Chapter 85 Everyone turns around

General Bessler, commander of the Third German Reserve Army, rode a warhorse and walked around the slowly moving "Big Belsa".

The scene of towing "Big Belsa" was very spectacular. It was designed to be quickly disassembled into five parts for transportation. Bessler only disassembled it into three parts to save deployment time.

The main body of "Big Belsa" requires hundreds of horses to tow. For this reason, Bessler almost concentrated all the pack horses, draft horses and even some war horses in the military logistics transport team and put ropes on them.

The horses pulled in front and the people pushed in the back. The neighing, shouting and calling of horses were endless, and "Big Belsa" was still moving at a snail's pace of 4 to 5 kilometers per hour. (People walk at about 3 to 6 kilometers per hour)

Fortunately, "Big Belsa" is not far from the next level of fortresses. It will enter the range after about 4 kilometers.

Of course, in order to be able to shoot more accurately, Bessler decided to continue to move forward for a distance.

Bessler thought: A closer approach is also out of the range of the enemy's artillery, but it can get a higher hit rate, why not?

However, Bessler soon noticed something unusual. Several balloons were launched in the direction of Antwerp.

Antwerp has always had balloons. After all, it is a fortress city, and the 29 fortresses distributed around it need the guidance of balloons.

But after more than a dozen battles, Antwerp has given up raising balloons. This is of no use to them. The enemy's artillery is out of range, and the observers on the balloons can do nothing but "look at the artillery and sigh."

Now, Antwerp has launched three balloons in a row.

Could it be that "Big Bertha" has entered the range of the enemy's artillery?

Impossible, the Belgians' artillery was imported from Germany, and Germany had detailed data on these artillery. German engineers even secretly reduced the configuration of these artillery, making them unable to pose a possible threat to Germany.

Why is that?

With doubts, General Bessler grabbed the telescope hanging around his neck and looked in the direction of the second fortress.

It was too far to see anything, and the enemy was using the same old trick to release smoke.

Wait, smoke!!!

General Bessler suddenly remembered something, and he quickly moved the aperture of the telescope to the "destroyed" Wavre Fortress, where the smoke was still looming.

General Bessler put down the telescope and thought for a while, then quickly raised the telescope to observe it in the aperture.

Something was wrong, General Bessler was secretly shocked, why didn't the smoke of Wavre Fortress decrease at all?

If Wavre Fortress had been blown up, there would be no need to release smoke. Even if Wavre Fortress was blown up and exploded, its smoke would not last so long.

Moreover, a considerable part of the fortress was underground, and the smoke produced by the explosion could not spread so widely.

Unless...

Bessler suddenly put away the telescope with a look of astonishment, and he seemed to understand why the enemy released the balloon.

"Frex!" Bessler shouted to the crowd, his tone anxious: "How far are we from Fort Wavre?"

Major Frex is the best artilleryman under Bessler. He has a skill that others cannot do. He only needs to close one eye and stick out his thumb to aim at the target to know the exact distance. This is one of the reasons why he is responsible for operating a "Big Bertha" heavy artillery.

After hearing the order, Major Frex stood up and made his signature move, but he was a little confused. Why did he need to know the distance to Fort Wavre?

"About 8 kilometers, General!" Frex gave an answer.

"Damn it!" General Bessler cursed. He no longer hesitated. He used the spurs on his heels to poke the horse's belly hard to make it run. On the running horse's back, he shouted at the top of his throat: "Everyone turn around, everyone turn around..."

The grooms and soldiers were all stunned. Such a big battle, the destination is in front, turn around just like that?

Major Frakes looked at General Bessler in confusion, then at Fort Wavre, and suddenly thought of a possibility... At that moment, his brain seemed to stop working, and he just stood there with his eyes wide open and his mouth half open, as if time had stopped.

After a while, Major Frakes finally reacted, and he also shouted with General Bessler: "Everyone turn around, everyone turn around..."

While shouting, he waved the small flag in his hand to command.

It is not easy to turn the "Big Bertha" pulled by hundreds of horses. If you try to turn in the same direction by exerting force on one side and relaxing the other side, the result is often that you can't pull it at all.

Major Frakes was very experienced in this area. He commanded the cavalry to drag the "Big Belsa" forward, and then used the inertia of the forward movement to slowly turn...

At this time, General Bessler remembered that there was another "Big Belsa", and hurriedly shouted to the staff beside him: "Order Major Jason, turn around! Turn around!!!"

The staff responded and galloped on the horse. One man and one horse rushed to the other side like flying, waving a small flag to signal while running. He tried to convey the order to the other party accurately in the shortest time.

…

Albert I and Charles had been on a balloon in the middle of Antwerp for more than half an hour.

They were very patient, and so was Charles.

Because it was a very pleasant thing to watch the enemy approach the range of their own artillery step by step, closer, closer, closer...

Albert I smiled and asked Charles: "When you thought of this method, did you think that every step the Germans took was closer to death?"

"No, Your Majesty!" Charles replied: "I just think that every step they take, our artillery will have a higher chance of hitting the target!"

Albert I laughed.

This is beneficial to the enemy, so the two chose to wait like this, and they chatted on the balloon.

Albert I even introduced Antwerp to Charles:

"The fortresses you see are all from Brielmont, who has a deep attainment in military engineering and a good reputation among engineers!"

"But now it seems that he is not good enough. According to the report from the front line, there are problems with the ventilation system. They are easily blocked by the mud raised by the shells."

"If possible, I hope you can design a fortress for us, Lieutenant!"

"I am looking forward to your work!"

Charles just smiled and said nothing. He knew that things like fortresses and fortresses were outdated. They were just targets for heavy artillery.

The cheapest and most effective thing is trenches, one after another. The cannons have no effect on them because they can't kill many people, while the soldiers in the trenches can easily block the attacks of enemies several times or even dozens of times with machine guns.

But...

Charles suddenly thought, what if it is regarded as a business?

And what if Charles can contract the design and construction of the Maginot Line?

Or is the Maginot Line in history originally a business?

At this time, the direction of the German army changed. The horse team they used to tow heavy artillery suddenly became chaotic, and it was obvious that they were turning around.

Albert I smiled: "They finally realized that they were fooled!"

He waved the signal flag and issued an order to the bottom without hesitation.

Sorry, I just found out that there is a function to thank the reward. I have always wanted to thank the readers who rewarded me, but I can't find where to say it. I will post the reward list at the end of the month to thank you!

I will know it later, and I can thank you here! Newbies don't know anything, please forgive me!

Thank you for the reward from Mole Manor and Beiyang Duohaojie today!