Chapter 168 The reinforcements brought by Lieutenant Lyon
Just when Hans was about to lead the division's command company and cartographic platoon to the front line with guns in hand, long-awaited news of reinforcements came from outside the headquarters.
A major staff officer led a neatly dressed lieutenant officer in. Hans knew at a glance that the lieutenant officer had never fought in a war before. It was impossible for a soldier who had come off the battlefield to wear a military uniform.
Spotless.
However, Hans was naturally happy when he saw the arrival of the lieutenant. He immediately went up to shake hands and said, "Welcome, Lieutenant. I am Hans, the commander of the 30th Division, and I will be in charge of the war here. May I ask you this question?"
Are you following that army to support us?"
Of course Hans did not think that this little lieutenant could be the commander of the reinforcements. In his subconscious mind, the lieutenant must have come with a certain senior officer to deliver the microphone.
"Report! The 7th Company of the 1st Regiment of the 8th Division of the 14th Group Army has come to assemble. We did not accompany other troops. Our subordinate Leon is currently serving as the company commander of this supporting army."
A company of reinforcements! Hans stared at Lyon with wide eyes, and after a long time he asked with a strange expression: "Are there no other reinforcements?"
"No!" Leon replied with a salute: "We have a company of 201 people, and we happened to be passing through this area with the logistics convoy of the 8th Army. I heard that Rhodes was in need of reinforcements due to the Polish army's counterattack, so we rushed here without stopping.
"
Hans wanted to tell the lieutenant named Lyon that under the attack of the Polish army group on the opposite side, the company he brought would be completely wiped out in less than 3 minutes. However, after Hans swallowed his saliva, he still
He chose to swallow his words.
The current 30th Division is in great need of reinforcements. Even if it is just one company, it is better than nothing. Moreover, the company brought by Lyon is a standard combat company after all. Compared with the division headquarters command company and the remaining ones he has now,
The cartography platoon should also be more professional when fighting.
In addition to the more than 100 cooking soldiers left at the division headquarters, Hans was now able to piece together a nearly battalion-sized unit. Although this last unit was not large, it was still capable of fighting and could be used to fight.
Throwing it onto the forward position can still make some splashes.
"Lieutenant Lyon, the forward position is now riddled with holes. We urgently need to rush to the front line immediately. Your troops will set off with us now. Is there any problem?" Hans looked into Lyon's eyes and asked seriously.
What Lyon used to answer Hans was a standard military salute: "As ordered!"
.............
"Marshal, Rhodes battle report!"
In the conference room of the Polish High Command, Marshal Smigre finally received the news he most wanted to hear.
"Posen's 8th Army Group moving south has been fully assembled today, and will launch a general attack on Lodz at 5 p.m. at the latest. According to General Lierki's telegram, the remaining German troops deployed in Lodz are absolutely
I can’t survive tonight.”
French Major General Berante, who was standing next to Smigre, took a step forward, took the telegram sent by Rhodes and scanned it at a glance. Then he gritted his teeth and shouted: "A bunch of trash!"
Smigre was stunned by Berante's reaction. Isn't there good news from the 8th Army? Why are you angry?
"Major General Berante, what are you..." Smigre asked in confusion after being stunned for a while.
Glancing at the confused Smigre, Berante sighed secretly, deeply worried about the level of this dignified Polish Field Marshal.
After taking a deep breath, Berante calmed down and said: "Mr. Marshal, the subtext of the Eighth Army sending you this telegram is that they have not taken the city of Lodz so far. Think about it, a group army
A large force, even if it has not been assembled before, should be enough to capture a city with weak enemy forces within 24 hours. But now 36 hours have passed, but they still stopped east of Rhodes, in vain
Such a good opportunity for a surprise attack was wasted!"
After hearing what Berante said, Smigre's expression was a little dull. He suddenly recovered after a few seconds, and then shouted angrily: "That loser Lieerki! I gave him a group army, but he didn't even
Even the remaining German soldiers have been unable to be captured. This waste, waste!"
"Now is not the time to complain." Berlant waved his hand, turned around and walked to the operational diagram in the conference room and said: "According to the speculations made by our French officers in the past few days, most of the German troops are within a hundred miles of Lodz.
There are no other large-scale troops left. This is why the 8th Army has not encountered German reinforcements so far."
Berante's words made Smigre feel a little more at ease. In this way, as long as the 8th Army seizes the time, it can capture Lodz before Germany sends back reinforcements. Once the key strategic point of Lodz is captured, the German army will
The logistics route will be threatened, so that we will not be able to attack Warsaw freely.
While the German army was pinned down by Lodz, the Polish army could organize a new circular defense line on the front of Warsaw, thus buying more time to wait for the British and French forces in the west to launch a general attack on Germany's back.
However, so far, this is just wishful thinking on Smigre's part. What he doesn't know is that the French officers, who have gained the trust of the entire Polish High Command, have been ordered to use the Polish army to contain the German army as much as possible.
New French troops stationed at the Maginot Line to buy time.
Yes, it was to station at the Maginot Line for further defense, not to attack western Germany as Smigre expected. On the one hand, the French government encouraged Smigre to resist tenaciously and wait for reinforcements, but on the other hand, it said one thing and did another to strengthen its defense deployment.
, no offense at all**.
To put it simply, France is using Poland to work for itself and has made a good promise to the Polish government, but the French have no intention of fulfilling their promise.
Smigre, who has not seen all this, or who is unwilling to believe the worst outcome, now places his only choice on the French government and this group of French officials.
"General," a colonel from the French commanding officer corps leaned close to Berante and whispered: "Logically speaking, if the Germans mobilized their mobile troops to assist Rhodes, they would have arrived today. But why is the Polish army the first one today?
Is the opponent on the 8th Army’s side, or is it just the German army from the beginning?”
After listening with a frown, Berlant stared at the combat diagram and said: "This is also what I am confused about. Originally, I thought that the German commander who made the plan wanted to return the rhythm of the war to his original plan.
, I will definitely resolve this local crisis I planned as soon as possible. Just after listening to the report of the Polish army, I was also surprised why the German reinforcements have not appeared yet."
"Could it be that the German commander was not able to respond in time because his original plan was disrupted?" the French colonel speculated.
"No!" Berlant categorically denied this statement and said with certainty: "Judging from the German commander's skill in formulating this plan, he is definitely not an incompetent person. To say that he would be fooled by me so easily
I wouldn’t believe it if I messed up the situation.”
"But...why didn't he mobilize reinforcements to Rhodes in time? Shouldn't he be unable to see the crisis involved?" Berlant said to himself, dragging his hands.
