Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 157 All units immediately abandoned the fortress and retreated! (Bonus chapter 410 for the Silver Alliance)

"Sir! We're here!"

The commando leader went inside the command room to report to Morin.

"No casualties?"

"There were no casualties; the enemies we encountered were basically killed before they could even react."

"Well done."

Maureen nodded.

"The other light machine gun is in the car outside. You and everyone else should take this building as a defensive position and prepare to defend against the enemy's counterattack."

"Yes, sir!"

After giving the order, Morin did not hesitate any longer. He led Manstein and two other commandos, escorting the six surrendered communications soldiers back into the communications room.

He looked around the room.

This is the communication hub of the entire fortress.

In the room, there was a large wired telephone exchange, next to which was a wired telegraph machine and a huge wireless telegraph machine.

Morin walked up to the surrendered communications officer, pressed the gun against his chest, and then spoke in Dutch:
"I ask, you answer; no tricks."

"Yes, sir."

The officer was terrified and nodded repeatedly.

"How do you communicate with your command post and the twelve subordinate fortresses on a regular basis? Do you use plain language telephone calls or encrypted telegrams?"

The officer hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure.

"Ok?"

Morin emphasized his words and pushed the gun forward again.

"Say!"

"Encryption"

The officer finally succumbed to the pressure and answered tremblingly.

"Use telegrams for encrypted communication."

Where is the codebook?

Morin pressed for an answer.

The officer's face showed hesitation again.

"Sir, it's me."

"I'll ask one last time, where is the codebook?"

Morin's eyes turned cold, and his finger landed on the trigger as he spoke more forcefully.

"You are now prisoners of war. I hope you will cherish your lives and not force me to kill prisoners here."

The threat of death was the best catalyst, and the officer's psychological defenses completely collapsed.

He shakily pulled a bunch of keys from his pocket and pointed to a locked metal cabinet in the corner.

"In there"

Manstein immediately stepped forward and opened the cabinet with the key.

Several thick booklets were neatly arranged inside.

He gave one of the codebooks used for telegraph communication to Maureen.

Morin opened the codebook, looked at it, and then tossed it back to the officer.

"Now, in the name of command, send a telegram to all twelve fortresses."

He stared into the officer's eyes and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"I happen to know a little bit about cryptography. If you dare to try anything funny, I guarantee you'll be in big trouble."

"No, no, I absolutely wouldn't dare!"

The officer shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum.

"Sir, what content should I send?"

Morin grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

"be honest."

"what?"

The communications officer was clearly taken aback, not understanding what Morin meant.

Just tell them the truth.

Morin spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but the words sent chills down the spines of all the prisoners present.

"The Saxons have already breached the fortress complex from other directions."

"The fortress command post has been attacked by the enemy's elite assault team, and the two sides are engaged in fierce fighting."

"Order all garrison troops in the fortresses to immediately abandon them and break out to the northwest to preserve their strength!"

Upon hearing this order, the communications officer's face turned deathly pale.

He knew what it would mean once this order was issued.

This means that the entire defense system of the Liege fortress complex will completely collapse.

“Don’t try anything funny!” Morin noticed his hesitation and added coldly, “If I find out you’ve tampered with the telegram content…”

He didn't finish his sentence, but the officer was already terrified.

The division headquarters was wiped out by the enemy, and the body of the division commander, General Lyman, lay in the outer hall. What could a mere communications officer like him do?

Soldiers must indeed have backbone.

But not everyone has the ability to face the threat of death.

"I...I dare not...I would never dare to do anything reckless," the officer said, trembling as he took the codebook and sat down at the telegraph machine.

He flipped through the codebook while tapping the telegraph keys with trembling hands.

"Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep."

The crisp sound of Morse code rang out in the quiet communications room.

A false order, capable of deciding the lives of tens of thousands and even altering the course of the entire battle, was thus issued. After watching the communications officer complete the transmission, Morin pondered whether to attack the anti-aircraft magic device next or to first destroy the magic core.

Suddenly, intense gunfire erupted outside the command post.

"Ta-ta-ta-ta!"

"Bang! Boom!"

The bursts of light machine gun fire mingled with the single-shots of Flanders soldiers' rifles, creating a deafening cacophony.

An assault team member responsible for guarding the entrance rushed in.

"Sir! There are garrison troops outside attacking our position! They number quite a few!"

He gave a brief report on the situation.

"However, we can defend the command post building, and their attack formation is too dense. The light machine guns are very effective at suppressing them, so they definitely won't be able to break through in a short time!"

Morin nodded to indicate that he understood; the enemy's counterattack was within his expectations.

However, he was also well aware that with his superior firepower, it would be difficult for the enemy to get close in a short period of time.

Just then, the landline phone in the communications room suddenly rang with a piercing ring.

The phone ringing sounded particularly jarring against the backdrop of gunfire and explosions.

All eyes in the communications room instantly focused on the constantly vibrating telephone.

Without the slightest hesitation, Morin walked over and picked up the receiver.

"Hey! This is the fortress command post!"

An extremely anxious voice immediately came through the receiver, asking rapidly in Dutch.

"This is Fort Frelon! We just received your telegram! What happened at command? Have the Saxons really broken in?"

Frelon Fortress is an important fortress located southeast of the Liège fortress complex.

Maureen's mind raced; he knew this was the most crucial moment.

If he cannot fool the other party, then all his previous efforts will be in vain.

So the next second, he channeled his inner Oscar winner.

"Yes! A Saxon commando! They just appeared out of nowhere!"

Maureen shouted into the microphone with almost hysterical passion.

"We're in battle! The enemy's firepower is too intense! The command post is about to fall!"

To increase credibility, he deliberately turned to the side so that the microphone could more clearly record the intense gunfire outside the window.

"Ta-ta-ta-ta!"

"boom!"

"Boom!"

Outside, the assault team's MG14 light machine guns were firing precise bursts, interspersed with the occasional explosion of a grenade and the detonation of timed detonators placed elsewhere.

The perfect background music made Maureen's performance seem flawless.

"General Lyman... General Lyman has been killed in action!"

As she said this, Maureen's voice carried just the right amount of grief and despair.

The commander of Fort Frelon on the other end of the phone was clearly stunned by this sudden and terrible news.

Morin could even hear a suppressed gasp coming from the receiver.

"Listen! Execute the order immediately! Abandon the fortress! Break out to the northwest! This is an order!"

Morin shouted his last words into the microphone.

"The enemy! The enemy has stormed the command post!"

After saying that, he slammed the phone down with a "bang!" as if he were making this crucial call at the last moment before the enemy stormed in.

The communications room was deathly silent.

Whether it was Manstein and the commandos standing to the side, or the Flanders communications soldiers who had already surrendered, they were all stunned by Morin's amazing performance.

We're all soldiers, so why are you doing so many different things?
Especially the few captured communications soldiers from the United Kingdom of Flanders, they really couldn't understand how this young-looking Saxon officer could think like that.

"Well done, sir!"

It took Manstein a while to recover from his shock, and he exclaimed in genuine admiration.

"Basic operation, basic operation," Morin waved his hand, his face showing no trace of smugness.

Then he had the communications officer send the 'final telegram' from headquarters.

The content is shorter and more desperate.

[The command post is attempting a breakout. All fortifications are to abandon their positions and break out northwest to preserve strength! This is the final telegram. God bless Flanders!]

After sending the telegram, Morin also ended his performance and micromanagement.

He and other commandos cut all the lines in the communications room, creating the illusion that the command post was completely out of contact.

After doing all this, he led his men to tie up the communications soldiers who were no longer of any use, gagged them, and threw them into a corner.

When they arrived at the command post again, the battle outside had reached a fever pitch.

The assault troops responsible for the defense have repelled three waves of attacks from the Flanders defenders.

The open space in front of the command post was littered with enemy corpses, numbering at least a hundred.

Although the assault team had a fair amount of ammunition under such intense combat conditions, the barrels of their air-cooled light machine guns were starting to overheat.

"Sir! We still have enough ammunition, but the gun barrels are already red-hot!"

The machine gunner reported loudly:

"Valkyrie previously stated that if the barrel temperature gets too high, it could cause irreversible damage!"

Hearing the machine gunner's words, Morin knew they couldn't stay there any longer.

"Understood. Focus on short bursts! Let the other team members attack first!"

After speaking, Morin glanced around at the commandos and gave the order:

"Attention everyone, prepare to move with me! Our next target is the Magic Core!"

(End of this chapter)