involved the lives of soldiers—how could it possibly be none of their concern?
Kenyon glanced around the trench. He realized it wasn't just Paulino; other soldiers also had the same look of unease on their faces.
He immediately understood—Paulino was simply voicing what many were thinking.
"Don't worry, men." Major Kenyon put on a confident expression and spoke with certainty:
"Yes, Charles did take Mézières, but his route is through the Ardennes Mountains, and he only has twenty thousand men."
"We've already intercepted them at Buzancy, I'm certain of it."
"Moreover, we've been reinforced by the 1st Tank Division."
At the mention of the 1st Tank Division, the soldiers' tense expressions eased a little.
With this elite unit in place to intercept, it seemed unlikely that Verdun would face an attack from Charles's armored forces—especially not from behind.
But just then, several Caproni bombers appeared in the sky. Under the stunned gaze of the soldiers, they dropped dozens of flaming bombs before flying away.
The German troops were stunned.
Bombers coming from the north—that was deep behind German lines. Did Charles now have free rein in the skies?
And those bombs—fiery, unlike anything they had seen before. Was this a new invention of Charles's?
Someone murmured, "Maybe this is a sign from Charles—he's telling us he's coming!"
That idea spread like wildfire among the soldiers.
Those bombers clearly weren't targeting any specific military objective. They seemed to be delivering a message.
Major Kenyon's eyes swept over the trench. With an icy tone, he issued an order: "Anyone caught spreading such rumors—I'll gladly send them to charge the enemy lines."
Silence fell. No one wanted to become a target in no-man's land.
However...
From across the line came a voice speaking in German, broadcast through multiple loudspeakers so everyone could hear:
"Germans, lay down your arms and surrender. There's no hope left for you."
"You may not know this, but Charles's 1st Armored Division has already retaken Trucqueville. He's only 5 kilometers from you."
"In an hour—or two—his troops will be right behind you."
"Your 1st Tank Division has already been destroyed."
"Not just defeated—burned alive in the forest near Trucqueville."
"Do you want to meet the same fate?"
...
Chaos erupted on the German line. The rumors could no longer be contained:
"So this is why the French attacked—they've already surrounded us."
"The other units have already retreated. We were just left behind as a rear guard."
"Yes, we're just sacrificial pawns. They want us to hold out until the last moment, even if it means certain death!"
...
The German army had the strongest fighting will in Europe, but they also believed in fighting only meaningful battles.
If defeat was inevitable and they were expected to die without even knowing the truth, it was considered an insult—a deception, a manipulation.
Many of them fought for honor, like medieval knights.
But now, that sense of honor was gone.
The German high command reacted quickly. Lieutenant General Walek ordered an immediate artillery barrage on the French lines, especially where the voices had come from.
But this act seemed more like an attempt to cover something up.
The soldiers thought: if it were truly just a rumor, why try so hard to prevent them from hearing it? Why not simply wait an hour or two to see if it was true?
No one knew who started it, but amidst the artillery fire, someone shouted, "Run! Do you want to wait for Charles to come kill us?"
At first it was just a couple of deserters. Then more joined, and soon, soldiers were fleeing in droves across the hills.
The worst part? The deserters were cunning. To avoid being executed when they got back, they shouted at the bewildered soldiers they passed:
"Charles's troops are here—we've lost!"
"We're doomed—run while you can!"
"If we stay, we die! They want us to fight to the last second—this isn't fair!"
...
Major Kenyon waved his pistol, trying to stop the collapse. He even shot and killed two fleeing soldiers.
It was useless. The line had broken. The collapse was like a dam bursting—unstoppable.
And just then, the French launched another offensive under the cover of artillery.
This time, they didn't retreat after a few shells fell.
They knew the Germans were running.
This was their moment to shine.
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