Chapter 33: Piecing It Together, Using Whatever Is at Hand

Following the report to Duke Rupprecht regarding the formation of the assault detachment, the relevant paperwork was approved the very next day.

Captain Lelouch Hunter was, effective immediately, transferred to the 12th Division of the 6th Army as the Deputy Battalion Commander of the newly formed Assault Battalion, while simultaneously serving as the Commander of Company A.

This company was reorganized from the original reconnaissance company of the 12th Division, retaining almost all of its original personnel—or, to be precise, it retained the men but cut half the horses. Since the original reconnaissance company was a cavalry unit, that many warhorses were no longer necessary after the change in branch.

In the 1914 German military structure, a standard infantry company consisted of 240 men, divided into four platoons of 60, with each platoon further divided into infantry squads of 15. Above the company, a battalion was meant to have four companies totaling 960 men, plus officers and headquarters staff, bringing the total to just over a thousand. A regiment consisted of four battalions, totaling over 4,000 infantrymen, which, with artillery batteries and other auxiliary units, reached approximately 4,200 to 4,300 men. An infantry division comprised four infantry regiments and one artillery regiment, with a standard strength of over 18,000 men. At that time, the German army did not have a standing "brigade" level of command.

Lelouch’s proposal for an assault battalion was hurried, so he did not want to complicate the structure and risk confusing his comrades. Thus, each company remained at 240 men with the 4-platoon, 4-squad architecture. However, considering that the reconnaissance company Lelouch previously commanded was already an reinforced unit that included a communications platoon, the total headcount already exceeded 240. Building an assault detachment required additional specialized personnel, which would inevitably push the numbers well over the limit.

Ultimately, Commander Rupprecht and Division Commander Karl signed off on a special expansion. The future 12th Division Assault Battalion would have a total strength of 1,200 men, equivalent to an reinforced 5-company battalion. In reality, Companies B, C, and D remained at the 240-man, 4-platoon standard, while Company A was specially approved as an reinforced unit of 480 men organized into 8 platoons, equivalent to two companies.

Fortunately, Lelouch’s company already had two captains—Barack, the former deputy commander of the cavalry reconnaissance company, who had been promoted to captain for his gallantry during the Battle of Nieuport, but had been stalled at the deputy level because Lelouch had been "parachuted" into the commander's position. Now, with the company having 8 platoons, Lelouch could let Captain Barack manage half of them, ensuring he would no longer feel his talents were being wasted.

As for other lieutenants and second lieutenants, a few more would need to be added. From the Duke’s words before he left, it seemed he was permitted to select suitable young officers from the recent influx of wounded soldiers returning to the 6th Army. Furthermore, the incoming soldiers would primarily be seasoned veterans recovering from wounds to ensure the combat quality of the assault detachment.

Upon receiving this authorization, Lelouch was secretly delighted: as a transmigrator, he was intimately familiar with future military history. The famous commanders who would wreak havoc in the Second World War some twenty years later were currently in their twenties or thirties, mostly at the lieutenant level. Being allowed to cherry-pick talent from wounded officers or friendly units was the perfect opportunity to scout for hidden gems.

Unfortunately, the selection was limited to junior officers of the 6th Army, which meant they were all from the Bavarian contingent; he could not recruit young talent from other states. Still, this was sufficient—it was better than having no choice at all. Besides, there was no rush to select officers, as there was still some time before the Battle of Ypres began. Many officers who had been wounded at the start of the war were still recuperating.

It was the procurement of weapons and equipment for the Stormtrooper detachment that needed immediate deployment. Improving and manufacturing weapons took time—far longer than picking people. Anyone who had worked as a project manager knew that long-lead tasks had to be prioritized to ensure all workstreams reached the finish line simultaneously.

After a brief cleanup in Blankenberge, Lelouch applied for early leave to head to the rear to assist the Duke with these critical matters. The front had stabilized, and the 12th Division was cleared to withdraw to the rear for rest, particularly the 16th Regiment, which had been engaged in high-intensity combat and required at least a month of rotation. Yesterday, after the Belgian Royal Navy sent warships to shell Blankenberge and lost two vessels to coastal artillery, the Belgian forces had finally behaved themselves. Even ground attacks against the city had effectively stalled. There would be no issue with the 12th Division withdrawing from the front line. Lelouch simply had urgent business, so he departed ahead of his comrades who were taking the train back.

***

The morning of November 8th. The port of Zeebrugge, ten kilometers east of Blankenberge.

Most of the remaining officers and men of the 16th Regiment of the 12th Division had retreated here on foot. They would wait here until the following morning for barges to transport them to the large city of Antwerp, 80 kilometers to the east, from where they would take military trains back home. For the soldiers, this phase of the campaign was over, and they needed a proper breather. Those who had earned it received medals and commendations; it was, on the whole, a fair system of reward and punishment.

Only Lelouch, too busy to wait for ships and trains, had an aircraft specially dispatched by the Army Group command to Zeebrugge to pick him up. Officers who were on good terms with him went to the field airfield to see him off.

"Captain Barack, during my absence, the daily management of the company rests with you. Platoon Leader Schweinsteiger, Sergeant Major Klose, take care of yourselves. We shall meet again in Nuremberg or Munich, and we can stay in touch via telegram."

"Take care, sir. You have been working so hard; you’ve only just started your leave and you're already flying to the rear for business. I will look for you as soon as I return to Bavaria." Klose, a loyal confidant, shook his hand and embraced him tightly before watching him board the plane.

The pilot assigned to fly him was none other than Captain Max Immelmann, whom he had met a dozen days prior. Perhaps because the fighting had temporarily subsided and the intensity of both offensive and defensive operations had dropped, the pressure for aerial reconnaissance had eased.

Sitting in the cockpit with his pipe in his mouth, Immelmann turned to see Lelouch climbing into the plane, his captain’s shoulder boards gleaming, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

"You really have a bright future. It’s been only ten days, and you've gone from lieutenant to captain. The Duke must think very highly of you to have me fly you back home. He even told me to take some leave during this period—no other missions, just fly you around. I’m practically your chauffeur now."

Faced with Immelmann's grumbling, Lelouch played the social game well. "I wouldn't dare treat you as a chauffeur; aren't we all working for the Duke? This time back, I may need to liaise with some military industrial enterprises on the Duke's behalf. Those industry giants are not known for being stingy. As long as we present the military's requirements and give them a nudge, surely they will return the favor? Brother, I recall your family isn't exactly wealthy either."

Hearing this, Immelmann started the engine and chuckled softly. "My father is just a common technician; there's no need to mock my background."

Lelouch quickly clarified, "No, no, why would I mock you? I'm speaking openly. Back in the rear, using one's own abilities to legally secure some benefits—what is there to avoid? Your father is at least a technician; my parents passed away long ago, which is why I have no attachments and came from Oreo to serve in Bavaria. I don’t even have a place to stay in Bavaria."

Immelmann, having started the engine, was too focused on takeoff to chat. Once they were airborne, he remarked, "I thought anyone favored by the Duke must have some family foundation. I didn't realize you were so unfortunate. Is there really no one left in your family?"

Lelouch searched the memories of the original owner of his body. "Only an older sister who is married and a younger sister who has just come of age. I managed to finish university half on grants from the Oreo authorities and half on support from my brother-in-law. My father was a civil servant; according to local policy, if a civil servant passes away leaving underage children, they receive living and educational subsidies until the age of 18."

Immelmann asked, "So where do you plan to stay when you return to Bavaria? The military sanitarium? You’ll be running around quite a bit."

Lelouch was not worried about this. He pulled a letter from his pocket, waved it in front of Immelmann, and quickly tucked it away to prevent the wind from snatching it. "This is a letter of introduction from the Crown Prince. I can eat and stay at any royal estate in Munich or Nuremberg. If I go to Thuringia, I can use this letter to stay at a military sanitarium, though I have to pay for it myself. However, the Prince's secretary also gave me five thousand marks for travel expenses."

"Five thousand marks? How long will you be in the rear? You should pay for my gas money!" Immelmann couldn't help but tease.

In 1914, the monthly salary of a skilled worker in Berlin was about 300 marks. For an unskilled laborer, it was about 100 marks. One kilogram of black bread cost about 30 pfennigs (0.3 marks), and one kilogram of pure pork sausage cost 2 marks. In other words, a laborer’s monthly salary could buy about 50 kilograms of sausage or 300 kilograms of black bread. Five thousand marks was a significant sum.

"I might stay for a month and a half, at least a month," Lelouch said, knowing Immelmann was one of his own and keeping nothing from him. "The Duke originally thought the preparation period for this campaign would be about twenty days and planned to launch a general offensive against Ypres by the end of the month. But before I left, I analyzed it with Major General Karl and others and persuaded the Duke to postpone the plan and discuss it with the General Staff. Before the Belgians fell, they blew up the Yser Canal, creating a flood zone. It will take time for the water levels to stabilize; such muddy conditions are not conducive to an offensive. By mid-December, the weather will be cold enough to freeze some of the groundwater, making it less muddy. However, the downside of delaying until the end of the year is that we can no longer fight in autumn uniforms. So, while the troops are rotating, we need to prepare winter gear for everyone, which also takes time."

Immelmann asked, "You have to worry about winter uniforms too?"

Lelouch replied, "I don't have to worry about the uniforms, but I want to take the opportunity to upgrade the protective gear for my comrades, so I’m handling it all at once." Historically, the French wouldn't invent the steel helmet until 1915, and the Germans wouldn't follow suit until 1916. But the steel helmet itself lacked complex technology and was the easiest piece of personal equipment for Lelouch to influence, so he naturally planned to do so.

Immelmann asked, "Where is your first stop? Munich? Nuremberg is further south; you'd pass through Munich first."

Lelouch answered, "No, I should pass through Thuringia before Munich, right? Land in Thuringia first, and I’ll change transport later—by the way, could you teach me how to drive when the time comes?"

"One thousand marks. That includes driving lessons and transport for the duration of your leave. Pay another two thousand marks, and I’ll teach you how to fly."

"Deal."

Lelouch was decisive and immediately accepted Immelmann’s price. Immelmann felt a surge of motivation. He pushed the throttle, and three hours later they arrived in Cologne, where they refueled and grabbed a meal. After another three hours of flying, they reached Thuringia.

As he stepped off the plane, people from the industrial sector were waiting to greet him. An old man with a receding hairline stepped forward, saw Lelouch climbing down the ladder, and reached out to shake his hand: "Are you Captain Lelouch, the special envoy of Duke Rupprecht? I am Emil Bergmann."

Hearing the surname, Lelouch knew he was the head of the Bergmann Company, a famous local small-arms manufacturer.

"Mr. Bergmann, it is an honor to meet you. This is Captain Immelmann of the Air Service," Lelouch said, shaking his hand and making the introduction.