Starting with the smashing of Dunkirk

Chapter 55 is like two groundhogs locked in a throat-locking situation.
5:12 AM, December 25th, Ypres, Burkina Faso Expeditionary Force Headquarters.

Marshal French, who had just had three days of peace, was once again awakened from his sleep by the shrill ringing of the telephone.

After answering the phone with sleepy eyes, he couldn't help but curse, almost causing his blood vessels to burst due to high blood pressure.

"Despicable Demacians! Blasphemers! Lowlifes!"

"To launch such a large-scale new offensive on Christmas Eve, cutting off Stenford's railway from the rear overnight! It's utterly shameless!"

"How dare they call themselves a civilized nation! Those guys are nothing but uncivilized barbarians! Animals!"

Overnight, although no cities were lost, the only vital railway supply line connecting the expeditionary force to the rear was severed. This devastating news was a heavy blow to the expeditionary force.

Marshal French's first reaction was to order the Cannae to immediately organize a counterattack and restore the railway line!

But half an hour later, he learned that Lord Kanna had launched a counterattack, but it had failed, and more than two thousand soldiers had been killed or wounded in the counterattack attempt.

Major General Betin's tearful plea on the phone was so pitiful that it completely disarmed Field Marshal French.

What to do now?
This was a matter of great importance, and Marshal French dared not act on his own initiative. The commander of the 2nd Corps was not present, and the commander of the 3rd Corps had already been sent back to face a military court for his previous disastrous defeat and desertion.

With the war having progressed to this point, the old marshal had no choice but to gather several of his trusted advisors, along with Lieutenant General Douglas Haig, commander of the 1st Army, which was in the same defense zone as him, to discuss countermeasures.

"How do you think we should fight the rest of the battle? Although we haven't lost any major cities, the railway supply line has been cut off by the enemy! We can't take it back in a short time." The old marshal's brows were furrowed, and he looked like he had a deep-seated bitterness and hatred.

He also glanced instinctively at Lieutenant General Haig, his most trusted lieutenant. But Haig, being a cautious man, was unwilling to offer advice rashly, so he pretended not to see him and continued to ponder.

Lieutenant General Archibald, the Chief of Staff of the Expeditionary Force, spoke without as much restraint. He was used to flattering the old marshal, so he started by saying some infallible platitudes to set the tone:

"Your Excellency, I believe there is one thing that must be done right now—we should request further assistance from home, or strongly request reinforcements from friendly forces, to help us take over some of the positions between Stenford and Dunkirk, such as the villages and towns of Casel, Arnek, Volmu, and Berg."

The Christmas Eve raid at Stenford resulted in at least 3,000 casualties for the 1st and 2nd Garrison Divisions combined, and at least 5,000 casualties for the two divisions in the Lahore region of South Asia. Without any replacement manpower to fill these gaps, the subsequent defensive lines would inevitably be vulnerable.

The Empire's army mobilization and expansion are too slow; at times like these, they can only hope that the Franks will share the burden.

Marshal French thought for a moment, then nodded helplessly. He sent someone to make two phone calls, one to Count Kitchener, the Minister of War in the rear, and the other to Marshal Joffre, an ally.

After some discussion, Marshal Joffre considered that the line from Stenford to Dunkirk was, after all, Frankish territory, and the Boulevard army, as an ally, was there to help defend the land. Now that the Boulevard army had suffered losses and had been defeated in two battles, the French army had no choice but to take on more responsibility and urgently dispatched at least one or two divisions to block the pass.

However, the crucial port of Dunkirk will remain under the defense of the Burkina Faso forces. This is because all of the Burkina Faso's maritime supplies must be transported to Dunkirk for unloading, and having the port guarded by the French would reduce coordination efficiency and hinder transshipment and logistics.

The French army only helped defend the three small towns along the railway line: Arnec, Volmou, and Berg. In other words, the two ends of this severed railway line were still handled by the Boulogne army, while the French army helped support the three relay points in the middle.

After finalizing the issues of reinforcements and plugging the leaks, Field Marshal French finally relaxed a bit.
Then we need to discuss whether to fight, defend, or retreat.
This is a matter of principle.

"Hague, do you think Stenford should hold out to the bitter end? What preparations should we make? Can we withstand the Demacians?" French spoke frankly, calling on Hague to answer.

Haig had thought about it very carefully for a long time. He was a man of resolute and decisive character and was not willing to back down easily.

Otherwise, in the history of the world, he wouldn't have been able to grit his teeth and hold on, allowing the Burmese army to charge relentlessly on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, resulting in the deaths of 60,000 men.

After being repeatedly questioned by the old marshal, Haig finally struggled to make up his mind, let out a long sigh, and then slammed his hand on the map:
"I know the enemy's forces are elite, and our army is currently unable to launch a counterattack. However, we should at least hold our ground and persevere through this most difficult period. Don't be fooled by the enemy's current fierce offensive; they lack staying power!"
I heard they used an elite commando unit as the vanguard, but this unit is small and cannot withstand attrition. After two bloody battles, they will inevitably be unable to advance any further! If we give up now, all our previous sacrifices will have been in vain!
Furthermore, Commander, please consider carefully: why is the enemy launching this campaign so suddenly? Why were they quiet for a full month and a half before suddenly launching such a fierce and resolute attack?

Lieutenant General Haig paused slightly at this point, his tone questioning, to give the commander time to react.

Marshal French, a veteran of countless battles, possessed a solid foundation in warfare and immediately replied, "Naturally, it's because the Isel Canal was bombed and the area around Ypres Heights became muddy! That's why they couldn't attack during the autumn rainy season, and they finally managed to launch their attack when the coldest season arrived and most of the groundwater had frozen!"

If we can hold out for a little over a month, two months at most, until early spring when the groundwater thaws and the land gradually returns to its muddy state, the attacking forces in this area will suffer a huge disadvantage. At that point, no matter how strong their fighting force is, it will be useless!

The three senior generals present understood the reasoning that Marshal French had made.

The key question now is whether our side can hold out against such a fierce enemy offensive for a month and a half, or even two months, around the Ypres Heights. If we can hold out, it will indeed be a victory that the Empire can be proud of!
"Can we...hold out until the floodwaters thaw?" Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Archibald muttered anxiously to himself. Marshal French slammed his fist on the table: "We can hold out! Even if it's a fight to the death, we must hold out! Have you forgotten what happened at the Marne? If the Frankish army had lost heart after their previous defeats and had stopped fighting to the death, what a terrible scene we would be facing now?"

We endured such hardships back then, so what's a little more for our army now, having only lost the small town of Bayole? We haven't even officially lost Stenford yet! Last night, we only lost the field defense zone west of the city and the railway line! Would the Imperial Expeditionary Force give up because of such a setback?
If we can hold out for one or two months, it means we can hold out for at least a year! Because in this area, except during the freezing season, the attacking side is guaranteed to lose in all other seasons! And if we can hold out for a year, we will definitely be able to hold out indefinitely!

During this year-long window of opportunity, we can indefinitely reinforce our defenses. When the freezing season returns next year, if the enemy wants to attack again, they will face an impregnable fortification unlike anything seen in human history! We must emphasize the importance of this to officers and soldiers at all levels, letting them know that as long as we can hold out for these two months, we can hold out forever!

Then Billy King can declare forever that his country has not perished, and that their last 5% of territory can be held forever! This evil war waged by the Demagnesians will be powerless to destroy even one nation! Therefore, persisting is not only militarily significant, but also politically and propaganda-wise crucial. We must hold on! We must tell the free world that good will not prevail over evil! The Prime Minister and ministers are watching us; we must not give up or retreat!

Marshal French became more and more excited as he spoke, and eventually he completely believed it himself, appearing very steadfast.

And you know what? French's words do make some sense. Because it actually came true in Earth's history: the Britannians on Earth held out for the first winter in Ypres, and then continued to extend their service until the end of the war.

At times like this, you absolutely cannot let your breath escape.

Lieutenant General Archibald knew that the Marshal had a point, so he gently and kindly reminded him: "But our army's railway supply line has been cut off after all, and this problem should not be underestimated. We must think of a corresponding solution."

Marshal French was only responsible for setting the general direction and tone. When he heard about specific issues, he could only frown and look at Haig again.

Haig thought for a moment and then offered a cautious suggestion: "I don't think it's a big problem. Although the enemy has cut off our railway supply line, Ypres Heights, as the location of the Imperial Expeditionary Force's headquarters since the start of the war, has stockpiled a huge amount of combat supplies over the past few months."

When the Empire's transport fleet had nothing else to do, it would transport military supplies from Dover, Plymouth, and Southampton to Dunkirk, and then by rail via Stenford and Popperling to Ypres.

Currently, the ammunition depots in Ypres alone have 45 rounds of heavy artillery shells of 3 inches or larger. Including the ammunition depots at various outposts around Ypres Heights, the total stockpile of shells of 3 inches or larger exceeds 150 million rounds! The total stockpile of bullets should be several hundred million rounds, enough for each of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers to fire several thousand rounds!

Other necessities such as military rations and cured meat could last for a year or two even if supplies were cut off! Therefore, the enemy's hope of annihilating our army by cutting off supplies is absolutely doomed to fail! Finally, although we have lost the railway and other roads in the surrounding area have been damaged by floods, we can actually consider developing water transport!

The muddy swamps to the north are chest-deep in some places, about four or five feet deep, and deep enough to submerge you. We can procure a fleet of small boats with a draft of less than five feet to ferry supplies from Dunkirk, de Panne, and Neoport to the northern edge of the Ypres Heights by water, and then distribute them by manpower and animal power over short distances. It's not difficult at all..."

Lieutenant General Haig analyzed the situation, which boosted everyone's confidence and made them realize that the problem was not as serious as they had initially imagined.

After hearing this, Marshal French's eyes became even more resolute, and he became even more determined to hold on to the end.

Chief of Staff Archibald, looking rather melancholy, couldn't help but press further: "But we can't just passively take the hits like this..."

Haig: "We are not completely on the defensive! I was just arguing that we were not severely affected by the cutting off of the railway! Or rather, that the effect would not be seen within two months! But at the same time, do you think the enemy has not been affected by us?"
Although they have occupied Bayole and cut off the railway to Stenford, the city of Stenford is still in our hands! Moreover, Bayole is located on the Ypres Heights, on the edge of Mount Kemer, and our artillery deployed on the mountaintop can block the nearby railway!

So the enemy can't use the last 40 kilometers of railway from south of Bayole to west of Stenford! They're rushing in now with just a burst of courage and the supplies they brought with them, but they can't sustain this for more than ten days or half a month!

When their supplies ran out, the Demacians' logistics were far less motorized than those of the Empire and the Franks! Because they lacked oil, they had not dared to motorize their logistics for years, and they didn't even have many trucks. Their army's logistics were still entirely based on mules and horses.

As long as the railway is blocked by our artillery on the high ground, they will have to rely on mules and horses for logistics along the last 40 kilometers of muddy, treacherous terrain. Within a month, the logistical disaster suffered by the enemy will be several times worse than ours! The Empire is not afraid of dragging this out!

It was only when Haig uttered these words that Marshal French and Chief of Staff Archibald's eyes truly lit up.

That's right! The enemy only cut off the railway; it doesn't mean they can use it themselves!

In the current situation, neither side can use this section of the railway that is intertwined with the control zone. Even if the German army were to actually capture Stenford in the future and superficially connect the railway into a single line, it would still be unusable!
Because this railway runs too close to the edge of the Ypres Heights.

The heavy artillery positions deployed by the Burma forces atop Mount Kemer are capable of blocking the railway! They can bomb every train that comes their way!
Therefore, after thoroughly understanding the battlefield situation, the generals of the Bu army finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was not that they were being choked by the enemy on one side, but that both sides were choking each other!

Like two groundhogs fighting and locking each other by the throat!
Given this, they have the courage to wage a war of attrition against the enemy.

If you think about it carefully, although the German army has been advancing very rapidly, they haven't really achieved any major victories in attacking key positions.

As long as the German army holds the city and defends it to the death, refusing to yield an inch of ground, even if their supplies are cut off by the enemy, the German army will soon find themselves unable to take a bite out of this porcupine-like city! Trying to take it head-on will only break their own fangs.

(End of this chapter)