CHAPTER 676: CHAPTER 676: NEW ADVANTAGES

In the Arden Mountains campaign, the French Army defeated five thousand German deserters with just over two thousand men.

Moreover, almost none of these five thousand deserters were able to escape. The encirclement set up by Tassin had only a single entrance and exit on the mountain road, which were immediately blocked by French firepower once the battle began. The rest of the area was heavily fortified with soldiers and barbed wire, making it impenetrable.

Tassin even positioned snipers and machine gunners at high points, using their firepower to suppress the German forces in the open ground.

The Germans, already low in morale, quickly surrendered once they realized they couldn’t break through the encirclement.

After the battle, a count revealed that over 3,700 prisoners were taken, exceeding the total number of French troops involved in the battle.

...

Shire was somewhat surprised when he received the victory telegram; this battle seemed quite different from the impression he had in his mind of the French Army.

Although no mechanized or armored units were involved, it could still be described as "adapting to the conditions" and "flexible and versatile." Tassin truly was remarkable.

After reviewing the entire operation, Tijani also praised, "This command seems to have your touch, General. Tassin used psychological cues on the Germans throughout and gradually led the enemy into the encirclement."

With Tijani’s reminder, Shire realized that this indeed seemed to be the case.

First, they deliberately exposed their position to lure the German scouts to Route 3.

Then they intentionally lost to the scouts to reveal a weakness.

They even used gunfire to tell the German main forces that the interior of this mountain road was safe.

Ultimately, they led the Germans into the pre-set encirclement and annihilated them. It was a brilliantly executed battle.

"What about that German reconnaissance unit?" Shire asked.

Reconnaissance units are usually elite; if they dispersed into the forest, Shire was concerned they could pose a threat to the Arden Mountains passage.

"Don’t worry," Tijani said, waving the document in his hand. "They heard the gunfire from the rear and immediately went back to assist, only to be wiped out along the way. Their radios were also captured, all five units, including those of the main forces."

The most crucial element was the radios.

Even if some German stragglers managed to hide in the Arden Mountains and spotted the French Army traversing the region, without radios, they couldn’t relay the information.

"Order Tassin to search for any remaining enemies on-site," Shire said calmly. "Also, send the engineers, survey teams, and transport units to the area."

"Yes, General!" Tijani understood implicitly.

"Searching for remaining enemies" was a pretext; the real purpose was to maintain vigilance around the mountain road and keep others unaware of the French Army’s activities.

The engineers were there to build roads and bridges.

The survey team was there to evaluate whether the roads and bridges built by the engineers could bear the weight of the "Sherma A1" tanks.

The transport unit, as always, ensured supplies were in place, setting up supply points along the newly repaired roads with their sidecar vehicles.

Once everything was ready, it would only take a day or two for the First Armored Army to pass through the Arden Mountains.

...

A gentle spring breeze stirred as everything came back to life.

In April, thousands of bluebells bloomed in Namur, creating vast seas of purple and lending Belgium a touch of the magical.

(Above image: Belgian bluebells, native to Ireland and Spain)

Standing high in the castle, Shire looked down at the vibrant scenery under the warm sunlight. He felt a bit wistful; if it weren’t for the war, now would be the time for spring outings. This castle and the picturesque hillside would be teeming with tourists.

But now, it was filled with guards and training soldiers, with only the chanting of exercises filling the air.

It had been two weeks since the recapture of Charleroi, and Shire and the First Armored Army had remained stationed in Namur without moving an inch.

Not only that, Shire was actively reinforcing Namur. He had brought in Belgium’s First Special Reconnaissance Army to launch an assault towards Liege, making it seem like they were preparing to attack Liege Fortress.

The Germans should believe it, right?

Shire thought, after all, Liege was Belgium’s most important and last-standing city; liberating Liege would mean liberating all of Belgium.

This was the hope of all Belgians, including Albert I.

Moreover, once Liege Fortress was recaptured, the vast majority of the troops stationed in Belgium could be withdrawn to reinforce other battlefronts, including Shire’s forces.

With Liege Fortress positioned with Holland to the north and the Arden Mountains to the south, it would only take a few thousand men to secure the entrance and ensure Belgium’s safety.

This was crucial for both the Allies and the Axis powers.

However, the Germans would never guess that Shire was constructing a passage through the Arden Mountains and was already nearly finished.

"General," a guard reported, "Albert I wishes to see you."

Shire was a bit surprised; Albert I had been busy stabilizing Charleroi during this period.

This industrial city was extremely important to Belgium. During this time of war, its recapture would make Belgium completely self-sufficient in coal, iron, textile, and glass products, and possibly even allow for exports.

Thus, Albert I didn’t dare neglect it. He had personally overseen the resumption of work and the repair of roads and railways damaged during the war.

"Let him in," said Shire, as he walked back to the command post from the castle steps.

...

Inside the command post, Shire had just taken his seat when Albert I came up with a beaming smile and warmly embraced Shire: "I’m glad to see you, Shire!"

Then he stepped aside to introduce a middle-aged man wearing a suit, hat, and sporting a mustache.

"Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Gilles," Albert I said, "the owner of Seren Steel Factory."

"Hello, General," Gilles removed his hat and bowed to Shire. "It’s a pleasure to meet you!"

"The Seren Steel Factory?" Shire was taken aback.

He had heard of this steel factory; it was the predecessor of Huaxia’s "Shougang."

Decades later, with European steel profits declining, Belgium’s Seren Steel Factory was sold to Huaxia for the price of scrap metal.

Huaxia, which was then in dire need of such technology, had bought the entire Seren Steel Factory, including the factory buildings, and transported it back to the country to rebuild, even taking the aluminum panels from the roof and walls.

Following that, Shougang flourished.

(Above image: Blast furnace No. 4 purchased from Seren Steel Factory)

"What is this about?" Shire asked bluntly.

Shire should have offered coffee and exchanged pleasantries, but as a military commander, he neither had the time nor the inclination for such formalities.

"Yesterday, the First Special Reconnaissance Army recaptured Seren Steel Factory." Albert I gave Gilles a sideways glance, a cold shimmer in his eyes, seemingly carrying a hint of threat.

Then he turned back to Shire and said, "To show his gratitude, Mr. Gilles is willing to sell you shares at a low price. I believe this will be beneficial for the General’s business."

Shire immediately understood what was going on.

In order to tightly bind his interests, Albert I was offering new benefits!