Reich Marshal of the Belkan Reich

RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 8: Case Yellow (Day 2 – Belkan Bulson)

Bulson. Seven hours after Loyalist forces retreat.

A Class-C Puma drives past a group of abandoned Loyalist fighting positions, some of which still have their FM 24/29 machine guns deployed with no users at all. Rather than stopping and taking stock of the area, the Class-C Puma spearheads a forward element of the 404th 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team. Under the express order of the Reich Marshal, Colonel Rommel himself has taken to the field, leading a Mechanized Infantry Battalion in a rush for Bulson. After an initial scout party to determine whether or not there was any ambush or mine, of which there were none, Rommel directly mounted up with his men and women, kicking their AFVs into full speed.

Since the tasking required speed and versatility, Rommel elected not to bring an Armored Battalion to Bulson mainly because a Mechanized Infantry Battalion has more organic elements to clean out a town and garrison it. As for the other two Armored Battalions of the 2nd ABCT, they're allowed some time off after spearheading the capture of Sedan. They will need to be in peak efficiency for the eventual push for the Erusean Channel. That said, it's not like Rommel's Battalion doesn't have heavy armor. The Battalion has an Armored Company alongside its two Mechanized Companies, with the former bringing 14 Leopard MBT. Other than the Leopards, the Rommel's Battalion as a whole also has an astounding 64 Class-C Puma, separating into 16 Platoons. Even if this is just a Mechanized Battalion, the firepower it brings to bear is quite literally out of this world. However, the strength of a Mechanized force does not rest solely on hard firepower. Its major selling point is that it's perfect for urban combat while offering flexibility in maneuvering, offensive, and defensive situations. The current mission parameters, seizing and holding Bulson, is what a Mechanized Battalion does best.

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Crashing over a stop sign, a Class-C Puma stops at a three-way intersection in the middle of Bulson. Rolling right behind the Class-C is a Platoon of Class-B Pumas. Stopping in front of an ancient Chapel, the rear ramps on the Pumas are lowered, allowing Panzergrenadiers to dismount and quickly spread out into formations. Under the watchful protection of the AFVs, the Panzergrenadies start knocking on doors and clearing out the rest of the quaint commune of Bulson. Empty buildings with good overwatch are immediately used to set up firing positions for snipers and machine gunners. As more and more MBTs and IFVs pour into the town and its immediate surroundings, a clearer picture of Bulson is painted for Colonel Rommel to see.

To the West of Bulson rests the abandoned artillery that the X Corps left behind. A few hundred meters East of the artillery pit is the munition storage, surprisingly stocked full of heavy ordinance still. When the engineers report that the warehouse is not booby-trapped, Rommel can only shake his head at the failings of the Loyalists. Due North and East of Bulson are the fighting positions and trenches the Loyalists also abandoned. However, they're of little to no use to the Belkans as they're facing the wrong direction. What the Belkans need are fortifications facing Southward, covering the roads facing Maisoncelle and Chemery. Unfortunately, the Loyalists failed to do the construction work for them, as such the Belkans will have to dig in immediately and fast.

Rommel intends to deploy some of the AFVs to on the Southern hills of Bulson. The hills have good lines of sight on the two avenues of approach into Bulso, then there's also the height difference that is tilting in the Belkans' favor. No matter the route the Loyalists take, they will first clear a patch of thick foilage near the foot of the Southern hills. This means that they have little to no time at all to deploy an attack formation to assault the Belkan-controlled heights. The Loyalists' tanks, while featuring good protection against contemporary counterparts, are extremely cumbersome. They will soon break themselves traversing rough terrains instead of facing against the Belkans. As such, most Loyalist commanders tend to pick the fastest and most direct ways to the enemy in combat maneuvers. Now that there's no working radio, the Loyalist tanks stay closer than ever to achieve somewhat acceptable coordination, making complex tactics and maneuvers impossible for the Loyalists. When these blue-clad tanks come up against the MBTs and IFVs of his Battalion, Rommel ponders how fast the enemy will break, banging against an insurmountable wall.

Nevertheless, Rommel is not that careless enough to disregard backup plans. On the off-chance the Loyalists somehow flank Bulson, Rommel forms two Quick Response Forces, consisting of both Class-B and Class-C Pumas and their organic elements. These two QRFs will be guided by UAVs to decimate any Loyalist flanking forces, be they armored or pure footmobiles. In the event the QRFs somehow arrive late, well, the Loyalists did leave behind perfectly useable fortification due West and East of Bulson. The Panzergrenadiers and some AFVs will use them for defensive holdouts. That said, Rommel does not trust the Loyalist construction workers not cutting corners. The lives of his men and women are too important to fool around. Other than setting up positions down South, Rommel also instructs the combat engineers to reinforce general defense around Bulson. The Loyalists are expected to arrive by evening at the latest, so Rommel has more than enough time to prepare a grand welcome.

Honestly, the man is excited for a change of pace after constant pushing and attacking. A defensive battle may give the man some opportunity to flex his mental faculty... If the enemy doesn't break too fast.

Anyway, other than AFVs and infantries, Rommel does have access to some fire support in the forms of Battalion motorized mortars and Divisional artillery. He also can call down precision strikes from the drones above Bulson. Though anything heavier won't be available. CAS is being prepped for use by the 1st and 2nd Panzer Divisions on their attacks. The pilots too will need their downtime despite flying in shifts.

On a side note, there's still a civilian populace in Bulson who has welcomed the Belkans with cautious hospitality. To be truthful, this is more than what Rommel expected from them. As such, Rommel finds the need to talk with an elderly who seems to be the representative of the Bulson populace. Since the Ustians have been cooperative so far, Rommel sees fit to spread the words about an upcoming military operation, warning them to keep calm and stay where it's safe. Basically, Rommel tells them not to walk to the gunfire.

Once the civilians are settled, Rommel talks to his aide, further micromanaging the units in his Battalion. Finally, when Rommel has deemed the security of Bulson acceptable, he has his aide communicate with High Command, proclaiming safe passage for a Reformist unit. Now that Rommel has deemed Bulson is secured, two Skyraiders swoop down from above, dropping 500 KG Daisy Cutter bombs at a forest North of Bulson. The bombs, exploding above ground due to the Daisy Cutter fuzes, immediately decimate the surrounding trees, creating large clearings for a VTOL to land. As the Skyraiders egress out of Bulson airspace, a pair of Ospreys take their place. Touching down on the open spaces created by the bomb blasts, the Ospreys open their ramps for Reformist soldiers to disembark. These new soldiers form the artillery crews that Princess Bonaparte sent over to take control of the abandoned Loyalist artillery.

As the Ospreys take off and RTB, Rommel personally welcomes his Reformist allies before guiding them over the artillery pit. There, the men and women Princess Bonaparte sent start taking stock of what they're working with. The result comes out as a pleasant surprise for the Reformists. All of the heavy ordinances are in working order, however, they will require some help transferring the guns to Southern Maginot. Unfortunately, the Loyalist attack on Bulson does not allow for the swift removal of these artillery pieces. Understanding Rommel's difficulty, the Reformist Major suggests testing out these captured guns on the next enemy attack. To this, both men share a laugh before shaking hands, signifying a short but meaningful collaboration between the two. Rommel won't deny additional firepower when it's available for free, literally.

When the Loyalists are bogged down by the Leopards and Pumas, the captured 155mm and 220mm will be raining death on them with observed artillery fire missions.