Chapter 45: Peerless Genius

The trucks and armored vehicles of the Waffen-SS raced with cannons for 10 kilometers before finally finding a small grove to stop. As Pet anticipated, the British swiftly deployed reconnaissance planes and bombers. A small fleet consisting of one light cruiser and three destroyers also moved southward from Wootton Harbor. With the Air Force capable of launching comprehensive strikes on German artillery positions at any moment, it was unfortunate that the British bombers not only failed to locate the German cannons but also faced a fierce retaliation from promptly launched German fighters, ending up humiliated as they retreated across the Channel.

Reports swiftly arrived from the outskirts of Newport: Following a barrage from the previous artillery bombardment, the attacking British infantry, having lost all tanks and a large number of soldiers, were unable to continue the fight and gloomily retreated to the hastily constructed defenses at East Cowes Harbor. After inspecting the frontline situation, Schultz, responsible for the defense of Newport's outskirts, called Logan. He believed that with the deployment of a Waffen-SS armored platoon and 300 infantry, along with 10 minutes of continuous artillery support from the howitzer group, they could quickly recapture East Cowes Harbor.

The sight of the despairing expression on the faces of the British infantry, retreating without recourse, undoubtedly brought a sense of satisfaction in war, yet Logan did not heed his friend's counterattack suggestion for a simple reason: as long as East Cowes, Cowes, Wootton, and Yarmouth remained in British hands, the British commanders would continue to reinforce these ports with landing troops. Due to logistical constraints, they could not transport a large amount of heavy equipment ashore (according to historical records, by July, the entire country had only slightly over 300 tanks and over 500 guns. By early September, due to American aid, the number of guns in British hands had increased to over 1700, and the factories working overtime nearly doubled the number of tanks). Consequently, each batch of reinforcements was akin to "adding fuel," while the German landing forces, equipped with armored units and artillery, could be deployed with precision. If these ports were recaptured from the British, Logan would then have to worry about where the British would open new landing sites!

In the evening, the troops landed by the British at Yarmouth and Cowes harbors assembled two infantry divisions, supported by naval gunfire, and launched an aggressive attack from the northwest toward the outskirts of Newport. Pet timely deployed his artillery south of the German position. By the time the howitzer group completed its firing preparations, the battle had entered a fierce phase. Undoubtedly, the sudden artillery barrage from the Germans was a significant blow to the British attack. After inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy's manpower, Pet's soldiers swiftly mounted the howitzers onto trucks and moved to safer positions, leaving the British warships to fiercely bombard the empty artillery positions on the sea (under line-of-sight fire, calculating the target position, test firing, and adjusting fire until a large-scale bombardment is formed also takes some time).

Throughout the afternoon, Logan followed Pet's howitzer group, witnessing the exceptional performance of this artillery eccentric. With the rest of the equipment gradually unloaded through the Portsmouth Harbor and the two newly established floating bridges in the southern part of the Isle of Wight, a total of 36 Waffen-SS howitzers were eventually deployed. In addition, two Waffen-SS artillery platoons equipped with 75mm and 150mm infantry guns arrived in formation. Although these artillery pieces had short ranges, they were light in weight and easy to maneuver, still towed by armored vehicles and trucks, and positioned in the rear closer to the German lines to provide fire support!

"It's getting dark!" Logan, with an ordinary cigarette dangling from his mouth, quietly watched the blood-red sunset, amid the buzzing sound, as group after group of German planes flew south like departing bats. Limited by the technological level of the era, aircraft still couldn't carry out precise bombing at night, so the black night over the English Channel remained under the control of the Royal Navy. The makeshift airfields toiled by the German soldiers would undoubtedly face brutal bombardment again, while the German landing fleet, transporting troops and equipment, would still have to spend the last few hours of the return journey in anxious anticipation.

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Pet, immersed in the study of artillery, seemed indifferent to the melancholic natural scenery. His gaze shifted from the spread-out map to Logan. "The British landing forces at Cowes and Yarmouth have already suffered heavy losses this afternoon. The chances of them launching a new attack tonight should be low!"

"Well, as long as we appear ready to counterattack, they'll likely stay quiet around the harbor and reinforce their defenses all night! Currently, only the British troops landing at Wootton Harbor have the strength to attack. Based on timing and logistics, they should be able to assemble the forces of four infantry divisions and several tanks by around midnight," Logan explained. Whenever tanks were mentioned, Logan would naturally recall the roadside battles outside Dunkirk, the worst and most thrilling fight he had experienced in his life. Occasionally, other images would also come to mind: the formidable Tigers and King Tigers, the overwhelming clusters of T-34s, and various World War II tanks that left their mark in documentaries and movies. Would he one day command a powerful force of German tanks and launch attacks against the enemy?

Pet didn't respond immediately. Instead, he gestured on the map with a compass and ruler.

"However," Logan changed the subject, "the forces gathered at Wootton could either attack Newport to the west or Bridport to the southeast. I believe there's a forty percent chance for either scenario."

"And a twenty percent chance they'll just stay put and defend?" Pet asked, without raising his head.

"Heh, maybe they've become wary of your cannons!" Logan chuckled.

Pet calmly replied, "It doesn't matter. The artillery positions we've set up to lure the British fleet into action can cover both directions. If the British remain defensive, we'll initiate an artillery barrage on Wootton Harbor at midnight. How does that sound?"

For this question, Logan truly had no answer. He walked over to Pet's side and glanced at the map, which was already marked with numerous circles and crosses in colored pencils. "I may be a novice in artillery, but I'll fully cooperate on the infantry side. With today's battle, you're worthy of receiving a Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross!"

After deliberation, it seemed that Pet had made up his mind. "Alright! Let's do it this way!"

"Yeah, let's do it!" Logan smiled at Pet. This was the first time since his time-traveling that he completely delegated control of the situation to someone else, and it was only temporary.

The answers to the probability events were not deeply buried. After dinner, reports from the observation posts deployed around Wootton Harbor came in: the British began assembling to the east of Wootton Harbor, indicating their strategic focus on the "lifeline" of the German landing forces. German engineering troops rushed to repair two floating bridges on the beaches in the south of the Isle of Wight, but their loading and unloading capacity was less than a quarter of that of Bridport Harbor. Moreover, these floating bridges were vulnerable to British airstrikes. Fortunately, the German Navy had brought in two squadrons of seaplanes for night air transport, including the famous He-115, BV-138, Do-18, and the Do-24 originally designed for the Netherlands (a relatively successful seaplane continued to be produced for the German Army after the Netherlands was occupied). Theoretically, these seaplanes could transport 200 tons of supplies or 1500 soldiers to the island overnight. However, due to sea conditions and loading speeds, the actual transport volume might be lower.

Facing the British's offensive posture, Logan issued a standby order to the Waffen-SS troops stationed outside Bridport Harbor. Similar to Newport, the Germans had constructed circular fortifications around the port, defended by the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler" regiment and a unit of paratroopers. To fend off attacks from the sea, the positions were equipped with six 105mm field guns with a range of 18 kilometers, capable of rotating direction at any time. Inside the harbor, there were four stranded German armed freighters, which carried small-caliber naval guns that could provide some firepower support during battle.

The battle seemed imminent. Logan drove back to his command post to oversee the overall situation, while Pet led hundreds of Waffen-SS artillerymen and engineers to construct artillery positions along the central and eastern coastlines of the Isle of Wight. According to their agreed plan, the central position would be equipped with eight howitzers and 21 infantry guns, while the eastern position would have 28 howitzers and five 88mm anti-aircraft guns.

Due to the limited number of armor-piercing and high-explosive shells transported by sea during the day, at Pet's request, Logan coordinated with the navy to urgently transport 800 armor-piercing shells and 400 high-explosive shells for the 105mm guns via a squadron of Do-24s. Taking into account the loading and unloading time, these shells should arrive at the eastern positions before 10 p.m.

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"2.5 meters deep, it must be dug to 2.5 meters, not a centimeter less, with a gentle slope, and leave enough firing space to the northeast! Guys, you're sweating now, so you'll bleed less in battle!"

"Keep 20 rounds of ammunition at each gun position, as well as 20 rounds for each armored vehicle and truck; the rest should be moved to the trenches on the other side of the woods!"

"Each anti-aircraft gun should have 20 illumination rounds, with the surplus stored separately!"

As dusk approached, there was still a sunset glow, but the sky was completely covered by dark clouds from an unknown direction, leaving the fields pitch black without moonlight or starlight. Soldiers in Waffen-SS uniforms, illuminated by a few car headlights, busily wielded their shovels and spades, kicking up clouds of dust as they worked. A tall Waffen-SS captain stood in the cargo compartment of an armored vehicle, occasionally shouting instructions loudly, revealing himself to be a rather serious and meticulous individual from the content of his words.

A gust of wind blew through the trees by the sea, carrying with it a moist, salty smell.

Is it going to rain?

The captain grinned without humor, revealing his two iconic tiger teeth. Rain wasn't always a bad thing; muddy ground would weaken the impact of shells, but wet decks and hulls wouldn't.