Chapter 0593: Surrender

Within the city of Le Havre, fierce battles ensued. Hundreds of thousands of German troops had stormed the city, engaging in intense combat with the British Expeditionary Force. 

However, the morale of the two sides was worlds apart. The German forces surged forward with unshakable confidence, while the British soldiers, their will to fight shattered, crumbled at the slightest provocation. 

This disparity in spirit made the German advance seem unstoppable. The British resistance was feeble; they could not even halt the German progress for a moment. 

"Rat-tat-tat!" 

At one British position, a heavy machine gun blazed with fire. Such a weapon, with its rapid rate of fire, should have been a formidable asset in urban defense. Yet, the British soldiers, whose morale had fallen to rock bottom, could not harness its full potential, despite possessing such firepower.

"Mortar! Target the British machine gun positions and eliminate them!" ordered a German lieutenant.

"Boom!" 

A 60mm mortar shell landed directly on the machine gun nest, destroying the shelter and killing the gunner. However, the machine gun remained intact. 

At first, the Germans thought they would need further artillery fire. But to their surprise, after the gun position was destroyed, the British soldiers stationed there fled without hesitation, allowing the Germans to capture the position with little effort.

Such scenes were common across the battlefield. Faced with the German onslaught, most British soldiers lacked the courage to continue fighting. In their crumbling state, the British Expeditionary Force lost position after position. Their operational space within Le Havre was being relentlessly squeezed. At this rate, it was evident that they would not hold out for much longer.

By the evening of May 11, when the Germans halted their offensive, nearly half of Le Havre had fallen into their hands. Generals Crook and Ludendorff were highly satisfied with the day's progress. Both optimistically believed that by the following evening, the entire city of Le Havre would be in German control, with the British Expeditionary Force completely wiped out.

The situation had become even more dire for the British. The loss of the war seemed inevitable, but the question now was what to do next. This dilemma weighed heavily on the leadership of the British Expeditionary Force.

"Sir, we have lost half of Le Havre this afternoon. Our losses in men were not heavy, but the real problem is that the soldiers have lost the will to fight. Time and again, just a few shells from the Germans, and they abandon their positions and flee. This leaves us unable to maintain a defense in the city," General Haig said, his voice heavy with despair. It was clear that he had no confidence left in the current situation.

"How much longer do you think we can hold out in Le Havre?" Sir French inquired.

"It's hard to say, Sir. Perhaps until tomorrow evening," General Gough replied.

Sir French could not help but let out a bitter laugh. "We still have at least two hundred thousand men here, yet we can only hold out for a day? Has the fighting spirit of the Expeditionary Force been reduced to this?"

"Sir, though we still have many troops, morale is completely gone. With the will to fight shattered, numbers mean little," General Haig replied.

Sir French nodded wearily, understanding that the situation was beyond saving.

"Gentlemen, given the circumstances, what do you think we should do next?" Sir French asked.

"Sir, there is no other option. If we continue to fight, it will only lead to more pointless casualties. My recommendation is to surrender to the Germans. Our soldiers have already done their duty in this war; there is no need to force them to keep fighting. That would be no different than sending them to their deaths," General Haig suggested.

"Surrender?" Sir French mused. "It would indeed spare the lives of those young men. But what about us? I'd rather not end up in a German POW camp."

As the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, Sir French was a towering figure within the British Army. His capture by the Germans would deal a significant blow to his personal reputation, and worse, it could severely damage the prestige of the British Empire. Sir French had no desire to see his honor tarnished. In extreme circumstances, he would prefer death over capture.

"The German fleet is patrolling just off the coast of Le Havre. Even if we wanted to withdraw, it seems impossible," General Gough said. He understood Sir French's concerns. If they could return to Britain, even as defeated commanders, it would undoubtedly be better than being captured by the Germans.

General Haig frowned and, after some thought, spoke. "Sir, if we wish to leave Le Havre, it is not entirely impossible. We might seek help from the Navy. Their submarines can reach Le Havre in secrecy. We could evacuate via submarine back to Britain. Though, in this case, only a few of us could escape."

Sir French thought for a moment before replying, "That is certainly better than having everyone fall into German hands."

"Very well, Sir, I understand," General Haig replied, fully grasping Sir French's intent.

The British Expeditionary Force's command sent a secret communication to the Royal Navy, which had a submarine operating near Le Havre, originally tasked with monitoring the German fleet. It was now perfectly poised for this mission.

The British Army's high command was aware of the dire situation and expressed understanding of Sir French's decision. Later that evening, the British submarine stealthily arrived in Le Havre and evacuated Sir French, General Haig, General Gough, and a few other key officers.

The next morning, the British soldiers discovered that their top commanders had disappeared. The sense of abandonment further shattered their morale.

When the German forces resumed their assault, large numbers of British soldiers immediately surrendered. Many entire units followed suit, yielding to the Germans.