industrial lord

Chapter 746 Psychological Warfare

At dawn, a biting north wind howled across the military camp, stirring up dust and withered leaves, but it couldn't dispel the lingering smell of alcohol from last night's revelry.

The smell, a mixture of sweat and the lingering odor of cheap alcohol, stubbornly lingered in the air.

The camp was still filled with the fervor brought by yesterday's victory. The soldiers' faces still showed the excitement of victory. Some sat around the campfire singing loudly, while others leaned against the tent poles and grinned foolishly, as if that victory was enough to dispel all the gloom.

"Frensburg ahead, all personnel turn due south, maximum speed."

As Hannah's clear and decisive voice came through the communicator, Angela took a deep breath, forcefully pulled the control stick in front of her, and the nose of the plane slowly turned. In front of her was the outline of the military camp of the three-nation allied forces.

As the power lever was pushed to its limit, the "thump-thump" of the engine in the front of the machine became more and more intense, as rapid as a heartbeat. The machine body then trembled violently, and the vibration was transmitted to Angela through the seat and control lever, making her involuntarily think of the familiar tractor in the fields of her hometown.

The first female tractor driver in the Principality of Wesen rejected the boyfriend her father introduced her to, had a big fight with her family, ran away from home, and joined the Air Force.

The powerful thrust from the implosion engines, combined with the fierce push from the rear by the howling north wind, propelled the entire fleet forward at an unprecedented speed, with the wind cutting like knives across the wings.

The fabric pieces bearing the words "Rhein Air Force" on the fuselages of many aircraft were being torn apart by the strong wind, revealing the original "Rhein Postal Service" lettering underneath.

The journey of more than ten kilometers flew by amidst the roar of engines. The Allied army camp and the Red Waterwheel Village fortress gradually came into view. Wisps of smoke, blown away by the wind, drifted on the ground like strands of green silk. The flags at the top of the flagpoles fluttered violently, providing the female pilots with precise wind speed references.

Angela spotted his target, gently shifted the control stick, and the plane steadily flew overhead, with the Winged Hussars' camp right in front of him.

In the morning light, many people were queuing up to get breakfast. Soldiers were chatting and laughing as they held bowls and spoons by the steaming pots.

The sound of engines in the air drew everyone's attention as the plane flew low towards the military camp like a giant bird.

The young people looked up curiously, pointing at the strange flying object and discussing it animatedly, while the expressions of several veterans who had participated in the Battle of the Elbe River changed drastically.

Their eyes widened, and they hurriedly shouted, "Quickly, disperse the horses!"

His voice trembled with fear. He still vividly remembered the fire rain that Duke Wessen had unleashed that day, like a descent from hell, instantly opening the door to defeat. The image of the flames engulfing everything still lingered in his mind.

The Winged Hussars camp was thrown into chaos. Soldiers ran around in panic, and horses neighed as they were led away, but the expected explosions or fire attacks did not occur.

Instead, bundles of leaflets poured down from the belly of the plane like snowflakes, carried by the gale, swirling and flying in the wind, scattering between tents, on stables, and in steaming pots.

The soldiers initially bent down to pick them up out of curiosity, some even laughing and saying that Weisenjun was going to kill them with the paper. Their smiles froze instantly on their faces.

The flyer featured a clear black-and-white photograph of a castle engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing into the sky.

The content is not limited to one type; there are also completely destroyed docks, warehouses engulfed in flames, and sunken ships in the river.

Below is a passage written in several languages: The Weisen army launched a special military operation against the Kingdom of Piaster, and Gubin Castle and its reinforcements have been reduced to ashes.

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

The words and photos coldly revealed a cruel truth to everyone: their logistical warehouse, on which they depended for survival, had been reduced to scorched ruins, and the allied transport fleet that had promised to support them had all sunk to the bottom of the sea.

The leaflets slammed down like heavy hammers, freezing the entire military camp in an instant, plunging it into a deathly silence, with only the sharp howling of the north wind echoing in their ears.

Some people slumped to the ground, staring blankly into the distance.

Some people gripped the leaflets so tightly that their knuckles turned white and their veins bulged.

The high morale boost from defeating the Wesson army crumbled and disintegrated like a sandcastle in the face of the biting wind and the even more chilling truth. A priest was treating Kazimir's head injury; the leaflet distribution had been a bit rushed, and a bundle of leaflets had fallen from the sky without being untied.

Kazimir's face was grim. Less than half an hour earlier, he had received a real telegram from home.

Wei Senjun launched a surprise attack on a key telegraph station node in the country, sending false messages to the front lines while intercepting the real messages.

The leaflets were true; the warehouse was burned to the ground, and the Anglo Kingdom's fleet was destroyed.

This made Kazimir hesitant to implement information control immediately, and the news spread quickly.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty Kosdorf and His Majesty Snellman have arrived."

As soon as the attendant finished his report, Snellman strode into the tent and asked loudly, "Your Majesty Kazimir, is what those papers that fell from the sky about true?"

Kosdorf's face was grim.

If only the Kingdom of Piaster runs out of food, the Kingdom of Anglo can send its fleet to other places to gather food.

If only the Anglo Kingdom's fleet is gone, their existing fleet can still transport the grain.

Now that both are gone, the land transport lines have been threatened by the Weisen Army first, and the supply lines have been completely cut off.

Kazimir remained silent, and everyone felt a chill run through them.

“Don’t worry,” Kosdorf reassured everyone, “His Majesty Kazimir’s Winged Hussars on the other side of the river can detach some of their forces to venture south and collect grain…”

Before he finished speaking, a communications soldier rushed into the tent.

"Your Majesty, our army on the other side of the river is under attack!"

Casimir stood up abruptly and asked, "The Wessen Army has arrived?"

Kosdorf said in a deep voice, "Wesson's army is using a combination of tactics. First, they use leaflets to lower morale, and then they start their attack."

Snellman frowned and said, "This isn't right. Logically, they should wait a day or two until we get impatient before attacking. Isn't it too early to attack now?"

After a moment's thought, Kazimir said, "This must be part of what's damaging our morale, along with those leaflets."

"We are far from Hanma City. The Rhine army in the fortress cannot retreat in an orderly manner and will continue to be attacked by us on the way. Only by defeating our main force can the Rhine army be relieved of its predicament."

“I think Wei Senjun also wants to draw our attention to the other side of the river, and then pretend to cross the river to further attract our attention.”

“Wesen’s army will surely wait until we shift our focus to the riverbank or even the opposite bank before launching an attack from the west or north.”

Kosdorf and Snellman thought it made sense; not to mention fighting, hunters often use this tactic when hunting.

Kosdorf said, "Let's withdraw the Winged Hussars from the other side and strengthen the defenses here."

Kazimir immediately gave the order.

But it's too late.

(End of this chapter)