Starting with the smashing of Dunkirk

Chapter 183 It only took five days to make dumplings, but more than ten days to eat them.
Lelouch's "Greater Demania" armored instructor arrived in Zaporozhye on the evening of September 28.

The encirclement of the enemy's 6th Army's main force has already been effectively formed.

That evening, taking advantage of the enhanced reflection from the atmospheric ionosphere at night, Lelouch relayed the latest developments in the battle back to the rear via radio.

Duke Rupprecht was overjoyed upon receiving the telegram and immediately urged the troops on the front lines to accelerate their pressure and advance, and as usual, he used every means of propaganda to undermine the enemy's morale.

However, this time, the propaganda wasn't very effective. The main reason was that the encirclement was too large; most of the open-air troops hadn't yet grasped the extent of its formation.

If the enemy surrounds your position from 50 kilometers behind, frontline soldiers can easily detect it. However, if the enemy surrounds you from 150 kilometers behind or even further, it will be much more difficult for frontline soldiers to detect it immediately.

The dumpling wrapper was too big and the filling too small; it was wrapped too loosely, and the other person didn't even realize they were inside.

At times like these, all you can do is wait a few more days until the besieged troops realize that their supplies are running out and no more trains are bringing in ammunition. Only then will they truly panic.

Rupprecht's frontal offensive had not yet made a breakthrough, so they had no choice but to continue fighting a low-intensity war of attrition for several more days, focusing first on depleting the enemy's supplies within the encirclement.

Given the slow progress at the front, the Duke gave Lelouch a new order: he wanted Lelouch to lead the armored division to continue advancing northeast, bypassing Zaporige, and completely encircling Zaporige as well.

After receiving the order, Lelouch accepted it but sent a telegram back expressing his concerns: "The enemy may find it difficult to surround Zaporige and may end up only surrounding an empty city. Our forces on the front lines are too few to prevent the enemy from breaking out when they realize they are about to be surrounded."

The Duke immediately replied with his understanding: "There is no need to ensure the siege of the Zaporige garrison. Let them withdraw if they wish. I only need to ensure the capture of the city first. At this stage, the top priority is to annihilate the enemy forces already in the encirclement. There is no need to be too ambitious all at once."

Lelouch carried out the order and finally circled the city on the 27th, surrounding Zaporizhge from the south, east, and north. Only the west side remained uncontained—because the west side of Zaporizhge is right next to the Dnieper River, and Lelouch, having made a long land advance to this point, had no ships available.

The garrison inside Zaporige showed no signs of breaking out or retreating despite the encirclement from the south, northeast, and south. After observing the situation, Lelouch sent another telegram back to the Duke:

"After the enemy's land retreat route was completely surrounded by us, there was still no sign of breaking out or retreating. It is suspected that the enemy defenders in the city have enough ferries and may be trying to escape by crossing the Dnieper River at the last moment."

The only course of action now is to urge our forces advancing along the north bank of the Dnieper River to accelerate their advance. If they can reach the opposite bank of Zaporozhye, the enemy will surely collapse. Furthermore, we should make full use of our naval superiority and concentrate our small ships capable of entering the Dnieper River.

The Dnieper River section downstream of Zaporizhia has a gentle drop and good navigation conditions, allowing for a possible increase in both land and water navigation.

After receiving the reply, Duke Rupprecht pondered for a long time and finally realized that the other "iron clamp" across the Dnieper River, Federer von Bock, had not yet moved into position.

He immediately summoned his staff officer and confidential clerk to inquire:
"Have Federer Bock report on the latest developments. Where is his 'Reich' armored division? Are there enough infantry divisions to follow up and fill in the gaps?"

The cipher and communications officers were busy for a while, and a reply came more than an hour later: "Report to the Commander! The 'Imperial' armored division has been engaged in several fierce battles with the enemy since it advanced to Krivorrog yesterday morning."

This afternoon, with the assistance of our naval fleet that had penetrated deep into the Dnieper River, we broke through the confluence of the Ingulets and Saksagan rivers and are now continuing eastward at full speed, having advanced another 30 kilometers this afternoon. We are currently 80 kilometers from Zaporizhzhia.

Commander Bock reported that there were no more obstacles in the river network to the east, and he would speed up. The previous delays were due to the numerous tributaries on the north bank of the Dnieper River, which the enemy used to their advantage, employing layered defenses.

The problems pointed out by von Bock are indeed true. The army advancing along the north bank of the Dnieper River could not rely solely on the enemy's railway lines; it also needed to rely on the Dnieper River for supplies.
It also relies heavily on the large number of light auxiliary vessels of the Dnieper Navy that sail from Nikolaev and Kherson into the mouth of the Dnieper River.

With the help of these ships to transport ammunition, cut off the enemy's water transport, and, when necessary, divert into the tributaries on the north bank of the Dnieper River to help Bock cross the river time and time again, he was able to achieve his current success.

However, this was the first time the Demacian army had ever fought such a large-scale, deep-sea combined land and sea operation, so they lacked experience and often made mistakes in the coordination process.

Frequently, Feng Bok would be blocked by a river ahead, and the fleet that could have ferryed him across would take a detour and fail to arrive. Or perhaps it was Feng Bok's own fault for choosing a crossing point too far upstream on a tributary, forcing his navy to navigate the tributary and take an even longer route each time.

Normally, none of this would be a big deal. In war, there are always unexpected events. It would be good if things could proceed smoothly.

However, with Lelouch as a point of reference on the other side of the iron clamp, Feng Boke appeared unprepared and flustered.

Duke Rupprecht, having seen so many geniuses, thought that talented people were nothing special.

He then impatiently ordered: "Send another telegram to Bock! Make sure he arrives at Tomakivka on the opposite bank of Zaporizhzhia in two and a half days, on the morning of October 3, and completely cuts off the enemy's waterway retreat!"
I don't demand that he completely encircle the Zaporizhia garrison, but as long as they know the opposite bank is also threatened, they will surely flee, and then there will be no need to expend effort besieging the city. The three main enemy armies located within the large southern encirclement will then be completely annihilated!

As of September 30th, the enemy in the southern encirclement was said to be surrounded, but in fact there was still a way out: to cross the Dnieper River and head north, just like the situation of the French troops in Zaporige.

Before the Bocks could maneuver into position, the Demanians could only block the Lussanid army's land retreat routes, but could not completely cut off the Dnieper River crossing. However, the Demanians had control of the sea and fleets that could enter the inland waterways, so the Lussanids dared not easily cross the river to escape.

A few days ago, a division of Lusa attempted to escape north across the river, but they were attacked by the Demanian fleet halfway across, cut in half, and were also bombarded at close range by the 76mm gunboats, suffering heavy losses.

Since then, the Lussa people have been less inclined to cross the river rashly when there are suspected Demanian fleets nearby.

After the Duke issued his latest order, von Burke strictly followed it and accelerated his advance. In the end, everything was exactly as the Duke had requested, and by October 3, the complete encirclement by land and sea was finally completed.

Meanwhile, the Lusa garrison in Zaporozhye had already learned of the Demanians' rapid advance on the north bank of the Dnieper River, and thus hesitated and withdrew.

……

Early morning of October 2nd, in Zaporozhye city.

General Alexei Evert, the former commander of the Romanian Front of Luza and now the commander of the 6th Army, had not slept all night. In front of him were dozens of burnt toilet papers and some scattered tobacco leaves and ashes.

"Commander, the Demanian armored division on the north coast has advanced to Nikopol and is less than 40 kilometers away from us. If we wait another day, we won't be able to leave. Let's retreat!"

Those around General Evert pleaded desperately, not wanting to die in the encirclement or end up in a prisoner-of-war camp.

However, General Evert was well aware that his three main armies were tied up by the enemy. Even if one army on Zaporozhye's side chose to break out, at most a portion of it would escape, and a considerable portion would definitely be killed by the enemy's land pursuit and river gunboats.

The so-called breakout is nothing more than abandoning the army and fleeing. They will probably face a military court upon their return.

Especially since he had a prior record—the Romanian Front had previously suffered a 50% defeat and been disbanded, which had already greatly displeased the Tsar and the military high command. Others might not have been shot this time for withdrawing, but if he withdrew, the consequences would be far more severe than for others.

Moreover, I've heard that General Pavel Plevey, commander of the Southwestern Front, is under immense pressure, having been questioned directly by the Tsar multiple times by phone. If the Front needs to find a scapegoat, I fear my chances of survival are slim.

However, entering a prisoner-of-war camp does not necessarily mean death.

Just as he hesitated, another staff officer urged him on: "Commander, think of your family in St. Petersburg, and your colleagues who are close to you. We must break out of the encirclement, otherwise..."

General Evert, his mind in turmoil, finally wavered after being persuaded by his own men. They further reassured him, "This crushing defeat was due to the enemy's advanced armored vehicles, which caught our army off guard. The army's high command will surely explain things up for you; at worst, you'll be exiled." General Evert finally believed this explanation and decided to cross the river and break out at dawn.

However, it was impossible to completely conceal such a large-scale operation from the enemy. Several divisions would need to cross the river, which would take at least several hours and involve a great deal of noise.

Before long, Lelouch, who was besieging the city from the land, discovered the movements of his troops.

Lelouch, of course, showed no mercy and immediately ordered an attack on the city, also calling on the fleet on the Dnieper River to come and do their best to intercept and kill them.

"All artillery units that have arrived in Zaporige, immediately begin indiscriminate bombardment of the city! Begin the assault 20 minutes after the initial barrage! Use explosive charges to breach any fortified buildings where the enemy is holding out! Also, have the flamethrower troops eliminate any remaining enemy forces under cover of night!"

Soon, the Demanian artillery began to roar, and 77mm and 105mm shells rained down on the main defensive area of ​​Zaporozhye. The sheer force of the shells terrified the Lusa people, who were already planning to retreat, and they lost all will to fight and scattered in panic.

Nighttime combat involves shorter distances and poor visibility, which is perfect for flamethrower soldiers, who have an attack range of only 50 meters or less. Any buildings that the Lussa people stubbornly defended were quickly wiped out by the combined attack of explosive charges and flamethrowers.

The troops that had been ordered by General Evert to hold the rear also flocked to the dock, wanting to seize a boat and cross the river ahead of time.

Thus, another massacre, a surprise attack while the enemy was crossing the river, unfolded on the banks and surface of the Dnieper River west of Zaporozhye.

The half-division that was crossing the river was quickly sunk one by one by the Demacian gunboats that rushed over.

Since the gunboats lacked sufficient firepower, they relied on radio to report positions to friendly forces on shore, allowing the besieging artillery units to bombard and cover the dock area.

Lelouch's artillery received precise information and immediately adjusted their target, roughly aiming the cannons at the coordinates of the dock area.

Batch after batch of 105mm shells rained down, creating a bloody storm and a mass of flesh. The regiments of the Russian army responsible for covering the rear were instantly routed by Lelouch's bombardment.

They were in a hurry to get a boat to cross the river, and at this time, how could they possibly hold out when they were bombarded by the enemy and attacked from behind?
In the end, after a fierce battle that lasted until midnight, General Evert managed to escape with less than one division; the rest were lost in the city of Zaporozhye and on the river.

The next day at dawn, thousands of mutilated corpses could be seen on the dock, as well as many more floating corpses on the surface of the Dnieper River. These were all ferries that had been sunk by Demacian gunboats during the nighttime crossing, and the bodies that had drowned and swelled up before floating to the surface.

These thousands of floating corpses, carried downstream, would also be seen by the besieged Lusa army downstream, further demoralizing them and letting them know that the city of Zaporozhye, where the army group headquarters was located, had fallen.

After Lelouch finished his battle, he waited for more than half a day before Federer von Burke finally arrived in Zaporozhye from the west, just before the timeline requested by His Highness the Duke.

However, when von Burke arrived, there were no enemy troops left in the city; the entire city was under Lelouch's control.

Looking at the endless rows of floating corpses on the Dnieper River, von Bock was also filled with emotion.

He quickly acquired a boat, crossed the river to the east bank, and met Lelouch in the city of Zaporozhye.

The two were old friends, and now von Burke was completely convinced of Lelouch's superiority and had no more competitive spirit. Whenever they met, he would immediately start teasing him:
"I thought I was advancing fast enough. Although the Ingurets and Saksagan rivers, which are tributaries of the Dnieper River on the north bank, caused me a lot of trouble and slowed down the progress by taking some detours, advancing 310 kilometers in 10 days is still a respectable achievement for the Marshal."

Who knew you'd advance 260 kilometers in 5 days, making me look like a clown in comparison! In the end, I was almost at the west bank when the enemy troops defending the east bank panicked and tried to flee, allowing you to seize the opportunity and claim the credit for breaching Zaporizhzhia! You couldn't even wait a day longer to share the credit with me!

Lelouch knew the other man was just joking, and gave Bock a friendly pat on the shoulder: "If I wait another day, wouldn't the enemy send out one or two more divisions of their garrison? Of course, we can't wait at a time like this."

However, when I report to the Marshal, I will state clearly that "it is because your division is about to arrive on the west bank and completely encircle Zapori, so the enemy troops defending the city on the east bank are panicking and fleeing, which gives me the opportunity to pursue and kill them."

Also, when the tanks arrive in November, I'll return all the armored vehicles from my division to you, and my troops will be equipped with tanks. Is that fair? You've been fighting for so long, and with over 120 armored vehicles, I doubt many are still operational. I'll repair and patch them up, and get another 100 or so back for you. Then you can form three full-strength regiments of 84 armored vehicles each.”

Von Bock had never seen a tank, but he knew that tanks were definitely more useful than armored vehicles.

But what could be done? Von Burke didn't have control over military industrial resources. Whether it was tanks or armored vehicles, Lelouch himself contributed some money and resources, and even assembled a team to conduct military research and development. Production was also supported by the finances of the Barea royal family.

Since Lelouch orchestrated this tank saga, it's his right to let whoever wants to use it, and it's also his right to keep it all for himself.

With so many generals in the 6th Army, Lelouch could have easily chosen other brigadier generals or major generals to command the armored divisions. His choice of the relatively young and quick-to-learn Bock to lead the armored vehicle units was already a great favor.

"Alright, let's just call it quits for the victory at Zaporizhzhia this time." Von Bock took the opportunity to back down and didn't say anything more.

……

In the days that followed, the operational tasks of all units of the Demania 6th Army shifted entirely to "how to finish the dumpling filling as quickly as possible and digest it completely."

The encirclement along both banks of the Dnieper River was completely sealed off, making it impossible for the troops inside to escape.

Starting on October 3rd, the morale of Lusa's army, which was surrounded, collapsed every day, with entire regiments and even divisions being chased and forced to surrender by the Demacians.

The supply disruptions that began on September 28th were finally taking effect. As more and more troops ran out of bullets and shells and supplies couldn't be brought in from the rear, the chain reaction of collapses accelerated every day.

The infantry divisions advancing along the Kherson-Yamiansk front gradually increased their pace from advancing only a dozen kilometers per day to advancing 20 or 30 kilometers per day.

Finally, on October 9th, the entire Lusha army within the encirclement was annihilated.

Including the garrison of Zaporozhye, plus the garrisons of Troiccik and Melitopol that Lelouch had previously defeated along the way, and the portion of the Russo-French army that von Bock had defeated on the north bank of the Dnieper River.

The entire 6th Army of the Russian Federation suffered the annihilation of more than 5 corps, 16 divisions, and 31 men.

In addition, more than three Cossack cavalry divisions were almost wiped out, and five more Cossack cavalry divisions suffered heavy losses in continuous harassment attacks and attempts to cut off the Demanian railway lines.

Including Cossack casualties, the total number of French troops killed was 35.

Moreover, the land along the Dnieper River south of Zaporozhye, all the way to the Sea of ​​Azov, was seized by the Demanian army.

The entire region is approximately 200 kilometers wide from north to south and 180 kilometers long from east to west, roughly trapezoidal in shape, although the land narrows somewhat towards the Crimean Peninsula in the south. In total, about 3 square kilometers of land were seized.

Throughout the entire battle, it took 5 days for Lelouch's side to close the encirclement, another 5 days for Burke's side to launch a "pincer attack," and another 6 days to digest the dumpling filling after the complete encirclement.

从9月23日打到10月9日，一共耗时16天，歼敌35万，占地3万多平方公里。

(End of this chapter)