Just like the "heavy cavalry" and "longbowmen" that have disappeared in the long river of history because they could not keep up with the times, grenadiers are also among the arms that have been eliminated by history.
However, although the arms have been eliminated, the names have been retained, just like the cavalry divisions in southern Africa. Although the name is still "cavalry division", in fact, the cavalry horses have been quietly replaced by tanks and armored vehicles. In the future,
It may also be equipped with a helicopter, so you no longer need to fight on horseback.
As the guard force of Crown Prince William, the 1st Grenadier Regiment is undoubtedly composed of elite soldiers, and its equipment is definitely the best in the German army. The A7V tanks produced in Germany have been used for a short time since the battle of Chateau Thierry.
It did not appear on the battlefield, but the First Grenadier Regiment was equipped with 15 A7V tanks, which is enough to prove the status of the First Grenadier Regiment in the German army.
In addition to A7V tanks, the 1st Grenadier Regiment is also equipped with a large number of direct-fire guns and anti-tank rifles. After arriving in Douai, the 2nd Elizabeth Infantry Regiment launched a tentative attack on Douai and lost four tanks.
After that, Zhou Li immediately stopped investing ground troops and instead called for help from the air force.
According to the European knight tradition, at this time, it is necessary to show that the chariot and the horse are fighting head-on and defeating the enemy in an upright manner, in order to conform to the illusory spirit of chivalry.
Zhou Li is not a white man, so he doesn't care about those knightly traditions. The First Grenadier Regiment has built a solid fortification in Douai. To launch a ground attack at this time is to court death. Since there are more labor-saving ways to defeat the enemy, why?
Do you want to drive your soldiers to attack a strong fortress?
It makes absolutely no sense.
The bomber force of the Expeditionary Force is indeed very powerful. Less than half an hour after Zhou Li's telegram was sent out, the Expeditionary Force bombers swarmed in under the protection of fighter jets.
In fact, after the Second Battle of the Marne, the combat effectiveness of the German army on the Western Front was really not worth mentioning. Although it was not said to be collapsed at the first touch, it was completely unable to compete with the crazy attack of the expeditionary force.
Since the counterattack began, the bomber units have become idle. They were originally required to park on the runway and be ready to provide support to troops in need. As a result, from the beginning of the counterattack to the present, the bomber units have not found an opportunity to attack. Now they finally have
The troops asked for help. You can imagine how overjoyed the commanders and pilots of the bomber unit were.
There were more than sixty bombers in the first wave of support. I heard that there were four flying groups queuing up behind. If the first wave of bombers failed to complete their mission, the follow-up units waiting eagerly would be able to set off immediately.
Just like previous bombings, the Expeditionary Force's bombers used high-explosive bombs and incendiary bombs and gas bombs in turn. This was the most effective and could inflict maximum damage to the enemy.
Douai is now only two to three square kilometers in size. More than 60 bombers took turns to wreak havoc, and Douai was immediately enveloped in a sea of flames.
As for the A7Vs equipped by the First Grenadier Regiment, they were taken care of by close ground support aircraft. On average, three close ground support aircraft dealt with one A7V. Almost all A7Vs were completely destroyed without firing a single shot.
Asymmetric war has such cruel results.
In previous wars, even if you could not defeat the enemy, you could at least get a chance to surrender honorably after showing enough courage.
If the current war cannot be won, there is no chance of surrender. Post-war statistics show that there are no more than 100 German soldiers surviving in Douai. The First Grenadier Regiment, which the Germans invested a lot of effort in establishing, can easily do so.
It was wiped out in ashes and did not cause any ripples on the Western Front where the war broke out in full force.
That night, Elizabeth's 2nd Infantry Regiment was temporarily stationed outside the city of Douai and did not even enter the city.
There is no way to enter. Douai was bombed and burned into ruins. The entire city is now filled with the disgusting smell of barbecue, and there is still poisonous gas in the air that has not completely dissipated. Anyone who dares to enter the city at this time is seeking death.
On this day, the German army lost more than half a million people on the Western Front. The news reached Berlin, and Wilhelm II lamented that this day was a "disaster day" for the German army.
However, the disaster was not over yet. On the second day after the British and French allied forces launched a counterattack, sailors rioted in the port of Kiel, Germany. The soldiers expressed strong dissatisfaction with the disastrous logistics supply and demanded improved logistics supply, higher food standards, increased subsidies for officers and soldiers, and punishment of related
Responsible person and more than a dozen requirements.
What I want to point out here is that in Germany, the salary of the navy is higher than that of the army.
Before the outbreak of the World War, the Kaiser took the initiative to provoke an arms race in order to compete with Britain. Germany invested nearly half of its national power in the construction of warships. So much so that the Army, due to lack of funds, did not even have the most basic equipment in the critical few years before the outbreak of the World War.
Weapon updates are not guaranteed, which will definitely affect the performance of German troops on the battlefield before the outbreak of the World War.
As a result, after the outbreak of the World War, the German Navy did not have the courage to fight the British Royal Navy. It hid in the military port and did not even dare to leave the door, watching the British fleet calmly blockade the German coastline.
At this time, the logistics standards enjoyed by the German Navy were still much higher than those of the Army. In the second year after the outbreak of the World War, the German frontline troops had already begun to eat bran. The Navy was still eating big fish and meat every day, hiding in the port and living happily.
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Even Kaiser Wilhelm II could not look past the performance of the German Navy. At this time, the German Navy was forced to leave the military port and fought the Battle of Jutland with the British Royal Navy.
Strictly speaking, the German Navy did not fail in the Battle of Jutland, and the British Royal Navy even suffered greater losses than the German Navy.
However, after the Battle of Jutland, the German Navy completely lost the courage to fight the British Royal Navy. From then on, it huddled in the military port and became the most powerful fleet in the world.
At this time, the German Navy still enjoyed the highest standards of logistics supply.
However, this naval force, which had always enjoyed the highest standards of logistical supply and had high hopes from Germany, broke out in rebellion during Germany's most difficult time. At this time, the German Army, which had been stretched due to insufficient funds, continued to fight on the Western Front.
This is really unacceptable.
The sailors' riot in Kiel Port was just the beginning. In the next few days, Germany slid into the abyss at an unprecedented speed. Workers went on strike. They worked hard in the factory but couldn't even fill their stomachs. Such a life
It has been going on for several years, and the workers in Germany have been tough enough to endure it until now.
Merchants began to go on strike. In fact, there was nothing to sell in the stores. Ever since the British navy blocked the German coastline, Germany began to distribute supplies. In the first year of the outbreak of the world war, merchants still racked their brains to organize and stock the goods.
Later, there were fewer and fewer goods on the shelves, because no matter how hard the merchants tried, the speed at which they put goods on the shelves could not keep up with the devaluation of the mark.
Citizens also began to take to the streets to demonstrate. Berlin's civilians received less food every week than prisoners in British concentration camps received every week. German men died fighting on the front lines, and women had to work and take care of their families. They were working hard.
After working all day, they still have to spend a few hours queuing up to receive the daily food distribution. Although they are physically and mentally exhausted by this time, some people fall asleep while queuing.
Unlike Germany, which was collapsing, the expeditionary force's counterattack was massive.
When the World War broke out in France, there were less than 400 heavy artillery pieces in the country.
Now the number of French heavy artillery has surged to 6,000. In addition, there are also a large number of light artillery, which are the "Miss 75" that the French had high hopes in the past.
After the counterattack began, the French artillery fired 400,000 rounds of artillery shells on the first day. Even such an intense bombardment was still dwarfed by the British Expeditionary Force. In the two days of June 1st and 2nd, only the Canadian Legion
In total, 940,000 artillery shells were destroyed, an average of 12,000 tons per day.
In Belgium, which is closer to the English Channel, Pershing mobilized 1 million U.S. troops, 3,000 artillery pieces, and 700 aircraft to launch a general attack on Fortress of the Burning Sun.
In order to withstand the attack of the US troops, the German army has lost nearly 300,000 people in the Liege Fortress.
Now the German army could no longer stand it any longer. Coupled with the overwhelming artillery fire, the swarming U.S. troops overwhelmed the last two German fortresses in the Fortress of the Burning Sun. At this time, the U.S. troops could take another step forward and set foot on German territory.
Even under such circumstances, Ludendorff was still unwilling to admit defeat. He requested in a letter from the German commander that all troops must adhere to the defensive line, and no one is allowed to retreat under any circumstances.
In order to block the advance of the Allied forces, Ludendorff did his best to form troops and send them to the front line to support them. Many of these newly formed troops were drawn from arsenals and mines in the rear. These troops had not undergone strict training, and many of them were
When people are temporarily recruited, they only have one rifle, and some soldiers don't even have rifles.
Ludendorff's behavior completely ruined the German army's will to fight. The newly formed troops refused to carry out the orders. The troops who were still fighting on the front line called these recruits "traitors" because these recruits were not willing to go to the battlefield. They were behind the scenes.
This behavior seriously affected the morale and logistics supply of frontline troops.
By June 5th, the forward troops of the British Expeditionary Force had advanced to Lorraine, which had become German territory since the Prussian War.
Not all attacks were smooth sailing. The French troops encountered greater difficulties than the British Expeditionary Force when advancing.
The German troops did not have much to do against the British Expeditionary Force, but when facing the French troops, the German troops performed much better. Although the French troops also had aircraft and tanks to assist in the battle, the German troops fought and retreated.
It did not collapse completely. In some areas, the German army even had the strength to organize a counterattack. Post-war statistics show that the French army's losses were no less than those of the German army.