While the little people struggled to hold their breath in the mud, the big people were not idle. Organize battlefield information, summarize the situation, mobilize troops, and transfer the wounded...... If you really want to talk about idleness, it's probably the group in the sky.

"It's weird. ”

The deputy captain flipped through the battle briefing, and his face was full of incredulity.

"The Charlemagnes were determined to launch an all-out attack, and everyone could see that, but...... Why are you throwing troops one at a time?"

The total number of Charlemagne's ground forces on the front of the Rhine front was 380,000, and with the strategic reserves in the rear of the line, the number would swell to about 500,000. The total number of ground troops of the Defence Force in the Siegfried Line is only 190,000, of which 138,000 are third- and fourth-class citizens. If an offensive like the one in the morning had been more numerous and longer, there would have been a high chance that a hole would have been torn open in the first line of trenches.

Of course, merely tearing a hole in the line will not shake the line itself, even if the entire line of trenches is lost, the line of defense is still solid. Originally, the first-line trenches were only breakwaters used to delay enemy attacks, and in addition to the surface positions, there were various traps in the maze of complex trench tunnels to deal with uninvited guests. From machine-gun positions in alleys, to mines and gas bombs left behind, to pitfalls filled with spiky wooden stakes, each of these can leave a lasting memory for those unfamiliar with the structure of the Wehrmacht's trenches. On the whole, however, the Defence did not want Charlemagne's influx into the trenches. Not only because of the military honor, but more importantly, the terrifying melee combat skills of Charlemagne's barbarians will be put to good use in the small space of the trench.

I don't know if it's because of the rich experience in actual combat or the shortage of gunpowder weapons, in addition to the 72-centimeter-long bayonet that is enough for use as a command knife, Charlemagne's soldiers almost all have a cold weapon suitable for trench warfare. Its variety is rich and the age span is long, which is really an eye-opener for the pointy-eared masters. Among them were sapper shovels with bladed blades, stabbing gloves, maces, pickaxes, maces, hunting knives, daggers...... Each one has no concept of modeling aesthetics, and there is a thick bloody savagery oozing from the inside out, and anyone who gets next to a guy will basically report directly to the mother goddess.

Combined with the terrifying number of Charlemagne's soldiers, none of the commanders would have wanted this group of bloodthirsty brutes to storm their own trenches.

However, the performance of Charlemagne's army in the morning made many Defence Force officers a little puzzled, sitting on such a large number, Charlemagne did not give full play to this advantage. 66,000 people - it sounds like a lot, but it still looks thin on an attack surface more than a dozen kilometers wide. If they commit more troops, such as an army of 100,000 men, keep the momentum of the onslaught. Although the casualties will still be terrible, if they continue to launch a wave attack on the scale of a division and regiment, it will be difficult for even the defense forces to sustain it.

But instead of doing so, they chose to divide their forces and plunge them one by one, and even though the morning's battle had fully demonstrated the need to concentrate forces to form a breakthrough, the latest aerial reconnaissance reports showed that the total number of second echelons entering the first line of trenches was still about 60,000 men—and it was clear that the Charlemagnes had not learned their lesson at all.

Why do you want to do such a thing with half the effort? Divide the troops and throw them in one by one, only to be surrounded and annihilated - this is simply a reproduction of the Battle of Guadalcanal, what did the Charlemagnes think, can't they put their troops in place at one time?

"I'm afraid they want to put in a sufficient number of troops, but they can't. ”

"You mean ......?"

The vice-captain gave a thoughtful expression, and Parsifal sighed softly.

"They are the Charlemagne Army, not the Defence Army. ”

"Of course they are...... I see, you're talking about organizational structure and technology. ”

Theoretically, as long as the population resources are sufficient, the size of the army can be expanded without limit, but in practice, the size of the army and its strategy and tactics are also constrained by technical conditions.

The size of the army has increased and more people need to be logistically supported. This means not only more resources, more complex rail and road transport, but also more livestock. For Charlemagne, who was already suffering from logistical chaos, this snowballing development of more water and more water was a nightmare. On the other hand, the expansion of the military also means that the command system is more complex, and there are higher requirements for the number and quality of officers and the level of communication systems.

"Instant messaging, which is already a commonplace for us, is still limited to the government and the more senior units of the military in certain circumstances. On this battlefield, where interference particles are flying all over the sky, only our military can unilaterally realize communication and control in all corners of the battlefield...... This is no longer a simple confrontation on the battlefield, but a confrontation between two different values. ”

the values of universal communication networks;

Values that stay at the stage of dictating and writing to convey information;

It's not that "new things are good, old things should be eliminated", nor is it "old things are good, new things are heresy". Before these issues are debated, new knowledge and technology are already quietly changing people's values and sensibilities.

"The sense of time, distance, communication and language – the moment telecommunications technology became ubiquitous, there was a qualitative change. Of course, we know the situation of every platoon and squad on the front line well, and Charlemagne, who basically relies on walking for transportation and shouting for communication, -- the senses and control of the battlefield on both sides are completely different. For those who had to rely on heralds to pass through a hail of bullets to deliver information that was likely to be outdated, 60,000 or so was the limit of what could be invested in a single attack. ”

“......”

"In terms of results, it is not strategy, nor tactics, nor heroes that change the battlefield, but 'technology'. ”

As if he felt and sighed, Parsifal put down his tea.

No honor, no morality, no humanity, a mere killing battlefield.

A crazy battlefield that digitizes everything, including human lives.

What can a hero do in this kind of hell?

Will there be heroes in this kind of hell?

Withdrawing the emotion, Parsifal ordered:

"Order the whole ship to be combat-ready. The foreplay has almost been staged, and the next is the big drama where the leading actor appears. Let the MDS troops seize the time to rest, and later they will be busy. ”

"Yes!"

################

No one likes crows.

From its feathers, its calls, and its behavior, the bird is so full of taboo elements that one can't help but lament why the gods created this creature. But in all literary works, the appearance of the crow signifies calamity and misfortune.

No one likes crows, let alone crows, but the brutality of war is not even a small resistance.

Senior Staff Officer Colonel Nevelle, who came with the unfortunate news, played the role of a crow, and after a long hesitation at the door of the command room in the depths of the "City of Condors", he finally knocked on the richly decorated door.

The moment the door was opened, all kinds of noise immediately rushed towards it.

At this time, the battle situation in the morning was still being sorted out and checked, and all kinds of inconsistent figures and appalling rumors continued to pour into the command room, and for a time it was difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood, making the staff officers puzzled.

5 infantry divisions were completely annihilated;

Two high-ranking generals committed suicide;

An army is isolated in no man's land;

All kinds of rumors were mixed with real information and sent in, which added to the workload and difficulty of the staff officers, so much so that they had to contact and verify layer by layer to sort out the real situation on the battlefield.

Far away from the staff officers who were discussing and arguing, Marshal Vauban who had not closed his eyes for several days in a row was dozing off on the command seat, even if he was an energetic "god of war", after all, he could not withstand the cycle of biological laws.

Behind the "God of War" lay three coffins, one of which was already covered, and the other two were empty.

Colonel Neville knew that the three coffins had been prepared by Marshal Vauban for himself and his two sons. The coffin covered with the remains of the marshal's eldest son, the former lieutenant of the Army, who had been hit by enemy shells during a night patrol, had only been pulled out by the sappers who had arrived to pull out his upper body. According to military regulations, Lieutenant Philippe Vauban, who was promoted to the rank of major, was notified of his death in action.

It's a tragedy. All were saddened by the loss of their eldest son, Field Marshal Vauban and more than one suggested that, in accordance with Army regulations and Charlemagne's traditions, Second Lieutenant Epley Vauban, who had become the only son in the family, could be transferred to the rear as the sole legal heir of the family for safe duty. But at this point, countless people have lost their husbands, sons, brothers, and fathers, and out of consideration for morale, the son of the "god of war" must not retreat at this time. As a result, Second Lieutenant Epley Vauban continued to serve at the front, and out of compassion and care, he was transferred to a communications station.

The news brought by Colonel Nevelle was about the second lieutenant.

Just as Nivelle hesitated how to speak, the old marshal's eyes opened.

"Neville......

Rubbing his temples, which were still aching, Vauban did not immediately return the salute to the staff officer who was saluting, and said a word that was incoherent.

"It's weird...... I just dreamed of April, he didn't wear epaulettes on his military uniform, and I scolded him. ”。

Neville was immediately frightened by this strange prediction, and after a long time, he finally informed Marshal Vauban of the bad news.

In the morning offensive, communication between the front line and the rear was interrupted due to enemy interference, and in order to restore communication and grasp the situation at the front, Second Lieutenant April Wauban, with several of his subordinates, acted as heralds, and went back and forth between the headquarters and the forward trenches several times in succession. On the way back for the fifth time, the second lieutenant was attacked by enemy snipers and was shot in the head on the spot. The contained remains are on their way.

After listening to the report, the marshal did not show any sadness in front of others, and in the silence, the marshal still expressed his gratitude to Nivelle in a dignified and sincere manner, and gave him a bottle of aged red wine from the crown prince as a token of gratitude. In a solemn atmosphere, the staff officers quietly withdrew from the command room, leaving the old marshal wearing the mask of the "god of war" alone.

It is impossible to know how the old man, who has suffered the loss of his son twice, has vented his grief. War does not give anyone time to breathe and mourn, no matter whether they are noble or low, widowed or lonely, all beings are equal.

The only thing people can be sure of is that, whether out of public or personal vendettas, the next battle will inevitably be even more tragic, and countless young lives will be swallowed up by a huge "meat grinder".

Go and despair until the end.