From Eastbourne to Maidstone, the straight-line distance was only thirty kilometers. Even taking a detour to avoid climbing mountains, it was merely sixty kilometers. Fully equipped troops would need two days to cover that distance. But for Armored Forces advancing at high speed along the roads, sixty kilometers was nothing at all.
The German 8th Army Corps's 8th Armored Division, along with two Infantry Divisions detached for the operation, had gathered a large number of Trucks. This allowed the soldiers to advance by truck, greatly reducing the time needed for the march.
That night, the German 8th Armored Division launched a surprise attack on Crawley, and a British Infantry Brigade stationed there collapsed and fled. Afterward, the 8th Armored Division and the two Infantry Divisions pressed toward Maidstone through the night. By dawn, the 8th Armored Division had already captured Aylesford, northwest of Maidstone. Britain's 3rd Army Corps and 8th Army Corps were now trapped within the encirclement of the German 3rd Army Corps and 8th Army Corps.
The performance of the German 8th Army Corps utterly dazzled the British, blinding their dog eyes. From the 8th Army Corps landing to joining the battle like lightning, only a day and a night had passed. Yet it had made the British pay a grievous price. More than four hundred thousand men from two Army Corps had become turtles in a jar.
Maidstone, headquarters of Britain's 3rd Army Corps. When Army Group Commander General Gough learned that Aylesford had fallen into German hands, he stood dumbstruck, as though struck by a bolt from a clear blue sky.
"God! Didn't the Germans only land at Eastbourne yesterday? How had they taken Aylesford by this morning? Could it be that the Germans could fly?" General Gough cried out.
"General, the Germans occupied Crawley last