NOVEL NEXT RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 9: Case Yellow (Day 2 – Return to Sender)
Of the three Armored Battalions attached to the Loyalist 2nd Army, 3e BCC is a Battalion using the R35 Light Infantry Tanks, while the 4e and 7e BCCs are Battalions fielding FCM 36 tanks. Each of these Battalion has 45 tanks, with the FCM 36 Battalions being two of the most advanced units of the Loyalists. Despite the hilariously lackluster capability of these Loyalist tanks from a Belkan point of view, the FCM 36 does incorporate some modern aspects in its design, such as a diesel engine and extensive use of welded sloped armor. Back in the old days when the Belkans first faced the FCM 36, they struggled to penetrate the pyramid-like protection of the vehicle. Nowadays, they will be eating such tanks for breakfast.
When the Belkans set up bridgeheads on the Meuse, news of this was late to arrive at the Loyalist 2nd Army Command. Having no radio at all to pass on the message, runners had to pass on the words physically, one officer at a time. As such, mobilization of heavily armored reinforcements for the frontline was slow. Of the three Armored Battalions of the 2nd Army, the R35 Battalion is stationed around Chéhéry and Connage while the FCM 36 Battalions are still stuck in the Artaise region. 3e BCC can't be moved unless the Loyalists wanted the Connage axis undefended, so that leaves 4e and 7e BCCs.
On the first night of Case Yellow, General Charles Huntziger of the 2nd Army wanted to mobilize the FCM 36 Battalions alongside an infantry regiment to the Bulson Artillery batteries. However, due to the rout of the last French defense line at Bulson during the night of the first and early morning of the second day, and the ensuing confusion, the approach march could not begin until noon of Day 2.
As a defensive-oriented infantry tank, the FCM 36 is designed to march with infantries, thus limiting its maximum speed to only 24 km/h. The cumbersome speed, coupled with having no radio set at all, makes emergency mobilization and coordination of units extremely slow. It takes 2 hours for the FCM 36 Battalions to traverse 2 kilometers of terrain. By dusk, the Loyalists finally reach the ridge. At this point, the Belkans have already dug in heavily around Bulson. Their Armored Fighting Vehicles are hull-down while their Panzergrenadies are behind trenches and sandbag covers. Farther behind Bulson, Panzer Divisions are also mustering up for the beginning of the Marshal's attack to establish a new line around the Chemery-Maisoncelle-Raucourt axis. Unlike the Loyalists, the Belkans dominate the night.
Before the Belkan's multi-pronged assault at the start of Day 3, however, Rommel's Mechanized Battalion must hold Bulson in the twilight of Day 2.
In Bulson, Rommel has set up a temporary command post using a Command Puma and two Humvees. Folding tables and chairs, waterproof tents, and multifunction displays... Rommel has everything he needs to direct the defenses of Bulson. Through the view of a Barracuda UAV, Rommel sees the lead elements of the Loyalist Armored Battalions coming into view of his AFVs.
"Return fire only." Rommel commands through the radio. "We don't want to spook them just yet. Let them commit to forming assault formations. That way, we will not risk making them retreat outright. Our goal is the elimination of a major chunk of their fighting power."
Heeding their Colonel's command, the entrenched Leopards and Pumas let the enemy cook for a bit. Though the Loyalists can somewhat see the Belkan positions on the high ground, both sides somehow reach an unspoken agreement, not trading shots, yet. It's as if the chivalrous spirit is still alive in the modern era of warfare. Rommel watches on through the drone's feed with mild amusement as four enemy Companies, two tanks and two infantries, form lines of attack against Bulson. The first wave of enemy attack will have 18 FCM 36s and around 400 soldiers, with their forces divided in half. One force will approach from the road to Chemery while another from the road to Maisoncelle. Ultimately, the Loyalists form two separate battlelines with infantries marching behind their FCM 36s.
Normally, they would then charge into battle, thus also clearing space for more Loyalist units behind them. However, Rommel deems that he has given them enough courtesy as is.
"All units, fire at will." The Colonel commands, not willing to give the Loyalists an inch of ground.
Near simultaneously, the barrels of the Leopards and Class-C Pumas spat smoke and flame. A blink of an eye later, all 18 FCM 36s are either exploding or inoperable. If hit by an Advanced Multi-Purpose round, an FCM 36 will either have its munition cook-off or its fuel ignited. This turns the tank into a bright chandelier that bathes the surroundings in flame and debris. However, when frontally penetrated by an Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot, an FCM 36 will have two new holes front to back. The entry hole may be small but the wound channel upon exiting is gaping, with the fragments from both the kinetic penetrator and the tank itself shredding the infantries behind the FCM 36. As for the crew of that particular tank, they are either perforated or turned into minced meat by the penetrator tearing through their organic bodies.
Still, the Belkans have more 105 mm guns than the number of available Loyalist tanks in the first wave. As such, some of the Class-C Pumas and Leopards switch the fuze of their AMP rounds to airburst and fire them in the same opening salvo. Using the inputted data before their firing, the AMP rounds detonate above ground and in front of the Loyalist infantry Companies accompanying the FCM 36s. Faster than any soldier could have dodged, thousands of supersonic fragments maim Loyalists from head to toe. The airburst rounds completely shred any semblance of battle formations the Loyalists have painstakingly deployed.
Of the enemy's 18 tanks and 400 soldiers, not a single tank survived with more than half of their organic elements decimated from one Belkan salvo. Those who are lucky enough to survive through the explosive greeting and the munition cook-off are then beset by a hail of gunfire. From the smallest caliber of 8 mm Mauser to the 30 mm autocannon on the Class-B Puma with its own airburst setting, it takes exactly 30 seconds for the Belkan to paint the foot of the hills red with Loyalist blood. By the time the second wave of enemy units arrive, their forward element has been decimated for ten minutes already.
This time, Rommel doesn't allow the Loyalists the chance to form up and attack.
"Battalion, engage at will!" He commands, unleashing the mighties of the Reich upon the enemy.
As the blue-clad Loyalist soldiers and tanks of the second scramble to cover, tracers of all sizes descend upon them all.
A Belkan holds down the trigger of his MG1, its bipod keeps the gun firing with acceptable accuracy down range. The thumping of his weapon is absolutely cathartic. Sweeping the muzzle of his machine gun horizontally, the gunner doesn't care how many Loyalists he kills. The man's sole purpose is to keep their heads down for good.
A Class-B Puma commander uses his remote-controlled 14.5 HMG turret to engage a swath of enemy soldiers hiding in the treelines. The large-caliber machine gun rounds easily dispatch both the Loyalists and their cover alike. The incendiary nature of some bullets in the belt also set a part of the forest on fire. As part of his crew, the gunner of the Puma uses his 30 mm airburst to a devastating effect. The deadly shrapnels coming upon the heads of the Loyalists mean that staying low to the ground won't even save them.
FCM 36 tanks, once a marvel of engineering in the eyes of the Loyalists, can't even get a single shot out before being singled by either Leopard MBTs or Class-C Pumas. In fact, rather than providing respite to the Loyalist infantries, the FCM 36s now turn into death traps. The cook-off of the infantry tanks' munition means that many soldiers are either dead or critically injured by their destructions.
Being pinned down by the honestly hellish attack from Rommel's positions, the Loyalists contemplate a full retreat. However, trying to pass on the order proves nigh impossible with all the whistling of bullets and explosions. Poking their heads out means certain death and they're already struggling to stay alive as is.
Since Rommel has a bird-eye view of the battlezone, he can see that the conflict is tilting massively in his favor. The enemy is completely stalled by the foot of the hills, unable to advance a single step more. However, it doesn't take long before two separate alerts come up on his command interface. Two enemy Companies are flanking Bulson due to Southeast from the direction of Raucourt. Direct South and behind the massacre zone, the Loyalists are setting up light howitzers and mortars in the hope of displacing or suppressing Rommel's entrenchment.
Not disturb one bit, Rommel command. "Get QRF K-1 to intercept and eliminate the enemy's flanking force. The Loyalists are sending a Tank and an Infantry Company through the Southeastern forest. And get me our artillery on the line. I want the AMOS and the Reformist batteries to shell the enemy position and artillery to kingdom come!"
As one of the QRF prepared by Rommel set out to engage the Loyalist flanking units, Belkan and Reformist indirect-fire units started raising their barrels. AMOS carriers acquire targeting data from the UAV before setting their twin-barrel 120 mm mortar turrets to fire multiple round simultaneous impact volleys. Coordinating with the Belkan Fire Direction Center, the Reformists' 155 mm and 220 mm batteries also set up their own time-on-target barrage. Eventually, the reverberations of artillery fire echoed across the frontline, drowning out even the sound of gunfire and explosions. The AMOS carriers fire repeatedly at a rate of 12 rounds/minute with different muzzle angles and powder settings thanks to their automatic loaders. Though slower to reload, the Reformist batteries make up for the reduction in fire rate by the sheer weight of their shells.
Ultimately, numerous shells landed at the same time and all over the Loyalist forces. The many earth-shaking explosions created by a combination of 120 mm, 155 mm, and 220 mm batteries have transformed the once lush terrain into something else entirely. Tanks and infantries are decimated, with the Loyalist artillery utterly erased by the Reformists' captured 220mm heavy howitzer. Charred body parts are everywhere and the ground, red by blood, is now scorched black.
By this point, the enemy has completely broken in both spirit and fighting capability. The only units that are still trying to fight are the two flanking Loyalist Companies that are intercepted by K-1. They too will soon be destroyed, however.
Rommel nods his head. Unfortunately, the enemy is not as much of a challenge as he had wished. Nevertheless, they proved to be a nice change of pace, being destroyed with extremely minimal effort from his Battalion. Now, Rommel only needs to perform post-battle clean-up duties before awaiting the arrival of the 10th Panzer Division. There's no exact number on how many assets Rommel's group has destroyed this evening, but it's expected to be the complete elimination of a Loyalist FCM 36 Battalion. This is a significant victory for the propaganda team.
On a side note, the fact that the Reformists have been able to use captured Loyalist weapons against them to such a devastating effect will probably make a headline somewhere. Quite amusingly ironic.