#History of Germany in World War II #【Collection of History - German History World War I, No. 52】
What is the scene of 6000 guns, including 2500 heavy guns or super heavy artillery firing together?
I am afraid that those who have not seen it with their own eyes will never be able to imagine, but the artillery that does not disconnect the cannon and the opponent who is killed and injured by the explosion must have a deep understanding.
This was the final decisive battle in 1918, and it was also the all-out attack of Germany's concentrated forces, and the victory and defeat of the First World War were in one fell swoop.
At 4:40 a.m. on March 21, 1918, under the personal command of Lieutenant Colonel Bruchmiller, a first-class German artillery expert, 6,000 various artillery pieces fired in unison at the British positions not far away, and the scene of the end of the world occurred on the British positions on the Western Front of World War I.
A british officer later described the scene this way:
"Shells are falling everywhere, this is a hell without compromise, this tragic situation is indescribable, how to describe it will not be exaggerated!"
This was the all-out German offensive known as Operation Michael during World War I, and the initial phase of a war that lasted for half a year, and the Germans were clearly prepared.
Gather forces
The offensive was the final showdown between the Allies and the Allies, which lasted from March to September 1918, and in order to achieve the final victory, Germany gathered four army groups, including 194.5 divisions, and Germany had to take out the Allies before the Americans could exert all their strength.
The Allies also assembled 176 infantry divisions and 10 cavalry divisions for this purpose, and the total strength of the two sides was about equal, and Germany did not gain a significant advantage in strength, but the number of German infantry machine guns and heavy machine guns was more than that of the Allies, and the number of Allied aircraft was better than that of Germany.
But both sides have mobilized such a large army for only one purpose, and that is to end the war that has lasted for 4 years.
Due to russia's permanent withdrawal in 1917, Germany won victory on the Eastern Front, and took the opportunity to sign a treaty with Russia to obtain a large area of territory, and the Eastern Front no longer had any worries, which made the German military see the hope of victory over the Allies.
So throughout the winter Germany was massively transferring troops from the east to the west, with more than 80 divisions coming to the west, leaving only a few divisions on the eastern front responsible for grain transportation, and such a large-scale troop movement and the withdrawal of Russia made the Allies understand that a great war would be fought in 1918.
And the UK bore the brunt!
On the 200-kilometer front of the British defense, British Marshal Hague had 5 army groups and 62 divisions, of which the 3rd Corps on the right wing of the 5th Army became the key part of the German offensive, because it was the combination of the Anglo-French forces and the weakest defensive position.
At the same time, the Germans will also storm the defensive positions of the British 3rd Army, and the overall direction of attack is exactly one in the south and one in the north.
The attack was scheduled for 4:40 a.m. on 21 March, with the artillery in the depths of the British position first bombarded at the front of the bombardment.
The artillery battle begins
Choosing this time is when people sleep the most, and it is also the time when they are least conscious, and both World War I and World War II Germans like to choose the attack time around 4 a.m.
As a result, 6,000 guns of various types, including 2,500 heavy artillery, began to stage a "steel broth" drama for the British army.
The Sleeping English suddenly woke up in a dream, the sound of those shelling was so loud and so loud that they were all around, and they didn't even know where to run, and the British soldiers were suddenly in a mess, and the deafening sounds were everywhere, and you couldn't even hear the sound of the commander ordering you to take up arms and fight.
A gunner in the British 5th Army once recalled: "The machine gun sentry was blown up with the limbs of the gunner, the poison gas made people cough and vomit, the eyes could not see anything, and we became a hell around us, like Dante's hell." ”
About an hour later the German shelling ended, and by 9:30 a.m. they aimed their guns at the British forward positions, including 3,500 mortars, and began firing a salvo. The German 2nd and 18th Armies were ready to attack the British 5th Army, and the 17th Army was about to attack the British 3rd Army.
The German offensive force was more than 1 million people, morale was high, and they were fighting for victory.
They hoped to end the war with a single blow in this engagement, and this morale was very similar to that of the beginning of the war in 1914, for the Germans victory or not will be a matter of whose hands the world is in, and many soldiers run to the British positions like crazy beasts, as if their lives no longer belong to themselves, but to the entire empire...
A German company commander once recalled himself at that time, he said: "I hold a pistol in my right hand, a whip in my left hand, and my chest seems to be boiling with rage, and this overwhelming desire to kill makes my feet angry, and anger also makes my eyes shed hot tears, and I must win." ”
Oblivious offense
The bravery of the Germans made the British understand what it means to be defeated!
The British really couldn't stand up to the crazy attack that lasted for a few days!
On 22 March, the Germans began to break through the British lines, and the combined part of the British 3rd and 5th Armies had been sieve by the Germans!
A British artillery captain once said dejectedly, "Oh my God! I can't stand a day like yesterday anymore! ”
But then came one bad news after another:
"The enemy has broken through an important position somewhere!"
"Another division has collapsed the whole town!"
"Oh! Oh my God, it's going to be another color dang! ”
The British retreated
On the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, the British army was defeated, their troops were hit hard, morale was low, and they had to start retreating continuously, and many wounded soldiers supported each other on the way to retreat, limping and seeing no hope. German shells whistled over their heads, and one officer described the scene this way: "We are exhausted, the courage is gone, I do not want to be on the front line of the battle, but eager to retreat, as far away from the enemy as possible, but the retreating bridge is crowded with people and vehicles, we are trapped, we can't get over it!" ”
At that time, the British army was defeated, morale had been lost, and people were overturned on their horses at the slightest wind, and people, horses, ambulances, trucks, and artillery vehicles were crowded on the way to retreat, especially when crossing the Croza Canal, the entire bridge was crowded.
conclusion:
The Germans achieved perfect success in the early days of Michael's operation, and their Crown Prince Wilhelm rushed to the front in a car to inspect the front, and the German soldiers on the surrounding roads were highly motivated and waved to Mr. Crown Prince. On the route he inspected, a large amount of British supplies had been captured, the enemy had been defeated, and the fruits of victory seemed to be in sight.
But what the Germans did not expect was that although it went smoothly, the entente's subsequent counterattack and their own lack of stamina led to the reversal of the war situation, and they lost 800,000 people in the ensuing battle, and the consumption of these living forces burned out the last fighting spirit of the Germans, and the strength and combat effectiveness were not as good as before, and the German army really could not hold on.
The americans finally understood that victory was impossible, and the protracted war finally came to an end, and Germany was about to lose as a dark period.
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