Chapter 580 Naval Cannon Roars

On May 8, the weather was fine. Although, the weather is getting hotter day by day. However, Le Havre is located by the sea, so it doesn't feel too hot.

At 6 o'clock in the morning, Lieutenant General Ludendorff was already fully dressed. Today is the day of the German attack on Le Havre, and he also takes it very seriously.

After a simple breakfast, Lieutenant General Ludendorff went around the battlefield. The artillerymen are also already busy. Although yesterday's shelling has made these artillerymen very tired. But after a night's rest, they were alive and well again.

According to the German plan, before the infantry launched an attack, the artillery would conduct another round of fire strikes. It's just that, because the shells stored before were almost consumed in yesterday's shelling. Therefore, they need to save some of the remaining shells. The logistics department of the German army is also desperately transporting shells and other materials to the front line. However, that takes time.

"General!" Wherever Lieutenant General Ludendorff passed, there were soldiers and officers saluting him everywhere.

Lieutenant General Ludendorff took the trouble to return the salute. Although, when he was marching and fighting, he was very serious. However, in private, it is still very approachable. This makes him have a great influence in the minds of these officers and soldiers.

"Boys, are you ready? In half an hour, you will have to fire again. Use your shells to destroy all the defensive positions that the British sneakily built last night!" Lieutenant General Ludendorff turned After arriving at the artillery position, he said to the artillerymen.

"General, don't worry, we are ready. Soon, we will use our shells to kill those British guys."

"Let those Brits, either go back to their island, or die here. This is the European continent, not a place for them to come!"

The artillerymen all answered, and it was obvious that they were of very good nature.

Lieutenant General Ludendorff nodded and stayed here for a while before leaving.

When Lieutenant General Ludendorff returned to the headquarters, General Crook had already gotten up and was eating breakfast.

"General Ludendorff, would you like some?" General Crook asked.

"General, please take it slowly, I have already eaten it." Lieutenant General Ludendorff said.

"I really envy you young people! Back then, during the Franco-Prussian War, I was still in command of an infantry company. At that time, I was as young as you. During the war, you can stay up all night. But, not now. Already old!" Admiral Crook sighed.

"General, you are still young. Your Majesty has said many times that without the efforts of generals like General, the empire would not be as powerful as it is now." Lieutenant General Ludendorff said.

Admiral Crook couldn't help laughing, it was also a great honor for them to be approved by His Majesty the Emperor. Especially now that the new emperor is on the throne, it is undoubtedly very important to have a good impression of the new emperor.

Time passed little by little, and soon it was eight o'clock in the morning.

"Report, the reconnaissance plane scouted the surrounding sea area of ​​30 kilometers, and found no problems!" An officer reported to Admiral Crook and Lieutenant General Ludendorff.

"If there is no problem, let's implement it according to the original plan!" Admiral Crook said.

"Yes, General. Order the artillery to start shelling. An hour later, the infantry will attack." Lieutenant General Ludendorff ordered.

"Yes, General." The officer immediately went to convey the order.

"General, if all goes well, our troops will be able to enter Le Havre today. Within three days, we can eliminate the British Expeditionary Force here and take the whole of Le Havre. There is still no problem." Ludendorff said Will speak confidently.

General Crook didn't say much, but he undoubtedly had great confidence in his troops.

Although, the German 8th Army is known as the most capable army in the German Army. But Admiral Crook was still a little unconvinced. He thought his 1st Army was not bad either. Of course, the reason why the 8th Army is so powerful is entirely because His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, now His Majesty the Emperor, invested a lot regardless of cost, so that the troops were equipped with a large number of advanced weapons. If other legions can also be reorganized in this way, their combat effectiveness can be further improved.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

After a night of silence, the German artillery began to roar again.

Shell after shell, under the action of huge kinetic energy, slammed into the position of the British Expeditionary Force.

Last night, the British Expeditionary Force tried to restore some of the fortifications after the German bombardment stopped, so that they could use these fortifications to resist the German attack in today's battle. However, it is a pity that these fortifications have not yet been able to play a role, and they were completely destroyed under the heavy shelling of the German army.

"The German shelling has begun, and soon their infantry will launch an attack. Send a telegram to General Caveson, telling them they can act." Admiral Haig ordered excitedly.

Despite this, the German shelling continued. But it will take time for the Royal Navy's fleet to arrive at Le Havre. Counting the time, when the fleet arrived, it was time for the German infantry to attack with all their strength. At that time, it will be the time when the warships of the British Royal Navy can open their firepower and wantonly kill the German infantry.

"Yes, General." The communications officer immediately went to send a telegram.

After receiving the telegram from Admiral Haig, Lieutenant General Caveson issued an order on the fleet flagship "Edward VII" battleship. The fleet started sailing towards Le Havre.

An hour passed quickly. The German artillery fire finally ceased. The infantry, who had already been prepared, began to attack.

In the first round of the attack, the 1st Army invested four infantry divisions, while the 8th Army invested two infantry divisions. Six infantry divisions, more than 100,000 men, launched the attack. In one fell swoop, the defense line of the British Expeditionary Force was torn apart and their posture was severely damaged.

The German attack was very violent. The British Expeditionary Force, which suffered heavy losses, was indeed irresistible. In just two rounds of attack, the British Expeditionary Force lost all the defenses around Le Havre.

However, Admiral Haig and the others did not panic at all.

At 9:30 in the morning, the fleet of the Royal Navy arrived. Admiral Haig immediately ordered that the British Expeditionary Force on the front line break away from contact with the German army.

Subsequently, the warships of the Royal Navy Navy cruising off the coast of Le Havre began shelling.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The large-caliber naval guns began to roar, and shells weighing hundreds of kilograms flew fiercely towards the German army.