Starting with the smashing of Dunkirk

Chapter 112 A Breakthrough by Golitzer More Perfect Than History
"Hurry up and unload these 105mm field guns. We need to find a relatively high place with not too soft soil! Otherwise, the tamprs won't be compacted properly, and they'll just roll backward as soon as we fire!"

"Be careful! When unloading the blasting material, first create a gentle slope by piling up soil! Don't just smash it down!"

In the darkness before dawn, nearly a hundred Škoda half-track diesel tractors, recently rolled off the production line and designed by Mr. Porsche (their model numbers yet to be determined), were carrying field guns across the fields between Krakow and Gorlitze, unloading the artillery upon reaching their designated positions.

This most primitive half-track vehicle only overcame key technical difficulties in early March and was officially developed in April. Now it is May, and only less than one hundred prototype vehicles in small-batch trial production can be deployed to the front line.

This production volume was achieved only after Skoda frantically expanded production more than half a month ago.

This primitive "Porsche half-track" is far inferior to even the Model 250, let alone the famous SDK 251 half-track from World War II.

After all, it was more than 20 years earlier, and the technological gap was too large. Today's half-track vehicles are just pure tractors, not armored vehicles, and have no additional armor or firepower.

If we have to talk about shape, it's more similar to the American M2 half-track from the mid-1930s. That was also a half-track without weapons or armor, and its shape was similar to a normal truck.

Therefore, the additional design work required is relatively small and the R&D cycle is fast. You can directly produce a truck by simply modifying it into a half-track traction power structure.

The Porsche half-track's engine performance was certainly inferior to that of the American half-tracks of the 1930s. However, because it used a diesel engine, it was still quite capable, at least in terms of traction power, with a single engine producing over 120 horsepower.

The main differences are in other aspects, especially the mechanical reliability of the whole vehicle, which has not been broken in yet, and the suspension system is much worse, often breaking down after only a few trips.

This type of vehicle can carry more than 2 tons of cargo off-road in severely muddy terrain, or tow 4 to 5 tons of cargo (provided that the wheels of the cargo itself do not get stuck in the mud).

The land near Gorlitze is now very muddy, and the hard wheels of the heavy artillery would definitely get stuck and make it impossible to tow. The only option is to put 2-3 tons of artillery in the wagons, transport them to their destination, and then push them off.

With a carrying capacity of less than 3 tons, forget about long-barreled cannons of the 150mm class – those things can weigh up to 10 tons, which is at least three times the carrying capacity.

However, if the barrel is shortened, the propellant charge is reduced, and the recoil is decreased, there is still a chance.

比如德玛尼亚军中有装备一款1902年式150毫米野战榴弹炮（SFH02），身管才12倍径，行军全重居然才2.7吨，战斗时全重更是能降低到2.1吨。

The trade-off is that the muzzle velocity is too low, only 330 meters per second, and even at a 40-degree elevation angle, the maximum range is only 7.5 kilometers.

In a normal combat situation where other artillery units can counter each other, deploying a short-range hand cannon with a range of 7.5 kilometers to the front line seems a bit too dangerous.

But in the suburbs of Gorlice today, the Dmanian military had already conducted aerial reconnaissance the day before, and the Russa had not deployed any heavy artillery in the area, so it didn't matter.

One of the most prominent characteristics of the Eastern Front was its vastness, with both sides having many weak points. Areas where the enemy was not expected to attack were often left undefended with heavy firepower; instead, a few inexperienced line-filling divisions were simply sent to scout the area.

The Lusha Army was particularly poor. Some of their line-filling divisions were so poor that two men were given one gun and they would squat in the trenches. If one of them died in battle, his comrades would pick up the gun and continue fighting.

The mud would also limit the deployment of the Lussa people's positions. For example, in the area around Gollitze, the low-lying terrain and water accumulation prevented them from digging deep trenches.

If you dig a little deeper, the groundwater from the spring thaw, combined with spring rains, will flood the bottom of the trench. In that case, people will still have to stand in the water, and might even be submerged.

Therefore, trenches were generally dug to a depth of only a little over 1 meter, which was about a foot or two shorter than a person's height, and that was about enough.

The soldiers of the Lusa army did not have the same work shoes as the Demanians; they could only wear either cloth shoes or tall military boots.

Because they hadn't experienced the lessons of muddy trench warfare in the Ypres region before, Lusa's quartermasters generally didn't know how to help soldiers prevent trench foot or athlete's foot.

During the two months of frost heave, the soldiers of the Lusha Army stationed in the low-lying areas to fill in the trenches did not even have to fight. One-third of them contracted beriberi, and a small portion of them were so severely affected that they developed "trench foot," making it difficult for them to walk and forcing them to squat in the trenches to fill in the trenches.

Ultimately, before the formal attack, the Demacians quietly assembled 200 105mm field guns and over 40 150mm short-barreled field guns.

The 150 is positioned in front, followed by the 105, ensuring coverage of enemy positions within a 5-8 kilometer radius of the front lines.

The Lusa people on the other side were completely unaware; the ongoing mud season had made both soldiers and officers extremely lax.

In addition, Officer Lusa's discipline of soldiers was strict yet arbitrary. He often beat them severely for minor offenses, but the reasons for the beatings were haphazard and depended not on military discipline but on the officer's mood.

In addition, the officers often drank vodka and drank heavily while stationed in the rear, which further exacerbated their complacency and contradictions.

It was under these circumstances that the Demanians began their preparations for firepower against Gollitze.

……

"These Lusa people are really slow-witted; it's truly a blessing for our army!"

On the front lines 3 kilometers west of the town of Gorlitze, Colonel William Keitel finally showed a relaxed expression as the last batch of 150mm short-barreled field gun positions were deployed.

今日这一战，在这片战场上，利奥波德元帅集结了第10集团军的40多门150毫米野战炮、200门105毫米野战炮。几乎把这两款短管轻炮都抽调出来、拉到一起集中使用了。

William Keitel, with the mere rank of colonel, was originally only allowed to lead an artillery regiment in combat. However, due to this temporary transfer, his artillery regiment was also disbanded, and this newly formed artillery group also needed someone to command it.

Colonel Lelouch, who was temporarily serving as an army group staff officer, recommended him to Marshal Leopold. He said that William Keitel had temporarily commanded a frontline railway artillery group during the special period of the Dunkirk siege, so he must have some experience in dealing with this kind of situation.

Ultimately, Marshal Leopold partially adopted Lelouch's suggestion, appointing a major general as the commander of the artillery unit and Colonel William Keitel as his deputy.

After all, it's a bit too much for a mere colonel to command two or three hundred cannons. Being able to actually command an artillery regiment and serve as the deputy commander of an artillery group consisting of all five artillery regiments is already an extremely high-level position.

William Keitel did not disappoint Lelouch's recommendation. As a veteran of Lelouch's faction, Keitel had one advantage: his familiarity with half-track tractors surpassed that of other artillery officers.

He and Lelouch were too familiar with each other. Even when the half-track was still under development, Lelouch had mentioned the use and tactical advantages of this new vehicle to him several times in casual conversation. Now that the half-track artillery tractor was being used in combat for the first time, the entire coordination and deployment work naturally needed someone as knowledgeable as Keitel to execute it. In contrast, the artillery major general who was Keitel's superior didn't quite understand the ingenuity of the half-track tractor, and many practical problems had to be solved by Keitel on the spot.

In order to deploy so many heavy artillery pieces, about 40 tractors broke down after making several rounds and could only be repaired after the battle. But in any case, the artillery group was finally deployed to a vulnerable position that the enemy had never expected.

"Each artillery regiment, adjust your firing data according to the designated targets and fire!"

"Boom boom boom!"

随着最后的命令，200门105毫米野战炮和40门150毫米野战炮一起发出轰鸣，在面前3~8公里的戈尔利采镇及其周边的低洼泥泞地带上，制造出了一片惨烈的人间地狱。

Where did the shelling come from?

"Ah... it's Demacian artillery fire! Take cover!"

On the positions of the 57th Division of the 8th Army of the Lu Sha Army, screams of agony filled the air.

Countless limbs and severed bodies flew everywhere, and many soldiers who had not yet taken cover were instantly turned into innocent victims in the sudden initial onslaught.

"This...this is impossible! How could there be so many heavy artillery pieces in a place like this? Isn't the opposite side just a muddy field with not many enemies filling in the lines?"

"Forget about excuses at a time like this! Run!"

Groups of surviving Lusa soldiers scrambled into the trenches, ignoring the water at the bottom and even temporarily submerging themselves in it.

However, trenches that are generally less than 1.5 meters deep are far too ineffective against 150mm heavy artillery.

Especially in muddy areas, the trench walls could not be dug with a steep slope, as they were prone to collapse due to the loose soil. Most of the trenches of the Lusha Army could only be described as "narrow pits with side slopes of 40 to 60 degrees".

This structure made it easier for shells to land directly inside the trench. With just one lucky shot, dozens of lives could be lost in an entire section of the trench.

The soldiers at the front lines of Lusa began to suffer company-wide casualties, and eventually only a few dozen men survived from an entire battalion, the rest being killed by the terrifyingly dense artillery bombardment.

The enemy had amassed artillery equivalent to 6 to 7 divisions and was bombarding the defensive positions of a line-filling division with intense firepower. Given the flimsy nature of these positions, it is no wonder that they suffered devastating casualties.

"The fortifications of these Lusa people are nowhere near as strong as the Britannian army's defenses in Ypres. They dug a few holes less than 1.5 meters deep in the mud and call that a defense? They deserve to pay the price for it."

Colonel Keitel carefully observed the effects of the artillery fire on the distant enemy positions through the artillery scope.

When he saw hordes of enemy soldiers unable to withstand the pressure, no longer willing to crouch in their trenches and wait to die, but instead leaping out of the trenches like headless flies and running wildly away, without even carrying guns, just hoping to run as fast as possible, but ultimately failing to escape the shelling zone and being futilely blown to pieces on the battlefield, Keitel couldn't help but sigh.

Unfortunately, the basic combat units of the Lusha Army were not equipped with radios. Their level of electrification was too low and weak. Only the division headquarters had radios.

Therefore, the battalion and regimental combat units at the front suffered heavy losses and were unable to even directly notify the division headquarters via radio. They had to send signalmen on horseback at breakneck speed to report the news.

On such a battlefield, it is virtually impossible to run, ride a horse, or charge several kilometers.

Each company and each battalion sent out more than one communications cavalryman to the rear, but without exception, they were all blown to pieces by intense artillery fire on the way.

Finally, the 57th Division headquarters, which was hiding in an underground bunker in the town of Gorlitze, had to discover the losses of the front-line troops on its own through artillery observers and send telegrams to the army headquarters and the army group headquarters for assistance.

……

"The 57th Division has been subjected to an incalculable barrage of heavy artillery fire from an enemy force in the town of Gorlitze! Requesting reinforcements! Requesting reinforcements! The situation at the front is unclear! Of the two infantry regiments and eight battalions deployed at the forefront, not a single communications cavalryman has made it back to the division headquarters alive to report on the casualties at the front!"

Based on the battlefield situation, our division estimates that at least one-third of the forward-deployed regiments and battalions have already suffered casualties! A large number of forward troops have collapsed! The exact scale of the collapse is impossible to determine! Not a single signalman from a forward regiment or battalion has returned alive to report the situation!

The urgent telegram from the 57th Division reached the military headquarters in the nearby Tarnuv district, and the commander of the 21st Corps of the 8th Army also panicked.

Tarnuv County is only 20 kilometers away from Gollitze, but it is located on the Krakow-Przemyshel railway line, making it a "city built on the main road." Therefore, its defenses are relatively strong, with a full-fledged army consisting of three divisions.

The Lusa army originally thought that during the muddy thaw, even if the Demanians were to launch an attack, they would have to advance along the railway and it was unlikely that they would be able to bypass the low-lying muddy areas next to it.

But now all of this has happened. Somehow, the Demacians found a breakthrough in a low-lying, muddy area more than 20 kilometers away from the railway, and they even concentrated a huge amount of heavy artillery to tear open the breach!
Further back, in the Przemeshir fortress, General Brusilov, commander of the 8th Army, was somewhat flustered upon hearing the news.

He immediately telegraphed the headquarters of the 21st Army in Tarnuv County and the headquarters of the 57th Division in Gollitze:
"We must hold our ground! No retreat is allowed! I will immediately send a telegram to the army commander, ordering the main force that has already crossed the mountains and moved south to quickly recall troops to block the breach!"
But you must hold on until then! Even if the enemy breaks through from Gorlitze and surrounds you from the rear, you must continue fighting. Even if you are surrounded, delaying the enemy for a few more days is better than nothing! That way, we can buy enough time for the main force! I will also immediately send several cavalry divisions to reinforce you!

Brusilov was considered one of the few talented generals in Russa's army, although his superior, the commander of the Southwestern Front, was a subservient fellow who only knew how to obey the emperor's orders and had transferred too many of Brusilov's troops south.

But Brusilov still tried to plug this sudden, fatal gap with the limited resources he had.

He kept his word. Right after returning the call, he made another call, instructing other units: "Have the 12th Cossack Cavalry Division of Sandomezh rush to Gorlice as reinforcements as soon as possible, and have the 14th Cossack Cavalry Division of Rzeszóv reinforce Tarnov."

In particular, the 14th Cossack Cavalry Division must protect the railway line retreating from Tarnuv to Rzeszóv to prevent the Dmanians from breaking through Gorlitze and immediately cutting off the railway connection between Tarnuv and our rear!

The two Cossack cavalry divisions received orders from the army group commander and immediately set off from their respective towns and counties, rushing at full speed toward the gap in the front line.

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PS: Although there are only two updates today, it's already over 11,000 words. It's the beginning of the month, so please give me some votes if you have any. If not, there's nothing I can do.

(End of this chapter)