"Rat-tat-tat!" A German machine gun unleashed a torrent of fire upon the French positions, the dense barrage rendering the soldiers defending this segment of the line unable to raise their heads, forcing them to cower within the trenches.
In a few brief moments, several small boats successfully surged onto the banks of the Marne River, with nearly an entire platoon of soldiers crossing over. They lay upon the riverbank, further suppressing the French positions and creating conditions for the subsequent units to follow.
As more German soldiers traversed the Marne, they gradually established a firm foothold on the southern bank and tentatively began their assault on the French defenses, aiming to tear through their lines.
The proximity of the French defenses to the river made it imperative to breach their first line; otherwise, the engineers would find it nearly impossible to construct a floating bridge amidst the devastating fire of the French artillery, suffering catastrophic losses in the attempt.
Thus, the Germans needed to penetrate another layer of the French defenses to secure a solid position before allowing the engineers to advance.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Various mortars and grenade launchers on the German side opened fire, providing fire support to the soldiers who had successfully crossed the river. Shells rained down upon the French positions, inflicting severe casualties on those tasked with holding the line.
"Your Highness, our troops are enduring great hardship and suffering significant losses, but this was anticipated. I am confident that the French casualties will not be any less than our own. As our forces continue to cross the river, we will launch an assault on the Anglo-French defenses and seize their lines in one fell swoop," Major General Manstein remarked.
Qin Tian nodded in agreement. "Yes, prepare the engineers. As soon as we capture the first line of the Anglo-French forces, we shall immediately commence the construction of the floating bridge."
Transporting soldiers by boat was ultimately too slow and costly in the face of French fire. If they could establish a proper bridge, personnel and various supplies could cross directly, greatly enhancing efficiency. With additional time allocated for the engineers to construct a bridge capable of accommodating tanks, armored units could directly assault the Anglo-French defenses. Qin Tian was certain that they would be unable to withstand such an offensive.
"Understood, Your Highness," Major General Manstein replied.
In this campaign, crossing the Marne River was the pivotal battle. Once they crossed, the situation would be manageable. The armored units would rampage across French soil, decisively overwhelming the Anglo-French forces.
The battle raged on, a desperate clash between German and Anglo-French forces on the southern bank of the Marne. Despite their numerical superiority, the Anglo-French were suffering heavy losses under the German onslaught. The integrity of their defenses began to waver precariously.
In the rear, Marshal Joffre, upon learning of the dire situation at the front, became increasingly anxious.
Had they really lost the first line of defense merely half a day into the battle? At this rate, the defenses constructed on the southern bank of the Marne would not last more than a few days! Should the Marne defenses collapse, the Germans would be free to advance unimpeded. It seemed they might very well march all the way to Paris. If that happened, France would be doomed.
"Marshal, the frontline forces of several army groups are suffering severe losses. They have begun to deploy reserves. Yet, even so, it remains uncertain how long they can hold out," reported an officer.
"Inform the frontline units that the battle has only just begun. The two army groups designated as reserves must not be deployed. They must find a way to withstand the German assault themselves," Marshal Joffre ordered.
Although he had prepared two army groups, comprising over 400,000 men, as reserves for the frontline, he could not expend them so early in the fight. How could they sustain the conflict in such a manner?
"Yes, Your Excellency," the officer nodded and promptly relayed the order.
Sighing after the officer departed, Marshal Joffre lamented, "Have those Germans truly grown so powerful after half a year of rest? The four army groups at the front, numbering over 800,000 men, are on the verge of collapse so soon into the battle. This is unacceptable."
Despite the fact that the Anglo-French forces were indeed stronger than six months ago, it was clear that the Germans had made greater strides. Given the circumstances, the Anglo-French would find it even more challenging to withstand the German offensive or hope to defeat them.
At the headquarters of the French Second Army, General de Castelnau was in a state of turmoil. The ferocity of the German assault had inflicted severe losses on his forces. The frontline defenses were perilously close to breaking. Along the twenty-plus kilometers of line under his command, the infantry division he had deployed had already suffered over half its strength. Had he deployed another division in time to relieve them, the line would likely have already been breached.
"General, a telegram from headquarters," reported a staff officer.
General de Castelnau took the telegram, and his expression darkened further upon reading it.
"Damn it! Must we rely on ourselves? Am I to lose my entire Second Army here? How can we continue this fight?" he exclaimed, deeply dissatisfied with Marshal Joffre's directive.
However, he had no choice but to issue even stricter orders to his frontline troops, urging them to hold their ground.
The French had never been known for their steadfastness in battle. In the face of heavy losses, many French soldiers were already showing signs of weakened resolve.
On April 1st in the afternoon, the German Second Corps first breached the French Second Army's initial line of defense. The battered French retreated to their second line.
As the German Second Corps launched an assault on the French second line, they also dispatched engineers to begin constructing a floating bridge.
By the evening of April 1st, the first line of the Anglo-French forces along the southern bank of the Marne had been thoroughly breached. The Germans had established a solid position there. Engineers from various corps began their work, erecting floating bridges in preparation for the rapid crossing of main forces and combat supplies.
For the engineers, constructing a floating bridge across the several dozen meters of river was remarkably straightforward, taking no more than two hours to complete.