Dunkirk, the First Army of the British Expeditionary Force lined up in the square.
One by one, tall horses, fully armed cavalrymen with heads held high, riding rows upon rows, stretching to the horizon.
Infantry stood behind the cavalry, quietly waiting for the commander-in-chief to give a speech, as the cold wind blew fallen leaves swirling in the air, invoking the tragic aura of warriors leaving for a battle of no return.
Haig walked up to Vice Admiral Avis, and after saluting each other, Haig stood in front of the troops and shouted:
"Warriors, you are heading to the front lines."
"Do you know which unit will be cooperating with you?"
"I know, it’s that bunch of ladies who like to hide behind tanks!"
The soldiers burst into laughter, filled with mockery and disdain.
Haig waited for the laughter to subside and continued:
"They have indeed achieved victories, but we know it is not because they are strong, but because their opponents were weak and fragile."
"Now, our opportunity has come."
"You are the elite troops, the pride of the Expeditionary Force, the warriors of the Great British Empire."
"Show those hiding behind tanks your courage and determination!"
"Let them see what real war looks like!"
The soldiers raised their rifles and cheered.
With Haig’s command, the troops were divided into several sections, marching grandly along the highway towards the Antwerp defense line.
(Note: Haig’s combat philosophy was to refuse new equipment; he believed that "tanks and machine guns are superfluous, and battlefield victory relies on morale and courage." He stubbornly refused to change, resulting in the heavy casualties in the Battle of the River Somme.)
Admiral Avis was Haig’s beloved general and a staunch supporter of Haig’s tactical theories. He always believed that as a soldier, one should charge at gunpoint and cannon fire like a knight, disregarding enemy bullets.
If knocked down by the enemy, one should lie peacefully on the ground, looking at the sky, quietly waiting for the end of life.
Admiral Avis spent a few days reaching the front line, taking over from the French 9th Army, then rushed tirelessly from Brussels to Antwerp.
Admiral Avis heard that Shire was a difficult commander to control, always acting on his own. Avis felt he needed to give him a slap in the face to ensure the French army would follow commands.
Antwerp Airport, the sky was dimly lit.
A squad of British cavalry clattered along the street, led by a Vice Admiral.
The guards at the airport gate looked at the unit with strange eyes. They glanced at each other as if saying, do such armies still exist? Can they really go to war?
The cavalry stopped at the gate, and a colonel rode up, shouting in French to the guards in a commanding tone: "Inform your commander that General Avis is here for an inspection!" The rıghtful source is 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩
But the guards did not move.
The colonel shouted again, his eyes filled with anger and confusion. Are they deaf?
"Sorry, Colonel." The guard flashed his uniform and replied in Dutch, "We are Belgians; we don’t understand what you’re saying."
The colonel then noticed that the two guards at the gate were in Belgian uniforms.
"Damn it." The colonel cursed: "Why are there Belgians guarding here?"
The Belgian guard’s mouth twitched but quickly pretended not to understand, standing straight with a stiff face, holding his rifle.
Admiral Avis felt helpless in this situation. If the guards were French, they could directly break in as a matter of principle.
But in front of them were Belgian guards, the masters of this land. Forcibly breaking into an area guarded by Belgians would be indefensible both legally and publicly.
"Does anyone speak Dutch?" Helplessly, Admiral Avis turned and asked.
A cavalry lieutenant stepped forward: "I know some, General."
Admiral Avis nodded: "Ask about the situation, tell them to notify."
"Yes, General." The cavalry lieutenant stepped forward and awkwardly communicated with the guards in Dutch. The guards finally understood but still failed and refused to let them in.
The cavalry lieutenant returned dejectedly, reporting to Admiral Avis: "General, they say they are only responsible for guarding, not for delivering messages, and the French don’t understand Dutch either."
"Then how do we get in?" Admiral Avis asked.
"They say..." The cavalry lieutenant hesitated: "We need the King’s permit."
Admiral Avis looked at the lieutenant incredulously, needing the King’s permit to enter the airport?
The cavalry lieutenant understood Admiral Avis’s confusion, answering: "Yes, General, they say this is a military facility, not open to just anyone."
Somewhat reasonable, Admiral Avis thought, hearing that the French had deployed the most advanced fighter jets here, they worried about intelligence leaks.
"Cowardly French!" Admiral Avis complained, then ordered: "Atter, go to the King’s estate!"
"Yes, General." A major stepped forward, taking two guards, and rode towards the King’s estate.
Suddenly, with a roar, a fighter jet flew low over the cavalry’s heads, startling the horses to rear up, and Vice Admiral Avis was even thrown off his horse.
He got up in a mess, looked through the gate into the airport, hoping to see some French soldiers to send the message.
But he was disappointed. Only some figures were vaguely visible near the hangar; others might not have gotten up yet.
"Listen up." Admiral Avis gritted his teeth, ordered: "Dismount, rest on the spot!"
The cavalry dismounted with a "swish" sound and dispersed on both sides of the street, tying the horses to keep them from being scared again.
Soon, Major Atter returned.
General Avis, chewing on dry bread and drinking cold water, thought the problem was finally solved, hurriedly handed the food to the orderly, and got up.
However, Major Atter brought infuriating news: "General, they say His Majesty the King is inside the airport. Last night, His Majesty and Colonel Eden were discussing mine deployment with Shire at the airport."
Admiral Avis nearly blacked out, glaring at the guards at the gate angrily: "Those guys knew the King was inside but said nothing!"
The cavalry lieutenant acting as a translator hurriedly asked, and the reply was: "General, they say we didn’t ask."
Admiral Avis almost spat blood in rage, his chest heaving violently, telling himself over and over: Mind your demeanor, we are knights, gentlemen!
After a while, Admiral Avis calmed down, though his face was pale.
He nodded to the cavalry lieutenant: "Tell them to notify His Majesty the King that we are at the gate!"
This time, the guards finally moved!