Chapter 170 The Battle of Poland (33)

Commander Walerian Czuma, the defense commander of Warsaw, decided to defend the city to the death, subjecting the people of Warsaw to unprecedented hardships.

As evacuation notices had been distributed earlier, the German forces could relentlessly rain various shells and bombs onto Warsaw without hesitation.

45mm, 82mm, and 120mm mortars; 50mm and 75mm infantry guns; 105mm field guns; 122mm rocket launchers; 152mm howitzers; and the 283mm railroad guns, along with the formidable 380mm Sturmtigers, roared ceaselessly, bombarding Warsaw with a variety of projectiles.

In the sky, a dense formation of land-based bombers dropped tons of conventional aviation bombs, cluster bombs, incendiary bombs, and phosphorus bombs onto Warsaw.

At this moment, Wilhelm arrived at the last inspection point, the headquarters of the 14th Army under List, located to the west of Warsaw. Peering through a periscope, they watched as the flames rose high in Warsaw, accompanied by the constant echoes of explosions. He couldn't help but sigh at the realization that war was indeed no child's play. Leading a million soldiers into the battlefield might be the childhood dream of many, but when one faced the reality of war, it brought not only glory and achievement but also death and destruction.

"Walerian Czuma is truly obstinate. He might as well surrender." Hearing Wilhelm mutter, List, standing beside him, added, "Your Highness, if he refuses to surrender, we can just flatten the entire city of Warsaw."

Wilhelm glanced at him, suppressing the urge to laugh out loud. "No need for that. Since they won't surrender, we can use them to train our urban warfare units."

As for why he wanted to laugh, it was because General Wilhelm List had a disability—his left eye was injured. Janek wasn't mocking the disabled; rather, List's injury had a humorous backstory.

This incident traced back to the Battle of the Somme during the previous World War. The Belgian army was preparing to launch a charge against the German forces, who had planted many mines in front of their defensive positions to thwart the Belgian assault. Whether the Belgian commander had studied General Tian Dan's invention of the "Ox Stomping Formation" is unknown, but they mobilized more than 70 bulls as the vanguard to charge through the battlefield, aiming to clear the minefield.

As the Belgian charge began, a group of startled and angry bulls rampaged across the battlefield. One bull, unwavering in its course, charged into the German defensive lines directly at List, who was leading the troops. In the chaos, List, in a panic, was accidentally struck in the eye.

This incident filled List with rage and determination for revenge. He endured the intense pain, drew his sword, and was about to kill the beast when a shell landed nearby. Unluckily, List was knocked unconscious by the blast, while the bull, though injured, managed to escape.

Interestingly, that evening, most of the more than 70 bulls charging through the minefield either stepped on mines or were shot by German or Belgian soldiers. The bull that injured List turned out to be the sole survivor. For its meritorious service, the Belgian king personally awarded it the rank of Colonel in the army, conferred the rank of Knight, and presented it with the Order of Leopold in 1917. The bull, once just livestock, had become a military officer and, after the war, enjoyed its retirement at the Military Order Institute.

List harbored deep resentment toward this particular bull and finally had the chance for revenge in 1940 when the German forces swiftly invaded Belgium.

Already promoted to Chief of Staff, List gave an order to Major Krukov, the commander of the garrison in Visele. He instructed Krukov to go to the Military Order Institute in Visele and execute that damned bull.

Receiving the order, Major Krukov was puzzled, wondering why General List had a grudge against a bull. However, as a soldier, he followed orders and went to the Military Order Institute to inquire about this bull. To his surprise, he found a bull named "Chevalier", a black old bull with diminished vitality, seemingly aware of its country's occupation, exhibiting a touch of sadness amid its weariness.

Finding the bull, Major Krukov prepared to execute it with his pistol. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, wounded Belgian soldiers in the Military Order Institute collectively opposed him. They argued that the bull was a prisoner of war, protected by the Geneva Conventions, and could not be killed. They even produced a commendation certificate issued by King Leopold in 1917.

Confused, Major Krukov had no choice but to report this unexpected situation to General List.

Perhaps out of boredom or a strong desire for revenge, General List personally came to the Military Order Institute, intending to put an end to the life of "Chevalier."

Since the bull was considered a prisoner of war, List devised a plan based on the rules governing prisoners of war.

According to the rules, if a prisoner of war attempts to escape, the captor can execute the prisoner on the spot.

List began employing various tactics. He arranged for subordinates to place grass that the bull liked to eat outside the prison gate, hoping the bull would escape on its own. If it ran away, they could immediately shoot it.

However, the bull remained unfazed.

This plan failed, so List attempted another approach: if a prisoner of war commits suicide, it is also acceptable. Since the bull couldn't possibly commit suicide, they would create a false appearance of it doing so. List had explosives buried outside the prison, and during an outing for the bull, he hoped it would step on a landmine. Yet, the bull seemed to have divine protection, avoiding the mines.

Next, List brought in a fierce German shepherd, bestowed it with the rank of Army Major, and kept it together with the old bull.

Expecting the aggressive dog to kill the bull, List was surprised when, after just a couple of days, the two animals became inseparable friends.

After more than a month of fruitless attempts, List finally gave in and spared the bull's life. He stated, "If I can't kill it, then I won't. Perhaps it's a sign from God, and I cannot go against God's command."

No one knows whether, in this space and time, List would seek trouble with that old bull again.

At this moment, Anna reminded him, "Your Highness, it's time to leave."

"Oh, let's go." Putting aside the animosity between the general and the old bull, Wilhelm was ready to depart. He was busy enough on regular days, and in this special period, every second felt like it should be stretched into two seconds for better use. The schedules were packed to the brim.

Arriving at the airport, he suddenly spoke, "Turn to the adjacent airport." This was a military airport, with a runway specially sealed off for his private plane to take off and land.

Traveling with List, who looked a bit uneasy, Wilhelm said, "General, there's no need for extra security measures."

List frowned. "Your Highness, there's no security in that area."

Wilhelm dismissively waved his hand. "You worry too much, General. If I can't trust my own soldiers, what can I trust?" With that, he instructed the driver to proceed.

The airport hosted five squadrons of ground attack bombers. Waves of bombers took off toward Warsaw, and others returned, landing over the city. Wilhelm observed ground crews efficiently moving returning bombers to the side of the runway for refueling and rearming. Meanwhile, maintenance crews briskly checked engines, fuel lines, and other components.

The entire airport buzzed with activity, but due to the Germans' meticulous nature, everything appeared orderly, busy yet not chaotic.

List, however, noticed that many soldiers here were working with bare torsos. He quickly addressed Wilhelm, "My apologies, Your Highness. I will emphasize the issue of military appearance."

"Hmm?" Wilhelm didn't immediately understand why List mentioned this. Only after the explanation did he notice the soldiers with bared torsos, chuckling dismissively. "General, compared to the contributions they make for the empire, these are insignificant details. Let them be comfortable; these are trivial matters compared to their service."

People at the airport also noticed the convoy of luxury cars entering. Although they couldn't see who was inside, the sight of a high-end Mercedes adorned with two small national flags suggested that a significant figure had arrived.

At that moment, the airport's loudspeaker urgently announced, "His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, has arrived!"

A commotion erupted, with everyone setting down what they were doing and standing at attention, saluting.

Wilhelm couldn't help but click his tongue. "I just wanted to take a quick look around." He signaled the driver to stop the car beside the crowd.