German Red Prince

Page 194

Seeing the road sign next to them, everyone got excited again. After running for so long, they were finally almost there. As long as they could take Nahordenhagen, the war would be over.

Both Model and Guderian were going full speed ahead, but in terms of speed, Model was actually a little faster, as they arrived in Höldenhagen at almost the same time.

The tank didn't slow down at all, and fired a shot that sent everyone flying. A huge explosion startled everyone. The Prussian soldiers in Höldenhagen never expected anyone to attack, especially not from two sides.

The Rhine army, which suddenly appeared on the north and south flanks, seemed to have fallen from the sky. The soldiers of Höldenhagen had no time to retaliate, and the Rhine army rushed in before the troops had even finished assembling.

"Quickly, send a telegram to General Ludwig! The Rhine has attacked! The Rhine has reached Hödenhagen!"

Gunfire erupted outside. Erich urged the telegraph operator to send a telegram to Ludwig at the front to report the incident. Heaven knows where the Rhine army came from, and they actually managed to reach Höldenhagen. If this place is occupied, their rear will be blocked. What's the point of fighting then?

"Don't move! Put your hands up!"

The telegraph operator immediately sent the message, but no sooner had it been sent than a soldier kicked the door open and several soldiers with guns rushed in, startling Ehrlich so much that he quickly raised his hands.

They rushed over so quickly? What are the people outside doing?

"Put down what you're holding! Stand at attention immediately! Hödenhagen has been liberated by the Rhine Revolutionary Government!"

The soldiers who stormed in took control of the radio, and Erich and several telegraph operators were captured. This radio was a valuable tool; now that Holdenhagen had just been captured, it could still transmit some jamming information.

"Think carefully, everyone. There is no hope of continuing to follow Prussian imperialism. The Republic of the Rhine represents the will of the people, and the will of the people will inevitably prevail in the end."

"I'm giving you all a chance to redeem yourselves through meritorious service. If you perform meritorious service on the battlefield, you can strive for leniency from the Rhine Revolutionary Government."

The telegraph operators looked at each other. It seemed that Prussia's chances of winning were really slim. Look at the Rhine, which suddenly appeared out of nowhere and attacked Höldenhagen. How many people in Prussia knew about it?

Anyway, they're all on the same side. It's not like the French are attacking. If the Rhine wins, Germany is still Germany. The group didn't resist much, nodded, and said, "We're all Germans, so what difference does it make who we help?"

Höldenhagen was captured almost instantly, without any major battles of annihilation, as the soldiers were captured before they could even react. Only sporadic fighting occurred before the Rhine Army took control of the area.

"Don't stop! Keep moving forward!"

With the breach sealed, the next step was to encircle them. Model and Guderian didn't even exchange many words; they simply shook hands when they met and then led their troops onward.

Ludwig was shocked to receive news of the attack on Höldenhagen, while Manstein reacted quickly and immediately led his troops to flee.

Compared to Manstein's decisiveness, Ludwig hesitated for a while. After receiving the notification, he sent a telegram to Ludendorff, asking how to proceed, and then waited there.

The message has passed through two hands; how long will that take? As a frontline commander, he has to ask the rear for deployments for everything he does. This is not how a frontline general should behave.

After sending the intelligence to Ludendorff, Ludwig inquired about news from the direction of Hödenhagen, only to be told that they were putting up resistance and were about to repel the enemy.

Upon seeing this, Ludwig burst into laughter, leaving his adjutants around him stunned.

"Why is the general laughing?"

"I laugh at Manstein for being cowardly and the Rhine rebels for being unwise."

Rhine's feint attack on their own rear shows they're nervous and want their troops to go back to rescue Bremen, thus allowing them to mobilize enough troops to defend it.

"Notify the entire army: continue the advance and attack Bremen!"

By this time, Manstein had already packed up his troops and fled, but Ludwig didn't care at all. With the man gone, there was no one to compete with him for credit. Once they captured Bremen, he would be a marshal too.

Just as the army was preparing to continue its advance, news arrived. Ludendorff, as always, prioritized caution after receiving news from the front.

If their rear is attacked, they're doomed. Rhine's tactics are always unpredictable and risky, so it's better to play it safe. There are still many opportunities to turn the tide.

Just as they were about to advance, they were ordered to retreat. How could Ludwig, who had "reacted" to this, possibly go back? Now he was no longer afraid; after all, that was a marshal, and the temptation was too great.

"You take a unit back to defend, and I will continue the attack."

Instead of advancing or retreating, a compromise is needed: send some troops forward and others retreat. At this point, splitting the forces is no longer an option, and no one can save this army now.

The troops rushing back ran head-on with Guderian and Model, while in Bremen, were the Rhineland's rocket launchers just for show?

436. Massive losses

After receiving Ludwig's message from the rear, Ludendorff felt uneasy. As a seasoned marshal, he trusted his intuition.

Looking at the map hanging up, although it marked the deployment of the Prussian army, there were also many places marked with question marks.

The Rhine knew Prussia well, but Prussia did not know the Rhine. The question marks on the map were places where Ludendorff might station troops in the Rhine. Prussia was not very clear about how many people were on the Rhine front, where the troops were located, or how many men they had.

Ludendorff could only rely on his own guesses to mark the approximate troop strength and deployment. Logically speaking, with Flanders launching a surprise attack from the rear, there shouldn't be many people on the Rhine front. The poison gas attack convinced Ludendorff that there should only be 20,000 to 30,000 people on the Rhine front, and they were very scattered. That's why he dared to gather his troops and risk an attack.

But now that Höldenhagen has been attacked, Ludendorff feels uneasy again, looking at the question marks in the direction of Rothenburg and Ningburg. How many troops has the Rhine deployed here?

"Continue to contact Höldenhagen. How many people from Rhine have arrived?"

Soon after, the adjutant ran over and told Ludendorff about the situation at the front: the resistance in the direction of Höldenhagen was still ongoing, and they were engaged in combat with the enemy, but they would soon be able to repel them.

Hearing this news, Ludendorff was slightly relieved, but his usual conservative tactics still made him somewhat anxious. It would be such a pity if so many troops were lost here.

Has Rhine really run out of options? Are they going to rely on a lone force attacking Höldenhagen to divert attention and force their troops to return to defense, hoping to use this brief window of opportunity to reinforce Bremen? Do they have enough time?

This maneuver perfectly captured the enemy's psychology. The enemy's stronghold might be vulnerable, or their rear might be outflanked. It all depended on Ludendorff's decision: to advance or retreat.

Ludendorff decided to order a complete retreat of the army, letting Flanders hold out for a while while he assessed the situation on his side. He ordered Ludwig to withdraw to Hanover and Hamburg.

This was a choice between two dead ends, but Ludwig deliberately made it a multiple-choice question. If he had gathered all his troops, they might have been able to break through, but by dividing his forces, there was absolutely no way they could get out.

Ludwig was eager to make a name for himself. The Rhine was not invincible; it was just an illusion created by Prussia's defeat. Every army has weaknesses; it's just a matter of who has more and who has fewer.

Now that Ludwig has discovered this weakness, how could he possibly let it go after finally finding a fatal flaw?

Ludwig charged toward what he thought was an empty city, full of hope, only to run headlong into the encirclement.

It was that familiar feeling again; the trembling sound in the air brought back memories of that experience for many veterans—it was the roar of the devil.

"Spread out!"

Rocket launchers were a specialty of the Rhineland to entertain guests, and they were not to be missed. The overwhelming barrage of rockets directly disrupted the Prussian formation.

The rocket attack was regional; some units in the epicenter of the explosion were vaporized after being hit by a single blast.

"What's going on? What's happening up ahead?"

Ludwig also heard the intense gunfire ahead and quickly ran out to check.

"General, our vanguard has engaged the Rhine. Their firepower is fierce; this doesn't look like an empty city."

"They've exchanged fire?"

Ludwig frowned. Although he couldn't see anything, he still took out his binoculars and peered into the distance.

"General, the Rhine's firepower is very strong. Are they prepared? Let's retreat. Marshal Ludendorff's order is to preserve our strength."

Are you questioning my proposal?

Ludwig's face darkened. Wasn't bringing this up now a slap in the face? He had approved the attack plan; if they withdrew now, wouldn't that give them leverage against him?

"This is just Rhine's bluff. There can't possibly be many troops here. Are you really scared by Rhine? With so many troops, how could I not be able to take down a small place like Achim?"

"Besides, I have already sent a portion of the troops back to defend, so our rear is safe. What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that the Rhine's small force will surround us completely? Aren't they afraid of being overwhelmed?"

"Tell the troops at the front to continue the attack. I don't care about their casualty figures; I just want to take Bremen! Don't tell me you can't even defeat these remnants; that would be a disgrace to the Prussian army! If you can't take Achim, you can all commit suicide on the front lines to atone for your sins!"

Ludwig also realized a problem, but it would be too embarrassing to retreat now. He could fight and retreat, and run away very quickly. If he returned to Prussia like that, he would be laughed at by many people, and his dream of becoming a marshal would be delayed for who knows how long.

The order was easy to give, but the soldiers on the front lines suffered terribly. Ludwig ordered them to attack Achim at all costs. They were just one step away from Bremen, and if they didn't charge now, they might not have another chance.

This was the first time Lucas had witnessed the true power of the German Civil War; the world's leading superpower waging a civil war with such intensity.

"Damn it, aren't they all Germans? How come they're all so ruthless!"

While dodging the shells raining down from the sky, Lucas complained, "You use poison gas, I use rockets. This is basically killing the enemy. Are they really all Germans? They treat their own people like this?"

"Attack! Attack!"

The massive explosion forced the officers to shout at the top of their lungs, and they began to doubt whether this was truly a remnant army. Were the remnants of the Rhine army really that powerful?

The garrison in the Bremen direction had been waiting for a long time. Most of the garrison here were veterans who had been withdrawn from the Franco-German border. They were not much of a problem in dealing with the Prussian recruits and the Eastern European auxiliary forces.

"Great, this thing is much more powerful than a cannon."

Having been stationed on the border for so long, this is the first time these new guys have seen anything like it; conventional artillery can't unleash such firepower.

With reports of constant casualties and several failed assaults, Ludwig realized that the enemy was not a remnant force, but a sizable and well-organized army.

"General, let's retreat, it's too dangerous."

Looking at the map and then at Bremen, which was so close by, Ludwig finally sighed helplessly.

"retreat."

The Prussians were far more formidable than the Eastern Europeans, and Lucas watched as the Prussian army's several offensives were repelled.

In such a crucial battle, the Eastern Europeans didn't have to be cannon fodder; the Prussians were the ones who took on the toughest challenges. They wouldn't have survived the first half of the war.

"retreat!"

After fighting for a long time without being able to gain the upper hand, they had no choice but to retreat. The opposing Rhine team had been waiting for a long time, and now they wanted to run away, but it wasn't going to be that easy.

"General! Our rear has been surrounded! The reinforcements we sent were driven back by the Rhine! Höldenhagen has been captured! The Rhine troops are advancing!"

Having been rebuffed, Ludwig was stunned by the devastating news. Caught between a rock and a hard place, he hesitated for a long time, and by then, almost all his time had been wasted.

At this point, it was too late to run. The Rhine's mobility was too great; two legs really couldn't outrun two tracks.

Model and Guderian were chasing after their troops, charging forward, and the Prussian soldiers ran straight at them and got beaten up.

The armored forces, who were in the midst of their battle, were completely routed by them, and the remaining troops were chased back by the Rhine armored forces.

The encirclement gradually tightened, the trap was sealed, and escape became impossible.

"General Secretary! A great victory!"

An officer rushed in to report the good news: this was the greatest victory against Prussia since the start of the war.

"Our encirclement has succeeded! We have surrounded the main Prussian forces, and Ludendorff's northern offensive has completely failed!"

"Good! Good! Good!"

Thallman was also extremely agitated, struggling to control himself from jumping up. What did Ludendorff's complete defeat on the northern front mean? The war was over!

The only drawback was that some troops broke out of the encirclement; they were quick-witted and ran away at the slightest sign of trouble.

They didn't know that these were Manstein's troops. Even if they did, Thorne would probably understand. Thorne would probably be surprised if Manstein couldn't escape.

The Rhine could make many mistakes, but Prussia was doomed if it made just one mistake. Ludendorff's gamble directly cost them the entire war.

The Rhineland was jubilant upon hearing the news, but in Prussia, Ludendorff, just like Wilhelm before him, nearly fainted.

Germany is facing a hot potato; it's not an easy situation to handle.

437. Code Name: Rainbow

"The Rhine Revolutionary Government has once again achieved a great victory! We have successfully thwarted the Prussian imperialist government's offensive on the Western Front!"

"The successful encirclement and annihilation of the main Prussian army means the complete collapse of Prussia's so-called Iron Northern Defense Line! Our great revolution is about to achieve final victory!"

Newspapers and radio stations throughout the Rhineland were reporting on this great victory. The old hero from the war had suffered a major setback. With such a large-scale encirclement and annihilation, even if Ludendorff grew ten more heads, he couldn't fill the hole.

The dumpling in the north was indeed very large, so large that the Rhine almost couldn't finish it. Model and Guderian's troops almost couldn't stop these troops, and tens of thousands more troops were urgently dispatched from the surrounding areas before they were able to surround and kill the legion.

The power that people unleash in dire straits is truly terrifying. The surrounded legion charged left and right, truly demonstrating the Prussian army's formidable military prowess. If the Prussian army were to unleash its fury, and the Rhine army were to be careless, it would indeed be unable to withstand it.

"Good, after taking away tens of thousands of Ludendorff's troops, I don't believe that old guy can still sleep."

Victory seemed within reach. After this battle, Prussia had absolutely no chance of turning the tide. Moreover, Rhine's final trump card hadn't even been used yet. After fighting for so long and experiencing so many dark moments, it was finally about to end.

"The French Commune congratulated us and wished us victory in the German revolution. Shouldn't we respond?"

Goebbels had just hosted a special envoy from the French Commune. The revolutionary government and the French Commune were still in the stage of secret communication, and the secrecy was very good. Prussia did not even know that the troops fighting against Flanders were the International Brigades.

"We must not forget the help we received from our French comrades in the revolution. If the future republic wants a stable external environment, we must maintain good relations with the Commune."

After the victory of the revolution, development and reconstruction are definitely needed. A good external environment is very important for the newly established republic to develop in a short period of time. Therefore, we should take advantage of the present to improve relations with the commune.

"We cannot clarify our relationship with the Commune for the time being. Our best course of action is to end this German civil war as soon as possible, complete the revolution, and break the shackles of German imperialism on the world stage."

Thorne added that the situation was still quite unstable, and all they could do was try to end the war as soon as possible.

"Although we cannot express our congratulations now, we can congratulate Comrade Maurice on his successful election as the new General Secretary of the French Commune."

After several rounds of deadlock, the election finally saw a breakthrough following the recent outbreak of the German civil war. Previously, the votes for several political groups were almost tied, with the same result in several rounds.

However, with the Sorel faction within the Unity Front actively intervening in Spain and the Jacobins participating in the German Civil War, the Unity Front became a dark horse, surpassing the dominant Anarchists.

The Unity Front won the general election with an overwhelming majority not long ago. Within the Unity Front, because the Jacobins make up a much larger proportion than the Sorel faction, the Jacobins, as the majority party, became the ruling party in the election.

The victory of the United Front is still very helpful to the German revolution. At least they had established a good relationship with Maurice, who supported the German revolution. It's hard to say about the others. We'll have to take it one step at a time. The current situation is relatively favorable for Rhineland.