Starting with the smashing of Dunkirk

Chapter 185 You only need to consider military matters, while Chief of Staff Lelouch has many more things to consider.
During the few days the troops were resting and recovering, Duke Rupprecht inspected the large iron mine in Krivorog.

He also inspected the steel plant on the banks of the Dnieper River, near the city of Nikopol, which was originally capable of producing 300 million tons of steel annually.

The immense industrial value of the Kievan Rus' region fueled the Duke's growing enthusiasm and strengthened his resolve to conquer the entire Kievan Rus' plain as quickly as possible.

That evening, he urged the army group staff to formulate a plan for the next phase of the campaign and to expand the gains as soon as possible.

Lelouch, the army group's chief of staff, and von Bock, the chief of staff, were all present. This group of mid-level officers worked together to finalize the subsequent offensive plan.

……

September 11, night.

Inside Zaporozhye.

Lelouch, along with von Burke, Lundstätter, Rommel, and others, stayed up late into the night, comparing maps of the Kievan Rus' plains and discussing potential breakthroughs.

Lelouch is the chief of staff, so he will definitely set the tone first, and he will also take the opportunity to review the previous arrangements.

"According to the previous plan, after capturing Zaporizhzhia, we should have immediately continued north to Yekaterinaslav (Dnipropetrovsk).

However, after our army actually captured the city the day before yesterday, we sent reconnaissance troops further north along the river from Zaporizhzhia to explore the route, and discovered many problems. The Dnieper River drops significantly in this area, and there are often places with rapid currents where boats cannot navigate at all.

The railway line connecting Zaporizhia to Yekaterinaslav runs only on the east bank of the Dnieper River. The west bank not only lacks roads but is also riddled with swamps and small lakes. We are destined to be unable to replicate the tactic of attacking from both the east and west banks that we used to deal with Zaporizhia; we can only advance alone along the east bank of the Dnieper River.

This tactic, I feel, is very unsuitable for the effective use of armored assault forces, because it prevents the formation of a pincer movement. I'm not worried about taking Yekaterinaslav, but I fear it's impossible to achieve a decisive victory; the enemy's defenders will inevitably break out against the tide at a crucial moment.

The subsequent operational plan for the attack on Yekaterinaslav was conceived before the battle even began. Therefore, Lelouch doesn't need to go into too much detail; he only needs to give a general description of any new changes and difficulties encountered after the battle started.

Both von Bock and Rundstedt had only recently arrived from a great distance, so they weren't very familiar with the terrain and geography along the Dnieper River north of Zaporozhye. Hearing Lelouch's words, von Bock confirmed with some regret:
"But why did you say that 'the enemy's garrison will definitely be able to break through by going upstream at the critical moment'? If the Dnieper River has a steep drop in this section, and there are many swamps and small lakes on both banks, making navigation difficult, then the enemy and our side should be treated equally."

Lelouch tapped the map a few times with his pointer: "That's the problem. This section of the river, with its steep drop and difficult navigation, is only about 80 kilometers long. It starts at Yekaterina Slav and ends at Zaporizhzhia."

The waterway becomes easily navigable downstream from Zaporizhzhia, and also upstream from Yekaterinaslav all the way to Kiev. Therefore, the enemy maintains a regular inland waterway transport fleet upstream, while our ships downstream are unable to reach them due to the natural barriers.

As Lelouch spoke, his tone became somewhat regretful.

As a time traveler, he actually knew that in the future, after Lusa transformed into a USSR, the Dnieper River hydroelectric power station was built between the two cities through two five-year plans.

When that hydroelectric power station was completed, it was the largest in Europe and a testament to the superiority of the five-year plan; it was even printed on the banknotes of Lussa.

Because the hydroelectric power station was so large, it greatly improved shipping conditions between Yekaterinaslav and Zaporizhzhia.

For those who don't understand the underlying principles, just imagine how the Three Gorges Dam project will improve navigation conditions in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and you'll get the idea.

Because the reservoir raised the water level, this 80-kilometer section of the river with a large drop became flat, with only the final section near Zaporozhye requiring vertical raising and lowering via locks. This also solved the problem of one-stop navigation along the entire Dnieper River.

Before that hydroelectric power station was built, navigation on the Dnieper River was segmented.

The first leg is from Kyiv to Yekaterinaslav. Here, the goods must be unloaded from the ship, loaded onto a train, and transported downstream for 80 kilometers to Zaporizhzhia. Then, the goods are unloaded from the train and loaded onto the ship again, continuing downstream to Kherson/Nikolaev.

Therefore, upstream from Yekaterinaslav, the defenders will maintain a fleet for a long time. At that time, the Russa will have a monopoly on water transport, while the Demanians will be completely unable to utilize water transport, and will suffer much more in terms of logistics and encirclement than in the first phase.

If an enemy city is surrounded on one side by land, the enemy can still escape by water, and the attacking side can only watch helplessly.

Although Lelouch had studied relevant history before his time travel, the maps he looked at before his time travel were all maps after the construction of the hydroelectric power station, which depicted the middle section of the Dnieper River as a large reservoir and lake area. It was impossible for Lelouch to specifically look up "maps from before the 1930s, before the construction of the hydroelectric power station".

This led to Lelouch not being very familiar with the geographical environment of this section of the Dnieper River in 1915, and he had to come and see it for himself before discovering a whole host of problems.

As I said before, there are always unexpected events in war. When new problems arise, we just solve them.

After deliberation, the staff officers unanimously agreed that "it is impossible to encircle Yekaterinaslav's garrison."

Let's push forward along the railway line, aiming only to capture the city, not to annihilate the enemy.

Rommel, who was standing nearby, roughly calculated the rest and recuperation status of his troops and first suggested:
"My troops should be the fastest to finish their rest, because they had already rested for several days before the fall of Zaporizhia. If I were given the task of spearheading the attack, I could rejoin the offensive on the 12th and guarantee to reach the outskirts of Yekaterinaslav by the 15th!"
I'll advance along the railway; this route won't be hampered by mud. The advance distance isn't too far either, so I don't need to worry about being cut off by Cossack cavalry while advancing alone.

The other staff officers exchanged glances and agreed that Rommel's suggestion was feasible.

However, when making a staff plan, it is impossible to only look at the immediate situation. After discussing how to capture Yekaterinaslav, we must further discuss the direction of subsequent advance.

Among the group, von Bock, who most enjoyed discussing strategic matters, posed a crucial question:
"After capturing that place, our army still did not have the advantage of water transport and could only advance along the railway line. Moreover, at this time of year, the mud on both sides of the Dnieper River would come earlier and be more severe than in other parts of the steppe.

Our original plan was to finish the first phase of the battle in one month, and then, after the mud season arrived, deploy light tanks to take advantage of their superior off-road capabilities compared to wheeled armored vehicles, and launch a pincer attack on Kiev.

The first phase of the battle may end more than ten days ahead of schedule. This timing is a bit awkward. The muddy terrain has already begun, and the tanks have not yet been equipped. Should we launch an attack on Kiev ahead of schedule?

If we launch an attack prematurely, but our final penetration is insufficient and lacks intensity, resulting in a failed operation, wouldn't that give the enemy's Southwestern Area Army a chance to escape?

Lundstätter and Rommel did not answer the question, but instead looked at Commander Lelouch.

Lelouch pondered for a moment: "When we finally rush towards Kiev, we must ensure that the entire army's assault force is swift enough to give the enemy no time to react and retreat north. Once the mud season begins and our army has tanks, we will be more confident in encircling and annihilating the enemy."

In muddy conditions, the enemy, apart from cavalry, would be able to break through, but heavy vehicles would move very slowly, and even horse-drawn carriages with hard wheels would be immobile. At that point, even if they realized they were outmatched and needed to retreat, they would only be able to abandon their equipment and retreat lightly on foot.

Our tanks are all light tanks, with sufficient power and track structure to handle this level of mud, and their advance performance will be far better than wheeled vehicles.

Therefore, from a technical and tactical perspective, attacking Kyiv according to the original plan, or even slightly later, is not a problem. The key issue lies in considering whether there will be other adverse effects from a political and economic perspective.

Attacking Kyiv again after November poses no military problem. But what about political and economic issues?

After Lelouch posed this hypothetical question, everyone looked at each other, unable to give an immediate answer.

Finally, Lelouch pondered for a moment and offered a few suggestions: "Why don't we think about this problem from a different angle? If we take Yekaterinaslav and are afraid of the temporary mud and the fact that the tanks are not yet in place, we should not rush upstream to attack Kiev."

So, in this window of opportunity that might only last about two weeks, what other directions can we pursue? We can't afford to waste time, can we? Then, we can consider which objective is more pressing.

Inspired by Lelouch, von Bock immediately proposed an alternative plan: "If, after capturing Yekaterinaslav, we don't immediately move upstream to attack Kiev, we should turn east, along the railway near Yekaterinaslav, to the Donbas coal mines, and seize the coalfield area as the Duke desires. It's located 150 kilometers east of Yekaterinaslav, and the eastern steppes are much less muddy than the western Dnieper River banks, making it easier for armored vehicles to maneuver and claim territory. The enemy's defenses there are also weak, allowing us to quickly expand our gains."

Because the main force of the enemy's Southwestern Front is located between Kiev and Yekaterinaslav, and at most as far west as Vinnytsia-Lviv, while our eastern flank is now very empty, consisting only of some Cossack cavalry divisions and local reserve troops temporarily conscripted.

Our only concern is whether our logistical support will be insufficient if we venture too far east. Our current railway line runs from Kherson in the rear, through Melitopol, north to Zaporizhzhia, and then further north to Yekaterinaslav.

If we were to launch another attack on Donbas, we would have to travel east from Yekaterinaslav, starting from Kherson, a journey of over 600 kilometers along a zigzag railway.

We also lack the manpower to protect our logistics along the long railway line. While the enemy's Cossack cavalry may not be a match for our armored forces head-on, their harassment and sabotage along the 400-kilometer railway line from Melitopol to Donbas would be a serious threat.

As Lelouch listened to Bock's analysis, he was still pondering the economic value of the Donbas region, thinking, "Is it more important to seize this year's grain harvest in western Ukraine a month or two earlier, or to seize the coal in eastern Ukraine a month or two earlier? Which would cause the greatest damage to Rusa's rule: cutting off grain or coal first?"

Therefore, Lelouch didn't have time to think about the details of military tactics.

Rommel and the others, who were standing to the side, had originally wanted to wait for Commander Lelouch to speak first, so as not to steal his thunder. Seeing that their commander was deep in thought and silent, they mustered up their courage and began to express their opinions, offering their own ideas to stimulate discussion.

Rommel immediately said, "I don't think the railway line issue will have a significant impact. If we really decide to advance eastward first and then attack Kiev after the tanks arrive, we can easily create another large encirclement to the east—"

As mentioned earlier, Melitopol, which we captured earlier, was originally a crossroads of two railway lines.

In Melitopol, there is a north-south railway that runs from Sevastopol northward to Melitopol and then to Zaporizhzhia and Yekaterinaslav.

There is also an east-west railway, running from Kherson to Melitopol and then west through Marienupol to Rostov. Marienupol, on the coast of Azov, also has a railway branching northward, leading to the Donbas coalfields.

Therefore, after advancing eastward from Yekaterinaslav into the Donbas, we can also send a separate force from Melitopol to advance along the coastline to Mariupol. As for Rostov further east at the mouth of the Don River, we can ignore it for the time being.

At that point, we will be able to control a square area covered by the railway, from Melitopol to Yekaterinaslav to Donbas to Mariupol. With the railway's rapid mobility and a small number of infantry units lining the line, Cossack cavalry will be unable to penetrate into this heartland.

This will be another trapezoidal occupied area, 180 kilometers long from east to west, 100 kilometers wide from north to south on the east side, and 200 kilometers wide from north to south on the west side, with a total area of ​​about 24,000 square kilometers, covering the entire large coalfield area.

Moreover, I estimate that this operation can be completed in a little over half a month, without affecting the continued northward advance to Kyiv after the tanks arrive. (See image below)
Lelouch's mind had been preoccupied with economic considerations, but seeing that his subordinates had already fed him, he briefly considered the matter and realized that it was indeed feasible from a military perspective. He then nodded encouragingly.

Encouraged by the army group chief of staff, everyone became increasingly open in their discussions. Colonel Lundstätter, who had initially been relatively silent, also quickly offered his suggestions and added a few points:
"Since the Chief of Staff thinks Rommel's plan is feasible, I can add two points. I think that as our army advances along the coastline from Melitopol to Mariopol, we can coordinate with logistical support from the sea."

Mariupol is still a port city on the coast of Azov. Our army previously had more than one army unit tied down on the Crimean Peninsula, besieging Sevastopol and Kerch respectively.

At that time, our army was not in a hurry to take Sevastopol, in order to lull the enemy into a false sense of security and make them mistakenly believe that our army dared not fight on two fronts, and that we would first advance south to completely clear the peninsula before moving north.

Therefore, the enemy was not on guard against our breakthrough of the narrow, long stretch of peninsulas and the bridge across the sea between Zhankoy and Trojcik. At that time, the enemy was even in an offensive deployment state, and the troops on the front line in Zhankoy were ready to move south to support Sevastopol at any time. All of this contributed to the smooth success of our surprise attack.

But now 20 days have passed since the surprise attack and breakthrough at Zhankoy, and the enemy forces in Sevastopol and Kerch are increasingly running out of ammunition and food, and their morale is wavering. I think our army can accelerate the final push on the southern front and take those two cities.

This would free up a large siege force to fill the gap on the eastern front. Simultaneously, after capturing Kerch, our Black Sea Fleet's transport ships could enter the Sea of ​​Azov and transport supplies to Marieupol and even Rostov in the future.

In this way, we won't need to ensure the railway between Yekaterinaslav and Donbas is always open. As long as the backup north-south railway between Mariupol and Donbas remains open, the enemy won't be able to cause any trouble. Furthermore, supplies from Mariupol port can be replenished directly via the Black Sea-Sea of ​​Azov, avoiding rail transport and further reducing costs by several times.

At this point, Lelouch no longer needed to consider the various military details; the other young and middle-aged staff officers of the army group had already worked together to make the entire plan very solid.

Lelouch readily nodded: "I acknowledge that this improvement plan is militarily feasible, but you still need to ensure that each timeline is finalized. The necessary troops must arrive on time, and their arrival at the next phase of the campaign's launch location must not be delayed."

Now there is only one question left: Does anyone know the grain collection season in the Kievan Rus' Plain region, and the efficiency of the collection and transportation by the Russa government in previous years?

Coal can be left in the ground and mined every season. But grain can only be harvested once a year for staple crops. On the Kievan Rus' plain, apart from a few corn-growing areas, there's no need to worry about the enemy harvesting and transporting it north. The biggest key is the winter wheat, which is harvested in July and August. If the attack is delayed until November, is it possible that it has already been transported north to the heart of Lusha?
Are there any agricultural experts among you? As far as I know, after harvesting, grain generally needs at least a month for pre-processing and drying before it can be stored and transported. Otherwise, grain with excessive moisture content will quickly mold.

Therefore, theoretically, the winter wheat in the hands of farmers should not be dried and stored until at least late September, and it has only been half a month since it was dried. However, it is unknown how efficient the Rusha government is in collecting taxes, how long it will take to collect the wheat, transport it to major cities such as Kyiv and Kharkiv, and finally transport it north by rail.

If we can ensure that "when we attack Kiev again in November, the enemy will still not have time to harvest the winter wheat planted last winter on the Kiev-Russian Plain and transport it north," then I will fully support your revised new offensive plan.

However, if this results in the enemy obtaining the winter wheat harvested at the end of this summer from the Kievan Rus' plains, that would be completely unacceptable.

Lelouch's question left everyone at a loss.

They are all military commanders; how could they possibly know anything about farming?

They only need to consider how to fight, while Chief of Staff Lelouch has many more things to consider.

Brigadier General von Bock stroked his stubble and pondered, "This problem... can only be solved by consulting professionals. Or perhaps we could find a few finance officials, tax officials, and transportation officials among the surrendered civil servants in Zaporozhye and question them?"

Rommel, however, offered an even more imaginative suggestion: "Or, we could think of another way, a two-pronged approach. On one hand, we could inquire with the surrendered civil officials about the progress of grain collection in previous years; on the other hand, we could launch remote attacks to disrupt the Lussa people's railway transportation!"
As is well known, the railway connecting the entire Kievan Rus' Plain to the north has only two hubs: one in the west, Kiev, and the other in the east, Kharkiv. Other cities along the railway line must first reach these two hubs before goods can be transported northward.

If you, Chief of Staff, are concerned about this issue, we can occasionally use airships to launch long-range bombing raids on the Kiev and Kharkiv railways in the coming month.

Although the enemy already possesses fighter jets with heavy machine guns firing upwards, as well as white phosphorus bombs, which could threaten our airships, as long as the airships maintain maximum altitude throughout the infiltration, given the openness of the Kievan Rus' plains, the enemy may not be able to detect our airships and send fighter jets to intercept them.

Moreover, our targets this time are not major cities or military fortresses. The enemy is unlikely to have deployed anti-aircraft guns, nor is it possible that there are field airfields nearby deploying fighter jets. We are bypassing major cities and specifically targeting weakly defended positions along railway lines. Furthermore, we will only lower our altitude for precision bombing when dropping the bombs, and immediately rise again to escape afterward. By the time the enemy reacts, we will have already returned to base.

Lelouch's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing Rommel's suggestion.

This truly squeezed out every last bit of value from the airship!
As mentioned earlier, with the advancements in enemy fighter jet and anti-aircraft artillery technology, and the advent of white phosphorus bombs, sending airships to bomb heavily defended war zones, or even just rear cities, would now be tantamount to suicide.

However, if cities are avoided and transportation lines are bombed, the enemy cannot possibly defend every inch of the long railway. In particular, the eastern front is sparsely populated, which is completely different from the western front—the population density of the Kievan Rus' plain is incomparable to that of Britannia across the straits on the western front.

Kievan Rus' has an area of ​​over 600,000 square kilometers but only 20 million people, while the small islands on the western front, with an area of ​​over 200,000 square kilometers, have 50 million people. The population density is eight times different, and the level of defense is even greater.

Using airships to bomb London now would be suicidal; none of them would ever return. But bombing the railway lines north of Kyiv and Kharkiv could be a viable option.

Lelouch finally made the decision: "Very good! I think this plan is good, let's implement it! However, there are still some problems with the navigation. If the accumulated deviation error is too large, we still need to make a rough assessment after dawn to determine whether we are veering east or west. Then we should reduce the altitude and search for the railway line in the opposite direction. Once we find it, we can drop the bombs."

If the flight deviates too far from its course, and the low-altitude visual search takes too long, the airship is still in danger. As for deviations in the north-south direction, it doesn't matter; even if it deviates by tens or hundreds of kilometers, it doesn't matter, as long as the railway is found, it doesn't matter which section of the railway it is bombed on.

You can discuss the specific details further. I'll go find the captured officials in charge of grain collection and check on their grain storage and transportation efficiency in previous years. Meeting adjourned!

(End of this chapter)