The German 8th Air Force distinguished itself during the Polish campaign. In their efforts to encircle the Russian 9th Army, their aerial strikes inflicted significant casualties and, more crucially, impeded the retreat of the Russian forces, preventing them from evacuating in the face of the relentless German pursuit. Ultimately, this led to the near-total annihilation of the 9th Army, with only a handful of commanders managing to escape.
In the ongoing operations against the Russian Southwestern Front, the 8th Air Force served as a vital component of the German 8th Army. To facilitate this, the army forcibly conscripted thousands of Russian prisoners of war to construct several large airfields in southern Poland, enabling the 8th Air Force's aircraft to take off and land. With the operational range of their fighters and bombers, they were positioned to significantly enhance the Germans' chances in the forthcoming battle.
As the artillery fire from the German 17th Army commenced, the 8th Air Force's aircraft began to take flight. However, they did not immediately engage; rather, they awaited the emergence of valuable targets, with Russian artillery being a prime objective.
Before the 8th Air Force could reach the battlefield, the German artillery had already begun to suppress the Russian positions. Guided by observation balloons, 105mm light howitzers and 150mm heavy artillery commenced their assault on the Russian artillery emplacements.
Boom! Boom! The shells rained down upon the Russian positions like a torrential downpour, inflicting devastating losses.
One Russian 76.2mm field gun position suffered a direct hit from the German 150mm howitzers, with over a dozen shells striking true. The ensuing explosions echoed violently across the battlefield, enveloping the area in thick, black smoke.
As the smoke cleared, numerous craters marred the once-proud Russian artillery position, while the 76.2mm field guns lay in disarray, many utterly destroyed.
The casualties among the Russian gunners were catastrophic. In the face of such relentless bombardment, only a fortunate few could hope to survive; for the rest, the outcome was grim. The ground was littered with the severed limbs of Russian artillerymen.
The German heavy artillery continued its relentless assault, systematically targeting the Russian positions and wreaking havoc. Yet, despite the overwhelming firepower directed against them, the Russians refused to issue a cease-fire; they gritted their teeth and persevered. Their own artillery, though outmatched, was not entirely without merit, having managed to disable a few German guns, albeit in limited numbers. Moreover, their fire disrupted the German bombardment of the front lines to some extent.
Despite the toll on his artillery units, General Dmitriev believed that enduring this onslaught could prove advantageous, especially if it allowed for the arrival of reinforcements. However, their resolve was soon to be shattered, as a significant wave of German aircraft approached the battlefield.
In the northern sky, small black dots appeared—seemingly slow, yet moving rapidly towards the conflict below. The Russian forces, preoccupied with the ongoing battle, failed to notice the incoming threat. These dots were the aircraft of the 8th Air Force, a fleet of bombers and fighters laden with explosives.
"General, the 8th Air Force has arrived," reported an aide to General Zekt.
"Direct them immediately to engage the Russian artillery positions. We must neutralize their gunners; only then can our armored divisions and infantry launch their assault," commanded Zekt.
The Russian artillery had long been a primary target for the Germans. Eliminating them would substantially diminish the threats faced by the advancing armored and infantry units.
"What are those?" one Russian officer exclaimed, noticing the approaching German planes.
As they peered through binoculars and discerned the iron crosses on the wings, their expressions changed dramatically.
"My God! The Germans are here!"
"Quickly, take cover! The German aircraft are coming!" The arrival of the German planes sent the commanders of the Russian 4th Army into a state of chaos.
Armed with intelligence about the formidable capabilities of German aircraft, they were acutely aware of the role these planes had played in the destruction of the 9th Army.
General Dmitriev and his staff quickly began to withdraw. As commanders, they could not afford heavy losses from aerial bombardment; the battle would be lost if they did.
However, as they retreated to safety, they soon realized that the German planes were not targeting them, but rather the Russian artillery positions.
"Prepare for an assault! Destroy the Russian artillery!" commanded the leader of the 8th Air Force.
One by one, the bombers lowered their altitude. Once they descended to eight hundred meters, they opened their bomb bays and commenced their attack.
Bombs cascaded down like raindrops, engulfing the Russian artillery positions in explosions and flames.
When the smoke cleared, what lay before them resembled the barren surface of the moon. The Russian guns had been reduced to heaps of twisted metal, and the soldiers were obliterated beyond recognition.
The 8th Air Force's bombers systematically annihilated the Russian artillery positions, and with no air defense to protect them, the Russians were utterly powerless against the aerial assault.
"Evacuate! Immediate evacuation!" General Dmitriev nearly ground his teeth in frustration at the scene unfolding before him. He ordered the Russian artillery to disperse, fearing that the German aircraft would decimate their forces.
Yet, by this time, it was clearly too late.