"General, are we truly going north to rescue the 2nd Guards Army?" one officer inquired.
"Is that even a question? Alone, our forces stand no chance against the Germans. The fates of the 1st and 2nd Armies are stark reminders before us," General Letzski responded.
"However, General, I fear that even if we attempt to rescue the 2nd Guards Army, our efforts may prove futile. When the Germans annihilated the 2nd Army, they dispatched troops to entrap the 1st Army as well. I am certain that if we head north, we will inevitably clash with German forces," the officer cautioned.
Letzski nodded, fully aware of this reality.
"I know, but we have no other option. The 2nd Guards Army must be rescued. If we fail to assist them, their demise is assured. Without the support of the 2nd Guards Army, we have no hope of withstanding the Germans in the Kingdom of Poland," Letzski said, his tone tinged with resignation.
"General, we could retreat, return to Russia," another suggested.
"Under no circumstances should we retreat to Russia unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, His Majesty the Tsar would not spare us. Furthermore, while the German forces are formidable, we do possess opportunities. We are merely two days' march from the 2nd Guards Army. If we can break through the German blockade and reach them in time, our combined strength of nearly four hundred thousand men will make it exceedingly difficult for the Germans to eradicate us. Once additional reinforcements arrive, we will regain the upper hand on the Polish front and will certainly defeat the Germans," Letzski asserted.
He understood well that the combat prowess of the German army was fearsome. In a fair confrontation, Russia would scarcely be a match for Germany. Yet, most of the German main forces were engaged on the western front, battling the Allied forces along the Marne River. On the eastern front, only one corps, comprising twenty thousand men, faced them. Conversely, if mobilized, Russian forces could number in the millions. Even with inferior equipment, millions of Russian troops would overwhelm twenty thousand Germans.
Letzski was acutely aware that achieving this would be arduous, yet he recognized it as his only course of action.
"Send a telegram to General Klapovich, informing him that we will do everything in our power to rescue them. However, they must hold their ground. Otherwise, no one can save them," Letzski ordered.
"Understood, General." The adjutant promptly set off to send the message.
The Russian 9th Army halted its advance toward Warsaw and instead veered to aid the encircled 2nd Guards Army. Ivan Jilinski's earlier orders to march toward Warsaw were now disregarded; after all, with the fate of the 2nd Guards Army hanging in the balance, it would be folly to pursue that path.
Letzski's decision brought a collective sigh of relief among Klapovich and the troops of the 2nd Guards Army, who had been gripped by anxiety. Their greatest fear was that Letzski would choose to abandon them, leaving them to fight to the bitter end. Fortunately, that was not the case.
"Gentlemen, General Letzski has led the 9th Army north. Thus, we are not fighting alone. Soon, our reinforcements will arrive. When they do, we will not only survive this crisis but may even launch a counteroffensive against the Germans. Therefore, I implore you all to hold your lines and withstand the German onslaught until the 9th Army arrives. By doing so, you will not only save the current situation but also preserve your own lives!" Klapovich declared.
"Yes, General," the officers responded in unison. The prospect of rescue sparked a glimmer of hope among the commanders of the 2nd Guards Army, reinvigorating their spirits.
Of course, having confidence was one thing, but withstanding the German assault was an entirely different challenge. Soon, after the Germans launched their attack, the Russians would come to realize that even bolstered by courage, repelling the German forces would not be easy. This dissonance would likely lead to a swift collapse of morale.
The German 8th Corps offered the Russian 2nd Guards Army little time to prepare. That morning at 9 a.m., upon confirming that the Russians had fallen into their meticulously crafted encirclement, the 11th Army and the 8th Panzer Division prepared to strike.
"Fire!"
With the artillery commander's command, the artillery regiments and battalions of the infantry divisions under the 11th Army unleashed a ferocious barrage on the Russian defenses. The four infantry divisions of the 11th Army were equipped with an abundance of artillery: 150mm heavy howitzers, 105mm light howitzers, and 75mm field guns, their numbers far exceeding the 48 76.2mm field guns of a single Russian infantry division.
Although artillery had become increasingly vital in ground combat, not every nation could afford to equip its forces with such extensive artillery due to financial and industrial constraints. Few nations could muster such substantial resources.
Even so, Qin Tian believed that the German artillery was not particularly impressive. If the German army could undergo further restructuring to eliminate the army unit and allow corps to directly command the infantry divisions, Qin Tian intended to establish an additional heavy artillery brigade under each corps, equipped with 210mm howitzers. However, this would require advancements in technology to develop self-propelled artillery; otherwise, transporting the heavy 210mm guns by truck or horse would pose considerable challenges.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The cannons roared, hurling shells with great force toward the positions of the Russian 2nd Guards Army.
Fireballs erupted upon the Russian defenses, thick smoke billowing into the air.
On the Russian lines, chaos ensued. Each explosion left deep craters in the ground, and numerous Russian soldiers were annihilated in the German bombardment.