Chapter 55: Like Two Marmots Locked in a Death Grip

At 5:00 AM on December 25, Ypres, British Expeditionary Force General Headquarters.

Field Marshal French, who had only just enjoyed three days of peace, was once again jolted awake from his sleep by the harsh, piercing ring of the telephone.

Rubbing his sleepy eyes after finishing the call, he could not help but burst into a string of furious curses, nearly bursting a blood vessel from his skyrocketing blood pressure.

"Despicable Demanian bastards! Blasphemers! Low-down animals!"

"To launch such a massive new offensive on Christmas Eve of all days, cutting off the railway between Steenvoorde and the rear overnight! Truly shameless!"

"And to think they still have the gall to style themselves as a civilized nation; those fellows are nothing more than uncultivated barbarians! Beasts!"

Overnight, although no cities had been lost, the single major railway supply artery connecting them to the rear had been severed. This piece of disastrous news was a tremendous blow to the Expeditionary Force.

Marshal French's first reaction was to order those Canadians to immediately organize a counterattack and retake the railway line!

Half an hour later, however, he learned that the Canadians had already counterattacked, but failed, suffering an additional two thousand-odd casualties in the attempt.

Major General Betting wept so miserably over the telephone that Marshal French was completely left without a temper.

What should be done now?

This matter was of grave importance, and Marshal French dared not make a unilateral decision. The generals of the 2nd Corps were not at hand, and the commander of the 3rd Corps had already been shipped back to face a court-martial for his previous disastrous defeat and desertion in the face of the enemy.

With the battle having reached this pass, the old Marshal had no choice but to summon his trusted staff officers, along with Lieutenant General Douglas Haig, the commander of the 1st Corps who shared the same defense sector, to discuss countermeasures together.

"How do you think subsequent operations should be conducted? Although we haven't lost any major cities, the enemy has severed our railway supply line! And we cannot recapture it in the short term." The old Marshal's brow was furrowed into a deep knot, wearing an expression of profound grievance.

He instinctively glanced toward Lieutenant General Haig, his most trusted subordinate. But Haig, possessing a steady and cautious temperament, was reluctant to offer rash opinions; for the moment, he simply pretended not to notice and remained deep in thought.

On the other hand, Lieutenant General Archibald, the Chief of Staff of the Expeditionary Force standing nearby, had far fewer reservations. Accustomed as he was to flattering the old Marshal, he spoke first, offering some safe, boilerplate remarks to set the stage:

"Your Excellency, the Commander, I believe there is one thing we must do right now—we should make further appeals for reinforcements from home, or make strong demands for allied reinforcements to help take over part of the defense line between Steenvoorde and Dunkirk. For instance, villages and towns such as Cassel, Arnèke, Wormhout, and Bergues.

During the Christmas Eve surprise attack on Steenvoorde, the 1st and 2nd Canadian Divisions suffered a combined loss of at least three thousand men, while the two divisions from the South Asian Lahore region suffered a total loss of at least five thousand. With no other living forces available to fill these personnel gaps, our subsequent defense line will inevitably be left dangerously thin.

The Empire's army mobilization and expansion are far too slow; at a time like this, we can only rely on the French to share a greater burden."

Marshal French thought about it for a moment, then nodded helplessly. He first had someone place two phone calls: one to the Secretary of State for War, Earl Kitchener, in the rear, and the other to their ally, Marshal Joffre.

After a round of negotiations, Marshal Joffre considered that the Steenvoorde-Dunkirk line was, after all, French national territory, and the British forces were allies who had come to help defend it. Now that the British forces had suffered losses and sustained two consecutive defeats, the French army would simply have to shoulder a bit more, urgently dispatching at least one or two divisions to plug the gap.

However, the most crucial port of Dunkirk would still be defended by the British forces. Because all maritime supply materials for the British army had to be shipped to Dunkirk for unloading, having the port defended by French forces would result in lower coordination efficiency, which would be detrimental to transfer and dispatch operations.

The French army would only help defend the three small towns along the railway line: Arnèke, Wormhout, and Bergues. In other words, the two ends of this severed railway line would still be handled by the British themselves, while the French would help shore up the three intermediate relay points.

Having somewhat settled the issues of reinforcements and plugging the leaks, Marshal French finally relaxed a little.

Then came the discussion of whether subsequent operations should involve fighting, holding their ground, or retreating.

This was a fundamental question of right and wrong.

"Haig, do you think Steenvoorde should be held to the death? What preparations should we make? Can we withstand the Demanians?" French threw caution to the wind and explicitly called upon Haig to answer.

Haig had been thinking very carefully for a long time. A man of resolute and decisive character, he was never one to speak lightly of retreat.

Otherwise, in the history of Earth, he would not have gritted his teeth and held on stubbornly, allowing the British forces to charge unflinchingly on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, losing sixty thousand men.

Repeatedly questioned by the old Marshal, Haig finally struggled to reach a decision. He let out a long breath and slammed his hand heavily onto the map:

"I am well aware that the enemy forces are elite and that our army is currently powerless to counterattack. However, we must at least defend stubbornly and hold out, weathering this most difficult period. No matter how fierce the enemy's current offensive may appear, they lack sustaining momentum!

I have heard that they deployed an elite stormtrooper unit as their vanguard, but such stormtroopers are few in numbers and cannot withstand high attrition. After two bloody battles, they must already be spent and unable to charge further! If we give up at this moment, our previous sacrifices will have been in vain!

Furthermore, Commander, pray consider: why did the enemy choose to launch a campaign suddenly at this time? Why were they quiet for a full month and a half previously, yet now charge out with an offensive that is so fierce and resolute?"

At this point, Lieutenant General Haig paused slightly, framing his words as a rhetorical question to give the commander time to process.

Marshal French had fought wars his entire life and possessed extremely solid foundational skills. He immediately responded: "Naturally, it is because the Yser Canal was previously blown up, and the area around the Ypres Ridge is a sea of mud! Consequently, they could not launch an offensive during the autumn rains, and they finally waited until the coldest season, when the groundwater is mostly frozen, to attack!

We only need to hold out for a little over a month, at most two months. When early spring warms up, the groundwater thaws, and the ground gradually turns back into mud, the attacking side in this region will suffer a tremendous disadvantage. No matter how formidable their combat power is by then, it will be of no use!"

The logic articulated by Marshal French was understood by all three senior officers present.

The crux of the subsequent problem was: against such a ferocious enemy offensive, could their own side stubbornly defend the area around the Ypres Ridge for a month and a half, or even two months? If they could pull through, it would truly be a victory snatched from the jaws of defeat worthy of imperial pride!

"Can we... hold out until the standing water thaws?" Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Archibald muttered anxiously to himself.

Marshal French suddenly slammed his hand onto the table: "We will definitely hold out! Even if we must hold on to the death, we must endure! Have you forgotten the Marne? If the French army had lost confidence back then due to successive defeats and refused to hold out stubbornly to the end, what a terrifying scene would we be facing today?

We endured such arduous conditions back then, let alone now when our army has merely lost the small town of Bailleul! We haven't even officially lost the city of Steenvoorde yet! What was lost last night was merely the field defense zone on the western side of the city—the railway line! Would the Empire's Expeditionary Force abandon its post over a setback like this?!

As long as we endure this month or two, it means we can survive for at least a year in the future! Because in this region, apart from the freezing season, the attacking side is bound to fail in every other season of the year! And as long as we can hold out for a year, we will certainly be able to keep holding out indefinitely!

Because during this one-year window, we can infinitely reinforce our defensive works. When the freezing season comes around again next year, if the enemy still wishes to attack here, what they will face will be a wall of bronze and iron of unprecedented strength in human history! We must impress the importance of this upon officers at all levels and upon the soldiers, letting them know that as long as they endure these two months, they can hold out forever!

By then, Belgium can forever declare that its nation has not perished, and their final 5 percent of territory can be defended until the end of time! The evil war launched by the Demanians will be powerless to annihilate even a single nation! Therefore, persistence is not only of immense military significance, but its significance on the level of political propaganda is also profound. We must hold on! Show the entire free world that justice triumphs over evil! The Prime Minister and the ministers are also watching us; we must never give up and retreat!"

The more Marshal French spoke, the more excited he became. By the end, he had completely convinced himself, appearing staunch and steadfast.

And to be fair, Marshal French's words actually made a certain degree of sense. Because in Earth's history, they would indeed come true; the Britons on Earth held the line through the first winter at Ypres, kept the subscription going, and continued renewing their lease until the end of the war.

At a time like this, this breath of morale must absolute not be deflated.

Lieutenant General Archibald also knew that what the Marshal said made sense, but he offered a polite and well-intentioned reminder: "However, our army's railway supply line has been severed after all. This problem cannot be underestimated, and we must devise a corresponding solution."

Marshal French was only responsible for setting the broad direction and tone. Upon hearing about specific details, he could only furrow his brow and look toward Haig once more.

Haig thought for a moment and cautiously offered his strategy: "As for this, I believe the problem is actually not all that serious—although the enemy has cut our railway supply line, Ypres Ridge has served as the General Headquarters chosen by the British Expeditionary Force since the outbreak of the war, and over the past few months, we have accumulated a massive quantity of combat supplies.

The Empire's transport fleet, with nothing better to do, has constantly shipped military supplies from Dover, Plymouth, and Southampton to Dunkirk, and then transported them via the railway through Steenvoorde and Poperinghe to Ypres.

At present, the ammunition depots in Ypres city alone contain 450,000 rounds of heavy artillery shells of 3 inches and above. Counting the ammunition depots at various support points around the Ypres Ridge, our total inventory of shells 3 inches and above exceeds 1.5 million rounds! The total inventory of rifle bullets must be hundreds of millions, enough for an army of tens of thousands to fire several thousand rounds per man!

Other essentials such as military rations and cured meats can sustain us for half a year or even a year even if our rear support is cut off! Therefore, the enemy's expectation of destroying our army by cutting off our supplies can never succeed! Finally, although our railway is cut, and other surrounding roads have also been destroyed by floodwaters, we can actually consider developing water transport!

The muddy marshes to the north have water reaching chest-deep even in shallow places, about four to five feet, and can submerge a person's head in deep places. If we procure a batch of small boats with a draft of under five feet for ferry transport, we can completely ship supplies from Dunkirk, De Panne, and Nieuwpoort to the northern edge of Ypres Ridge, and then rely on human and animal labor for short-distance distribution. There is no particular difficulty in this..."

Lieutenant General Haig analyzed the situation, which served to boost everyone's confidence and made them realize that the problem was not nearly as severe as they had initially imagined.

Upon hearing this, Marshal French's gaze grew increasingly resolute, completely cementing his determination to hold out to the death.

Chief of Staff Archibald remained somewhat gloomy and could not help pressing further: "But sitting here and taking a passive beating is no solution either..."

Haig replied: "We are not entirely taking a passive beating! Just now I was merely demonstrating that we have not been severely impacted by the severance of the railway! Or rather, such an impact will not take effect within two months. But at the same time, do you think the enemy has not been affected by us?

Although they have occupied Bailleul and choked off the railway at Steenvoorde, the city of Steenvoorde remains in our army's hands! Furthermore, the city of Bailleul leans directly against Ypres Ridge, right on the edge of Mount Kemmel. The artillery we have deployed on the summit can interdict the nearby railway!

Therefore, from south of Bailleul all the way to west of Steenvoorde, this final 40-kilometer stretch of railway is likewise unusable by the enemy! They have rushed in now relying on a burst of courage and supported by supplies carried along with their troops, but this state can definitely not sustain them for ten days or half a month!

Once their accompanying supplies are exhausted—and the motorization level of the Demanians' logistics is even far lower than that of the Empire and the French! Because they lack petroleum, they have never dared to motorize their logistics over the years, lacking even a few trucks, and their military logistics remain entirely horse-and-mule-drawn.

As long as the railway is interdicted by our artillery on the ridge, and they have to push their horse-and-mule logistics through the final 40 kilometers of muddy wasteland, within a month, the logistical disaster suffered by the enemy will definitely be several times more catastrophic than ours! The Empire is not afraid of wearing them down like this!"

With Lieutenant General Haig's words, the gazes of Marshal French and Chief of Staff Archibald finally lit up entirely.

That's right! The enemy had merely cut the railway, which did not mean they themselves could use that railway either!

In the current state, neither side could use this railway whose control zones were interlocked like the teeth of a comb. Even if the German army were to eventually capture the city of Steenvoorde and seemingly connect the railway into a single line, they still wouldn't be able to use it!

Because this railway lay far too close to the edge of Ypres Ridge.

The British heavy artillery positions deployed on the summit of Mount Kemmel could interdict the railway! They would blow up every single train that attempted to pass!

Therefore, having thoroughly sorted out the battlefield situation, the British generals finally breathed a sigh of relief. This was not a matter of them being unilaterally choked by the enemy, but rather of both sides choking each other's throats!

Much like two marmots locked in a mutual stranglehold!

That being the case, they had the courage to fight a war of attrition with the enemy all the way to the end.

Thinking it over carefully, although the German army had carried out rapid penetrations up to this point, they had truly not achieved any breakthroughs in hard-target sieges.

As long as the British forces subsequently hunkered down for a desperate defense, ceding not an inch of ground, it wouldn't matter even if their supplies were cut off by the enemy. The German army would soon find this hedgehog ball impossible to bite into; trying to swallow it whole would only shatter their own fangs.