Chapter 876: Attack and Defense Change
The rain, like silk threads, was densely interweaving over the Orville defense line.
The stars were swallowed by dark clouds, and only an occasional flash of lightning in the distance was like a scythe of the god of death cutting through the sky, illuminating the muddy ground beneath the dome.
Lying in the mud were corpses, tank wreckage, and barbed wire and gun parts that had been blown into pieces, a scene filled with desolation and sadness.
This position has changed hands between the German and French armies more than ten times. Now it is night, and it is time for the German army to take it back.
Major General DeWitt carefully showed his eyes from the edge of the trench, and took advantage of the light of lightning to quickly observe the firepower points of the enemy positions ahead.
No changes, nothing changed from when we evacuated during the day.
There are many benefits to active retreat.
For example, the German army could build tunnels and trenches in front of enemy positions in no-man's land to hide soldiers. Once the attack began, they would be the first to sneak into the enemy trenches for close combat, followed by the main force.
For example, you can bury explosives in the trenches in advance and familiarize yourself with the terrain. You can also use howitzers to set the parameters and aim at fortifications that may be used by the enemy.
They can accurately destroy important fortifications even in the dark.
Major General DeWitt retracted his head and crouched down, hiding in his raincoat and shining a flashlight covered with a black cloth.
The dim electric light illuminated the beating pocket watch in the palm of my hand. The second hand jumped like a living heart, gradually moving towards zero.
At exactly seven o'clock, several red flares suddenly rose in the sky, and artillery fire rang out at the same time.
“Boom, boom, boom!”
Mixed in with the sound of the explosions were explosives previously buried in the enemy's trenches, which would collapse the enemy's tunnels and might even detonate the ammunition depot.
After ten minutes of artillery preparation, Major General DeWitt waved the Luger pistol in his hand and said: "It's time, soldiers, let them taste the bayonet!"
Without shouting, the German soldiers passed down the order one after another, and then climbed up the trenches like ants and advanced towards the enemy positions with bayonets pointed.
This is the night combat experience that the German army has explored. No whistles or shouts should be blown in the dark to boost courage. Doing so will let the enemy know that the German army has launched an attack, followed by a barrage of machine gun bullets and artillery shells, even though the enemy may not see anything.
Sure enough, along the way, the only sounds were the "bang bang" of raindrops hitting the helmets and the sound of military boots stepping in the mud.
The engineers had already cut many gaps in the barbed wire, and the familiar soldiers rushed in with rifles, approaching the enemy trenches like a tide.
Everything went smoothly, with only a few sporadic gunshots, and the French army seemed to have not reacted yet.
German soldiers lay in the mud preparing grenades, which they would throw into the trenches with the cooperation of their comrades, and then launch an attack taking advantage of the residual power of the explosion.
However, at this time, a German codeword came from the trench: "Nightingale, Nightingale, we are Nightingales!"
This is a code word used to identify friend or foe in the dark.
"Iron Fist," Major General DeWitt replied, then asked loudly, "What happened?"
A shout came from the trenches: "No one is here, the French have withdrawn early!"
Major General De Witt frowned. The French army withdrew early?
They actually gave up their position?
Did they do this because they knew they couldn't stop the German attack?
After hesitating for a while, Major General DeWitt finally ordered his troops to enter the enemy trenches.
The situation was exactly as the vanguard reported, the trench was empty.
The soldiers couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. They had thought there would be a brutal hand-to-hand fight.
This is not an easy task. The French army's morale is growing higher and their combat effectiveness is getting stronger. They will have a hard time fighting and only the lucky ones will be able to see tomorrow's sunshine alive.
However, Major General DeWitt's order made them nervous again.
"Prepare for battle!" Major General DeWitt shouted, "We should seize this opportunity to chase them to the end and not let them get away!"
The soldiers could only complain in their hearts, but they mechanically executed their orders and followed the main force forward.
After crossing two trenches and arriving at the other side of the position, the German army gathered in front of the no-man's land again and formed their troops.
This time there were definitely people on the opposite side. In the afterglow of the lightning, Major General De Witt clearly saw the machine guns and 75mm cannons mounted on the opposite side, as well as several tanks with only the turrets exposed. The French army often used them as an excellent firing point.
"Ready!" Major General DeWitt ordered loudly.
The soldiers gathered in front of the wooden ladder, breathing heavily, holding their rifles tightly in their hands, waiting for the major general to give the order to attack.
Suddenly, explosions sounded one after another, and the sounds of "boom boom" and screams were endless.
Before the soldiers could react, a flash of fire and a shock wave sounded nearby, causing mud and water to fly everywhere and creating chaos.
Major General DeWitt lowered his head to the ground and asked loudly, "What's going on?"
The staff officer who had been following him replied: "I'm not sure, General, maybe it's the French, they have buried mines in the trenches."
(Note: During World War I, explosives buried in positions were generally classified as "mines.")
Major General De Witt understood immediately that this was a French plan.
Since the French army had the advantage by actively withdrawing and setting up an ambush in a night battle, why didn't they give up their positions and disrupt the German offensive rhythm?
So it is not difficult to predict that the German army will face all the disadvantages next: the firing points will be bombed, the trenches will be infiltrated by small French troops, and then there will be a fierce attack by the main force of the enemy.
"Organize defense!" Major General DeWitt shouted, "Stop them!"
Retreat was impossible.
Major General De Witt knew the difficulty of retreating in the dark, just as when the French were beaten back before, the Germans could follow the retreating troops into the trenches, followed by another fight and another loss, over and over again.
The only difference is that now the positions of offense and defense have been reversed, with the French army now the attacking party.
Major General DeWitt didn't understand why this happened suddenly, he only knew that he had to hold on!
However, the reality was cruel. As soon as Major General DeWitt gave the order, gunshots and screams were heard in the trenches. He even heard the "da da" sound of submachine guns.
Soon, the main force of the French army launched an attack.
To the surprise of Major General De Witt, the French army used armored vehicles instead of tanks to cover their soldiers, and turned on their headlights.
The glaring car lights shone on the trenches, illuminating the German troops clearly, but the German troops could not even open their eyes.
"Shoot them!" Major General DeWitt ordered loudly: "Destroy those armored vehicles!"
But the staff officer responded in horror: "We can't do that, General, we don't have any artillery."
Major General DeWitt then remembered that the troops only carried light equipment for the convenience of night fighting, and even had only a few mortars.
"It's Charles." Major General De Witt exclaimed: "Charles has completely taken control of the Eastern Army Group!"
Otherwise, the French army would not have such organization and combat effectiveness!
(End of this chapter)
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