Starting with the smashing of Dunkirk

Chapter 152 The Great Victory in the Black Sea: Harvesting the spoils

"Our army has finally gained a foothold along the line of Nikolayev, Kherson, Yamiansk, and Yevpatoria. If we want to launch another offensive, we will need about a month of additional logistical preparation time."

Damaged roads and dock facilities must be repaired urgently, and supplies must be redeployed and transported to the front lines. Our army group's garrison forces along the Lviv-Vinnica line must also be moved south.

I also need to request my uncle to transfer a portion of the 10th Army to the Lviv-Venya line for reinforcement, so that some troops can be diverted to cooperate with our operations. Attacking the heart of the Kievan Rus's black soil plains won't be easy."

August 25, five days after the Dmanian army captured Nikolaev.

It was also three days after the capture of Kherson and the day after the capture of the Crimean Isthmus. The headquarters of Prince Rupprecht's 6th Army had just moved to Nikolaev.

That evening, he convened a small military meeting at headquarters.

The atmosphere and the topics were relatively relaxed, mainly involving a review of the gains and losses of recent military operations. At the beginning of the meeting, he personally set the tone, making the aforementioned remarks.

The overall situation along the Black Sea coast west of the Crimean Peninsula is largely settled. However, expanding the gains further west and north is not yet feasible and requires more preparation.

The battle lines will likely remain frozen in their current state for a month or two, with minor adjustments possible, but no major changes are expected.

Lieutenant General Karl Lyudpot, Major General Lister, Lelouch, von Burke, Rommel, and others who attended the meeting all agreed with the Duke's view, and there was no disagreement among them on this point.

After the Duke finished speaking, he looked around at everyone in the conference room, then tossed the riding crop to Lelouch and instructed, "Now, Lelouch, you will take stock of the losses suffered by both sides in this battle so far, and estimate the trend of enemy troop replenishment in the next phase. Analyze the possible troop strength comparison when our army launches another attack in the future."

"Yes." Lelouch immediately agreed, stood up, took the pointer, and opened the two documents in front of him.

He also served as the general staff officer for the entire army group. Although he wasn't officially a "commander," everyone knew he was one of the Duke's most trusted advisors. People were used to him giving the summary remarks on such occasions.

Lelouch cleared his throat and began to speak eloquently: "The ground offensive of this campaign began on July 29 and has lasted for 27 days, up to today, August 24. Our army has advanced as far as Kherson and Yamiansk from the former Romanian-Russian border."

The furthest advance reached over 400 kilometers, averaging about 15 kilometers per day. Throughout the various phases of the campaign, we suffered a total loss of 1.1 men during the fighting on the Romanian border, and another 3 were lost in the subsequent pursuit and continued advance.

During the landing and counter-offensive at the mouth of the Dniester River, 5 men were lost. The subsequent siege of Odessa resulted in the heaviest losses of the entire campaign, reaching 1.7. The landing and siege of Nikolayev resulted in a total loss of 8 men. Subsequent offensive and advancing operations resulted in a total loss of approximately 9 men.

Therefore, during the 27-day continuous fighting, our army suffered a total loss of 5.3 men. Among them, 1.2 were killed in action, 5 were missing, 9 died from their wounds or were permanently disabled, 1.1 recovered from their wounds, and approximately 1.6 required evacuation and continued medical treatment.

The use of sulfonamides saved at least 4 of our army's 8 wounded soldiers, accounting for 21% of the total number of wounded soldiers and 45% of those with infectious diseases.

In other words, the 27-day battle resulted in the permanent loss of 2.6 combat personnel, and another 2.7 wounded who have either recovered or are still recovering with time and treatment.

Upon hearing this number, everyone fell slightly silent. War always results in death; everyone was used to it. Even the most successful victory meant that thirty or forty thousand of their own soldiers would never return to the battlefield.

Fortunately, Lelouch quickly changed the subject: "During the border campaign, of the three enemy armies deployed on the Romanian border, only 40,000 men managed to break through, while our army annihilated approximately 150,000 of them. In the Odessa offensive, one of the enemy's entire armies was wiped out, and another army was severely damaged, resulting in the annihilation of 85,000 enemy soldiers. In Nikolayev and Kherson, more than 40,000 enemy soldiers were also annihilated."

The enemy's 6th Army, consisting of six full-strength corps plus some independent units, as well as naval units converted to army units and second-line reinforcements, totaling more than 400,000 men, was annihilated by our army, with about 150,000 retreating.

Of the 32 enemy troops, including the 9th Army and reinforcements stationed on the Crimean Peninsula, 7 were annihilated by our forces in Yevpatoria and Yamiansk, while another 9 retreated to the eastern Kherson region and Zaporizhzhia. Finally, 16 were cut off by our forces in the southern part of the Crimean Peninsula, mainly in Sevastopol and Kerch.

Therefore, during the 27-day campaign, our army annihilated a total of 27 enemy troops in the 6th phase and 7 in the 9th phase, totaling 34. Another 16 enemy troops were cut off from their land retreat. If we can successfully encircle Sevastopol and Kerch, the entire campaign could result in the annihilation of 50 enemy troops!

Therefore, as of now, the exchange ratio is 5.3 to 34; excluding surrenders and prisoners, it's 5.3 to 19. In the subsequent encirclement and annihilation of the 16 enemy troops on the peninsula, our army may still suffer considerable losses in the process of attacking fortified positions.

After a thorough review, the losses suffered by both sides in this 27-day bloody battle were finally tallied up.

The German 6th Army, along with the independent army formed from the rescued Austrian prisoners of war, totaled 430,000 men. After losing 53,000 men, more than 380,000 remained (those with minor wounds were considered recovered and returned to their posts). They certainly needed to rest and recuperate to restore the troops to their normal condition.

After taking stock, the Duke asked each department to check the progress again to confirm whether they could get enough rest and logistics in place within a month, so that things wouldn't fall apart when the fighting started.

The deployment of a large army involves countless tasks, and everything must be planned in advance.

It's not like the Duke could just spur of the moment and say that the troops would automatically regain their combat effectiveness after a month of rest. It requires communication at every level and monitoring of progress step by step. Anyone who is missing anything must bring it up promptly.

The army commanders immediately began to report, with Lieutenant General Karl Lyudpot as the leader.

Ultimately, it was found that each army could complete the next phase of war preparations within 20 to 25 days, leaving a few days' margin for the army group level to deal with unexpected emergencies.

After the Duke had a clear understanding of the situation, he finally asked Lelouch alone, "If we can launch a new full-scale offensive on September 20th, how are the preparations for the secret new weapons going?"

Lelouch's heart skipped a beat. He instinctively glanced around to make sure everyone present was one of his own, and there was no possibility of a traitor or a leaker. Only then did he reply in a low voice:

"Back when the battle just started at the end of July, I had already confirmed with Dr. Porsche that the wheeled armored vehicles had begun small-batch trial production. At that time, there were already dozens of small-batch prototypes. I was afraid of exposing the secret, and that even a little bit wouldn't change the course of the battle, so I didn't let him bring them up."

Currently, the monthly production is around 200 vehicles. If we launch an attack on September 20, we can concentrate 400 armored vehicles, which is roughly the same size as the half-track vehicles currently equipped by our army.

As for the 'tanks,' they've only just begun trial production. We should have 50 by September 20th, and then maintain a production of 100 per month. If we want to expand production further, we'll need to allocate more military industrial resources, which is unlikely this year, as we can't squeeze out extra resources from the Imperial Armaments Department. We'll have to completely overhaul the plans this winter.

Furthermore, only if wheeled armored vehicles and tanks perform well in actual combat on the Kievan Rus' plains will the Ministry of Armaments and the Emperor truly take them seriously. Therefore, I do not recommend immediately deploying 'tanks' on September 20th, as the quantity would be too small to play a decisive role and would prematurely reveal our strength.

On September 20th, before the autumn muddy season on the Black Soil Plain, there was little difference in the use of wheeled armored vehicles. The firepower and mobility of both were comparable, and the wheeled armored vehicles might even be a little faster.

The biggest problem with wheeled vehicles is their poor mobility in complex terrain, and the possibility of tire blowouts when attacked. We can wait until the battle reaches the end of October, when the ground gradually becomes muddy, before deploying the 'tanks' to ensure the surprise effect of the new weapon is maximized. To solve the problem of wheeled armored vehicles suffering tire blowouts, detachable armored side skirts could be added to provide as much protection as possible for the tires. However, this is not feasible at the moment because time is too short, and Porsche doesn't have the time for such detailed design work.

We can only use whatever we have first and improve it gradually in the future. But directly welding on a fixed, non-removable armored side skirt is definitely not an option. That would mean we wouldn't be able to change the tire after a blowout.

The rest of the generals were still completely bewildered after hearing Lelouch's report, because even the peripheral personnel, including Major General Lister, von Bock, and Rommel, had never heard of the wheeled armored vehicles and 'tanks' plan before.

The secrecy was really well done; Lelouch reported directly to the army group commander.

But precisely because of the excellent secrecy, these generals and officers felt a surge of confidence upon first hearing the new term 'tank.' They firmly believed that the new weapon would be far more impactful than half-track troop carriers, and that its first deployment on the battlefield would catch the enemy completely off guard!

These new weapons will surely be the ultimate tools for conquering the entire Kievan Rus' plain in the future!

In particular, middle-aged and young officers like von Bock and Rommel immediately developed a strong interest in armored vehicles and tanks. Considering that the scale of these weapons and equipment would not be too large, they all thought it would be great if they could lead the first mechanized division or tank regiment.

After the meeting, I must ask Commander Lelouch about the performance specifications of these weapons and how to study the corresponding tactics for their use.

……

After finalizing the preparation cycles for each military unit and the progress of new weapons development, the military conference quickly moved on to the next topic.

From now until September 20th, what else should the troops do besides preparing for war?

Especially near the Dardanelles Strait on the southern front, the Britannians have already launched a landing operation, which has been going on for almost 10 days.

So the Duke asked, "Do you think it's necessary for us to set aside a portion of our better-performing troops to provide some support to the Ottomans and General Zanders over the next month? Of course, this is on the condition that it doesn't affect our subsequent campaign on the Kievan Rus' plains."

Opinions differed among the generals; some agreed to immediately reverse the decision, but Lelouch offered a completely different perspective.

"I think we should have full confidence in General Zanders and the Ottoman army that he has trained and reorganized for two years. Although the Britannians have successfully landed and established themselves, General Zanders still has sufficient fighting strength to hold the base of the Gallipoli Peninsula. In that case, they can fight a protracted war of attrition there for a long time."

We can continue to exploit the Bretons' sense of helplessness and frustration, luring them and the Italians to send in more and more landing troops. When they finally bleed themselves dry and start to want to retreat, we can then find a way to deliver a thunderous blow!
Sending a large-scale reinforcement to General Zanders now might actually scare the Bretonnia away. Therefore, I believe the most important change we need to make regarding the Istanbul area to the south is our mindset. We shouldn't be afraid of the enemy landing and establishing a foothold, nor should we force ourselves to annihilate them on the beachhead. We can let them in to fight!
In contrast, from now until September 20th, we actually have something more important to do—for example, as we all know, one of the important reasons why we were so successful in attacking Odessa, Nikolayev, and Yevpatoria was that there were internal conflicts between the army and navy of the Russo people. Their Romanian Front believed that there were a lot of traitors in the Black Sea Fleet.

Ultimately, this misunderstanding arose because our navy had made a major technological breakthrough in mine clearance. This enabled us to completely shatter the enemy fleet's minefield blockade and then launch a surprise attack from an unexpected position behind the enemy's land forces.

However, this technological secret cannot be kept for long. What we should be thinking about now is how to quickly and effectively utilize this advantage. For example, as far as I know, our military has recently launched a new campaign in the Gulf of Riga, right? Lieutenant General Hipper's fleet should also be able to successfully penetrate into the Gulf of Riga.

But Admiral Hipper probably couldn't have devised a strategy like mine, one that would sow discord between the Tsar and the Northwestern Front of Russia, making them suspicious of the Baltic Fleet. So I thought I could make a trip and personally instruct and execute these tactics. I won't stay long; I'll definitely be back by September 20th, before our second general offensive.”

Although the Duke was only the commander of the 6th Army, he still had to take a holistic view. Lieutenant General Hipper was also from their Kingdom of Balia, and could be considered one of the most worthwhile allies to win over and develop in the future navy.

The Duke does not object to Lelouch's personal involvement in devising strategies to sow discord, as long as it does not interfere with important matters.

But the Duke still felt that this matter wouldn't take up too many resources: "You mean, to put it bluntly, you need to take leave to assist Hipper? That's no problem, just come back on time. But it can't be September 20th, I require you to return on the 10th. Before the war starts here, you need to be there in person to check for any omissions. I'm only giving you two weeks' leave."

Besides, your plan shouldn't require too many resources, right? Just you go, and a few people to protect you should be enough. Our main force can stay idle and rest until September 20th?"

Lelouch thought for a moment and suggested, "However, I think Admiral Zandels certainly doesn't lack line-filling troops. The terrain of the Gallipoli Peninsula means that the base of the peninsula is very narrow, which is very suitable for high walls and deep trenches. As long as Admiral Zandels doesn't pursue a counterattack but only aims to hold the line, his line-filling infantry will definitely be sufficient."

If you insist on reinforcing him, or simply to stabilize the morale of the Ottomans and prevent them from wavering, you can send some warships to assist the Ottomans, or transport our airships, fighter reconnaissance aircraft, and other air power, as well as a portion of our heavy artillery, to Istanbul to support the front-line operations.

In short, we can lend them our naval and air power, as well as long-range support firepower, for 20 days, including transit time, to help them stabilize their position. Before the general offensive resumes on the Kievan Rus' plains, our artillery and fighter jets will need to be redeployed. We can leave the airships and warships with them, as they won't be needed for the subsequent inland land battles.”

Duke Rupprecht finally nodded: "This method is quite sound. Provide only technical equipment and few personnel, so that the troops can get enough rest. Artillery personnel don't need to rest for too long anyway."

The Duke approved the plan with a stroke of his pen, granting Lelouch two weeks' leave that same day (excluding travel time). He was allowed to go to the Baltic theater to find Lieutenant General Hipper, teach him to replicate his divisive tactics, and also offer advice to Lieutenant General Hipper or other relevant army commanders, thus strengthening his network of connections.

The Duke also separated a large number of heavy artillery units from the 6th Army. Apart from the heavy artillery that was necessary for the subsequent three weeks of advance on the Crimean Peninsula and to compress the Sevastopol encirclement, the other heavy artillery was transferred and shipped to Istanbul as appropriate, and deployed to the Gallipoli front.

Brigadier General William Keitel and Colonel William Loeb, who had previously been seconded to the Western Front, were also sent to the Gallipoli front. Even the train artillery units they had commanded were transported all the way from the Western Front to Istanbul by rail.

The navy and air force can be mobilized immediately, but the navy's battlecruiser "Mooch" has entered the Nikolayev shipyard for major repairs and is temporarily unable to participate in combat.

The "Goben" suffered relatively minor damage and did not need to be docked for repairs, so it has already been repaired to a considerable extent.

After discussing it, the Duke and Admiral Spee decided that the Goburn would carry a large group of ship repair workers, equipment, and spare parts, and carry out repairs while sailing. The scene of the rushed repairs was quite similar to that of the Yorktown after the Battle of the Coral Sea on Earth in later years.

The "Goben," along with two pre-dreadnoughts, the "Wichelsbach" and the "Mecklenburg," a few other destroyers and torpedo boats, sailed to Istanbul that very day.

The Demanian Black Sea Fleet left only its cruisers and a few destroyers to keep an eye on the last four Novik-class destroyers of the Russa Black Sea Fleet, which had retreated to Rostov, to prevent them from emerging from the Kerch Strait and causing trouble again.

……

P.S.: Another 12,000 words today...

The image below is a topographical map of the Gallipoli Peninsula, where the Bretonnia army landed at the peninsula's tip. It can be seen that the terrain at the peninsula's base is extremely narrow, meaning that even if the Bretonnia army established a foothold, they could not break through the high walls and deep trenches at the peninsula's base. Historically, the Bretonnia army spent several months there, suffering heavy casualties but achieving nothing.

(End of this chapter)