In addition to a large number of fighters that maintain air superiority, the French army also has about 200 "Benlei" ground attack planes that have been transferred here, and the British Expeditionary Force also has 100 such aircraft. An air attack group on the side of the Entente was formed.

In order to ensure the superiority of the Entente side on the Somme, Xia Fei placed two army groups here, totaling 40 divisions, to attack on a 24-mile-wide front.

In this battle, the British and French attacked with 61 divisions and 150 tanks, and if you talk about the armored vehicles that carry infantry, they are more numerous, but they also have inherent flaws.

The British and French armies each had their own frontal attack, and although nominally on the same battlefield, the two sides were not under a subordinate relationship, so they were divided between forces in two unrelated directions. This is true both in terms of air power and in the head of armored spearheads.

These preparations for the imminent offensive were quite satisfactory to the heads of the British and French armies. But now, their conversation has shifted in another direction.

“…… My sir, I believe that this will affect the post-war world if we do not restrain this little imp! ”

Douglas. Haig didn't believe Xiafei's words, and stared at Xiafei's face carefully, trying to see what was hidden behind that Santa-like face.

"Does he doubt my sincerity towards the MPM military-industrial complex, or does he mean something else?"

"Dear General, I think it's more important for us to fight the battle in front of us? As for the post-war world pattern, isn't it the politicians in Paris who are not the same as our Herbert. Prime Minister Asquith, are they here to care about something? ”

Xia Fei, who already felt that he was half a politician and half a general, enjoyed a kind of unwarranted authority, but he thought that he had to think about the future world pattern for France, at least everything Tang Yunyang gave him, could not be compared with France.

"No, as generals, we have to keep the free world of the West safe, I think we all have to be clear about that, and I prefer to join hands with you, my glorious sir!"

Douglas. The telescope in Haig's hand looked far away at the flying MPM military-industrial group's "Tomcat" fighter in the sky. Their super-maneuverable maneuver was cornering the "Camel F.1" fighters fighting against them.

"Tsk...... Tut...... Tsk, my general, haven't you noticed that our company's products are becoming more and more popular in Western countries? Look, everything seems to be going in a good direction! ”

The German side opposite them, facing the imminent attack of the Entente, naturally would not be unaware. Moreover, the frequent changes on the part of the Allies proved that the battle of the Somme was imminent, and that the Allies would use the armored spearhead of massive air power as the latest means of attack.

This "bold" speculation was not easily believed by the Germans, but the failure of Nancy and the confirmation of the German crown prince Wilhelm, who unified the leadership of the defeated army, made them convinced, so they moved a large amount of supplies in the direction of the Somme before the Allies attacked, and made full preparations.

At this time, the same people were looking at the French positions with binoculars. This man was the former chief of staff of the German army, General Falkenhein, who masterminded the failed Battle of Verdun. Because of the defeat of Verdun, the crown prince was not responsible, so it was natural that he was removed from the post of chief of the general staff and replaced with commander-in-chief of the German 2nd Army in this regard.

Although Falkenhain was removed from the post of chief of the General Staff, he did not have the slightest resentment. Because when the German emperor received him, he not only gave him a generous strategic plan made in the name of the General Staff.

"General Falkenhein, I can rest assured that this matter can only be carried out by you, the chief of the General Staff who has experience working in the General Staff. I want you to understand that this is top secret, and that no one else is allowed to see it at any time and under any circumstances unless he steps over your body. My general, I leave the future of Germany to you! ”

When Falkenhein looked solemnly at this rather sketchy, but rather insightful plan, he understood that such a plan could only come from outside Germany, but he couldn't think of it even if he wanted to break his head. There are people who understand the situation in front of him as well as the former chief of the General Staff of the German army, and his plan is indeed very ambitious, and it is not something that an ordinary army commander can carry out.

“…… Victory at sea was necessary in order to limit the direction of the Somme to a lasting and solid defense, and victory was in sight when the Entente realized that they would lose most of their army! ”

As mentioned earlier, Germany's defeat in the First World War, in addition to the uprising of the Kiel sailors, included the weakness of naval power, which prevented them from gaining superiority in the English Channel. In this way, it would not be possible to prevent Britain and France, the main forces of the Entente, from receiving endless material aid from their colonies, including China, and there would be almost no hope of victory in such a war.

But once this strategic plan succeeded, the umbilical cord of Britain and France was cut at sea, their supplies were consumed on the ground, and the final victory in the war was uncertain, but a contract in favor of Germany was possible.

Therefore, this time, Falken Main, who was demoted to the memory of the German Second Army, did not complain more in his heart, but had the feeling that Hezhong was more favored by the German emperor.

This was an observation post at the forefront of the German line on the Somme River at the front of the 2nd Army, and there were no more staff officers behind Falkenhein, except for his own adjutant, the rest of the personnel were driven elsewhere by him, after all, everything he said came from the top-secret "General Staff" information.

(The first release of this book) does not laugh at group A: 35761481; Email: [email protected]

Since the Western Front reached a stalemate in trench warfare, no large-scale battles broke out in this direction, so the Germans had more than two years of ample time to strengthen their defenses.

They carefully selected the terrain and built a relatively complete defense system. The defense system of the German 2nd Army consisted of 3 positions. The first position is about 1,000 meters deep and consists of three trenches, as well as support points, traffic trenches and concrete shelters.

The Germans also built a network of underground tunnels up to 40 feet deep, and the entrances and exits of their underground fortifications were hidden in the village and nearby woods, making them difficult for the enemy to detect. The entire German position, from low to high, was built on the hillside, giving an unobstructed view of the movements of the British and French troops.

According to the previous German infantry practices, such a strong fortress would have been difficult to conquer in any case, but from the information obtained by oneself, these are not worth mentioning at all. Especially after the enemy's accurate air saturation attack, it is all a waste of nothing.