"Tat-tat-tat! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The relentless roar of machine guns, interspersed with the crisp crack of rifles resembling popping beans, enveloped the entire southern bank of the Marne in a cacophony of gunfire. Two million soldiers from the German and Allied forces clashed in the most intense battle across a front stretching over a hundred kilometers.
"Advance! Advance!"
"For France, charge! Slay those Germans!"
"For the glory of the British Empire, charge!"
"Fire, annihilate them!"
Both the Allied and German troops shouted fervently. Bullets rained down upon the enemy like a torrential downpour. The Germans, sheltered behind their hastily constructed defenses, found some respite. Despite their fortifications being hastily erected overnight, they proved effective once the Allied artillery was effectively suppressed.
In stark contrast, the attacking Allied forces had completely exposed themselves. The fragility of the human form was painfully evident; a single bullet could snuff out a vibrant life.
"Tat-tat-tat!"
A squad machine gun unleashed a furious barrage, expending multiple magazines as over twenty Allied soldiers fell before it. Yet, the Allied advance persisted unabated.
In this battle, the Allied soldiers exhibited remarkable fighting spirit. This was undoubtedly bolstered by the fervent proclamations of their officers, who insisted that both the British Empire and the French Republic faced imminent peril. They believed that failing to defeat the Germans in this confrontation would spell doom for their nations.
For these soldiers, the thought of witnessing their countries perish was intolerable; their only recourse was to fight fiercely against the Germans. It was under these dire circumstances that the Battle of the Marne erupted with such ferocity, with both sides engaging in a life-and-death struggle. The corpses on the southern bank of the Marne piled thickly, a grim testament to the brutality of the conflict.
"Your Highness, the Allied advance is relentless. Despite our numerous successful repulsions, inflicting heavy casualties, they have yet to crumble," reported Major von Manstein to QinTian.
"Indeed, the forthcoming battles will grow increasingly brutal. The British and French have no desire for defeat. To conquer them, we must exert even greater effort," QinTian acknowledged.
"Order the artillery and air forces to continue providing fire support for the front lines. Our manpower pales in comparison to the Allies, so we must rely on our firepower," QinTian commanded.
"Understood, Your Highness."
Without a thorough mobilization, the Germans could not match the Allied forces in numbers. However, their inherent combat prowess, bolstered by superior weaponry, made victory against greater numbers achievable. This was why QinTian harbored such confidence in this battle.
"May the Allied forces increase their aggression; such fervor would allow us to inflict substantial casualties upon their living forces. If that occurs, our subsequent engagements will undoubtedly be more favorable," QinTian mused inwardly.
In this Battle of the Marne, QinTian had the opportunity to decisively eliminate the main force of the Allied troops. Though their total strength exceeded three million, the true core of their forces was far fewer. If he could annihilate the main body of their army, the Germans would solidify their dominance on the Western Front.
As the conflict continued, German casualties inevitably rose. However, compared to the Allied losses, the Germans suffered significantly less. At this rate, it would surely be the Allies who faltered first.
The fierce combat continued until sunset. The frontline German troops were nearly exhausted, yet they had achieved monumental success. Despite the Allies committing their main forces, the German defenses remained steadfast. The Allies, facing the German front, sustained grievous losses.
While the Germans celebrated their successful repulsion of the Allied advance and the substantial casualties inflicted, the Allies lamented their fate.
"Your Excellency, the 8th Army has suffered over fifty thousand casualties in today's battle, accounting for a quarter of our forces. If this continues, the troops will likely collapse," lamented General Auguste Dubail, commander of the French 8th Army.
General Foch, commanding the French 9th Army, wore a grim expression. While he did not wail as Dubail did, the heavy losses inflicted on his troops pained him deeply.
The 8th and 9th French Armies, newly formed, lacked quality equipment and adequate training. In this offensive, they had borne the brunt of the counterattack against the Germans and suffered grievously under their fierce fire. The two armies alone had incurred nearly one hundred thousand casualties today.
The French 2nd, 4th, and 6th Armies, along with the British Expeditionary Force's 2nd Army, also faced significant losses today, totaling sixty to seventy thousand casualties among them.
When considering yesterday's losses, the Allied forces had already suffered over two hundred thousand casualties in this conflict, equivalent to a fifth of the troops stationed along the Marne defensive line.
The resolve of Western armies is often less steadfast than that of their Eastern counterparts; suffering over ten percent of their forces is considered a severe blow. When losses exceed twenty percent, many units may collapse.
If not managed carefully, chaos could ensue.
Yet, even so, Marshal Joffre had to concede that launching a counteroffensive to drive the Germans back across the Marne was nearly impossible. Moving forward, the only option appeared to be continued trench warfare, systematically hindering the Germans and using trenches to erode their living forces. A renewed offensive would surely be out of the question in the near term. Should losses escalate once more, the entire coalition could face collapse, rendering any further combat unnecessary.