"General, we finally tore open the German defensive line. But in the end, they drove us back out. The Germans even deployed tanks for this!" an officer reported to General Haig.
"Damn it!" General Haig could not help cursing. He could keenly sense that this seemed to be their only chance to break through the German defensive line. If they missed this opportunity, it would likely become even more difficult from here on.
He looked at his watch. It was already two in the morning on August 22. In another three hours, dawn would break. By then, the Germans would certainly unleash a frenzied barrage of firepower against the British Army. General Haig did not believe the British Army could hold out under the fierce bombardment of the German Navy and the savage strafing and bombing of German aircraft. When that time came, what awaited the troops would very likely be a disastrous rout.
"No, we can't admit defeat like this. Otherwise, defeating the Germans will become even harder." General Haig silently warned himself. If they failed to achieve their intended objective this time, what awaited them would be an attack by elite German military forces. Could they still withstand it then? At any rate, General Haig did not really believe they could. Even though two British Army corps, totaling four hundred thousand men, had assembled at Margate, he still had no confidence at all.
"Order the 4th Infantry Division into battle! This time, we must tear open the German defensive line!" General Haig gritted his teeth as he gave the order. With no other choice, he could only pull more reserves into the fighting.
As if by prior agreement, the British 2nd Army Corps and 3rd Army Corps also felt the urgency of time. To tear open the German