Chapter 84: Launching The Final Battle Against The Expeditionary Force
David Betty and Horace Hood’s Royal Navy were finally thoroughly beaten and driven off.
While David Betty was retreating in panic, on the mudflats along the North Coast 6 kilometers north of Nieuwpoort and De Panne, two Germanians scuttled pre-dreadnoughts here, the Brunswick-class Alsace and Hesse, were still stubbornly pouring fire into the town on shore.
As daylight fully broke on the morning of April 19, the wreckage of these two old battleships used their two twin 280 mm/L40 main guns on deck, plus seven or eight 170 mm secondary guns, to directly destroy all the docks, wharves, and even the barracks by the docks in the two towns ahead, leaving not a single one.
The Britannia Expeditionary Force, deprived of naval protection, could only watch all this from afar, helpless to do anything.
Occasionally, some suicidal British Army field artillery would fire at the wreckage of the scuttled warships, trying to stop further destruction. But without exception, they all drew ten times more vicious retaliatory fire.
After two 60-pounder cannon companies and several 18-pounder field gun companies were counter-battered and destroyed by the warships, all resistance against the warships ceased, and the British Army fell into the deepest despair.
More critically, the German 4th Army Group, which had previously been fighting a war of attrition, stalemate, and pinning battles against the British Army, finally mustered its strength.
In over a month of fierce fighting, the main advances by the Germania Army were mostly achieved by the 6th Army Group on the Western Front.
After all, the 6th Army Group, composed of Barians, was inherently slightly stronger than the 4th, formed by the combined forces of the other three southern German states.
Moreover, now the 6th had Lelouch, who kept helping Commander Rupprecht pull off miracles, one after another.
The 4th’s combat power had basically not been affected by Lelouch’s butterfly effect, at most just a few extra 280 mm railway guns compared to the historical counterpart, plus some air superiority bonus.
But all that changed qualitatively as the Britannia Expeditionary Force’s morale collapsed.
The German 4th, not much stronger than its historical counterpart, finally launched a decisive infiltration assault under these circumstances, thrusting from Ostend straight to Nieuwpoort.
In just one day and night, they pushed forward over ten kilometers and occupied Nieuwpoort by the morning of the 20th—this was also when Betty arrived at Dover Port with his defeated battlecruiser fleet.
All day on the 20th, the German 4th continued its triumphant advance, attacking De Panne from Nieuwpoort.
Finally, at noon on the 21st, the 4th and 6th Army Groups smoothly linked up in De Panne town.
Throughout the process, the two pre-dreadnoughts scuttled by the Germania Navy played a key role. Their massive naval guns at least ensured the British Army in these two towns dared not hold out and collapsed almost on contact.
The 35-kilometer coastline originally controlled by the British Army was finally fully closed off by the Germania Army at this moment.
The Britannia Expeditionary Force no longer held even an inch of coastline, sealing off the last theoretical possibility of evacuation by sea.
What Marshal French, Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force, now had to consider was only “whether to die gloriously, surrender humbly, or destroy weapons and war supplies before surrendering and being thrown into a prisoner of war camp for hard labor.”
During the process of the Germania Army fully securing this coastline, the officers and soldiers withdrawn from those six pre-dreadnoughts that made the desperate assault for the Navy were also properly received by the Army.
All who rowed lifeboats ashore were immediately sent to the rear for resettlement.
The officers and soldiers still persisting in firing on Alsace and Hesse were, after the coastline was fully secured, welcomed ashore by Army brothers and received the most solemn treatment.
Lieutenant General Spee personally stayed aboard Alsace, commanding the battle until it was completely over, before directing the crew members to row lifeboats ashore.
A photo of Lieutenant General Spee landing in a small boat and waving was repeatedly photographed by army reporters and soon appeared on major newspapers within Germania.
“Navy warships bravely charge into Nieuwpoort coast, cut off British Army retreat route, persist in fighting to scuttling, still continue firing in bloody battle for two days until objective captured by Army.”
Nieuwpoort, this Belgian town, once again became a household name within Germania.
Four months ago, the Belgian Army failed to breakout here due to Colonel Lister and Lieutenant Lelouch holding firm, resulting in total annihilation and surrender. Now the Britannia Expeditionary Force was about to be encircled nearby.
……
Some grieve, others rejoice.
With the complete closure of the De Panne encirclement, the final step to annihilate or force the surrender of the Britannia Expeditionary Force was now on the agenda.
Afternoon of February 21, Marloye Ban Fortress north of Dunkirk Port.
The assault battalion, just finished fighting two days ago, was still in a rest period.
The soldiers had a good two long sleeps and feasted on alcohol and meat every meal.
These troops were already very fatigued before, so they did not participate in the last two days of coastline infiltration operations; those easy battles could be left to regular troops.
For these two days, the troops just needed to relax properly.
The victory in battle also brought massive spoils, giving Lelouch and Bock plenty of resources to reward soldiers and compensate casualties.
Moreover, these spoils were completely legal; they could withhold a batch without anyone saying anything, no need to turn everything over.
Lelouch did not loot the innocent Franks in Dunkirk City Area; he just sealed off the port area and seized all the transport ships flying Britannia flags there as “Britannia Expeditionary Force supplies” spoils, which was enough to fill them up.
Dunkirk, as Frank’s third largest commercial port and the largest in the northern region, had an annual throughput of tens of millions of tons and over 1 million tons of berths total.
That day, when the port shore defense fortress was surprise attacked and the harbor channel blocked by sunk shallow-water heavy cannon ships, over 1.2 million tons of ships in the harbor were trapped like turtles in a jar, of which over 900,000 tons were not flying Frankish flags—
Strictly speaking, these ships were either Britannians’ military transport ships or violating neutrality law.
For example, if a ship flying Ugly Country flag appeared in Dunkirk, either you manage not to be discovered and caught with evidence by Germanians, the opposing belligerent. Once evidence is caught, Ugly Country people would have to eat the loss; they violated neutrality law first.
The spoils on Britannia ships theoretically still needed to be mostly turned over to the Army Group with formal accounting.
But those Ugly Country flag ships, Lelouch, Bock, and others could dispose of entirely on their own, without even reporting.
Ugly Country ship owners were also happy to settle privately to avoid trouble, compensating all cargo to the troops that seized the port, pretending nothing happened—after all, these just-docked ships hadn’t even cleared customs, and Frankish customs didn’t know what cargo they carried.
Even if someone actively asked Ugly Country ship owners “did you lose any cargo this time,” they would reply “no losses at all, we just sailed an empty ship over for tourism.”
Everyone was savvy; public or private, the cargo would be lost anyway.
Insisting on going public would just land them in some authority’s iron bars for months or even years longer, why bother.
（Note: Some cargoes are not violating neutrality law even if shipped to belligerent ports, but most ships carry contraband. So after capture, ship owners fear discoveries or frame-ups and generally accept cargo loss. Shipping to frontline belligerent ports is high risk anyway, with high freight and insurance.）
So Lelouch seized all cargo on Britannia flag ships, mostly inventoried and registered, a small portion pocketed as sunk or drifted away.
While Ugly Country flag and other neutrality law-violating nations’ flag cargoes were all pocketed.
Roughly calculated, the pocketed supplies included about 100,000 tons of various grains, 60,000 tons of various fuels, 30,000 tons of white sugar, over 20,000 tons of cured meat and canned goods, 20,000 tons of cloth, over 10,000 tons of various tobacco, alcohol, tea, coffee and other luxuries, 10,000 tons of cable, 7,000 tons of rubber, plus other military supplies, chemical raw materials, and weapons and ammunition.
Food, drink, and daily use items, Lelouch directly distributed to soldiers who fought in the fortress battle for open feasting; clothes too, take as much as they could carry.
The soldiers guarding the port area and fortress added up to a division’s strength. These cheap items, even dozens of kilos per man, only used up over 10,000 tons of grain, meat, tobacco, alcohol, and cloth.
“This haul is probably worth tens of millions of marks. Pity can’t swallow it all alone, have to share over half up and down for mutual interests, plus consolation for wounded soldiers, compensation for fallen comrades. Especially those flamethrower soldiers burned to death, and others with outstanding heroic performances.
Anyway, that’s later talk, plenty of time later. For now, find a few Frankish businessmen, cash some out, complete paperwork, cheaply buy some port area warehouses and real estate, stash the stuff, sell slowly after campaign ends.”
Lelouch closed the ledger, roughly calculating follow-up operations in his mind. After this campaign, with larger capital, his industrial plan should expand further. Post-campaign, there should be some leisure holiday; before transfer to Eastern Front, he could scout some agents, even bring back his only remaining family from Ollie Empire, help with things.
Alone, hard to manage front and rear, not enough energy.
Lelouch recalled the original body’s memories; this body’s father died over a decade ago, mother gone seven or eight years before war broke out.
In this world, he only had one half-sister already married, from father’s previous wife, plus one full younger sister, living in Vienna and Salzburg respectively.
The original body could graduate from Oreo Royal Academy of Arts Architecture Department pre-war thanks to brother-in-law funding part of tuition and living expenses. In future, these relatives could get some nepotism. Regardless of business ability, at least they could help monitor business, freeing his energy for military and diplomacy.
Lelouch was idly daydreaming in the fortress headquarters office when his trusted guard platoon leader Lieutenant Klose pushed the door in, bringing two pieces of news:
“Sir, Engineer Corps just cleared the tunnel entrance blasted shut two days ago by enemy naval guns, replaced damaged rails and sleepers. Those 4 ‘Big Mark’ railway guns and remaining 280 mm railway guns are pulled out from the tunnel. Want to go see? Some equipment was smashed by the collapse.”
Back then, after railway guns hid in tunnel, fortress mountain continued under prolonged enemy heavy bombardment, partial collapse unavoidable. These extra equipment losses were normal.
In good mood, Lelouch immediately got up to inspect: “Good they’re out, these railway guns are Army Group assets, now we can report to Commander.”
Klose walked out with him, adding: “This news already relayed to Army Group Headquarters; His Highness the Duke will personally come inspect this afternoon, and hand over defense zones to other troops from assault battalion.”
Lelouch thought briefly, nodded: “Normal. They know we performed well, want to send us some final merit, let us join the last battle to force Marshal French’s surrender.
Troops rested two days, energy mostly recovered. But before handing over defense zones to friendly forces, remember to cash some tobacco, alcohol, tea with local businessmen, swap for port real estate, warehouses, store remaining spoils first.”
Lelouch had no choice; subordinates were all officers, no accompanying commercial talent, so earliest trusted aide handled these affairs.
Sometimes he felt Klose’s role by his side was like those spy drama station chiefs or director’s money-gathering sidekick.
Hope to soon find professionals for professional work.
……
Lelouch handed off the fencing to subordinates, went inspect the just-dug-out railway guns; Duke Rupprecht arrived about then.
Duke got off vehicle, went straight to Lelouch for inspection, bringing handover officers.
Handover details aside, Duke then cheerfully asked Lelouch for his views on campaign mopping-up phase:
“French can’t escape now, but Ypres etc. have lots of supplies; his over 100,000 men can still hold. I worry pushing too hard, even if he surrenders last, he’ll destroy strategic reserves everywhere—what good ideas do you have?”
Lelouch thought: “Direct surrender now probably impossible? Might need one more small battle? But win or not, enemy combat power will be very low.
We just keep propagandizing coastline fully enclosed, Navy heavily damaged; those despairing soldiers won’t fight to death. I hope our assault battalions can join final breakthrough, into Ypres town, capture French alive.”
Duke nodded noncommittally: “Last battle has big symbolic meaning, big merit, everyone wants it.
To be frank—you have big merit this time, coordinated Army and Navy, did lots. But Hipper and Spee’s merits publicly unrelated to you; your advice and contacts overstepped, can’t be publicized.
You want further promotion to colonel, not qualified yet unless join last battle. But I hope you devise a way to force enemy surrender while maximally preserving supplies enough for Britannia Expeditionary Force one-two years of combat; then I’ll leave final glory to you.”
Duke made it clear: last strike was prime juicy assignment. Enemy resistance crumbling, anyone could win.
As Army Group Commander, giving this chance was a favor. Lelouch did so much for all, he was willing to favor him, but hoped Lelouch devise a proper cleanup stratagem.
This didn’t stump Lelouch; he said directly: “How about dropping leaflets first to threaten British Army? If they surrender supplies intact, exempt forced labor as POWs, good food, drink, warm clothes.
If destroy supplies then surrender, into harshest labor camps, no POW treatment. Plus, negotiate contacts while fighting, keep pressuring.”
Duke, noble-born with some morals and international law scruples: “Does this comply with international law?”
Lelouch: “Of course; international law says POW treatment for ‘surrendering arms,’ not ‘surrendering after destroying arms.’ As for what ‘arms’ includes, we can interpret broadly, within reasonable international law scope.
Even if we don’t care about international law in practice, proclaim it in negotiations. Makes us seem more serious, sincere, convinces enemy we’ll enforce it—if they destroy arms, no good days ever.
Someone not intending to honor terms wouldn’t haggle words. Our stricter haggling makes enemy think we’ll execute rigorously, lulling them.”
Duke heard too many conspiracies from Lelouch, so these basics didn’t surprise, just ordinary appetizer.
“Alright, brain as fast as ever, these tricks roll off tongue. Handle propaganda yourself, whoever to cooperate, what resources, I’ll sign off. If decide to fight, report troops needed, I’ll see which units assist.
One requirement: last battle, if must fight, quick victory; just destroy Britannians’ command center, force them yield, give steps down.”
Lelouch: “I know what to do. We’ll leak negotiation intent to lull enemy, then thrust from Kemmel Hill straight to Ypres; once French done, others have steps down.”
