On the morning of April 2nd, at eight o'clock, the counteroffensive of the Anglo-French forces commenced. In a concerted effort to push the Germans back across the Marne River, they deployed their main forces stationed along the river's defenses. Not only were the robust troops of the French 8th and 9th Armies mobilized, but the frontline's four corps also contributed their elite units to launch an all-out assault, striving for a decisive victory.
"Order all units to commence the attack according to the established plan. Brave warriors of the French Republic, God bless us, advance!" proclaimed Marshal Joffre with fervor. Despite his personal anxieties regarding the counterattack, he maintained an air of confidence, as if to inspire those around him.
"Fire!" commanded the artillery officer of the Anglo-French forces.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The two thousand 75mm field guns, 105mm howitzers, 83.8mm field guns, and 114mm howitzers erupted from their positions, hurling shells relentlessly towards the German troops. The German defenses along the southern bank of the Marne, as well as the floating bridges erected over the river, became primary targets of the bombardment.
The previous formidable firepower of the Germans had imparted a crucial lesson to the Allies. The ease with which the Germans had crossed the Marne was undeniably linked to their overwhelming artillery preparation. Without such a display of firepower, the Germans would not have advanced so effortlessly, nor would their casualties have been so limited.
Regrettably, the Anglo-French forces lacked sufficient aerial support to replicate the Germans' devastating bombardment. Once their own artillery began to fire, they would inevitably be subjected to German counterfire. Thus, the artillery units were instructed to unleash as many shells as possible in the shortest time; otherwise, once the Germans initiated their suppression, they would be rendered unable to return fire.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Shells rained down upon the German positions. The explosions sent soil and debris soaring into the air, as German soldiers huddled in their trenches, enduring the relentless assault. With little time to dig proper bomb shelters, they had no choice but to take cover, bracing themselves against the onslaught.
"Boom!" A 105mm howitzer shell struck a segment of a trench, collapsing it and unleashing a violent shower of shrapnel within.
"Boom!" A 114mm howitzer shell landed on a floating bridge, instantly destroying a section of the wooden structure that could not withstand the force of such an explosion.**
The ferocious bombardment by the Anglo-French forces not only inflicted significant casualties on the Germans at the front but also systematically dismantled the floating bridges across the Marne. Witnessing this, Qin Tian's face darkened with dread.
"Curse it! I never anticipated the French had concealed such artillery. Clearly, our fire preparation yesterday was insufficient! Order the artillery to suppress the Anglo-French forces immediately. Furthermore, deploy the air force to obliterate their artillery positions!" Qin Tian commanded.
"Yes, Your Highness," responded Major General Manstein, promptly relaying the orders.
"Additionally, have the engineers on standby to repair the floating bridges as soon as the Anglo-French artillery is subdued. We must ensure a steady supply of ammunition to the front," Qin Tian added.
It was evident that following the intense bombardment, a massive infantry assault by the Allies would follow. Should they fail to secure ammunition for the front lines, the consequences for the Germans could be catastrophic, potentially leading to their defeat in this engagement.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Minutes later, the German artillery began to retaliate. The 150mm heavy howitzers and 105mm howitzers commenced their suppression of the Anglo-French artillery, while the 75mm field guns remained on standby. Their role was to provide fire support for the front lines once the Allied infantry launched their attack.
In a mere ten minutes, the German air force arrived on the battlefield, with thousands of fighters and bombers swooping toward the Anglo-French artillery positions.
"Rat-tat-tat!" The aircraft's machine guns rained death upon the artillery crews, while the bombers dropped their payloads, leveling the artillery emplacements. Under the relentless barrage from the German forces, the casualties among the Anglo-French artillery began to climb alarmingly. One position after another fell to the Germans. Meanwhile, the pressure on the German front lines began to ease.
"Marshal, the German counterattack is exceptionally fierce. They have deployed a vast number of aircraft against us, and our artillery has suffered heavy losses," reported an artillery commander to Marshal Joffre.
Joffre, observing the swirling German aircraft in the sky, felt a surge of hatred. Indeed, the Luftwaffe had inflicted grievous losses on the Allies during this engagement. Without these fighters, their plight would have been far less dire.
"Order the artillery to hold for a little longer; in twenty minutes, our infantry will advance," Joffre commanded.
"Yes, Marshal!"
Though merely twenty minutes seemed a brief respite, it felt like an eternity for the Anglo-French artillerymen. They could only pray to God that the German shells or bombs did not land upon them, for otherwise, their fate would be sealed.
The twenty minutes passed swiftly. From the time they opened fire until their retreat from the positions was but an hour, yet the Anglo-French forces had lost over half of their artillery. The remaining guns numbered fewer than a thousand. While that might appear significant, it was negligible when stretched thin across a frontline extending for hundreds of kilometers.
"Charge!" With the cessation of the Anglo-French bombardment, the infantry, already primed for action, surged forth from their positions, launching an assault upon the German defenses a few hundred meters away.
Countless soldiers of the Anglo-French forces, rifles in hand, shouted their war cries as they sprinted forward, driven by the command to penetrate the German lines as swiftly as possible. Failure to do so would mean facing the devastating firepower of the German forces.