Starting with the smashing of Dunkirk

Chapter 7: Westerners might be good at using technology, but when it comes to strategy, they're just amateurs.

"Release the civilians from the flood zone that we rescued this afternoon?"

When Colonel Lister heard this suggestion, he was genuinely taken aback and didn't react immediately. "But in the afternoon, the division headquarters sent a telegram asking us to help some Belgian civilians as well, saying that this would provide more witnesses in case of future disputes over international public opinion."

This proves that the Biligin people breached the dike to release the water, preventing the Empire from being framed. If we release them now, there will be no witnesses, right? They'll definitely be imprisoned and then coerced into changing their stories.”

Lelouch wiped his mouth, having gained a general understanding of the Demacians' propaganda and strategic abilities.

They might be good at technology and engineering, but when it comes to strategy and psychological warfare, they fall short in the face of Eastern wisdom.

Since that's the case, let's open their eyes today.

Lelouch then took another sip of wine, cleared his throat, and solemnly said, "Even if we need witnesses, we don't need hundreds. Just pick some representative ones, and at least most of them can be sent back."

Moreover, we can screen them. For example, those who have no relatives or nowhere to turn in the enemy-occupied area can be kept. They have no weaknesses, so they will speak more truthfully and are not easily coerced into lying.

Those who still have relatives in the military-controlled areas can be released. They're worried about retaliation and harm to their families if they speak out, so it's better to do them a favor.

If we let them go back, they might spread rumors in private about our army's image as a benevolent force and their desperate escape from the flood zone, indirectly proving that we didn't breach the dike—if we had breached the dike, our troops wouldn't have been in the low-lying area at that time.

Now that we've just repelled Degizel, if we combine this with propaganda to launch a psychological attack and disrupt the Belgian army's morale and fighting spirit, the enemy might collapse even faster!

Lelouch had long ago conceived of the idea of ​​using both military force and propaganda, and striking at the enemy by any means necessary. He had mentioned it before when he advised Captain Andri to broadcast warnings to the towns along the banks of the Isère River.

However, other frontal combat missions were more urgent, and he had to consider priorities, so he didn't have time to delve deeper into specific implementation methods.

It's impossible to shake morale through moral condemnation alone if the enemy isn't defeated on the battlefield first. Condemnation is more of a way to give the enemy a way out when they've already suffered military setbacks.

The enemy has just suffered a crushing defeat, so this is a good opportunity.

Lelouch's few words were enough to make the upright Colonel Lister, who only knew military affairs, gasp in shock.

"Is he a Demanian? How can he be even more cunning than a Britannian? Only those London financial dogs who spend their days plotting schemes could think of something so clearly..." Lister couldn't help but let his mind wander.

"So when do you think is the best time to release them? Should we release them in the middle of the night?" The colonel and the other regular officers were completely clueless about these underhanded tactics, so they didn't hesitate to ask questions and specifically targeted Lelouch.

Fortunately, the German army was disciplined and had a clear system of rewards and punishments, so there was no need to worry too much about the credit for our strategies being taken by others.

Lelouch, ever the go-ahead, immediately offered a more in-depth analysis: "I think we can start preparing tonight, slowly identifying who needs to be released, treating them to a good meal before they leave, and showing them some small favors."

We will negotiate with the Belgian army again before dawn tomorrow, and at that time we will also carry out two other operations: First, we will use the radio to broadcast a divisive telegram to the enemy's senior officers, telling them that their king and cabinet have betrayed the people and that their war decisions are only for the benefit of London bankers.

However, this tactic is ineffective against enemies below the regimental level, because ordinary people have no access to the radio, so it needs to be combined with another tactic—

For example, we could ask our superiors to arrange for a sufficient number of reconnaissance planes tonight, and then work through the night to print another batch of leaflets, as well as photos of the enemy bombing the dam taken by the reconnaissance planes yesterday.

"Have planes airdrop the leaflets close by tomorrow morning, ensuring that a large number of rank-and-file soldiers can pick them up and learn the truth. I refuse to believe their morale won't waver!"

Repatriating humanitarianly rescued refugees, broadcasting radio messages, and dropping leaflets from airplanes.

A three-pronged propaganda campaign is underway; let's see how the enemy tries to contain it!

These tactics may not necessarily force the enemy to surrender directly, but they can definitely diminish their fighting spirit!
The colonel had never thought about these issues before, but seeing how thorough Lelouch's thinking was, he completely trusted him.

He immediately said that he would arrange for his adjutant to handle the screening of refugees and at the same time have the regimental radio operator send a telegram to the division headquarters for instructions.

As he said this, the colonel made a point of showing his empathy for his subordinates:

"You've been sending telegrams for so long today, and you were just inspecting defense deployments with us. You must be exhausted. Get some rest. As for the telegram from the division headquarters, I'll have the regimental radio operator handle it."

Lelouch himself felt very tired, especially since he hadn't eaten anything all day and had wolfed down his dinner, causing a lot of blood to rush to his stomach, making him even more sleepy.

But upon hearing the colonel's arrangement, he felt a sudden jolt of alarm and quickly realized a problem.

Before his time travel, he had read too much about World War I and World War II, and knew that the Demanian code was like paper in front of the Britannians.

Every world war is quickly deciphered by the enemy shortly after it begins. To achieve the best results from my own plan, surprise is crucial. That's why I suggested earlier that we seize the right moment and launch a three-pronged attack simultaneously, catching the enemy completely off guard.

But now, if we first need to ask the rear division headquarters via radio, or even ask the army group headquarters, after all that trouble, most of the night will have passed.

If the enemy can decipher the code, everything will have been leaked long ago.

Perhaps by tomorrow morning the military will have tightened its control over public opinion, prohibiting soldiers from picking up any leaflets in advance, which would definitely reduce the effectiveness of the propaganda.

The suddenness of the announcement is very important.

"Could we do what we did today, like the flood warning, and only ask for instructions an hour or two before the actual situation arises?" Lelouch naturally thought of the successful experience this afternoon, and then deduced it in his mind, showing a certain path dependency.

If a message is sent out on short notice, the enemy will not have time to react. Interception, analysis, and decryption all take time.

But Lelouch soon realized that the two situations were completely different.

After the division headquarters made a decision regarding this afternoon's request, we can immediately begin implementation without needing to allow time for preparation.

But printing leaflets, printing aerial photos, and dispatching enough leaflet-dropping planes all take time, almost a whole night.

To avoid the enemy deciphering the code in advance and sending the message late at night, which would leave the higher-ups with no time to prepare, I knew I needed to do this.

Therefore, this telegram had to be sent out as quickly as possible in the first half of the night. It would be best to send it confidentially, but if confidentiality was impossible, the pursuit of surprise had to be abandoned.

Thinking of this, Lelouch couldn't help but offer a final, subtle reminder to the colonel: "Sir, the element of surprise in propaganda is crucial. If we send a radio message a night in advance, the enemy might become aware of it earlier..."

Lister frowned slightly: "Do you think our coded messages will be intercepted and deciphered by the enemy?"

Lelouch wanted to answer yes directly, but he couldn't say it aloud; he had absolutely no evidence. And he didn't want to reveal that. So after hesitating for a moment, he could only vaguely say:
"Regardless of whether we can decipher it or not, in this life-or-death crisis tonight, if we send too many telegrams to the rear, it will only make the enemy more alert."

Colonel Lister stroked the stubble on his chin, pondered for a moment, and suddenly remembered something: "By the way, didn't you just mention that your platoon was sent here this morning to inspect the town's wired telegraph cable? Can you fix it?"

If we communicated with the rear via wired telegraph, wouldn't the enemy be able to intercept it? At that point, the enemy wouldn't even know these telegrams existed, let alone try to spy or arouse suspicion!

Lelouch's eyes lit up instantly.

Right, how could I have forgotten the mission that the original owner of my body received before I transmigrated and possessed it?

Telegrams transmitted via wired cables are much more difficult to intercept than those transmitted via radio.

When radio is transmitted, radio waves spread indiscriminately in all directions through the atmosphere. For example, if you want to send a message to a rear command post 100 kilometers away, anyone within a 100-kilometer radius of the transmitting point could intercept it as long as they tune into that receiving frequency.

But with wired telegraphs, the current travels only along the cable, with almost no effect in the air.

It's not impossible to eavesdrop on wired communications, but you either have to eavesdrop at signal relay stations or receiving stations, or send spies; or you can only hope to physically contact these cables halfway through, or even cut the cables and connect a section of the line in parallel, and then listen on the parallel line.

In other words, wired communication interception requires direct physical contact.

Towards the end of World War I, the Britannians invented a semi-contact eavesdropping method that did not require cutting and connecting the cables to be monitored. Instead, they simply wrapped a coil around the cable and listened using the principle of electromagnetic induction.

But it was only 1914, and this technology did not yet exist.

"Now that it's dark and we're less likely to be disturbed by the enemy, I'll take some men immediately to see if we can repair that telegraph cable. Please give me two hours, Colonel. If, after assessment, it cannot be completed, then you can request instructions from the rear via radio."

After Lelouch figured it out, he decisively volunteered.

It's about 8 p.m. now. If it's not fixed by 10 p.m., we won't be able to address the suddenness of the publicity and request for instructions.

The colonel glanced at his watch and nodded decisively in agreement: "Alright, we'll prepare other things first, and wait until you're ten o'clock. You can focus on your own tasks; you don't need to worry about the combat."

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(End of this chapter)