Chapter 150 The Battle of Poland (13)

9 pm.

Wilhelm from the headquarters was finishing supper with the generals when a staff officer came in with a thick stack of documents. "Your Highness, this is the statistical report on casualties and missing persons of each army group."

Wilhelm nodded. "Miss Anne, I want to read this to everyone."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Anne picked up the top statistics table and started reading. "Battle casualty statistics report as of 7pm on the first day of 'White Ops'.

The statistics of losses of Army Group North are as follows:

Officer: 24 dead, 45 injured, 3 missing (no casualties above the battalion commander);

Soldiers: 256 dead, 802 wounded, 159 missing.

The statistics of the losses of Army Group Baltic are as follows:

Officer: 11 dead, 19 injured, 1 missing (no casualties above company commander);

Soldiers; 103 dead, 236 wounded, 25 missing.

The loss statistics of Army Group South are as follows:

Officers: 28 dead, 62 injured, 4 missing (no casualties above the regimental commander);

Soldiers: 293 dead, 710 wounded, 122 missing.

The statistics of losses of land, sea and air force are as follows:

Air Force Aviation: 22 injured, 51 missing;

Army Aviation: 16 wounded, 25 missing;

Naval Aviation: 1 injured, 11 missing.

The Baltic Fleet suffered no casualties. The total number of casualties and missing persons in various ministries was 3,029. The following is the number of losses of various equipment..."

Wilhelm waved his hand, indicating that she didn't need to read it anymore.

Guns can be rebuilt, cars can be repaired after being destroyed, and countries can be restored after being destroyed, but people cannot be resurrected from the dead! Those who stay at home will know that they have lost their sons, husbands or fathers, no matter who they are, in No matter what identity they carry in their families, they all have to experience the pain of losing their loved ones.

Because of his words, thousands of people went to the battlefield to fight with the enemy, but now he knew that the feeling of controlling the fate of thousands of people was not so glamorous. Maybe I really am not the one. Should I find my father and let him lead the country instead of him traveling around and not caring about worldly affairs?

But thinking about it on the other hand, no matter how wise his father is, he can't be better than him who has decades of history.

After thinking about it, Wilhelm could only forcefully comfort himself that the sacrifice of a few people today is for the happiness of many people tomorrow. Moreover, because the time was relatively short, the statistics of injured personnel did not distinguish between minor injuries and serious injuries. Many missing personnel may have simply become separated and may return to the army soon. The actual losses (killed, seriously wounded, and unrecoverable missing) were probably less than 3,000.

Looking at Wilhelm's gloomy face, all the generals couldn't help but look at each other. In their eyes, this is simply a great victory and a miracle! I wonder what else your Highness is unhappy about?

Rundstedt, the most senior person, asked carefully. "Your Highness, is this a great victory?"

Wilhelm showed a smile. "Since you think it is a great victory, it must be reported grandly. Miss Anne, inform Dr. Goebbels and ask him to come."

Goebbels, who was woken up in the middle of the night, hurried to the headquarters to see the report with his own eyes. "3029 people? How many kilometers have we exceeded?"

A staff officer brought him to a huge map of Poland, pointing to the densely packed arrows on it and explaining. "The Southern Army Group has advanced 47 kilometers and 42 kilometers into Lodz Province and Lesser Poland Province respectively... This is the situation as of 7 o'clock yesterday afternoon. By midnight, it is estimated that our two army groups have broken through 70 kilometers into the enemy's depth. It's over a kilometer."

"70 kilometers...in less than 24 hours, only 3,029 people were lost, of which only 715 were killed. This is so unreal!" Goebbels looked at Wilhelm with some embarrassment. "Your Highness, I'm afraid no one will believe this news. I'm afraid adding a zero after this loss won't be too much for anyone." Moreover, when this report is reported, it must be handed over to the Prime Minister so that he can present it at the press conference tomorrow morning. At the meeting, he announced to the world the achievements of the German Wehrmacht on the first day of the war. He was worried that other countries would say that the Germans were bragging.

Wilhelm smiled. "Dr. Goebbels, this is modern warfare, and it is not comparable to the 'ancient' war model of the last war. Those stubborn guys still think that war is about digging trenches deep, and the days when multiple machine guns can fight for a long time are gone. Never again. Tank swarms can easily break through trenches and barbed wire to crush the enemy. Unless the opponent uses a mobile anti-tank gun group, it will simply not be able to withstand the attack of the tank swarm."

"But, but... Your Highness, I'm afraid others won't believe it!" Goebbels still hesitated. "You said that propaganda is also war, and the true meaning of propaganda war is not to tell the truth or to tell lies, but to say what people are most willing to believe and what is most beneficial to us. Now we must let the Soviet Union, Britain and France I believe Germany has made a major breakthrough, so the numbers we publish internationally had better appear more authentic and credible..."

Dr. Goebel is a propaganda expert and knows the importance of propaganda wars. Even before the war broke out, Dr. Goebel had developed a comprehensive propaganda strategy. Including the atrocities committed by the Germans against the Germans, praising the bravery and fearlessness of the German soldiers, and promoting the barbarism and backwardness of the Polish army.

But Poland's bravery should not be denied. Bravery is the consistent impression that Poles have given to European people, and there is no need to subvert it. Nor should Poland be packaged as a vulnerable opponent... This is neither factual nor likely to give rise to the impression that Germany is bullying the weak.

Wilhelm waved, asked Goebbels to come closer and asked in a low voice. "Dr. Goebbels, don't you think that showing our army to be too strong will make Britain and France more fearful?"

Goebbels nodded slightly. "Your Highness is wise."

"It's better to make them afraid. Do you think there will be nothing to do after conquering Poland?" Wilhelm found that he had not had a good chat with the propaganda expert about his lofty ambitions for some time, so that he felt that his ambitions were just for Poland. "Well, you go back and prepare to publish this news in the newspaper. Come over and have breakfast together tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Your Highness. Then I'll go back and get ready." Just as Goebbels left, a livid-faced Ribbentrop hurried in. "Your Highness! Something happened!!"

What other major events can you, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, inform about? Is it just about Britain, France or the Soviet Union? Based on the historical virtues of Britain and France, it would take a day to officially declare war. Oh, maybe there will be an ultimatum tomorrow requiring them to immediately stop the attack or something. Then all that's left is the Soviet Union. "The Soviet Union did not declare war on Poland?"

Ribbentrop was shocked. This was the latest news he had just received from the Soviet ambassador. His Highness actually knew it earlier than he did? "Yes. That damn Stalin broke his promise. He did not declare war on Poland, these treacherous bears!" He gritted his teeth at the end of the sentence. This was simply a complete betrayal!

If possible, he really wanted to fly to Moscow right now, confront Stalin face to face, and ask him why he could be so shameless?

"Oh." Compared to the indignant Ribbentrop, Wilhelm's reaction was very dull. "It's good to get used to it. Just be more cautious when negotiating with them in the future. Because they are sure that the cost of not being trustworthy is very low, but the gain is much. So if you can't be trustworthy, you won't be." Anyway. Every stupid thing Stalin has done will be accounted for in the future, and there is no rush.

Ribbentrop was stunned. "But wouldn't this mean that our country could fight alone against the three major powers of Britain, France and Poland?"

Wilhelm smiled slightly. "Don't worry, I didn't expect the Soviet Union to do anything from the beginning. Poland? This big country can only support it for half a month at most. As for Britain and France, when they are ready, we have already sent troops to the Western Front, so there is no need to worry."

Seeing Wilhelm so calm, Ribbentrop also felt relieved. "Then we don't need to protest to Moscow?"

"No need." Wilhelm shook his head very simply. "We'll see if Stalin can still sit still after the Soviet ambassador sends the contents of the newspaper to Moscow tomorrow. After all, if they don't take action, we will get more territory, and we may monopolize the entire Poland."