Chapter 534: No Need for Reconnaissance, It Seems
Erwin had been organizing the counterattack from the beginning.
He believed that "the best defense is offense," a saying that was particularly true in artillery warfare.
Shells cannot be defended against. Where they land and how much damage they cause is fixed: the artillery positions are there, immobile, and unable to hide. One cannot avoid or escape them, and no one can determine whether they will be destroyed or not.
At such times, the key is to fire back at the enemy, to ensure that their artillery is reduced with every shot, thus minimizing the number of shells your side needs to endure.
The German artillery was well-trained and thoroughly prepared.
Without even waiting for orders, the artillery observers immediately observed the enemy's artillery positions and transmitted the data to the command center.
(Note: Calculating the location of enemy artillery positions requires at least two groups of artillery observers positioned a certain distance apart. The principle is simple, similar to a middle school math problem, as shown in the diagram.)
The command center calculated the parameters and sent the data to the artillery positions.
The frontline commanders quickly and clearly shouted the parameters:
"Target number 102 (preset position on the map)."
"Table scale 356! (Vertical angle by the mil system)."
"Direction left 0-50. (Horizontal angle by the mil system)."
"All personnel, 10 rounds rapid fire!"
Subordinate commanders loudly repeated the parameters, while the artillerymen nervously adjusted the gun barrels according to the parameters amid the bombardment.
The entire process took only 10 minutes, which was quite fast for an era where radios were not widely used, and communication was mostly through telephones and shouting.
Finally, with a loud shout from the frontline commander, "Fire!"
"Fire!"
"Fire!"
...
Dozens of surviving cannons immediately roared toward the enemy's artillery positions.
"Boom! Boom!"
"Boom! Boom Boom!"
...
The German artillery proved themselves to be seasoned veterans, with shells accurately hitting the area near the target positions. The artillery observer, speaking excitedly on the phone, reported, "Hit the target! Hit the target!"
Erwin, however, felt it was not enough, so he ordered another 5 rapid shots.
"Boom! Boom!"
This time, the impact points were even more concentrated, and the target area erupted into balls of fire and smoke.
However, after the sound of artillery and explosions faded, there was nothing left.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the howling cold wind swirling the smoke and rolling around. Occasionally, the cries and calls for help of injured artillerymen, those wounded by enemy rockets, could be heard.
At least a dozen cannons had been damaged in the earlier bombardment, and some areas were still ablaze. If not put out in time, it could lead to even greater disasters.
These matters were left to his subordinates to handle.
Lieutenant General Nicholas and Erwin exchanged a glance in the command center. This was highly unusual.
Once artillery duels began, it was usually a back-and-forth exchange of shelling, with the side that acted quicker gaining the upper hand until the other side was forced to retreat.
But now, there was no sign of a counterattack from the enemy.
"Did they retreat?" Erwin raised his binoculars and looked across, but apart from smoke and trees, there was nothing.
"Impossible," Lieutenant General Nicholas shook his head. "Ten artillery brigades, they had no reason to retreat."
It was indeed possible to use a hit-and-run tactic.
But if they had an overwhelming firepower advantage, for example, if 10 artillery brigades were facing only 3 of ours, it would be our side retreating, not the enemy.
Yet, there was no sound from the enemy, and no subsequent shells.
After a moment's hesitation, Lieutenant General Nicholas ordered, "Send someone to scout the area."
Although it was behind the French defense line, scouts could get close and observe from a higher position using binoculars.
"Yes, General." The staff officer replied, then turned to deliver the order.
Soon, the frontline sent back intelligence: "General, there is nothing in the target area but shell craters."
This indicated there were no results from the attack.
"This is impossible!" Lieutenant General Nicholas gave the staff officer a questioning look, his eyes showing a trace of anger.
With 10 artillery brigades, such a massive force and firepower—at the very least, there should have been some trace of damage, even if some cannons were destroyed by the bombardment.
And it was impossible for them to have evacuated the area in just 10 minutes.
(Note: A single artillery battalion with 12 guns requires a force of 500 people. Ten artillery brigades would have at least 15,000 soldiers, making a quick retreat impossible.)
The staff officer helplessly responded, "We’ve confirmed it multiple times. There is truly nothing in the target area."
Lieutenant General Nicholas still couldn't believe it. "No, something must have gone wrong. Maybe the scout misidentified the location, or the artillery observers made a mistake in their calculations..."
"General," Erwin interrupted, "What if they were all correct?"
"What do you mean?" Lieutenant General Nicholas looked at Erwin in confusion.
Erwin’s face was pale as he answered softly, "Did you notice that the shells fired at us were rockets, not artillery shells?"
Lieutenant General Nicholas nodded. That was clear.
"So," Erwin continued, "There were no 10 artillery brigades. We might be facing Charles' new equipment, which can launch a large number of rockets instantly and relocate quickly."
Lieutenant General Nicholas’ face changed as realization dawned on him. Then, his eyes widened in deep fear.
My God, if that’s the case, we’re doomed. The artillery’s response time can’t keep up with their withdrawal speed, and all our shells will fall on empty ground!
Erwin nodded slightly, acknowledging that Lieutenant General Nicholas was right.
But they both silently understood what they could not say.
This information could not be revealed. No one wanted to be in a situation where "we are only going to take the hits." This would severely damage the artillerymen’s morale, and they might choose to flee at all costs, leading to a complete loss of fighting spirit for the entire army!
Lieutenant General Nicholas dismissed the staff officer and led Erwin to the observation window. Pretending to look across the river through the binoculars, he lowered his voice and asked, "What should we do now?"
"That’s just my guess, General," Erwin said, "What we need to do first is confirm this suspicion."
"How do we confirm it?"
"We need to send out more scouts." Erwin frowned, then hesitated before adding, "It would be best to send out reconnaissance planes."
Lieutenant General Nicholas' expression stiffened, but he still responded with a soft "Hmm."
Sending out scouts was not realistic, as the front was too long and wide. They would need to send scouts everywhere, which would require at least an entire infantry division.
As for reconnaissance planes, enemy fighters would likely already be waiting in the sky.
At this moment, a "whoosh, whoosh" sound suddenly came from the air, and another wave of rockets came raining down.
Lieutenant General Nicholas and Erwin exchanged a glance. It seemed there was no need for reconnaissance after all...