However, what surprised the German soldiers was that the French army did not take advantage of the favorable situation of mustard gas on the position to launch an attack. Instead, they launched a slightly smaller artillery bombardment again. Although they felt inexplicable, the German soldiers hurriedly
After retreating into the trenches, after a while, the dual torture of mustard gas and shells finally passed. As time went by, the yellow poisonous mist over the trenches gradually dissipated. Those German soldiers who had been wearing gas masks for a long time were finally able to
Taking a breath of fresh air, everyone couldn't wait to take off their gas masks.
At this moment, the sound of an attack suddenly came from the opposite side. The German soldiers who had just taken off their gas masks hurriedly picked up their weapons and climbed up the ladder, preparing to face the incoming enemy. They did not notice at all that there seemed to be a hint of sweetness around them.
Of course, by the time they noticed it, it was already too late.
Faced with these tightly protected German soldiers, the French came up with such a very insidious method of poisoning. They first used a large amount of mustard gas, which was not very effective, to force the German soldiers to wear gas masks, and then bombarded them with mustard gas shells.
In the final stage, a large number of shalin shells are mixed into it. No one likes to wear a gas mask for a long time. Wearing this thing on the head is a kind of torture. When the obvious appearance of mustard gas dissipates in the air, I think it is not dangerous.
The German soldiers would definitely take off their gas masks, and at this time, the hidden shad gas would invade their bodies silently.
Facts have proved that the French were a great success. The German soldiers who took off their gas masks had no idea that the devil was lurking around them. Just when they were preparing to fight the French army, they quickly developed symptoms of poisoning. Even if someone understood it, it was too late.
The onset of action of shalin is much faster than that of mustard gas, and the lethal dose is also much smaller, so that the vast majority of German soldiers have been poisoned to varying degrees before they put on their gas masks again. Those under the trenches.
The soldiers in the area with the highest concentration of shackles didn't even have time to put on their gas masks again, and then fell to the ground foaming at the mouth.
At this time, the attacking French army had already begun their charge.
Relying on the terrifying power of the poisonous gas, the French easily broke through the German defense line in Saint-Mihiele. More than 10,000 German soldiers fell silently on their position. At the same time, the Russian army in the day care
The news that Mir had broken through the German defense line had also come, and the morale of the entire Allied Powers group was immediately shaken. Even the Italian government clamored to launch a counterattack to regain the lost territory. Of course, they were just shouting. Even if Prime Minister Litini wanted to beat Italian soldiers
We don’t want to fight yet!
However, just when the allies were singing their triumphant songs, the British suffered a heavy setback in Saint-Quentin. They had neither the tactical innovation of a tank group attack nor special external equipment. They could only continue as usual.
Taking human lives to fill the ground, repeating over and over again the meat grinder tactic of bombarding the infantry with artillery, then bombarding the infantry with artillery, and then charging again. This tactic has been used for more than three years. The effectiveness has been proven by countless dead bodies.
Unfortunately, the British will certainly not have any miracles now.
Under the cover of thousands of cannons, nearly three million British troops charged in vain over and over again in the buffer zone between the two armies like rising waves hitting the breakwater, and then turned into corpses one by one and remained in the mud. The only thing
The highlight was that the British airships launched a large-scale bombing of the German positions and used a large number of white phosphorus incendiary bombs. However, unfortunately they were unable to gain air superiority. After the air battle was defeated, their airships also ended the battle with heavy losses.
.
But this would make the British Army very embarrassed. Looking at the two allies, especially the French on the same battlefield, they were simply advancing with great success. After St. Mihiel broke through the defense line, the French army kept attacking northward, taking advantage of
As the German army was caught off guard and had no chance to react, they rushed towards Verdun. On the morning of the second day of the war, the forwards had already arrived at this former fortress. Of course, it was also their former sad place, which was now burned to glass.
The fortress of Verdun is still there.
However, there were no German guards in Verdun at this time. It was already behind the front. The few broken troops did not form any effective blockade here. The attacking French division almost retook this important strategic node with negligible casualties.
The railway from Metz to the French occupied area was cut off. In the next short period of time, the French army re-entered the protrusion with two armies.
Moreover, a part of the French army even started to attack Metz. Although this is not of much strategic significance. With the strength of the French army, it is impossible to continue to attack Germany in depth. It is enough to capture Verdun just around this protrusion.
.But the symbolic significance is huge, because it means that the French army has entered Lorraine, and entered this land that represents their shameful history. Suddenly, the dying French public opinion became as excited as if a jar of chicken blood had been suddenly injected.
It was as if the French army had really won some great victory.
This further shows the incompetence of the British army. For the honor of the British Empire, Marshal French, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, also risked his life. He also knew very well that the Germans were already in chaos at this time. In order to retake Verdun, the German army in the west
Prince Leopold, the supreme commander of the front line, was desperately mobilizing all the forces he could mobilize to launch a counterattack. At this time, it can be said that what is fighting is consumption, what is fighting is the will of the commander and the bravery of the soldiers. So Marshal French quickly
Nobly ordering his men to continue the attack, not once twice, not twice, not three times, regardless of casualties, as long as victory is achieved, no matter what casualties are acceptable, even if it means drowning the Germans with blood, the warriors of the British Empire
They didn't flinch either.
While he was enjoying the applause and praise, the British soldiers on the front line were in trouble. They were like worthless animals, attacking the German defense lines in vain over and over again, driven by various slogans and, of course, strict military laws.
The number of bloody casualties was increasing day by day, and even Tomorrow Daily began to lament the courage of the British soldiers.
However, although this tactic is bloody and cruel, it is also truly effective, because the German army cannot withstand this kind of consumption even more than they do. Germany's war potential has reached its limit, and the attrition on the front line cannot be replenished at all. In this situation where both sides suffer,
Under the attack, the situation became more and more serious day by day. Prince Leopold's hair turned gray with worry. This veteran who participated in the Franco-Prussian War, the Prince of Bavaria, the Field Marshal of the German Empire, and the Consort of the Austro-Hungarian Empire could be said to be mentally and physically exhausted.
It's not that his command is bad. In fact, it has been like a heavy mountain pressing on the British and French in recent years. It's not that the German soldiers are not brave enough. There are Germany's most elite troops on the Western Front. The key is that the number of people is getting smaller and smaller as they fight. Almost no division is
It was full, and the new recruits were so old that even he couldn't bear to look at them.
In fact, things are better on the Western Front. The French offensive is just a bluff and has little actual impact on the battle situation. The British attack is very troublesome, but they will not have much breakthrough in the short term. After all, the flow of
While the blood of the Germans was being shed, the blood of the British was also being shed. What was really fatal was the Eastern Front. After Zhitomir was broken through, the Russian troops that poured in from the breach divided into two groups, heading west and eastward.
South, westward to contain, and southward to main attack. The obvious goal is to encircle the main Allied forces in Ukraine.
Although this sounds exaggerated, after all, it is a huge group of three million people, but it is not impossible. The Russian army has invested at least five million troops on the Ukrainian front, which is nearly twice the strength advantage. Although the morale of the Russian army
Not high, but the Austro-Hungarian army, which is the main force on the Eastern Front, is not as good as them. The desertion situation has been extremely serious recently. Those Slavic Austro-Hungarian soldiers are not willing to fight at all. The Russian army is fully equipped to encircle them in terms of military strength and combat effectiveness.
ability, once this happens, it can be said to be a disaster.
The general staffs of Germany and Austria immediately began to order their respective troops in Ukraine to shrink their defense lines, abandon the currently fighting fronts, and retreat westward toward the borders of Ukraine, Galicia, Poland and other places. This was effectively equivalent to withdrawing from Ukraine.
But this still doesn't work. They have to get reinforcements. Without reinforcements, they will eventually have to continue to retreat under the continuous attack of the Russian army with a total strength of more than 8 million. Especially for the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it is even possible to retreat to Gary.
In West Asia, where the first war began, this will undoubtedly be an extremely heavy blow to the already low morale.
But both Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire have no one left. If they want reinforcements, they can only mobilize them from other battlefields. The Western Front is definitely not possible. In this way, the Italian battlefield becomes their only choice, although this is also very disappointing.
Frustrated, but with no choice but to give up on Italy.
The two German armies originally pressed against the Alps and northwest Italy immediately began to shrink back. Among them, the Fourteenth Army directly withdrew from Italy and took a train to reinforce the Ukrainian battlefield. At the same time, the Austro-Hungarian Sixth Army, which was originally on the eastern coast of Italy, also withdrew from Italy.
To reinforce Ukraine, the two Greek armies and the Montenegrin Army with them retreated northward to form a line with the Austro-Hungarian 10th and 11th Armies in the northern Apennine Mountains.
In this way, the Allies only had five armies left on the Italian battlefield. Although it was impossible to maintain the offensive, there was still no great pressure on the defense. After all, the main enemy they faced was the Italian Army, and more importantly, they had enough troops behind them.
The place can be retreated, and it is not impossible to completely evacuate Italy if necessary. (To be continued, please search Piaotian Literature, the novel is better and updated faster!