Chapter 534: It Seems Reconnaissance Won't Be Necessary
Erwin immediately began organizing a counterattack.
He firmly believed in the maxim, "The best defense is a good offense," especially when it came to artillery duels.
There was no real defense against incoming shells: where they landed, what damage they caused—these were beyond control. Artillery emplacements were fixed positions; once targeted, you could neither move nor hide them quickly enough to evade enemy fire. Therefore, the best way to limit damage was to return fire aggressively, suppressing or destroying enemy artillery before they could do the same to you.
Fortunately, the German artillery crews were experienced and well-prepared.
Forward artillery observers didn't wait for orders before pinpointing the locations of enemy fire, swiftly relaying accurate targeting information back to the command center.
(Author's Note: Calculating enemy artillery positions requires at least two sets of observers positioned at a certain distance from each other. It's essentially a matter of basic geometry: two observation points form a triangle with the target.)
Once coordinates and firing solutions were rapidly calculated at headquarters, they were immediately communicated to the artillery batteries on the frontline.
The artillery commander barked rapid-fire orders clearly and loudly:
"Target number 102!" (a pre-plotted location on the map)
"Elevation 356!" (mils)
"Direction left 0-50!" (mils)
"All batteries, rapid-fire, ten rounds!"
Subordinate commanders repeated the instructions loudly and clearly. Artillery crews, even amid the chaos of incoming explosions, adjusted their guns meticulously based on the given coordinates.
The entire process—from initial observation to firing—took less than ten minutes, incredibly efficient considering they relied primarily on wired telephones and shouted commands.
Finally, the frontline commander roared the order:
"Fire!"
"Fire!"
"Fire!"
Instantly, dozens of surviving artillery pieces thundered, hurling shells toward the enemy's supposed artillery position.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The German artillery fire was precise, shells landing exactly around the intended enemy positions. Observers excitedly reported via telephone, "Direct hits! Direct hits!"
Not satisfied, Erwin ordered an additional five-round rapid-fire salvo.
Shells fell even more accurately this time, tearing through the supposed enemy artillery positions with explosive fury.
But afterward, silence fell.
The smoke cleared slowly, revealing nothing but scorched earth and empty ground. No secondary explosions, no wrecked enemy guns—just emptiness.
Only faint moans from wounded soldiers echoed across their own battered artillery positions. Around a dozen German guns had been damaged or destroyed by the initial rocket barrage, with several fires still raging, threatening further destruction unless quickly controlled.
While the German crews rushed to deal with fires and casualties, Nikolaus and Erwin stared at each other inside their bunker in utter confusion. This didn't make sense.
Typically, once an artillery duel began, it continued fiercely—exchange after exchange, salvo after salvo—until one side finally withdrew, unable to sustain fire any longer.
But now, there was no returning fire. After an enormous initial barrage, everything had abruptly ceased.
"Did they run away?" Erwin wondered aloud, scanning the opposite bank with binoculars. All he saw was lingering smoke and distant trees.
"Impossible," Nikolaus shook his head. "Ten artillery regiments wouldn't need to retreat."
A hit-and-run artillery tactic was plausible, but only if one lacked numerical superiority. With the equivalent of ten artillery regiments, the enemy had no reason to flee. In such overwhelming superiority, it would typically be the Germans forced into retreat—not the attackers.
Yet, not a single additional round had fallen.
After a moment's hesitation, Nikolaus ordered, "Send scouts immediately."
Though the targeted area lay behind enemy lines, scouts could at least observe the area closely through binoculars from elevated positions.
"Yes, General," his aide replied, quickly leaving to relay orders.
Soon after, reports returned from the frontline: "General, besides craters, we've found absolutely nothing at the targeted locations."
Meaning they'd inflicted no damage at all.
"That can't be right!" Nikolaus angrily protested. He glared suspiciously at the aide, his voice rising, "Ten artillery regiments—thousands of men and guns—there must at least be some traces!"
And besides, how could they have evacuated completely within just ten minutes?
(Author's Note: One artillery battalion typically consists of 12 guns and around 500 men. Ten artillery regiments would thus involve at least 15,000 men. Moving this many troops so quickly was simply impossible.)
His aide helplessly repeated, "General, we've confirmed several times. The area is completely empty."
Nikolaus still refused to believe it. "No, there must be a mistake. Either our scouts observed the wrong place, or the artillery observers miscalculated—"
"General," Erwin interrupted cautiously. "What if they made no mistake?"
"What do you mean?" Nikolaus turned sharply toward him, puzzled.
Pale-faced, Erwin spoke slowly, "Did you notice, General, that those weren't artillery shells—they were rockets?"
Nikolaus nodded slowly. Of course, he'd recognized that immediately.
Erwin continued thoughtfully, "Maybe there were never ten artillery regiments. Perhaps we're seeing Charles's new weapon: something that can launch a massive barrage of rockets in seconds, then disappear immediately afterward."
Realization dawned on Nikolaus's face, quickly replaced by an expression of profound dread.
If Erwin's theory was correct, their artillery was completely useless. Rockets fired rapidly, mobile launchers quickly repositioned—and their own artillery response would always come too late, wasting ammunition and effort on empty ground.
Erwin nodded gravely, confirming Nikolaus's fears.
But both remained silent, exchanging knowing looks.
They dared not voice this aloud. Morale would collapse instantly if their artillerymen learned that their best efforts would always be futile—that their only choice was to endure relentless, unanswered attacks. Soldiers might abandon their guns, flee in panic, and spread defeatism throughout the entire army.
Nikolaus dismissed his aides and approached the bunker window, feigning casual observation across the river while whispering urgently to Erwin, "What should we do now?"
Erwin sighed softly. "First, we must verify our theory. It's still just a suspicion, General."
"How can we verify it?"
"We'll need to deploy more reconnaissance units," Erwin suggested reluctantly. "Aircraft reconnaissance would be ideal."
Nikolaus grimaced slightly but nodded. Ground scouts alone were insufficient—the frontline was too wide, requiring an impossible number of patrols. Air reconnaissance was ideal, though it carried significant risk: enemy fighters were undoubtedly already waiting in ambush above.
But before Nikolaus could respond further, another piercing whistle filled the air—another wave of rockets, fierce and relentless, bore down upon them again.
Nikolaus exchanged another somber glance with Erwin, a resigned understanding between them.
"It seems reconnaissance won't be necessary after all."
(End of Chapter 534)
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