Chapter 1017 Battle of Salburg (Part 1)

Chapter 1017 Battle of Salburg (Part 1)

Soon after, the Austrian artillery opened fire again, and dense artillery shells fell on the French position. Lamosilier was really lucky that he had not sent a large force to support the front line just now, otherwise he did not know how many people would have been lost in this artillery fire.

On the position, the French soldiers were hit by rounds of bullets and couldn't raise their heads. The deafening explosions raised dust all over the sky.

Someone showed up to see clearly the enemy's movements behind the smoke, but as soon as the smoke cleared, he was named by a coalition skirmisher.

The screams, explosions, and falling companions tortured the nerves of the French troops on the front line all the time. Most of them chose to hide behind the bunkers and tremble, or even pray to heaven.

However, this could not save them. The high-explosive shell hit the bunker and exploded violently. The gravel, sawdust, and human body parts were all thrown high into the air, and then fell heavily.

It's fine if you get hit on your hands, feet, or torso, but if you get hit on the head, you'll either die or be injured. However, these French soldiers did not have much room to think, because the Austrian rocket troops also began to show their power.

Facing the ruins of Saarburg, neither conventional anti-infantry rockets nor heavy siege rockets were very effective.

But there is one type of rocket that is completely unaffected, and that is the incendiary rocket. Incendiary bombs exploded over the French positions, and a large amount of combustibles and flames covered the battlefield.

Due to the lack of common sense and tools to put out fires, the ignited French troops quickly became walking fireballs.

The stench of gunpowder smoke and burning corpses filled the nostrils of every French soldier. Fear and despair made the frontline officers' efforts to regroup the team come to nothing.

The surviving soldiers shouted the names of their comrades, but they were often answered by the rumble of artillery and the commander's saber.

At this time, the French army's position was in chaos. This was undoubtedly an opportunity for the German allied forces. The skirmishers continued to suppress the French army's artillery positions and frontline headquarters, leaving the center open for the infantry attack.

When the coalition's firepower decreased slightly, it was too late for Lamosilière to see clearly the situation in front of the position.

The number of coalition infantry had an absolute advantage. Although some French troops on the front line launched a countercharge, these few heroic actions could not save the overall decline.

Lamosilière in the rear could see clearly that the German Allied Forces all over the mountains and plains were rushing towards the French position.

The artillery of the coalition forces in the distance also began to advance slowly with the help of people and horses, and the rocket troops even rushed into the middle of the coalition infantry and set up launchers only three to four hundred meters away from the French position.

The German Allied Forces had at least 40,000 to 50,000 people, but the reinforcements sent by La Mosierier were only 2,000, plus the 3,000 people on the original defense line. Together they could not stop the German Allied Forces from advancing.

At this time, the artillery positions on the front line were completely suppressed and were of no use at all. Otherwise, the German coalition forces charging against the group could achieve very good results.

Lamosilière did not expect that the German Allied Forces would attack with all their strength as soon as they came up. He thought everything would be as those experts said.

It's just that Albrecht didn't want to do that. One was that the sacrifice would be too great, and the morale of the coalition forces was also a big problem.

The morale and military discipline of the coalition soldiers are very poor. They can still follow the fight with the wind, but once they suffer heavy losses, these people will immediately turn back into civilians and disperse in droves.

Rather than being held back by these people, it is better to press the entire army at once and let these people play some role. After all, Albrecht is a general of the Austrian Empire. He cannot put Austria's interests last.

And when you have an overwhelming advantage and know the opponent's weaknesses, it is the wisest way to use a rapid offensive to quickly gain an advantage on the battlefield.

After many days of watching and waiting, Albrecht finally did it.

However, Lamosilier had long known that the battlefield was unilaterally transparent to the German coalition forces, so he had already taken countermeasures.

There is also a hidden artillery position behind the French frontline position. The artillery here is moved at night and is subject to strict supervision and confidentiality, so the Austrians cannot detect it.

This was the moment when it came into play. The sound of artillery sounded behind the French position, and the shells fell on the rushing German allied forces.

The heavy solid iron ball rolled and created a bloody alley among the German allied forces, and dozens of soldiers died.

But this was just the beginning. Soon more shells were fired, and each shot could bring out a long line of blood.

The messengers on the reconnaissance balloons in the sky were waving flags crazily, but it was impossible to hit targets outside the field of vision with one hit, and the time for the test cannon was enough for the soldiers in front to stain the ground red with blood.

The French army on the front line also took the opportunity to fight back. German soldiers continued to fall. Some people wanted to retreat when they saw this scene. They wanted to turn around and blend into the crowd and escape from this terrifying hell called the battlefield.

However, it was not just one or two people who had this idea. The actions of two or three people immediately turned into a collective behavior. Seeing more and more deserters, even some people who did not want to escape were also trapped.

The captain who first discovered that someone was escaping began to regret that he did not stop them immediately. Seeing that the deserters were about to gather into an unstoppable torrent.

Once this torrent forms, its lethality is far more terrifying than a few French cannons. Soldiers scrambling to escape will crowd and trample each other.

If the French are brave enough to chase after the coalition forces at this time, then the final casualties of the coalition forces will entirely depend on the mood and endurance of the French.

The direction of this war will even change because of this, and at least all the efforts and sacrifices made before will be in vain.

As the deserter team continued to grow, the deserters at the front became more and more excited. They took off their guns and threw them aside casually, shouting.

"Whoever attacks who is stupid! I won't fight! Run! The French are coming! Hahaha!"

At this time, a series of gunshots suddenly rang out, and the few deserters who shouted at the front were shot dead on the spot, but the people at the rear continued to move forward under the push of inertia and the crowd.

"Fire!"

Another group of deserters fell down after being shot, and this time the team of deserters finally stopped.

"Fight them!"

A veteran hooligan shouted from behind, and then another gunfire rang out. The team in front of them seemed not to reason with these deserters at all.

At this time, an officer walked out of the team, and the sharp-eyed soldiers recognized him.

"Archduke Albrecht!"

"That's right! It's me. This is your last chance. I'll count to three! Return to the battlefield! Otherwise, you will be executed as deserters."

This time, the deserters picked up their weapons and ran back without hesitation. A few who either froze on the spot or planned to persuade the coalition commander to let them escape were greeted by a new round of bullets.