Chapter 258 Night Attack
Heinrich successfully persuaded Leopold, and the two finally exchanged opinions and convened a meeting of the commanders of the entire brigade to perfect the details of the combat plan.
All officers above the company level were present in this meeting, and as time was tight, it was better for them to go back and prepare in advance.
Heixingen had only two infantry regiments and a combat battalion directly under the brigade headquarters, and there were only twenty to thirty officers above the company level.
Due to the needs of the war, the command post was not located in a civilian area, but a separate semi-bunker-style building. It was built in a relatively short time, so it was rather crowded. The officers of the Hexingen Brigade gathered in the small space of the command post, and the combat meeting began.
"After discussion between Staff Officer Heinrich and I, we have decided to launch a surprise attack on the French in the suburbs tonight. Staff Officer Heinrich will now explain the reasons to you. I personally agree with it. You can raise any objections or suggestions you have," Leopold said.
Heinrich then began to repeat what he had said to Leopold before: "... In summary, I think this is a good opportunity. The opportunity is fleeting. If we miss it tonight, we will be in a passive situation tomorrow."
After Heinrich finished speaking, Leopold said, "Tell me what you think!"
The commander of the first regiment said, "I support the initiative to attack. We should take advantage of the night to fish in troubled waters. This is the first combat of the Hei Xinggen Brigade. It is different from previous exercises. We need to see blood. Although the darkness cannot cover up the smell, it can visually reduce the impact of the war on these students."
"I have no objection, but we must be fully prepared for this war. As you said, this is the first battle of the Heixingen Brigade, so we should not be reckless..." said the commander of the second regiment.
After nearly an hour of discussion, the deployment of this battle and the tasks of each unit were finally determined.
"Okay, now you go back and make preparations, mobilize the soldiers' thoughts, and don't let them down at the critical moment." Leopold said tiredly.
As soon as Leopold finished speaking, everyone began to leave in an orderly manner.
…
According to the meeting arrangements, the kitchen staff of the Heixinggen Brigade began to work overtime. They poured boxes of canned beef stew with potatoes into the pot, stirred it, and added onions and simmered it directly in a large pot.
"Everyone, listen up. This isn't a drill. If you die, you really die. Your opponents are experienced Frenchmen, so don't let your guard down. If you meet them in the forest, kill them!"
As he spoke, Platoon Leader Otto began to distribute cigarettes and beer to the soldiers in his platoon. He stuffed a pack of cigarettes and beer into the soldiers' hands and said, "Before you set off, if you are afraid, just smoke one or drink a bottle. You will have no chance when you get to the battlefield."
…
It was twelve o'clock in the middle of the night. In the pitch-black environment, the soldiers of the Hei Xinggen Brigade quietly opened a gap and poked their heads out from the fortifications one by one.
"Keep up, don't get separated, and when you're almost at the destination, bend down. Don't stand there like a log until you find the enemy's position." The officer ordered his subordinates while keeping his voice as low as possible.
After leaving David Wright's position, there were only country roads, farmlands and canals nearby. Under the cover of darkness, small groups of people passed through the wheat fields and slowly approached the edge of the forest.
Gradually, the French position appeared in front of them, and Heinrich began to observe the enemy situation carefully.
From the French army's simple positions, it can be seen that this French army really rushed here overnight. They didn't even dig trenches. The camp was also rather chaotic, and the sentries were all over the place.
"Tell the troops to be ready. When you hear gunshots, charge forward. Load your bayonets and other close-combat weapons in advance. There may not be time to reload."
As the troops were ready, the time came to twelve fifty-seven and Heinrich fired the first shot of the attack.
Then, the two infantry regiments of the Hechingen Brigade rushed into the French positions.
"Bang……"
"Where is the gunfire coming from?" The commander of the 54th French Brigade woke up from his sleep.
"Report to the brigade commander, an unknown armed force suddenly attacked our troops!"
"What unidentified armed forces? It's obviously the Germans on the opposite side who want to launch a sneak attack when we are unprepared. Stop talking nonsense now and quickly organize the troops to counterattack!" The 54th Brigade picked up their pistols and led their men to the front line, wanting to organize the French army to launch a counterattack.
But just as he walked out of the camp, a bullet fired at him. Fortunately, it did not hit him, but the guard next to him was injured in the arm.
"Commander, the lights here attract the enemy. We can't stay here. We're just sitting ducks."
There was a kerosene lamp lit in the tent of the commander of the 54th Brigade, so it was quite eye-catching in the darkness.
"We are experiencing similar situations in other places with light. Darkness is the only safe place. Commander, we can only fight the enemy in the dark now!"
It was impossible to organize the army in such a dark environment, and the Hechingen Brigade was completely mixed with the soldiers of the French 54th Brigade.
There were sporadic gunshots everywhere in the French barracks. In the darkness, the unprepared French troops could only fire indiscriminately with their Chassepeau rifles. Many people did not prepare bayonets or other close combat weapons, which gave the Hechingen Brigade an opportunity.
In the gaps between reloading ammunition, the bayonets of the soldiers of the Heixingen Brigade could quickly achieve success. At the same time, in the dark night, even if the blood of the enemy and their companions was flowing, it would be covered by the night. The pre-war tobacco and alcohol also numbed and stimulated the senses of the soldiers of the Heixingen Brigade, and most people were extremely excited.
Gradually, the French soldiers noticed that there were more and more Germans and fewer and fewer companions around them. They had a premonition that something was wrong. In addition, they could not contact their superiors. Some of them took advantage of the chaos to flee to the forest behind them, while others simply laid down their weapons and surrendered.
The 54th Brigade of the French Army was caught off guard and its fighting spirit was quickly destroyed.
The gunfire attracted the 3rd Brigade of the 5th Army led by Robert, which was stationed east of Davidlet. After the battle with the 54th Brigade of the French Army in Hechingen, they also rushed to the battlefield.
At this moment, the Hechingen Brigade was cleaning up the battlefield. The current results were unclear, but the French suffered heavy casualties, and some of them fled into the forest. This basically meant that the remnants of the French 54th Brigade had no way to reorganize.
Once you enter the forest, if you are not familiar with the local environment, you will definitely get lost. The facts have proved this point. Subsequently, a number of French soldiers who had wandered around in the forest for a long time met up with the French soldiers who were captured by the Hechingen Brigade here.
(End of this chapter)
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