"Bang! Bang!"
A grenade launcher was unleashing a barrage of fire, hurling projectiles weighing half a kilogram each into the ranks of the Russian troops three to four hundred meters away. Although the grenades, at merely half a kilogram, possessed only slightly greater explosive power than hand grenades, the distance was beyond human reach. Furthermore, their light weight allowed a soldier to carry several while bearing a rifle. Thus, with just two or three additional grenades, they were well-equipped for battle. Consequently, this weapon swiftly garnered the admiration of the German army.
Every squad within the 8th Corps of infantry was equipped with such a grenade launcher, significantly enhancing the firepower of the German soldiers. At times, a single infantry squad could even stand toe-to-toe with an enemy platoon.
Grenades detonated amidst the Russian ranks, sending soldiers flying through the air.
"Oh God! How can the Germans have so many machine guns and light artillery? Are we truly facing their main force?" many Russian soldiers pondered to themselves.
In the propaganda of the Russian generals, the enemy was depicted as merely the weakest unit within the German army. Although their intentions were good, aiming to bolster the soldiers' confidence, the overwhelming might of the German forces instilled a greater sense of dread among the Russian troops.
To them, if the weakest division of the German Imperial Army was so formidable, how powerful must the elite units be?
"Rat-a-tat-tat!" A general-purpose machine gun was firing wildly, exhausting an entire belt of ammunition in less than a minute, with the barrel glowing red-hot.
At least a hundred Russians had fallen to this machine gun's fire. Yet, many Russians continued their relentless assault, compelling the German soldiers to remain vigilant.
"Boom!"
A 76.2mm shell plummeted from the sky, striking the machine gun position directly. The heavy machine gun was obliterated, its parts scattered everywhere, while the gunner was killed instantly.
The destruction of this heavy machine gun left a vulnerability in the German defense. The Russian soldiers, initially pinned down and unable to advance, seized the opportunity to rise and charge forward.
However, as they advanced a few steps, they were mowed down by a hail of incoming machine gun fire.
The layout of the German firepoints was meticulously designed, typically featuring two or more machine guns creating overlapping fields of fire. Even if one machine gun was taken out, the remaining guns could still effectively cover the enemy's advance, providing ample time for the backup guns to come online.
With their formidable firepower, the Germans successfully repelled the Russian offensive, inflicting severe casualties. Meanwhile, the Russian artillery was also claiming German lives; the relentless bombardment was taking its toll on brave German soldiers.
The German artillery was launching a suppression fire against the Russian gunners. While multiple Russian artillery positions had already been destroyed under their fire, completely annihilating all Russian artillery would require time. Despite their efforts, the Germans were unable to entirely eradicate the Russian artillery in the short term.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A German position of six 150mm heavy howitzers was firing fiercely, targeting a Russian artillery emplacement.
The shells from the 150mm howitzers, weighing several dozen kilograms, were far more powerful than the smaller 76.2mm field guns. Nearly every shell left a massive crater upon impact.
The Russian artillery position had been nearly obliterated. Of the more than a dozen 76.2mm howitzers originally stationed there, only two continued to fire. The rest had been destroyed, with some barrels twisted like pretzels. The ground was littered with the bodies of artillerymen, many reduced to mere piles of shredded flesh.
The last two guns at this Russian artillery position could not hold out much longer. Within two minutes, they too fell silent. The German heavy artillery shifted its focus, preparing to bombard the next Russian position.
As the Russian artillery positions were continually devastated by the German heavy guns, their threat diminished, allowing German soldiers to redirect more of their energy towards the Russian infantry.
The Russian generals recognized this shift, realizing the situation was increasingly turning against them.
"General, our artillery has suffered catastrophic losses. To date, we have lost over sixty percent of our guns. The remaining artillery cannot hold out much longer," the artillery commander reported to General Leiningkamp.
General Leiningkamp furrowed his brow tightly; although they had inflicted some casualties on the Germans during the recent engagement, the overwhelming German firepower made it impossible for the Russians to breach their defenses, resulting in significant losses. Should the Russian artillery be destroyed, the threat they posed would diminish further, making it even more challenging for them to break through the German lines and escape.
"Order the artillery to continue firing; no matter what, we must keep striking the Germans," General Leiningkamp commanded.
"Yes, General," the artillery commander nodded, a flicker of despondency in his eyes.
The Russian artillery was already weak; after this fierce battle, their losses would deal a further blow to their already faltering forces.
"Prepare our cavalry for an assault in ten minutes. This is our final opportunity. If the cavalry can seize this moment and breach the German lines, we can escape their encirclement. If the cavalry fails, we are truly finished," General Leiningkamp stated.
"Yes, General," replied the commanders of the two cavalry divisions.
The Russian First Army Group had only two cavalry divisions. In previous battles, these divisions had also sustained considerable losses, now numbering just over six thousand. Yet, even this was the most potent assault force at General Leiningkamp's disposal. He placed his hopes on the cavalry, yearning for them to grasp this last chance to bring victory to the Russians.