Chapter 0581: A Troubling Issue

"General, the Germans have been routed. They have retreated from Le Havre. Those Germans suffered heavy losses under our naval bombardment and had no choice but to withdraw in disarray!" an aide reported excitedly to General Haig.

"Good, excellent!" General Haig could scarcely conceal his joy. On the battlefield, they had been under relentless pressure from the Germans, repeatedly driven back. When had they ever managed to defeat the German forces? This victory was, without a doubt, invaluable to them.

"Have we inflicted significant losses on the Germans?" Haig continued.

"General, it's not fully clear yet. However, given the chaos of their retreat, it's certain they didn't escape unscathed!" the aide replied.

Haig nodded. "Keep monitoring closely! Also, maintain communication with the navy to ensure that our warships' shelling continues to rain down upon the Germans."

"Yes, General!" replied the aide.

For the British Expeditionary Force, this was a rare chance to deal a crippling blow to the Germans, and they intended to seize it without hesitation.

It was only when the Germans had fully retreated from Le Havre, out of the main range of the Royal Navy's warships, that the shelling finally ceased. General Haig, at that point, went to report their victory to Sir French.

"Sir, we've driven the Germans out of Le Havre. The naval bombardment inflicted substantial casualties upon them," General Haig reported, his face beaming with excitement.

"Excellent. At last, we've managed to deal the Germans a defeat. General Haig, can we hold Le Havre?" asked Sir French.

Though pleased by the victory, Sir French's primary concern was whether the British Expeditionary Force could successfully defend Le Havre, as that was of utmost importance.

"Sir, with the navy's fire support, the Germans won't have a chance to attack Le Havre again. The naval guns will shred them to pieces—unless, of course, the German Navy mounts a massive assault and overcomes the Royal Navy's fleet," Haig replied.

The firepower of the 21 pre-dreadnoughts and 13 armored cruisers was formidable. If the Germans continued their assault on Le Havre, they would suffer catastrophic losses from the British Navy's shelling. Losses of such magnitude would be unsustainable for the German forces, making it likely the British could hold Le Havre with the Royal Navy's support.

Of course, if the German Navy launched a large-scale offensive, this British fleet of pre-dreadnoughts and armored cruisers would be forced to retreat. Without the Royal Navy's backing, the British Expeditionary Force's efforts to hold Le Havre against German attacks would indeed be a fool's errand.

Sir French nodded. "Indeed, if the German Navy intervenes, there's nothing we can do. However, I doubt they can reach Le Havre quickly. The English Channel and Dover Strait are strewn with mines, and the Royal Navy is preparing for a final showdown with the German fleet. If the Royal Navy prevails, then our crisis is over. Should they fail, our hold on Le Havre would be meaningless anyway."

"Yes, sir," Haig nodded.

Their objective in holding Le Havre was to endure until the Royal Navy could settle matters with the German fleet. Should the Royal Navy fail, their only viable recourse would be to retreat to Britain and prepare for a final defense of the homeland.

For now, however, the British Expeditionary Force reveled in their victory over the Germans' initial assault. Officers and soldiers alike celebrated, jubilant as if they had decisively defeated the German Empire.

Although the battle had only just begun, this victory had significantly boosted the British Expeditionary Force's morale. The previously waning spirits began to recover, and confidence for the battles ahead grew stronger.

Meanwhile, on the German side, General von Kluck and General Ludendorff wore grim expressions, with a tense atmosphere pervading the command room.

"General Ludendorff, have we compiled a casualty report?" asked General von Kluck.

"Sir, preliminary figures estimate our losses at nearly ten thousand in this offensive, with over half killed. We also lost more than five hundred artillery pieces of various calibers. This is by far the most substantial loss we've suffered since the outbreak of the war," Ludendorff replied.

Both the 1st and 8th Armies had inflicted massive casualties on the enemy over the past months, while sustaining minimal losses themselves. But in just two short hours, they had lost over ten thousand men and suffered a devastating blow to their morale. For these two armies, such a setback was unprecedented.

"Damn it! When did the British Navy get here? Weren't our scouts supposed to keep watch and report any threats?" asked von Kluck.

"Sir, this was clearly a British ruse. They deliberately evaded our reconnaissance, arriving at Le Havre only after our attack commenced, intending to catch us off guard and deliver a crushing blow. It seems their plan succeeded," replied Ludendorff.

"Report! General, our aerial reconnaissance has confirmed the British fleet's presence. They have deployed 21 pre-dreadnoughts and 13 armored cruisers, along with numerous smaller warships," an aide reported.

"Pre-dreadnoughts and armored cruisers?" Both von Kluck and Ludendorff were momentarily taken aback, but then quickly understood.

"Damn British! So they're using pre-dreadnoughts and armored cruisers against us," von Kluck said with a bitter smile.

"Yes, General. These pre-dreadnoughts and armored cruisers are no match for the Empire's main fleet, but for our ground forces, they're a nightmare. If we want to defeat the British Expeditionary Force and capture Le Havre, we must first deal with the British fleet—or at the very least drive them away from Le Havre. Otherwise, this battle will be impossible to continue," Ludendorff replied.

Von Kluck nodded, though how to counter the British fleet presented a deeply troubling dilemma.