Chapter 159: The Trap for Enemy Artillery

Chapter 159: The Trap for Enemy Artillery

At the German 2nd Infantry Regiment headquarters behind the Lafoux front, Colonel Halil stared absently at the map in front of him. The dim light swung overhead, mirroring Halil's own unsettled mood.

"Any updates?" he asked eagerly as his aide, Wolf, approached.

Wolf shook his head, exasperated. "Our telephone lines with Andelusi and Tamon have been cut off. They managed to send a few telegrams to General Waldeck requesting reinforcements, but then all contact was lost."

Halil turned back to the map, his voice grim. "And what were General Waldeck's orders?"

"Wait for further instructions," Wolf replied. "The general is already dispatching reinforcements to both locations to assess the situation and decide the next steps."

This was typical of General Waldeck's cautious command style. He always gathered intelligence before making decisions, a trait often praised as "prudent."

But Halil found this approach insufficient for Charles's sudden, calculated attacks. We might lose this battle entirely, he thought, if we wait too long to act.

"Have you considered…" Halil began, pointing at the two assault points on the map. "If Charles's forces break through Andelusi and Tamon and then converge to encircle us, he could end this battle in just two hours."

Wolf paled slightly, understanding the gravity of Halil's concern. Lafoux, Andelusi, and Tamon formed a rough triangle, each point about ten kilometers apart. If Charles's forces had indeed broken through in both areas, advancing at just three kilometers an hour, they would join up within two hours, completely surrounding Lafoux.

"But… could they really do it?" Wolf's expression was conflicted. "I mean, break through Andelusi and Tamon that quickly? Each location has several thousand defenders, trenches, fortifications, and wire defenses. Charles's total force barely numbers two thousand, and it's split in two."

"Don't forget Charles has tanks, Wolf!" Halil replied, his tone suddenly intense. "This is unlike any battle we've ever fought. If we stay put and do nothing, we could end up surrounded, forced to surrender without even firing a shot. Would you want that?"

For Halil, this outcome was unthinkable, especially since it was his own decision to pull all artillery from the flanks to the center that had created this vulnerability. If they fell into Charles's trap, these guns might end up as trophies for the enemy.

"But what can we do?" Wolf countered. "Abandon Lafoux?"

Clearly not—retreating without orders would mean a court-martial.

"Or we could send reinforcements to the flanks," Wolf added thoughtfully, "but we don't even know exactly where the enemy is!"

Halil fell silent. He felt trapped, unable to make any move that would change their fate. Then, after a long pause, he spoke slowly. "We have artillery, Wolf. Lots of it."

Wolf blinked. "But what can artillery do here?"

Pointing behind them on the map, Halil answered resolutely, "If Charles is planning to concentrate his forces in our rear, then our artillery… will simply turn and aim behind us."

Wolf studied the map for a moment before nodding in agreement. If Charles's forces managed to surround them from the rear, they might at least use their artillery to open a path for an escape.

With Halil's order, the artillery quickly mobilized. Colonel Miller of the 6th Artillery Regiment directed his men to pack up the guns and harness the horses. To enhance the 105mm guns' mobility, the German army had designed a streamlined carriage for each gun, seating three soldiers.

With six artillerymen per gun, two rode the shielded gun carriage, three sat in the cart, and the sixth managed the horses. Once hitched up, the entire unit could move down the road at eight kilometers an hour.

The German artillery was well-disciplined, taking just minutes to prepare. In the rain, the thirty-six guns of Miller's regiment, along with supply horses, began moving in formation along the road. However, just as they were gaining momentum, the low rumble of engines filled the sky.

"Airplanes!" someone yelled.

Looking up, they spotted a squadron of Avro planes overhead. Several artillerymen gasped at the sight—these planes were known as the "Angels of Death" among German soldiers.

Colonel Miller barked, "Scatter and find cover!"

But as they looked around, they realized their predicament. One side of the road was bordered by a steep, twenty-meter slope, and the other was a flooded field. There was nowhere to hide.

Miller's face went pale. He now understood that the French planes had likely been lying in wait for them to enter this precise area. Indeed, his intuition was correct; this trap had been set specifically for German artillery.

"If I lured the German artillery into Lafoux, there's no way I'd let them retreat to break out of my encirclement," Charles had explained confidently to Gallieni.

"But how will you stop them?" Gallieni asked. "Their artillery could move back just a few kilometers and fire on your troops. Your advancing units lack heavy artillery to counter them."

"Aircraft, General," Charles replied without hesitation. "We have planes."

Gallieni chuckled. "Are you planning to send rocket planes to bomb hidden artillery? That's not likely to work."

Gallieni had a point. It wasn't only the rockets' vulnerability to dampness in the rain; limited visibility also made it nearly impossible for pilots to spot well-camouflaged guns on the ground.

But Charles merely smiled. "What if the artillery isn't hidden in the field, but moving along an open road?"

Gallieni's eyes lit up as understanding dawned. "Ah… so you plan to catch them in the open. Much simpler!"

Charles's plan was straightforward. First, recon pilots would locate the general position of the German artillery. Then, a few observation planes would monitor their movements. Once the artillery concentrated on the road and reached a predefined ambush area, the First Air Squadron would launch an all-out assault.

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