Special Operations Team

“Yes, Colonel,” Lorraine admitted, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. But he didn’t look away. “So, I’m wondering, besides these standard recommendations that passively rely on fixed positions, is there anything else we can do?”

"Others?" Delater asked, intrigued. "Like what?"

The idea had been swirling in Loran's mind for days. When he saw Ramirez's carefully disguised machine gun, when he heard Bernard's concerns about the birch forest, and when he saw the engineers' lack of equipment and the fear and confusion in the young soldiers' eyes, the idea gradually took shape.

He comes from an era of information explosion, and even if he is not a military expert, he has been immersed in countless concepts about special operations, harassment behind enemy lines, and asymmetric warfare.

The French army in front of them was still stuck in the mindset of trench warfare from World War I.

"A small but highly skilled special operations team, Colonel." Loran took a half step forward, his tone becoming urgent but firm. "Not part of any fixed company, reporting directly to division headquarters, or rather, to you. Its mission is not to hold positions, but to carry out unconventional missions before, during, and after the lines are breached."

Delater didn't interrupt, but gestured for him to continue. Claude also looked focused, standing quietly to the side waiting for what was to come.

"Specifically," Loran thought quickly, "first, strengthen forward reconnaissance and early warning. Instead of relying on fixed observation posts, proactively infiltrate our side of the Ardennes Forest and even further into suspected areas to establish concealed observation points and use more flexible communication methods to try to detect enemy activity earlier than conventional outposts."

"Second, harassment and delay. If German advance troops or engineering units are discovered, conduct small-scale, highly mobile attacks, while ensuring your own safety, to destroy their bridging equipment, harass supply lines, snipe key personnel, or even just create chaos and delay them for a few hours."

"Third, after the defensive line is breached, act as a fire brigade or eyes. Direct artillery fire, harass the flanks and rear of the advancing enemy, gather scattered soldiers, and provide cover and information for retreating troops."

He paused, and seeing that Delater was listening attentively, he continued with the most crucial part: "This squad doesn't need many people, ten to fifteen elite soldiers will suffice. But it needs the best soldiers. Accurate marksmanship, familiarity with the forest terrain, the ability to operate independently and in close coordination, strong mental fortitude, and the ability to endure long periods of infiltration and high tension. In terms of equipment, priority will be given to automatic weapons, sniper rifles, demolition equipment, binoculars, and reliable radios. They need a great deal of operational autonomy, and should not have to strictly adhere to fixed defensive zones, but can launch flexible attacks based on the actual situation."

After speaking in one breath, Lorraine felt slightly out of breath. This idea was beyond the standard tactical manuals of the French army at this time, and he didn't know how Delatter would react.

The colonel remained silent for a long time, his fingers slowly tracing circles on the table, a barely perceptible look of shock in his eyes.

Clearly, he had never heard of such a squad before and was now considering it carefully.

He first looked at Claude: "Captain Claude, what do you think? Can we find someone like that in our division? Is it even possible to equip him with that kind of gear?"

Claude pondered for a moment, a thoughtful glint in his eyes: "Perhaps people can. Each battalion and company has some special guys—sharpshooters, old hunters familiar with the forests, seasoned veterans with eccentric temperaments but exceptional skills. Pulling them out of their original units will face some resistance, but if it's under your orders, Colonel, there shouldn't be any problem. Equipment will be difficult; automatic weapons are scarce, most sniper rifles are old-fashioned modifications, and high-performance radios are even more precious. However," he glanced at Loran, "if the number can really be kept to around ten, pieced together from various sources, perhaps we can squeeze some out from the division's direct units and inventory."

Delater nodded, his gaze returning to Loran: "Lieutenant Loran, your idea is very bold. To those old men in the General Staff, it's utter nonsense. Why divert precious troops and equipment to engage in small-scale harassment? They believe in ironclad defenses and honorable battles."

His tone was neither positive nor negative. Loran's heart sank.

"But," Delater's tone shifted, his gaze turning serious, "I'm a veteran of Verdun. I know that sometimes, a few snipers hidden in the ruins, a commando unit that sneaks behind enemy lines, can disrupt the enemy's rhythm and boost morale more than an entire company holding the front line, if we still have any morale."

He stood up, walked to the large map on the wall, and turned his back to the two men: "Your report tells me that we can't hold out. So, instead of sitting and waiting to die, betting everything on a fixed defensive line that is destined to collapse, we should keep a backup plan. It may not be of much use, but at least it can give the enemy a bite, make them hesitate when they advance, and buy our men a few more minutes to escape."

He turned around, a resolute look finally appearing on his face: "I agree in principle. Lieutenant Loran, you came up with this idea, and you understand its purpose best. Captain Claude is familiar with the unit. You two will be in charge, and get this 'Special Operations Team' up and running as soon as possible."

"Yes, Colonel!" Lorraine and Claude said at the same time.

"Don't get too excited." Delater waved his hand, his expression stern. "Procedurally, I won't give you formal organization status. For now, you'll operate under the name of the 'Division Headquarters Direct Reconnaissance Enhanced Platoon,' directly commanded by Captain Claude, with Lieutenant Loran as your tactical advisor and deputy. You'll select the personnel; just give me the list, and I'll coordinate the allocation. I'll contact the logistics department to allow you priority access to equipment within the division's capabilities, but don't expect too much new stuff. I can make special approvals for training grounds and ammunition allocations."

He walked back to the table, his gaze sharp. "Time is of the essence. I don't know when the Germans will make their move—it could be a month, or it could be next week. Or they might choose to give up, which would be best, but we still need to be fully prepared. You have one week. Within that week, I want to see this team basically formed, possessing basic collaborative combat capabilities. Understand?"

"Understood!" the two replied in unison.

"Remember," Delater concluded, his voice low and firm, "the existence and mission of this squad are currently known only to the three of us. Be careful in selecting personnel; besides ability, their discretion is paramount. I don't want to cause unnecessary panic or controversy within the division before the Germans even arrive. Go."

Stepping out of the colonel's office, Lorraine felt a mix of exhilaration and immense pressure.

"Looks like we're in for a lot of work, Mr. Advisor." Claude patted Loran on the shoulder with a wry smile. "Let's get this straight, I'll handle the offending people. As for how to train this group of tough guys who are likely to be unwilling to submit to each other, you'll have to come up with something real."

"Of course." Loran nodded, his mind already racing. Building and initially training a special squad from scratch in a week was almost impossible, but this was a precious opportunity for them.

In the following days, a quiet recruitment and preparation operation unfolded both inside and outside the Sedan Division headquarters.

With his senior staff officer status and knowledge of the various units, Claude, carrying Colonel Delater's order, began moving between the battalions and companies.

He talked to the company and battalion commanders, checked the rosters and combat records, and even went directly to the training grounds and dormitories to observe. His goal was clear: to recruit soldiers with special skills who might be out of place or underutilized in regular units.

The process wasn't always smooth sailing. An infantry battalion commander was furious about having to take away his two best sharpshooters, an engineer company commander was reluctant to part with a dangerous individual who knew how to handle various explosives, and some soldiers themselves were unwilling to leave their familiar unit for a new unit that sounded uncertain.

But Claude used a combination of persuasion and pressure, sometimes citing the colonel's orders, and sometimes describing the challenges and opportunities the new unit might face, and the results were surprisingly good. Lorraine was responsible for interviewing the initially selected personnel, assessing not only their military skills but also their psychological stability, independent thinking ability, and willingness to accept unconventional tasks.

At the same time, Loran began drafting preliminary training outlines and tactical regulations.

Without readily available teaching materials, he could only combine his limited theoretical knowledge with his understanding of the current battlefield environment, emphasizing teamwork and communication, concealment and camouflage, close-quarters combat and disengagement tactics, the use and disposal of improvised explosive devices, and basic reconnaissance and reporting procedures.

He knew that it was impossible to train them into real special forces soldiers in a short period of time. He could only instill some key concepts and practical skills to give them more resources to survive and cause trouble than ordinary soldiers.

Procurement of equipment was extremely difficult. They eventually borrowed two reasonably usable FM-24/29 light machine guns, three Lebel rifles with scopes as sniper rifles, five MAS-36 rifles, and several pistols from the division headquarters warehouse and directly subordinate units.

The demolition equipment consisted only of conventional explosive blocks, fuses, and a small number of anti-tank mines. They acquired a bulky ERG 1938 radio, which had decent power but was heavy, along with several lighter but shorter-range smaller radios. In addition, they had binoculars, compasses, machetes, extra ammunition, and rations. Loran also specifically requested that some pictures of German uniforms and equipment be collected so that the team members could familiarize themselves with them.

A week later, in a secluded training area with woods and abandoned buildings behind the Sedan fortress, twelve team members assembled. They varied in height and build, wore slightly different uniforms, and wore expressions of curiosity, doubt, or impatience. Among them were the taciturn veteran Ramirez, Boucher, from the engineer company whose eyes would light up when handling explosives, Lefebvre, a young man from a hunting background who moved silently in the woods, and several infantrymen with excellent marksmanship but fiery tempers.

As the nominal commander, Claude gave a brief address, emphasizing the squad's special status and confidentiality requirements.

Then, he gave his place to Lorraine.

Loran walked up to the newly assembled, far from complete squad and, without further ado, pointed directly to the area behind him simulating complex terrain: "Gentlemen, welcome to 'Fire Brigade,' that's our unofficial codename. For the foreseeable future, we won't be stuck in fixed trenches. Our mission is to spot the enemy before they do, strike them where they least expect it, and disappear before they can react. We might venture deep into the forest, lie in ambush right under their noses, or operate alone after the lines have crumbled. It's dangerous; there's a high chance we won't return."

He scanned each face: "I can't guarantee you'll survive, but I can guarantee that if you learn what I'm about to teach and trust your comrades, your chances of survival will be slightly greater than if you stayed in a fixed position, and you'll cause the enemy more trouble than you imagine. Now, does anyone want to quit? This is your last chance. Go back to your original unit, and no one will blame you."

A brief silence followed. A soldier scratched his head and muttered, "Sounds more interesting than squatting." This elicited a few suppressed laughs, but no one stepped forward.

There is no doubt that people with strong personalities are very concerned about their image.

"Very good." Loran nodded, a hint of seriousness appearing on his face for the first time. "Then, from today onwards, forget your old company numbers. We are a new group. Lesson one: group formation and basic signals. Lesson two: I've hidden five markers in this wood. Two people per group, find them and return within one hour without me noticing. I'll start the timer."

The special operations team "Firefighting Team" thus began its training, albeit haltingly, under the gloomy sky of Sedan and amidst an atmosphere filled with doubt.

The days passed slowly.

In late April in Sedan, the weather was unpredictable, sometimes sunny with warm breezes rustling through the newly sprouted grass along the banks of the Meuse River. Other times, it was raining incessantly, the cold rain soaking through the trenches, leaving a pervasive smell of mud and mildew.

This weather is much like the current mood of the military and France as a whole: a fragile calm on the surface, but a growing numbness and unease surging beneath.

The firefighting team's training was proceeding at breakneck speed. Loran's time was compressed to the limit. He no longer had the concept of a full night's sleep; his mind was crammed with training exercises, personnel coordination, equipment lists, and constantly revised emergency plans.

Colonel Delater delivered on his promise, granting them a relatively independent training area and limited material priority, but that was all. Larger-scale defensive adjustments continued to stagnate, with orders from higher levels sometimes demanding heightened vigilance, and other times emphasizing avoiding provocation and maintaining restraint—a suffocating contradiction.

This typical bureaucratic style forced Loran to scratch his head, relieve the immense pressure in his heart, and then pretend that nothing had happened.