Chapter 45: Non-Retroactivity of Law

Once Major Bock and Major Rundstedt finalized the distribution of their assault positions, Lelouch drove back and forth to report, seek approval, and file the plans through every level of command.

Units across the ranks adjusted their layouts accordingly. Baria's 6th Division, paired with the 2nd Storm Battalion, shifted to the northern half of Armentières and urgently constructed their final jump-off trenches. Similarly, Baria's 12th Division, assigned to the 1st Assault Battalion, repositioned to the southern half of the town to make the same rapid preparations.

The artillery regiments attached to both divisions worked around the clock, setting up forward observation posts and bunkers. Once the battle began, they would provide one-on-one fire support to their designated units.

Army Command also brought up several corps-level artillery units from the rear to temporarily bolster the front-line assault forces. When the general offensive commenced, the main assault divisions' own artillery would never be enough; they would need temporary fire support exceeding their organic strength several times over.

At the last moment, Lelouch even caught sight of the 280mm Nebelwerfer launchers deployed by the General Staff—the exact rocket systems that would later be mounted on SDK 251 walking Stuka half-track vehicles during World War II.

This time, however, these weapons were not loaded with heavy high-explosive shells. Instead, they were used to launch canisters filled with the same tear gas the French had already deployed in several engagements.

In the history of Earth, the first use of chlorine gas occurred during the Battle of Ypres.

In this world, however, things remained relatively harmonious. Neither side possessed lethal poison gas, leaving them no choice but to retaliate with tear gas. The compound was non-lethal, but it was perfect for forcing movement—driving enemy soldiers out of heavily fortified front-line trenches when the fumes became unbearable.

As for upgrading the delivery method from Earth's rudimentary approach—simply opening the gas cylinders and letting the wind carry the drift—to using Nebelwerfer launchers, that decision stemmed directly from the General Staff's careful analysis of international treaties.

The distinction might blur slightly in Chinese, where the term for rocket launcher contains the character for "cannon," but Western languages made the separation exceptionally clear. As long as the tube lacked sealed chamber pressure, international law classified the system as a mere throwing rack.

Lelouch even suspected that the General Staff had gone to such lengths to reinforce the covering fire simply because the Chief of the General Staff's nephew had been assigned to the front-line stormtroopers, and they were terrified of an accident befalling him.

From that angle, having Major von Bock serve as their battalion commander had yielded miraculous dividends, ensuring their unit received special treatment.

...

The final two days of preparation passed in a blur of frantic, non-stop labor.

This was Lelouch's first time personally participating in a grand offensive of this scale. Originally lacking direct troop-leading experience, he learned a great deal by shadowing officers like Major Bock and Captain Rommel, filling in the gaps in his front-line military knowledge.

In the blink of an eye, it was the early morning of December 20.

Since the snow had gradually tapered off by nightfall on the 19th, Army Command locked in the schedule: artillery bombardment would begin at 6:00 a.m., followed by a general assault at 8:00 a.m.

The soldiers were roused shortly after 4:00 a.m. They finished breakfast before 5:00, washing it down with hot coffee to warm their bodies.

The German Army's ration supply system was vastly simpler than that of Eastern militaries. Because their field diet required no soups or complex cooking, they had no need for company-level mess squads. Staple rations like bread and sausages were baked in bulk by division-level bakery companies and distributed down the chain.

Over coffee, Rommel and the other officers gathered around Lelouch, anxiously analyzing the combat scenarios they might face.

Rommel, who always favored unconventional thinking, seemed highly dissatisfied with the chosen time for the general assault:

"If you ask me, we should start the bombardment at 4:00 a.m. and attack at 6:00. That would yield far better results. We'd catch the enemy completely off guard, and by the time we charge, the sky would just be breaking dawn. It wouldn't hinder our line of sight, and the enemy wouldn't be able to spot us clearly from a distance."

His complaint quickly drew agreement from the other officers. It aligned entirely with common sense; previous offensives had all been conducted on similar timetables.

"Exactly. Attacking at 8:00 a.m. gives the enemy machine gunners and field artillery observers a much better line of sight. Even in snowy weather, it shouldn't be scheduled so late," Platoon Leader Second Lieutenant Dieter agreed.

Second Lieutenant Dieter seemed to possess a natural talent for rugged terrain combat, and his eye for observing battlefield conditions was sharp and seasoned.

Fortunately, Lelouch knew the high command's inner workings. He quickly explained, "Don't overthink this, everyone. Command's decision makes sense. This assault will use Nebelwerfers to launch gas canisters.

The white smoke of the tear gas must be visible to have any deterrent effect. If we launch in the pitch dark, the enemy will choke half to death without knowing where is safe or where to flee, defeating the purpose of forcing them out.

Command isn't trying to kill them; the objective is to force the enemy to abandon the heavily fortified front-line positions they've spent over a month building. They even mixed in a discarded dye from the Farben company to make the gas clouds more conspicuous."

Hearing Lelouch's explanation, the officers were completely won over, their confidence soaring.

Striking while the iron was hot, Lelouch reminded them, "Once the smoke clears enough, we charge! Seize as many positions as possible—don't waste the opportunity! Make sure your gas masks are securely fitted. Everyone has shaved clean, right? Double-check to ensure no fumes leak in. We only get one shot at this; next time, the enemy will learn their lesson and wear masks too."

Lelouch knew perfectly well that in Earth's history, chlorine gas had only delivered devastating results the first time it was used. By the second time, it was easily countered, since protective masks required no advanced technology.

In Earth's history, the German Army simply hadn't anticipated how effective the gas would be at driving the enemy out. Their infantry follow-up was too slow, wasting a priceless tactical opportunity.

This time, Lelouch refused to waste that opportunity! He had calculated that the Nebelwerfers could cover a range of three kilometers, so they needed to push forward in one breath and capture the entire three-kilometer depth of the heavily fortified zone!

Drive the enemy back into their weaker secondary fallback trenches, then hit them hard with a conventional breakthrough assault while they were still struggling to secure a foothold!

At 6:00 a.m. sharp, the artillery finally roared to life. Thousands of guns fired in unison, their thunderous detonations shaking the earth and sky.

The soldiers huddled in their trenches, quietly listening to the distant commotion.

The initial bombardment was ferociously intense. Nearly every battery fired in unison, churning the opposing defensive line into a pulverized wasteland of shattered earth and flying flesh. It seemed impossible for any living creature to survive.

After five minutes of rapid fire, however, the artillery strikes grew sparse.

A few inexperienced technical officers grew anxious that their artillery was running out of steam and began whispering among themselves.

Hearing this, Lelouch raised his voice to rally their morale. "Don't worry! Everything is under control! The initial rapid fire was meant to inflict maximum casualties while the enemy was caught unprepared. By now, the survivors should have retreated into their bunkers, so shifting to a sustained rate of fire wastes fewer shells.

Furthermore, leading with rapid fire creates an unexpected tactical advantage: it serves as an early warning that the tear gas is coming and tells them it's time to run! Until 7:00, our batteries will primarily launch gas canisters, which is why the detonations sound softer. Rest assured, the General Staff's planning is meticulous! Victory belongs to the Empire!"

Gas required time to spread, whereas high-explosive shells killed instantly. Therefore, the most scientifically sound bombardment sequence was to launch gas canisters first before following up with demolition shells.

Hearing his explanation, the soldiers felt their confidence surge. They decided that the uncultured, mathematically inept brutes in the opposing trenches were no longer a threat.

...

At that exact moment, across the battlefield in the British trenches, the officers and men of the 3rd and 7th Divisions had indeed plunged into abject terror.

The two armies had gone more than a month without a major clash. Previous probing attacks by the German Army had been easily repulsed; the muddy battlefield severely restricted the advancing attackers.

The British high command had placed far too much faith in their radio interception advantage. Because German wireless traffic hadn't spiked recently, they had taken no extra precautions against enemy movements.

As a result, the sudden opening waves of artillery shells caught scores of soldiers outside their fortifications, killing and maiming many who were still sleeping in their tents.

The 3rd Division lost several hundred men, and the 7th Division suffered nearly a thousand casualties before the survivors could scramble into their trenches and stabilize their defenses.

But moments later, in the pale dawn light, the British soldiers watched clusters of 280mm gas canisters thud into their trenches and begin spewing smoke. Violent coughing fits erupted down the line. To make matters worse, the smoke's color was distinctly different from the French tear gas; paranoia swept the ranks as many soldiers assumed the fumes were lethal, prompting them to retreat toward the rear.

Soldiers caught moving in the open were vastly easier targets for artillery fire. As the British forces retreated, the German batteries maintained a relentless, low-intensity bombardment. Shells rained down like a deadly lottery, claiming swathes of casualties with every detonation.

The preparatory bombardment continued relentlessly past 7:00 and on toward 8:00 before the guns finally fell silent.

The two assault battalions commanded by Bock and Rundstedt had long been prepared. The moment the artillery stopped, they charged out of their trenches.

Lelouch's company was at the very forefront of the charge.

'It's a pity we forgot to teach the friendly artillery the creeping barrage tactics beforehand. Otherwise, today's preparatory fire would have yielded even greater results.'

Only during that final charge, watching the friendly artillery cut off so cleanly, did the realization flash through Lelouch's mind.

In history, the creeping barrage tactic wasn't invented by the British Army until 1917, learned only after suffering catastrophic losses during the Battle of the Somme.

Regrets served no purpose now. The priority was winning the immediate battle with what they had! Everything else could wait.

"The 1st through 3rd Platoons will act as the first wave! Each platoon will secure a 500-meter frontage, advancing with 500-meter spacing between formations! The 4th through 6th Platoons will form the second wave, and the 7th and 8th Platoons will form the third! Do not charge all at once! Control your formation density!

Establish a strongpoint every 300 meters, then let the second wave advance past your position for another 300 meters, alternating roles! Maintain the continuity of the assault!"

Gripping his submachine gun as he led the charge, Lelouch shouted out the core tenets of the Stormtrooper Squad's tactics—never throw too many men into the front line at once, and never attempt a breakthrough across a broad front.

A small number of men focusing on a handful of breakthrough points was enough; the key was maintaining unbroken momentum and rhythm!

They could not grant the enemy a single second to breathe, nor afford them the time to react and organize a complete secondary defense after being breached.

These principles were completely foreign to the old armies of 1914, requiring commanders to shout constant reminders.

The trenches, just ravaged by tear gas and artillery bombardment, were not entirely empty. The stormtroopers quickly engaged in fierce, short firefights with the British remnants.

Ultimately, non-lethal tear gas could not clear out a position as effectively as chlorine.

Some enemies endured by continuously washing their faces with damp cloths, while others hid in muddy puddles. A few with unique constitutions naturally resisted the chemical irritant.

However, this resistance posed little threat and could not change the big picture. Nearly every front-line Vickers Heavy Machine Gun nest had been knocked out. The straggling enemy soldiers could only fire blindly with their Lee-Enfield Rifles.

Amid the crackle of exchanging rifle fire, the surviving enemies soon had their attention pinned down by counter-sniping fire.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the submachine gunners of A Company's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Platoons hunched low and slipped past the outermost two trenches. The German troops did not even bother deploying their light machine gun and Grenade Launcher teams, pursuing only the absolute fastest breakthrough speed.

As they charged, they encountered unmonitored barbed wire. The soldiers detached specialized bayonets from two rifles, interlocked them into a makeshift pair of wire cutters, and cleanly sheared through the obstacles with a few crisp snaps.

"Quick! Get through the barbed wire and flank the trenches that still hold enemy troops!"

Second Lieutenant Model, commanding Lelouch's 1st Platoon, wore a silk bulletproof vest worth three thousand marks as he led his four assault squads from the very front. He methodically directed his men to breach the obstacles, finally dropping into the enemy trenches.

What followed was a lateral sweep down the sparsely manned trenches by the submachine gunners.

By the time the scattered British riflemen resisting in the trenches heard the hurried footsteps approaching, it was already too late.

Hissing, hand grenades sparking with fuses flew over from adjacent sections of the zigzagging trenches, exploding and blowing the firing British riflemen off their feet.

"The Demanians have infiltrated our trench! Clear the trench line! The infiltration force can't be large! There's still time!" a surviving British lieutenant platoon leader shouted in panic.

He rallied his soldiers for an immediate counterattack, hoping to use their local numerical superiority to drive the newly infiltrated enemies out of the trench.

Unfortunately, the instant the hastily organized British infantrymen fixed their bayonets and charged around the corner of the zigzag trench, the deafening rattle of submachine guns rang out!

Second Lieutenant Model possessed exceptionally sharp hearing. Judging solely by their footsteps, he could tell the enemy had reached the adjacent corner of the zigzag trench. Gripping his MP15, he fired pre-aimed bursts directly at the corner.

The five submachine gunners beside him followed suit, taking turns firing pre-aimed bursts at the corner. They coordinated their reloads flawlessly, ensuring there was never a gap in their firepower.

How could the opposing British soldiers, who had never seen such weapons or tactics, possibly stand up to this? Caught by the pre-aimed fire, they were mowed down in droves, killed the second they showed their heads.

"Tell the company commander and the 2nd and 3rd Platoons to move up! The 1st Platoon has breached the barbed wire and secured the first trench line!" After clearing the front-line position, Second Lieutenant Model immediately had his men shout back for friendly forces to advance.

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