Chapter 210: Double Joys Arrive, Both Dumplings Eaten Up
Britannian soldiers and Italian soldiers, like a tidal wave, surged toward the Germanian defense line.
Yet they were struck down in rows halfway there, not a single one able to break through the defense line.
Lelouch, having routed the enemy behind him, now had sufficient defensive depth to engage the British Army in a war of attrition with layered defenses, avoiding the British Army’s desperate bombardment.
Whenever the British Army tried to blast open a path with their final heavy artillery group, Lelouch generously let his own troops abandon one or two foxhole defense lines, expending the enemy’s artillery shells.
In any case, Ian Hamilton was already encircled and cut off from supplies; his shells dwindled with each shot. Lelouch using some shallow pits on the ground to consume his shells was a no-loss proposition no matter how you looked at it. In seven or eight days, the expeditionary force would be completely out of ammunition, and before that, they were doomed to collapse and surrender.
Especially those Italians still surviving amid the expeditionary force—they had no will to fight to the death.
On December 28 and 29, the coalition forces suffered over ten thousand killed each day, with even more wounded.
The field hospitals couldn’t hold them all; backup medicine was completely insufficient. Thousands upon thousands of severely wounded lay there like the dead, ignored.
If not for the cold winter weather, just this piling of corpses would breed a massive fly and maggot infestation, immediately sparking an epidemic in the army.
What most despaired the coalition forces inside the encirclement was that on the 29th, Lelouch sent planes to airdrop leaflets and invented code radio telegrams, informing the garrison inside the encirclement of several pieces of bad news:
“Soldiers opposite, stop fighting for that incompetent monarch. Britain was originally a nation with a sense of honor, but to achieve the king’s goals, they resort to any means, allying with any tyrant.
Historically, they cooperated with the barbaric tyrant Alexander against the civilized Napoleon; now they cooperate with the barbaric tyrant Nicholas, as long as Nicholas shares a common enemy with them.
This despicable, underhanded diplomatic value of ‘no permanent enemies, only permanent interests’ is what brought divine punishment upon you!
In fact, five days ago, on Christmas Eve, the entire Lusha Southwestern Front Army around Kyiv had already surrendered to the Empire under Front Army Commander Pavel Pleve! This proves divine retribution against you!
And just yesterday, the Empire’s campaign on the Kievan Rus’ Plain opened a new chapter of victory. My 6th Army Group’s Baria 4th Army, 5th Army, and ‘Empire’ Armored Division struck out from Kharkiv and Sumy.
Troops from the Kharkiv direction have advanced north into Belgorod city; troops from the Sumy direction have advanced east into Kursk city. The Lushans’ three northeastern states adjacent to Kievan Rus’ will be in the Empire’s hands by year’s end!
You have no hope left! People should have faith in life, but now you stand against God, becoming base, honorless blasphemers—repent quickly!”
What Lelouch said in the leaflets was true, not a lie for psychological warfare.
In fact, just as he launched this sneak attack here, the Kyiv direction—where the grand encirclement had closed since December 10—had already ended its campaign.
The million-man grand dumpling was fully digested by Marshal Rupprecht in two weeks—not slow.
Lusha’s Southwestern Front commander, General Pavel Pleve, truly surrendered personally to Marshal Rupprecht in the end.
This was the first time since the war began that a top Lushan front army commander-level general had surrendered to the Germania Army. The previous highest surrender rank record was army group commander.
At this point, the Lushan war machine was tottering to what extent: north and south, both main fleet commanders had surrendered—practically the navy surrendering entirely. On the army side, a front army commander had also surrendered.
Such heavy bad news—Britannians might not fully believe the leaflets upon seeing them, but they knew the Lushans around Kyiv were indeed encircled, so surrender was reasonable.
The British Army’s morale inside the encirclement plummeted further, nearly losing all impact force.
General Ian Hamilton was unwilling to surrender directly; he desperately sought other lifelines, using any means to boost morale, making everyone believe General Edmund Allenby in Greece still had over ten thousand men to link up inside and out for another rescue.
He also said the Mediterranean Fleet could break into the Sea of Marmara and evacuate everyone by sea—just grit your teeth and hold on a bit longer.
General Hamilton didn’t mention Lieutenant General Hunter Weston, who had already sold them out—everyone knew Hunter Weston was hopeless.
He had only half a crippled 8th Army left, and he’d already sold out the main force once to cover his escape—how could he return?
Only the rashly renowned General Edmund Allenby was left to hope for.
At this moment, Allenby’s rashness became a positive trait, as friendly forces might expect him to rescue them regardless of casualties or cost.
If the commander outside the encirclement were a cool calculator, the troops inside would have despaired long ago.
Ian Hamilton’s last hope did need some fulfillment.
Edmund Allenby knew that if he did nothing and just watched Hamilton die, he’d face consequences upon return—so at least a hit-and-run rescue attempt was worth trying.
So he gritted his teeth; after withdrawing from Greece, he advanced east along the Greco-Austrian border for another push.
Allenby’s offensive slammed straight into the front of Ollie’s 3rd Army Group under Kusmanek, unable to penetrate. After a war of attrition, he lost two or three ten thousand in vain—of course, Ollie’s 3rd Army Group opposite wasn’t elite either, losing nearly ten thousand in this defensive attrition battle, about a third of the enemy.
Seeing he couldn’t break in, Allenby tried to withdraw, only to be pursued and harried by Lelouch’s tank division as before, losing over twenty thousand more before hastily retreating to Thessaloniki.
The British Army in Greece ultimately lost 40,000 troops in vain, proving the impossibility of any land rescue.
On the sea route, the Mediterranean Fleet had already suffered multiple losses alongside the army.
Especially in the first month of the Gallipoli landing, the army forced him deep into the northern peninsula fjords for multi-angle naval gunfire support, only to suffer heavy mine damage in a fjord already swept once.
He’d long sensed something wrong, but the mystery remained unsolved.
Now Hamilton wanted rescue again; of course he dared not commit too much. The Mediterranean Fleet commander thought only of the Battle of Dunkirk, where the Royal Navy lost so many warships saving the army—saving 45,000 army men, just a fifth of the expeditionary force.
Such inefficient rescue cost over a dozen old large warships, even three battlecruisers and one Queen-class battleship; over 15,000 sailors died—worthless for saving 45,000 army men.
With Dunkirk as precedent, the Royal Navy would never risk all to save the army again.
The Mediterranean Fleet finally sent some pre-dreadnoughts and light ships for a last attempt to enter the Sea of Marmara from the Dardanelles Strait. Absolutely no more—only if these returned safely for a second run, and only with these few ships.
Remarkably, the Germanians hadn’t rushed to mine the Dardanelles Strait; the Mediterranean Fleet’s ships initially sailed right in.
……
The Mediterranean Fleet sending warships to probe through the Dardanelles Strait naturally didn’t escape Lelouch’s eyes.
So he immediately judged their intent.
“So cautious? Fine, I’ll take the bait directly. Given his demeanor, even if I let him withdraw the bait this time, he won’t commit much next time—this stingy, scared posture is obvious.
Pass my order: once that small fleet enters the Sea of Marmara, have the airship force airdrop moored mines into the Dardanelles Strait to seal their retreat completely.”
At Lelouch’s command, the airship force was dispatched, ready to airdrop mines after the enemy’s bait entered the trap.
The Mediterranean Fleet used the last “Albion” of the “Elder Star-class” pre-dreadnoughts, Duncan-class “Duncan” and “Albemarle”, plus some antiquated old cruisers, several minesweeping destroyers, and transport ships for the task.
Necessary firepower couldn’t be spared, or they couldn’t suppress the Ottoman artillery on the south bank of the Dardanelles Strait—the north bank was fully British-controlled, just not the south, so the British weren’t too afraid of Germanian railway guns anymore.
Railway guns need mountains and rail tunnels for safe anti-ship use.
The Britannians had learned this from hard experience: railway guns are fragile without tunnels to fire from then retreat; in open terrain shooting warships is suicide.
With these warships’ firepower, their path into the Sea of Marmara was safe; even Lelouch let them smoothly embark tens of thousands of awaiting evacuees at Tekirdag Port.
When the Mediterranean Fleet ships docked at Tekirdag, the desperate British Army soldiers onshore boiled over. Britannians even clashed internally with Italians over boarding priority, leading to firefights with submachine guns.
The incident caused hundreds of Britannian and Italian soldiers to kill and wound each other, nearly sparking mass mutiny. Finally, General Ian Hamilton intervened personally, promising a 70-30 split of evacuation capacity between Britannians and Italians; ANZAC Corps and Indian soldiers would wait for later.
In the end, the three pre-dreadnoughts were packed full, nearly overloaded—originally under 800 crew, now crammed with 5,000 soldiers each, clearing all supply, fuel, and cargo space, sardined tight.
The three pre-dreadnoughts held 15,000; plus ten late-1880s old protected cruisers averaging 2,000 each, destroyers at 1,000, minesweepers 300-400.
Total 23 warships of all sizes held 47,000, plus accompanying transport ships over 15,000—63,000 altogether.
It seemed this sea evacuation was feasible.
Amid despair, the British Army glimpsed unexpected hope.
But sadly, this hope ended there.
On the return voyage, late December 30 night and early December 31 dawn, disaster struck.
The Dardanelles Strait, fine on entry, was mine-infested on exit.
The pre-dreadnought “Albion” and two late-1880s protected cruisers struck mines and exploded, sinking on the spot.
Other ships had no thought of rescue—it was impossible; all were packed full.
The only way was slow minesweeping out, letting big ships retreat first to the Sea of Marmara, not blocking the strait; meanwhile, have outer minesweepers sweep inward, bidirectional effort.
But soon, just hours later, the British despairingly found the Germanians hadn’t left time for slow sweeping.
The British reaction was long anticipated by Officer Lelouch, who had notified his Black Sea Fleet days earlier to prepare.
So when daylight broke on December 31 and the British evacuation fleet retreated from the Dardanelles Strait back to the Sea of Marmara,
hesitating whether to return to Tekirdag Port or linger at the strait mouth waiting,
the Germanians chose for them: no need to hesitate—straight to the seabed.
“Bad news! Germanian ‘Moltke’ battlecruiser and ‘Goeben’ battlecruiser! When did they enter the Sea of Marmara from the Bosphorus Strait?”
What’s to ask? The Bosphorus Strait is Ottoman-controlled; Moltke-class battlecruisers come and go as they please.
How could they give the British time to sweep mines slowly!
“Boom boom boom!”
280mm naval guns unleashed slaughtering bombardment on the pre-dreadnoughts and old protected cruisers.
The desperate British probe fleet, laden with thousands, counterattacked the enemy or tried to flee.
In the chaos, some British warships raised white flags to surrender—too many aboard; a pre-dreadnought sardined with 5,000 couldn’t fight. Even a non-penetrating shell killed hundreds.
But chaos plus poor dawn visibility meant some white flags went unseen; German ships kept firing madly.
“Duncan” and “Albemarle” each took over ten 280mm armor-piercing shells; each hit first sprayed flesh and blood waves before penetrating.
These pre-dreadnoughts were now like pay-to-win tanks turned inside out—from iron-wrapped meat to meat-wrapped iron.
Soon, both pre-dreadnoughts exploded violently, sent to the seabed by Moltke-class battlecruisers—nearly 5,000 per ship annihilated.
The battle ended before 9 a.m.; tallying losses, Britain lost 3 pre-dreadnoughts, 10 old protected cruisers, 4 destroyers, 7 minesweepers—24 combat ships total. Plus 6 five-thousand-ton transports.
British Navy officers and men, merchant sailors: over 5,500 killed or drowned; evacuees: over 63,000 killed or drowned with ships—68,000 total to the deep in one morning.
The Mediterranean Fleet’s remaining main force outside the strait went silent upon learning of the probe fleet’s fate.
The sole gain: full confirmation of enemy military tech intel—Germanian airships can airdrop mines, specifically moored mines, not drifts.
Plus prior intel: Germanian new tech efficiently, stably clears moored mines.
Combined, upon return, British Navy would go all-in on R&D to replicate Germanian moored mine clearance tools.
Striving shortest time to turn both sides’ moored mines to scrap, re-leveling tech gap.
Considering Lelouch’s bottom-scraping minesweeping chain isn’t that hard, under British grit-from-loss, they’d crack it soon.
Mine warfare effectiveness would dip temporarily; both sides’ mine threats reduced. Unless new mine fuzes invented, like acoustic or magnetic.
In short, with tech progress, future mine warfare belongs to non-contact fuzes. Contact-explode mines are outdated relics.
……
Mine and minesweeping tech rivalry progress is later story.
Now back to Istanbul front.
After the morning of December 31, when the British evacuation fleet was trapped in the Sea of Marmara by “Moltke” and “Goeben” battlecruisers and massacred with zero losses, the remaining British remnants in the encirclement finally collapsed in morale.
Initially, General Ian Hamilton tried sealing the news, keeping rank-and-file officers and soldiers ignorant of the evacuating friendly forces’ fate.
But the seal failed completely that afternoon.
At 2 p.m., “Moltke” and “Goeben” battlecruisers appeared on the Sea of Marmara south of Tekirdag Port, halting 16-18 km offshore, then shelling the port area and troop assembly grounds ashore.
When the Germani battlecruisers’ 280mm high-explosive shells hit the port, British Army will totally shattered.
Countless soldiers fled in blind panic like headless flies.
“Damn dog king! Damn dog prime minister! Damn dog ministers! Those idiots just let us die in vain!”
“To save Britannia, kill all those dog king, prime minister, ministers!”
Amid the mutineers’ rage, expeditionary force Commander-in-Chief General Ian Hamilton was killed outright by the mob.
The mob even acclaimed that Italian army main general to surrender to the Germanian on their behalf.
That Italian general tremblingly, half-heartedly, surrendered to Lelouch.
Lelouch, hearing this, felt little else—just regret at not fully completing his achievement.
“Damn, I could’ve received another expeditionary force Commander-in-Chief surrender, but he got killed by his own mob.
Stealing my military merit and kills! No idea how General Staff Headquarters and the Emperor calculate merits.”
