Imperial Elite

Chapter 19 The advantage is mine!

The reason Joe went with the trench reconnaissance team with binoculars wasn't because he had suddenly become brave, or because he wanted to get medals again.

Rather, as someone who had worked illegally for a long time in the Slavic hypotension treatment game, Joe had naturally seen things like Tiger in the Mud and Girls und Panzer.

Moreover, when Joe was watching his good brothers' combined arms operations to clear out the hive city some time ago, he also confirmed that even in the distant and dark fortieth millennium, the tank commander would still leave their tank and personally scout the terrain of the battlefield before the tank entered the battlefield.

So, thinking that since everyone else was doing it, there must be a reason for it, and I should follow suit, Joe joined the trench reconnaissance team while they were out on a reconnaissance mission, carrying binoculars.

Under the cover of the fog, Joe and his trench reconnaissance team advanced toward the shadow of the church spire. Soon, when Joe could clearly see the church, he couldn't help but gasp, marveling at his incredible luck.

Joe was lucky, really. He was just driving aimlessly when he somehow ended up in a village occupied by Teutons, judging from its size and the number of Teutons in the village.

This place may have been a logistics hub or command post for the Teutons. Outside the village, the Teutons dug trenches and set up camouflage to prevent air raids and reconnaissance.

On the village roads, there were several horse-drawn carriages, and many Teutonic soldiers were loading boxes marked BRIR 5 and blue and white checkered patterns onto them.

Outside the church that Joe could see from the tank, there was a black sedan, two trucks, and several horses tied to the church fence.

The Teutonic flag and a military flag hung listlessly on the church's exterior wall, as if they had been hanged.

Joe silently calculated the Teutons currently appearing in his camera's view.

There must have been at least a platoon, and as for the number of people who didn't appear in the telescope, that's anyone's guess.

Joe and the sergeant of the trench reconnaissance team speculated that if this was simply a logistical node, then there might be about half a company of about eighty Teutons here.

If they were lucky enough to stumble upon a Teutonic command post, it would be roughly the size of a company, at least a hundred people.

As for Joe, he was just unlucky. He drove his tank so close to the village that the Teutons didn't even notice him, which gives him a choice.

However, although it seems like there are choices, Joe actually knows that he doesn't have many options right now.

The reason they had been able to advance so safely for so long was mainly due to the thick fog that had caused them to lose their way, which had also obscured the Teutonics' vision, but now it was almost noon.

If I don't do something before the fog dissipates, then once the fog clears, the outcome for me, who is now deep behind enemy lines, will probably not be good.

After all, the Teutonic infantry might not be able to do much against him, but he definitely couldn't handle the Teutonic heavy artillery.

Now that it's almost noon, the thick fog can't last much longer, and I have to do something.

Holding up his binoculars, Qiao meticulously observed the village's environment with the same rigor he displayed when studying for his college entrance exams.

Like most small villages, the church is located in the center of the village.

Perhaps because the village was so small, Joe didn't see any facilities like a village office or post office. Apart from a bar, there were only stone houses and two barns.

This is a good thing for Joe.

Even though Joe had many complaints about this tank called Royal Fist, there was one thing he was very satisfied with: in addition to a six-pounder gun mounted on each of the left and right side turrets, there was also a short-barreled 4.5-inch howitzer mounted on the front of the vehicle.

Despite its various flaws, this firepower makes this tank truly deserving of its title as a land-based warship.

After completing his reconnaissance of the town, Joe had a plan.

Upon returning to the tank, Joe explained his plan to the crew and the trench reconnaissance team.

It's almost noon now, and the thick fog certainly won't last much longer. Once it dissipates, our fate won't be good either. We don't even know where we are right now, so I've decided that we should head straight for the village that's been occupied by the Teutons.

Hearing Joe say that, everyone from the trench reconnaissance team to the vehicle crew felt that what Joe said was as if he had spoken.

To find out where you are, you have to fight the Teutons. Why don't you just say that to end the war, all you need to do is kill the Teutonic Emperor? You might as well just drive all the way to Germania.

You need to figure out where you are. Why didn't you just grab a prisoner? The guys in the trench reconnaissance team are professionals. It wouldn't be hard to grab a prisoner and find out where you are, would it?

Why would you want to confront an entire village of Teutons head-on? Are you overconfident, or are the Teutons too weak to wield a sword?
Faced with questions from the trench reconnaissance team and his subordinates, Joe began to analyze the situation.

Firstly, although the Teutonic garrison has many soldiers, we have superior firepower. No matter how much trouble they cause, they can't possibly outrun our naval artillery. Secondly, I've seen all the buildings in this small village; they are all the simplest stone structures, which can't withstand artillery fire at all.

I didn't see any field artillery or anything like that here, so even though they seem to have more people, in a real fight they'd be all armor and no substance, and the advantage would be on my side!

Furthermore, even if we take a step back and assume we're innocent, why don't we capture a prisoner, find out exactly where we are, and then try to rejoin the troops? We don't even have a map right now, so finding out wouldn't be of any use.

The church here was decorated with the Teutonic flag and some other flags, and there were cars parked in front of it, making it look like a command post or something similar. There must be maps inside.

When we take this place down, we'll not only be able to figure out where we are, but also get a map, and maybe even a few cars and horses to take back, even if we can't bring those things with us.

We can also take some spoils back with us.

Just as Joe was mobilizing the troops.

Teutonic Army Major General Carl von Boning was yelling into the phone in his command post inside the church in Rokoncourt.

"I don't care how difficult things are for you, I want you to hold Fleur village. If you die there, I'll apply for a medal for you! If you lose Fleur village, I promise! I'll put you in a court-martial! Reinforcements are on their way! Hold on! Their offensive won't last long!"

After hanging up the phone, Major General Karl slammed his fist on the table in front of him, which was covered with maps.

Damn it, how did things turn out like this?

As commander of the Bavarian 10th Reserve Division, Karl led the division through many difficult years and together they earned a reputation for resilience and defensive prowess.

Even in the face of the fierce offensive of the Bunitania Expeditionary Force, Major General Karl calmly prevented them from making any progress in the past two months of intense offensive.

However, just hours earlier, news came from the front that the most tenacious 5th Reserve Infantry Regiment of the Bavarian 10th Reserve Division had been defeated by the Bunitans.

It wasn't just a defeat; the entire infantry regiment suffered a shameful rout.

The fleeing soldiers not only abandoned their lines, but they even abandoned their regimental commander. These cowards should be sent to a military court!

Finally, the colonel's eyewitness account stated that he was attempting to prevent the routed soldiers from regrouping their defensive lines.

May God bless that brave man, although Major General Karl knew that the best outcome of staying there at that time would be to be sent to a Bunitarian prisoner-of-war camp.

If there was any news worse than the rout of the tenacious 5th Reserve Infantry Regiment, it was that the fleeing soldiers, like terrified quails, claimed that the Buntanians had used some new weapon, a weapon that resembled a moving church or a warship capable of traveling on land.

Their bullets could not penetrate the armor of this weapon, while the machine guns and cannons on it could easily destroy their defenses in the trenches.

Even barbed wire and trenches could not stop the advance of these machines. As long as the Bunitania deployed these machines, they had no way to hold their trenches.

Major General Karl scoffed at this claim.

In reality, nothing is indestructible; even real warships will sink after being attacked.

Faced with this unknown threat, Major General Karl quickly organized new troops, preparing to destroy it with mortars and other artillery that were more mobile on the front lines.

As it turned out, Major General Karl did just that.

The Bunitarian attack was eventually contained near the Deville Forest and the village of Fleur.

Frontline report: Several of those strange iron contraptions have been destroyed.

After the offensive in the Deville Forest was suppressed, a fierce battle broke out in the village of Fleur. If the Bunitanians could capture Fleur, the core of the first line of defense, the 50th Reserve Infantry Division would be forced to retreat to the second line of defense.

Although both the General Staff and Major General Karl were prepared to abandon one or two lines of defense under the fierce offensive of the Bunitania.

But only today, only today, Major General Karl is unwilling to give up the first line of defense no matter what.

Because the Buntanians launched their attack through the dense fog, many troops from the 5th Reserve Regiment and the 6th Reserve Regiment that came to their aid became lost in the fog and are now unsure of their location on the front lines.

Meanwhile, during the retreat of the 5th Reserve Regiment, a large number of wounded soldiers were trapped in the no-man's-land of the battlefield.

If they abandon their defensive line now, the best outcome for these people will be to be sent to a prisoner-of-war camp by the Bunitans.

So even for the sake of these soldiers, Major General Karl had to withstand this offensive and give those lads a chance to return to the front lines.

Looking at the map in front of him, Major General Karl began to think about which troops he could still mobilize to fill the gaps in the front line. The 6th Reserve Infantry Regiment had just stopped their offensive at the forest line, and their losses were also heavy.

The 8th Reserve Infantry Regiment is stationed on Anker Heights, where the defensive pressure is not high. Perhaps I can transfer another battalion from there to Fleur Village, and also transfer a batch of 77mm field guns from the 10th Reserve Field Artillery Regiment. That should be enough to withstand this attack.

Damn it, I've heard the General Staff is organizing some kind of special commando unit. If only I had one of those units to launch a counterattack against the Bunitania…

Just as Major General Karl was staring at the map in front of him, an explosion suddenly rang out outside his command post.

A series of explosions then rang out in the village outside the church.

"What's going on now?!"

Extremely annoyed by the explosion, Major General Karl walked away from the table and headed out of the church.

He had only taken a few steps when Major General Karl heard a burst of gunfire erupt from the village. Judging from the density of the fire, it sounded like machine guns. Could there really be an air raid in such foggy weather?

Just as Major General Karl was wondering what was going on, the church doors were suddenly pushed open, and a military police lieutenant staggered in.

Upon seeing Major General Karl, the military police lieutenant's eyes immediately lit up.

He rushed forward and grabbed Major General Karl's arm.

"General! The Buntanians have broken in! We can't hold them off. We'll buy you time, you must leave here immediately!"

Major General Karl recognized the military police lieutenant, who was in charge of the village's defense and had a platoon of military police under his command.

Judging from past impressions, he was a composed person, so how could he be so out of control now?

Major General Karl frowned and pulled his hand away from the military police lieutenant. Their village, Rokonkur, was a full ten kilometers away from the front line.

Even if some Bunitanias managed to get close, it would only be a small force, while the division headquarters had a whole company of men in the village, giving them a clear numerical advantage.

Moreover, the Bunitanias are currently launching a full-scale attack on their defenses. If he leaves with the division headquarters, the entire division will be completely out of control, and he cannot allow that to happen under any circumstances.

"Report the situation! Also, mind your manners, Second Lieutenant!"

Major General Karl glared at the lieutenant.

"We're a full ten kilometers from the front lines. Even if the Buntanians manage to sneak over, it'll only be a small force. Do you think you're acting like a Teutonic soldier, panicking like this?!"

In the past, if a junior officer had been reprimanded like this by Major General Karl, he would probably have stood up straight on the spot, tears welling up in his eyes, and then expressed that he had failed the honor of a soldier.

However, the lieutenant showed no unease at being reprimanded, and instead reached out and grabbed the major general's sleeve again.

"General! Let's go! It'll be too late if we don't leave now!"

Before the lieutenant could finish speaking, the church doors burst open again, and a massive steel behemoth appeared in the church hall amidst the dust kicked up by the collapsing doors.

Looking at the dark, seemingly still-smoking cannon muzzle in front of him, Major General Karl understood why the military police lieutenant had been so insistent on him leaving.

At the same time, a man dressed in a Britannian officer's uniform climbed out of the steel behemoth, pistol in hand.

The Buntanian officer brandished his pistol at him and said something in Buntanian, but unfortunately Major General Karl didn't understand Buntanian and couldn't comprehend it.

Seemingly realizing that Major General Karl hadn't understood him, the Britannian officer shouted something at the top of his lungs towards the outside of the church.

After a while, a Buntanian soldier rushed in carrying a rifle.

After the officer said something to the soldier, the Buntanian soldier cleared his throat and spoke to Major General Karl.

"Lieutenant Joe Harrison of the Heavy Machine Gun Regiment sent me to tell you that he has driven his tanks up to you. Any resistance you take will only result in destruction. Lay down your weapons and surrender, and we will allow you to keep your personal property and give you the treatment befitting your rank. Otherwise..."

As the soldier spoke, the black muzzle of the steel behemoth known as a tank swung slightly, pointing directly at Major General Karl's head.

Looking at the tanks and the Britannian officers inside, a bitter sense of powerlessness welled up in Major General Karl's stomach and gripped his throat.

For a split second, Major General Karl considered drawing his pistol and emptying the magazine of this thing called a tank. At least at this distance, he was sure he could take down that Britannian officer.

But when he thought of the members of his division behind him, his loyal adjutant, and his staff, Major General Karl's heart softened.

Finally, Major General Karl slowly reached out and drew his pistol from his waist. As the Bunitania soldier nervously raised his rifle, he turned the muzzle and pointed the butt of the gun at the Bunitania officer on the tank. He then looked at the Bunitania soldier who was pointing his gun at him with some confusion and said...

"Tell your superior not to make things difficult for my men; their war is over."

(End of this chapter)