Chapter 74: Using Their Own Guns To Blast Their Ships!
“Rat-a-tat-tat~ Rat-a-tat-tat~ Boom boom~”
The dense chatter of MP15 submachine guns echoed continuously throughout the fortress battery interior, occasionally interspersed with bursts from grenades.
Seizing both security fortresses entirely proved easier than the airborne troops commander had estimated pre-war—in these connecting tunnels, the enemy had deployed almost no heavy machine gun fire points for blockading the passages.
Once approached by the German Assault Team, French Sailors could only mount limited resistance relying mainly on rifles and bayonets. At most, they tossed grenades indiscriminately like the Germans to hold off the enemy.
In tunnel combat, submachine guns against rifles—the outcome was decided from the moment it began.
This wasn’t the French Army’s fault. First, the guards of these fortresses weren’t Army, but Navy personnel. Second, the purpose of these fortress batteries was to defend against enemy warships on the sea surface, protecting French Army ships in the Dunkirk anchorage.
For a coastal defense fortress, who would expect the enemy to suddenly close in to extreme close range for combat? Could enemy warships fly over and drop soldiers right beside the fortress?
Thus, these fortresses from the design stage onward never considered close-quarters issues. Once a few points in the tunnels were infiltrated, it immediately spread everywhere.
Plus, this era had no anti-aircraft guns at all.
To be fair, the process of seizing the forts in this battle was far easier than the later Eben-Emael fortress airborne operation in Earth’s history.
Except for a few independent supporting bunker fire points that finally needed satchel charges or flamethrowers to purge, the rest of the interconnected main turrets were basically cleared along the tunnels, all occupied within half an hour.
Ground combat officially began at 6:10 a.m. By around 6:35, Major Rommel at the northern Fort Malraux and Captain Model at the southern Fort Rohan both independently realized the same point and adjusted their combat orders:
“When assaulting heavy cannon turrets, watch for forced landings! Toss a few grenades first as a warning—don’t open fire right away! Only decisively engage enemies blocking the way at non-turret positions! We still need captured enemy gunners to operate the cannons!”
Before this battle, some assault team members had undergone emergency heavy cannon operation training. Major Lelouch even seconded a few technical soldiers from the heavy cannon regiment for the airborne drop, precisely so that if the forts could be smoothly seized, they could directly operate the French Army’s giant cannons.
But these soldiers from the brief emergency training could at most master how to fire the cannons, load ammunition, and rotate elevation.
As for expecting them to aim accurately or calculate firing tables, that was wishful thinking.
Moreover, German and French cannons had different performance, so the Germans couldn’t master the French guns’ ballistic characteristics and firing tables in advance.
So the best was to try capturing and forcing the surrender of French Army gunners alive.
Each assault squad immediately carried out this order. When rushing into the turret rooms, they didn’t dare use flamethrowers to spray directly into gaps; they just used satchel charges to blast open the steel doors, then ordered the enemies inside to surrender.
The artillerymen mostly only had pistols and weren’t trained in close combat. After the turret doors were blasted open, they basically gave up resistance and were disarmed and guarded by the assault team members.
Some die-hards resisted without surrendering, even trying to sabotage the cannons; the assault team decisively machine-gunned them down.
After occupying all main turrets, Rommel and Model continued splitting forces to purge peripheral bunker fire points on one hand, while quickly setting up communication radios on the other to contact each other and the rear.
Within ten minutes, both sides tallied the situation: All six twin 340mm armored turrets successfully seized. A total of 16 single 240mm coastal defense guns, 11 successfully seized; 2 damaged by attackers’ satchel charges during the assault, and 3 blown up and self-destructed by the defenders—
And those French Army gun crews who self-destructed the cannons naturally didn’t survive; they were the most die-hard resisters, all killed in combat.
Finally, dozens of 140mm cannons were also seized at about seventy percent; the remaining thirty percent damaged in the fighting.
……
The Germans occupied the fortress battery and restored order in a process that took no more than 40 minutes.
Throughout, the French Sailors’ resistance was quite standard, not spineless.
But unfortunately, since the British Army and French Army weren’t under unified command, their communication was very sluggish in emergencies.
British Army sailors in Dunkirk Port and on berthed ships didn’t receive the call for aid immediately.
British Army on shore in the city also took 15 minutes after the forts opened fire to figure out the situation and receive the French Army report.
A few more minutes passed before Lieutenant General Allenby of the British 4th Army received the report phone call from his subordinates.
Allenby was shocked upon hearing: “What? The fort defenders are already holding out? The enemies came down from those airships? How can there be so many enemies? Immediately order the nearest ANZAC Corps 4th Division to reinforce nearby!”
Among Allenby’s subordinate units, the British 29th Division of native British soldiers was holding the front south of Dunkirk City, facing off against the German Army siege troops; over half of the ANZAC Corps was also filling the line south of the city.
Remaining in the northeast of the city, relatively close to the port area, were only the Indian 13th Division and the ANZAC Corps 4th Division, which had been mauled a few days ago and pulled back for rest.
After brief thought, Allenby realized those South Asians were utterly unreliable; that trash could only be used to fill the line. Expecting them to reinforce allies for a counterattack was just sending them to die.
So the Indian 13th Division couldn’t move; only the ANZAC Corps 4th Division could. Even though this division was mauled, left with only 7000~8000 men, they had to go first.
Earlier, when the German airships bombed overhead, Allenby had indeed been greatly startled, but after calming down, he judged that those dozens of airships couldn’t carry too many men—even if all parachuted like pilots, at most just over a thousand.
As long as the French Army kept resisting and the ANZAC Corps wasn’t forced into directly assaulting positions, 7000-8000 men counter-pushing 1000+ was definitely doable!
After a few minutes of brief preparation, ANZAC Corps 4th Division battalions, without time to assemble, each rushed toward the two forts in the port area.
By the time they arrived successively, it was already after 6:30.
Though the German Assault Team hadn’t fully controlled all heavy cannons yet, they had already established defense lines, could defend from high ground and advantageous terrain, and had the tunnel network to exploit.
The counterattack troops first assaulted Fort Rohan on the port’s south side—because it was closer to the ANZAC Corps defense zone.
However, before the ANZAC Corps charged up, German observation posts spotted the enemy from afar and reported to Captain Model responsible for that sector’s position.
“Captain! Enemy reinforcements are advancing!”
Model raised his telescope, observed westward for a bit, then gravely said: “We only have submachine guns—let the enemy get close to engage, even into the tunnel entrances!”
“What? Let the enemy into the tunnels?” Several platoon leaders under Model were incredulous.
“Of course! If resisting on the surface, what if the enemy suppresses us remotely with heavy machine guns? What about drawing cannon fire? Since submachine guns have a huge advantage only inside tunnels, let’s be bold— we can even yield the initial tunnel entrance segment to the enemy!
But have radio call friendly forces—have Major Rommel’s side, after seizing control of the enemy 140mm small cannons, immediately direct-fire straight down on our heads! Don’t worry about friendly fire! We’ll all hide underground! Fight tunnel warfare with the enemy!”
Model’s bold idea truly inspired his subordinates; everyone felt this unheard-of tactic was extremely daring.
……
Major Cook was a battalion commander in ANZAC Corps 4th Division.
At 6:36, his battalion was the first to reach near Fort Rohan, belching thick smoke.
Before departure, he received direct orders from the division commander: Battalions move by battalion without assembling, directly rush to reinforce Fort Rohan and such.
He hurriedly led over 500 soldiers（ full strength over 800 but mauled to 500） to the foot of the hillside south of Fort Rohan, where intense firefighting still raged on the mountaintop, various noises constantly echoing, as if French Sailors were still resisting to the death.
Major Cook knew nothing of the situation above, nor which positions were still held by friendly forces or seized by the enemy. But he had no choice—must seize every second now—so he charged up without reconnaissance or fire support.
The high ground wasn’t tall, just 100 meters elevation total—a commanding height in this coastal city.
Major Cook charged along the hillside for just over 300 meters, gaining 50-60 meters elevation, reaching a blasted-open tunnel entrance; quiet all around, but distant depths still had shouts of battle.
He observed for just seconds, figuring friendly forces were pushed to the fort’s depths, perhaps still holding fire rooms; without further thought, he immediately sent 500 soldiers rushing into the tunnel.
After running dozens more meters inside, they hit the first T-junction, forking left and right; Major Cook decisively ordered splitting left and right, each with two companies to control tunnel positions.
But his good fortune ended right then.
As Australian soldiers pressed forward, several submachine gun barrels immediately poked from the ahead corner, blindly spraying along the tunnel.
The shooters didn’t even show their heads, just extended hands holding guns, “rat-a-tat-tat” pouring bullets.
In tunnel warfare’s indoor confines with no cover, the Australian soldiers—who never expected the enemy to deliberately let them in—were caught completely off-guard by the Germans’ cunning tactics.
These green rookie shepherd recruits with pitiful combat experience thus wailed in confusion and fell, blood immediately flooding the tunnel floor.
In the melee, a few explosive booms flipped these Australians ass-over-head, horrific to behold—
Those were from Model’s order, when letting enemies close: place spare flamethrower fuel cans and excess small satchel charges at corners along the enemy advance route. No need for precise triggers—once firefight intensified, stray bullets would naturally detonate them.
An entire battered ANZAC Corps battalion was thus mauled by Model with far fewer troops, forced to retreat.
A few minutes later, another ANZAC regiment arrived; learning friendly forces had taken heavy losses, they quickly changed tactics.
“Germanians actually ambushed in the tunnels? That means those useless French Sailors are all wiped out! No! We can’t fall for it again—attack from the surface, first seize the mountaintop high ground!
Let them hide in tunnels like mice—we’ll control the high ground, seal exits, then slowly kill them all!”
That Australian regimental commander thus countered accordingly.
Two battalions of soldiers soon deployed per the new tactics, charging up along surface positions.
This time, Germans indeed acted like sewer rats, not daring to obstruct openly, only occasionally sniping a burst from some hole then immediately retreating to switch spots.
Such harassment couldn’t halt that Australian regimental commander’s resolve; his soldiers were merely delayed a few extra minutes before reaching the heights.
But these Australians hadn’t gloated long when a new twist occurred.
A salvo of 140mm armor-piercing shells suddenly flew in, landing directly on Fort Rohan’s surface; the boom echoed across the position, shredding exposed ANZAC soldiers, limbs flying, blood and flesh splattering.
“Motherfucker! These Germanian bastards are lunatics! They even bomb their own? They’ve already controlled those heavy cannons?”
The Australian regimental commander was utterly stunned by this mad tactic.
On the vast, sparsely populated southern continent, survival competition wasn’t fierce; those shepherd landowners had never seen such desperate fighting.
How could they understand that Model dared this because he knew armored turrets and underground fortifications weren’t afraid of surface coverage by 140mm-class fire.
In just minutes, these ANZAC infantry battalions were again utterly shattered by the bombardment, weapons strewn everywhere; survivors scrambled downhill, unwilling to linger on the hillside a second longer.
Those lucky escapees should thank that Rommel occupied a coastal defense gun fortress. All cannons equipped with armor-piercing shells for warships; Rommel could only make do for now.
If Rommel had first found high-explosive shell stockpiles for fire coverage.
Fewer than thirty percent of these two ANZAC battalions would’ve survived back today.
With this ANZAC wave temporarily collapsing, the Belgian Expeditionary Force’s counterpush on the fortress batteries was tentatively halted.
……
Purged the French Sailors, repelled the first wave of reinforcing British Army.
Rommel and Model could finally free hands to deal with the fleet berthed in the port area.
Though it sounded hectic and intense, from paratrooper landing, the entire process took just around 50 minutes.
50 minutes for coal-burning old warships—boilers not even heated yet. Plus ships in port overcoming chaos would delay even longer.
Plenty of time for Rommel and them to pull off a big one.
They immediately ordered each turret controlled by assault squads to swing muzzles toward the port area they were meant to guard—muzzles inward, black yawning bores facing the berthed ships.
Simultaneously, Rommel decisively issued an order to the just-surrendered captured French Army gunners:
“Have them adjust density per firing tables, follow fixed-target procedures, sink all those warships flying British Navy flags!”
Earlier direct-fire on friendly heads with 140mm cannons was within 3km—no calculation needed, anyone could hit.
But hitting berthed warships in port required some calculation, especially elevation differences.
For quicker results and to conserve shells avoiding prolonged exposure, having professional French Army artillery fire was best.
Not only did Rommel do this; Model in the south thought of the same just minutes later.
“Impossible! We won’t fire on friendly forces! We’re only prisoners! Entitled to prisoner of war treatment! You can’t force us to kill former comrades!”
A group of gunners immediately protested, even trying to seize weapons.
Such violent resistance couldn’t be forgiven; the guarding submachine gunners immediately burst-fired shorts, killing those grabbing weapons and fleeing.
Rommel had no time for talk, so he had officers monitoring each turret issue the same order:
“If you won’t cooperate, fine! Anyway, max 5-6km range—we can direct-fire and likely hit! Miss elevation, adjust next shell! But if we hit Frankish civilian or transport ships in port, no complaints—that’s just misfire!
But if you cooperate, help us target those British Navy warships, we guarantee firing only at British Army ships for now! After sinking, no more hitting your nation’s ships! Provided they don’t fire on us or act hostile!”
“You’re devils! We absolutely won’t cooperate!” Some French Army officers raged, cursing.
But with no more grabbing guns or fleeing, the guarding assault team restrained, just gun stocks to stun the loudmouths, not killing immediately.
The other artillerymen finally couldn’t bear the pressure, especially seeing turrets already turned toward port ships, roughly aimed then loading to fire.
If they didn’t help, it’d hit Frankish ships, and outcome unchanged—just extra casualties.
“We’ll help! We’ll target British Country ships! But absolutely not our own homeland’s ships!”
Considering centuries of British-French grudges, though high commands allied now, many uneducated rank-and-file soldiers didn’t care offending “allies” across the strait.
Now machine-gunned by enemies with own nation’s ships as “hostages,” these French Army gunners had a face-saving out and half-heartedly complied.
“Hm? Those shallow-water heavy cannon ships actually moved first? Diesel engine powered? Starting so fast! Target those heavy cannon ships first! Don’t let them exit port!”
While Rommel and Model coerced the captured French Army gunners, several new British Country shallow-water heavy cannon ships in the port area had started moving!
These ships were small, slow, but had one advantage: diesel engine power—diesel engines saved ship length vs. turbine types, power compartments very short, ideal for small ships.
But diesel engines’ drawback was low power density—low horsepower per ton, couldn’t scale high power, so common in submarines with small total power.
These shallow-water heavy cannon ships had only 6~8 knot speed due to diesel engines’ low total power.
Normally quick-starting diesels gave chance to start first, swing muzzles to face forts point-blank—port’s British Army fleet’s only counter-kill type.
But unfortunately, another fatal flaw killed this—shallow-water heavy cannon ships, too light and narrow yet carrying super heavy cannons, had very poor main turret traverse.
These ships’ main turrets could only fine-rotate 10 degrees each side, not 90 like battleships.
Meaning they could only fire forward; allowing broadside would flip the ship with recoil.
So berthed in port, they couldn’t rotate turrets to hit coastal defense forts at all!
They had to exit berths, turn around, point bows at targets, then fire.
Sadly, Rommel and Model wouldn’t give them the chance.
As several shallow-water heavy cannon ships started up one after another, trying to exit breakwaters, reach open sea to turn, bows toward forts.
240mm shells from the forts already rained down.
Germans didn’t even need 340mm heaviest; just much faster-firing 240mm rapid-fire cannons at 4 rounds per minute sufficed.
To utterly destroy these deformed warships—weak armor and power, only strong firepower.
A warship empty at just over 6000 tons—light cruiser tonnage—fatally hit by 240mm armor-piercing shells.
“Boom~ Boom~” Shells fell near warships on sea surface; 15 seconds later another salvo, impacts closing in.
In just 1 minute, “Grant” shallow-water heavy cannon ship was squarely hit by one 240mm armor-piercing shell on aft deck, penetrating engine room, exploding the diesel engine.
Just 2 minutes later, 2x 240mm armor-piercing shells nearly simultaneously hit “Robert. Lee,” blasting off the entire stern; surging seawater flooded, “Robert Lee” bow reared up, stern sank, sitting bottom directly.
These two Ugly Country Civil War arch-rivals who fought across full fields, now perished together in this form beside Dunkirk Port breakwaters.
Worse, with two shallow-water heavy cannon ships sunk mid-escape-turn, they blocked the exit channel; remaining 2 shallow-water heavy cannon ships and 2 pre-dreadnoughts couldn’t get out.
Purely trapped rats.
340mm coastal defense guns loomed directly overhead, inescapable.
“War can be fought like this! Too satisfying! This the thrill of jamming coastal defense guns on warships’ foreheads to fire? Quick! Target those two ‘Formidable-class’ pre-dreadnoughts!”
“This time of course 340mm cannons! 240mm can’t penetrate battleships! Right, direct-fire right on their foreheads!”
Rommel and Model, in the port’s north and south forts respectively, independently issued similar orders.
PS: Above image is Formidable-class, laid down 98~01. Six thousand word big chapter, today also over ten thousand words.
