Chapter 428: "Blocking" the News
After one misjudgment after another, Colonel Moritz no longer dared to make decisions lightly.
This left the question of whether Thuin was safe an ambiguous one.
Thuin lay between Mons and Brussels, and intelligence reports indicated a 30-kilometer-wide gap in the French encirclement.
Was it simply that the encirclement hadn't closed yet?
Charles's forces had already passed through, and they would only need to leave a small detachment to guard the area. Besides, this was Charles, a military genius—how could he make such a basic mistake?
But then again, what if it was an oversight by Charles?
Perhaps they should seize this opportunity and order a breakout!
But no, it might be a trap—Charles could be waiting for the Germans to enter an area where he could crush them with tanks and armored cars.
"The terrain here is flat and open," Colonel Moritz hesitated, "perfect for tanks and armored vehicles. And for speed, our forces would be lightly equipped for a breakout, which would make them easy prey if they were surrounded here."
Pausing, Moritz added, "Besides, the French have air superiority. As soon as we enter this area, we'd be vulnerable to bombers."
This had to be Charles's plan, Moritz thought. He's counting on it.
Falkenhayn hesitated, torn between the possibilities.
But one thing was certain—trying to break out offered a chance; staying put only meant waiting for death.
After thinking it over, Falkenhayn finally decided to avoid the open terrain of Thuin and attempt a breakout through Mons instead.
…
Having stayed up a full day and night, Charles took a nap in the fortress's resting quarters. Despite the cramped space and poor air quality, he slept soundly, only waking up groggily around 2:00 p.m.
Yawning, Charles opened the door and returned to the operations room, which was serving as his command post.
Tijani was still there, his eyes bloodshot but resolutely staying awake.
"Someone has to keep an eye on the battle," Tijani said. "Besides, this could be the greatest battle of all. It's practically a miracle! I can't imagine how you could sleep through all of this!"
The more he spoke, the more animated he became. "We're making history, Brigadier General! Now we're at the critical finishing stage, and we should stick it out until the end."
Charles didn't seem concerned. As far as he was concerned, he could always be woken up if needed.
In any case, a good rest would only help him "make history" more effectively.
It was a simple concept, but one that many couldn't grasp or put into practice.
…
As he flipped through the telegrams, Tijani noticed Charles's return and, without looking up, informed him, "The Germans have brought up reinforcements, but they're holding back about ten kilometers away."
He handed Charles a telegram.
Charles gave a quick "Mm," glanced at it briefly, and set it down.
A fortress like Antwerp might not be enough to stop mechanized and armored units, but to World War I-era infantry, it was a nightmare. As long as they had enough ammunition, any assault on the fortress would be a death sentence.
If the Germans thought they could break through Antwerp's defenses the same way they had with "Big Bertha" before, they were mistaken—that was back when the air force hadn't yet joined the war.
Now, if they dared deploy "Big Bertha," it would be an ideal target for bombers.
Antwerp, therefore, was absolutely secure, a rock-solid thorn in the Germans' rear.
After Charles sat down at the desk, Tijani updated him: "The Germans attempted a breakout from Mons about an hour ago."
Charles was briefly stunned, puzzled by this choice. Why try to break out through Mons?
"Has the 9th Corps reached Mons?" he asked.
"Yes," Tijani confirmed with a nod. "They're engaged in street fighting with the Germans in Mons. Both the roads and railways are almost completely paralyzed."
"Then why would the Germans choose to break out through Mons?" Charles stared at the map, locating Mons. "They could easily drive through Thuin instead."
They were choosing the harder, more problematic route.
"Who knows?" Tijani shrugged. "Maybe they just want to stay as far away from you as possible."
Mons was nearly 100 kilometers from Charles's main force—a much greater distance.
Then Tijani thought of a possibility. "Do you think they're worried about being ambushed by tanks and armored cars if they break out through Thuin?"
"Maybe." Charles remembered the open terrain in that area, perfect for armored operations.
Then he realized, "This means they don't know we're low on fuel."
The greatest consequence of the infantry failing to keep up was that fuel hadn't arrived, and the limited civilian fuel reserves were barely enough to push Charles's forces into Antwerp.
Now, the armored units were effectively stranded in Antwerp.
"Exactly," Tijani agreed, a smile of disbelief forming on his face. "Luck is on our side, Brigadier General. If they keep thinking that way, their breakout will be much slower, giving us the chance to close the encirclement."
Tijani then raised an important point. "In that case, should we 'block' the news? I mean, if the enemy learns of our fuel shortage here in Antwerp, they could flood through the gap like a tide."
Ordinarily, blocking the information would be the right choice.
But Charles shook his head. "Completely sealing off information is nearly impossible, General. Some people are bound to escape, even if Antwerp is a heavily fortified stronghold."
Tijani nodded in agreement. Even a prison lined with guards could be broken out of, let alone a field fortification.
"Well, that's not ideal," Tijani muttered, frowning.
Charles thought for a moment. "Perhaps we have another solution."
"Another solution?" Tijani's eyes lit up, the fatigue on his face visibly fading.
Charles nodded. "We can station our tanks along the fortress's defensive perimeter to strengthen the defenses."
"But that won't accomplish much, Brigadier General," Tijani chuckled. "You said yourself, tanks are meant for maneuverability, not as stationary gun platforms…"
Charles said nothing, simply looking at Tijani with a slight smile.
Suddenly, Tijani's eyes widened with understanding. "If the tanks stay put, then no one will realize they're out of fuel!"
Charles nodded. "Then we can pool all our remaining fuel and have a few tanks do laps around Antwerp. What do you think the Germans would assume?"
Tijani burst out laughing. "They'll think we have plenty of fuel."
This approach tackled the issue at its source. Even if German soldiers managed to sneak out of Antwerp, they wouldn't have any reason to report that the French were low on fuel.
"Has there been any response from General Winter?" Charles asked.
Charles had contacted General Winter to seek a solution for the fuel shortage.
Since Antwerp was a port city, they could receive fuel supplies transported by the British Royal Navy.
Tijani nodded. "Their supply ship is due in two days, and reinforcements are on their way too."
This meant the Germans had only two days left to break out.
Friends, if you enjoyed the novel, you can subscribe to my Patreon channel.
Until November 30st, get 25% off both your subscription and the purchase of your novel. Thank you for your support.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Franklin1