Conquer Europe from the West

Chapter 39 For Farlan!
When Ryan said this, several elderly non-commissioned officers were shocked and looked reluctant. However, they immediately realized that if they did not blow it up, the Farlanes would take it away and use it, and then they came to their senses.

at the same time.

In the distance, Belfort is about ten kilometers away.

The Farlan army has completed all pre-war assembly work.

Louis Bonnot had transferred half of his army an hour ago, and now, due to General Joffre's order, he could only use the only half of his army at hand to launch the offensive against the Rhine Valley.

But this is not a big problem for the Farlans.

Ever since their commanders and soldiers learned that the Empire had sent a Blue Star Max Medal winner named Ryan Flig to Mulhouse, the morale of the entire army has never dropped.

They can't wait to take back Arthas from the Empire. This obsession has lasted for a hundred years, and today is the best time.

front.

Colonel Patrick - the colonel who said he would lead the assault.

His expression was between good and bad, so much so that people around him didn't dare to approach him.

Because just half an hour ago, he thought there was an entire army behind him.

But the order from General Joffre directly transferred half of the main force of his First Army.

The most fortunate thing was that the artillery was not taken away, but for him who was about to launch a siege, this was obviously not a good thing.

Everyone knows one thing: siege warfare is often the battle in which soldiers are most likely to be lost. Mulhouse is only a small city, but because it has a developed textile industry, the complexity of its urban area is even no less than that of some large districts in the capital Palu.

The only good thing was that the Imperial Army seemed a little slow in defending Mulhouse.

Judging from the aerial photographs taken last week and yesterday, they have not yet completed the construction of the forward positions in Mulhouse.

It is almost impossible for half-built trenches to stop a highly motivated army.

However, there is still good news.

Although General Joffre had transferred half of the main infantry force of the First Army, he had left the Maginot Line several hours ago and led his troops to launch the first wave of the general attack on the Imperial Defense Line.

Although the war in the north is still in a tense state and neither side has been able to gain tactical or even strategic advantages, if the observations of the aerial reconnaissance team are correct, then it is obvious that the Imperial Army stationed in the Rhine Valley will lose most of the support from the Seventh Army - their main force has already taken a train to Lorraine to support the Sixth Army of the Crown Prince of Bavaria that is defending the Lorraine region.

This is great news.

Because this means that the Farlans will have to face a force that is definitely smaller in number than their own.

They only needed to attack the Empire's first line of defense, which had not yet been completed, to easily surround Milhouse.

Once a city without walls and moats is surrounded, its fall is only a matter of time.

Half an hour later.

Local time, August 8, 7:00 a.m.

The misty drizzle that fell the night before washed the fields covered with green grass and shrubs clean. Although it was summer, the temperature had not yet reached the point of being scorching hot.

The temperature was a perfect 19 degrees. Patrick, wearing a raincoat to hide his figure, stood on the second floor of a residential building which was much higher than the usual terrain, and observed the scenery in front of him with a telescope in his hand.

The Empire's fortifications stretched almost all the way to the border, but the Imperial soldiers who were supposed to be there had been completely withdrawn. Only a few trench diggers, which hadn't been moved away in time, remained at the front lines. Their drivers had left, of course, but the exhaust pipes belching black smoke seemed to be telling Patrick they would be back soon.

The sun has not yet completely jumped out of the horizon, so the Rhine Valley appears to be bright above the head, but it is still dark in the canyon.

Everything looked a peculiar blue-grey, which made it difficult for Patrick to see the extent of the barbed wire and minefields, but it didn't matter.

The commanders of the front-line troops and themselves had studied the Empire's defenses dozens of times, and they had memorized in their minds all the gaps and routes that could allow the troops to pass through.

"Colonel, five minutes left."

The young adjutant brought a brand new pistol and a polished sword to Patrick. He had already changed into his combat uniform, which was the flat-top hat with a red exterior and a blue interior that the Farlanders were proud of, a blue long-tail coat, and a pair of bright red trousers.

As the first group of troops to attack, he and all the soldiers did not carry heavy bags. Apart from their military uniforms, they only had a belt full of grenades and bullets, a simple small bag containing just enough medical supplies for two people, and the Farlan flag.

"very good."

Colonel Patrick took a deep breath, put the pistol and sword handed to him by his adjutant on his belt, and reached out to lift the belt that was squeezed down by his beer belly that had not yet fully formed.

"Tell the troops to charge with me as soon as the artillery bombardment ends!"

"Yes!"

The adjutant immediately turned around and left, and the messengers delivered the order to every member of the Second Infantry Regiment one by one. Two young non-commissioned officers led a dozen strong horses and distributed them to the company commanders responsible for the first wave of attack.

Patrick, with one hand on his sword, appeared at the door of the barracks, swaying and looking at his beloved horse - a fine, chestnut-haired Anglo-Norman horse.

The next moment, a rumbling sound like the sound of a train passing through was heard in the sky.

Two seconds later, the sound of artillery came from the west.

Patrick mounted his horse and looked towards the east.

Countless black dots drew a graceful arc in the sky, fell below the horizon after flying for a few seconds, and then burst into a roar even more terrifying than when they opened fire.

The shelling began.

Even though he couldn't see directly what was happening beyond the border, Patrick could still imagine the scene.

The empire's barbed wire and minefields were completely plowed flat by artillery fire. Bullets like hail and rain swept across the defense line and the trenches that had not yet been completed. Wherever the eyes could be seen, there were blooming red flames.

soon.

It could be half an hour, it could be fifteen minutes.

As the artillery bombardment stopped, Patrick rode his horse to the front of his Second Infantry Regiment.

He pulled the reins hard, drew out his sword, raised it high above his head, and pointed the snow-white sword tip directly at the border of the empire.

The dark chestnut-colored warhorse raised its front legs high and let out a loud neigh.

"For Farlan!!"

"The whole army attacks!!"

(End of this chapter)