The Rise of the Empire

In the early morning of June 28, 1912, from Bruges in the north of Belgium to Mons in the center to Almond in the south, the new airport established by the German Air Force in Belgium was a busy scene. More than 100,000 personnel and tens of thousands of vehicles were operating. Busy with thousands of war eagles fluttering about to fly. From the moment it was born, the Air Force has been the first force to be used when the battle begins. They even rush forward than the heavy artillery and armored forces!

In Almon's KG-05 Airport, the Bavarian Air Force's most elite KG-1 bomber group is concentrated here. There are three squadrons and 65 bombers being prepared on three aprons. There is a semi-buried bunker made of concrete behind each apron. From time to time, carts loaded with bombs and oil barrels come in and out of the bunker. After each cart arrives outside, there will be a special tractor. Responsible for pulling it down to the tarmac.

"I reiterate the mission of our squadron. We need to attack the two train gun positions No. 4 and No. 6 in the Compiègne forest. Each position is assigned 12 bombers, of which the first and second squadrons are responsible for attacking the artillery itself. , the remaining two squads are responsible for attacking the surrounding ammunition dumps and personnel stations. Before launching the bombing, all aircraft must ensure formation flying. Even if the opponent crashes with a plane, they must not disperse. Other friendly aircraft can ensure that they collide with each other. Knock him down before he gets on you!"

"After the battle, the aircraft do not need to be reorganized into squadrons. They can return to the battlefield directly in small groups. All your aircraft are equipped with receivers. Pay attention to receiving signals from ground radio stations, and determine your location through maps and ground coordinates. Orientation, if you can't land due to waiting in line when you return to the airport, you can go to other alternate airports."

Squadron Leader Raul once again repeated the mission and combat details. These are all summarized in previous exercises. For example, bombers grouping together can help improve the survival rate. Having experienced pilots guide the bombing first can improve the hit rate and so on. Some have already been tested on the battlefield, while others are waiting to be tested….

While the bomber force was busy, the two fighter squadrons next door were ready to take off. This time, considering the need for long-term operations, all Sparrowhawk fighter jets were equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks, each of which could hold 80KG of fuel. Email, you read that right, just 80KG! Just this weight makes the Sparrowhawks a little overwhelmed!

When the sun jumped above the horizon, countless black spots appeared in the French people's sight. The first large-scale air battle involving more than a thousand aircraft in World War I finally started! The first-choice targets of the 700 bombers participating in the first round of bombing were various artillery positions located behind the Allied Forces positions. Various railway guns and long-range artillery of different lengths and calibers, but with surprisingly long ranges, would be the targets of the first round. Target for removal!

The bombers of this era generally did not carry much ammunition, and Britain and France had really strong financial resources. Therefore, even though the size of the air force this time was much larger than that of the Eastern Front, its impact on the war situation was not as good as that of the Eastern Front. A large number of forward positions and artillery positions are not included in the strike sequence at all. It is not that they are not important, but because the output is limited, they cannot be ranked! But even so, after this round of strikes, the Allied long-range artillery still suffered heavy losses!

"Brothers, get ready to work today!" Captain Harris called his men to get ready to start work. He and his artillery company were responsible for operating a 12-inch L40 train gun named Cape of Good Hope. This gun was said to be from a former dreadnought. This artillery piece was dismantled from above. This artillery has fired more than 300 rounds in previous battles. If nothing else goes wrong, it’s time to replace the barrel.

The new barrel has been shipped, and today, their task is to replace the barrel.

All kinds of lifting machinery were in place, and scaffolding was erected. When the high muzzles of the guns in the past were leveled, the first round of German air attacks also arrived!

"I saw it, wow, this guy is so big!" Keitel, the leader of the team, looked at the huge train gun that came into his eyes and let out a heartfelt admiration. Although it was a hostile relationship, he had to admit that this is the highest level of human technology. The product is still surprising.

A huge train gun is in the middle of the circular railway track. The gun is carried by two 7-axle trailers. In addition to the gun itself, there are large hoisting equipment and small rails for transporting shells at the back. The shells weighing 386KG are neatly loaded. The ones were placed on carts and lined up in a row on the sides of the artillery. But today, these powerful shells may not be able to be fired.

Viewed from the air, a group of people, like busy worker ants, were operating a huge crane to replace the front half of the gun. The old gun barrel, which was several meters long, had been removed. Just as the new gun barrel was about to be hoisted into place, the first round of bombs had been thrown over the opponent's head.

The three bombers went for coverage bombing, flying over at low altitudes in as tight a formation as possible, and then six bombs fell in the shape of an inverted triangle. When the plane began to deviate from the bombing route, a series of explosions were heard behind it. Two of the 250KG bombs successfully landed on the huge train gun, and one high-explosive bomb shattered the seven-axle trailer carried on the front of the gun! Another bomb destroyed the huge crane. The tall crane's boom swept across the entire working surface like a big stick. Dozens of people were hit with broken bones and tendons.

Subsequently, the remaining three teams rushed towards the ammunition depot, train and barracks respectively. The bombs that fell one after another turned the entire target area into a sea of ​​​​fire, and one of the incendiary bombs affected a pile of propellant packets. Subsequently, the shock waves and flames generated by the explosion of a large amount of ammunition not only swept through the entire artillery position, but also affected the nearby forest area. Rows of trees were toppled like dominoes. Viewed from the air, the entire position became a piece of land. The charred land can be seen clearly even from a long distance. "Our mission seems to be accomplished." said the lead aircraft in charge of the team.

The same attack also occurred on other battlefields. In just one morning, more than 40 heavy artillery positions and transportation hubs such as stations were attacked throughout the Allied Powers. Looking from the German reconnaissance airship, the stretching front could be seen from time to time. The plumes of smoke and fields of fire were the targets of the first wave of attacks by German bombers. The absolute damage may not be great, but it would have a profound impact on future battles.

The number of these artillery pieces that were attacked may not be a big deal, but you must know that the ones that were attacked were train guns, heavy howitzers or long-range cannon positions. These artillery pieces are not the same as the 75 rapid-fire cannons on the street. The ratio to the latter is as high as more than ten to one. It can be said that these artillery supports the backbone of the Allied front-line long-range suppression firepower.

However, in just one morning, this pillar was weakened or suppressed. Maybe they were not destroyed, or Xiu Yixiu could make do with it, but unfortunately, they obviously could not be used to resist the first wave of attacks that the German Army was about to launch. bingo.

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