Chapter 195: The Verdun Meat Grinder (4)
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Chapter 195: The Verdun Meat Grinder (4)
Now that the focal point of the attack was established, it was time to get to work overnight on essential tasks. Demining, for instance, was crucial to ensure a successful assault early the next morning, and that meant demining operations had to be carried out through the night.
Fortunately, the weather in Verdun had been clear for the past couple of days. Even late at night, there was a half-moon providing decent visibility. This moonlight allowed for some work to be done.
At this moment, Joseph had locked his paper on electromagnetic induction inside a safe and then locked that safe inside a larger one. It wasn't because Joseph enjoyed playing Russian dolls, but he believed that the safe containing the paper was valuable enough to be secured in another safe. The larger safe was a creation by a Bourbon-descendant master who had lost his head during the French Revolution.
Without the discovery of electromagnetic induction and the inability to acquire mine detectors in Ireland, the British were left with a rather crude method of demining. They had to crouch on the ground and visually inspect for mines, with their only auxiliary tool being a long steel probe.
This method of demining was slow, inefficient, and highly dangerous. During the day, it might have been manageable, but at night, with no lights allowed (the minefield was well within the range of Mini rifles), they had to rely on moonlight for illumination. This naturally slowed down the demining process, increasing the risk substantially.
As a result, occasional explosions from the British demining teams startled the French. Each explosion pained the hearts of the British because their elite troops, not the hastily mobilized Prussian conscripts, suffered the losses. Moreover, the explosions drew the attention of the French. The bright moonlight on this particular night favored demining but also improved visibility for the French marksmen. Consequently, the British demining teams suffered not only from accidental detonations but also from more direct hits by French fire. As they advanced deeper into the demining process, they got closer to the French trenches, raising the likelihood of French sightings and shots. Therefore, after dealing with most of the mines at a considerable distance, they had no choice but to wait for daylight when the British and Prussian conscripts would deal with the remaining mines more efficiently.
Demining forces were not evenly distributed; the well-trained deminers were sent to the actual points of attack, while more rookies were dispatched to the feint attacks, some with less than a month of training. These newcomers naturally had a higher probability of setting off explosions. However, this arrangement served a purposeto emphasize that these points were the real targets.
Thus, the night was filled with constant rumbling, and the blood-red dawn finally broke in the east of the Verdun fortress.
Yet, the French somehow managed to easily throw the "sweet melons" over. It wasn't just one or two French soldiers tossing the sweet melons fifty or sixty meters away; it was as if they were raining down from the sky.
A barrage of "sweet melons" immediately cleared the Prussian soldiers near the barbed wire. The remaining soldiers were demoralized by this round of bombardment. Following those who hadn't been blown up, many Prussian soldiers, including junior officers, were so frightened by the casualties that they fled. Even some low-ranking officers were petrified and joined the retreat.
On the other hand, the performance of the British forces was somewhat better than the Prussians. They, too, endured a round of "sweet melon" bombardment in front of the third barbed wire. However, they surprisingly had the courage to continue the assault afterward. These "lobsterbacks" threw the bodies of the fallen over the barbed wire and attempted to pass it themselves. At this moment, a long burst of fire erupted from the opposite trenches, accurately reaching the "lobsterbacks" who were trying to climb over the wire. The British soldiers were engulfed in flames.
Those engulfed in flames writhed on the ground, attempting to extinguish the fire on their bodies. However, the flames couldn't be put out no matter how hard they tried. Soon, those British soldiers who had been set ablaze were burned to charcoal, and the rising flames prevented anyone else from advancing. Afterward, another round of "sweet melon" bombardment followed. The British soldiers also discarded their helmets and armor to retreat.
However, all in all, the British performed better than the Prussians. Although both sides retreated, the British stopped once they had retreated to the French trenches they had fought so hard to capture. The Prussians, on the other hand, had retreated all the way to their starting position. To the point where Joseph, who was overseeing the battle, felt some concerns, "Have we been too ruthless? Perhaps we've frightened them away, and if so, our plan to deplete their resources..."
The performance of the Prussian army infuriated both the Duke of Brunswick and General Blow. Fortunately, it seemed the French weren't prepared for the Prussian retreat and failed to seize back the lost ground immediately. By the time the French responded and started deploying troops to reclaim the territory, the Prussians, or at least the higher-ranking officers, had regained their senses. General Blow personally led a cavalry charge and secured the first trench, but the second trench was lost again to the French.
On the British side, the French reacted more swiftly. They took advantage of the British retreat to recapture the second trench. So, although the British hadn't retreated as far as the Prussians, the final outcome was not substantially different. They had fought the entire day to capture a single trench.
By this time, it was around three or four in the afternoon. Whether it was the Prussians or the British, who had performed better on the battlefield, they had lost the courage to continue their assault. The Anglo-Prussian coalition began to focus on consolidating the ground they had taken. The French, on the other hand, seemed to have exhausted much of their strength in the earlier battle and did not launch a counteroffensive during this period. Thus, this long and bloody day passed in this manner.
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Chapter 195: The Verdun Meat Grinder (4)
Now that the focal point of the attack was established, it was time to get to work overnight on essential tasks. Demining, for instance, was crucial to ensure a successful assault early the next morning, and that meant demining operations had to be carried out through the night.
Fortunately, the weather in Verdun had been clear for the past couple of days. Even late at night, there was a half-moon providing decent visibility. This moonlight allowed for some work to be done.
At this moment, Joseph had locked his paper on electromagnetic induction inside a safe and then locked that safe inside a larger one. It wasn't because Joseph enjoyed playing Russian dolls, but he believed that the safe containing the paper was valuable enough to be secured in another safe. The larger safe was a creation by a Bourbon-descendant master who had lost his head during the French Revolution.
Without the discovery of electromagnetic induction and the inability to acquire mine detectors in Ireland, the British were left with a rather crude method of demining. They had to crouch on the ground and visually inspect for mines, with their only auxiliary tool being a long steel probe.
This method of demining was slow, inefficient, and highly dangerous. During the day, it might have been manageable, but at night, with no lights allowed (the minefield was well within the range of Mini rifles), they had to rely on moonlight for illumination. This naturally slowed down the demining process, increasing the risk substantially.
As a result, occasional explosions from the British demining teams startled the French. Each explosion pained the hearts of the British because their elite troops, not the hastily mobilized Prussian conscripts, suffered the losses. Moreover, the explosions drew the attention of the French. The bright moonlight on this particular night favored demining but also improved visibility for the French marksmen. Consequently, the British demining teams suffered not only from accidental detonations but also from more direct hits by French fire. As they advanced deeper into the demining process, they got closer to the French trenches, raising the likelihood of French sightings and shots. Therefore, after dealing with most of the mines at a considerable distance, they had no choice but to wait for daylight when the British and Prussian conscripts would deal with the remaining mines more efficiently.
Demining forces were not evenly distributed; the well-trained deminers were sent to the actual points of attack, while more rookies were dispatched to the feint attacks, some with less than a month of training. These newcomers naturally had a higher probability of setting off explosions. However, this arrangement served a purposeto emphasize that these points were the real targets.
Thus, the night was filled with constant rumbling, and the blood-red dawn finally broke in the east of the Verdun fortress.
Yet, the French somehow managed to easily throw the "sweet melons" over. It wasn't just one or two French soldiers tossing the sweet melons fifty or sixty meters away; it was as if they were raining down from the sky.
A barrage of "sweet melons" immediately cleared the Prussian soldiers near the barbed wire. The remaining soldiers were demoralized by this round of bombardment. Following those who hadn't been blown up, many Prussian soldiers, including junior officers, were so frightened by the casualties that they fled. Even some low-ranking officers were petrified and joined the retreat.
On the other hand, the performance of the British forces was somewhat better than the Prussians. They, too, endured a round of "sweet melon" bombardment in front of the third barbed wire. However, they surprisingly had the courage to continue the assault afterward. These "lobsterbacks" threw the bodies of the fallen over the barbed wire and attempted to pass it themselves. At this moment, a long burst of fire erupted from the opposite trenches, accurately reaching the "lobsterbacks" who were trying to climb over the wire. The British soldiers were engulfed in flames.
Those engulfed in flames writhed on the ground, attempting to extinguish the fire on their bodies. However, the flames couldn't be put out no matter how hard they tried. Soon, those British soldiers who had been set ablaze were burned to charcoal, and the rising flames prevented anyone else from advancing. Afterward, another round of "sweet melon" bombardment followed. The British soldiers also discarded their helmets and armor to retreat.
However, all in all, the British performed better than the Prussians. Although both sides retreated, the British stopped once they had retreated to the French trenches they had fought so hard to capture. The Prussians, on the other hand, had retreated all the way to their starting position. To the point where Joseph, who was overseeing the battle, felt some concerns, "Have we been too ruthless? Perhaps we've frightened them away, and if so, our plan to deplete their resources..."
The performance of the Prussian army infuriated both the Duke of Brunswick and General Blow. Fortunately, it seemed the French weren't prepared for the Prussian retreat and failed to seize back the lost ground immediately. By the time the French responded and started deploying troops to reclaim the territory, the Prussians, or at least the higher-ranking officers, had regained their senses. General Blow personally led a cavalry charge and secured the first trench, but the second trench was lost again to the French.
On the British side, the French reacted more swiftly. They took advantage of the British retreat to recapture the second trench. So, although the British hadn't retreated as far as the Prussians, the final outcome was not substantially different. They had fought the entire day to capture a single trench.
By this time, it was around three or four in the afternoon. Whether it was the Prussians or the British, who had performed better on the battlefield, they had lost the courage to continue their assault. The Anglo-Prussian coalition began to focus on consolidating the ground they had taken. The French, on the other hand, seemed to have exhausted much of their strength in the earlier battle and did not launch a counteroffensive during this period. Thus, this long and bloody day passed in this manner.
Chapter 195: The Verdun Meat Grinder 4Now that the focal point of the attack was established, it was time to get to work overnight on essential tasks. Demining, for instance, was crucial to ensure a successful assault early the next morning, and that meant demining operations had to be carried out through the night.Fortunately, the weather in Verdun had been clear for the past couple of days. Even late at night, there was a half-moon providing decent visibility. This moonlight allowed for some work to be done.At this moment, Joseph had locked his paper on electromagnetic induction inside a safe and then locked that safe inside a larger one. It wasn't because Joseph enjoyed playing Russian dolls, but he believed that the safe containing the paper was valuable enough to be secured in another safe. The larger safe was a creation by a Bourbon-descendant master who had lost his head during the French Revolution.Without the discovery of electromagnetic induction and the inability to acquire mine detectors in Ireland, the British were left with a rather crude method of demining. They had to crouch on the ground and visually inspect for mines, with their only auxiliary tool being a long steel probe.This method of demining was slow, inefficient, and highly dangerous. During the day, it might have been manageable, but at night, with no lights allowed the minefield was well within the range of Mini rifles, they had to rely on moonlight for illumination. This naturally slowed down the demining process, increasing the risk substantially.As a result, occasional explosions from the British demining teams startled the French. Each explosion pained the hearts of the British because their elite troops, not the hastily mobilized Prussian conscripts, suffered the losses. Moreover, the explosions drew the attention of the French. The bright moonlight on this particular night favored demining but also improved visibility for the French marksmen. Consequently, the British demining teams suffered not only from accidental detonations but also from more direct hits by French fire. As they advanced deeper into the demining process, they got closer to the French trenches, raising the likelihood of French sightings and shots. Therefore, after dealing with most of the mines at a considerable distance, they had no choice but to wait for daylight when the British and Prussian conscripts would deal with the remaining mines more efficiently.Demining forces were not evenly distributed; the well-trained deminers were sent to the actual points of attack, while more rookies were dispatched to the feint attacks, some with less than a month of training. These newcomers naturally had a higher probability of setting off explosions. However, this arrangement served a purposeto emphasize that these points were the real targets.Thus, the night was filled with constant rumbling, and the blood-red dawn finally broke in the east of the Verdun fortress.Yet, the French somehow managed to easily throw the "sweet melons" over. It wasn't just one or two French soldiers tossing the sweet melons fifty or sixty meters away; it was as if they were raining down from the sky.A barrage of "sweet melons" immediately cleared the Prussian soldiers near the barbed wire. The remaining soldiers were demoralized by this round of bombardment. Following those who hadn't been blown up, many Prussian soldiers, including junior officers, were so frightened by the casualties that they fled. Even some low-ranking officers were petrified and joined the retreat.On the other hand, the performance of the British forces was somewhat better than the Prussians. They, too, endured a round of "sweet melon" bombardment in front of the third barbed wire. However, they surprisingly had the courage to continue the assault afterward. These "lobsterbacks" threw the bodies of the fallen over the barbed wire and attempted to pass it themselves. At this moment, a long burst of fire erupted from the opposite trenches, accurately reaching the "lobsterbacks" who were trying to climb over the wire. The British soldiers were engulfed in flames.Those engulfed in flames writhed on the ground, attempting to extinguish the fire on their bodies. However, the flames couldn't be put out no matter how hard they tried. Soon, those British soldiers who had been set ablaze were burned to charcoal, and the rising flames prevented anyone else from advancing. Afterward, another round of "sweet melon" bombardment followed. The British soldiers also discarded their helmets and armor to retreat.However, all in all, the British performed better than the Prussians. Although both sides retreated, the British stopped once they had retreated to the French trenches they had fought so hard to capture. The Prussians, on the other hand, had retreated all the way to their starting position. To the point where Joseph, who was overseeing the battle, felt some concerns, "Have we been too ruthless? Perhaps we've frightened them away, and if so, our plan to deplete their resources..."The performance of the Prussian army infuriated both the Duke of Brunswick and General Blow. Fortunately, it seemed the French weren't prepared for the Prussian retreat and failed to seize back the lost ground immediately. By the time the French responded and started deploying troops to reclaim the territory, the Prussians, or at least the higher-ranking officers, had regained their senses. General Blow personally led a cavalry charge and secured the first trench, but the second trench was lost again to the French.On the British side, the French reacted more swiftly. They took advantage of the British retreat to recapture the second trench. So, although the British hadn't retreated as far as the Prussians, the final outcome was not substantially different. They had fought the entire day to capture a single trench.By this time, it was around three or four in the afternoon. Whether it was the Prussians or the British, who had performed better on the battlefield, they had lost the courage to continue their assault. The Anglo-Prussian coalition began to focus on consolidating the ground they had taken. The French, on the other hand, seemed to have exhausted much of their strength in the earlier battle and did not launch a counteroffensive during this period. Thus, this long and bloody day passed in this manner.
