Chapter 13: Deception, Followed by More Deception

"Ahem, yes, that's right, General Montgomery. You see, we're actually here to find him! I just thought... he might be with you!" Logan said, trying to cover up.

"Oh, sir, General Montgomery and his headquarters should still be in Sivry-sur-Meuse!" the lieutenant added, "At least that's what I know!"

Logan's initial reaction was to figure out a way to get rid of this rising star in the British Army, but he quickly realized that Montgomery wouldn't be easily fooled. Besides, his headquarters were likely close to the front lines, so their security wouldn't be lax. Moreover, they might have already received news of the attack on the Expeditionary Force headquarters and would be on high alert.

"Sir, do you need us to send someone to escort you to the headquarters? By car, it would take no more than 20 minutes!" the British lieutenant asked proactively.

"No need, where is your regimental headquarters?" Logan quickly decided.

"There, see that tree?" the lieutenant pointed to the top of the hill, "The headquarters is up there. I saw Colonel Smith just five minutes ago!"

"Ah, alright!" Logan returned to Tobias behind the truck and said, "Sergeant, I remember we were supposed to have orders for the East Lancashire Regiment, if I'm not mistaken!"

"Yes, that's correct!" Tobias immediately began typing new content on a blank piece of paper.

"Lieutenant!" Logan handed a cigarette to the officer, then spelled out slowly, "the... east... lancashire... regiment. Is that right?"

"The... east... lancashire... regiment," the British lieutenant corrected earnestly.

Logan passed another cigarette to him, "Yes, exactly, that's right, this order is for you! I always get confused, hehe!"

Once Tobias finished the document, Logan asked Grot to find and cut the phone line connecting the British unit's headquarters to the outside world. At the same time, he instructed Lieutenant Steinfberg to help them unload the ammunition boxes from the truck while he led the remaining soldiers up the rugged mountain path.

As they approached the hill, they suddenly heard a strange sound.

In a panic, Mark Ella, the former goalkeeper, tackled Logan to the ground and shouted in German, "Artillery fire! Get down!"

This startled Logan, who realized that the British soldiers ahead weren't just office clerks. In a direct confrontation, his 19 men wouldn't stand a chance against them.

Boom... boom...

The shells were obviously aimed at the British positions on the hill, hitting hard and accurately. Logan lay on the ground, feeling the earth shaking violently. Initially, it didn't seem too bad, but as the explosions drew closer, the stimulation to his eardrums and the intensity of the earth's shaking increased. Gradually, it felt like even his internal organs were churning, with blood rushing up in his abdomen, as if he might vomit blood at any moment!

Curiosity and longing for war had finally turned into pain. Logan gasped for air, enduring the mud clods raining down on him, enduring the pain in his internal organs - in the face of the powerful war machine, every individual was so helpless and insignificant!

The short three or four minutes felt like a century to Logan. When the shelling subsided, his ears were still buzzing. He struggled to get up and suddenly remembered what had just happened, so he gestured to Ella to be cautious with his mouth.

At this moment, Private Ella also realized his negligence and nodded apologetically.

The group climbed up the hill in a sorry state, only to find the British officers and soldiers defending the position in an even worse situation: under the German artillery barrage, the defensive positions, nearly a mile wide and built on a hill west of the canal, resembled the surface of the moon. In the trenches, there were limbs and bodies struggling in pools of blood; the barbed wire laid in front of the positions was already mostly destroyed, and the large shell craters were still emitting wisps of smoke.

The German paratroopers felt no pity for the British plight. However, when they asked the British soldiers there about Colonel Smith and the location of the headquarters, they were told that the regimental headquarters had been directly hit in the recent artillery barrage, and Colonel Smith, along with all the staff officers, had gone to heaven.

"Find your highest-ranking officer!" Logan said somewhat irritably, standing on the British position. Finally, he understood why the Germans couldn't break through: this nearly one-mile-wide position, built on a hill west of the canal, was nearly 16 feet high. The German infantry on the other side would have to cross nearly 33 feet of canal under British gunfire, climb the long slope, and then engage the British soldiers in close combat in the trenches. Obviously, they hadn't developed to this third stage yet. Looking around, the open ground on the other side had already been dug out by the Germans into trenches, and occasionally, steel helmets could be seen flashing by. There were scattered bodies of German soldiers lying at the foot of the slope.

Before long, a British major with a face full of mud ran over.

"Derek Thomas, Major of the Norfolk Regiment!"

"Hello, I'm Captain Casey McKean from Headquarters, and this is your order!" Logan handed the forged document to the other party seriously. After the other party read the contents clearly, Logan said seriously again:

"Major Thomas, based on the authorization from the Expeditionary Force Headquarters and the actual situation here, I appoint you as the temporary commander of this unit. Now, immediately lead your troops to withdraw from the position!"

The tall and thin British major stood at attention. "Captain McKean, rest assured, I will fulfill my duties! But, if we withdraw from the position now... won't the Germans attack?"

Logan deliberately spoke arrogantly, "There's no 'but'! I don't know why Headquarters ordered Colonel Smith and his regiment to withdraw first. All I know is that nearly a hundred thousand people are waiting to board ships at Dunkirk! Whether this order will be revoked after Colonel Smith's death, I don't know. But what I do know is that after you arrive there, you can find a Navy lieutenant named Jamie Green. He will arrange for you to board directly! Major, you handle it yourself!"

After a moment of hesitation, Major Thomas saluted. "Then, Captain, may I ask which unit will replace us?"

Logan cursed this dedicated British fool in his mind. He looked at his watch and raised his hand. "No unit will replace you! The order was issued last night for all units to retreat to the outer perimeter of Dunkirk and organize defense. According to the plan, your left flank will withdraw within half an hour, and the right flank will withdraw before 11 o'clock. But only you and a few other combat units are allowed to go directly to the beach! Any other questions?"

Finally, the tall and thin Major spoke, "No, Captain! I'll go and contact Headquarters now and then command the entire regiment to withdraw!"

Logan almost choked. Not everyone could handle deception, he hoped Groth had already cut their lines. As for radio communication, since the regimental headquarters had been wiped out, it shouldn't be so easy to establish contact!