"Boom! Rumble! Rumble! ”

Less than five kilometers from Epsom was the artillery position of the German 8th Army, and the artillery belonging to ten infantry divisions was firing heavily at Epsom and its surroundings.

Since Emperor Qin Tian became the commander of the 8th Army Corps, he has focused on strengthening the firepower of the infantry. Artillery is even more of a top priority. And after the victory of the 8th Army Corps on the Eastern Front, the Germans also strengthened the firepower of their units during a winter-long recuperation. As a result, the current German army already has the most powerful artillery fire in the world.

The 8th Army Corps had a total of 180 150-mm heavy howitzers, 360 105-mm light howitzers and 540 75-mm field guns. Without counting light artillery such as mortars, there were a total of one thousand and eighty guns. Such a number of artillery pieces is already very terrifying. In another time and space, only the Americans of World War II could compare to it.

The artillerymen carried the shells shirtless, stuffed them into the chamber and fired them. They didn't even care if the shells hit the target. The German army's fire preparation before the offensive was often to take covering fire, that is, to fire shells into a certain area. Anyway, under the dense artillery fire, there are very few who can dodge. Even with God's blessing, he was lucky enough to escape. But the number is very limited, and it doesn't pose much of a threat.

"Boom! Rumble! Rumble! ”

The shells exploded on the British positions, and the earth and rocks flew sideways, and the sand and rocks flew in a puff. Soon, the British positions became like the surface of the moon. Everywhere there are craters left by the explosion of shells.

The fortifications built by the British were being destroyed under heavy German shelling.

The city of Epsom was also the target of German shelling. After all, the British had built a lot of fortifications in the city, trying to make the Germans pay a heavy price through street fighting. It is better to inflict losses on the British with as many shells as possible than to destroy them with infantry!

In order to deal the maximum blow to the British and their morale, the Germans took a very long time to prepare for firepower. The whole day of September 14 was a day of fire preparation. The artillerymen needed to shoot at least half of the shells that the Germans had stored during this time. You know, that's millions of shells.

It may be difficult to imagine what was left of the British southern line of defense after the German shelling was over. The powerful artillery fire of the German army was enough to plow the British position several times like a plow.

"Oh God! The shelling of the Germans has been going on for a whole morning. Don't all their shells cost money? A British soldier complained. At this moment, he was holding his head and huddled in the anti-artillery hole. The dust that kept falling on his head made him look like a mud monkey.

"The Germans had strong artillery fire, which had long been famous. On the battlefield, the enemy who can be killed with shells will definitely not let the infantry fight hard. A veteran said.

"No wonder the Germans are so powerful! If we had such powerful artillery, maybe we wouldn't have been beaten so badly by the Germans! A young British soldier had a look of longing on his face.

"Humph! The Germans dared to play this game because they had a strong industrial and logistical system. If it were another country, where could there be so many shells? Even with so many shells, it would be difficult to get to the front line! An officer said.

"The industry of the British Empire, although inferior to that of Germany. But it's not impossible to do all this. Especially when fighting on home soil. But alas, the empire's native resources are insufficient. After the defeat of the Navy, our overseas trade routes have already been cut off. Now there are empty arsenals, but there are no raw materials to produce those ammunition and weapons, and naturally they are far behind the Germans! The officer continued.

There was a sudden silence in the artillery hole, and everyone knew very well that the current British Empire was just struggling to prepare.

"It's all navy! The navy accounts for the lion's share of military spending every year. But they eventually lost to the Germans. So that the empire fell to the field where it is today. Someone complained.

"It's not easy for the navy! They have done their best. It is said that countless people were killed in the navy. Everything is that the Germans are too strong! Someone said.

"Alright, shut up. If you have the leisure to say this, it is better to pray to God that the shells of the Germans will not collapse our anti-artillery holes! The officer scolded.

Suddenly, the other soldiers had no choice but to say no more.

"Boom! Rumble! Two loud bangs rang out over the heads of the British soldiers, and cracks appeared in the ceiling at the top of the fortifications, and dust and stones fell from them.

"Damn, we were hit by heavy artillery from the Germans, the anti-artillery hole is going to collapse, run away!"

The British soldiers hiding in the anti-artillery hole ran desperately towards the entrance of the cave, trying to escape from here. However, the entrance to the cave was so small that it was so crowded that all but a few who managed to escape from the entrance were buried alive.

The powerful artillery fire of the German army began to exert great power. Not only did it destroy the British fortifications, but it also blew up the British army's anti-artillery holes, so that the losses of the British troops on the front line began to rise.

The German artillerymen faithfully fulfilled their duty to clear as much of the way as possible for the infantry to attack. Compared to the infantry, which had to attack against the enemy's bullets, the artillery was undoubtedly happy. At least, their safety is guaranteed under normal circumstances. The safety of the infantry is threatened only when a heavy artillery battle breaks out between the two sides. However, such cases are generally rare. Especially after the Germans had a powerful army aviation, it was even more difficult for the enemy to threaten the German artillery.

In order to minimize the losses of their own troops during the attack, the Germans will carry out firepower strikes at any cost before the attack. Even if this would increase the cost of the war, the Germans did not hesitate to do so. After all, shells run out and can be made. But if a soldier is killed, there is nothing. The population of Germany is not large, which makes the lives of these German soldiers even more precious.

In contrast, the British artillery remained silent. It's not that they would rather be like this, but their strength is not as good as others! At the same time, they did not want to be bombed by German planes even more.