Chapter 683: Erwin's Strategy
"Why was attacking in April a mistake?" Tijani asked. He still didn't understand why Charles had originally advised Brusilov to launch the offensive in June instead.
Charles didn't answer directly. Instead, he countered with a question. "What was unique about Brusilov's offensive?"
"New tactics," Tijani replied immediately. "They used multi-point breakthroughs with one main assault point."
"And?" Charles prompted. "What new equipment did they use?"
Tijani frowned, glancing again at the telegram, hoping to find the answer, but it wasn't there. Tactical specifics, especially when involving primitive-looking innovations, rarely made it to France quickly.
Charles answered for him. "Sleds and Maxim machine guns, General. More precisely: sleds during the snowy season, and horse-drawn Maxims once the snow melts."
"You taught them that too?" Tijani gave a wry smile, then his eyes widened as understanding dawned. "In April, there's still snow in Russia. So they begin with sleds, but by the time the offensive is halfway through, the snow melts—and they'll need to switch to wagons?"
Unlike France, Russian spring came later. In April, average temperatures still hovered around freezing.
Charles nodded. That was the risk. It wasn't that Brusilov or the Russian generals had overlooked this—but they had underestimated the difficulty of the transition.
…
In truth, Charles had warned them.
When Brusilov returned to Russia and presented the full battle plan—down to Charles's recommendations—Tsar Nicholas II gave it his full endorsement.
The tsar beamed at the strategic map. "It's worthy of Charles! Everyone else talks about digging trenches and defense. But trenches don't protect—they signal retreat, even collapse."
"Everyone's become too pessimistic, too defensive. But not Charles. He's thinking offense—new tactics, new ideas. Even sled-mounted machine guns!"
Standing before the tsar, Brusilov bowed slightly, holding his cap in both hands. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"In fact, this proves we've wasted too much money and manpower on the 'Tsar Tank' project. It's impractical. We should halt it immediately."
"It may look impressive, but it's useless on the battlefield. It only drains our already scarce resources."
Nicholas II nodded emphatically. "You're absolutely right, General. The sled-MG concept is the opposite: it's practical, scalable, and—most importantly—impossible for the Germans to imitate."
Brusilov blinked. "Impossible for the Germans?"
Then he realized—yes, of course. Russians grew up in the snow. Even peasants could drive sleds. Germans could too, but battlefield sled maneuvering required experience: weaving between trees, across rocks, even over trenches.
That wasn't something the Germans could learn quickly.
"I can't wait to witness our triumph," Nicholas II said, his eyes scanning the map eagerly. "Why wait until June? We could begin assembling forces now and strike within the month!"
"Your Majesty," Brusilov cautioned, "Charles advised a June attack. He likely considered German troop movements, but also the snow-to-mud transition. Once the snow melts, we'll need wagons to replace sleds."
Nicholas laughed. "You call that a problem, General? Russians have spent their lives on sleds and wagons!"
Brusilov found himself agreeing. Sleds and wagons weren't expensive, and they had plenty of horses.
So, despite Charles's advice, they attacked early.
What they hadn't anticipated was this: once the offensive started, the front would advance. Supply lines would stretch. By the time spring thaw hit, the ground would become impassable mud, slowing wagons to a crawl. Transitioning from sled to wagon in those conditions would be far harder than they'd imagined.
…
English Channel coast, Montreuil, shrouded in mist and drizzle.
Major General Erwin crouched behind the lip of a trench, peering through his binoculars at the British lines.
For weeks, he had pursued the British Expeditionary Force all the way here.
His plan was clear: lead the First Panzer Division along the Somme River, cutting the British off from the French, isolating them completely.
"If we take Montreuil," he murmured, "we'll surround Dunkirk—and all of Belgium."
He was visibly excited.
The Somme was a natural barrier. A few infantry divisions could hold it and sever this part of the front from France entirely. Belgium, with its forested mountains, had only a narrow outlet. A simple pincer strike would collapse the British rear and turn their own trenches into a prison.
(Above: The red line traces the path of the Somme River. The French hold the southern bank, the British the north. The red circle marks Montreuil. Dunkirk, nearby, is not just a landing site—it's a logistical hub.)
But Erwin's attack stalled at Montreuil.
The British navy had deployed several warships to shell German positions. Though naval guns lacked precision, their destructive power was enough to break up multiple assaults. German troops were repeatedly driven back by naval firepower.
"General!" a messenger ran up, shouting over the artillery blasts. "Urgent news—on the Eastern Front, the Russians have launched a major counteroffensive! Our forces are taking heavy losses and retreating!"
"What?" Erwin stared at the messenger in disbelief.
If the Eastern Front collapsed, even the greatest success in the west would be meaningless.
Why was Russia, long beaten down, suddenly on the offensive—and victorious?
"General!" Another runner dashed over. "A message from the Chief of General Staff: you are to accelerate your attack and win swiftly!"
Erwin grunted in acknowledgment.
He understood what Falkenhayn meant. If the East was failing, supplies and reinforcements would be diverted there. The Western Front would weaken. If the Germans couldn't win at the Somme now, they might never get the chance again.
But Montreuil wasn't going to fall quickly.
Suddenly, an idea struck him.
If the British had concentrated both ground and naval forces here—why not bypass them entirely and strike directly at Dunkirk?
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