Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 255 Xu Jin's Barrage and Assault Group
"Morin, what I just said isn't even the whole problem."

General Mackensen's gaze shifted to the other side of the map, to the Rouen region, located on the flank of the First Army.

"The Brittany Expeditionary Force entrenched in Rouen is like a hungry wolf eyeing our flank and rear."

"According to the latest intelligence, their second batch of reinforcements has arrived in Rouen, and their total strength now exceeds 170,000. This means that they are ready to launch a campaign-level attack on our vulnerable flank at any time."

“Once our flanks are breached and our supply lines are cut off, our hundreds of thousands of troops deep in enemy territory will become an isolated force, and their fate will be unimaginable.”

With Mackensen's description, Morin gained a better understanding of the situation currently facing the First Army.

To counter the threat of the Brittany expeditionary force, Mackensen had to forcibly divert a full 50,000 troops from his already stretched forces and deploy them along the long flank from Amiens to Crey.

After deducting the troops that need to be rotated and rested, as well as the units that maintain the supply lines in the rear, the First Army currently has fewer than 140,000 troops that can actually be deployed to attack on the Krey front.

A significant portion of these are newly recruited reserve troops.

Originally, the Second and Third Armies were also providing support on Mackensen's left flank.

However, as the situation at the border battle deteriorated, the General Staff issued an order to transfer the Third Army to the Verdun direction, preparing to encircle the Gallic army that had penetrated deep into the area.

General Bülow's Second Army, in addition to assisting the First Army in its attack on Paris, also had to allocate troops to protect the huge gap between the First and Third Armies, preventing the Gauls from cutting them off from the middle.

Morin listened quietly, a clear strategic picture already forming in his mind.

The First Army Group is now like an overstretched rubber band.

Although it looks very long, it is actually on the verge of breaking.

In fact, on the way to the front line with the training assault battalion, Morin had already felt the exhaustion of the First Army from top to bottom.

The soldiers who had marched were extremely exhausted, and when the officers told them to rest, many of them were able to fall asleep standing up.

He saw many times the soldiers of the First Army Corps on the march, their faces covered in dust, their eyes glazed over, their steps faltering like a group of mindless zombies.

What kept them from collapsing was perhaps the officers' constant repetition of the phrase, "Paris is just ahead."

In summary, the problems currently facing the First Army Group are: tight schedule, heavy tasks, shortage of troops, and low morale.

"So, General."

After hearing this, Morin's tone became even more resolute.

"The offensive at the front cannot continue as it is now. This is no longer a tactical issue; it's gambling with our soldiers' lives for a slim hope! Even if we win the gamble, we've already lost the capital to continue the attack on Paris!"

To be honest, if it were before today, General Mackensen might have taken these words as the complaints of a young officer.

But now, it's different.

From his impressive performance in the Aragonese Civil War to his numerous outstanding achievements leading the Training Assault Battalion after the outbreak of World War II, Morin has won the trust and respect of this veteran through his actions time and time again.

General Mackensen looked at the young man before him, and a rare hint of searching and expectation appeared in his weathered eyes.

"Captain Morin, since you've said that, do you already have something in mind?"

For the first time, this veteran general, who had fought on the battlefield for many years, took the initiative to seek tactical advice from a battalion-level officer.

Upon hearing General Mackensen's inquiry, Morin answered without hesitation:

"General, my idea is simple. Since we don't have enough time and manpower to slowly wear them down, let's stop adding fuel to the fire wave by wave. Instead, we should concentrate all our available strength into one fist and smash it down on one point in the shortest amount of time!"

"They punched right through the Gauls' defenses, giving them no time to react and no chance to reorganize their defenses and retake the position!"

Morin's tone was resolute, full of powerful confidence.

Mackensen and Leonia were both captivated by his aura, and their gazes were involuntarily drawn to him.

“Tell me more details,” Mackensen gestured.

Morin stopped trying to hide it. He consulted General Mackensen and, after receiving his permission, picked up a red and blue pencil directly from the table.

Then he bent down and began to work on the huge military map that had been spread out.

"General, Commander, please take a look."

Using a red pencil stub, Morin drew a rectangle about two kilometers wide along the Kree Line, which stretched for more than ten kilometers, along with a large number of other diagrams.

"My suggestion is that we abandon a full-scale offensive across the entire front and instead choose such a narrow point of breakthrough." "Then we will concentrate most of the artillery forces that the army group, or even the Second Army, can mobilize, especially the 105mm howitzers, and aim them at this two-kilometer front to carry out an unprecedented artillery preparation."

"Our goal is not just to suppress them, but to destroy as many exposed firing positions and personnel as possible within the three Gaulish trenches in this area!"

"Infantry groups should no longer foolishly wait until the artillery bombardment has completely ceased before launching an attack."

Morin then changed the subject and put forward an idea that seemed extremely bold to the current Saxon army.

"When our artillery fire begins to extend deep into the enemy's positions, that is, just as it lands on their first line of defense, our assault troops must immediately launch an attack!"

Morin was well aware of the Saxon Army's currently near-zero infantry-artillery coordination capability.

In previous battles, there were even several instances of artillery misfiring, resulting in friendly fire incidents.
In this situation, trying to implement the "slow advance barrage" tactic, where infantry advance 50 meters behind the barrage, is pure fantasy. Artillerymen should be grateful if they don't hit their own men with their shells.

Even the English and French players from another world only accumulated experience through countless painful lessons when playing Xu Jin's bullet hell gameplay.

Therefore, Morin proposed a relatively moderate solution that, relative to the current situation, could still significantly reduce the exposure time of infantry charges.

"In this way, when our soldiers rush to the first line of the Gauls' trenches, they will be facing a group of enemies who have just recovered from the shock of artillery fire and are still in shock."

"Meanwhile, the Gauls' reserve forces are currently being suppressed by artillery fire and are unable to provide timely support."

"To ensure the success of this tactic, I suggest that my training assault battalion be deployed in company and platoon units, dispersed along the two-kilometer attack front, with us serving as the spearhead and vanguard of the attack."

"The other units involved in the main attack need to select their most elite soldiers to form a larger attack force and follow closely behind us."

"The mission of the training assault battalion is to break through the Gauls' defenses, while their mission is to consolidate the positions we have captured and repel the Gauls' counterattack!"

"At the same time, all troops involved in the attack must, as quickly as possible, send enough follow-up troops into this gap, like an unstoppable flood, to completely overwhelm the Gauls' entire defensive depth system!"

Morin became more and more excited as he spoke, his pencil moving rapidly across the map, drawing arrows representing the directions of attack.

"At the same time, our armored airships must also be on standby at the nearest safe distance!"

"As we launch our attack on the large anti-aircraft magic devices behind the Gauls' positions, the armored airships must be deployed as quickly as possible to suppress their reserves and artillery positions from the air!"

He straightened up, looked at Mackensen and Leonia, who were speechless with astonishment at his idea, and made a resounding conclusion.

"General, Commander-in-Chief, I will name this tactic 'Assault Group Tactic'."

"In essence, it is to extend the infiltration and breakthrough tactics that we have tested in small-scale battles to the operational level of the army group!"

Inside the tent, there was a deathly silence.

General Mackensen and Grand Commander Leonia just stared blankly at Morin, at the impactful and imaginative tactical symbols he had drawn on the map.

At first, they only felt that Morin had some unique tactical insights.
So now they have to admit that this young man's understanding of war has far exceeded their imagination.

This is no longer a simple tactic; it's a completely new methodology!

General Mackensen felt his heart pounding in his chest, as if he were seeing the 'famous playboy of Dresden' whom he had personally sent to the military academy in a new light.

He originally thought that Morin would at most achieve something in battles at the battalion and company level, but he never expected that he would be able to come up with such a grand and meticulous campaign concept.

As a seasoned veteran with extensive military experience, Mackensen possessed an exceptionally keen military intuition.

He realized almost instantly the core value and terrifying power of Morin's 'assault group tactics'.

Concentrate superior forces to achieve a decisive breakthrough on a narrow front, then rapidly advance into enemy territory to cripple their entire defensive system.
Isn't this the perfect embodiment of the offensive tactics that generations of Saxon military strategists have dreamed of?
However, Morin repackaged and reinterpreted it in a completely new way, adapted to modern warfare.

"Feasible! This tactic is highly feasible!" This thought flashed through General Mackensen's mind.

Moreover, it perfectly addresses the current predicament of the First Army Group, which faces insufficient manpower and tight time constraints!

A flame reignited in General Mackensen's eyes—the kind of brilliance that only a great commander can ignite when he discovers the path to victory.

He pondered for a moment, digesting every detail of the tactic, and then quickly deduced it in his mind.

The more he deduced, the more alarmed he became. The more alarmed he became, the more excited he became!
Finally, he abruptly raised his head, turned around without any hesitation, and shouted loudly at the guards at the tent entrance:
"Pass on my orders! Immediately summon General Seeker and all senior staff officers of the Operations Department to a meeting here!"

"Tell them this is a top-level emergency military meeting!"

(End of this chapter)