Chapter 609 The King's Command

Charles's headquarters was set up in an armored reconnaissance vehicle, which was open to the sky without any canvas covering. Snowflakes kept falling from the top, and the cold wind was howling, making everyone shiver.

But Charles knew it was necessary.

Covering with canvas to keep out the wind and snow looks nice, but once the armored reconnaissance vehicle is attacked and catches fire, or encounters an emergency, it will cause great inconvenience to jump out of the vehicle to escape or fight back.

Nothing is more important than safety on the battlefield, and everything else must give way to safety.

Charles was eating his lunch, a piece of black bread seized from the Germans. It was frozen like a stone and he had to hold it in his mouth for a while before he could bite it.

Tijani handed Charles a telegram, his face showing no sign of hiding his excitement and pride: "The Germans have sent us another batch of supplies, filling more than twenty cars!"

Charles took the telegram and saw that the tank troops in the front had run into a German supply convoy head-on. The Germans surrendered after just a few shots, and the supplies and the cars were seized by the French army, not a single one was missing.

This kind of thing happened more than once, and in all directions. The First Armored Army, which was originally short of supplies, suddenly became well-off, at least food was no longer scarce.

"I heard that Hasselt is the German army's material distribution center?" Charles asked.

"Yes." Tijani nodded. "The German train line goes directly to the city of Hasselt, where they have built many underground warehouses to store supplies."

This was decided by Charles who had previously controlled the air superiority and continuously attacked the German logistics supply lines.

The German army did not dare to open the train line directly to Leuven or closer to the front line, otherwise the railway and the train would be bombed into scrap metal.

They could only transport the supplies to Hasselt and then disperse them to various parts of the front line by car under the cover of night to avoid bombing by fighter planes.

"Very good." Charles looked at Hasselt on the map and gave an order: "Order the troops to prepare for a night march and reach Hasselt before dawn tomorrow."

"Yes, General." Tijani responded and passed on the order.

He knew that speed was of the essence in war. The earlier he arrived, the fewer enemy reinforcements he would have, and the less prepared Hasselt would be, so the greater the possibility of quickly capturing it.

At this time, a car followed from behind and honked a few times when it caught up with Charles' reconnaissance car.

Charles and Tijani looked at the car in confusion, and saw Albert I sticking his head out and waving excitedly at Charles: "Hey, General, it's me. I just got off the plane and rushed here!"

Charles and Tijani looked at each other and saw surprise and fear in each other's eyes.

Albert I made at least three fatal mistakes:

One is to drive on the battlefield in an unarmored and very conspicuous car. If there are German soldiers lying in ambush on the roadside, they can tell at a glance that there is a "big shot" sitting in the car.

Second, he waved at Charles and shouted "General". If there happened to be a German sniper or a small team ambushing nearby, Charles and his command would be in danger.

Third, he was wearing an extremely exaggerated military uniform: a tall military cap with a gold edge, a wide stand-up collar with a conspicuous leaf pattern, a yellow ribbon on his shoulders, and a medal on his chest. He looked like the president of the Republic of China.

This outfit will bring danger to him and those around him wherever he goes.

(The picture above shows Albert I in military uniform)

Tijani poked his head out cautiously and looked around. When he didn't notice anything unusual, he turned back to look at Charles, with a tone of relief and disdain: "Do you think he is suitable to command the Belgian army?"

Charles was somewhat helpless. He ordered the reconnaissance vehicle to stop and replied softly when Albert I got in the vehicle: "Yes, Major General, no one would be more suitable than him."

Tijani thought Charles was speaking sarcastically and wanted to retort, but when he saw Albert I approaching, he said nothing and just pursed his lips in disapproval.

He believed that the king was more suitable to stay in the rear to stabilize the overall situation, and the battlefield was not the place for him.

"My dear friend." Albert I excitedly hugged Charles as soon as he got in the car, then patted Tijani's shoulder, turned back and held Charles' hand tightly, his eyes full of gratitude: "I know that you can lead us to defeat the Germans, General, I have never doubted this, and so do my soldiers!"

"Your Majesty." Charles took off his helmet and handed it over: "If you want us to defeat the Germans, you must wear it."

Albert I was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening and said awkwardly: "Of course, General, I'm sorry to embarrass you. But I shouldn't use your helmet, I can..."

He suddenly remembered that the Belgian army had not yet been equipped with helmets.

"Go ahead." Charles handed over his helmet. "My helmet is the same as the others. My orderly will get me another one."

Charles actually wanted Albert I to replace his tall hat with a gold rim as soon as possible, which was particularly conspicuous in the half-open armored vehicle.

"Okay!" Albert I finally listened to Charles' advice and changed it.

But that was not all. Charles sent away the sedan following behind him, and asked Albert I to take off his medals and cut off his epaulettes and ribbons together, and then gave him a white cloak.

Albert I was smart enough to know what this was for, so he did not object from beginning to end.

"What can we do, General?" asked Albert I.

"You may already know where our goal is," Charles replied.

"Of course." Albert I pointed to a point on the spread-out map and said, "Hasselt."

This is not difficult to guess, and it can be analyzed from the direction in which the Charles troops are advancing.

"First," Charles replied, "I need your troops to build a supply line from Namur to Hasselt."

"I understand!" Albert I nodded decisively.

He knew what it was like to build supply lines.

Supply lines are different from defense lines.

The defense line is to build trenches and pull barbed wire, guarding every point without any loopholes.

The supply line was to occupy and defend the villages and towns along the way, and provide cover and protection for the supply convoys when they came.

Charles had done this when he attacked Antwerp, and Albert I had studied this thoroughly.

"Secondly," Charles continued, "I hope you can send a group of militiamen to infiltrate Hasselt and lead the people of Hasselt to cooperate with our army in the attack."

"No problem." Albert I nodded confidently. This was what he often did.

Tijanni suddenly realized what was going on. He looked at Charles and then turned his gaze to Albert I.

The king is indeed a suitable commander, Tijani thought, because the Belgians along the way would think that it was the king who brought his army and Charles to liberate them!

(End of this chapter)