Father of France

Chapter 76 Rhine Camp
Just as the two were marveling at the story of the Crouching Dragon and the Phoenix Chick, Koman entered the tent and happened to overhear their reflections on life. Look at the style of this mastermind behind the scenes!

It seems that after a long period of contact, Martin and Alan's cultivation in martial arts has also improved. If it weren't for their military background, they probably would have become colleagues with the Italian Mafia.

"What are you lamenting about? Instead of lamenting, let's take stock of the tobacco. This stuff absolutely cannot fall into the hands of our brother units."

Koman was furious. Instead of lamenting, he decided to get to work. "Sarr plans to leave two battalions as garrison troops to ensure the supply of our division."

"Oh, it's dawn in the Saar district," Martin clapped his hands. "Just the thought of our division leaving Saar makes the Germans in Saar jump for joy."

"I'm not as bad as you guys make me out to be, am I?" How could Koman not understand that this was a roundabout way of insulting him?
For a moment, he even doubted his own upright and virtuous image, but the doubt was only for a moment. My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror, and all my actions are for justice. What do these two know?

The main defense of Saar was taken over by the 46th Infantry Division, which belongs to the Third Army. Its vanguard has already entered the city. The main forces of the two armies behind it will not stay in Saar, but will directly cross Saar to catch up with the First and Second Armies and join them.

Koeman's French Youth Division will depart together with the main forces of the two army groups.

The Third and Fourth Armies were reorganized after the liberation of France, and their quality was certainly not comparable to that of the French army in 1940. The fact that France suffered a quick defeat in the Battle of France in 1940 does not mean that the French soldiers at that time were not brave enough.

More problems arose with the large number of middle and upper-ranking officers left over from World War I. The soldiers had done what they were supposed to do, but what could be done when two million French troops were surrounded?
France's population base could only support an army of two million at the same time. Looking back at World War I, after two million French soldiers were killed, Bolsheviks broke out in the French army.

The two newly formed army groups, combined, are only the size of the First Army Group. However, given the current situation where the Siegfried Line has been breached, the only tough battle in western Germany should be the Rhine River. After that, it will be more about negotiating with the German defenders, and surrendering as soon as the conditions are met.

Unlike the Eastern Front, the Soviet Union and Germany were truly blood enemies, fighting until the very last moment.

The French First Army Group's advance was not slow; it had already captured cities such as Freiburg and Baden. Now, with the addition of two new army groups, it was certainly much stronger than France's lackluster performance at the end of World War II, which could potentially lead to some changes.

For example, regarding the division of the four occupation zones, the main ones are the British and American zones, while the French zone is a buffer zone established by the British and Americans. However, in the world where Coman is located, the French zone is necessarily what the French army deserves for its contributions.

This could potentially cause conflict between Britain and the United States regarding the division of occupation zones. Germany's most valuable industrial areas were mainly located in the British-occupied zone, and the United States was actually somewhat unwilling to include the American-occupied zone in southern Germany.

On the issue of dividing occupied territories, the United States has proposed on several occasions to exchange the American-occupied territories with the British-occupied territories.

This time, France was very serious about advancing into Germany because of the changes brought about by Koeman, the source of the storm. As a result, the French army, which was not just going through the motions, was able to get closer to the American-occupied areas in southern Germany.

This change could disrupt the British and American division of occupied territories; it remains to be seen whether the British can withstand the pressure.

The Youth Division had already packed up its tents, checked vehicle malfunctions, and headed east with the main force of the Third Army. General Duval, the division commander, was also in the process of handing over duties to Gilbert Grandall, the high commissioner appointed by the provisional government. "We are trying to get as many Saarland residents as possible to escape. The rest may depend on the high commissioner."

“German nationalism must be thoroughly suppressed.” Gilbert Großwald answered decisively, stating his position on the nationalist tendencies of the Saar German residents. He, along with some French provisional government officials in Paris, held a firm stance on the future ownership of the Saar; the Saar must belong to France. “We will do our best to create conditions for this plan,” General Großwald solemnly promised, but time was of the essence and the task was urgent; the French Youth Division had to depart.

Nearly 300,000 French troops, including the Young Division, advanced eastward, breaking out of the Saar along the routes of the First and Second Armies, striving to successfully merge with the Rhine on the left bank.

The smoke of battle had not yet cleared from the Siegfried Line, but French engineers had already done their best to clear unobstructed paths for the following troops.

The fortress's deformed armored doors, their rusted hinges groaning in a death throes.

The bunker reeked of a mixture of gunpowder, excrement, and rotting flesh. Sunlight streamed through the numerous firing ports, casting dappled patterns on the walls.

The Germans had indeed put a lot of effort into this defensive line. The outer layer was three meters thick of high-grade concrete, with a five-centimeter steel plate sandwiched in the middle, and an inner shock-resistant layer. The outer wall of the bunker was covered with bullet holes, like a face covered with pockmarks, which showed how much resistance the bunker's defenders put up when the trial came.

What should have been a minefield behind the defensive line has now become a bizarre installation art exhibition, with some paralyzed Sherman tanks, armored vehicles and cars silently telling the story of the fierce attack and defense that took place recently.

The cleared safe road and the seemingly endless French troops, having seen the remains of the Siegfried Line, fell silent. Only the monotonous sound of armored tracks and footsteps indicated that a large force was marching.

On another front, General Guy, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Third Army, was facing yet another problem that would have greatly annoyed Patton: "The large number of German prisoners of war is affecting the pace of our advance, and we must solve this problem immediately."

"Report this to Ike and let him handle it," Patton replied calmly. "No problem can slow down our advance. We are now ahead of the British and the French, who were originally in the best position to attack in the south. To maintain this lead, we cannot stop for a moment. The 4th Armored Division cannot stop; we must break through the Rhine and take control."

Patton doesn't have time to worry about prisoners of war right now; he really needs to be faster than the British and French armies.

“Connect me to General Garfield.” Patton’s voice was unusually calm. The call connected quickly, and each word from General Patton was like a bullet fired from a gun: “This is George. Drop everything and advance immediately. Yes, now. No, don’t wait for the artillery to prepare. I want your advance force to arrive within two hours. If you find it passable, cross the river immediately. That’s the order.”

At Allied Command, Chief of Staff Wolf approached Eisenhower with a troubled smile. "General Patton has presented us with a difficult problem. There are a large number of German prisoners of war that cannot be settled, which is seriously affecting the marching speed. It is certain that once we cross the Rhine, the number of prisoners will increase rapidly. This shows that the German army's will to resist has been severely weakened, but how to settle the prisoners of war is a major problem we are facing."

"Are there a lot of prisoners of war?" Eisenhower was somewhat incredulous. The German army had always been known for fighting to the bitter end, so the Allies were not well prepared for the appearance of a large number of prisoners of war.

"Indeed, there are so many. We may not have taken many prisoners from the German Wehrmacht, but we can't treat the endless stream of Volkssturm members as civilians. They are indeed armed personnel."

Seeing Wolf's nod, Eisenhower decided to discuss the matter with representatives from various countries. Soon after, the plan supported by most representatives was announced: "Establish an open-air camp on the left bank of the Rhine to temporarily house the prisoners."

　It will be available tomorrow at noon.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)