Chapter 253 Verdun (I)

At this time, on the French front in Verdun, it was a time of tranquility.

Since mid-January 1916, the Germans have been in the direction of Shambany and even extending to the strait. A large number of troops launched repeated tentative attacks on the Allied fronts. Especially in the direction of Shambany, the Germans gathered the largest number of infantry divisions, a large number of heavy artillery, aircraft, and machine guns, and launched a massive offensive operation. After a year of hard fighting last year, the Allied troops were in a state of overall renovation at the beginning of this year. No one expected that the Germans had drawn so many new forces and technical weapons from the Eastern Front, and instead launched a counterattack against them!

On the Shambani front, the Allied Army almost determined that this was the main attack direction of the Germans. Here, the Germans were familiar with the terrain and maintained the protrusions, and they could use this starting position to attack the Allied Front, which formed a concave shape. The Allied Army must distribute more troops. The Germans were in an advantageous position and could choose the key points to launch a breakthrough. After breaking the front line here, the Germans returned to the Marne River. The Allied Army had to hold another Paris Defense Battle. But God knows if there would be good luck like last time! So they had to defeat the Germans' counterattack here! A large number of troops were drawn from each front, and the British Expeditionary Force was also reinforced by France's third army.

The troops that ended from the renovation entered the face-to-face front of Shambany. According to the Allies' estimates, the German army's face-to-face attack power reached 28 and a half divisions of infantry cavalry, and more than 3,200 various types of artillery. The Allies' defensive power used in the face has reached 39 infantry divisions and seven cavalry divisions. With more than 3,700 various types of artillery, it can completely block the German attack. Moreover, the headquarters of the Allies is still preparing a grand combat plan. Taking advantage of the fact that the Germans' main force is now deeply trapped in the direction of Shambany, the British Expeditionary Force, the Chinese Expeditionary Force, and some French troops gathered into a powerful heavy army cluster. A grand offensive was launched to the direction of the Somme, the Germans' main force, and broke through the German defense line in one fell swoop, forming a flanking detour, forcing them to get out of French territory!

On the battlefield of Shambany, soldiers from several countries have fought repeatedly on this battlefield many times. The artillery fire of both sides was overwhelming, and poisonous gas rolled on the battlefield. Airplanes in the air attacked each other in a quagmire battlefield, while infantrymen were fighting with all their courage and the sense of responsibility of soldiers. Countless German soldiers fell on the road of impact, and countless French soldiers were bombed into pieces by shells in the trenches.

The team of the crew was transporting backwards like a tide. The wounded, who were poisoned, looked purple in their faces and clenched their throats hard. At the beginning of 1916, the battle was still so cruel! For hundreds of thousands of troops who fought all their strength on this front, this front was their entire life. Fighting here or dying here. But at the top of the military fronts of both sides, this place has never been a key place to decide the outcome, at least this time it is not.

The Chinese Expeditionary Force arrived at the Verdun front when the Chambani front started in mid-January. The French garrison troops here had been drawn out, either increased to the Chambani front or restocked as a reserve. This huge fortification area is the gateway to northeastern Paris. Because Germany is not strong in front of it, it has also weakened the reserves of most technical weapons. A large number of cannons were dismantled from the fortress and reinforced to other fierce fronts. When the four divisions of the Expeditionary Force and other affiliated troops arrived here, they found that they were almost empty! In addition to the fortifications of steel and cement, they still exist, and other firepower that can be used to support, as well as the fortress artillery units, were all clean. Even the logistics supply line, Verdun became one of the least important fronts!

Most people in the Expeditionary Army did not take this matter seriously. Now the Expeditionary Army has its own artillery and five base ammunition reserves. And there are quite solid fortifications. They came here just to fill in defense preparations, and they will definitely use it as an offensive force in counterattack operations, rather than as consumables such as trench guards. They are an offensive force! So when the troops arrived at the Verdun front, Li Rui firmly advocated that the troops should not be fully connected and defended, but should focus on maintaining complete mobile power. Some ammunition does not even have to be unloaded to ensure that the troops can be pulled out to join the counterattack on other fronts at any time. Only what

Sui believed that although the strength of the German Fifth Army was not strong in front of him, it was difficult to guarantee that they would not launch a restrained attack. Verdun was only fifty kilometers away from Paris! If they were careless and underestimated the enemy, it was difficult to guarantee that the Expeditionary Force would not fall a foothold here. He also had a vague concern in his heart. Now that the Shambanian front has become a stalemate, the German army obviously could not make a major breakthrough there. Could it be that the Germans really planned to fight for consumption in Shambanian without diverting the offensive to use it in places where it is easier to develop? If so, their next attack finger may point to Verdun. Before the reinforcements come up, the Expeditionary Force must withstand the German offensive!

In He Sue's mind, he still believed that the Germans did use Shambany as the main direction of attack, but would only transfer the offensive to Verdun. If he could withstand it, the Allied forces that acted at the same time would soon be reinforced. In January, no one expected that Verdun had always been the main direction of attack carefully selected by the German General Staff this time. A large number of troops had secretly assembled in this direction under the fierce battle of Shambany. The situation that He Sue and the expeditionary army would face would be many times more than He Sue's worst estimate.

Therefore, He Sui did not fully listen to the opinions of the Expeditionary Army General Staff headed by Li Rui. He ordered the troops to launch immediately and keep the two divisions on the front line. However, the weaker 11th and 29th Divisions in the Expeditionary Army had the power of a combat engineer regiment. He worked hard to keep in touch with the German Fifth Army in front of him and figured out their movements at any time. The artillery forces within the Expeditionary Army were a total of three heavy artillery regiments (two old, one newly formed), and one attached French heavy artillery regiment, plus the division's artillery, a total of more than seventy artillery companies, together with the team

More than 500 artillery types of artillery belonging to mortars, rapid-fire guns, etc., all entered the position, and the ammunition unloading trucks established a reserve base. Be prepared to welcome the Germans to launch an attack. He Sui also took a compromise approach to the opinions of Li Rui and others. The First Division and the 28th Division of the Anmeng Army were fully assembled as a mobile force. Once the Expeditionary Force had to urgently adjust its system and join other fronts, at least the two divisions had a combat engineering regime that could be pulled out as fast as possible. In He Sui's view, this was the best deployment he could do at this stage.

Until they received a 100,000 urgent telegram from Yuchen from China. The telegram was very simple, and they ordered them to discard their mental preparations as reserves and treat themselves as the garrison troops on the Verdun Front! The newly added troops from China will soon join the expeditionary force. Now the 17th Division is about to arrive in France, and the 36th Division will definitely arrive in mid-February! They must strengthen their firepower as much as possible, improve fortifications, and have at least fifteen base ammunition reserves.

There are fire support forces composed of more than a thousand types of artillery. Many reconnaissance forces are sent, and even launching tentative small attacks, so you must find out the movements of the German army in front of you in advance! In addition, the telegram also said that he had negotiated with the French side, allowing the three army aeronautical squadrons (one newly formed) to be drawn out and join their front line, and directly under He Sui's command. The most extensive reconnaissance operation should be carried out in the air and can cooperate with them in combat.

This telegram with a very nervous tone was simply a preview to them that the Germans would launch an unimaginable main attack on Verdun! But how is this possible? There are millions of Allied troops and thousands of aircraft on the entire front. The Allied troops have been in contact with the Germans, and various reconnaissance operations have never stopped. The summary of countless intelligence and the current war has made the Allied countries, including He Sui, believe that the main attack direction of the Germans is now in Shambany. Yuchen is thousands of miles away, so how can we confirm that the main attack direction of the Germans will be in Verdun?

For large-scale military operations, scientific and rational intelligence collection methods, intelligence analysis and judgment based on military principles, are reliable sources of intelligence, rather than relying on somebody's intuition. He Sui and Li Rui's first reaction at that time was that the president did not understand the situation in Europe, and perhaps he was worried about seeing Verdun's position on the map, so he simply went over to the General Staff to direct them directly. They immediately reported their current handling and analyzed and explained. He Sui's telegram also expressed it very tactfully that it would be outside and military issues, and perhaps he would not accept it. He believed that Yuchen had this grace. In terms of simple tactical issues, Yuchen had always let go of them.

But this time He Sui and Li Rui were both wrong, almost not long after their telegram was sent out - perhaps only a few hours. Yuchen, who was busy with negotiations between China and Japan, immediately replied to them a long telegram with a stern tone, explaining in detail the necessity of immediately taking a firm defensive attitude at Verdun, and giving very detailed instructions. This is an attitude that the General Staff had never taken in the history of the General Staff’s independent force! It is required that they must complete the General Staff’s instructions without any discount! At the same time, Yuchen also negotiated directly with the Allied military command department at home, and even directly contacted the British Prime Minister and the French Prime Minister. It was explained the severe forms that the Verdun Front Expeditionary Force might face, and hoped that they could increase their troops and firepower, increase logistics supply, and establish sufficient ammunition reserves in that regard.

From the military authorities of the Allied Powers to the expeditionary forces, he had an unusual attitude towards Yuchen. Most of the senior executives of the Allied Powers laughed at it. When is it your turn to point out the military operations on the Western Front? Marshal Xiafei threw the telegram into the wastebasket, expressing his completely disapproving attitude. His mind was completely on the fierce offensive and defensive battles on the Shambani front, and he had to spend time preparing for an unprecedented counterattack on the flanks. Verdun is now just a secondary direction for the Western Front battlefield. It is impossible for the Germans to prepare for an attack there when Shambani maintains a large-scale offensive! Even if they will transfer the attack from Shambani to the West Front, the Germans cannot prepare for an attack there.

The momentum was in Verdun's direction. The signs would definitely be discovered early, and it was too late to switch to military forces at that time! However, after the coordination of several politicians, in order to take care of the Chinese sentiment, and the president's face, Marshal Xiafei still asked the right-wing reserve corps, General Betton's Second Army, to slightly use one or two divisions of troops to get closer to Verdun. A heavy artillery regiment and a field artillery regiment were drawn from the Second Army to join the Verdun front - anyway, it could be drawn at any time. The logistics forces also provided more reserves to the Verdun front, making the ammunition reach a base of seven or eight. For Marshal Xiafei, such a move was enough.

However, for the Expeditionary Force, since Yuchen's instructions reached this point, they must be strictly implemented. The basic forces of the four infantry divisions, except for retaining less than one division's reserve force, were all invested in the defense line as much as possible. And all forces were taken out for reinforcement and reconstruction of fortifications, and the trenches were connected into the system, and several important strongholds, such as the Dulimont Fort, etc., concentrated on strengthening and firepower. Several field supplementary columns assigned to the Expeditionary Force were also prepared to join the battle at any time. The logistics management department of the Expeditionary Force even put the greatest strength and the superior logistics department.

The door quarreled. Collect ammunition and equipment from all nearby warehouses. Often, after they were all taken away, they sent a telegram to the superior unit. I have to say that the Expeditionary Force was quite happy about doing such things. Three flight squadrons were also drawn as scheduled. For the elite flight unit of the First China Army Aviation Squadron commanded by Major Ding Yushang, the military commander of the Allied Kingdom Shambani Front was also full of resentment. At the same time, a large number of reconnaissance troops were also sent out, and they kept in contact with the German front and observed their movements at any time.

Out of their belief in Yuchen and the iron discipline of the soldiers, the expeditionary force carried out the somewhat unreasonable order issued by Yuchen without any compromise. But it was not until the most cruel fierce battle that they realized how lucky they were to do so. Otherwise, they would not have been able to withstand the overwhelming fierce offensive of the Germans at the beginning! Only He Sui and Li Rui felt that their power to command the field troops had been offended. However, this unhappiness would soon disappear in the future.

In the forest around Verdun, there is a tranquility. Morning mist rises from the forest, reflecting the sunlight from the treetops, which makes the scene here look the same as in the fairy tale world. Compared to the hell on earth in Shambany, which has been destroyed by human firepower, the peaceful scene here is a bit different from the real one. When people arrive here, they seem to forget that it is not far away, and people are still using all the power they have to kill each other bloodily.

A team of armed reconnaissance squads of the Expeditionary Force in a grass-green camouflage coat were walking vigilantly in the forest. Under this peaceful and quiet scene, you might run into the German armed reconnaissance force! The Germans' pointed bullets may suddenly fly over! When the Expeditionary Force arrived in Verdun, it was safe and easy to conduct such armed reconnaissance in the middle of the two armies. The Germans had insufficient troops in the trenches, let alone control the middle area! Every day, these reconnaissance forces directly overwhelmed the German trench defense system and observed and recorded their movements. Some squads lurked and captured the German soldiers who were left alone, and some squads even penetrated the sparse Germans.

Behind the defense line, the German artillery positions approached the German artillery positions for observation and recording! But as time came to February 1916, such reconnaissance became increasingly difficult. The Germans obviously opened their own powerful search screen and launched fierce attacks on any discovered reconnaissance team. They appeared here day and night to prevent anyone from getting close to their front! At this time, even the officers who were most suspicious of Yuchen's orders smelled something wrong. Especially when mid-February arrived, German engineers' activities appeared in the minefields arranged in front of the Expeditionary Force front, they also felt that maybe they really wanted to fight a real defense battle here!

More reconnaissance teams were sent out, and more information was summarized on the desks of He Sui and Li Rui. These information were quickly submitted upwards, but they often fell into the sea. The headquarters of the Allied Powers' reply to the expeditionary force's staff that had already issued warnings was that this was the warning action taken by the German Fifth Army. They were also worried that the Chinese expeditionary force would launch an attack from their weak part, so - nothing to worry about.

This squad has the power of a platoon, a hero platoon of the 11th Division's search battalion who has made considerable military achievements. When suppressing bandits in Henan, their platoon was good at this single search operation, and even raided several bandits with strong guards alone! However, this time they were not facing those bandits, but German troops armed to the teeth. So their actions were more careful.

When the night was at its deepest, we set off from our own front and avoided several German patrols vigilantly. We even lurked in the forest for the middle of the night, waiting for the departure of a German team that seemed to have discovered their whereabouts. We kept touching their defense. Their target was the junction of the two German divisions, which was also a forest area. As long as we could penetrate, we could figure out what they were doing now behind the German front! The superiors were extremely dissatisfied with the intelligence collection work of the frontline troops at these times, so they forced them to take risks.

The forest gradually became sparse, and the forest area where he was targeting was still behind a small river. It was also the most severe place for the Germans' warning curtain. The platoon leader Lieutenant Tong Dahai clenched his fist. The long and sparse warning formation suddenly closed. Everyone surrounded him and listened to Tong Dahai whispering: "We must not be able to get through the day. Now look for camping sites on the spot. Establish a warning position. After dark, we will think of crossing the river..." Before he finished speaking, he heard a faint sound of horse hooves coming from outside the forest. Everyone lay down at the same time. Tong Dahai stopped for a while, and waved his hand and bent over and touched forward. When it took more than ten minutes to walk out of the forest, they rushed up the trees and looked out.

The fields outside were still covered with a layer of mist, and the small river they were about to cross was flowing rushing a kilometer away. But what surprised them the most was not this. It was the south bank of the river, which was supposed to be three or two kilometers away from the front line actually controlled by the Germans. The Germans had crossed the river and built several pontoon bridges on the river surface. A long winding trench was being built with great effort, and it had been dug to a depth of one person. Only the Prussian spire old helmet or a new 1916 steel helmet exposed outside the trench! The fresh earth-colored soil was constantly shoveled out of the trench by engineers. The logs used to strengthen the fortifications were

The river bank was piled high. The Germans pushed the front line forward! They were building the starting position for the offensive! And from the scale of the trench that could be seen at least, it could accommodate at least several divisions of offensive positions! There were also construction sounds on the other side of the river. However, due to the fog, it was impossible to see clearly. According to common sense, there should be the second-line reserve position built by the Germans and the launch position of the mountain artillery field guns with short range. In the woods opposite the river, you can constantly hear the sound of trees being cut down, and the sound of horses dragging heavy artillery or vehicles being scattered. The Germans pushed forward overnight! And there were a lot of people!

Several German cavalry reconnaissance teams were already on horseback, holding spears with small triangular flags, opening the cavalry's guard screen in the middle of the two armies. The new infantry patrol was also heading towards the woods. The sound of horse hooves that Tong Dahai and the others had just heard was issued by these patrols. The Germans wanted to control the middle. And it seemed that they had enough troops to advance and fill the place. Is it just like the order issued by their superiors that the Germans were really preparing to launch a large-scale offensive here? And with such blatant preparations during the day, was this attack right in front of them?

Tong Dahai was so shocked by his discovery that he forgot everything for a moment.

Similarly, the signs of the German offensive launching position being suddenly pushed forward were also discovered by the aerial reconnaissance forces. Several flight squadrons took turns to conduct low-altitude reconnaissance. Although the weather was not very good, the German air force suddenly appeared in the direction of Verdun, and it was rare to see their shadows before! The two sides even had small and fierce air battles. However, the mainland aviation also obtained the intelligence they wanted, and the Germans did advance forward! overnight, in places where they could be observed.

I saw the German marching queues filled the avenue behind them. The artillery firing positions exposed outside were densely packed. I don’t know how many hidden ones were! Across the entire Verdun front, a large number of Germans shaking helmets and shining bayonets suddenly appeared. Countless artillery pieces were still entering the launch positions in a hurry. If before February 18, the Germans were still secretly carrying out the night, then now they blatantly exposed everything!

Before the Battle of Verdun, under the planning of the General Staff, the German army had reached the peak of military history, whether it was the fraud of strategic intentions or the hidden mobilization of tactical mobilization. In addition to using considerable strength (mainly the troops drawn on the Eastern Front) to maintain the offensive in Shambany, a large number of troops with experience in combat on the Western Front joined the battle sequence of the Fifth Army. This already crippled army immediately had a super-organized system of 21 divisions. During the mobilization process, the Germans also took all the measures they could take.

The issuance of the commander is at the core high-level, and the commander does not know where they are going before getting on the bus. All orders are strictly stipulated to be transmitted by wired telegrams, telephones or manpower. The troops transferred to the Verdun front line are all very far away from the front line. Taking advantage of the night, they are very patient and driven forward. Various artillery launch positions are built at night, and light control is carried out. Before dawn, these launch positions are camouflaged and mobilized. The auxiliary forces such as warehouse, logistics, engineers, medical care, etc. are also camouflaged and mobilized with all their strength.

Before February 17, they had already concentrated fourteen infantry divisions, one cavalry division, and two thousand four hundred artillery secretly entered the front line position. This force was enough for them to launch an attack on February 21! It was meaningless to cover it up at this time. Three days were not enough for the Allies to confirm the intelligence and adjust the deployment. If such a hidden action was taken, it would even delay their attack time! So overnight, the German troops and technical weapons entered the position and lasted for a full day on the 18th. This scale shocked the expeditionary force in front of them! The German air force suddenly began to take action, and even carried out air harassment attacks on the expeditionary force in front of them!

The tide of intelligence collected by countless fronts rushed towards He Sui, and the expeditionary army had no doubt at all. The clues of the past had become unrealistic facts. The Germans deceived the Allies and suddenly concentrated a large amount of troops and firepower in the direction of Verdun - although there was no exact information at the specific number. The Germans' large-scale offensive would be launched at any time. And they had an absolute advantage in military firepower. At the beginning, the expeditionary army had to face it alone!

The Allies are now in the direction of Shambany. When they reinforce forty divisions, they have already launched a counterattack. They are now fighting in full swing. A large number of main forces of the reserve team are gathering in the west, and they are still far from Verdun. What can be counted on immediately is that the Second Army, the Second Army, and a small number of garrison troops in Paris. But they cannot arrive before the Germans launch an attack at any time! All of this requires the strength of their only four divisions, less than seven hundred artillery types to deal with and resist!

An urgent telegram for help was sent from the Expeditionary Force headquarters to various superior units. Xia Fei could not believe his eyes when he received the telegram. He asked in doubt if the Chinese were too nervous. Several senior staff officers from the headquarters immediately rushed to Verdun on a two-seater plane. There they learned everything. Even a colonel staff officer was taken to the sky by Ding Yushang. In the sky that was about to dark, he saw the terrifying lineup of the German army, and their preparations for the battle!

When the confirmation telegram was sent back overnight, the highest military organs of the Allied Powers were blown up and down. All the senior officers with stars on their shoulders were either stunned or busy, looking for the powers that could be reinforced in time on the map. The huge lineup that the Germans suddenly showed in the direction of Verdun reminded them of the prophecy that Yuchen had once been ominously discussed by them as a joke, but they had no time to regret! Verdun was only fifty kilometers away from Paris. And they now knew that in the war that started on the Western Front in 1916, the Germans were always staring at Verdun!

General Beden's Second Army received an order in the early morning of February 19, ordering his army to reinforce the place with two divisions closest to Verdun. These two divisions were under the command of the Chinese Expeditionary Force headquarters. Heavy equipment can be not carried, and the materials and ammunition can be brought. The important thing is to first reinforce some forces! General Beden should immediately move the Army headquarters to Paris, and the troops gathered in Paris. On the one hand, prevent Verdun from being broken through, at least some garrison forces in Paris. On the other hand, he can use Paris' convenient transportation conditions and sufficient transportation vehicles to transport all his army up! After the order was issued, the two elite French divisions took action immediately. However, the large army was not allowed to move. If they could basically maintain combat effectiveness, it would take at least more than 48 hours to reach Verdun! And if the Second Army expects all reinforcements to be raised, it will take at least more than seven days!

The Germans are about to launch an offensive for less than 48 hours. To be precise, it is only thirty-six hours.
Chapter completed!