At the border between Gibraltar and Spain, the 2nd Marine Division of the German Navy had deployed a regiment. It was not that Major General Hans was unwilling to deploy more troops; the truth was that the area was simply too narrow.
With a defensive line less than a kilometer long, it was already cramped to deploy a single infantry battalion, let alone a whole regiment. Even so, the troops had been spread across several defensive lines.
The other two regiments were stationed at Mount Takri and the areas south of it. Particularly, all the artillery was stationed south of Mount Takri. While this reliance on forward artillery observers for guidance might reduce the accuracy of the bombardment, there was no other choice. The terrain of Gibraltar was so limited that placing a Marine Division with nearly 20,000 men there was practically impossible.
In addition, the Mediterranean Fleet of the Navy had been patrolling the waters near Gibraltar. Should the Spanish launch an attack, they would provide overwhelming fire support from the sea. With their formidable naval guns, they would make the Spanish pay dearly. The Marine Corps' concentrated firepower, coupled with the narrow defensive position, would pose no problem. As long as the artillery and naval guns could destroy the Spanish artillery, the Marines could exact a heavy toll on the Spaniards at minimal cost.
"General, according to our intelligence, the Spanish have assembled 100,000 troops! Are they preparing to fight to the death?" a colonel regimental commander asked Major General Hans.
"So what if they have 100,000 men? The Spanish have the fighting power of a hundred thousand pigs. Let them attack, and soon their corpses will blanket the entire line!" Major General Hans said dismissively.
He truly paid no mind to the Spanish. The earlier battle in which the German Marines captured Gibraltar had already made everything clear. The Spanish were woefully inadequate in combat; a single regiment of the German Marines had easily defeated an entire infantry division of theirs. Even without fleet support, Major General Hans was confident that he could repel any Spanish attack, especially with the terrain so favorable to his forces. If the German Army couldn't withstand the Spanish assault in such a position, it would be a disgrace.
"Yes, General. The Spanish attack is nothing more than a suicide mission," the colonel commander replied.
To the north of the border, Spanish Army General Marc Mician was also burdened with similar concerns. Although he commanded 100,000 troops, he had little confidence in capturing Gibraltar. The Germans were just too powerful, so much so that he was on the verge of despair.
However, the orders had been given, and he had no other option.
"God forgive me! It is I who have led these brave lads to their deaths. After my death, I will surely be damned to hell," General Marc Mician muttered.
"Commence the attack! His Majesty the King is no longer patient. Let the boys charge bravely! Our numbers are five times those of the Germans; we will certainly defeat them!" General Marc Mician ordered.
Though perhaps even he didn't truly believe this.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The Spanish artillery began firing, having mobilized over 300 guns for the attack. Among them were heavy artillery pieces with calibers exceeding 100 millimeters.
However, as soon as the artillery opened fire, they were quickly spotted by German Navy seaplanes. What awaited them was the overwhelming firepower of the Mediterranean Fleet.
Guided by the coordinates transmitted by the seaplanes, the Mediterranean Fleet's seven main ships began their fire suppression of the Spanish artillery positions.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The shells from the battleships whistled through the air towards the Spanish artillery positions. This time, the battleships fired high-explosive shells, which were far more devastating and suitable for ground targets.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The sharp, whistling sound pierced the air above the heads of the Spanish gunners, whose faces turned pale.
"My God! The Germans' bombardment!"
"These must be the shells from large-caliber naval guns!"
"Run, or we'll be blown to pieces!"
The Spanish artillerymen scattered in panic.
But they were too slow. The shells landed directly on them.
"Boom!"
The shells exploded on the Spanish artillery positions, a thunderous detonation that ripped through the area. In the terrifying shockwave, the heavy guns were overturned, and the gunners were torn apart like autumn leaves scattered by the wind.
When the smoke cleared, the artillery positions were left in ruins. Massive craters pocked the ground, with the guns twisted into distorted heaps. The gunners, too, had been shredded into pieces, their limbs scattered across the battlefield.
"Boom! Boom!"
More shells rained down like a torrential storm. One artillery position after another fell under the relentless bombardment of the German naval guns.
When General Marc Mician learned that the artillery positions had been wiped out in less than twenty minutes, his face turned as dark as a storm cloud.
"Infantry assault!" General Marc Mician ordered.
Although reason told him to retreat immediately, to pull his forces out of the German naval gun's range in order to preserve the lives of most of his soldiers, he dared not do so. Fleeing from the Germans' heavy bombardment would earn the wrath of King Alfonso XIII, and the consequences would be dire.
For the sake of his own interests, General Marc Mician had no choice but to send his men to their deaths.
"Charge!"
In the first wave of the attack, the Spanish Army deployed over 10,000 men. However, the battlefield was so cramped that the attacking lines were tightly packed. If the battlefield were wider, they would have been able to deploy even more troops, thus better utilizing their numerical advantage.
But alas, Gibraltar's terrain offered no such luxury.
"The Spaniards are here, prepare for battle!" The German Marines took notice of the Spanish assault.
The previous bombardment from the Spanish artillery had been brief and caused little harm, leaving the German troops in peak fighting condition.
"Open fire!"
As the Spanish forces closed in, the Germans opened fire. Mortars and machine guns unleashed a torrent of firepower, reaping the lives of the advancing Spaniards.