ps: 6000 words big chapter to reward subscribed book friends

After the German occupation of Paris, he himself became exhausted. {{3 Five days and five nights of continuous fighting made the German army hungry and thirsty, and many soldiers were tired and exhausted and lay on the bare ground, with only one wish in their hearts, to end the war as soon as possible. The shells of their artillery were also gone. For this reason, they were also unable to encircle and annihilate the main forces of the retreating British and French armies.

On 20 September, in a thick fog during the night, most of the French and British troops crossed the Aisne on pontoon bridges or partially blown up bridges, landing at Bourcomán on the right and Venezel on the left. The French Fifth Army crossed the Aisne at Beriobuck and captured the highest point in the east, Shelmanddam, a ridge named after a royal carriage road built by Louis XIV for his daughter. Contact points were set up along the entire front.

800,000 Anglo-French troops retreated to a fortified position on the Western Front. Between Compiègne and Beriobac, the river meanders westward, about a hundred feet wide and twelve to fifteen feet deep. The low-lying land on either side stretched for a mile, rising abruptly into a cliff three or four hundred feet high, and then slowly descending to the level of the plateau.

The French Fifth Army was stationed on a higher north side two miles from the top of the hill, hiding behind dense bushes covering the frontage and slopes. Several long, narrow paths plunged into the cliffs at right angles, exposing the pursuing Germans to very dangerous situations. The French army in the northern plateau, overlooking the Germans, had a very wide field of fire, whether it was rifles or artillery.

Under the cover of the foggy night, the Germans advanced on the path leading to the plateau. When the fog dissipates in clear sunlight. The Germans came under merciless fire from the British and French crossfire. Those who burst into the valley without the protection of the fog barrier did not suffer better. On the side of the bushes along the river, the distance between the Germans and men was at least ten paces.

The British and French artillery fired. Knock down at least ten people at a time. The German second line infantry continued to advance, advancing closer and closer. Two hundred yards behind the second line of skirmishers, the third and fourth groups of people appeared. The French artillery fired wildly. But the Germans were not afraid, and the fifth and sixth lines were scattered, in good order, with the same well-thought-out and very precise intervals. The Germans were well trained and sacrificed spectacularly.

The two sides fought in a stalemate for a day. They were all tired, but none of them could push the other, and none of them wanted to retreat. The two sides of the confrontation are fixed on a narrow strip of land. On 22 September, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, John Brown, was appointed to the command of the British Expeditionary Force. Sir French ordered all the British expeditionary forces to dig trenches, but no digging tools were available.

As a result, British soldiers went to nearby farms and villages to search for pickaxes, shovels, and other tools. The troops were not trained in positional warfare. But dig a shallow pit in the ground. Originally just wanted to provide mask. In case of enemy observation and artillery fire. Soon, the trench was dug to a depth of about seven feet. Other protective measures included camouflage and punching holes in the walls of the trenches, which were then supported with wood.

The Western Front became more than four hundred miles of fixed, curved, and often zigzag, continuous trench systems. From the Belgian strait town of Newport, the trench line stretches hundreds of miles south, turning southeast at Noyrong, passing Reims, Verdun, Saint-Miel and Nancy, and then turning south to the northern Swiss border, twenty miles east of Belfort.

On the battlefield of the Western Front. The small makeshift trenches dug in the first months soon became deeper and more complex, gradually turning into large areas of fortifications. The open space between the trenches of the opposing sides is called "no man's land". Its width also varies between different battlefields. On the Western Front, no man's land was generally 100 to 300 yards wide.

Trench warfare was also new to the Germans, who were trained and equipped to fight a campaign that could be won in six weeks, but they had siege howitzers, so they fired a large number of shells into the trenches of the Entente** team, and skillfully used mortars, grenades, and grenades, which enabled the Germans to inflict heavy casualties on the British and French soldiers, who had neither the training of these weapons, nor the grenades and other weapons.

The grenade has a long history, in fact, it was first invented by the Chinese. Grenades filled with black powder appeared in Europe in the 15th century, when they were mainly used for fortress defense and prisons. In the mid-17th century, some European countries equipped their elite units with field grenades, and called soldiers who were specially trained to use such ammunition grenadiers. By the 19th century, with the development of guns and the decline of castle raids and defenses, grenades were once given a cold reception and were rarely used in the Anglo-French army. Due to the rise of trenches, the Germans threw in wooden-handled grenades. The Germans also used searchlights, flares and periscopes, and quickly adapted to this trench warfare.

Moreover, the fortifications of the Germans were excellently built. The shelters and strongholds they built were located deep underground, protected from shells and had air circulation. Because the Germans wanted to retreat strategically to a well-prepared defensive position more than their opponents. They also began by using the "defense-in-depth strategy," which consisted of building a series of isolated positions in a front-line engagement zone several hundred yards wide, rather than a continuous trench. Each position can provide artillery support to its adjacent positions.

The shortage of heavy weapons hampered the British and French attacks. Their non-stop firing of sixty-pound shells was powerful enough to bombard German artillery positions from the south bank of the Aisne River, but these guns were inferior to German guns in caliber, range, and number, and inferior to German eight-inch howitzers. For every shell fired by the British and French at the Germans, the Germans fired back twenty shells. The defensive firepower of the British and French forces consisted only of rifles, and two machine guns assigned to each battalion. But the British regular army was a good marksman, almost equal to the German machine guns and grenades.

The trenches are not straight, but zigzag. This meant that a soldier could not see anything ten meters away from a trench. A trench of this shape protects the infantry inside it when the enemy attacks from the flank, otherwise all the troops inside will be exposed to enemy fire and suffer heavy casualties. If a shell falls into a trench, its shrapnel will not fly far before it will be blocked. The side of the trench facing the enemy is called the breastwall, and the side facing away from the enemy is called the back wall. The back wall prevented the soldiers' backs from being injured by shrunnel from shells that fell behind the trenches. If the enemy captured the trench. Then the original back wall will become a breastwork. The sides of the trench would be reinforced with sandbags, wooden frames and barbed wire. The ground inside the trench is usually covered with planks.

The soldiers' shelters were located in the rear of the support trenches. Shelter holes in the UK are usually 8 to 16 feet deep, and those in Germany are generally much deeper. The closest to the ground was 12 feet deep, sometimes as deep as three stories, and the soldiers walked up through concrete steps.

The British army at that time used airships to equip radio transceivers, which were used to report the movement of troops. On 24 September, Lieutenants James and Lewis, who had flown over the German lines, spotted three well-concealed squadrons of enemy artillery that had inflicted great damage on British positions. They radioed back the position of the artillery squadron, and then flew in a large circle, waiting to observe the position of the artillery blasting shells. They commanded the British artillery to carry out the first shelling:

JAMS: 4:02 p.m. Slightly less than a little. Launch. Launch.

Lewis: 4:04 p.m., another launch, another launch. Your last shell was fired in the middle of three artillery squadrons in operation. Search within 300 yards of your last shell and you'll be able to hit.

JAMS: It's 4:12 p.m., a little bit less, and the direction is OK.

Lewis: 4:15 p.m. No. It's over. passed, and to the left, less than fifty yards or so.

James: At 4:20 p.m., you were right in the middle of two artillery squadrons. Search two hundred yards on each side of your last shell. The range can.

Lewis: You hit at 4:20 p.m.

JAMS: 4:22 p.m., hit, hit, hit.

This shelling was not very accurate, and the British Expeditionary Force used only firing shells. None of the hundreds hit air targets, and when they landed, they often landed at certain points in the British line. It exploded there.

During the three weeks following the unexpected trench battle, both sides suffered heavy casualties and had to abandon the frontal assault. The trench warfare was fierce, with 10% of the soldiers killed. Then it is almost impossible for every soldier who actually participated in the battle to survive without being wounded. In fact, many soldiers were wounded more than once. At that time, medical treatment was still very primitive, and life-saving antibiotics had not yet been discovered. Fairly minor injuries can also be fatal due to infection and gangrene. 12 per cent of German soldiers were killed by leg wounds and 23 per cent of men with arm wounds, with the main cause of death being infection. Of the soldiers wounded in the abdomen, only 1% survived.

So the Germans were also exhausted. In the last days of the battle, the Germans ate only a loaf of bread and had no water to drink, and it rained heavily at night, and many Germans stood in the rain without raincoats and continued to fight. As soon as the body was outside the trench, the bullets whistled. Both warring sides want to decide the outcome and end the war through a major war.

As a result, the Germans launched a large-scale attack on Verdun. Verdun is strategically located on the edge of the Paris Basin, on the banks of the Meuse, in the northwest corner of the Lorraine region of France, 225 kilometers west of Paris. With Verdun, the Germans would take control of the railway transit points to Reims, Amiens, and Arras, and the German army would be able to quickly sweep through eastern France, linking this occupied area with Belgium and quickly transporting troops to France.

The new chief of the general staff of the French army, Gallieny, realized that once Verdun was lost, the whole of France would be in danger, and he ordered his troops to hold Verdun to the death, preferring to die in battle rather than retreat. At the same time, he persuaded the commander of the British expeditionary force, French, not to retreat and to send his army to hold Verdun together. The warring sides had a general battle at Verdun in advance!

Schlieffen adopted a new tactic, i.e., destroying the enemy's positions and most of the manpower with powerful artillery fire, and consolidating and occupying them with infantry. He collected a large number of artillery pieces from the Russian front, the Balkans, and the Krupp armament industry, and shipped them to the Verdun front. There were 1,400 guns, of which more than 600 were heavy guns, including the heaviest guns of the time, 12-inch naval guns and 420-mm howitzers. The latter is designed for siege and is extremely powerful, firing heavy shells that can blow any strong fortifications to pieces.

The German artillery regiment bombarded the fortress of Verdun with heavy artillery fire, and then launched a charge. The prelude to the Battle of Verdun began. More than 1,000 artillery pieces of the German army bombarded like thunder, and the charges were higher and higher in turn. The commander of the French fortress of Verdun, Petain, commanded the defenders and the troops that came in to put up a desperate resistance. But because reinforcements arrived only two divisions, plus two of his own. In total, there were only four divisions, and on the first day they were advanced by the Germans by 6 kilometers. But he finally stabilized his position.

The battle was hard for the French. The German army had 27 divisions and more than 1,000 artillery pieces. The French army had only 110,000 men and 270 cannons.

The Battle of Verdun was tragic because the battlefield was small, with a front of less than 15 miles, and a large increase in casualties. Soldiers can die on the spot from a concussion without any external injuries, be killed by a shell, or be wounded by the scattered body stumps of their comrades.

When French reinforcements arrived, a tug-of-war began. Thousands of shells flew through the air, and French shells could sometimes land in the center of German troops. The Germans, some insane, some covered in mud and blood, fell one by one, and the whole valley was like a volcano. The exits were all blocked by corpses. The Germans did not take Verdun in the first few Mondays.

The ground of Verdun was covered with dense shell craters, some of which were particularly large. In autumn, the dry forest becomes a chaotic accumulation of dead wood and branches. Everywhere you looked, the corpses of people and horses exposed on the mud that had been churned by artillery fire. The stench of the decomposing corpses has grown. Both the German and French troops, who had been living in such hell for a long time, looked old, their eyes were deep-set and unrecognizable. Only the moving eyeballs prove that they are alive. In such a war. There are no heroes. There is only death followed by death.

At the same time, the logistics and supply of the German army were increasingly threatened by the Belgians, and the young new king Albert I led 140,000 Belgian troops to Antwerp as a base, blew up the railways in Belgium, shelled the German trains, and started a guerrilla war in Belgium, which was a nightmare for Schlieffen who hoped for a quick victory.

German artillery fire at Verdun. Greatly affected by the shortage of ammunition. After more than 40 days of fierce fighting, Verdun has not yet been occupied. The Germans had advanced only six or seven kilometers in total, and were facing increasing resistance, and their superiority in strength had been lost.

Schlieffen was furious, and he was determined to kill the Belgians once and for all. He ordered the transfer of the German Sixth and Seventh Armies from Alsace and Lorraine, and the continuous transport of artillery to Antwerp, where they were to be captured.

Antwerp is the second largest city in Belgium, located in the northwest of Belgium on the banks of the Scheldt River, is the largest port and important industrial city in Belgium, and is the second largest port in Europe, only 90 kilometers away from the mouth of the sea in the west, the entrance channel reaches 14 meters in flat tide water, and 100,000-ton ships can enter and exit the port freely. The most terrible thing is that it is so close to England that if it falls into the hands of the Germans, it will threaten the British mainland.

So, the whole British were panicked when the German army advanced towards Antwerp. British Admiralty Chancellor Winston. Churchill was determined to prevent the Germans from capturing the Channel ports, which could be used as bases for attacking British shipping.

Churchill organized all the British marines and came to Antwerp with the troops, saying: "We must now help the Belgians in their defense!" Otherwise, Germany will threaten the security of our British Crown! ”

Churchill met with King Albert I of Belgium in Antwerp.

Born in Brussels and educated in his youth by cultural and military education, Albert I was not only handsome, but his social skills made him one of the most popular figures in European high society.

When Albert I met with Churchill, he called the queen as a sign of respect.

Churchill unceremoniously admonished Albert I: "If Belgium does not hold on to the remaining territories, then, after the war, you will no longer be able to sit on the Belgian throne." ”

Instead of getting angry, Albert I pleaded: "Please help us with England." ”

Churchill said, "I will send a telegram to London." ”

The arrogant Churchill met with the King and Queen of Belgium to discuss how to snipe the Germans.

After the meeting, Churchill did send a telegram to London, suggesting that the British government should grant him the title of commander of Antwerp, which was equivalent to the rank of lieutenant general.

British Field Marshal Lord Kitchener and members of the Cabinet discuss the matter in a conference room at the Prime Minister's House at 10 Downing Street.

The former prime minister of Great Britain, who was responsible for the heavy casualties of the British Expeditionary Force in France, plus physical reasons, has resigned. The new Prime Minister Herbert. Henry. Asquith took Churchill's telegram, tapped his fingers on the table, and said dissatisfiedly: "Churchill is too adventurous, he is the Lord of the Navy." He actually sent the Marines to Antwerp, he probably wanted to fight and went crazy. I do not agree with the award of lieutenant general to him. ”

Churchill had anticipated a German attack on France from Belgium before the outbreak of the war, and the British Field Marshal Lord Kitchener was familiar with Churchill's abilities. "I suggest that I go to Antwerp at once and confer the rank of lieutenant general on Churchill." ”

Herbert. Henry. Asquith, the new prime minister, did not want his opinion to be vetoed, and he firmly opposed it on the grounds that the Minister of the Navy did not award the vice admiral to the army. His opinion also prevailed: "Once the British Marines are destroyed, the damage to the British Navy is incalculable." ”

Asquith ordered Churchill to immediately withdraw the Marines to sea. British Field Marshal Lord Kitchener did not mean to refute the Prime Minister. Instead, he personally rushed to Antwerp and granted Churchill the authority to go to France to arrange for the transfer of the British expeditionary force to the north. By October 10, except for one corps. All British forces had reached the staging area of the St. Omer-Azbruck defensive area, where the last force joined up with the main force and penetrated Ypres. This carefully disguised transfer lasted until October 8. None of them were detected by the Luftwaffe Air Force. By the time it was discovered, it was too late to assemble the appropriate forces to deal with the British.

The Germans began to attack Antwerp. This important coastal city was guarded by an antiquated system of forts, with the outer ring of eighteen forts ranging from seven to nine miles from the city, and the inner ring of forts one to two miles from the city. Each fortress had two machine guns, but lacked both telephone communication and means of observing artillery fire. A six-inch cannon was placed per mile, but none of the forts had high-explosive grenades or smokeless gunpowder. Thousands of acres of land around it had been cleared by the mighty German army.

Hans, Germany. Feng. General Bezelle, in an arc facing the outer circle of fortresses, placed six divisions. Heavy siege howitzers that destroyed fortifications in Liège and Namur. It was placed far from the range of Belgian artillery. With the support of the Zeppelin designation, the German artillery quickly found their target.

The gunpowder of the Belgian cannons was smoky, and the muzzles of the guns spewed thick puffs of black smoke during the bombardment, revealing their exact position, and the fields cleared by the Germans made the fort unconcealed.

The Germans began to bombard these old forts with the huge artillery that bombarded Liege. Unable to withstand even the six-inch artillery fire, the 420-millimeter guns shook the Belgian army, and in an instant, the two forts were splattered with rubble and dust.

King Albert I of Belgium watched the battle from the front, desperate to see the fortresses of Antwerp fall one by one. The next day, the entire outer fortress of Antwerp was crushed.

Albert I felt that the throne was more important than life, and he did not want to hurt the civilians, he did not wait for the final result of the war, and the end was doomed to the defeat of the Belgian army, Albert I ordered the Belgian government and 65,000 elite troops to move to Ypres that night, and join the British army, leaving an army of 80,000 men to block the German army, and he used this time to retreat a large number of Belgian civilians to the neutral Netherlands.

Albert I turned to Churchill for help, and Churchill eventually sent only one British Royal Marine Division to join the defensive forces during the German offensive, but these marines, lost their warships, and their combat effectiveness was greatly reduced. The combined resistance of the British and Belgian armies also failed to stop the large-scale German attack.

Churchill realized that the German army was the king of the world, and he commanded the British and Belgian armies to fight stubbornly for six days, suffering heavy casualties, and had to command the remaining guards to abandon Antwerp, where they crossed the Scheldt River and retreated to the southern border of the Netherlands, while the rest of the Belgian army retreated south to join the French General Foch's Ninth Army.

The Germans quickly captured Antwerp and quickly brought in the strength of four corps to Belgium. One of them was the New Army, most of the soldiers were student volunteers, some had just turned 16 years old, and had barely received any military training, they were inspired by the successive victories of the German army, believing that the German army was invincible, and the way they fought was to wear the hat of the Brotherhood, arm in arm, and march forward to form a wall of human flesh.

The German army fell into a protracted war with the French army and the British army in advance in Verdun on the Western Front, but quickly conquered Antwerp. The time is not yet ripe for China to enter the war. (To be continued......) u