The annihilation of the Russian Guards' 2nd Army Corps was undeniably a catastrophic blow for the Russian 9th Army Corps. Although General Letzski had come to terms with the impossibility of rescuing the 2nd Corps, he had yet to make a decisive choice regarding a retreat.
The German forces stationed at Siedlce stood like an impregnable fortress, completely sealing off the northern route of the 9th Army Corps. Their formidable firepower left the Russians helpless; any rash attempts to assault the German positions resulted in devastating losses, instilling a deep caution in General Letzski.
On the morning of September 14, Letzski received the news of the 2nd Corps' obliteration.
"General, the 2nd Army Corps has been annihilated by the Germans; nearly the entire force has been wiped out. General Kravopovich has also fallen into German hands," an officer reported.
This message was relayed by a signalman before Kravopovich was captured. The fall of the 2nd Corps was now inevitable, yet Kravopovich hoped that Letzski would not repeat his own missteps. After all, the 9th Army Corps had made every effort to rescue the 2nd Corps in its hour of need.
"Damn it! A corps of two hundred thousand men consumed by the Germans in just three days! When did the Germans become this formidable?" Letzski exclaimed in frustration. Though he had already grasped the Germans' capabilities during encounters with the 20th Army, the swift destruction of the 2nd Corps shocked him profoundly.
"General, what shall we do now? With the 2nd Corps gone, we are surely next on the Germans' target list."
"Order the troops to retreat immediately. We cannot remain in the Kingdom of Poland any longer; we must return to the Southwestern Front!" Letzski commanded without hesitation.
In the wake of the 2nd Corps' demise, remaining in Poland to continue fighting the Germans would be tantamount to courting death. To ensure his own survival and that of his troops, Letzski had no choice but to order a retreat. The Southwestern Front still housed several hundred thousand Russian soldiers, and if they could regroup, their safety would be assured. As for Tsar Nicholas II's orders, Letzski understood that self-preservation was paramount. He believed even the Tsar would comprehend his actions under such dire circumstances.
Meanwhile, General Ivan Zhilinski, anxiously awaiting reinforcements in Warsaw, was conveniently overlooked by Letzski. Letzski harbored deep dissatisfaction towards Zhilinski; had it not been for his reckless commands, they might not have been defeated so swiftly by the Germans. Zhilinski could be considered a significant contributor to the downfall of the 2nd Corps and the crisis facing the 9th Corps.
"Yes, General," an officer responded promptly to carry out the orders.
"Alas! I wonder if we can actually prevail in this battle? The Germans are so powerful; provoking such an enemy seems utterly foolish," Letzski mused, shaking his head.
However, the war had already begun, and ending it would prove no easy task. As soldiers of the Russian Empire, all they could do was exert their utmost efforts to secure victory for their homeland.
The beleaguered 9th Army Corps began its retreat from Siedlce, though its strength had been significantly diminished compared to when they had first entered the Kingdom of Poland. At Siedlce, the 9th Corps had suffered losses of at least fifty thousand men. Nevertheless, Letzski would be content if the remaining troops could safely evacuate Poland and reunite with the Southwestern Front. As for the lost manpower, it was of little concern to Russia; they could replenish their ranks at any time. With the mobilization progressing, they no longer lacked soldiers.
In Cehanow, the headquarters of the German 8th Army Corps was filled with laughter.
The near-total annihilation of the Russian Guards' 2nd Corps by the 8th Corps was a monumental victory for the entire army.
"Your Highness, based on our estimates, no more than five thousand of the 2nd Corps escaped. The rest have either been killed or captured. We have effectively eliminated half of what was heralded as the most elite unit of the Russian army!" General Hindenburg declared, beaming with satisfaction.
The Russian Guards, deemed the elite of the imperial army, comprised only two corps with over four hundred thousand men. Yet now, one entire corps had been easily consumed by the Germans. It was clear how significant this loss would be for the Russian military and Tsar Nicholas II.
Qin Tian nodded with a smile. "If we could persuade Nicholas II to send the 1st Guards Army to the front, it would be most advantageous. In that case, victory over Russia could come swiftly!"
Qin Tian's implication referred to his covert support for the Bolsheviks. If the Bolsheviks could incite an uprising in Russia, plunging the nation into chaos, the Germans would be just a step away from victory in this war. Once Russia was dealt with, Britain and France would no longer pose a significant threat.
Without the burden of fighting a two-front war, Qin Tian believed that, given the strength of Germany in this timeline, victory was all but assured. After all, despite some setbacks on the Western Front, the German army retained the initiative overall. Even if Moltke's current efforts at the Marne were unsuccessful and costly, such losses would not severely cripple the formidable German forces. With a bit of preparation, they could undoubtedly defeat the British and French forces.
As for the German navy, it now held absolute dominance in the Atlantic. The British were nearing suffocation under German naval power. Should the Germans triumph in the upcoming naval confrontation, their ultimate victory in this war would be inevitable.
Thus, Qin Tian remained exceedingly optimistic about the future situation.
"Your Highness, the 1st Guards Army is Nicholas II's last line of defense. They are the primary force safeguarding St. Petersburg, and he is unlikely to part with them easily," Major Ludendorff remarked, believing it would not be so simple to mobilize the 1st Guards Army.