Chapter 415 "Blitzkrieg"
Charles knew nothing about the situation in the rear. At this time, he was leading the armored division and mechanized division along the established route.
The tactics were the "blitzkrieg" of World War II.
The Charles already has several conditions for a "blitzkrieg":
The first is to have a strong air force to gain air superiority.
Without air superiority, the armored and mechanized divisions will be bombed by the enemy all the way and will be destroyed before reaching their destination, which is meaningless.
Next came the main attacking force: the armored divisions broke through in the front, the mechanized divisions provided infantry and artillery fire support in the rear, and finally Foch's infantry followed and advanced.
The key is that the armored and mechanized divisions can break through quickly. Once they are delayed by the enemy, the battle will become stagnant.
Finally, there is intelligence and infiltration.
During World War II, the German army used paratroopers and special forces. It is said that they spent several years recruiting a group of people who could speak English and Russian. During the war, they disguised themselves as British, American, and Soviet troops to infiltrate the enemy and seize important transportation hubs.
Charles relied on the "Madame in White" and the Belgian guerrillas.
Otherwise, if the highway bridge in the town of Vallo was blown up by the German army, no matter how much preparation Charles made, tanks, armored vehicles and cars would not be able to pass, and the entire plan would be ruined.
Fortunately, this did not happen.
Charles was riding in an armored vehicle. He was wearing a helmet and sitting in the back of the vehicle like a soldier. Even the signalman had to work hard to find Charles.
The road was filled with German prisoners. They had been disarmed, their belts had been removed, and they were covered in mud and dejected, walking under the guns of the French army. They looked at the vehicles passing by with fear and envy in their eyes.
Charles was looking at the map in the car and ignored them. A sidecar came speeding from the front. It passed by Charles and turned around before catching up. The signalman reported to Charles in the car: "General, the guerrillas have successfully occupied the Watan highway bridge, and our vanguard has already joined forces with the guerrillas!"
Charles breathed a sigh of relief, and finally his anxious heart was at ease.
Tijani, who was sitting opposite, chuckled: "Commodore, how much preparation have you made?"
Charles did not tell Tijani in advance. The fewer people who knew about this, the better, and telling Tijani would not be of any help.
"You've seen almost everything," Charles replied calmly, "Except Brussels."
"You have preparations in Brussels as well?" Tijani looked at Charles in disbelief.
Ciel pointed at the map and explained, "The Germans have very few troops in the rear. After the Vatan road bridge, the Germans have almost nothing that can stop us, as long as we are fast enough."
Tijani nodded.
The armored division and the mechanized division advanced at a speed of about 30 kilometers per hour. If the rest time is not counted, it will only take more than three hours to reach Brussels, which is 100 kilometers away.
Coupled with the bombers' indiscriminate bombing of the railway lines, the German army had almost no troops able to get in front in time.
"Only Brussels," Charles said. "There is a German division there. Although it is a reserve division and its combat effectiveness is not strong, they are in the city."
Tijani nodded to show that he understood.
Tanks are not suitable for street fighting. The Germans can hide in corners or on roofs and throw grenades or explosives at the tanks.
In addition, the French army had to clear every house or fight with the German army, which would become a stumbling block on the French army's path forward.
What Charles had in mind was the Battle of Stalingrad. Urban warfare had been a difficult problem until World War II.
However, as the capital of Belgium, Brussels is also an important transportation hub that cannot be avoided or circumvented.
Otherwise, the logistical supplies and even reinforcements following behind might be cut off here.
Charles calmly took out another map from his briefcase. It was a detailed map of Brussels.
He pointed to the stadium in the north of the city and said: "The Germans transformed this into a military camp, and the arsenal was located in the underground warehouse of the textile factory adjacent to it."
"Arsenal?" Tijani understood instantly: "Are you planning to blow up the arsenal?"
…
The German Army's 82nd Reserve Division, commanded by Major General Khalid, was stationed in Brussels, Belgium.
The division was withdrawn from the front line a month ago. When it moved in, there were only more than 3,000 people left. After that, it quickly expanded to more than 27,000 people in less than a week. It was ready to be sent to the battlefield again after one month of training.
Chief of Staff Colonel Afury was troubled by this. He looked at the troops training on the playground and said worriedly: "If there is any difference between them and civilians, it is that they have just learned how to shoot."
Major General Khalil, who was sitting in a chair drinking coffee, replied coldly: "That's enough, Colonel. What else do we need?"
Colonel Avery was stunned for a moment, then let out a bitter chuckle.
Although what Major General Khalil said was extremely cold-blooded, it was true. Trench warfare did not seem to require soldiers to have any skills, as long as they could endure hardships and knew how to shoot.
Because these are the two things they do every day over and over again: endure the harsh environment of the trenches, live a primitive life, and then pop up and pull the trigger when the enemy charges, killing the enemy or being killed by the enemy, that's all.
Major General Khalil stood up with his coffee in hand. He walked over to Afuri and looked at the shooting range. "Any more training is a waste, Colonel, because no one can dodge a shell."
Avery was speechless, but he remembered someone: "Charles' troops may be different. I heard that he is actively training."
"Maybe!" Khalil replied, "but it has nothing to do with us."
At this moment, the staff officer who answered the phone suddenly screamed:
"Something's going on, General!"
"Charles's troops have broken through the Cambrai lines, and they are advancing rapidly along the road."
"We'll probably be in Brussels in three hours!"
There was a cry of surprise in the command center, and everyone, including Major General Khalil, changed their expressions.
The last second they thought Brussels was the rear, and they hoped to stay here for a few more days and enjoy it.
But now it has become the front line, and the enemy will appear here in three hours. It's incredible!
Khalil asked in confusion: "We are a hundred kilometers away from Cambrai. How could the enemy get here in three hours? Did they come by car?"
"I'm sorry, General," the staff officer replied, "They did come by car!"
Khalil was speechless.
He took the telegram from the staff officer, read it, then raised his head and ordered loudly:
"What are you still standing there for?"
"Get ready for battle!"
"This is not a training exercise. Open the ammunition depot and move the ammunition out immediately!"
"Yes, General!" The signalman turned around to pass on the order.
What Khalil didn't know was that there happened to be a group of "German troops" outside the ammunition depot, and they were waiting for the signalman to convey the order to open the ammunition depot and distribute ammunition.
(End of this chapter)
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