Chapter 428 "Blocking" News

Due to repeated misjudgments, Colonel Moritz no longer dared to make judgments easily.

So "Is Tibiz safe?" became an unclear question.

It is located between Mons and Brussels. According to intelligence, there is a 30-kilometer-wide loophole in the French encirclement.

Did the encirclement fail to close in time?

Charles's troops have passed through this area, and they only need to leave some troops to garrison.

Besides, that is Charles, a genius military strategist, how could he make such a low-level mistake? !

But what if this is Charles's mistake?

He should seize this opportunity and order the troops to break out!

No, this may be a trap. Charles may be waiting for the German army to enter an area and then use tanks and armored vehicles to encircle and annihilate them.

"This area is flat and open." Colonel Moritz said hesitantly: "It is very suitable for tanks and armored vehicles. In order to pursue speed, our army can only break through lightly. Once we are surrounded here, it will be a massacre."

After a pause, Colonel Moritz added: "In addition, the French army has air superiority. Once our army enters this area, it will be bombed by bombers."

It must be like this, Colonel Moritz thought, Charles is planning to do so.

Falkenhayn hesitated, he didn't know which possibility to believe.

But one thing is certain, there is still a chance to break through, if not, you can only wait to die on the spot.

After thinking for a while, Falkenhayn finally decided to give up the open Tibize and break through from Mons instead.

……

Charles, who had not rested for a day and a night, slept in the lounge of the fortress. Although the environment and air were not very good, he still slept soundly and didn't wake up until more than two o'clock in the afternoon.

Yawning with his mouth open, Charles opened the door and returned to the operations room that was used as the headquarters.

Tijani was there all the time, and even though his eyes were red and bloodshot, he still insisted on not sleeping.

"There must be someone who pays attention to the war." Tijani said: "Besides, this battle can be said to be the greatest battle. It is simply a miracle. I can't imagine that you can still sleep after experiencing all this!"

Tijani became more and more excited: "We have made history, Brigadier General. Now is the most critical moment of the end. We should stick to the end."

Charles looked indifferent. This did not affect his sleep. If there was something that required him to make a decision, he could just wake him up.

Besides, a good sleep can better "create history".

The truth is simple, but many people just can't think of it or do it.

...

Tijani, who was reading the telegram, saw Charles coming out, raised his head slightly and said: "The German reinforcements arrived, but they didn't dare to launch an attack ten kilometers away."

He handed a telegram to Charles.

Charles said "hmm", took the telegram, glanced at it and put it back on the table.

A fortress like Antwerp may not be able to stop armored and mechanized troops, but it is a nightmare for infantry during World War I. As long as there is enough ammunition, no matter how many people come up, they will die.

Still want to use "Big Bertha" to blow up the fortress like before?

That was before the air force was put into the war.

If you dare to do this now, the stupid guy "Big Bertha" will become a perfect target for bombers.

Therefore, Antwerp is absolutely safe. It is like a nail driven into the rear of the German army, unbreakable.

When Charles sat down at the desk, Tijani said again: "The Germans are breaking out from Mons, an hour ago."

Charles was stunned. He didn't quite understand this operation. Why break out from Mons?

"The 9th Army should have reached Mons, right?" Charles asked.

"Yes." Tijani nodded: "They are fighting with the Germans in Mons for control of the streets, and the roads and railways are almost paralyzed."

"Why did the Germans choose to break out in Mons?" Charles looked at the map in confusion and found the location of Mons: "They can drive through Tibiz by car."

This is to choose the difficult over the easy.

"Who knows?" Tijani looked up and smiled: "Maybe the Germans want to stay away from you."

Mons is nearly 100 kilometers away from Charles's troops, indeed farther.

Then Tijani thought of a possibility: "Do you think it is that they are worried about being ambushed by tanks and armored vehicles when breaking out from Tibiz?"

"Maybe." Charles remembered that the terrain in that area was open and indeed suitable for armored units to fight.

Then Charles understood: "This shows that they don't know that we are short of fuel."

The most serious consequence of the infantry's failure to follow up in time is that the fuel cannot be delivered, and the limited fuel in the civilian sector is only enough for Charles to enter Antwerp.

Now, the armored troops can't go anywhere except staying in Antwerp.

"That's right." Tijani thought more and more that it made sense, with an incredible smile on his face: "Our luck has come, Brigadier General. If they keep thinking like this, the speed of breaking out will be much slower, and we will have the opportunity to close the encirclement."

Then he thought of a key point: "So, should we block the news? I mean, if the news of our army's lack of fuel spreads from Antwerp, the enemy will surge out of the gap like a tide."

Common sense says that this should be done.

But Charles shook his head: "It's difficult to block the news tightly, General, there will always be a few people who escape, even if Antwerp is a heavily defended fortress."

Tijani nodded in agreement.

Even a prison surrounded by high walls and full of guards can be escaped, let alone a field defense line.

"That's not good." Tijani frowned.

Charles thought for a moment and said, "We may have another way."

"Another way?" Tijani's eyes lit up, and the tiredness on his face was much less.

Charles nodded: "We can deploy tanks on the fortress defense circle to organize defense."

"But it's useless, Brigadier General." Tijani laughed: "You said that tanks should be used for mobility rather than as artillery positions..."

Charles didn't say anything, just looked at Tijani quietly.

Tijani suddenly realized: "If the tank is used as a turret, it doesn't need to be started, and no one will notice that it has no fuel!"

Charles nodded: "Then, we can collect all the remaining fuel and supply a few tanks to circle Antwerp. What do you think they will think?"

Tijani laughed: "They will definitely think we have enough fuel."

This is to solve the problem from the "source". Even if German soldiers sneak out of Antwerp, the content of their report cannot be "the French army is short of fuel."

"Did General Winter respond?" Charles asked.

Charles contacted General Winter to solve the fuel problem.

Antwerp is a coastal city, and fuel can be transported through the British Royal Navy.

Tijani nodded: "Their transport ship will arrive in two days, and there will be reinforcements."

So, the German army only has two days to break out.