**"Tat-tat-tat!"** A tank breaching the Russian positions unleashed a furious barrage from its machine gun, effortlessly mowing down the fleeing Russian soldiers who collapsed to the ground, blood seeping from their wounds and staining the earth crimson.
"Damn it! Someone destroy that German tank!" shouted a Russian captain, fury etched across his face. Yet, the few remaining soldiers under his command were paralyzed by fear, too terrified to act. To them, the German tank had become a harbinger of death.
"Cowards! You are all cowards!" the captain bellowed. In a moment of reckless bravery, he seized a satchel of explosives and charged out from his hiding place, sprinting towards the relentless German tank. His company, once over a hundred strong, had been decimated by the tank's onslaught, and as a valiant soldier, he yearned to avenge his fallen comrades.
However, while courage is commendable, in the face of overwhelming force, such audacity can lead only to folly. The captain's lone charge with explosives was a futile gesture, destined for failure. The German tanks, fortified with robust defensive capabilities, often operated in tandem with accompanying infantry trained to protect them.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The sound of gunfire erupted as several German soldiers, positioned alongside the tank, opened fire, sending bullets into the dirt around him. The captain, nimble and agile, managed to roll aside, narrowly avoiding the onslaught.
Yet, as he closed in on the tank, only a few meters away, a sharp crack echoed through the air. "Bang!" A bullet struck him squarely in the head, shattering it like a watermelon. His body lurched forward a few paces before collapsing lifelessly to the ground, the satchel of explosives slipping from his grasp.
"The captain is dead, killed by the Germans! Run!" The remaining Russian soldiers, gripped by panic, fled in disarray. But the German bullets pursued them relentlessly, and the majority fell to the ground, with only a precious few managing to escape.
The Russian defenses were effortlessly torn asunder beneath the relentless assault of the German armored units. A multitude of tanks surged onto the Russian positions, ruthlessly slaughtering the soldiers within. They bombarded with cannon fire, unleashed machine gun fire, and crushed bodies beneath their treads, driven by one singular purpose: to annihilate every Russian soldier daring to resist.
A horde of German infantry surged in behind the tanks, armed with superior weaponry, launching their own assault on the Russians. At the slightest hint of resistance, they called for tank support, the armored giants providing a formidable barrier against any counterattack. The piercing fire of their cannons obliterated the Russians, and under the synchronized assault of infantry and armor, the Russian resistance appeared pathetically feeble.
"Flee! The Germans are too powerful; we cannot withstand their assault!" Countless Russian soldiers, disregarding their commanders' shouts, curses, and blows, fled in panic toward the safety of Haoum City.
The Germans pursued relentlessly, their formidable firepower harvesting the lives of fleeing Russian soldiers. This conflict had transcended mere battle; it could only be described as a slaughter. Before the well-armed Germans, the Russians resembled lambs awaiting the slaughter, utterly doomed.
On the German side, General Zeckert and his officers monitored the unfolding battle. As they witnessed the armored divisions penetrate the Russian lines and begin to eliminate the remaining soldiers, smiles crept across their faces.
"General, this battle has been remarkably easy. The Russians are no different from before, merely having dug a useless anti-tank trench. Apart from that, they possess no real defenses. Before our armored units, they remain utterly defenseless," remarked the commander of the 49th Infantry Division.
"Indeed! The Russians are woefully inadequate. In terms of equipment and training, they pale in comparison to the Imperial Army. Tactically, they are leagues behind. Engaging them feels almost like bullying," General Zeckert replied, his face alight with mirth.
"Ha! The General is right; we are indeed bullying the Russians. But who can blame them for opposing the Empire?" laughed the commander of the 51st Infantry Division.
The German generals were invigorated. With each victory, their prospects for promotion grew brighter. After all, a soldier who does not aspire to become a general is not a good soldier, and even those who ascend to high rank yearn for further advancement.
"Order the remaining two infantry divisions to attack and crush the Russians decisively! His Highness the Crown Prince has instructed us to defeat the Russians in the shortest time possible," General Zeckert commanded.
QinTian understood that should the Germans launch a full-scale assault, if the Russians resorted to reckless tactics, they would inevitably focus their efforts on the Austro-Hungarian Army, placing immense pressure upon them. He had little faith in the Austro-Hungarian forces' ability to withstand such an offensive, so he hoped the German 8th Army could secure a swift victory without wasting any time.
"Yes, General."
The remaining two infantry divisions of the German 17th Army joined the fray, further hastening the Russians' collapse. Under the relentless German assault, the Russian defensive lines on the outskirts of Haoum fell apart in less than half a day. The Russians suffered over thirty thousand casualties in this battle, with half of them surrendering voluntarily after the breach of their defenses. The rest were ruthlessly slain.
With such catastrophic losses, the Russians were forced to retreat into Haoum City, seeking refuge within its confines to resist the German advance. Although the urban area of Haoum was not large, the Russians had constructed numerous defensive works within the city, hoping to use close-quarters combat to inflict damage on the Germans and buy precious time.