NOVEL NEXT Chapter 127: Chapter 127: As Simple as That
Chapter 127: As Simple as That
The observation balloons rose once more, and the planes circled above the dim battlefield like dragonflies, both German and French alike. The battleground resembled a vast chessboard, with the neutral zone as the dividing line. On each side were pawns lined up, artillery and command posts in the rear, ready to clash.
King Albert I watched the German balloons and planes ascend, puzzled. "The Germans know Charles has equipped his planes with machine guns. Isn't sending up balloons practically suicidal?"
"The Germans don't have a choice," General Charles replied. "In weather like this, only from that height can they spot the artillery flashes kilometers away. If they want to counter the French artillery, they have to risk it."
"But how will they protect themselves?" Albert looked astounded. "It's no different from a death sentence!"
Charles answered gravely, "Sending infantry across open fields toward enemy trenches is also suicidal, yet they go anyway. That's war."
Albert fell silent, realizing that despite staying close to his soldiers, his understanding of war remained superficial.
...
However, to General Kroos, this was far from suicide. He had stationed eight Maxim machine guns around each balloon. If an enemy plane approached, the machine guns would unleash a hail of bullets. He had encircled his artillery positions in a similar way with Maxim guns, and he even advised his pilots, "If enemy planes are on your tail, fly toward the balloons or artillery positions."
The machine guns, he thought, would take care of the problem, just as Falkenhayn had assured him.
...
In the Paris Command Center, Charles received the report on the German defensive arrangements. French reconnaissance planes had safely flown over German positions, observing everything, since the German pilots, fearing that even these unarmed planes carried machine guns, stayed far clear.
Colonel Fernand, looking apprehensive, spread a layout showing the Maxim guns positioned around the balloons and artillery emplacements. Planes of this era, with their top speed of just 100 kilometers per hour and no armor or leak-proof tanks, were vulnerable to machine-gun fire.
Yet Charles still gave the order for the First Squadron to attack.
...
The brutal battle unfolded over Ypres once again. This time, however, neither side fired their heavy guns. Instead, waves of German soldiers advanced through the muddy fields toward the Belgian lines. French artillery crews stood by, ready, yet Gallieni's strict order was clear: no firing without command—even if the Germans were practically upon them.
Artillery commander General Thierry found the order baffling; it felt as though they were simply handing their artillery over to the enemy. Nervously, he looked up at the balloon-borne spotters, who signaled that the Germans were now within range.
Yet deep down, Thierry understood that Gallieni might be right. Since the French 75mm cannon had been equipped with a hydraulic recoil mechanism, enabling it to fire 30 rounds per minute, the Germans had abandoned efforts to match its rate of fire, focusing instead on range and impact. The German 105mm howitzer, with a range of 12 kilometers, fired a shell that could kill an entire French gun crew even without a direct hit.
But what was the point of this standoff? Was he supposed to stay idle forever, fearing the German artillery?
Thierry remained trapped in the artilleryman's dilemma until he heard the rumble of aircraft engines. Looking up, he saw several rows of Avros heading straight toward the German lines, uniform in type and formation, looking formidable.
"Are they attacking like yesterday?" Thierry wondered aloud.
His scouts had already reported the new German defenses to General Gallieni; around their balloons and artillery, the Germans had ringed Maxim machine guns like a porcupine's quills. An aerial assault would surely exact a heavy toll on the French planes.
...
In the air, Carter didn't share this worry. With relaxed confidence, he gestured to his left and right, signaling his squadron to gain altitude. "Those fools," he muttered to himself. "They still haven't realized planes can attack from above."
He felt a little sheepish remembering his own panic upon hearing about the machine guns around the balloons. "Do we just fly in through the bullets?" he had asked anxiously over the phone.
Charles had replied, surprised, "Why would you need to do that?"
With a dawning "Oh," Carter had realized the answer, as easy as flipping his hand over.
"Keep altitude!" he signaled as the planes climbed to 1,500 meters, and then he released the squadron to engage freely. With no radios, Carter couldn't issue commands once they broke formation, leaving the attack strategy to the individual pilots.
...
On the ground, General Kroos watched the Avros approaching from above, his telescope tracking their steady descent toward the German balloons. He frowned in confusion. "What are they doing at that height?" he wondered aloud. "They can't hit the balloons with rockets from there!"
Suddenly, it hit him. He snapped his telescope shut, shouting, "Reel in the balloons! Reel them in now—"
But it was too late. The Avros dipped into a graceful curve, plummeting from above in a near-vertical dive toward the balloons. As they closed in, rockets whooshed out from beneath their wings.
Boom!
In full view of the German forces, a balloon exploded into a fiery ball. The machine-gun crews hadn't fired a single shot, caught completely off guard. Everyone had expected the French planes to approach from the sides, but no one had considered the exposed blind spot above the balloons.
Boom! Boom!
Balloons ignited one after another, collapsing into smoldering remains. At that precise moment, the French 75mm guns roared to life, releasing a relentless barrage on the densely packed German soldiers advancing toward the trenches. Each of the four artillery battalions unleashed shell after shell, averaging 15 rounds per minute, onto the tightly clustered German lines.
Kroos went pale as the realization hit him: every part of this attack had been orchestrated by the enemy.
And the assault wasn't over yet. Two Avros flew wide of the main attack, launching rockets at the German artillery positions. Instead of exploding, these rockets released thick plumes of smoke upon impact, blanketing the German artillery nestled in the valley.
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