German Red Prince

Page 178

There is no effective medical treatment at the moment, and only the most basic treatment can be carried out. However, thanks to Thorne's advance research, the doctors also have simple treatment methods. They have enough antibiotics, which are practically a miracle drug on the battlefield. With this drug, the mortality rate of the wounded can be greatly reduced.

Hyjal was very grateful that he had dodged the Molotov cocktail; if the fire had burned him, he would be lying in the field hospital now, suffering a fate worse than death.

"excuse me!"

Two more soldiers ran over carrying a stretcher. The soldier lying on the stretcher had his stomach blown open by a grenade. The wound was wrapped in gauze, but Hijri could still see his intestines protruding. Fortunately, he was not fatally injured. His helmet had shielded him from the grenade fragments, and although it was deformed, it saved his life.

Hyjal felt very tired and wanted to lean against the armored vehicle to take a nap, but the driver "politely" persuaded him to leave. The vehicle did not have rearview mirrors, and he did not want an extra speed bump on the road.

The wounded were placed in the rear, while the battlefield was being cleared in front. Soldiers were carrying out boxes of weapons. It was clear that the garrison stationed in the city had just arrived and hadn't had time to properly set up defenses before the attack. Otherwise, if the garrison had been fully prepared, so many of them definitely wouldn't have been able to break through.

"beep--"

A whistle blew, and the soldiers immediately assembled. The company commander and political commissar looked very serious, showing no joy at the capture of the city. It seemed that something big was about to happen.

"Do you know the name of the unit we're fighting against?" Ropol looked at the assembled soldiers. "This group is called the Armed Assault Team. Some of you might not understand what that means, but you all recognize the name, right?"

Ropol pulled out a flag, a flag that everyone, of course, knew about.

"This unit is the National Party's force. Everyone knows what the National Party did to our comrades in Prussia. Right now, in this city, the force that just fought against us was their armed forces. We defeated them. Does anyone have anything to say?"

"Cool!"

After a moment of silence, someone suddenly shouted out loud.

“Yes, that’s awesome!” Robor agreed.

"How many of our comrades did these people arrest in Prussia? Now we're here, in Dransfeld, giving them a good slap in the face! We, the German Communist Party, are not to be trifled with! We're going to march on Berlin and capture Hess alive!"

"Take Berlin! Capture Hess alive!"

"Now, according to reliable sources, a stormtrooper force of more than two thousand men is on its way from Göttingen. There has been a notice from above that reinforcements are available, but they will not arrive for at least twenty-four hours."

"Before reinforcements arrive, we must fight this assault team of over two thousand people for at least a day. Does anyone have the guts to face them head-on?"

"Kick their asses!"

Upon learning that more than two thousand enemy troops were approaching, these men were not panicked at all; on the contrary, they were very excited. The National Party was the mortal enemy of the Communist Party of Germany, and now that the armed forces of the two parties had met head-on, they had to fight to the death.

"Yes, kick their asses to pieces, Hagen! Hang up our military and party flags! Hang them in the most prominent place, so that these people know who they are fighting before they die: we are the armed forces of the German Communist Party, we rely on the power of the people, we are invincible!"

This is not simply a battle between two armies; it is a struggle between two ideologies.

389. It's not a civil war, it's a revolution.

Although the Kingdom of Rhine reacted quickly to the war and began active defensive operations, which yielded some results, the atmosphere in Rhine society remains very delicate.

Every Rhinelander remains on edge; a country cannot be without a ruler, and there is absolutely no news of the royal family in the Kingdom of the Rhine right now.

Fortunately, Goebbels was capable enough. With him in charge, the kingdom at least did not cause any trouble and remained very stable. The nominal leader of the Kingdom of the Rhine is now the Queen, because she is the only one with authority in the royal family. The people of the Rhine are eager to know what the current situation of the royal family is.

It's highly likely that King Otto is no longer alive. Although it hasn't been explicitly stated, everyone can guess that. Otherwise, why hasn't there been any news for so long? With King Otto gone, the crown prince should logically inherit the throne, but there's still no word on it. So we can only think of the worst-case scenario.

Although the Kingdom of the Rhine has now shifted from defense to offense on the battlefield, war is always a continuation of politics. Even if the Kingdom of the Rhine ultimately wins, what path should it take next?

With no one left in the royal family, even if they win, someone else will steal the credit. What's even more frightening is that once the Commune realizes what's happening, it might launch an attack on Germany. What better opportunity could Germany have than now, having just ended its civil war?

Thorne didn't want to show his face, but his health was still very unstable and he needed treatment for a period of time. He had to wait until he was fully recovered before showing his face. This was something the doctor had repeatedly emphasized. After all, he was the only one in the royal family with the right to inherit the throne. If something happened to him, he would be finished.

Thorne has been recuperating. Although he is not allowed to show his face, he can still participate in some affairs. Looking at the battle reports from the front, Thorne is glad that he carried out military reforms. Although the kingdom suffered some losses in the early stages because it did not react in time, the kingdom is now winning more and more battles after stabilizing the front.

Model's Weser River defenses have shifted from defense to offense, advancing towards the opposite bank. Guderian's central defenses have also crossed the border between Prussia and the Kingdom of the Rhine. After the Battle of Kassel, the initiative in the war is now in Guderian's hands. As for Bavaria, Thorne is even more at ease.

Rommel is currently the one who is doing the best among them. He captured so many people without losing a single soldier. His promotion after the war is a sure thing. He is probably the one whose rank will rise the fastest after this war.

Thorne had not expected the war to break out now. If he had waited a few more years, even if Prussia launched an attack, he was confident that he could end the civil war within a month. The paratroopers were still in training, and their planes were not even designed yet. This operation could only be carried out by old-fashioned bombers and transport planes. Göring's escort fighters were still biplanes.

If it had been a few years later, Thorne would have given the Prussians a real taste of air superiority. The current situation is developing much as he expected, with Bavaria in the south making the fastest progress. That was the strategy he devised from south to north. Moreover, there are underground organizations in Bavaria. Once Rommel's forces arrive, the insurgents will provide support, and the Bavarian War will be over.

Thorne was confident that Austria-Hungary would not get involved. Emperor Karl was still able to maintain control in Austria-Hungary and would not offer assistance to Bavaria unless it was military aid.

However, the radical political parties in the Austro-Hungarian Empire were different. Thorne's only concern was that the incident would repeat itself and someone would shoot Karl. If the Balkans were to descend into chaos again, it would definitely not be a good thing for the Kingdom of the Rhine. Therefore, a swift and decisive victory was still necessary.

It has to be said that Hess is indeed quite capable in this timeline. The fact that the army actually obeys him is something Thorne did not expect. He has not been in power for long, yet he was able to wipe out so many forces within the army, at least on the surface. We don't even know what Wilhelm II's current situation is, or even whether he is alive or dead. Hess is truly holding the emperor hostage in Berlin.

Crown Prince Wilhelm supports Hess. As long as Wilhelm II doesn't wake up, Hess's orders have inherent legitimacy. The biggest variable in Prussia lies with Wilhelm II. If he suddenly wakes up, it might stir up a whirlwind in Berlin's political circles. However, if that old guy hears about what's happening now, he'll probably faint from anger as soon as he wakes up.

In a very short time, Thorne went from strategic defense to strategic counter-offensive. It was time for him to consider his next move. This was the most difficult decision he made in this civil war: to define the nature of the war.

Is this war for the crown or for the people? The allure of power is immense, especially now. As the only legitimate heir, Thorne could easily gain widespread support and become the new emperor of Germany if he were to ascend the throne, thus fully inheriting the mantle of the German Empire.

It's nothing more than the empire changing its name. Can those overseas colonies really become independent? Even if they do, so what? Thorne is still so young. He has plenty of time to take back those colonies, inherit the empire's foundation, control the whole of Eastern Europe, and even extend his reach to Southern Europe and North Africa.

The French Commune? This sole survivor in Europe, if it really fought a World War II, a strengthened version of France might not be able to defeat the German Empire led by Thorne. In this timeline, Germany doesn't have to fight on two fronts.

With the world's strongest navy, German troops could easily land on Britain. With its vast colonies and puppet states, Germany could wear down the Commune and defeat France. And then what? A new order for Germany?

What dynasty in the world has ever established a constitutional monarchy? But is this what Thorne wanted to see? Compared to a new order for all humanity, one obviously cannot be too selfish.

There was a knock on the door, and two people walked in: Goebbels and Thälmann, one the leader of the Socialist Labor Party and the other the leader of the Communist Party of Germany. Goebbels rose to prominence thanks to Thorne's support, so he was Thorne's staunch supporter. But if Thorne announced that he was severing ties with socialism, would he still support him?

Which is a greater test for him: faith or power? The Socialist Labour Party is now more powerful than the Communist Party of Germany and could easily ban the Communist Party of Germany and replace it.

"Your Highness Thorne, we have achieved another victory on the central defense line. The fighting in the southern Bavarian theater is expected to end soon. Once our forces are concentrated, we will be able to end this war quickly."

Goebbels seemed very happy. He hadn't laughed in a long time since the start of the war. Dealing with various matters every day had left him physically and mentally exhausted. This victory gave him a glimpse of the end of the war.

"Comrade Thorne, the war is estimated to be over soon. Shouldn't we start formulating the next plan?"

Listening to Thälmann's words, Thorne fell silent. The next step would lead to two different directions in the world. Looking at the guards nearby, a picture suddenly appeared in Thorne's mind: shouting to arrest Thälmann, then declaring martial law in Frankfurt, arresting the entire German Communist Party and making him his emperor. Thinking of this, Thorne couldn't help but laugh.

Looking at Thorne laughing, Thallman was puzzled. Was what he said really that funny?

"Look, haven't I almost recovered?" Thorne said to the two of them as he jumped off the bed.

“I’ve been absent from this war for so long, it’s time for me to show my face. Comrade Thallman is right, we need to consider the next steps now.”

To become emperor? If Thorne had had that thought back then, Thallman would probably have been dealt with by Thorne's men the day after he met him. His attitude was firm from the moment he transmigrated. When that rebel soldier was shot dead in the corner, his attitude became very clear.

This war is not a civil war, but a revolution.

390. Bloodbath

Because the SA was being reinforced from Göttingen to Dransfield, the Red Army brigade's deployment was very simple: they only needed to guard the highway. They collected guns and ammunition from the city, laid mines on the only route, and quietly waited for the SA to arrive.

A force of over two thousand men is indeed a large number, and that's just the number of infantrymen; it's unknown how many armored vehicles or tanks they have. The fighting spirit of the stormtroopers is much stronger than that of the Prussian army, which is already very evident in the battle, so we must deal with them seriously.

"Nervous?" Robor took out a cigarette, lit it, and laughed.

“Don’t be nervous!” a soldier replied.

"Nonsense." Ropol chuckled and took a drag of his cigarette. "Not nervous? If you weren't nervous, you didn't even get insurance?"

It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous at this point. To be honest, Ropol didn't want to fight a force of two thousand men. If it were an ordinary force, he might be able to give it a shot, but the opponent was of equal strength, so the outcome was uncertain.

"When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave one will prevail."

Luo Boer recalled a sentence his teacher had said when he was studying at the military and political school before he became a political commissar: the more critical the moment, the less the political commissars must relax, because they are the backbone of the entire army.

There are only about 250 soldiers in the city who can fight, many of whom are still wounded. There are also more than 200 wounded in the hospital at the rear. Even if they retreat, they won't be able to go far with so many wounded. These assault troops are ruthless and will even hang their own civilians. They will definitely be more brutal to prisoners of war. Leaving more than 200 wounded to them is not as good as just shooting them.

Staying put in the fight might offer a glimmer of hope, but retreating would mean certain defeat. The enemy would press their advantage, resulting in even greater casualties on our side, and could even lead to the collapse of our follow-up troops.

"The division headquarters instructed us to hold out for at least twenty-four hours. This was a personal order from Colonel Guderian, instructing us to hold out for twenty-four hours and await reinforcements."

The company commander took the documents and began to talk to Ropol. These twenty-four hours sounded easy, just a day, but in reality, every minute and every second was extremely difficult.

"Damn it, when did twenty-four hours become so long?" Ropol complained. War has changed a lot. Twenty-four hours used to be a regular day off. He could go out to a pub for a drink, watch a movie, and then go to sleep. It would pass quickly. But now it's different.

Take this road in front of us, for example. It's such a flat highway. Normally, we could just floor the gas pedal and drive across in a few minutes. But now, this journey that would only take a few minutes will take them at least 24 hours to complete.

With just over three hundred infantrymen and a few armored vehicles, it would be quite difficult to hold off such a large enemy force.

"Political Commissar, Company Commander! Reinforcements have arrived!"

An officer ran up from behind. Ropol was shocked when he heard this. Reinforcements? So fast!

But when they rushed over, they were disappointed. This was no reinforcement; they would have believed you if you had taken the wrong road. Two tanks, gone.

This is the fastest force that can be deployed to Dransfield right now. Guderian was also very anxious after receiving the news from the front, but he didn't have many troops at the front. The main task of the Northern Theater was to attack Hanover, cooperate with the Bremen direction to block Hamburg, and defeat Prussia in one blow.

Guderian did not have many troops stationed in the direction of Genttingen, and the troops had already been dispersed, so there was really no way to spare them. Even if a troop were urgently dispatched now, it would take a day. However, the area of ​​Dransfield could not be lost, otherwise his rear would be insecure.

Despite all his calculations, Guderian hadn't anticipated that Hess would have his own armed forces. Guderian could only order reinforcements from nearby units. The two tanks hadn't kept up with the main force; they had encountered a breakdown on the way out and were being repaired at the rear. They arrived after receiving the order.

Having something is better than having nothing. Having two big guys will put their minds at ease. They have tanks and armored vehicles on their side, along with more than 300 infantrymen, which can be considered a reinforced battalion. Maybe they really can hold off the assault team for more than a day.

After setting up the defenses, everyone became alert. Ropol felt it was a pity that they didn't have large-caliber artillery; otherwise, they could have fired a few shots at the stormtroopers before they arrived, which would have been much better. However, they had collected mortars and a number of small-caliber artillery pieces from the city's arsenal, so their firepower was still considerable.

With his binoculars in hand, Ropol saw several trucks approaching from the end of the road. One of the trucks had a flag hanging on it, a red, black, and white flag. Ropol knew exactly who it was.

"The enemy is coming! Be on alert!"

At a command, the tank turrets aimed forward, and the cannons of various calibers adjusted their trajectories, waiting for the enemy to come within a suitable distance.

It must be said that the stormtroopers were indeed formidable, fighting the Red Army brigade to a standstill. However, the officer in charge seemed to have no idea what was going on. Judging from the state of the command post, they must have fled beforehand. But looking at the unstoppable advance of this force, what was going on with them? Didn't these people know that the city had already been occupied by the Red Army?

I originally intended to fight to the death, but if the other side doesn't know that this city has been occupied, then they shouldn't blame me for being uncivilized.

"Quickly! Take down our flag and replace it with the one we found in the command post."

If the enemy doesn't know that the army in this city is the Red Army brigade, then launching a surprise attack would be incredibly satisfying.

"Flags flying high! The ranks are tightly packed, the assault team marches forward with firm and steady steps. Comrades were shot by the Red elements and reactionaries, but their souls continue their journey in our ranks..."

Singing military songs, the team headed towards Dransfield. It was clear that the stormtroopers were indeed different from ordinary troops; their morale was exceptionally high.

They advanced without any obstacles. Picking up their binoculars, they could already see the party flag hanging above the houses. It seemed that the Kingdom of Rhine had not yet reached this place. From here, they could cut through the Kingdom of Rhine's battle lines like butter, severing them in half. Even without the advantage, they would make them feel the pain.

As the enemy drew closer, Ropol swallowed hard. He slowly extended a hand, waiting for the enemy to reach the designated area.

The trucks drove along the road, clearly unaware that the city had changed hands. The lead truck ran over a landmine, causing a huge explosion. Before the men could even process what was happening, Ropol gave the order.

"fire!"

Countless artillery pieces of various calibers fired, heading straight for the assault team who hadn't yet taken cover. The instant the artillery fire started, machine guns also opened fire, pulling the triggers and inflicting enough casualties on the men before they could even react.

"Take cover! Take cover!"

An officer from the stormtroopers shouted, and just then he looked up and saw that the party flag had been replaced. They knew who the enemy of this city was: the German Communist Party. The German Communist Party was actually in the Rhineland and was actually fighting against them? They actually had their own armed forces?

With two conflicting ideologies, it seems this is an inevitable bloody battle.

391. Fierce Battle

This SA, which came from Göttingen, had just been formed in Berlin not long ago. If there were still some people in the army who had reservations about the civil war, then the SA were the absolute pro-war faction in Prussia. They were not afraid of war at all; in fact, they hoped that the war would escalate and expand.

Previously, the National Storm was merely a paramilitary force. Now that Hess had loosened the restrictions, the military hadn't reacted much, given how poorly they had fought. The National Storm had become a formalized force, and Hess, as a party leader, didn't have much trust in the military.

Ultimately, this army is loyal to the emperor, not him. It's just that Wilhelm II is currently in a coma, and Crown Prince William supports him, which is why he can mobilize troops. Although a purge has been carried out within the army, it has only cleared out the conservatives and opponents on the surface. How many people are still resisting Hess internally? These people haven't even shown their faces yet. Therefore, expanding the stormtroopers is not only a necessity for war, but also a means for Hess to protect himself.

Once the door is opened, Hess will have complete control over how much armed force to expand. The SA, as a paramilitary force, was already very large, and now that it is going to the battlefield, even more people will be armed. In the Berlin area alone, nearly 30,000 people have been armed.

The SA was organized in various regions, with platoon leaders and officers. During this period, Hess also formed several SA military forces, including the Osterland Corps, the Berlin-Brandenburg Corps, the Eastern Front Mark Corps, and the Pomeranian Corps.

Among them, the Berlin-Brandenburg Army Corps, as the first and most core army corps created by Hess, has the strongest combat power. In Transfield, the Red Army Brigade encountered a unit of the Berlin Army Corps. The rapid expansion of the Volkssturm has aroused the army's vigilance, but in the current situation, the army really can't say anything. Prussia has now turned to defense, and the Rhine Kingdom's offensive is becoming more and more fierce.

Not long ago, the Rhine army successfully crossed the Weser River. The Rhine army was able to defend the river for several weeks, but the Prussian army lost its forward positions in just three days. If the Rhine army had crossed the Weser, their army would have directly threatened Hamburg.

In a fit of anger, Hess replaced the commanders of the three divisions responsible for the defense line and also sent the SA (Special Forces) to reinforce the Weser River. The SA is gradually squeezing the army's living space, and Hess may soon replace the army with the SA, which the army cannot tolerate. Although Hess has not made a clear statement yet, if he were to say that the SA would replace the army, even the most moderate conservatives in the army would oppose him. The current situation is somewhat like boiling a frog in lukewarm water.

The Prussian army is currently busy fighting on the front lines, but Hess is thinking of stabbing them in the back. This is naturally unacceptable to the opposition in the army. However, Hess now has a great deal of control over Prussia, and the opposition in the army alone cannot bring him down. A greater force is needed.

Finding this power is actually very simple. Ludendorff has been preparing for it in East Prussia for a long time. However, whether he will help is unknown. But he is very happy to keep the army opposition in suspense. Perhaps just one failure will weaken Hess's influence and allow the army to seize power.

More than the Rhine Kingdom's victory, they were worried about their own future. Hess's current actions were bound to provoke a huge backlash from the army. Hess was only the nominal commander-in-chief; military power was in the hands of Wilhelm II. With William in a coma, military power naturally fell into the hands of the senior generals below.

Even a rabbit will bite when cornered. These generals are truly capable of commanding their troops. Who can guarantee they won't retaliate?

This hidden danger had been buried deep within. Lighting a firecracker only required one fuse, and that fuse was in Dransfeld. The Berlin Legion was the strongest legion of the SA, and their equipment and fighting spirit were the strongest. After all, Berlin was where the Nazi Party originated, and those who joined the legion were all veteran members.

The reinforcements from Göttingen to Dransfield were clearly not expecting the city to have been occupied. The Red Army brigade's artillery barrage did catch them off guard, but they reacted quickly and took cover.

Unexpectedly, they were fighting against the Communist Party of Germany, which was also their main adversary in Berlin. It was truly a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road.

"Comrades, the city is inhabited by the armed forces of the German Communist Party. It's time to settle old scores and new grievances!"

The National National Party was formed after the merger of the National Socialist Party and the Workers' Party. Both parties had a slight "leftist" hue, though not much. At least in their propaganda, they represented the interests of the lower and middle classes, so the Stormtroopers also addressed each other as comrades.

Upon hearing that the enemy forces in the city were German Communist Party militia, the stormtroopers naturally perked up. They had never fought on the front lines before, and this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Although the Red Army brigade defending the area was small, its firepower was formidable. This gave the Stormtroopers the illusion that the Red Army brigade's main force, numbering nearly a thousand, was stationed at Drenthefield. While the Stormtroopers had high morale, they had no other redeeming qualities.