Chapter 587: Emperor's Offensive (Two in One)
In March of the 318th year of the New God Calendar, after completing the preliminary conscription, the Habsburg Empire immediately organized an offensive and reignited the war on the Western Front.
The Imperial General Staff formulated a series of combat plans and named them after the emperor, which was called the "Emperor Offensive".
The first is the first phase, the Somme Offensive.
At 4 a.m. on March 21, the Empire assembled 6,000 heavy field artillery and launched a saturation artillery attack in the Somme River area.
Several hours of indiscriminate bombing, coupled with poison gas attacks, stunned the coalition forces of the Bonaparte Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia.
At this time, the Empire used another trump card, the carefully crafted Storm Commandos.
This is a team of strong men, all of whom are at least third-level extraordinary people. They have been fighting on the battlefield for a long time and have rich combat experience.
At the same time, they are equipped with the most advanced magical weapons and alchemical tools.
All personnel are equipped with six-barreled Gatling heavy machine guns, high-powered grenades, portable mortars, and high-energy sniper rifles.
Please note that this is the standard configuration, and the fireman also has a portable handheld tiger squat cannon.
As the name suggests, this is a magic cannon, but it uses the strong body of an extraordinary strong man as a support and can be carried on the shoulder or hand.
At the same time, although they do not have magic shields, they are equipped with alchemical armor, which is a traditional alchemical item that can trigger magic shields.
It is obviously impractical to carry so much equipment directly on your back.
Therefore, the standard configuration is that everyone has a dimensional bag, and there are even two or three people responsible for logistics and treatment.
Such a team is not used for frontal attacks on the battlefield, they are engaged in special operations.
They took advantage of the cover of artillery fire and the thick smoke to infiltrate the enemy trenches, disrupt their arrangements, and kill people wantonly.
This is definitely a rare special operations team with a clear positioning, even in the entire history of war in the Helka world.
And the results achieved were also quite brilliant.
The Allied forces lost a large amount of territory, and the Imperial Army advanced rapidly, advancing five or six kilometers every day. By March 25, they had reached the south of the Somme River.
However, the coalition forces reacted very quickly and immediately sent General Fark Wood to unify the command.
He quickly made arrangements and crushed the Storm Assault Team with the strength of a fourth-order natural disaster.
Only by gathering the legions and deploying layers of defense could the collapse be stopped.
At the same time, the empire also faced problems such as insufficient reserves, logistical supply difficulties, and soldier fatigue.
By April 5, the battle plan was declared a failure, with the loss of nearly 240,000 imperial soldiers and the failure to achieve the predetermined goal.
However, the empire became more and more courageous and regrouped, and four days later, on April 9, 318 New God Calendar, it organized the Lys River Offensive.
The goal of this operation was to break through the Lys River defense line, force the Sardinian Kingdom Army to the coast, and isolate it from the Bonaparte Empire Army.
The tactics used were almost identical to those used in the Somme Offensive. They began with a heavy artillery bombardment that lasted for 48 hours, completely destroying the Allied defenses.
Next was the infiltration tactic. The elite commandos took advantage of the night fog to quickly tear through the defense line and focus on attacking the weak links of the Sardinian reinforcements.
In this battle, they advanced 8 kilometers on the first day, forcing the Sardinian First Army to retreat.
By April 10, the Imperial Fourth Army joined the attack, forcing the Sardinian Second Army to retreat.
As a result, the two imperial armies on the left and right formed a pincer attack, almost completely encircling the Sardinian reinforcements.
At this moment, the Queen of Sardinia delivered a major speech, declaring: "There is a desperate situation behind us, and we must fight to the end!"
This person's appearance caused the coalition forces to urgently withdraw all their reserve troops, including those of the Bonaparte Empire, and send them to the battlefield.
However, the defeat in this battle does not seem to be attributed to the bravery of the coalition forces, but rather to the collapse of the imperial economy.
After the elite commandos advanced deep into the enemy territory, their supply lines were cut off. The soldiers discovered from the supplies captured from the Sardinian reinforcements that the enemy had sufficient supplies, while they themselves were facing famine.
This led to a collapse of morale and even a refusal to advance.
This gave the coalition forces an opportunity to react, and the reserve troops arrived, and the fighting became more intense.
By April 17, the Imperial Army's advance had stalled, and by the 29th, the operation was declared a failure.
In this battle, the empire suffered about 120,000 casualties, and more than half of its elite commandos were consumed, failing to achieve its combat objectives.
In May of the 318th year of the New Divine Calendar, the Empire learned from the reasons for the previous battle failure and raised sufficient supplies.
He chose the Aisne River as a breakthrough point, intending to once again capture the power center of the Bonaparte Empire, the city of Lutetia.
Imperial artillery commander Bruchmuller used intelligence positioning and precise ballistic calculations to
With 3,800 artillery pieces, the bombardment lasted only two hours and forty minutes, completely destroying the front-line positions, command posts and rear railways of the Bonaparte Imperial Army.
This battle was also the first time that the empire tried a mixed attack of high-explosive bombs and poison gas bombs, causing the Bonaparte Empire's communication system to completely collapse.
At the same time, the Empire also mobilized the remaining storm troopers to attack in two directions.
Along the way, within 20 minutes, they captured the key position on the ridge.
On the other hand, they broke through the complex terrain and even their speed was so fast that the support tanks in the rear were unable to keep up.
In this battle, the Imperial Army advanced 22 kilometers on the first day, captured 20,000 people, and seized 650 magical artillery pieces, setting a record for single-day advancement on the Western Front.
By May 30, the imperial army had advanced to Château-Thierry on the Marne River, only 37 kilometers from the city of Lutetia, and the capital of the Bonaparte Empire was once again placed under martial law.
However, it turns out that luck never seems to be on the side of the empire.
The first batch of reinforcements from the Glorious Empire finally arrived. They were the Glorious Second and Third Divisions, mainly composed of Winged People, Eagle People and Half-Dragon People. After countless years, they set foot on this land again.
This group of flying races landed in Bellor Forest and directly blocked the imperial army that was crossing the river.
It can also be said that for countless years, the human race in the Old World has been too well protected.
They had forgotten the memories of the alien races, and many people had never even heard of them, so when these strange-looking races fell from the sky, they were really scared.
This group of reinforcements from the Glorious Empire actually stabilized the front line through hand-to-hand combat.
After having a buffer opportunity, the coalition forces launched a counterattack on June 3 and recaptured the captured territory.
By June 6, the most elite storm assault team had suffered heavy casualties, and the Empire had to order a halt to the attack.
At this point, the Aisne Offensive came to an end. The empire suffered nearly 130,000 casualties and exhausted its last strategic reserve, but still failed to achieve the strategic goal of capturing the city of Lutetia.
This battle was the climax of the "Emperor Offensive" and also the prelude to its decline.
Through this battle, the coalition forces verified the effectiveness of deep defense and coordinated operations.
At the same time, it also exposed the fact that the empire's resources were exhausted and it was unable to launch a strategic offensive.
However, the Imperial Army never gave up, so they launched the third phase of the "Emperor Offensive", the Noyon-Mondidier Offensive.
In this battle, the Empire attempted to open up a new breakthrough between Noyon and Mondidier.
The intention was to cut off the transportation lines between Lutetia City and other headquarters, forcing the coalition forces to disperse their forces and thus relieve the pressure.
In this battle, even though the Empire's resources were almost exhausted, its attacks were still sharp and swift.
In the early morning of June 9, they used 2,000 artillery pieces and precision strikes to directly destroy the first trench of the Allied forces and destroy the transportation hub.
At the same time, they advanced 8 kilometers a day, captured more than 8,000 coalition troops, and seized hundreds of magic cannons.
However, the coalition forces' coordinated operations have matured and even achieved information sharing.
They used abandoning the defense line as bait to lure the imperial army into the preset artillery coverage area, and then launched a heavy bombardment.
At the same time, reinforcements from the Glorious Empire arrived one after another and were continuously deployed on the battlefield.
Various alien races caused a certain amount of panic, and the Glorious Empire's reinforcements' abundant weapons and desire to fight hindered the Imperial Army's advance.
From the start of the offensive on June 9 to June 14, in just five days, the empire was forced to announce the end of the offensive and failed to achieve any strategic goals.
This battle can even be seen as the final chapter of the "Emperor's Offensive". Some imperial scholars even said that the defeat in June indicated that the empire was no longer able to change the situation.
However, the Imperial Military would not admit defeat.
So, in July of the year 318 of the New Divine Calendar, they launched the final stage of the "Emperor Offensive", also known as the Second Battle of the Marne.
In this battle, the Empire attempted to storm the Champagne-Marne River defense line, thereby cutting off the connection between the coalition forces and the city of Lutetia and forcing the coalition forces to withdraw troops to provide support.
In this battle, the Empire intended to replicate the success of the Aisne Offensive and assembled 51 divisions.
In the early morning of July 15, 3,400 artillery pieces were concentrated to launch a saturation attack on the Allied positions, using a mixture of poison gas bombs and high-explosive bombs that lasted for four hours.
Then, they launched another pincer attack through the north and south lines in the form of magic tanks, fighter jets and commandos.
However, the coalition forces were well prepared.
They still used abandoning their positions as bait to lure the Imperial Army into the area of preset artillery fire and launch a covering attack.
Having halted the Empire's offensive momentum, the coalition forces also attempted a counterattack.
After receiving strong support from the Glorious Empire, the coalition forces also learned the Empire's tactics, escorted by more than 600 fighter jets and organized more than 200 tanks to launch a cluster charge.
They directly tore a hole of more than 20 kilometers on the west side of the imperial defense line.
Moreover, the First and Second Armies of the Glorious Empire assisted the Bonaparte Empire's Army in its surprise attack on the Marne River, cutting off the Imperial Army's retreat.
On the first day of the counterattack on July 18, they advanced 18 kilometers and surrounded seven imperial divisions.
In this battle, the Empire suffered 130,000 casualties, lost 800 magical cannons and 300 tanks, and its elite soldiers were almost completely depleted.
At this point, the empire completely lost the initiative in the war.
This battle was also promoted by the Allied Forces as the beginning of the end of the war.
The Empire lost up to one million professional soldiers in a series of "Emperor Offensives".
The remaining soldiers of the empire finally woke up from their fanatical atmosphere after suffering tragic losses, and a large number of soldiers launched large-scale refusal to fight out of despair.
The Imperial People's Daily even wrote: July 18, 318 of the New Divine Calendar, is the darkest day in the history of the Habsburg Empire.
Of course, the reason for writing this is not only because of the series of disastrous defeats suffered by the empire,
At the same time, it was also because the pillar of the empire, the king of the sky, the great Hohenzollern III, finally could not hold on.
Imperial capital.
Boom boom boom boom!
The bronze bell hanging at the highest point of the palace was rung, and with the blessing of magical power, the sound spread throughout the imperial capital.
Countless citizens of the empire looked up numbly, already wondering what bad thing had happened again.
After entering the 318th year of the New Divine Calendar, it seems that nothing good has happened.
The once invincible imperial army lost its glory.
The news from the coalition forces seemed to indicate that the empire was not as invincible as advertised.
So much bad news piled up and exploded that they became numb.
There is a saying that people often say, it has already come to this, how much worse can it get?
However, when they heard the seemingly endless ringing of the bell, a terrifying thought came to their minds, shocking them beyond words.
His Majesty the Emperor has passed away?
The great Hohenzollern III, just died like that?
They didn't want to believe it, but as the news continued to come, they had no choice but to believe it.
At this moment, some people laughed, some cried, some knelt for a long time, and some stood there in a daze.
Some people even took out their magic pistols, pointed them at their heads, and pulled the trigger!
The defeat on the battlefield was not the heaviest blow, the death of this emperor was!
At this time in the palace, the current crown prince has become numb.
He watched with his own eyes as his father, who was like a lion king, took his last breath.
Those bright eyes turned gray, those strong hands drooped, and that warm body turned cold...
In fact, deep in the darkness of his heart, he had cursed that his father should have died long ago.
He, the empire's most outstanding crown prince, should inherit the throne and lead the empire from one victory to another.
However, when it really happened before his eyes, he didn't feel happy at all.
Even, great fear filled my heart!
But the fact is that the things that make him panic are still happening.
Just a quarter of an hour after Hohenzollern III died, while the bronze bell was still ringing, he was surrounded by a group of ministers, walked out of the bedroom and into the conference hall.
In that majestic palace, he was escorted to the throne.
Somehow, he was wearing the crown, holding the scepter, wearing the royal robe, and was placed on the throne.
Below, a crowd of people pledged their allegiance to him, and next to them, the Pope of the Royal Society and the Church of the Seven Gods were witnesses.
Everything seemed so natural and yet so hasty.
And he has become Hohenzollern IV, the master of this empire!
However, at this moment, he did not feel happy or excited at all, but instead felt cold all over.
He was like a puppet, being supported and urged by these people, without any autonomy at all.
The power seems to have been transferred, but it should be said that it has been dispersed.
This was not what he wanted, but he had no control over it.
It was at this time, while all this was happening, that some people started to move.
The mysterious man from the Royal Society took the jewel necklace containing the power of the Seven Gods from Hohenzollern III the moment he died.
Then, the Imperial Minister of Transport, Count Miller Petrovich, was kidnapped on his way to the funeral of Hohenzollern III.
The mysterious man, who seemed to be walking on an unknown plane, just stretched out his hand and made him follow him involuntarily.
Then, they followed the winding road of the palace and went deeper into it. There were countless guards along the way, but they were able to pass through unhindered.
It wasn't until he reached a room shrouded in darkness that the magic was lifted from him.
"Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"
Count Miller assumed a fighting stance, but a fire lit up in the darkness, revealing the outline of a human figure.
He has horns on his head, a pair of wings spread out behind him, and his whole body exudes the breath of the abyss.
Obviously, this is a demon!
However, after seeing the face clearly, Earl Miller was shocked all over, his expression was dull and unbelievable.
"Why, don't you recognize me?"
"Are you Uncle Dorji?"
Count Miller opened his mouth, but for some reason, he felt his mouth was dry, his voice was hoarse, and he could hardly make a sound.
"Haha, I'm glad you still recognize me. Miller, you've done a great job. The Petrovic family has flourished in your hands.
But I have to tell you a harsh truth."
"Like, who killed me?"
"who?"
"Of course it's your best friend, the Holy Dragon Knight who has been honored as 'Your Majesty'!"
(End of this chapter)
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