RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 21: Case Yellow (Day 6 – Rosa uses Sledgehammer… It was super effective)

RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 21: Case Yellow (Day 6 – Rosa uses Sledgehammer... It was super effective)

Metz, Nancy, Luneville, and Strasbourg are cities as close to the Southern Maginot frontline as they can possibly be. So it's understandable that these places are also heavily defended, if not by formidable fortifications, then by numerous garrisons. When the Maginot Line was broken in the early days of Case Yellow, these cities were all the Loyalists who still had left before the complete collapse of the Southern Front. Reinforced by retreating units from the Maginot Line, the cities turn into pseudo fortresses that, while can be easily dealt with by the Belkan military, still pose a major challenge to the Reformists'. Unlike the swift seizure of Beaumont on the other part of the front, these four Loyalist cities are fought over in a manner akin to that of modern siege warfare.

The Loyalists used the emplacements on the cities' walls to defend against the attacking Reformist forces. On either side of the walls, artillery batteries constantly traded fire. The debris flying, the smells of blood and gunpowder, the ashen atmosphere... It brings back memories of the Great War in the eyes of both Loyalists and Reformists alike. Then there's the constant streams of bullets and artillery shells whistling and exploding all over. The death cries and the screams for whatever that can ease their pain can be heard but up and below the walls. In a mere 24 hours, the sieges staged around the four Loyalist cities made the veterans recall the longest siege in modern history. In the First World War, Belka and Ustio waged 303 days of consecutive battle around the White Rock Fortress. A decisive battle that ended up in a bitter draw for the Belkans of that time. In the minds of the Loyalists, or at least some of them, they're hoping to stage such a drawn-out battle, if only to bide their time and tire out the Belkan-Reformist coalition.

Were it so easy for them.

Knowing that a protracted siege, not to mention multiple, can completely bankrupt her Army, Rosa decides to break out the big guns. The Princess of the Reformists first dialed in requests for Belkan precision bombings, just enough to soften the enemy resistance, yet not being overkilled to damage the cities' infrastructure. Rosa then commandeered Thomas the Train and its crew after they came up with Yuki's looted heavy armaments in Bulson. The crew, with the aid of some Reformist engineers, fashioned new carriages for the looted 220 mm howitzers. These carriages act as transportable firing platforms when hooked up to Thomas. Though not as protected as any of them would like, the added mobility allows the 220 mm guns to be mobile siege breakers. Rosa put Thomas and the guns to work just that.

Now, after using the Ustian train network to do a half circle around Metz, Thomas and its crew come to a slow stop beyond the effective engagement distance of the Loyalists on the walls. Adam, using the camera of an RCWS to scan the intended target of the 220 mm guns, says.

"The walls sure took a beating, alright." Adam talks about the state of Metz's city walls.

Lukas, standing by Adam adds.

"Yet they still stand defiantly despite the Reformists' attacks. They tried to displace the Loyalists while doing as little damage as possible to the walls. Regardless, as you have seen, it's not really successful when the very last thing that stands between the Loyalists' defeat and victory is that very wall."

"And since getting the Loyalists off that wall the slightly softer way didn't work..."

Lukas finishes the sentence for Adam. "We brought along the sledgehammer."

The both of them then move to a rear-facing vision port. It's there that they can lay their eyes on the artillery carriages they were pulling along.

"Fancy guns, aren't they?" Lukas comments.

Even the disciplined Adam can't keep a whistle from escaping his mouth. "Now that... That's highly impressive. That right there is the ultimate recreation of a castle siege. Kinda wished we could have one of those instead of the 88 now."

Lukas shakes his head with a laugh. "Brother, please, I work my ass off replacing our armor plates and paint job constantly. I don't need something more complicated than that to maintain. Hell, by the time we complete the trips to the other cities, I will have to check and patch every single bolt on Thomas because the recoil of these guns is so outlandishly absurd."

"A shame." Adam comments. "I guess that dream of an actual Land Battleship is still a bit far off."

"We're technically a Land Dragon already, why the Hell do we need a Land Battleship?" Lukas deadpans. "This is pretty much the only train in the entire world with enough firepower to raze an entire city district!"

Adam shrugs with a smirk.

"Well, a man sure can dream, no? Perhaps in the future, the Marshal will see it fit to give us even more guns. Don't tell me that doesn't make you excited, Lukas."

"It does." Lukas nods, sighing. "But I dread the moment when Thomas needs that much firepower. By that time, the threat we will be facing is probably a cut worse than the usual, like Warsaw level of worse."

"That can happen," Adam frowns. "Knowing our luck..."

As the pair mull over potential future scenarios, the Reformists utilize the shocked Loyalists to mount yet another attack. This time, they gain ground faster and more efficiently than before due to the breach in the Loyalists' defense. It doesn't take a genius to know that the siege of Metz is over. What comes next will be a series of urban fighting, something that the Reformists have an advantage over the Loyalists, owing to their more numerous and effective automatic weapons.

After Metz's capture, Rosa will go on a roll, subsuming more cities on her part of the front. While her progress is undoubtedly slower than that of the Reich Marshal, it's still highly impressive considering her lower and disproportionated technological level in general.