Chapter 48: Dead Man Mountain (Two in One)
The Prussian army's offensive began to stagnate. The battle plan formulated by the Prussian army was that the artillery would clear the way and then the infantry would occupy the enemy's position. After the infantry occupied the enemy's position, the artillery would move forward to continue to provide fire support for the infantry.
This plan of alternating artillery to cover the leap was brilliant, but the staff who formulated it ignored the various unexpected events that might occur on the battlefield.
The road ahead was almost destroyed by the Prussians' own artillery fire. The road was full of deep craters and high mounds of earth, like bottomless pits and barriers, hindering the progress.
The staff officers who made the plan had never considered how the heavy artillery would be moved on such a road.
As the temperature rose, the ice and snow on the ground melted, and the originally hard ground turned into a quagmire. Although this would also affect the transportation and supply of the French army, it had a greater impact on the Prussian army.
Almost all of the Prussian army's heavy artillery was stuck in the mud. The mud was like a living monster, tightly grasping these huge objects.
They did not have enough tractors and their horsepower was not strong enough, so there was no way to pull the heavy artillery out of the mud. The cannons seemed to be grabbed by invisible hands and could not move at all.
The Prussian army could only rely on manpower and horses to pull these heavy artillery. At least 10 horses were needed to pull one heavy artillery. The attack speed was greatly reduced, and more and more Prussian offensive forces could not get artillery support.
On the other hand, French reinforcements and supplies continued to pour into Verdun through the Sainte-Route. Pétain's favorite artillery was finally starting to play a role.
More and more French 155mm guns poured into the battlefield. They fired at the cannons stuck in the mud from the high ground and destroyed many Prussian heavy artillery.
Not only that, the French army also leveled their cannons and fired directly at the Prussian soldiers who were stuck in the mud, killing an entire squad with one shot.
The Prussian army took great effort to pull the huge 420mm heavy artillery to a more forward position in order to support the infantry attack on the front line.
However, before they could fire two or three shots, the barrel exploded due to wear and tear. Almost the entire gun crew was killed, and their body parts were scattered on the muddy battlefield, which was a horrible sight.
When the other artillery pieces were finally pulled to the front, the ammunition supply from the rear could not keep up. The trucks pulling the ammunition were all stuck in the mud, with their tires stuck deep in the mud and unable to move.
In this way, the Prussian army suffered very serious losses. From the 21st to the 26th, the French army lost a total of 25000 people, and the ratio of French and Prussian casualties was about 3:1.
But by the 29th, when the French artillery was ready, the casualties of the Prussian army exceeded this number. Soldiers fell one after another, and the blood dyed the battlefield red, like hell.
The Prussian army suffered increasing casualties. Before the French blood could be shed completely, the Prussians' blood was already drained.
Lu Mingfei and Hill were resting in the rear. They had just retreated from the front line, which was full of mud. The mud sucked their boots, making it impossible for them to run and they could only walk slowly. Every step was like walking in a swamp, and they became the best targets for the French army.
This time they attacked without artillery cover, the bullets fired from the French machine gun positions rained down on them, the whistling sound of bullets brushing past their ears was chilling. The sound of machine guns came one after another, like a symphony of death, making people shudder.
If it weren't for Lu Mingfei's excellent shooting skills and his continuous killing of the French machine gunners, they would probably have been wiped out there.
Lu Mingfei and Xi'er planned to wash off the mud on their bodies and then go to eat. Their uniforms could no longer be seen in their original colors, and their faces were full of signs of fatigue.
After washing, the mud on their faces was washed off, but the fatigue emanating from their bones could not be concealed.
"Mr. Lieutenant, look! It's Franz Marc." Suddenly Hill pointed at a figure not far away and shouted excitedly.
Lu Mingfei looked in that direction and saw a young man in distinctive clothes painting in front of a drawing board not far away. He remembered that he seemed to have seen him painting camouflage nets for cannons on the way here, but he didn't expect that he had not returned to Prussia since the war started.
"I want to see what he is drawing. Can I, Mr. Lieutenant?" Hill asked Lu Mingfei pitifully.
Franz Marc is a very famous expressionist painter and printmaker in Prussia. On the way here, Hill wanted to talk to Franz Marc and exchange painting experience.
He believed that communicating with such a master painter could enhance his painting ability, but Lu Mingfei slapped him back. After that, he never saw this master painter again after he went to the battlefield, and thought he had returned home, which made Hill a little regretful. But he didn't expect to see this great painter again in the camp behind, which made Hill a little overjoyed.
"Go ahead." Lu Mingfei said casually. He had not allowed Xier to go before because they were on their way to the front line, but now that they were in the camp in the rear, he could do whatever he wanted.
"You guys go eat first, I'll be there soon." Hill ran towards the painter excitedly, his steps brisk and his eyes full of anticipation as if he was going to meet his idol.
Lu Mingfei looked at Hill running away, smiled and shook his head, and then continued to walk towards the cafeteria with others. But before he took two steps, he suddenly caught a tiny whistle.
When he heard this voice, Lu Mingfei's face suddenly changed and he shouted loudly: "Lie down!!!"
The screams became clearer and clearer, like the melody of death echoing in the air, and then violent explosions and splashing soil filled the entire camp. The vibration of the ground made it almost impossible to stand steadily, the shock wave of the explosion made people tinnitus, and there was chaos all around.
Since they were in the rear camp, Lu Mingfei did not release the Word Spirit. He did not expect that the French artillery bombardment would spread from the front line to the rear.
It was unknown how long the bombardment lasted before Lu Mingfei got up from the ground. The camp was already in chaos, with cries of pain everywhere. He hurriedly checked on the soldiers around him.
Fortunately, Lu Mingfei reminded them in time. Out of trust in Lu Mingfei, they immediately lay on the ground and avoided the bombardment. However, a few unlucky guys were still scratched by shrapnel. Fortunately, they were not seriously injured. They supported each other and checked each other's wounds.
Lu Mingfei breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the soldiers around him who were still alive, but he soon remembered that Hill had just run away. He quickly turned his head to look for Hill, secretly praying in his heart that Hill was safe.
Soon he saw him in the direction where Hill had just left. Hill was kneeling on the ground, staring blankly ahead. In front of him was a steaming crater with some meat paste and broken limbs inside. The painter was there.
Seeing that Hill was still alive and had no injuries, Lu Mingfei felt a little relieved and stopped paying attention to him.
After he turned on the sickle weasel, he found some faint heartbeats coming from under the house that had just been destroyed by the bombardment. He quickly organized people to dig out the survivors. The soldiers acted quickly, desperately digging with their hands and tools, hoping to rescue more comrades. They worked from noon until the sun was about to set, and finally got the chaotic camp back into operation, but there were fewer people in the camp.
Lu Mingfei took two pieces of black bread and came to the back of the camp, where there was an open space. He saw Hill in the open space. Hill was sitting on the ground, looking up at the sunset in the distance, which dyed the sky orange. The light of the sunset was reflected on Hill's face, and his eyes were empty, as if he had lost all his hopes and dreams.
"What's wrong? It's just an artillery attack. You've experienced it before. Why are you still distracted like a new soldier?" Lu Mingfei said as he sat next to Hill. Although his tone was relaxed, his eyes revealed a hint of concern.
"Hey, the cafeteria was bombed just now, we can only eat this tonight." Lu Mingfei handed a piece of black bread to Xi'er, and then took another piece and started to eat. The black bread was dry and hard and almost difficult to swallow, but in this situation, they had no choice.
"Second Lieutenant, you know, I have always wanted to be a painter since I was a child, but my father disagrees. He wants me to be a civil servant." Hill took the black bread and said in a low voice. His voice was low, as if he was talking about a past that had been forgotten.
When Lu Mingfei heard what Hill said, he stopped chewing bread and listened carefully to what he was going to say next.
"But I still wanted to be a painter. My father didn't hire anyone to teach me how to paint, so I started to teach myself. Later, my father passed away, and my mother began to support me in learning to paint. When I was 18, I went to Vienna for the first time to apply for the Art Academy there, but I failed. Later, I returned home and planned to give up painting, but my mother wanted me to continue."
"Not long after that, my mother also passed away. But before she died, she hoped that I would continue my ideal. Later, I went to Vienna again, but failed the exam again. The examiner in Vienna told me that I had some talent in drawing architecture, but was really bad at drawing portraits, so he recommended that I apply for the School of Architecture."
"But I didn't have the money to go to architecture school, and I didn't want to give up my dream of painting. Later, I started selling paintings on the streets of Vienna, but no one bought them. I lived in a basement and often had no money to eat. When I squatted at the intersection to sell paintings, people always mistook me for a beggar." Hill's voice choked, and he could no longer control his tears, which slid down his cheeks and dripped onto the black bread.
"But... I still like painting..." When he said this, tears fell from the corners of Hill's eyes. In those tears, there was a mixture of his persistence in his dream and his helplessness in the reality.
"Please help me draw a portrait." Lu Mingfei listened to all of Xi'er's words quietly before speaking. His voice was gentle and firm, like a ray of sunshine, penetrating the haze in Xi'er's heart.
"But... I'm terrible at drawing portraits..." After hearing what Lu Mingfei said, Xier turned around and looked at him in surprise. Xier's eyes were full of doubt. He couldn't believe that someone would want him to draw a portrait.
"You didn't say to paint it now. I believe you will become a great painter. Please paint a portrait for me when the time comes."
"When you become a great painter, no matter how bad your paintings are, there will always be people admiring them. It might be my honor to be painted by you at that time." Lu Mingfei said with a smile.
"Really? Mr. Lieutenant, do you really think I can become a great painter?" Hill said in disbelief, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
“Didn’t I say before that your name suggests you’re going to be a big shot? Maybe even a famous painter? My portraits will surely sell for a lot of money, and I plan to live on this money for the rest of my life.” Lu Mingfei patted Hill’s shoulder firmly and said, his tone full of confidence and encouragement.
"Don't worry! Mr. Lieutenant, I will definitely paint you the most expensive portrait in the world!" Hill looked at Lu Mingfei's determined eyes and responded firmly. His fighting spirit was rekindled in his eyes and his heart was filled with hope for the future.
…………
Prussian Verdun Front Headquarters
When Falkenhayn heard that the battle situation on the Verdun front was not good, he rushed from Prussia to the Verdun front overnight to discuss the next offensive plan with the Crown Prince, but as soon as he entered the door of the command center, the Crown Prince threw a battle report at him.
After he finished reading the battle report in his hand, his face suddenly turned livid. There was silence in the command center, and everyone was waiting for him to speak. The air was filled with a tense atmosphere, and everyone held their breath.
"Tell me! Falkenhayn, what the hell are you doing! If you had given me those two reserve divisions earlier, Verdun would have been taken by now! There wouldn't have been such a huge loss!"
Finally, it was the Crown Prince who broke the silence and started to attack. His voice was full of anger and dissatisfaction, and his eyes were slightly red with excitement.
"It's not just your front that needs troops. The British have stockpiled a large number of troops on the Somme River and may launch an attack at any time. I must ensure that every front is safe." Falkenhayn put down the battle report in his hand and said, but his excuse seemed pale and powerless.
"Then are the British attacking now?" The Crown Prince angrily slammed his hand on the table. The table shook, and the items on the map trembled.
"Okay, Your Highness, now is not the time to talk about this. What is our next battle plan?" Seeing that the Crown Prince was so angry that he was about to overturn the table, the adjutant hurriedly stepped forward to hold him back, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.
"Tell me, what do you want to do next? Are you planning to attack or retreat?" Falkenhayn said coldly, still sitting in the chair, his tone still calm and composed.
"Keep attacking! We have consumed so many supplies now. If we still can't take Verdun, how can I go back to see my father?" The Crown Prince was so angry that he was panting.
"But I have three conditions: First, the offensive must be extended to the left bank of the Meuse River to relieve the pressure on the right bank. Second, I must be guaranteed the necessary manpower and material resources to continue the offensive, and the scale of reinforcement must be large enough. Third, once it is discovered that our army's losses and fatigue are greater than the enemy's, the battle must be stopped immediately."
"Okay." Falkenhayn thought for a moment and then agreed to the Crown Prince's request.
After agreeing to the Crown Prince's request, Falkenhayn immediately left the front-line command and began to return to Prussia. He wanted to go back and question those Presbyterian guys.
"Your Highness, what is our next combat objective?" the adjutant continued to ask after Falkenhayn left.
The Crown Prince opened the map of Verdun and pointed his finger at a point on the map.
It was a long, bare, elevated area, rising at right angles to the Meuse, with two small hills on the top. It was called the Mont des Muertes.
As long as the Dead Man's Hill was captured, the French field artillery group deployed on the reverse slope, which caused the most casualties to the Prussian army on the opposite bank, could be eliminated, and the most important Blue Forest in the next mountain range leading to Verdun could be effectively controlled. The French heavy artillery group was concentrated there.
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(End of this chapter)
