CHAPTER 411: BLITZKRIEG TO BRUSSELS

Shire was completely unaware of the situation at the rear; at this moment, he was leading the armored and mechanized divisions along their designated route.

The tactic was the "Blitzkrieg" of World War II.

Shire already had several conditions met for the "Blitzkrieg":

First was possessing a powerful air force to secure air dominance.

Without air dominance, the armored and mechanized divisions would be bombed all the way and be shattered before reaching their destination, which would be meaningless.

Secondly, the main attacking force: the armored division would break through at the front, the mechanized division would provide artillery support at the rear, and finally, Fuxu’s infantry would follow and advance.

The key was for the armored and mechanized divisions to break through quickly; if they got bogged down by the enemy, the war would become a stalemate.

Finally, intelligence and infiltration.

During World War II, the German Army used paratroopers and special forces; it was said that they recruited a batch of people who spoke English and Russian for several years before the war, to impersonate the British Army, American Army, and Soviet Army to infiltrate the enemy’s ranks and seize key transportation hubs.

Shire relied on the "Lady in White" and the Belgian guerrilla teams.

Otherwise, if the road bridge at Vallo Town was destroyed by the German Army, no matter how prepared Shire was, tanks, armored vehicles, and cars would be unable to pass, and the entire plan would be in ruins.

Fortunately, this did not happen.

Shire rode in an armored vehicle, wearing a helmet like the soldiers and sitting in the rear compartment. Even the communications soldier had to put in some effort to find Shire.

Along the way were German prisoners; they had been disarmed, their belts removed, covered in mud, and dejected, walking under the guns of the French Army. They looked at the passing vehicles with fear and envy in their eyes.

Shire, looking at the map inside the vehicle, ignored them. A sidecar sped ahead, then turned around and caught up. The communications soldier reported to Shire in the vehicle: "General, the guerrilla team has successfully occupied the Watan Highway Bridge; our vanguard has already met with the guerrilla team!"

Shire let out a sigh of relief, and the tension in his heart finally eased completely.

Sitting opposite him, Tijani chuckled lightly: "Major General, how much preparation did you make?"

Shire had not informed Tijani beforehand; the fewer people who knew, the better, and telling Tijani would not have been of much help.

"What you see is almost all of it," Shire replied calmly. "Except in Brussels."

"You also made preparations in Brussels?" Tijani looked at Shire in disbelief.

Shire pointed at the map and explained: "The Germans have very few troops in the rear; after the Watan Highway Bridge, they barely have anything that can stop us, as long as we are fast enough."

Tijani nodded.

With the armored division and mechanized division, advancing at about 30 kilometers per hour, it would take just over three hours to reach Brussels, 100 kilometers away, if rest times were not counted.

Additionally, with bombers relentlessly attacking the rail lines, the German Army had almost no units that could timely block their path within that time.

"Only Brussels," Shire said, "there is a German division there. Although it’s a reserve division with weak combat power, they are within the city."

Tijani nodded, indicating he understood.

Tanks were not suited for urban warfare; the Germans could throw grenades or explosives at the tanks from corners or rooftops.

Moreover, the French Army would have to clear or fight over every building, which would become an obstacle on their path.

Shire’s mind was on the Battle of Stalingrad; urban warfare had been a problem up to World War II.

However, Brussels, as the capital of Belgium and an important transportation hub, could not be bypassed.

Otherwise, logistics and reinforcements from the rear could be intercepted here.

Shire calmly took another map from his briefcase, a detailed map of Brussels.

He pointed to the stadium in the north of the city: "The Germans turned this into a military camp, and the arsenal is in the underground warehouse of the adjacent textile factory."

"The arsenal?" Tijani immediately understood: "Your preparation is to destroy the arsenal?"

...

Garrisoning Brussels, Belgium, was the 82nd German Reserve Division, commanded by Major General Khalil.

A month ago, the division had been withdrawn from the front line with just over 3,000 men; within under a week of entering the city, it had rapidly expanded to over 27,000 men, preparing for a month of training before being sent back to the front.

Colonel Aifuri, the chief of staff, was troubled by this. Looking at the troops training on the field, he said worriedly: "If there’s any difference between them and civilians, it’s that they’ve just learned to fire a gun."

Major General Khalil, sipping coffee while sitting, replied coldly: "That’s already enough, Colonel. What more do we need?"

Colonel Aifuri was taken aback, then let out a bitter chuckle.

Though Major General Khalil’s words were harsh, they were true. Trench warfare seemed to require no skills from the soldiers other than enduring hardship and shooting.

For every day, they did just these two things repeatedly: endure the harsh conditions of the trenches, living like primitives, then pop their heads out and pull the trigger when the enemy charged, killing the enemy or being killed, and nothing more.

Major General Khalil stood up with his coffee, moved beside Aifuri, and looked out over the shooting range: "Any more training is a waste, Colonel, because no one can escape artillery shells."

Aifuri had no response, but he thought of someone: "Shire’s troops might be different; I heard he’s actively training."

"Maybe," Khalil replied, "but that has nothing to do with us."

At that moment, a staff officer, while taking a call, suddenly shouted:

"Something’s happening, General!"

"Shire’s troops have broken through the Kemmel Line and are advancing rapidly along the road."

"They are expected to reach Brussels in three hours!"

There was an outcry in the command post, and everyone, including Major General Khalil, turned pale.

A moment ago, they thought Brussels was the rear and hoped to stay and enjoy it for a few more days.

But now it had become the front line, with the enemy expected to appear in three hours; it was incredible!

Major General Khalil asked in confusion: "We are 100 kilometers from Kemmel; how could the enemy arrive in three hours? Are they coming by car?"

"Sorry, General," the staff officer replied, "they indeed are coming by car!"

Khalil was speechless.

Taking the telegram from the staff officer, he glanced at it, then raised his voice and commanded:

"What are you waiting for?"

"Prepare for battle!"

"This is not a drill; open the arsenal and move the ammunition out immediately!"

"Yes, General!" The communications soldier turned to convey the orders.

What Khalil did not know was that there was a squad of "German soldiers" outside the arsenal, waiting for the order to open the arsenal and distribute the ammunition.