Chapter 698 Are they ready to surrender?
According to convention, German artillery should be deployed 3 to 5 kilometers behind the front line to avoid being suppressed by French howitzers when too close to the front line.
More importantly, they were worried that the enemy infantry would break through the defense line and directly threaten the artillery.
(Note: The artillery can have more reaction time if it is 3 to 5 kilometers away in a straight line. In extreme cases, it can fight and retreat at the same time when breaking through the enemy infantry.)
But on the west bank of the Meuse River, the German artillery positions were only 1 km away from the front line.
Because they were not worried about the enemy's artillery counterattacks, nor were they worried about the enemy's infantry breaking through the defense line. The Meuse River was like an insurmountable barrier standing between the two armies, giving the artillery enough sense of security.
Colonel Cyril, commander of the 97th Artillery Regiment, was convinced of this, so he spent the entire night commanding his troops to fire at the city, not even bothering to move his artillery positions.
"Don't worry, they can't hit us." Colonel Cyril glanced around and said to the staff, "Our artillery is deployed every 100 to 200 meters, and once their artillery fires, their position will be exposed."
This is an unequal artillery battle between those outside the city and those inside.
There are large open spaces outside the city where artillery can be deployed, but inside the city there are buildings everywhere and only space can be found where there is space.
The disadvantage is that the accuracy of the artillery fire from the dispersed positions is not high, and it is more of an indiscriminate bombing of Mézières.
But this situation soon changed.
More than 40 howitzers were withdrawn from the front line and put back under the command of Colonel Cyril. Artillery shells were continuously transported down from the front line. The artillerymen seemed eager to fire all the shells in order to speed up the march.
This was definitely Colonel Cyril's highlight moment. A colonel commanding more than 70 howitzers was almost as good as an artillery division.
So, the confident Colonel Cyril began to plan the bombing of the Mézières train station.
Colonel Cyril pointed to the map and analyzed:
"The train station is the most important place in Mezieres. There are more than a dozen warehouses there for storing supplies."
“Even though they’ve dispersed most of the supplies, it’s still a transportation hub.”
"As long as we blow that place into ruins, it will affect the movement of the French army, especially the armored and mechanized forces of the French army!"
The staff officer had no objection. He only questioned the bombing itself: "But it is dark now, Colonel. We can't be accurate."
If you want to bomb a target accurately, you should first know its location and then guide the artillery fire into the target area step by step through test firing.
In the pitch-black night, and with a total curfew in Mézières with no lights on, the German army was helpless even with artillery and shells.
"So we have to be prepared." Colonel Cyril said, "Set up positions and have everyone ready to fight. As soon as daybreak comes, we will immediately start to cover the train station with artillery fire."
"Yes, Colonel."
…
The sky in the east was just beginning to turn pale, and the thick fog disappointed Colonel Cyril, as it would affect the artillery's ability to find targets and make them more accurate.
However, Colonel Cyril thought this was not a big problem because it was a sunny day.
"Once the sun comes out, their death will come!" Colonel Cyril ordered his staff to release three reconnaissance planes.
It was a risk because the sky belonged to the French and their Camel fighters could destroy anything the Germans had in the sky.
But Colonel Cyril still thought it was worth it.
However, he soon realized he was wrong.
"Colonel," the signalman at the telephone reported, "Our reconnaissance plane was shot down by the enemy."
"Which one?" asked Colonel Cyril.
"All of them!"
The signalman's answer surprised Colonel Cyril.
All of them?
He originally wanted to take advantage of the moment when the sky just got bright to make some movements with his reconnaissance planes, but he didn't expect that they would all be shot down as soon as they took off.
Colonel Cyril frowned. Does this mean that the French fighter planes had already prepared for takeoff, which is why they were able to gain air supremacy at dawn?
It doesn't seem good. The French army is also actively preparing for war, and their artillery is likely to launch a counterattack!
Sure enough, Colonel Cyril heard the rumbling sound of engines in the air and the strong wind caused by the plane flying low.
Colonel Cyril raised his head with a worried look in the direction of the sound.
But nothing could be seen in the thick fog, only black shadows like bats quickly passing by, back and forth.
Suddenly, the planes dropped several bombs, which exploded in the dense artillery positions, raising a cloud of fire and smoke.
Colonel Cyril suddenly felt something was wrong: the artillery position had been discovered, and planes were using bombs to guide the French artillery fire.
"Move position!" Colonel Cyril ordered loudly, and at the same time jumped into the car with his men.
Artillerymen often do similar things. Every time they are discovered by the enemy, they have to move in the shortest possible time. This is why Colonel Cyril set up his command post in a car.
But what puzzled Colonel Cyril was that the French artillery fire he expected did not come. There was no whistling of shells, and no shells exploding nearby, only the roar of engines in the air.
Wait, the engines seem to be roaring not only in the sky, but also on the ground.
Colonel Cyril looked in the direction of the sound behind him, confused. What was that?
"Boom boom boom"
The sound was deep and powerful, and it continued to roar in the back, which didn't sound like an airplane.
Colonel Cyril listened carefully and finally heard the creaking sound of the tracks.
"It's a tank." Colonel Cyril breathed a sigh of relief, his heart at ease.
Tanks meant their own people, because Charles' tanks could not cross the Meuse River silently.
"We have reinforcements arriving!" Colonel Cyril announced excitedly.
The German artillerymen cheered and slowed down their movements of collecting their artillery.
Since there was no French artillery coverage, they planned to meet this "tank reinforcement".
However, a tank suddenly appeared in the rolling fog.
The German soldiers were stunned.
It is not the familiar "Upper Silesia" nor the "LK" series, but the "Charter A1", the French Army's "Charter A1"!
Is it a captured tank? Colonel Cyril thought, it should be!
These bastards, they shouldn't open the loot first, it's easy to be misunderstood!
However, the tanks were increasing in number.
One, two, three... Soon the mountains and plains were filled with them, all of them "Charle A1", followed by teams of French soldiers holding rifles.
At this moment, the French soldiers were also confused. They looked at the German artillery in front of them and forgot to shoot.
Why don't these Germans run or hide?
Looking at this formation, it seems like they are welcoming the arrival of the French army.
Are they ready to surrender? !
(End of this chapter)
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