CHAPTER 64: CHAPTER 64 GUDERIAN: FLANK? DO I HAVE A FLANK?

Guderian’s tone carried a hint of mockery:

"Those guys have now turned their attention to the west."

"The Federation’s main forces have been lured into Belgium."

"Now is the best time for a breakthrough."

"Our task is simple."

"Break through the Ardennes Forest, cross the Maas River, strike directly at the rear of the Anglo-French Allied forces, and cut off their retreat."

On the map behind Guderian, there was already a rough route for the march.

Evidently, the plan to bypass the Maginot Line and cut off the Anglo-French Allied forces had already begun to be laid out by this time.

Unlike what others speculated and thought from different perspectives.

The maneuver to bypass the Maginot direction was definitely not a sudden whim, but was carefully planned.

Mo Xiaomo stood in the corner of the command room, broadcasting the scene within.

Counting a replay of the plot, just from a different angle.

As soon as Guderian gave his orders, the 19th Armored Corps commenced its relentless operation.

May 10.

The 19th Armored Corps led by Guderian reached the Luxembourg border, then smashed through Luxembourg, sweeping aside all resistance, and within just two days, arrived at the weak point of the Maginot Line.

May 12.

On the hillside outside Sedan.

Guderian was holding binoculars, gazing at the distant city.

Imperial tanks charged at the forefront, tearing through every defensive line, with motorized mechanized units swiftly following to fill the gaps, while artillery in the rear continuously bombarded the city.

In the sky, the roaring Stuka Dive Bombers relentlessly bombarded the city known as Sedan.

The coordination of infantry, tanks, artillery, and airstrikes, in perfect unity.

Such seamless cooperation left the viewers in the live broadcast holding their breath.

So fluid.

No wonder, portraying the Polish Prime Minister, the troops below couldn’t hold back the Imperial forces.

Even watching this closely for just a short while, one could feel the despair of the Federation garrison inside Sedan, with no chance to catch a breath; Guderian would not give them a chance to breathe.

Guderian put down the binoculars, and Mo Xiaomo beside him took over, already taking on the role of the adjutant, as Guderian spoke:

"Do you know what is up in the sky?"

Mo Xiaomo was a little confused, and the live broadcast barrage recognized it, continuously spamming [Stuka, bomber], Mo Xiaomo said:

"Stuka Dive Bomber."

Guderian shook his head, smiling as he said:

"That is flying artillery."

Mo Xiaomo’s lips twitched, what a cold joke....

Guderian looked off into the distance and said:

"Pass the order, concentrate only, no dispersing!"

"Pierce through them with the steel cluster."

Mo Xiaomo immediately went down to pass the order, and Guderian’s words also made the viewers in the live broadcast gradually understand that some of Guderian’s words perhaps contained the essence of Blitzkrieg.

Some viewers had already started to take notes.

And the Sedan in the game quickly fell under the assault of the 19th Armored Corps.

May 13.

At dawn.

The roar of the Stukas roused both banks of the Maas River.

After just one night’s rest, the 19th Armored Corps began a fierce attack on the Maas River, the ’natural barrier’ relied on by the French Federation, with engineers setting up pontoon bridges under a rain of bullets, and motorboats and rubber boats carrying Imperial soldiers began the forceful crossing of the Maas River.

The French defenders on the far side of the Maas River, faced with the Imperial firepower suppression, bravely resisted.

Little did they know that Rommel, leading the 7th Armored Division, had already crossed the river from the west side of the Maas, preparing to cut off the rear of these French defenders.

Mo Xiaomo followed beside Guderian, watching the distant battle.

At this time.

A communications soldier ran over, holding an order:

"General, General Kleist orders us to wait for infantry support!"

Guderian frowned tightly, ignoring it, but instead holding binoculars and looking at the floating bridge on the Maas River, muttering to himself:

"The essence of Blitzkrieg is not waiting, but the enemy’s psychological collapse."

Mo Xiaomo heard it clearly, and the barrage in the live broadcast surged.

[Write it down, write it down! A famous quote!]

[Got it, break the opponent with absolute power and speed, that’s Blitzkrieg!]

[I’m fired up, someone let me try Blitzkrieg!]

[You are already a successful military strategist, hurry and start a game of [Normandy Landing], charge the beach!!!]

[If it’s Normandy... never mind.]

With Rommel’s 7th Armored Division’s surprise attack, the French troops on the far side of the Maas River became disarrayed; the 19th Armored Corps tanks had already started crossing onto the floating bridge. Guderian instructed Mo Xiaomo beside him:

"Order all divisions, no prisoners, no supplies, only speed!"

"Do not stop for even a moment!"

Under Guderian’s orders,

the Imperial 19th Armored Corps, after forcefully crossing the Maas River, pushed westward without the slightest halt, leaving behind Group A Army far behind, and the length of the front line already stretched to a point that alarmed Imperial high command.

May 14.

The 7 armored divisions under Group A Army, with 1800 tanks, had just crossed the Maas River when Guderian led the 19th Armored Division in a mad dash towards Saint-Quentin.

May 15, morning.

In the command room.

Mo Xiaomo looked at the map and the current position, feeling completely different from being a communications soldier; the information he couldn’t catch as a communications soldier was all clearly visible here, and the conceptless march now had a concept.

"This march doesn’t stop at all."

"Just last night, the entire 19th Armored Corps swiftly marched 70 kilometers. I say, why, when playing the Polish Prime Minister, just after receiving the news of a city being captured, soon after, the Imperial forces had already reached the next city."

"At this speed, who can stop it?"

The barrage in the live broadcast also fully agreed, sharing the same sentiment as Mo Xiaomo.

When Mo Xiaomo was playing a communications soldier, the marching scenes were skipped so he had no concept, but now in the command room, he finally understood the terrifying nature of this kind of command and march; it’s also due to the fact that the French map is larger than Poland’s.

Yet even so, approaching Saint-Quentin, only a little over a day after crossing the Maas River.

While the Imperial Group A Army’s troops had just crossed the Maas River.

Little wonder that the Imperial command later ordered Guderian to halt the advance, as the front line was stretching too far.

While pondering this.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from outside, as Guderian already entered the command room, followed by many generals, and glanced at Mo Xiaomo inside before turning his eyes to the map.

At this moment.

A communications soldier ran in, panic on his face:

"General, this is General Kleist’s telegram."

Guderian took it, Mo Xiaomo peeked over and recognized the telegram’s content:

"Immediately stop the advance! Your flank is fully exposed!"

The tone of the telegram’s sender could easily be imagined as angry and anxious.

Before Mo Xiaomo could explain the content to the live broadcast viewers.

Guderian furrowed his brow, tearing up the telegram, and ordered:

"Flank?"

"That should be the enemy’s concern."

"Command all divisions to continue advancing west at full speed!"