Because the Instruction Assault Battalion was currently attached to the ‘Ludendorff Battle Group,’ and this Battle Group was subordinate to the Second Army Group. Therefore, Morin could actually see the movements of the entire Second Army Group on the system map.
During this time, he watched the blue unit tokens representing the Ludendorff Battle Group and the Second Army Group moving and fighting slowly but surely across the map.
By the afternoon of August 9th, according to the system map, the Saxon forces besieging the Namur Fortress Cluster seemed to have achieved a major breakthrough. The icon representing the L29 Armored Airship circled over three forts north of the Namur Fortress Cluster several times, and then these three forts were marked with a red cross signifying [Destroyed].
Morin could even imagine the scene of the Armored Airship demolishing those sturdy forts from the sky.
As the three outermost forts turned into ruins under the attack of the Armored Airships, large numbers of Saxon infantry surged into the fortress cluster’s internal defense system. The ring-shaped fortress clusters of the Grand Duchy of Flanders had the advantage of fierce and sturdy firepower on the defensive face. But the disadvantage was that once the enemy broke through into the interior of the fortress cluster, it was very difficult for the forts’ rear to withstand the enemy’s attack.
Therefore, the fall of the entire Namur Fortress Cluster was only a matter of time.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the main force of the ‘Ludendorff Battle Group’ had successfully intercepted the Grand Duchy of Flanders Fifth Infantry Division reinforcements about 10 kilometers from Namur. The two sides had deployed and were already engaged in combat. The Grand Duchy of Flanders’ infantry division organization was large, with over 30,000 men in a division. However, the ‘Ludendorff Battle Group’ had over 60,000 men and more than 100 artillery pieces, so unless Ludendorff had lost his mind, he could defeat the enemy in a field battle.
Everything seemed to be developing favorably… But Morin knew in his heart that they had to face the most difficult moment alone before reinforcements arrived.
Night fell, and Charleroi City gradually quieted down, but the tension in the air grew thicker. The soldiers leaned against the newly built fortifications, seizing the time to rest and clean their weapons.
Suddenly, sporadic gunfire erupted almost simultaneously from the western and eastern directions of the city. Morin, awakened from his light sleep, immediately checked the system map.
He saw several small red unit tokens, representing Gallic Cavalry and infantry, sneaking toward the two flanks of the city. The alert units deployed on the perimeter did not hesitate to open fire. The crisp sound of rifle fire and the short bursts of the Light Machine Guns broke the silence of the night.
The small groups of Gallic scouts quickly retreated after a brief exchange of fire, seemingly gaining no advantage. Although it was only minor harassment, everyone understood that this was the lightning and thunder before the storm. The Gallic main force was close at hand.
August 10th, Morning.
The faint light of dawn plated the vast fields outside South Charleroi with a hazy gold. The air carried the fragrance of soil and green grass, so tranquil that it almost made one forget this was a battlefield. In the other world, this would definitely be a scenic spot for online influencers.
Behind a field embankment less than two kilometers directly south of the city, Sergeant Bowman was meticulously wiping the lenses of his binoculars with a specialized cloth. This alert unit consisted of half a platoon, meaning two squads—four sections—totaling 40 men, with two Light Machine Guns as support firepower. This was the current standard configuration for the Instruction Assault Battalion’s alert units. They had relieved the previous guard post yesterday afternoon and had been lurking here all night.
In the nearby woods, two Military Trucks were covered with simple camouflage nets made of fishing nets, dead leaves, and weeds, blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment.
Last night, friendly forces on both the east and west flanks exchanged fire with the enemy, and the gunfire intermittently rang out for half the night. Only their position, directly to the south, was unusually quiet. Bowman felt this was wrong; the calm before a storm often foreshadowed greater danger.
“Sergeant, eat something.” A soldier crouched beneath the field embankment, offering him half a piece of hard, dry black bread.
Bowman took the bread and began to chew it quickly, washing it down with cold water from his canteen. When performing such stealth reconnaissance missions, there were absolutely no conditions to start a fire and eat hot food, as any smoke or flame could expose their position.
While eating the black bread, Bowman wondered when the Gallic main force would finally arrive. He had just taken two bites of bread when the soldier observing on the embankment suddenly nudged him with his elbow, whispering with a hint of tension in his voice.
“Sergeant, look!”
Bowman’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately put the black bread into his pouch, quickly leaned out, and simultaneously raised his binoculars. In his field of vision, a creeping shadow appeared on the southern horizon in the distance.
As the image through the binoculars was adjusted and became clearer, Bowman finally saw what this ‘shadow’ was.
It wasn’t a shadow at all—it was people! Countless people!
The hills and fields were covered with soldiers wearing blue jackets and conspicuous red trousers! Gallic Republic tricolor flags fluttered in the marching columns, and the fixed bayonets on their rifles reflected a chilling, cold light in the morning sun. Their columns stretched ceaselessly, from one end of the horizon to the other, like a red and blue torrent surging toward Charleroi.
Bowman gasped, his scalp tingling.
The sheer number of the enemy before him was impossible to estimate! One division? Or two divisions?
“My God…” the soldier beside him gasped in a dreamlike whisper.
The Gauls seemed to have no intention of concealing their movements. They were advancing openly along the roads and through the surrounding fields in dense marching columns. They were now less than two kilometers from Charleroi City, and they clearly had no plans to rest but were preparing to launch a full-scale assault in one push.
Sergeant Bowman knew clearly that his forty men were less than a single wave in this sea of humanity. However, the mission of their alert unit was fundamentally not to interdict but to observe and provide early warning. Seeing several groups of three to four men (half-platoons) quickly advancing out of the mass of Gallic soldiers, apparently acting as the vanguard…
“Everyone prepare for combat!” Sergeant Bowman’s voice was trembling with tension, but he forcefully controlled his emotions, systematically issuing orders. “Machine Gun Team! Find your positions! Wait until they get closer, and only open fire on my command!”
“Drivers! Start the trucks the moment we open fire! We will fire one burst and then retreat immediately!”
The orders were swiftly issued. The once-quiet alert position instantly became charged with a murderous intent. The soldiers partially cocked their bolts, checking the rounds in their chambers for the last time. Although their eyes showed tension, these 1st Company veterans had no trace of fear.
Just as Bowman’s alert unit prepared to meet the first wave of impact, inside Charleroi City’s Instruction Assault Battalion temporary command post, Morin was also staring intently at the magnified system map in his view.
Just minutes ago, the southern edge of Charleroi was suddenly lit up by a dense cluster of red unit tokens from several surrounding alert units! The red color was so thick it nearly stained the entire southern half of the map blood-red.
[Gallic Fifth Army Group, Third Corps, Ninth Infantry Division]
The designation of the unit quickly appeared on the token. Following that, more detailed data surfaced.
[Subordinate Units: Infantry Brigade × 2 (Infantry Regiment × 4), 75mm Magic Guided Artillery Regiment × 1, Dragoon Squadron × 1]
[Strength: Approximately 16,000 men]
Sixteen thousand men!
Looking at this number, even though Morin was mentally prepared, his vision blurred momentarily.
A troop disparity of over ten to one! Furthermore, this was clearly only the first wave of the enemy’s attack force.
The Gauls’ tactical intention was simple and brutally direct. From the system map, the entire Ninth Infantry Division had deployed into a six-kilometer-wide attack front before reaching Charleroi. It advanced like a massive net cast wide, pushing toward the small South Charleroi City. They didn’t care about flanking maneuvers or outflanking; they intended to crush all resistance head-on.
Soon, the vanguard reconnaissance units of the Ninth Division made contact with the various alert units deployed on the perimeter of the Instruction Assault Battalion. On the map, the small unit tokens immediately collided, sparking intense fire.
But the Gallic soldiers, armed only with bolt-action rifles, were clearly at an absolute disadvantage in firepower. The alert unit, relying on the firepower advantage of their automatic weapons, quickly decimated the attacking enemy scouts. The tokens representing the enemy rapidly flashed and disappeared.
However, immediately following was the overwhelming red tide of the Gallic main force. Therefore, the alert units, who had received Morin’s orders before departing, had no intention of fighting a sustained battle. The small blue tokens on the perimeter quickly broke contact, scrambled onto their waiting Military Trucks, and retreated along the predetermined routes back into the city.
As the Military Truck carrying Sergeant Bowman and the alert unit soldiers entered the 1st Company’s defense sector, Bowman saw his comrades, who were already prepared for battle. He quickly leaped out of the truck bed and rushed over to Company Commander Klaus.
“Company Commander! The Gauls are here… they cover the mountains and fields; there are people everywhere!” Returning to the safety of the city, Sergeant Bowman’s voice was excited and trembling.
Klaus calmly nodded, then handed him a canteen. “You’ve worked hard, Bowman. Rest quickly and resupply your ammunition; there is still much fighting ahead.”
Bowman took several large gulps of water, breathing heavily, and said: “Company Commander, those Gauls… they seem a little foolish. They are advancing in dense columns, like a parade!”
Klaus heard this, looked toward the smoke-filled battlefield outside the city, and his eyes held a complex expression. He was silent for a moment, then added with a touch of melancholy.
“Yes, just like we used to be.”
(End of this Chapter)