Chapter 693: The "C" Shaped Encirclement
However, the attack by the First Armored Division wasn't as easy or successful as outsiders perceived.
The destruction of the Meuse River bridge by the Germans threw Charles' subsequent attack into disarray.
…
At the Mézières airport, Major General Brownie of the First Armored Division personally led a unit to occupy and clear the area. He then deployed a tank company and an infantry battalion to secure the area.
Major General Brownie glanced at his watch. When he looked up, he heard the roar of airplanes in the sky illuminated by the setting sun.
Soon, a squadron appeared in his line of sight.
The planes split apart in the air: the "Camel" fighters circled in the sky, providing reconnaissance, while two protected "Avro" biplanes descended, landing one after the other on the airport runway.
Charles and Tigani disembarked from the planes.
When Charles jumped out of the plane, he looked around and felt a sense of surrealism.
He had spent over half a month planning and even started preparations a month ago, and now, after all his hard work, capturing Mézières seemed almost within reach.
But Charles quickly realized what was happening: Mézières was separated from Charleroi by the Ardennes Mountains, making it difficult for the armored division to make the journey. But the planes had taken a straight line, and within thirty kilometers, they had landed before Charles even had time to adjust his seat.
Major General Brownie, leading his escort, approached. "General, you could have commanded from Namur…"
"Really?" Charles responded coldly. "What about Major General Astin? And the Meuse River bridge? Why was it destroyed?"
Major General Brownie was left speechless.
Many unexpected issues had arisen during the operation across the Ardennes.
The original plan was to split into two routes after crossing the Ardennes: one would head straight for Mézières, while the other would cross the Meuse River downstream and seize the Meuse River bridge.
(The red line in the image above shows the marching direction, and the light blue curve represents the course of the Meuse River. It flows through the Ardennes and is why Mézières is prone to flooding. The narrowing of the river in the Ardennes makes it difficult for floodwaters to escape. If the upstream water increases, it can easily cause flooding in Mézières.)
In Charles' plan, Colonel Astin's mechanized regiment was supposed to reach the western bank of the Meuse River first and occupy the unguarded Meuselle Bridge. This would not only control a critical transportation route but also cut off the Germans' retreat.
However, Colonel Astin's forces got lost and hadn't arrived yet.
Meanwhile, Major General Brownie's main force unexpectedly ran into the enemy in the Ardennes and was forced to fight.
That's why the situation was as it is now: the Germans were retreating to the western bank of the Meuse River, and they destroyed the bridge to block the advance of the First Armored Division.
Major General Brownie led Charles into the airport building, where there was a prepared office.
This had originally been a German airbase, but due to its proximity to Charleroi, the planes had been evacuated two weeks earlier.
Major General Brownie looked at Charles, who sat calmly behind the desk, and reflected on how much Charles had changed.
A year ago, when he had grabbed Charles' bicycle in Davaz and had him lead the way, Charles had still been a naive young man.
Now, he had grown into a general whose name was known worldwide and could potentially topple a nation with a single stroke.
Thinking about it, Brownie couldn't help but smile slightly.
Charles, absorbed in looking at the map, didn't notice Brownie's change in expression. He asked in a low voice, "Where is Colonel Astin now?"
"Uncertain, General," Brownie said, pointing to a location on the map. "Perhaps here. After heading west, the terrain became very complicated, and Colonel Astin encountered an impassable ravine. He planned to bypass it, but the more he walked, the further he strayed and got lost."
This was the reason why the second half of the route hadn't been paved properly.
The latter part was close to the Germans, and if the scouts and engineers built roads and bridges as they had earlier, they would easily be spotted by the enemy, exposing their strategic intentions.
Charles asked again, "When will they arrive?"
"At the latest, tomorrow," Brownie explained. "It's about to get dark, and nighttime marches are dangerous and slow."
Charles furrowed his brow. "What about the enemy? What's their situation?"
"The enemy has gathered at least three infantry divisions," Brownie pointed to the Meuse River on the map. "They've deployed along the riverbank, clearly trying to block us inside the city of Mézières."
Although Mézières was easy to defend, it was also difficult to break out of: the Meuse River formed a "C" shape around the city, and the Germans had blown up the bridge and placed troops along the river, thus encircling the First Armored Division inside.
Tigani interjected, "Tomorrow, even if Colonel Astin's forces return, it will be of no use."
Charles nodded in agreement with this assessment.
The Germans had realized they were being encircled and were retreating from the front lines, with reinforcements coming from the south.
Although their movements were slow due to harassment from bombers, gathering 4 to 5 divisions by tomorrow was no problem.
Meanwhile, Colonel Astin's forces, with only a mechanized regiment of 2,000 soldiers, could not make much impact on the western bank. They might even be surrounded and annihilated by the Germans.
"Order Astin," Charles commanded. "When they arrive tomorrow, they must stay hidden and not act recklessly."
"Yes, General," the staff officer responded, preparing to deliver the orders.
The command center fell into silence, the atmosphere awkward.
Major General Brownie felt as though he had ruined the plan and felt some guilt.
Tigani, however, seemed unaffected, making himself a cup of coffee, then preparing cups for both Charles and Brownie.
When he handed Charles his coffee, he looked relaxed, "Please, Major General, things are already going well."
"We've captured this place and cut off the Germans' supply routes, forcing them to retreat."
"We've achieved our strategic objectives. What more do you want?"
"We could have surrounded even more Germans, perhaps even more than before!" Charles said, with a hint of regret in his voice.
Tigani smiled but didn't say anything more. He raised his coffee cup and continued drinking.
His expression seemed to suggest: "A greedy heart swallows the elephant, but this is good enough!"
This was Tigani's personality. As a rich second-generation, he had few high expectations and just wanted success. A small defeat didn't matter too much.
This attitude might be fine in daily life, but it was unacceptable on the battlefield.
"This is war, Major General," Charles reminded him. "On the battlefield, we must seize any possible opportunity to expand our victories. Otherwise, the enemy you let go today may defeat you tomorrow, or even take your life."
Tigani was taken aback, and after considering for a while, his expression gradually grew more serious.
"You're right, Major General," Tigani nodded. "Great war philosophy."
But then he gestured toward the Meuse River on the map and said, "But it seems like we have no way of dealing with it. Sadly, we didn't bring amphibious landing ships or landing craft, or perhaps there would still be hope!"
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