CHAPTER 689: CHAPTER 689 "C" SHAPED ENCIRCLEMENT

However, the attack of the First Armored Corps was not as smooth or successful as it appeared to outsiders.

The destruction of the Meuse River Bridge by the German Army put Shire’s subsequent advance into a quandary.

...

At Mezieres Airport, Major General Brownie, the commander 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 ensure security.

Major General Brownie glanced at his watch and looked up when he heard the roar of aircraft in the sky, lit by the setting sun.

Soon, a squadron of planes appeared in view.

The planes split in the air: "Camel" fighters circled in vigilance, while the two "Aphro" biplanes in the center descended and finally landed on the airport runway one after another.

Disembarking from the planes were Shire and Tijani.

As Shire jumped off the plane and looked around, he felt a sense of unrealism.

He had meticulously planned for half a month and even started laying out a month ago, and finally capturing Mezieres seemed almost within reach.

But Shire immediately understood the situation: Between Mezieres and Charleroi lies the Arden Mountains, making it difficult for the armored units to pass, but by plane, it’s a straight line, only thirty-odd kilometers.

Major General Brownie approached with his guards: "General, you could have commanded from Namur..."

"Really?" Shire retorted expressionlessly: "Where is Major General Estiny? And what about the Meuse River Bridge? Why was it destroyed?"

Major General Brownie was speechless.

Many unexpected situations arose during this maneuver through the Arden Mountains.

The original plan was to split the troops into two routes before crossing the Arden Mountains, one heading straight for Mezieres, and the other crossing the Meuse River downstream to seize the Meuse River Bridge.

(The red line in the above image indicates the marching direction, and the light blue curve on the map shows the course of the Meuse River, which flows from south to north through the Arden Mountains. This is the reason why Mezieres is prone to flooding, as the narrowing of the river channel in the mountains makes flood discharge difficult, causing flooding when upstream water levels rise.)

(The image above shows the floods in Mezieres in 1995)

According to Shire’s plan, the mechanized regiment led by Colonel Estiny was supposed to arrive first at the west bank of the Meuse River and seize the undefended Mezul Bridge.

This would not only secure the bridge as a crucial transport route but also cut off the German forces’ retreat from the rear.

However, Colonel Estiny’s unit got lost and has yet to arrive.

On the other hand, the main force led by Major General Brownie unexpectedly encountered the enemy in the Arden Mountains and had to engage in combat.

This led to the current situation: the German forces retreated to the west bank of the Meuse River and then blew up the bridge to block the advance of the First Armored Corps.

Brownie led Shire into the airport building, where a prepared office awaited them.

This was originally an airbase of the German Army, but being too close to Charleroi, the planes had been evacuated half a month ago.

Brownie looked at Shire, who exuded an innate authority as he sat at the desk, feeling emotional.

A year ago, when he grabbed Shire’s bicycle in Davaz for directions, Shire was still a youthful boy.

Now, he had grown into a renowned general capable of toppling nations at will.

As he thought about it, a slight smile crept onto Brownie’s lips.

Shire, unaware of Brownie’s thoughts, focused on the map and asked in a deep voice: "Where is Colonel Estiny now?"

"Uncertain, General." Major General Brownie pointed to a location on the map: "He might be here. The terrain westward becomes very complex. Colonel Estiny encountered an impassable deep ravine and tried to go around it but ended up getting lost."

This was the reason the latter part of the route was unprepared.

The German forces were very close in the latter part, and if the scouts and engineers continued building roads and bridges as before, it would easily expose their strategic intentions.

Shire asked again: "When can they arrive?"

"At the earliest, tomorrow. It will be dark soon; night marching is dangerous and slower," Major General Brownie explained.

Shire frowned: "What about the enemy? What’s their situation?"

"The enemy has at least three infantry divisions." Brownie pointed to the Meuse River on the map: "They are deployed along the river, clearly aiming to trap us within Meziere City."

Although Meziere City is easy to defend and hard to capture, it also makes it difficult to break out: the Meuse River forms a ’C’ shape around the city, and with the bridge destroyed and troops positioned along the river, the First Armored Corps is effectively surrounded inside the city.

Tijani interjected: "Even if Colonel Estiny’s troops arrive tomorrow, it won’t make much difference."

Shire nodded in agreement.

The German forces, realizing they were surrounded, were retreating from the front line, with reinforcements arriving from the south.

Though their movements were slowed by the bombers’ harassment, they could gather 4 to 5 divisions by tomorrow.

With Estiny’s mechanized regiment having only over 2,000 troops, it could not significantly impact the west bank and might even be encircled by the German forces.

"Order Colonel Estiny," Shire commanded: "Upon arrival tomorrow, remain hidden and do not act rashly."

"Yes, General." The staff officer responded, ready to deliver the order.

The command post fell silent, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Brownie felt guilty, thinking he had ruined the plan.

Tijani, however, seemed unbothered, making coffee for himself and then for Shire and Brownie.

As he handed Shire his coffee, Tijani said with ease:

"Come on, Vice Admiral, we are doing quite well."

"We’ve captured this area and cut off the German supply line, forcing them to retreat."

"We’ve achieved our strategic objective; what more do you want?"

"We could have encircled more German forces, maybe even more than before!" Shire said with a hint of regret in his voice.

Tijani laughed but didn’t respond. He simply raised his coffee cup and continued drinking.

His expression seemed to say: One should not be overly greedy; we’ve done well enough!

This was Tijani’s character. As a second-generation affluent family member, he didn’t have high demands, as long as they succeeded; minor failures were acceptable.

While this mindset might be beneficial in life, it was unacceptable on the battlefield.

"This is war, Major General," Shire reminded: "On the battlefield, you must seize every possible opportunity to expand your victories. Otherwise, the enemy you let go today might defeat you or kill you tomorrow."

Tijani paused, reflecting, and his expression gradually became serious.

"You are right, Vice Admiral," Tijani nodded: "That’s an excellent war philosophy."

Then he pointed to the Meuse River on the map with his chin: "But it seems we can’t do much about it. Unfortunately, we didn’t bring amphibious landing boats and ships; otherwise, there might be hope!"