Chapter 258 Night Attack
Heinrich successfully persuaded Leopold, and the two finally exchanged views and convened a meeting with the commanders of the entire brigade to refine the details of the combat plan.
All officers above the company level were present in this meeting, because time was tight, so they could go back and prepare in advance.
There are only two infantry regiments and one combat battalion directly under the brigade headquarters in Hechingen, and there are only twenty or thirty officers above the company level.
Because of the needs of the war, the command post was not located in a civilian area, but a semi-bunker-style building built separately. The construction time was relatively short, so it was relatively crowded. The officers of the Hechingen Brigade gathered in the small space of the command post and fought. The meeting begins.
"After consultation with Staff Officer Heinrich, we decided to launch a surprise attack on the French in the suburbs tonight. Now, Staff Officer Heinrich will introduce the reasons to you. I personally agree with it. Do you have any objections? You can make suggestions and suggestions." Leopold said.
Then Heinrich began to repeat what he had said to Leopold before: "...To sum up, I think this is a good opportunity. The fighter opportunity is fleeting. I missed it tonight and tomorrow." We will fall into a passive situation.”
After Heinrich finished speaking, Leopold said: "Tell me what you think!"
The leader of the first regiment said: "I support taking the initiative to attack and take advantage of the good night to fish in troubled waters. This is the first time the Heisingen Brigade has fought. It is different from previous exercises. You have to see blood. Although the night cannot hide the smell, It can visually reduce the impact of war on these students."
"I have no objection, but we must be fully prepared for this war. As you said, this is the first time the Hechingen Brigade has fought, so we should not be reckless..." said the leader of the second regiment.
After nearly an hour of discussion, the deployment of the battle and the tasks of each unit were finally determined.
"Okay, let's go back and make preparations now, mobilize the soldiers' ideological work, and don't let things slip at the critical moment." Leopold said a little tiredly.
As soon as Leopold finished speaking, everyone began to leave in an orderly manner.
…
According to the meeting arrangement, the cooking class of Hechingen Brigade started to work overtime. Boxes of canned beef stew with potatoes were poured into the pot, stirred, mixed with onions and cooked in a large pot.
"Everyone, listen up. This is not a drill. If you die, you will really die. Your opponent is an experienced Frenchman, so don't take it lightly. If you encounter me in the forest, you will kill me!"
As he spoke, Platoon Leader Otto began to distribute cigarettes and beer to the big soldiers in his platoon. He put a pack of cigarettes and wine into the hands of the soldiers and said: "Before setting off, if you are afraid, just smoke a cigarette or drink a bottle. There’s no chance on the battlefield.”
…
It's twelve o'clock at night. In the dark environment, the soldiers of Heixingen Brigade quietly opened the gap and poked their heads out of the fortifications one by one.
"Follow, don't get separated. When you get close to the point, keep your body hunched over. Don't stand like a log until you touch the enemy's position." The officer lowered his voice as much as possible and ordered to his subordinates.
Leaving David Wright's position, there were only country roads, farmland and water canals nearby. The teams passed through the wheat fields under the cover of darkness and slowly approached the edge of the forest.
Gradually, the French position appeared in front of him, and Heinrich began to carefully observe the enemy's situation.
It can be seen from the French army's simple position that this French army really rushed here overnight. They didn't even dig many trenches. The camp was relatively chaotic and the sentries were rickety.
"Tell the troops to be prepared. When they hear the sound of gunshots, they will rush forward and load their bayonets and other melee weapons in advance. There may not be time to reload."
With the troops ready, the time came to twelve fifty-seven minutes, and Heinrich fired the first shot of the attack.
Subsequently, the two infantry regiments of the Hechingen Brigade rushed into the French position.
"boom……"
"Where to shoot?" The French commander of the 54th Brigade woke up from his sleep.
"Report to the brigade commander that unknown armed forces suddenly attacked our unit!"
"What kind of unknown armed forces are there? It's obvious that the Germans on the opposite side want to take advantage of our unpreparedness and launch a sneak attack. Stop talking nonsense now and quickly organize troops to fight back!" The 54th Brigade picked up his pistol and started to move towards Go to the front line and want to organize the French army to launch a counterattack.
But as soon as he walked out of the camp, a bullet was fired. Fortunately, it did not hit him, but the guard next to him was injured in the arm.
"Brigadier Commander, the lights here attract the enemy. We can't stay here. It's just like a living target."
The camp of the commander of the 54th Brigade was lit with kerosene lamps, so it was more eye-catching in the dark.
"Other places with light are also experiencing similar situations. It is safe in the dark. Brigadier, we can only fight in the dark with the enemy now!"
In such a dark environment, it was completely impossible to organize the army. The soldiers of the Hechingen Brigade and the French 54th Brigade were completely mixed together.
There were sparse gunshots everywhere in the French barracks. In the darkness, the unprepared French troops could only shoot randomly with their Xia Sebo rifles. Many people were not prepared with bayonets and other melee weapons, which allowed the Hechingen Brigade to seize the opportunity. Got the chance.
In the gap between changing ammunition, the bayonets of the soldiers of the Hechingen Brigade can quickly make achievements. At the same time, in the dark night, even if the blood of the enemy and companions is flowing, it will be covered by the night. Before the war, tobacco and alcohol also numbed and stimulated the Hechingen Brigade. The senses of the soldiers, and the spirits of most of them, were extremely high.
Gradually, the French soldiers noticed that there were more and more Germans and fewer and fewer companions around them. They had a premonition that something bad was going on, and they were unable to contact their commanders. Some took advantage of the chaos and fled into the forest behind them, and some simply dropped their weapons. surrender.
The 54th French Brigade was caught off guard, and its will to fight was quickly shattered.
The sound of gunfire attracted the 3rd Brigade of the 5th Army led by Robert who was stationed east of Davielet. After the battle with the 54th Brigade of the French Army in Hechingen, they also rushed to the battlefield.
At this moment, the Hechingen Brigade is cleaning the battlefield. The current results are not clear, but the French suffered heavy casualties, and some of them fled into the forest. This basically means that the remnants of the French 54th Brigade have no way to reorganize. .
After entering the forest, if you are not familiar with the local environment, you will definitely lose your way. Facts have proved this. After that, we walked around in a large circle in the forest and reunited with the French who were captured by the Hechingen Brigade here. Soldier.