LIGHTNOVELONLINE RM Vol 4: War – Interlude: Panic of Bulson
In the event of the Belkans seizing Sedan, the Loyalist 71st Infantry Division and X Corps will be mobilized to stage a counterattack. It was hypothesized that the 71st would be able to buy enough time for the larger X Corps to set out in full. However, on the morning of the second day in Case Yellow, things aren't looking good for the Loyalists.
After being beaten off the Meuse, remnants of the 55th Infantry Divisions ran back to their backup defensive line 10 kilometers behind the Meuse. They held it till 01:30 hour before panicking by alarmist rumors that Belkans tanks were already behind them and fled, creating a gap in the French defenses before any tanks had crossed the river. In actuality, the Belkan Panzer Divisions were very content with shoring up their new base of operations, not intending to make any move until after dawn. Midway through their mad escape, the 55th ran into the survivors of the 71st, with both sides trading one unverified piece of intelligence after another.
While the 55th were beaten directly by the Belkan Divisions, they were scared shitless when their peer, the 71st, was attacked and nearly destroyed when they weren't even near a known hot zone. It had to be noted that it was only a few hours earlier that the 55th were nearly decimated. At this point, these soldiers thought that the Belkan somehow used witchcraft to materialize an army out of thin air behind their line. It was the only logical conclusion as to how the Belkans had been advancing so fast, already murdering the 71st like the monsters they were. Their suspicion was further reinforced by rumors of the Ghost Division attacking their rear some 24 hours ago, leaving behind only deaths and creepy obsidian trees. After piling up enough tales, unverified intelligence, and good old fearmongering, the Loyalists formed a credible fact that the Belkans would attack Bulson any minute now with a massive force.
So, they booked it.
Soldiers from two battered Divisions ran and spread the words along the way. Loyalist convoys from Bulson and Remilly-Aillicourt that were supposed to go and reinforce the 55th and 71st immediately turned around, carrying the retreating Divisions with them. The fact that these survivors look as if they just went through Hell and back solidified their claims of an imminent Belkan attack. The lack of radios prevented anyone with a clearer mind to try and verify the information immediately with the higher-ups. As the misinformation spread, seemingly uncontested, it was quickly morphed by word of mouth, making the not-really-real Belkan attack all the more terrifying. These maligned and baseless reports confused and frightened even units of the X Corps manning defensive installations around Bulson. When seeing a sizeable portion of Loyalists running for their lives, they would be a fool to stay and fight alone. So, the vanguard elements of the X Corps also joined the mass exodus. They all ran back to Bulson, bringing with them these false reports that were mistaken for reality.
The funny thing is, all of these reports weren't even similar to one another. Some said tanks were already crashing on their prior stations, others claimed that they were pursued to Bulson. In the end, the officers of the X Corps at Bulson couldn't even make head and tail of the situation. Worse, by the time they realized it, the entire Bulson garrison had already heard what the fearmongers had to say. It was not even dawn yet, and the entire Loyalist Artillery Brigade at Bulson was one gunshot away from total collapse. The Colonel in charge tried to reassert confidence in his men and instill a proper chain of command in the ragtag 55th and 71st survivors. Unfortunately, he failed the charisma check, rendering his effort null. Even his subordinate officers weren't showing much enthusiasm if they had any left. The Colonel wasn't blinded to the fact that the reports had gotten into them all. He would be lying if he said he wasn't affected himself. The Belkans and their swift and devastating attacks cast many doubts into the Colonel's mind.
While the 2nd Army had plentiful manpower by calling the last of the Loyalists's able men of age to service, they were severely lacking in anti-air and anti-tank guns. The Loyalist Colonel's Artillery Brigade was not equipped to face the might of the Belkan tanks should they assault Bulson. The soldiers around him would soon abandon their outdated equipment and run for their lives. The Colonel also couldn't count on reinforcement from the rest of the X Corps. The main body of the Corps was still back in Artaise. They weren't given enough time to be activated due to the Belkans' lightning advances.
As such, the Loyalist Colonel could only count on his Artillery Brigade and the defensive Companies that actually retreated alongside the 55th and 71st back to Bulson proper. The very group that carried with them the plague that was fear and doubt. There's really no hope left for them to hold Bulson, not when most of the forward stations were abandoned. If the Belkan attack was real, then they would be able to march into the heart of the Colonel's Brigade with no one stopping them. The cowards gave the Belkans a literal master key.
It's with heavy heart, and a shamed expression, that the Loyalist Colonel ordered a full retreat from Bulson. An action that he would take responsibility for and carry the burdens of the consequences to his grave. Ironically enough, the soldiers were relieved to run away, adding salt to the Colonel's wound. In their retreat, the Loyalists at Bulson left behind many heavy artillery pieces and supplies. The total retreat of the sector also led to the true collapse of the 55th and the partial collapse of the 71st Divisions. The latter still had a portion of their force in the Remilly-Aillicourt area that would keep up the fight. However, the damage was done, Bulson ridge fell not to an enemy attack, they fell to fear and chaos. This was the direct result of the Allied forces' obsolescence in both equipment and military thinking.
The modern battlefield is a high-tempo one, and soldiers won't be able to wait for the commands of generals in a cozy manor to fight a war. Ultimately, the only vantage point for the Loyalists to bomb the Meuse bridgeheads was vacated without much effort from the Belkans.
When news of this reached the ears of the Reich Marshal, she wasn't able to keep her calm and spurted out her morning coffee.
"What the fuck happened in a mere five hours!?" Much like the Marshal, her command staff could only stare at the report, dumbfounded, and not able to voice any answer for five whole minutes.