Chapter 179 The Giant Cannon Shows Its Power

The German Army General Staff, after the war broke out, has become the busiest place here.

A large number of staff members came in and out, and the telegraph machine kept ringing, sending and receiving telegrams non-stop. The tall female officers marked the situation on the front line on the sand table and the map according to the latest battle situation, so that the commanders could see it clearly at a glance.

William II often visited the General Staff after finishing his official duties. This war is so important that it concerns the fate of Germany. Therefore, even William II did not dare to take it lightly.

"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, a telegram from the Meuse Army." A staff officer handed a telegram to Little Mao Qi.

"What's the matter? Have they already taken the Fortress of Tomorrow?" William II asked, looking away from the sand table. However, he soon discovered that Little Moqi's complexion was not good-looking. The smile on his face has disappeared completely.

"Your Majesty, the Meuse River Army did not take the Fortress of the Next Day. On the contrary, they were blocked. The Belgians successfully blocked General Enmihi with the help of a strong fortress, and caused the Meuse River Army to suffer heavy losses." Little Maoqi said.

William II also frowned tightly.

"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, will this have any adverse effects on the ensuing battle?" William II asked.

"Your Majesty, everything is under our control, there won't be any big problems." Little Mao Qi shook his head, his face regained his confidence.

It can be said that the German Army was the first army to set up a staff headquarters. They used strict combat plans to command the army, even to the point of rigidity. The combat plan formulated by the German army was very detailed, even down to how many meters the troops had to march during the march, no more than one meter, no less than one meter. It is precisely because of this system that the German army has become a sophisticated machine that can operate quickly, and other countries cannot compare with it.

It was also from this time that the role of strategy and tactics in warfare became smaller and smaller. War has become a competition of national comprehensive national strength. The wisdom gathered by a large number of staff officers is no worse than that of the so-called famous generals.

In these respects, the German army is undoubtedly the best.

"Order the secret weapons we have prepared to go to the Liege Fortress. In addition, all the ones borrowed from the Austro-Hungarian Empire will also be sent there. Tell General Enmihi that within a week, the Liege Fortress must be taken." Xiao Maoqi ordered road.

"Yes, Your Excellency the Chief of Staff." A staff officer immediately went to convey the order.

In this regard, although William II saw everything in his eyes, he did not ask. He only cares about the final result, not the process. He also knew he was not a professional. Therefore, commanding troops to fight wars should be left to professionals.

The so-called secret weapon that Mao Qi said was specially prepared for the Liege Fortress. Before the war, the German Army General Staff also considered that there would be problems. Therefore, the transformation has prepared a batch of secret weapons.

These secret weapons are large-caliber siege artillery. They are the 420mm howitzer produced by Krupp and the 305mm howitzer produced by the Skoda factory in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the whole of Germany, there are only five 420mm howitzers in total, and Moch provided four to General Enmihi at one time. Coupled with the eight 305mm heavy howitzers borrowed from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, General Enmihi has a very terrifying siege force in his hands.

On August 12, four 420mm heavy howitzers and eight 305mm howitzers arrived at the front line. Although, during the fighting in the past few days, the German army has already occupied some fortresses. But in general, the main fortress is still in the hands of the Belgian army.

"Haha, let's see how the Belgians resist our attack! Order the artillery to get ready and start shelling this afternoon to destroy the Belgian fortress and blow them all to death!" General Enmihi ordered. You must know that although the German army has achieved some success in the continuous battle for several days, there have been many casualties.

At 6:30 p.m., General Emmihi gave the order for the shelling. Four 420mm heavy-duty howitzers and eight 305mm howitzers fired first at the Fryron Fort, the strongest of the various forts in the Fortress of Liege. The gunners filled the shells, retreated to the protective trench 300 meters away from the cannon, plugged their ears with earplugs, and then ignited and fired. Hearing an earth-shattering roar, a giant shell rushed straight up to an altitude of 3,000 meters, and then fell in a parabola 1,000 meters in front of the Fryron Fort. Immediately, a large crater tens of meters square was blasted out on the ground, and sand and dust splashed all over the sky. The astonishing power of the 420mm howitzer not only frightened the Belgian defenders, but even the attacking German army stunned. After that, other heavy artillery fired one after another, and the German observers in the airship continued to correct the shelling coordinates. Finally, the eighth shell hit the top cover of the Fryron Fort. The giant shell penetrated the roof of the turret and exploded in the central tunnel. The interior of the turret was immediately filled with fireworks, and the Belgian defenders were blown to pieces. The other 3 cannons of the German army also corrected their coordinates and fired repeatedly. The Fryron Fortress shook as if it was sitting on a crater. Reinforced concrete, stumps and broken bodies, guns and materials splashed everywhere, and the fire glowed red. half the sky. When everything fell silent, the German infantry rushed up, and the huge Forelon Fortress had been reduced to rubble, and none of the defenders survived.

On August 13, the German artillery destroyed two forts of the Belgian defenders in the same way, and the rest of the forts still insisted on resisting and refused to surrender. General Enmihi ordered the remaining 12 cannons to be divided into 2 groups, and to sweep the remaining forts along both sides of the Maas River. As a result, the earth-shattering loud noises continued on the battlefield every day, and the forts collapsed one after another, becoming huge iron furnaces and crematoriums. By August 16, 11 of the 12 forts had been destroyed, leaving only the Longsen Fort guarded by the Belgian guard Liman. General Enmihi sent someone to persuade him to surrender again, but Li Man still refused. Then 12 giant cannons fired at the Longsen Fort, and the fort immediately ignited a raging fire, and the ammunition depot in the fort was also ignited, and a chain explosion occurred. The top cover of the fort was lifted tens of meters away, and the entire fort was completely destroyed. destroy.

The Battle of Liege finally ended with the German army winning, but the German army suffered heavy casualties in front of the fortress, with losses of more than 40,000 people. But after taking the Liege Fortress, millions of German troops were able to drive straight in and kill the Marne River.