(PS: Ask for collections, ask for recommendations, ask for comments, don't ask for money, don't work hard, your encouragement is the greatest encouragement for writers.) ）

(Thank you for the tips from Brother Axian and Shattering Hammer, this chapter is for you, and there is another chapter in the evening.) ）

The reason why the French launched the Battle of the Somme was to relieve the pressure on the French troops in the direction of Verdun. By now, the French army on the Verdun front had stabilized its position and was preparing for a counteroffensive, and the Battle of the Somme had initially achieved its strategic objectives.

After Qin Zhiyuan's battle report was sent, Foch quickly approved it, not only allowing Qin Zhiyuan to lead his troops to fight at the right time, but also ordering Misherlai's Tenth Army to cooperate.

In order to better coordinate the command, Michele sent a staff officer named Hunter to the Sixth Regiment and organized a joint staff with Pierre.

According to the battle plan given by the General Staff, General Qin Zhiyuan led about 2,000 infantry from the Kapi area to the vicinity of Elbekul and waited for an opportunity to attack Elbekul.

El Bekul is not a strategic location, just a small village. That's right, during the First World War, many battle plans were aimed at just a small village. Most of the time, for this small village, thousands of people will be paid, and it may not be able to conquer it.

In order to cooperate with Qin Zhiyuan's battle, Mischeret would send two divisions to attack on the south and north banks of the Somme River to contain the living forces of the Germans. At the same time, Mishelai also sent an artillery brigade to provide fire cover for Qin Zhiyuan's attack.

In order to test the combat effectiveness of Qin Zhiyuan's department, Mishelai also made a bloody investment.

In this battle plan, in order to attack a small village, the French sent nearly 40,000 men, which was the norm in the First World War.

This was the first attack mission Qin Zhiyuan received, not reinforcements, nor defense, and the first attack against a tactical target of the Germans.

Qin Zhiyuan cannot afford to lose.

For this reason, Qin Zhiyuan took Hu Tingfeng and Jin Taihe to Erbeikul for a week to reconnoitre, just to determine the defensive deployment of the Germans as much as possible.

"There were four bunkers in the German trenches, and the bunkers were connected by underground passages, and it was impossible to enter through the trenches. In front of the trench, the Germans dug an anti-tank trench, about ten meters long and five meters deep, in front of the anti-tank trench there was a barbed wire fence about two meters high and not a meter wide, and there were two more behind such barbed wire anti-tank trenches, and after the second barbed wire fence was the German trench, where there were too many Germans, and we did not go in. "Hu Tingfeng is a frequent visitor here, and he is well aware of the German defenses.

Weapons of war spurred tactical advances, and although tanks had just appeared on the battlefield, the Germans had begun to use anti-tank trenches to restrain tanks, presumably in a little while, perhaps around Christmas, anti-tank guns would equip their troops. Hu Tingfeng has made a lot of progress during this time, at least he has a good grasp of military terminology, and this former tomb robber has gradually transformed into a qualified officer.

"It's barbed wire and anti-tank trenches, how did you touch it?" Qin Zhiyuan held a Zeiss telescope made in Germany and observed for a long time, but did not find a defensive loophole. It seems that if you want to capture Elbekul, you can only fill it with human lives.

Hu Tingfeng attacked many times, and got not only gold, silver and jewelry, but also a lot of military supplies, and the telescope in Qin Zhiyuan's hand was one.

"The junction of the position, the Germans are a bit rigid, the layout of the position is all one board and one eye, and the junction between the two armies will definitely be vacant. Moreover, in order to prevent accidental injury to friendly troops, the Germans generally did not bury mines at the junction of the position, and by using this junction, they could penetrate behind the Germans. "Hu Tingfeng really has a set, and this kind of loophole can be found.

"Let's go, let's go to the junction." It was getting dark, Qin Zhiyuan was wearing raincoats, and irregular twigs were inserted in their military caps as a cover, and they were far away from the German position, but they were not afraid of being discovered by the Germans.

When in the rear, Qin Zhiyuan's clothing is made of wool, and when he arrives at the front, Qin Zhiyuan will use the same cotton as the soldiers, and remove all the rank logos, which can minimize the attention of the German army.

"It's useless, we've passed through the junction too many times, and the Germans have already plugged that hole. Just the other day, the Germans planted mines in the junction, which were much denser than elsewhere. "Hu Tingfeng is a little embarrassed.

Qin Zhiyuan really wanted to kick him twice.

"But we still have a way, let's go through the river, there are absolutely no mines there." Hu Tingfeng saw that Qin Zhiyuan wanted to raise his feet, and hurriedly made a remedy.

"It's October, the rain in the sky is about to turn to snow, the river is so cold, how do you want to get there?" Qin Zhiyuan still wanted to kick.

"No, from here, from the other side of the river, you can go around the other side of the river, and then go around to the back of Erbekul, and then cross the river from there, just bypass the first line of defense, there are no mines behind." Hu Tingfeng did his homework quite well.

"The positions of the Germans were three-dimensional, and less than a kilometer behind this line of defense was the second line of defense. Even if there is no minefield in the middle, it is in the middle of two lines of defense, and if you are not careful, you will attract a flanking attack or even a siege by the Germans. Qin Zhiyuan thought about it for a while, and there was indeed something feasible.

"Yes, the night is long in France, at least fifteen or sixteen hours a night, which is enough. As for the two-sided attack, don't worry about that, we attacked before the early hours of the morning, and by the time the Germans understood what was happening, we had already captured the Germans' positions, and the Germans would be too late to react. "Listen to the wind and swear.

"Have you thought about how to cross the river?" Qin Zhiyuan basically agreed with Hu Tingfeng's plan.

There is no 100% comprehensive military plan, as long as you are three or four percent sure, it is worth trying.

"With sheepskin rafts, I have boatmen who have run boats on the Yellow River, they can make sheepskin rafts, and they have made five or six, I have tried, and the sheepskin rafts are blackened and are not easy to be found at night, and it is not a problem for a sheepskin raft to pass six people at a time." Hu Tingfeng's subordinates are really talented.

The rubber boat has just had a concept now, and no actual product has appeared, so Qin Zhiyuan and they have to make their own tools for crossing the river.

"Speed up the production and make at least 20 pieces." Qin Zhiyuan prepared to send a company behind the German position.

"Don't worry, three days is enough." Detouring behind the Germans is commonplace for Hu Tingfeng, you can't let him attack head-on, but a sneak attack is a good hand.

After exploring the positions of the Germans, Qin Zhiyuan returned to Kapi.

At this time, it was already winter, and Qin Zhiyuan and the others were all issued cotton coats. The French cotton coat is very distinctive, they sew two buttons on the hem of the coat, these two buttons are usually not used, when running fast, the hem is lifted up and folded back, and then the buttons are buttoned, which can minimize the hindrance of the hem of the clothes when running.

After returning to Kapi, Hu Tingfeng and they were busy with their own work, and Qin Zhiyuan wanted to communicate with Hunter.

After Hunter listened to Qin Zhiyuan's battle plan, Hunter shook his head again and again: "No, no, no, this is not good, I don't agree with such a plan." ”

"Why?" Qin Zhiyuan was very curious, he felt that there were not too many loopholes in this plan.

"There is no precedent for this!" The reasons for Huntle's opposition are bizarre.