Starting with the smashing of Dunkirk

Chapter 71 Returning to the Front Lines, Launching a Strong Attack on Dunkirk

Two flowers bloom, one branch each.

While Hipper was contacting Count Spee and coordinating the 2nd Battleship Division to make its way to the Belighin Sea, Hipper was also working on the situation.

Lelouch also returned to the Dunkirk front and reported all the preparations he had made over the past two weeks to Duke Rupprecht.

The Duke was very satisfied with his work and told him to focus on preparing for battle. He also said that the allied forces had made considerable progress in the siege and were only one step away from victory.

Lelouch then returned to his unit to assess the paratroopers' training and conduct final pre-battle adjustments and integration.

At the same time, he also needed to get some information to understand how the friendly forces were doing, what changes had occurred in the enemy situation and the balance of power between the two sides during the more than half a month he was away.

……

The perspective shifts to the Dunkirk siege battlefield, and the timeline is also slightly rewound by half a month.

Starting in early February, the German forces began gradually eroding the outer defenses of Dunkirk. At that time, the German vanguard was still more than 20 kilometers from the city.

Inside Dunkirk, the 3rd Army of the Burkina Faso Expeditionary Force was initially used for defense. This army was the first to be decimated during the German advance in the sixth episode of "Western Pincer Movement," so it was moved to Dunkirk in the rear to relieve the defenders.

In addition to the 3rd Army, the Burkina cavalry corps and the 2nd Division, which had been decimated earlier, were also placed in this defense zone.

However, with continuous attrition, the 3rd Army was almost wiped out, and with its commander being court-martialed, the morale of the troops was extremely low. Finally, the Burkina Faso Army Ministry made a decision:
Starting on February 3, the 3rd Army and the 2nd Cavalry Division of the Cavalry Corps, which had been decimated, were withdrawn back to the country for reorganization and replenishment.

After an army and a division were withdrawn from the front lines, it was natural to send back the corresponding troops.

Therefore, the Burkina Faso Army Ministry transferred the newly formed 4th Corps, which was undergoing training, to the front lines. This corps had not historically been deployed in the Battle of Ypres; it was a newly assembled army created under duress. It consisted of the 29th Division and 2 new recruits from the newly recruited ANZAC Corps.

In addition to the newly formed 4th Corps, the Burkina Faso Army also brought in the 13th Division of the Indian Colonial Army from South Asia, the "Bombay Division," totaling approximately 12,000 men, and deployed them to Dunkirk.

In other words, since the beginning of February, the garrison at Dunkirk has been replaced. The troops that were previously crippled and unable to hold out have returned, and they have been replaced by 18,000 new local recruits, 12,000 new South Asian recruits, and 20,000 second-term recruits from the ANZAC, totaling 50,000 men. There are also several thousand remnants of the 1st Division who have remained there.

These 50,000 new recruits were historically supposed to be sent by First Lord of the Admiralty Walton to fight the Ottomans in the Dardanelles Strait in April or May of this year as the first landing force in the Gallipoli campaign.

Clearly, due to the increasing pressure from the Battle of Ypres and the escalating infighting between the two sides, the Burkina Faso had no choice but to bring in 5 men originally intended for subsequent battles to fill the gaps.

On February 6, when the rotation was completed, there were nearly 60,000 troops stationed in the Greater Dunkirk area (including the Dunkirk suburbs and De Panne on the other side of the Franco-Belgian border river).

With the addition of these 19 troops, along with previous reinforcements, the total number of Burkina Faso troops involved in the entire Ypres campaign increased from 25 at the start of the campaign to 2. Of course, by February 6, only 18 soldiers remained alive and in the war zone.

In other words, from the start of the Battle of Ypres on December 20th to February 6th, a period of one and a half months, 70,000 Burgundian troops and their colonial forces had been killed in action, died from their wounds, or were evacuated back to Burgundy as wounded soldiers.

This figure does not yet include the losses of French troops who assisted in the operation.

By February 15th, when Lelouch returned from the rear and rejoined the paratroopers training at the front, the total number of Burma troops within the encirclement had further decreased to approximately 160,000. In the past ten days alone, the Burma army suffered another 20,000 casualties, bringing the total losses to 90,000.

The German losses were certainly not small either. In this kind of protracted battle, even if the German army was more elite, the attacking side was obviously at a disadvantage because they had no fancy tricks to use.

In the final 10 days of the offensive, the German casualties approached 2, while the total casualties in all previous stages were also around 2.

In total, the losses suffered by both sides in the Battle of Ypres so far are 4 to 9.

Considering the nature of the conflict in World War I, and the fact that the Germans were on the offensive, this exchange ratio was actually quite good. The real key to widening the gap in losses between the two sides lies in whether they can ultimately finish off the remaining enemy forces.

Once the dumplings are eaten, the final loss for both sides might be 5 to over 20, a four to five-fold exchange ratio.

Including French losses, the total exchange ratio could have reached over 6 times, making it one of the most brilliant battles fought since the start of World War II.

Only the exchange ratio of Marshal Hindenburg's great victory at Tannenberg and the Battle of Lake Masuria on the Eastern Front could be more exaggerated—but Hindenburg was fighting the weak and cannon fodder Lusa army, while on the Western Front he was fighting the Buffalo coalition, and the elite level of the enemy was incomparable.

The casualties and attrition of enemy personnel were not the most critical factors. In the last ten days before Lelouch arrived on the battlefield, the German army's main progress lay in breaking through the Burgh's defensive line.

Over ten days, the German army advanced an average of about ten kilometers. Towards Dunkirk, they were only five or six kilometers from the coastline. Even in the eastern part of the city, near the port, the furthest point was less than ten kilometers.

The number of Burkina Faso troops in the Greater Dunkirk region has also plummeted from more than 50,000 ten days ago to 37,000 or 38,000. More than 10,000 casualties have been suffered in the past ten days. Both sides are fighting with all their might and the battle is extremely bloody.

The German army was able to make a steady advance in the face of such a fortified city mainly thanks to its heavy siege artillery.

Starting February 5th, the 280mm railway guns were widely deployed in the intensive work, initially with five or six guns, increasing to ten after February 10th. In the past two months, Krupp has poured a large amount of its production capacity into the railway gun project, even temporarily halting the production of large-caliber naval guns, and converting a large number of semi-finished naval gun barrels into railway guns.

The 380mm "Big Mark" railway guns, modified from the main guns of the Baria-class battleships, remained discreetly hidden. The 280mm railway guns were sufficient for siege warfare; exposing even a few 380mm guns might alert the enemy and hinder subsequent operations. Major Immelmann's German reconnaissance squadron also significantly suppressed Brussels reconnaissance aircraft in air combat, shooting down dozens of enemy planes. Due to their aerial reconnaissance advantage, the German railway guns benefited from airborne point-based fire correction, inflicting devastating damage on the Brussels' fortified strongholds south of Dunkirk.

Later, with the establishment of absolute air superiority and reconnaissance, the German army even transported four "Big Bertha" 420mm siege mortars, which had been used in the Battle of Liège in August of the previous year, to the Dunkirk front by train, and they attacked the city together with the 280mm railway guns.

Although the 420mm "Big Bertha" has a relatively short range of only 12 kilometers, the enemy lacks indirect observation and aerial reconnaissance, making it difficult to detect the "Big Bertha," thus its use is risk-controlled. Even if it enters the counter-attack range of the enemy's long-range heavy artillery, the enemy cannot retaliate unless they discover the position's location.

……

"So, this is the current situation: there are still about 30,000 enemy troops defending the city, and seven or eight thousand in Depane, just across the river."
Our besieging forces have increased to two corps and six divisions, currently numbering over 90,000 in the attack. The closest advance is already 5-6 kilometers from the sea, while the slowest progress is only 10 kilometers away. Have we broken through all the enemy's outer defenses and reached the edge of the city? Is that correct?

After returning to his unit, Lelouch inquired with Deputy Battalion Commander Rommel about the progress of the allied forces during his absence. After hearing the details, he finally confirmed the following.

Because airborne operations are very dangerous, Duke Rupprecht did not allow Lelouch to personally lead the team into the encirclement for this airborne operation, nor did he allow von Bock to go, as he was worried that if something happened to von Bock, he would not be able to explain it to Chief of the General Staff, Falkenhall.

Therefore, the final decision was to have Major Rommel, deputy commander of the 3rd Assault Battalion, lead 2000 submachine gunners and flamethrower engineers into the encirclement to seize the enemy's giant artillery emplacements.

Since Rommel is the one directly responsible for the final airdrop, Lelouch must confirm the enemy and friendly situation with him and assure him that Rommel is confident in carrying out this most dangerous mission.

Rommel confirmed his commander's summary: "That's about it, but I'd like to add one point: the so-called '3 troops stationed in the city' only includes the enemy's ground forces. There are also Burgundian naval sailors in the port area who sometimes come ashore to spend the night, and the Frankish navy is responsible for guarding the coastal fortifications."

The French initially handed over the defenses of Dunkirk to the Boublad army, but they didn't leave their own equipment for the Boublads. The coastal fortifications and cannons couldn't be moved, and the Boublads weren't familiar with operating them. These two groups combined numbered several thousand men.

Lelouch glanced at the map a few more times, then silently rolled it up, discussing it with Rommel as they went:
"If we take down the coastal fortifications on both the north and south sides of Dunkirk Port according to that plan, and destroy the enemy's railway guns and coastal guns that pose the greatest threat to our side and Big Bertha, how long do you think it will take for our friendly forces from the two outer armies to rush in and support us? Are there any other obstacles at present?"

Rommel thought for a moment, then frowned and analyzed, "Given the determination of those generals, advancing 1 to 2 kilometers a day was definitely achievable before. Any faster would depend on their resolve. For the first half month, the higher-ups maintained a slow and deliberate approach, focusing on controlling casualties. If they really go all out, doubling the speed wouldn't be impossible."

Therefore, in the fastest scenario, after the coastal fortress is captured, it may take friendly forces 48 hours to push to the sea, or as fast as 24 hours. There is another variable that we cannot assess, which is the change in the enemy's morale.

Is it possible that when the enemy sees our troops descending from the sky, suddenly achieving a major victory, and putting them in a precarious situation, their morale will collapse? If a chain of panic and surrender occurs, the progress could be greatly accelerated.

If the enemy remains calm even after their rear fortress has been breached, then we really need to be prepared to hold the fortress for an average of 30 hours after taking it.

Lelouch thought about it and felt that Rommel's view was a bit conservative. If the enemy had really suffered such a great setback, how could their morale not be affected or collapse?
Of course, Rommel didn't know how much of a deterrent the airborne troops would be to the enemy, and his assumption of the worst possible outcome wasn't entirely wrong.

Sometimes, underestimating the enemy can easily lead to blunders like "Operation Market Garden." People might mistakenly believe that "if we parachute behind enemy lines and control key points, the enemy will panic and collapse on their own." But if the enemy remains resolute and doesn't collapse, then it's the paratroopers who jump out who will face the "distant bridge."

After much deliberation, Lelouch finally encouraged Rommel: "But things have come to this. We've been preparing for humanity's first airborne operation for almost 20 days, and so much has been raised from all sides. It's impossible to cancel. No war is ever perfect. I firmly believe that the fighting spirit of the French and Burgundian armies is inferior to ours! I believe that once we land, we will give the enemy an absolute shock and accelerate the offensive of our allies on the periphery!"
If all else fails, we'll have to rely on our last resort... If you can capture those giant cannons, you can use them to destroy any threatening ships in the French docks. Then, you just need to hold the fort for a day, until nightfall.

Even if our outer assault forces fail to completely break through the enemy's defenses and rendezvous with you, I will have the navy find a way to procure ships at night, beach them in Dunkirk harbor, unload reinforcements, and land to support you. That would only result in the loss of some ships. Furthermore, the navy will deploy pre-dreadnoughts to support you, shelling the enemy on shore and covering our troop transports. In short, you won't be able to hold out with only 2000 men indefinitely.

Of course, the initial task of descending to capture the artillery position can only be accomplished by your 2000 men. After so much training, you should know how to launch a surprise attack. There are no foolproof methods in warfare; we can only minimize risks as much as possible, and ultimately, we must bear that remaining risk ourselves.

If there are no problems, I have replied to the Duke. Starting tomorrow evening, which is nightfall on February 16th, the outer siege forces will launch a fierce attack on the Dunkirk city defenses, and a large number of flamethrower soldiers will be used to clear out buildings.

Simultaneously, long-range railway artillery, based on pre-observed and marked locations, bombarded the coastal defense batteries on both the north and south sides of Dunkirk port with specially made incendiary shells. We did not expect the 280mm shells to destroy the security fortifications; the incendiary shells were only used to maintain fire and mark the positions.

Then your airships can take off around 3 or 4 a.m., reaching the target area before 6 a.m., relying on the fire from the ground-based train artillery bombardment for navigation. Airships can take off at night, but they cannot land at night, and it's difficult for your paratroopers to parachute at night.

That's why we aim to take off before dawn and fly covertly over, but ideally, arrive at the target area just as day is breaking. This way, the airships won't be intercepted by enemy aircraft, and your paratroopers' element of surprise can be maximized.

After you parachute in, you must capture the artillery positions as quickly as possible and hold them for the entire day. If you can do this, allied forces will ensure your safety. Furthermore, the Duke said that if this parachute landing is successful, both I, as the planner, and you, as the executor, will be promoted!
Every one of the 2000 officers and soldiers who participated in the airborne operation will be promoted at least one rank! If they are ordinary soldiers or corporals, they will be promoted two ranks! In other words, as long as they survive, every soldier can become a non-commissioned officer, or at least a corporal! Those who were privates first class before the battle will be promoted directly to sergeant! Those who were corporals before the battle will all be promoted to sergeant major!
Everyone who participated in the airborne landing was awarded a Second Class Iron Cross! Those who died in action were posthumously awarded a First Class Iron Cross!

Duke Rupprecht had already offered such a high reward that Rommel was deeply moved after hearing the battalion commander's account.

Since the start of the war, I have never seen a battle with such a high bounty. However, it is understandable, after all, this is the first time that mankind has carried out an airborne operation, and once they land, they will be surrounded by the enemy.

If it weren't for the goal of capturing port fortifications, directly blocking the enemy's port, and attacking the enemy's must-defend points, there would be no need to go to such lengths.

Because if we don't use this tactic and rely on traditional offensive methods, we will not only have to pay a much higher price, but we also won't be able to capture the coastal fortifications. When the Frankish navy really can't hold them, they will plant explosives to blow up the giant cannons themselves, rather than leaving them to the enemy.

Only by striking unexpectedly, and only by launching a sudden attack when the front line is at least several kilometers away from the coastal fortress, can the enemy be caught off guard and unable to destroy themselves.

The German army also urgently needed to capture this equipment in order to reverse the balance of power in the artillery blockade of Dunkirk and the surrounding waters.

"I understand. I will let the soldiers rest well today and conduct the final pre-battle mobilization." Rommel saluted Lelouch and then went to do his work.

(End of this chapter)