RM Vol 4: War – Interlude: Onset of a showdown - Edited by Yovis

Author Notes:

Welp, next chapter is up! That one is a bit bombastic and also a thrown back to a childhood dream of 'big train can go boom no matter the era'

It was fun to write about, and fun to imagine.

Other than that, thank the Heaven above for a few dry days in Ho Chi Minh. I don't think my roof can handle the constant water leaking without some time to dry off.

Right, I also have to offer a respectful salute to Captain Jeffrey Iverson who is retiring. In case you don't know, Jeffrey Iverson is the USA Senator that I laid the groundworks for all those chapter back. So yeah, Captain Jeffrey has been with us for a long, long time. It's sad to see him take the backstage now, but I do have good plans for his in-universe character.

Without further ado, enjoy the chapter, pictures, and your day! Peace!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/waZgkRa3UQhqKQBi9

https://www.patr-eon.com/Heartbreak117

https://ko-fi.com/heartbreak117/goal?g=0

P.S: Edited by Yovis

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Bulson's shock and awe can be felt all over the Sedan front. Despite the turtle pace of the Loyalists' communication system, it doesn't take a genius to understand that something has gone horribly wrong.

In fact, throughout the second night of Case Yellow, the 7e BCC, a whole FCM 36 Battalion, was destroyed with no tank remaining. 4e BCC suffered a loss of a Tank Company. Lastly, as for the Infantry Regiment that escorted 4e and 7e BCC, nearly half of them were eliminated alongside 7e BCC. Much to the dismay of the Loyalist Command, the Belkans somehow reached Bulson first and entrenched it down to the deepest part of Hell. It's quite a fitting description considering who's the Empress of Belka, not to mention her daughter who is giving them an ass-spanking to remember for ages.

Nevertheless, Bulson's position was unassailable, at least not without overwhelming fire support. On the second night, the Loyalists tried to set up artillery positions and even called in a bomber squadron. Unfortunately for them, everything they sent was preemptively intercepted before they could do much harm. Consequently, the second night ended with a major Belkan victory over Bulson and the Loyalists losing a significant portion of their armor. Unable to do much else, local Loyalist officers pulled back their broken spearhead around Maisoncelle. At first, the remaining tanks were to be used as makeshift bunkers around Maisoncelle, however, they're needed elsewhere. 4e BCC was split, with half reinforcing Connage while the remainder moved to Raucourt, West and East respectively. Maisoncelle, lacking much armor if there's even any, was reinforced by the remnants of the 55th Infantry Division after they were reorganized. The peer of the 55th, the 71st Infantry Division, was also pushed to Raucourt alongside 4e BCC.

After repeated failures in less than two days, the Loyalists have wisened up and are trying to form a backup defense. They plan to dig in around Chemery, Maisoncelle, and Raucourt, not dissimilar to the Reich Marshal's objective. The only difference here is which faction gets to take control of the three key areas. The Loyalists hope to buy time to pull assets from elsewhere and retake lost grounds. However, perhaps one may even call it a final gamble, half of 4e BCC is sent to the Connage axis to aid 3e BCC, which used R35 tanks. Loyalist Command intends to leverage the formidable defense line along the Connage axis as a stepping stone for a counterattack.

In the Loyalist minds, the defense at Bulson was ungodly because the Belkans devoted a significant amount of their initial attack forces there. After warring at a lightning pace, the Belkans must be exhausted and stretched thin by now. Since Sedan was only lost recently, the Belkans shouldn't be able to funnel that many units over the Meuse. Thinking thus far, the Loyalists imagine that a massive counterattack, using 3e and 4e BCCs alongside readily available infantries on the Connage axis, against Sedan is possible. If successful, they can destroy the Sedan bridgeheads while isolating the Belkans' concentration of units around Bulson, leaving them vulnerable to an attack from subsequent reserves of X Corps.

It has to be restated that the whole counterattack plan is a gamble, one that General Huntziger of the Loyalist 2nd Army knows fully yet finds no recourse other than to accept. If the plan fails, then at least the Belkans will still have their hands full. In trying to protect Sedan, they will hopefully be too busy to push further than Bulson. The men of 3e and 4e BCCs will be remembered as heroes when the war is over.

Now, it doesn't have to be said that the Loyalists fail not one, but two major aspects of war here.

First, the Loyalists do not understand their enemy. The Belkan Reich has the technology and the doctrinal flexibility to keep its military running nonstop with no reduction in efficiency. By fighting on a rotational basis with their Brigade Combat Teams, the strain induced on a Belkan Division is minimalized. The same relationship can also be applied between Divisions to Corps, Corps to Armies, and Armies to an Army Group but for now, the Belkans see no need to exchange any frontline Division for a fresh one. In short, the three Divisions that the Marshal occupied Sedan with are perfectly combat-capable. The Loyalists also do not know that, already, the Belkans are charging for an attack to seize Chemery, Maisoncelle, and Raucourt right after their victory in Bulson. The Belkans intend to seize everything by the start of Day 4, something that is wholly possible, mind you.

Other than that, the Loyalists fail to know themselves. The whole counterattack plan rests solely on the fact that the Belkans are fatigued and are concentrated on Bulson alone. Both of these notions are literally just conjectures, built on survivors' reports and not effective scouting maneuvers. This is something that Loyalist Command willingly overlook because they're just too damn proud to acknowledge their failings. Other than that, the Loyalists also overestimated themselves. Ustian Loyalist tanks are slow, ridiculously slow even. To ask them to stage a swift counterattack is impossible when their speed is capped at around 20 km/h. Even with infantry support, the whole counterattack force is much too slow. Any maneuver by them is easily detected and will be singled out by artillery fire and airstrikes. The group will be destroyed even before getting to Sedan. Worse, organization and morale are at an all-time low after repeated failures. Loyalist Command will find their soldiers with very lackluster reactions to their orders. The uncertainty of their future means that the common Loyalist soldiers do not want to be anywhere near the Reich Marshal's Army. Already, there are signs of desertion and delays in carrying out orders. Units from 4e BCC are no different, taking their sweet time to reach Chemery and Raucourt, arriving at 02:00 hours on Day 3. By this point, the Belkan Panzer Divisions are already knocking on Chéhéry and Pont-Maugis.

Unsurprisingly, before the Loyalists can even make a single move, the Belkans are already five moves ahead. The new battle orders on both sides will be like this:

1st Panzer Division attacking Connage axis is facing Loyalist 3e BCC and 331st Infantry Regiment at Chéhéry. Connage is held by the 11th Reconnaissance Regiment while Chemery is currently held by the 12th Reconnaissance Regiment, the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the 213rd Infantry Regiment, and three FCM 36 Tank Companies of the 4e BCC.

10th Panzer Division and 2nd ABCT of the 404th Division attacking Maisoncelle are fighting the Loyalist 1st and 2nd Infantry Battalions of the 213rd Infantry Regiment. They're supported by ragtag units of the 55th Infantry Division and what's left of the 78th Artillery Regiment.

2nd Panzer Division is battling three separated Loyalist Infantry Battalions at Pont-Maugis. Each Battalion belongs to the 120th, 147th, and 295th Infantry Regiments respectively. Moving past Pont-Maugis, the 2nd Panzer Division will come up against Haraucourt and Raucourt defended by the 205th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Battalion of the 246 Infantry Regiment, the last two FCM 36 Tank Companies from 4e BCC, and remnants of the 71st Infantry Division.

Overall, the Belkans now outnumber the Ustian Loyalists three-to-one. The only advantages the Loyalists may have are their entrenched positions and their dugged-in howitzers and AT guns. Nevertheless, it's doubtful whether these will be any good when the Belkans have absolute dominance with their Air Force and artillery.

At the very least, Day 3 of Case Yellow is off to a fiery start. The end of today will be a turning point in history.