Imperial Elite

Chapter 59 Paris Rose
Although Joe and Henry had almost irreconcilable differences on tactics, General Henry eventually compromised.

After all, although General Henry's rank was relatively high, it was actually General Henry who was now relying on Joe's Paris Task Force to launch counterattacks and defend Paris in the city.

After General Henry agreed to cooperate, Joe began to draw troops from Paris to Saint-Tambine.

This was a very risky undertaking. The Teutonic offensive never stopped. Even when the entire Paris task force was stationed there, they were still able to recapture some of the Teutonic-occupied areas through local counter-offensives and level the battle lines again.

However, aside from the fact that the Gauls would lose their defensive lines more quickly after Joe transferred his troops, if the Teutons discovered Joe's actions, they would launch a large-scale attack on Paris while simultaneously deploying a large number of field artillery pieces to Saint-Tannis. The Gauls would inevitably be plunged into a bitter struggle.

Fortunately, Joe had set up his troops' camp at Gare du Nord, and the next stop from there was Saint-Tambié.

Furthermore, the Teutonic Air Force had already discovered that the Paris Gare du Nord was a Bonitania camp and had even launched several bombing raids on the area.

Therefore, the return of the armored forces to the Gare du Nord in Paris was not particularly noteworthy. At most, it allowed the Teutonic infantry on the front lines to operate a little more rampantly after the Teutonic air force discovered it.

While transferring troops, Joe also went to Santa Maria.

On one hand, Joe wanted to observe the terrain outside Santa Monica and the Teutonic defensive line.

Since this operation involves a rapid raid by a small, elite force, the artillery preparation time cannot be too long.

This means that the Teutonic defenses will be relatively intact, and it will be even more difficult to break through them. Therefore, Joe must choose a breakthrough point that will allow him to make a quick breakthrough.

On the other hand, Joe wanted to see the current state of the Gallic forces in Saint-Tanni, although theoretically, the attack would be carried out by the Paris contingent from Bonitania.

But when we break through the Teutonic defenses, it's not unreasonable for the troops stationed in Santa Maria to send out a few troops to occupy some Teutonic positions and improve their defensive system.

Upon arriving in Saint-Tanni, Joe discovered that the situation in Saint-Tanni was much better than in Paris.

The Teutons were unable to even penetrate the city of Saint-Tanni due to the fierce resistance of the troops stationed in Saint-Tanni, and were stopped at the forest defenses outside Paris.

This is theoretically a good thing for Joe, since the trees would provide cover, allowing him to assemble his troops more easily.

It is said to be theoretical because there is a country park sandwiched between Saint-Tanni and Le Bourget.

A country park is naturally a place with mountains, water, and forests. Even if there are bridges, they are for walking, not for armored vehicles.

Making a breakthrough from this direction does indeed present some challenges due to the terrain.

However, after the Gallic major who was accompanying Joe to survey the terrain learned that Joe was planning to launch an attack from here to destroy the Teutonic supplies, the Gallic major immediately said that he had to help out.

One of his company commanders was a Parisian who used to bring his family here for outings every week before the war started; he knew the area very well.

If you're worried about getting lost in the park, why don't you just have him show you the way?

With a guide, Joe carefully observed the Teutonic defenses and finally chose an area near the ruins of a restaurant as his breakthrough point.

Now that the guide was in place and the breakthrough point had been chosen, after a full day of drawing sufficient troops from Paris, on the eighth night of the Teutonic campaign in Paris...

Joe used the military train that was supplying him to send the troops to Santa Maria. Under the cover of darkness, by moonlight and the crew's now skilled driving, they drove the vehicles to the starting position.

Here Joe met his Gallic guide, and the Gallic commander there also said that his troops were ready.

The attack would begin at 5:30 a.m. the next day, with the artillery launching a 15-minute bombardment. They had mobilized almost all of Santa Maria's artillery to prepare for the attack in that direction.

Fifteen minutes later, while launching feint attacks at two other locations, they will send a battalion of infantry to support Joe's attack and take over the positions they have occupied after Joe leaves.

With everything prepared, all that's left is to wait.

Although Joe added leather-wrapped and cotton-padded chairs to the Hound Tank, and this time the tank's engine was separated from the compartment and also had an exhaust pipe.

However, the interior of the tank is still not a comfortable environment.

So Joe decided to leave the vehicle and rest in the shade of a tree near the position.

Then Joe noticed that the guy who had been seconded to him as a guide seemed a bit off; he looked nervous.

With the mindset that everyone else could be nervous, but the guide absolutely couldn't be, and what if this guy got too nervous and gave him the wrong directions in the park? Joe called over the translator who had already found a comfortable spot under a tree.

Go talk to that officer and see what's making him so nervous.

Upon discovering that Joe had come to him, the guide seemed even more nervous. After asking a few questions, the guide dropped the bombshell. Then, while Joe was getting a ghost story, he realized that his plan had encountered a serious problem.

The whole problem stemmed from the fact that this Gallic captain was too eager to advance, so after joining the army, he pursued the regimental commander's daughter relentlessly, quickly got her pregnant and married her, and then rose from second lieutenant to first lieutenant, which seemed like a bright future for him.

Up to this point, the story is still just an ordinary tale of a low-ranking officer trying to sell something to change his fate.

But here's a small problem: everyone knows that flattering the leader's daughter can put you on the fast track to promotion, so why didn't anyone do it before him?
Naturally, this is because the regimental commander is a heavyweight figure in the army, and his daughter is also a heavyweight figure, not only in terms of status but also in terms of weight.

If it were just a matter of being a bit bigger, that would be fine. After all, only by enduring hardship can one rise above others. It's just a matter of getting promoted, and compared to one's past impoverished life, it's nothing. It's all the same when the lights are off.

However, the girl who led the group was not only heavyweight in terms of weight, but also heavyweight in terms of her mindset.

As a hero who could go out on the street with his girlfriends and hand out white feathers to passersby, and who would swing a fist the size of a casserole dish at someone's head if they didn't do something right.

One can only imagine what kind of life this unlucky guy usually leads.

Originally, this unfortunate man thought that if he just endured it, his life would pass, and compared to poverty, these small problems were not unbearable.

Then, this unlucky guy met a girl while taking a walk by the river. Although she was only of average appearance in Paris, the fashion capital, she suddenly became stunningly beautiful compared to the heavyweight figure in his family.

Moreover, this girl is not only beautiful, but also kind-hearted. She is basically a woman with a gambling father, a seriously ill mother, a younger brother who has just started school, and a broken heart.

With things having come to this point, the unfortunate fellow naturally chose the traditional path.

If I don't help her, who will?

So what followed was only natural. The idea of ​​taking the family on weekly industrial outings to the countryside was out of the question. All that existed was the fusion of body and soul in the attic of an apartment in Paris, a release from the pressures of life.

When his battalion commander said, "You are familiar with this park, and tomorrow you will be the guide for the Britannian assault troops," he simply couldn't bring himself to say that he had only been to the park once.

Seeing this guy who has a place to release stress every week, Joe's stress immediately increased.

Joe never expected that the guide he had booked would turn out like this.

Damn, are you Gauls really this good at having fun?

Although Joe really wanted to kick this guy to death right now, and even in his mind Joe had already pulled out a pistol and emptied the tanks of this guy, let this guy ride the promotion machine, let this guy release the pressure, you still rent an apartment, you actually enjoy it!
But killing this guy now won't change the fact that they lack a guide and don't know how to get through the park.

However, as a results-oriented person, Joe grabbed this guy with a look that said, "I've revealed the secret, now the pressure is gone, I feel so relaxed."

It means, "If you don't want me to stuff you under a tank track and run you over, and then go find your friend, you'd better find me someone who knows the park right now. I don't care who you find, I want to see that person in front of me before five o'clock. Understand?"

The guy, who was neither unlucky nor unlucky, immediately nodded frantically.

Then it left like a rabbit being chased by a dog.

Looking at the guy's back, Joe's last bit of sleepiness vanished. Without the guide, Joe even hesitated about whether to simply give up the attack.

After all, the most important thing for this operation to succeed is speed. Putting aside the question of whether the Teutons would surround him if he had to find his way in that damned park.

If they reinforce the defenses of the station and warehouse, Joe doesn't want to charge head-on into positions guarded by field artillery.

Just as Joe was having a headache, at three in the morning, the captain returned to the starting position with a woman.

From the woman's attire, Joe could tell at a glance that her profession was not legitimate. At the very least, if the military police saw this woman in the barracks, someone would definitely be thrown into jail.

Especially noteworthy is that this woman had a camera hanging around her neck.

What? Is Gaul so open now that even sex work involves offering photography services?

So, Joe's gaze towards the captain held a hint of 'How do you want to die, kid?'

Faced with Joe's obviously threatening gaze, the captain quickly explained, "This woman has been doing business in this park before the Teutons reached Paris. No one knows this park better than the park ranger."

Joe looked at the captain with some confusion. "Then why not ask the park ranger?"

"Because the administrator went to Verdun."

Hearing the captain say that, Joe could only sigh.

Then Joe wanted the translator to tell this woman, who was presumably in the field of special technology, not to shout or run around, and that she would be safe inside the tank.

The woman suddenly spoke up, saying that she understood Buntanian, so Joe didn't need a translator to communicate with her.

This surprised Joe; are the sex industry really this lucrative these days?
Even specialty industries are now requiring bilingual operations?

Faced with Joe's shocked and puzzled gaze, the woman said, "Don't look at me like this. I'm actually a graduate of the Sorbonne University's linguistics department. The reason I did this is because of my gambling father, my seriously ill mother, my younger brother who just started school, and my sensible mother."

In short, during the woman's self-introduction, Joe didn't believe a single punctuation mark, except that she knew Buntanian.

However, when the woman stated that she was participating in the operation for the 100 stats commission, and that if the adventure succeeded, she would also receive a title such as Protector of Paris, and that she could live a good life simply by selling the story, let alone her net worth.

At least she no longer has to worry about customers and livelihood. After all, if she can't make a living and goes to Teutonic to do business, the Paris government will have to invite her back before she can even open her business.

Moreover, she brought her camera because she needed to take photos to bolster her experiences and press releases.

At this point, the woman showed a slightly embarrassed expression for the first time, explaining that in addition to working in the sex industry, she was also a part-time journalist, but she could never get any news, so she started working in this field.

Once this operation is over, Joe just needs to let her leave on her own; she'll handle the rest herself.

Qiao silently gave a thumbs up to the woman who was preparing to apply for a government job herself.

If Joe had some doubts about this woman before, he now had no doubt about how much this woman who called herself 'Rose' knew about the country park.

Once she succeeds, not only the Paris city government, but even the Gallic government, if it still has any sense of shame, will have to support her to prevent her from joining the Teutonic government. If I were faced with such an opportunity to secure a stable job, I would also have to work hard.

After rejecting the "Rose" lady's suggestion that since they were just idling around anyway, they might as well help her open a business and relieve some of Joe's stress, Joe, whose stress had suddenly lessened, leaned against a tree and took a nap.

At five o'clock, Qiao woke up from her sleep. The sky was beginning to lighten, and there was still some time before the sun rose above the horizon.

All the soldiers and officers preparing to participate in the attack were doing a final check of their weapons, and Joe also led his crew in a final check of vehicle number 101.

Although the logistics department assured them that the vehicle's running gear had been repaired and that the vehicle was now as reliable as when it first came out of the factory.

However, Joe still personally inspected the vehicle's running gear once more.

Soon, an explosion rang out from the Teutonic position, illuminating the night sky. Joe ordered all crew members to board their vehicles, while the Guards grenadiers also jumped onto their infantry fighting vehicles, ready to attack. The fifteen-minute bombardment ended quickly. As the last shell exploded on the Teutonic position, Joe pressed the light signal and once again waved his arm and shouted, "Armor! Advance!"

As the engine roared and the tracks kicked up dirt, amidst the sharp whistles of the surrounding trenches, Joe's tank charged out of the woods like a charging knight.

"Fire freely! Suppress the Teutonic counterattack!"

While allowing the gunners to fire freely, Joe also operated the machine gun on the turret and began firing at the Teutonic trenches.

The attack was launched immediately after the artillery bombardment ended, and the Teutons did not expect to encounter a tank attack here. This armored offensive caught the Teutons off guard.

The Teutons in the trenches were unable to mount an effective resistance, although many brave Teutonic soldiers tried to take up the machine guns and continue to resist the Bunitalian and Gaulish offensive after the machine gunners who were the focus of attention fell.

However, faced with the overwhelming firepower of the armored forces, this heroic act could not turn the tide.

As the battle progressed into a brutal and bloody trench warfare phase, after armored units rolled their tracks alongside the trenches and cleared them with machine guns.

This originally most brutal phase also ended quickly.

The Teutonic troops stationed here were completely wiped out. No one surrendered, and no one tried to escape. After the tanks approached the trenches, some even tried to attack the approaching tanks with grenades.

However, the guards grenadiers accompanying the tanks gave them no chance.

The Gallic warriors, charging with bayonets, gave the Teutons no chance either. These Gallic warriors, shouting "Long live Gauls!" as they charged, somewhat changed Joe's impression that the Gallic warriors were invincible.

In fact, Joe felt that if it weren't for those "veterans" and armed civilians in Paris, he wouldn't have had to fight so hard, and the Teutons wouldn't have been able to storm into Paris so easily.

Capturing the first trench is not the end of the story; a Teutonic defensive line typically consisted of three parallel trenches.

After the Gallic infantrymen rested and regrouped briefly in the trenches, Joe immediately launched a second attack.

The Gauls' morale was high due to the successful attack, and their attacks on the next two lines of defense went very smoothly.

It was going too smoothly, so much so that the gunner even chatted with Miss Rose during a break in the battle, instructing her on how to load the tank and how to take the most magnificent photos from the observation window on the turret.

Seeing that the gunner was about to load his shell into the breech if he kept talking like that, Joe had no choice but to retreat back into the turret. After giving the gunner a hard knock on the head and glaring at him, the gunner finally quieted down.

After breaking through the last trench of the Teutons, the Gallic infantry and the squads equipped with Royal Fist tanks stopped, their mission having ended as planned.

Their speed didn't allow them to continue the fight, so the rest of the way had to be traversed by Joe's six Hound tanks and the Guards grenadier platoon that followed.

Watched by the Gallic infantry, Joe crossed the Teutonic lines and drove into the country park.

Despite the devastation of war, Joe could still see the park's former tranquility and peace.

Then Joe discovered a mistake he had made when designing the Hound Tank.

That is, Joe thought that although there were two people in the turret, only the commander would usually stick his head out of the turret. Therefore, considering the structural strength, it would be enough to open a hatch on the top of the turret.

However, it turns out that when faced with situations like the one where two people need to stick their heads out of the turret, the hatch is a bit too cramped.

Although Ms. Rose didn't mind squeezing in with Joe, Joe did.

So Joe climbed out of the tank and squeezed in with the guards grenadiers sitting on the tanks, letting Lady Rose stick her head out of the turret to guide the armored troops.

As it turned out, Ms. Rose was not only a competent guide, but also a competent tour guide and salesperson. As the tank drove through the country park, Joe wondered if it weren't for his own people being there.

Ms. Rose was able to conduct rapid sales operations right on the tank.

In fact, even with Joe here, Ms. Rose had already arranged a date to visit the park with many of the grenadiers.

Seeing these shameless guys who had been hooked up with Ms. Rose, Joe could only interrupt them when they went a little too far in their conversation.

Now Joe somewhat understands how General Henry really sees him.

In the country park, Joe's armored forces encountered small groups of Teutonic troops more than once.

This small Teutonic force could not pose a great threat to Joe, but being entangled with these troops would be a troublesome matter.

Joe's ammunition and fuel were limited, and he couldn't afford to waste too much on these small Teutonic troops.

This is where Lady Rose comes in. She knows exactly where every path in this country park leads, and with just one or two intersections, she can shake off these Teutons.

Meanwhile, Ms. Rose, who was peeking out from the turret, didn't forget to raise her camera and snap away at the moving tanks or the Teutons under attack.

Given this situation that he couldn't stand but couldn't control, Qiao could only let her be as she pleased as long as it didn't affect the battle.

Soon, as the sun gradually rose into the sky, Ms. Rose told Joe that if they continued along this road for less than ten minutes, they would be able to leave the park.

Joe immediately pushed Ms. Rose back into the turret and told the guys around him who had made an appointment with Ms. Rose to stop thinking about anything else and that whatever they wanted to do, they had to survive first.

After warning the grenadiers that it was time to use their brains, Joe returned to the tank turret.

Soon, the tank crashed through the wooden fence next to the park and crossed the drainage ditch.

The instant they stormed into Bourges, Joe unleashed the dirtiest words he knew, shouting at the top of his lungs and at the fastest pace he'd ever spoken: "Jump out! Infantry, get the hell out! Gunner! 11 o'clock, stop aiming! High-explosive shell! Fire a shot!"

What could scare Joe so much that his voice cracked was certainly no ordinary thing.

In fact, as a famous tourist attraction in northern Paris, when this country park was being planned, the designers had considered whether they should place the train station next to the park if tourists from afar wanted to visit the park without resting.
As a result of this human-centered design, the moment Joe rushed out of the country park, he saw an armored train suddenly stop in front of him.

If there's anything more terrifying in the world than running into an armored train the moment you step outside, it's that Joe saw dozens of tanks being unloaded behind that armored train.

Although Joe didn't know what those ugly black things were, he could clearly see the Royal Fist tanks mixed in with them.

The feeling of this sneak attack hitting the Teutonic armored forces right in the face reminded Joe of a joke he had heard before he traveled through time.

A friend of mine recently experienced what is the most unforgettable and memorable moment of his life.

He ran out of the room, waving his arms and legs, looking excited.

“It’s a boy!” he said, crying.

I never came to Thailand again.

Joe now feels like the unlucky guy who ran out of his room yelling "It's a boy!"

However, that unlucky guy was still able to escape from the room, while all Joe could do in the face of the current situation was...

While yelling, "Herbert! You fucking drive steady! See that armored train?! See it?! Then move closer! High-explosive shells, fire rapidly! Don't hold back!" he grabbed the commander's machine gun and opened fire wildly in the direction of the tanks.

If there was any good news for Joe amidst this tragic ordeal, it was that the Teutons also transported the tanks separately from the tanks.

So all we need to do is prevent the crew members from getting on the tanks and destroy them before they do.

As for that armored train...

Joe could only pray that, due to the altitude and firing arc, the armored train would be out of his reach once he got close enough.

While frantically firing the train platform with his tank's machine gun, Joe was also gesturing to the other five tanks charging alongside him, signaling them to join him in the charge.

Although two of the five tanks slammed on the brakes and stopped immediately upon seeing the armored train blocking their path.

However, after seeing Joe launch the attack, he immediately mustered his courage and rushed towards the armored train and the tanks that were unloading.

Despite being outnumbered, the grenadiers of the Janissary Guard clearly inherited the courage of their predecessors, daring to face the Gallic cuirassiers charging with their bayonets.

As Joe ordered the tanks to floor the accelerator and rush into the station, they followed the tanks into the chaotic station.

Relying on their bolt-action rifles to fire at a rate of fire comparable to semi-automatic rifles, the grenadiers quickly occupied parts of the platform and began exchanging fire with the Teutons in the station who were still unaware of the situation.

What Joe, who launched the attack, did not expect was that after he launched the assault, he would receive some unexpected support.

Because the Teutonic army was limited, they relied on locals to perform heavy tasks such as loading and unloading trains in the occupied territories in order to maintain logistical operations.

Of course, there would be no reward under these circumstances. Serving the emperor is your honor, how dare you ask for payment?! Potatoes or peanuts, the choice is yours.

So when the railway workers at the station saw tanks attacking the Teutons, they immediately assumed that the army had returned! What were they waiting for if not to take revenge now?!

Fueled by the anger of being exploited by the Teutons for days, the railway workers immediately grabbed whatever they could find to serve as weapons and launched an attack on the Teutons.

The platform quickly descended into chaos.

Even in this chaotic environment, the Teutonic crews, realizing they were under attack, immediately tried to return to their vehicles. Even if they couldn't start the vehicles, they were determined to fight back with the tank's weapons and not let the Bunitania do as they pleased.

Soon, several Teutonic crews boarded their tanks.

Since the tanks here are either Royal Fist tanks or A7V tanks that are pixel-perfect copies of the Royal Fist tanks, these tanks with built-in engines have a little-known advantage.

It means that the crew can start the vehicle from inside the tank.

Soon, some quick-thinking crew members started their tanks and began trying to drive them out.

At the same time, the turrets on the armored train also began to rotate.

The guards grenadiers, who had already occupied part of the platform, immediately noticed the movement of the armored train.

Faced with the armored train that was restarting, the Guards grenadiers did not hesitate and charged toward it.

Just by looking at those massive cannons on that vehicle, you can tell what kind of power this armored train possesses.

Therefore, the Guards grenadiers understood that they absolutely could not allow this armored train to operate smoothly; if the armored train successfully started operating, they would all be doomed.

Fortunately, the armored train was temporarily unguarded after entering the station, and the combat personnel on board, like the tank crews, were not in their combat positions.

This gave the Guards grenadiers the opportunity to enter the armored train during the raid.

Soon inside the armored train, the guards grenadiers were already fighting alongside the crew, temporarily paralyzing the train's operation.

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Only dwarfs, women, and foreigners can save Gaul.

—From *A Selection of Gallic Jokes*

(End of this chapter)