Chapter 56: In Strategy, Despise the Enemy; In Tactics, Respect the Enemy

On the same Christmas Day, the Britannians in Ypres City were doing their utmost to rebuild their morale, while the Demanian troops encircling the salient brimmed with the arrogance of recent victory.

To be defeated yet undaunted is a rare quality. Among the Britannians inside the salient, the one embodying this spirit most was Lieutenant General Douglas Hegge.

To be victorious yet humble is an even rarer virtue. Among the Demanians outside the salient, Captain Lelouch Hunter stood out as the most modest after triumph.

"Finally, we've severed the Britannians’ vital railway artery! Now the enemy inside the Ypres salient won't be able to sit still. That old Frenchman must be scheming how to break out!" Lelouch’s direct superior, Major General Karl, could not resist popping champagne on Christmas Eve, inviting trusted subordinates to celebrate at headquarters. Even Duke Ruprecht, commander of the army group, personally came to the frontline to join the festivities with the troops.

Having won on Christmas Eve, there were no combat operations on Christmas Day; all soldiers were given rest, and logistics generously supplied additional chocolate, tobacco, and alcohol, even arranging a rare roasted meat feast.

Lelouch, not wanting to dampen spirits, refrained from making any cautionary remarks during the midday gathering.

Still, both Duke Ruprecht and Major General Karl, aware that Lelouch was one of the key architects of the victory, seized the moment to toast with him.

The duke, noticing Lelouch’s somewhat subdued demeanor after several days apart, kindly inquired, “What’s wrong? You’re not happy despite the victory? We’ve cut off the enemy’s supply line!”

Lelouch had intended to keep his thoughts to himself, but since he was asked, he lowered his voice and shared a few words: “I believe this battle is only half over. Severing the supply line is crucial—it will cause the enemy to bleed continuously.

But the Ypres Heights are stocked with plenty of supplies. Our own supply points in the newly captured areas remain unresolved. The railway from Armentières to Stenford is currently unusable by either side.

The problem isn’t obvious now because the 3rd Britannian Army was too cowardly and hastily abandoned Bayouleur, leaving their supplies to us. But relying on ‘enemy provisions’ is a privilege that cannot be repeated. Next time the enemy loses a stronghold, they will surely employ scorched earth tactics, leaving us nothing—not even a stick of wood.”

Lelouch meticulously outlined the main challenges.

If Lieutenant General Hegge of the Britannians could see this scene, he would surely feel a striking sense of concurrence.

Their judgments were remarkably alike.

Both Duke Ruprecht and Major General Karl, hearing Lelouch’s composed and unpretentious attitude, gained a deeper appreciation of his “humble in victory, undeterred in defeat” temperament.

For such a young man to be so calm and insightful was exceptionally rare.

They were experienced men but had been slightly carried away by recent victories.

After Lelouch’s sober analysis, they immediately recognized these problems from a professional standpoint.

Upon reflection, the duke muttered, “Indeed… The previous two victories relied on the advantage of surprise attacks. But war ultimately boils down to brute force. Some issues cannot be avoided. The entire army group must prepare for heavy fighting ahead and aim to solve two key objectives swiftly:

First, to storm Stenford City and reopen the railway.

Second, to capture Mount Kemmel on the northern side of the railway—at least the main peak, Hill 155! It’s only seven to eight kilometers from the railway, and the fortress artillery stationed there can easily block it.”

The duke had clearly grasped the situation. To annihilate the enemy and secure total victory, the plan could be broken into three steps:

Step one: choke the enemy’s lifeline—which had been accomplished.

Step two: sever the enemy’s grip on our own lifeline—this was imminent.

Step three: quietly wait for the enemy to suffocate, or, while maintaining the chokehold, provoke them into struggling and consuming more oxygen, accelerating their demise.

Of course, the enemy would not simply suffocate to the last breath. Before that, they would attempt a breakout or self-rescue. But by then, the enemy’s fortified high-ground positions would be rendered worthless, allowing the empire to annihilate any breakout attempts in mobile warfare.

Thus, a grand objective was neatly distilled into three smaller goals.

After clarifying these issues, the duke officially ordered, “Today is Christmas—let the troops enjoy a complete holiday. Starting tomorrow, we carry out the second step’s two objectives. This kind of fierce assault cannot be shortcut; shock battalions won’t suffice. We must rely on massed forces and main units.”

“Lelouch, didn’t you say to Karl that you wanted to go to the rear to liaise with Krupp about the railway cannon? I can grant you a week’s leave. But before Stenford City falls and the main peak of Mount Kemmel is taken, I expect you back in time to join the subsequent battles.”

The duke knew well that the shock battalion was his most valuable asset. But these forces were meant for exploiting enemy weaknesses and flanking maneuvers, not frontal assaults.

Whether in urban street fighting or direct hill assaults, such elite special forces must not be squandered as cannon fodder.

Lelouch silently saluted and accepted the order, but he also realized the duke might be underestimating the difficulty of taking Stenford City and Mount Kemmel.

The previous two successful maneuvers had raised expectations—did they really believe a town and the most important southern peak of Ypres Heights could be captured within a week?

Not wanting to directly challenge his superior or damage morale, Lelouch tactfully voiced his concerns: “I wish the assault units success in achieving those objectives within a week, but I still think we must not underestimate the Britannians’ determination to fight to the last.

I also have some ideas about mountain and urban assaults. If Your Highness is interested and willing to allocate funds…”

The duke, with full trust in Lelouch’s insights, immediately responded, “Speak freely. Money and resources are no problem, as long as your methods work.”

Lelouch said, “If urban street fighting arises, perhaps some soldiers could be equipped with shotguns for close-quarters indoor combat. Also, long-handled wooden grenades are ill-suited for tight spaces.

Previously, due to time constraints, I only modified long-handled grenades for grenade launchers, but we might consider imitating the Britannians’ pineapple grenades—defensive or indoor grenades that are lighter, have more explosive and fragmentation content, but shorter throwing range.

I have other ideas, not yet fully formed. If we encounter issues in actual combat, we can analyze and adapt accordingly.”

Duke Ruprecht considered for a few seconds then accepted the suggestions: “Excellent. Shotguns are indeed suitable for such environments. I’ll arrange an emergency requisition from the rear today. As for pineapple grenades, production cycles are longer; we won’t have them for the Stenford assault, but they might be ready for future battles in Ypres or Dunkirk.

By the way, I heard you recently secured shares worth fifty thousand marks in Bergmann Company thanks to your ideas. We shouldn’t be stingy. On your return, I’ll grant you a half-million mark budget. Go to Krupp, finalize orders and technical requirements for the railway cannon, and proceed according to your plans. If you have ideas for military-industrial improvements, implement them with prior approval.”

This was a high degree of trust and authorization—a true recognition of merit.

It came after Lelouch’s series of brilliant strategies had earned him such strong credit.

“Thank you for your trust, Your Highness. I shall take my leave now…” Lelouch accepted the order.

The duke was taken aback, “Not even attending the Christmas dinner?”

Lelouch replied, “Time is pressing. On the way back, I want to visit the military hospital in Brussels and spend the evening with wounded comrades.”

The duke’s respect for him grew, so he did not object but arranged some care packages.

…

After completing handovers in the afternoon and leaving military affairs to Captain Lister of Company C, Lelouch drove away from the frontline, spending the afternoon returning to rear headquarters in Brussels.

Maj. Bock, the battalion commander, accompanied him—a planned move since Major General Karl said Bock’s uncle was the Chief of Staff, making their joint visit to Krupp more likely to be taken seriously.

Though the Christmas Eve surprise attack yielded ample results, the shock battalion suffered considerable casualties; many officers and soldiers were wounded.

Especially the two platoons undertaking infiltration tasks suffered the highest casualty rates.

Lelouch headed straight to the wards housing Platoon Leaders Model and Dieter after confirming bed availability.

Model was touched to see his company commander on Christmas night, nudging Dieter who had fainted the previous evening and just regained consciousness.

“The commander knows I’m skipping the Christmas feast to visit you and has authorized some nutritional supplies. Here are condensed milk and canned beef—keep these for your recovery. Are your wounds treated?”

Lelouch amiably set down the food and inquired about their injuries.

Model pointed to his tattered bulletproof vest and damaged helmet hanging on the bedside chair.

During the final infiltration phase on Christmas Eve, Model engaged in close combat in the trenches and was stabbed with a bayonet. But the three-centimeter thick dense silk bulletproof vest had some stabbing resistance, so the bayonet only penetrated about an inch before being stopped by the fabric.

In trench bayonet fights, rifles were ineffective but pistols still viable. Model was twice shot in the chest and abdomen by a Britannian officer’s pistol, but the 3,000-mark silk vest stopped the bullets, leaving only two bruises from subcutaneous bleeding.

Doctors treated his wounds and said he would recover in a week; discharge was possible in three days, or he could continue healing near the front.

Dieter, leading the machine gun platoon, was more severely wounded.

Though positioned farther back, sheltered in the trench and not at the front, his machine gun nest was targeted last night.

While observing enemy fire, Dieter was hit by a stray bullet on his M15 steel helmet, shaped like a future M56 helmet.

It was a full-power rifle round, but the impact angle was oblique, causing the bullet to ricochet. The helmet was pierced with two holes; the bullet deflected outward but left a blood groove on Dieter’s forehead with flesh torn and several millimeters of skull worn away, likely causing mild concussion. He would need to lie in bed for one or two months.

“You’re all warriors. I assigned you the most dangerous tasks. These supplies were captured from Britannian stockpiles. Use this to cover your medical expenses. I’ve emphasized your contributions in the report—saying you were the main assault force that cut the enemy’s railway line last night. The division commander has signed your promotion to lieutenant once you’re discharged.”

Lelouch, feeling some shame, related the conditions he had secured and handed Model two thousand marks and Dieter three thousand marks—equivalent to six and nine months’ pay respectively.

They were deeply moved but protested that they had already received official wounded allowances.

“Officer, how can we let you bear such expenses? Many comrades were more seriously wounded or fell…”

Lelouch’s expression hardened, leaving no room for dispute: “I have my own methods to ensure fairness! Just accept it! I’m aware of everyone else’s situation.”

He didn’t mention that he had personally monetized 800,000 marks—only he knew the details. As long as his men trusted their commander’s fairness, that was enough.

He also resolved to find an Italian arms dealer to buy more three-thousand-mark silk bulletproof vests, ensuring each promising officer under his command had one.

Once they all gained merits and promotions, these “potential stocks” would disperse, becoming company and battalion commanders themselves. Then they wouldn’t be so close to the frontline and less at risk.

After the war, the current two shock battalions would surely expand. Even if the Junker officer corps wasn’t quick to react, if the Barian army group imitated the expansion and assigned one shock battalion per division across twelve divisions, their total number would be six times the current.

Thus, every soldier under Lelouch’s command could become a squad leader or lead a small fire support or assault group. Every sergeant or corporal under him could be promoted and placed in leadership positions.

They were a valuable and formidable talent pool.

After visiting Model and Dieter, Lelouch comforted other unnamed wounded comrades with Christmas gifts—cases of condensed milk and canned beef.

Finally, amid the comrades’ tearful gratitude, Lelouch took his leave and, together with Major Bock, boarded an overnight train to Düsseldorf, Essen.

They slept in the sleeper car and the next morning, carrying the duke’s orders, headed straight to Krupp headquarters.

—

P.S.: Although not yet published, today’s chapter is another 8,000 words. I hope to move swiftly through slower plot sections to ensure steady progress daily, making updates more enjoyable.

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