Under the premise that the drinking water was blocked, the fate of the officers and soldiers who stood in the Fergus battery can be imagined.

Before his death, the commander of the battery, Major Ronal, left the following words for the soldiers: "Fellow soldiers, our blood is about to run dry. Life is given to each of us by God, it is an abominable war that takes away the life that belongs to us only once, in order to eliminate this war, we have failed to live life, long live peace! ”

The Fergus battery was eventually occupied by the Germans, but the steadfast will of the battery commander, Major Joner, and all the French soldiers guarding the battery impressed not only the British media who came to report the latest news, but also the French soldiers and people who learned the news.

After the capture of the Fergus battery, the German army suffered unprecedented resistance in the ensuing offensive, not only could not push the front line further, but even the captured areas were at risk of falling at any time.

As if they were not dying, the French army frantically attacked the conquered fortresses, including the Fort of Fergus.

In just three days, the French paid a whopping 40,000 casualties, but in exchange for a large number of forts and batteries, including the Fergus battery, the front line was pushed several kilometers forward.

On April 15, 1916, the German army not only failed to fulfill the orders given by Wilhelm II, but even lost a lot of previously occupied positions on the premise of paying a large number of casualties.

It is clear that the German military already had objections to the Battle of Verdun. Even many in the German army, both middle and upper rank officers and middle and lower rank soldiers, were already dissatisfied with the orders of the German Chief of the General Staff Falkingham.

It was Falkingham's insistence on launching the Battle of Verdun, which led to hundreds of thousands of casualties for the Germans, but almost nothing to lose in the Verdun area.

Seeing that the Anglo-French forces were about to launch a new campaign in the Somme region, a large number of German troops were pinned down in the Verdun area and could not be mobilized, which put the German Western Front in jeopardy.

Finally, around April 16, there was a big shock at the top of Germany.

Falkingham, the chief of the German General Staff, who launched the Battle of Verdun against public opinion, was impeached by the German military top brass, including Hindenburg and Ludendorff, and was finally removed from the post of chief of staff on April 20.

Succeeding Falkingham as the new chief of staff was Hindenburg, a Junker nobleman and former commander-in-chief of the German Eastern Front.

This is not the end, the day after Falkingham was deposed, German Prime Minister Holwig, Minister of Finance, Minister of Logistics, Minister of the Interior and other high-level government officials resigned to Wilhelm II, and many high-ranking military officials became important government officials.

This was not good news for Germany, as a large-scale political struggle broke out between the government and the military, which ended in a complete victory for the military.

Although Wilhelm II remained neutral in this dispute, the military did not mean to respect Wilhelm II.

As early as half a year earlier, Hindenburg had blatantly violated the plans of Wilhelm II and the Chief of the General Staff Falkingham, which led to an incomplete victory for Germany on the Eastern Front.

And the current Junker aristocracy, headed by Hindenburg, could not be suppressed at all in the face of this extremely large military group, even Wilhelm II.

It is clear that Wilhelm II has missed the opportunity to suppress the Junker aristocracy, and he has been overthrown by the military junta dominated by Hindenburg to become a veritable rubber stamp emperor.

Speaking of the Junker aristocracy in Germany, it has to be admitted that a large part of the credit for the strength of the German army is due to the Junker aristocracy.

The Junker aristocracy in Germany originally referred to the children of the nobility who did not have the title of knight, but now it generally refers to the large landowners and aristocratic class in Germany.

These people had been in control of the German (Prussian) military administration for hundreds of years, and it was they who single-handedly contributed to the powerful German Army.

But there are two sides to everything, and the Junker aristocracy, which is too powerful, is a great threat to the German government and imperial power.

Wilhelm II originally thought that the promotion of Hindenburg, who was born in the Junker aristocracy, as chief of staff, would satisfy the Junker aristocracy, but he did not expect that after Hindenburg became the chief of staff, he immediately united the entire Junker aristocratic class, overthrew the German government, and overthrew Wilhelm II.

The rise to power of the military was a huge change in German policy, and the German army became more radical and belligerent.

It is worth mentioning that the German High Seas Fleet, which had been shrinking for a long time, also had the posture of leaving the port to look for the British to fight to the death.

However, it was inevitable that Germany would send its navy. After the offensive on the Eastern and Western Fronts suffered setbacks, Germany fell into a great material crisis.

Because the shipping routes and logistical supply lines were blocked, Germany had no other way than to break the blockade with the navy.

We must not allow these hard-built fleets to remain in hiding in the harbor throughout the war, in which case there would be no point in building a navy.

If the previous German government and Wilhelm II were somewhat indecisive, the new German military junta was very determined in terms of the war.

The Junker aristocracy needed new land, and the military needed more credit. The alliance between the two powers led to a very firm attitude towards the war, and Germany did not agree to end it, at least for the time being.

Due to the combined pressure of the junta and the Junker aristocracy, the German high command had to change its original intention and shift the current strategic center to the sea.

First, the decisive battle at sea would have the opportunity to break through the British naval blockade of Germany and give the German fleet a chance to go to sea.

Second, if Germany can gain an advantage or even win a naval battle, Germany will open up trade routes with the outside world, and even blockade France and Britain in turn.

In this way, the current passive situation can also be reversed, and even the passive can be turned into the active, and Britain and France will be killed by force.

In view of these two important factors, the German high-level finally decided to look for an opportunity at sea to engage in a decisive battle with the British fleet after careful study.

The Germans moved quickly, and on May 17, 1916, the Royal Navy's Home Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet met in the Atlantic, and a great naval battle broke out, the largest in history.

By the time news of the outbreak of the Battle of the Atlantic reached Australasia, it had been several hours later.

But there was no way, there was less time, and Arthur couldn't get the results at all. But it has to be admitted that Arthur was shocked by the courage of the Germans.

The decisive battle of the navy is not like the army, which can organize an orderly retreat if it cannot be defeated. The decisive battle of the navy is basically a life-and-death battle, and there are definitely not many warships that can escape.

Moreover, in the event of a defeat in the naval battle, the German high seas fleet would never again have a chance to come out. It is no exaggeration to say that the German High Seas Fleet after the defeat in the naval battle no longer had any influence or help in the war.

It also means that Germany has really decided to take a gamble. Either the Royal Navy will be dealt a heavy blow and the current decline will be changed from the ocean. Either it was badly damaged by the Royal Navy and the whole country was tragically defeated.

However, in any case, the chances of victory for the German High Seas Fleet were slim. The Navy is not the same as the Army, and it is very unlikely that it will win more with less.

Unless there is an overwhelming advantage in the performance of warships, but there is not such a huge gap in the combat effectiveness of warships between the German Navy and the British Navy.

To date, the Royal Navy's home fleet has 37 battleships, including 29 dreadnoughts and 8 super dreadnoughts.

The German High Seas Fleet had a total of 24 battleships, including 17 dreadnoughts and 7 super dreadnoughts.

In terms of capital warships, there is a huge gap in numbers between the High Seas Fleet and the Royal Navy's home fleet. This gap in numbers is impossible for small and medium-sized warships to make up for, and it is also a fatal shortcoming of the High Seas Fleet compared to the Royal Navy's home fleet.

You must know that the naval positioning of Britain and Germany in this time and space was already more intense, and under the stimulation of Australasia, the British built more dreadnoughts.

Coupled with the fact that Australasia undertook a considerable part of the defense of the Indian Ocean, the British could mobilize part of their fleet in the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean and join the home fleet to increase their advantage over the high seas fleet.

What's even worse is that just looking at the number of main warships, although the gap is large, it is not that big.

But if we calculate the total number of warships of the two fleets, the German High Seas Fleet has only more than 400 large and small warships, but the British Royal Navy's home fleet has more than 700 large and small warships, and the total tonnage of warships is much more than that of the German High Seas Fleet.

As a result, the high seas fleet is unlikely to defeat the Royal Navy's home fleet, and there is a clear gap in the number of large, medium and small warships, which is simply impossible to make up for tactically.

At present, the commander of the High Seas Fleet, Admiral Reinhard, has only two choices, either desperately replace the main warships of the Royal Fleet, or cower in the harbor and do nothing.

Either option is tragic. Choosing the first, the best scenario would also be just to replace the same number of British capital warships, but the high seas fleet would definitely suffer heavy losses.

While this would have avoided casualties on the High Seas Fleet, it would have violated the orders of the junta and the High Command, and Reinhard would have to face three points of accountability.

In fact, after receiving the order from China to conduct a naval Armageddon, Admiral Reinhard was never in a good mood.

As commander-in-chief of Germany's only fleet, Admiral Reinhard was well aware of the gap between the German and British navies.

You know, the British fleet faced by the German High Seas Fleet was the home fleet of the Royal Navy.

The British Empire had fleets in all oceans and seas, and if the number was combined, it was a huge fleet that neither of the two German Empires could match.

Now the enemy of the German High Seas Fleet is none other than the Royal Navy, and even a small home fleet is enough to give Admiral Reinhard a headache.

3000 words for the first update, ask for a monthly pass, ask for support!

(End of chapter)