"His Excellency the Commander is right. The German machine guns and light artillery are formidable, but that does not mean their overall firepower is insurmountable. Didn't they remain silent during our previous bombardment? As long as we can rely on our overwhelming artillery to destroy their defensive lines in one stroke, victory will surely be ours."
No sooner had General Samsonov spoken than a Russian officer echoed his words. Other Russian officers, though nodding in agreement, shared a lingering doubt — had the German artillery also been lying in wait, hidden from view?
Regardless, General Samsonov decided to press forward with the plan. If it failed, they could reassess and seek another strategy.
The Russian artillery swiftly completed their preparations, bringing out the remaining shells. But even so, each cannon was only allocated 20 to 30 rounds.
There was no alternative; Russia's woeful infrastructure made the transport of war supplies to the front a monumental task. With a nationwide mobilization underway, the already limited railway capacity was even more strained. Frontline units had to make do with scarce reinforcements.
"General, the Russian artillery has once again prepared to fire. It seems they are attempting to destroy our defenses with a heavy barrage," a staff officer reported to Lieutenant General François.
Not far away, a hot air balloon hovered high above the trees, carrying German observers who could clearly monitor the Russian movements and relay information back to the ground via radio.
"Order our artillery to prepare! Launch the observation balloon as well. The moment the Russians open fire, suppress them and obliterate their positions!" François commanded.
Though François had only four infantry divisions at his disposal, with limited artillery, he was unperturbed. Across from them, the Russians had artillery for ten divisions, but this did not faze him in the least.
The 8th Corps had undergone a major restructuring, with each infantry division's artillery significantly reinforced. Combined with the artillery battalions in each regiment, an infantry division now boasted 54 75mm field guns, 36 105mm light howitzers, and 18 150mm heavy howitzers. Altogether, the four infantry divisions had 216 75mm field guns, 144 105mm light howitzers, and 72 150mm heavy howitzers. These numbers rivaled those of the Russian artillery.
The Russian infantry divisions usually had 48 76.2mm field guns each, but this was only in ideal conditions. When supply chains lagged behind, they were lucky to even have half that number.
Although the Northwestern Front was the main Russian force attacking Germany, with 30 fully equipped infantry divisions and sufficient artillery, the Russian 76.2mm field guns were no match for Germany's new 75mm cannons in either range or power. Their rate of fire, in particular, was nowhere near comparable. The 75mm field gun, based on the French model, could fire 15 rounds per minute — three times faster than the Russian guns.
As for larger-caliber guns, the Russian 2nd Army had just over a dozen 105mm field guns, and none bigger. The current Russian artillery force was a far cry from the firepower-heavy Soviet army of another era, utterly unable to compete with the major European powers.
"Fire!"
With the Russian commander's order, over 400 Russian cannons roared to life. The gunners hurriedly loaded round after round into the breeches and sent shells flying toward the German lines.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
With each thunderous report, shells whistled through the air and exploded on the German positions, sending smoke and dust into the sky once again.
But the German soldiers had already been ordered to retreat into defensive fortifications, leaving only a few observers on the field. As a result, the Russian bombardment inflicted little real damage.
Seeing their artillery unleash its fury, General Samsonov and his officers finally breathed a sigh of relief. The tension on their faces eased, replaced by hope.
However, only minutes later, their expressions twisted in shock.
Three minutes after the Russian bombardment began, the German artillery launched a counteroffensive. Guided by data from their observation balloons, the German gunners aimed directly at the Russian artillery positions.
"Fire!"
At the command, the German cannons — previously silent under Russian bombardment — now thundered to life with full force.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The 150mm heavy howitzers, 105mm light howitzers, and 75mm field guns all opened fire simultaneously, unleashing a deafening roar that shook the heavens. Hundreds of shells flew through the air, hurtling toward the Russian positions with terrifying speed.
"Whee! Whee! Whee!"
As the high-pitched whine of shells cut through the sky, Russian artillerymen on the ground looked up in terror. As seasoned gunners, they knew all too well what that sound signaled — shells tearing through the air, moments away from raining death upon them.
"Run! The Germans are shelling us!"
"My God! They've covered the entire artillery position!"
Panic set in as Russian artillerymen scattered in all directions, fleeing for their lives.
Shell after shell came crashing down on the Russian positions.
"Boom!"
Explosions tore through the ground, sending shockwaves rippling outward. Many Russian artillerymen were blown off their feet, while cannons were knocked askew or even twisted beyond use. Some guns had their barrels bent like pretzels from the force of the blasts.
As for the artillerymen themselves, many were shredded to pieces in the onslaught.
The German heavy artillery wreaked havoc on the Russian forces, devastating one artillery position after another.
The Russian officers stood in stunned silence, their mouths agape, watching the catastrophe unfold. Though they had suspected the Germans might be hiding their true firepower, they had never imagined it would be this overwhelming.