Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 908 - 171: The Beginning of Disaster

```

The booming sound of cannon fire erupted as the newly arrived French forces were given a stern lesson by the artillery of the Anti-French Alliance.

A shell, descending from the sky, landed less than one hundred meters from the French frontline command post, its shrapnel scattering and claiming the lives of three officers who had come for a meeting.

Among them was Major General Anduin Urien, divisional commander of the Ninth Division of the French Army. He was the highest-ranking officer the French had lost since the outbreak of war.

Upon receiving this dire news, General Uddino, who had successfully captured the forward commander, looked terribly grim.

"Colonel Rick, dispatch someone to reconnoiter the enemy’s artillery deployment again. We must ascertain why their shells can reach us here."

Uddino was a battle-hardened veteran, and the selection of the command post had been made with care; it was not meant to be so vulnerable to enemy fire.

Be it an accident or other reasons, they now had to move again. Otherwise, a single enemy shell could fall during a meeting and render the entire French command system defunct.

Colonel Rick answered with certainty, "General, there is no need for further reconnaissance. I personally verified the previous results. The enemy cannot adjust their positions substantially in such a short time.

By the sound and power of the shells, it’s clear that this is not an army field cannon.

We’re not far from the Rhine River. It must be that the enemy has turned their navy into a mobile artillery platform."

With the Rhine River’s ample flow, small warships could already navigate it. The navies of Belgium and the German Federation were just the right size for such a move.

Powerless against the French navy, they had no choice but to cower in their ports. Now, the needs of the war made it perfectly logical to deploy a portion of them on the Rhine.

Even if the larger warships couldn’t enter, it was possible to dismantle the naval guns and use them as fortress artillery. At such a critical juncture, no one cared about whether selling the pot and iron was a waste.

The range and power of naval artillery were incomparable to that of army field guns. High-altitude airship reconnaissance could not distinguish so finely, and errors in estimating the range were quite normal.

General Udino cursed, "Damn it all, send a telegram to the rear, telling them to hurry up with the heavy artillery!

None of you stand around. Pack up immediately and move the command post one kilometer back. Do not retreat just three kilometers."

It was an unfortunate necessity. The French Army had advanced too quickly; the heavy artillery unit could not keep pace and was left behind.

Armed only with a few field cannons, the forward units were simply outmatched by the firepower of the Anti-French Alliance.

In a flurry of activity, General Udino moved the command post three kilometers back. Only after ensuring they were out of the enemy’s artillery threat did he continue the military meeting, which had been abruptly interrupted.

No matter what, the battle must go on. Even though they had previously overlooked the enemy’s naval guns, the French still had to launch their offensive. Continue reading stories on novelbuddy

Time was now of the essence. According to intelligence from spies, on average, an Austrian Infantry Division was arriving at the frontline each day.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before the balance of forces tipped in favor of the enemy.

As evening approached, the French command post was brightly lit. With a heavy heart, General Udino said, "Major General Anduin Urien has fallen bravely in battle. I hereby appoint Colonel Fuxi to temporarily take over his duties as the commander of the Ninth Division.

Let us continue with this afternoon’s military meeting. The battlefield situation has changed, and we must take into account the enemy’s firepower advantage. Our original battle plan is no longer suitable."

Change the battle plan?

This was a joke to everyone except General Udino himself—who knew what the supposed battle plan was anyway?

In fact, even General Udino himself might not have a battle plan. The battlefield is ever-changing. Formulating a battle plan without knowing anything would be irresponsible.

Generally, battle plans were formulated as the battle unfolded. What was predetermined were strategic plans, not tactical ones.

Regrettably, the French command system wasn’t that advanced. The so-called strategic plans often sprang from a snap decision by a commander.

"General, there’s no need to overcomplicate things. If the artillery can’t suppress the enemy’s firepower, we can deploy the airship troops.

As soon as the enemy’s artillery positions are exposed, I’ll go bomb them and see who can outlast whom," proposed a middle-aged officer, a staunch supporter of the airship faction within the French forces—a result of Franz’s butterfly effect.

Since the Austrian airships sailed over the Ottoman Empire, the concept of air superiority had taken shape early, although it was not yet fully developed.

The current prevailing idea was to use airships to bomb and destroy enemy positions and fortresses, creating an advantage for ground troops.

Udino nodded, "Good suggestion. Once the specialized ammunition for the airship troops arrives, we’ll send them out to give the enemy a taste of their own medicine."

War is the greatest catalyst for military technological progression. In the nearly two decades that airships have been utilized in the military, the European Continent had already witnessed several wars.

```

As of today, airship troops have become an important component of the armed forces of various countries. Some nations are even preparing to separate their airship troops to establish an independent branch of the military.

Given the importance of airship troops, specialized bombs for airship raids naturally emerged.

…

On November 11, 1890, as General Uddino gave the order, the French Army, braving the threat of artillery fire, launched a comprehensive attack on the Anti-French Alliance.

The charge sounded, and the brave French soldiers fixed their bayonets, charging toward the enemy’s allied positions.

500 meters, 300 meters, 200 meters…suddenly, at one hundred fifty meters, streams of fire spurted forth.

The interwoven machine gun fire instantly caused heavy casualties in the French ranks, with many soldiers falling before they could even react.

The mechanical chain of command now proved its worth. As the bugle call to charge continued, the soldiers had no choice but to press forward, regardless of the danger.

Everyone was familiar with machine guns, but the French were accustomed to the cumbersome Gatling, not the nimble and flexible Maxim.

Misconceptions led the French high command to underestimate the killing power of machine guns.

Seeing the words "heavy casualties," General Uddino scoffed, "These men are a disgrace to France.

If possible, I would not hesitate to send them all to a military court. To learn anything but not to learn it well, to imitate the cowardice of the Italians, do they really think I’m a fool?

Send out the command that at all costs, we are to press the attack. Order the Supervisory Team to the frontlines to watch, and for any soldier playing dead, there will be no supper for them tonight."

Regrettably, the Italians had already earned a notorious reputation. With the French Army massively conscripting Italians, that widely spread survival manual on the battlefield had also become popular within the French ranks.

Pure French units were still decent enough, but certain mixed units with Italians had many who had picked up the bad habit of fearing death.

In previous battles, General Uddino personally witnessed troops charging valiantly during the day, with many officers and soldiers bravely falling to the enemy fire, and he even shed tears of admiration.

However, these same noble men who had supposedly died for their country miraculously "resurrected" when the order was given to retreat.

Since then, General Uddino had acquired a new understanding of the words "heavy casualties."

"Yes, sir!"

The Messenger’s voice rang out.

Nobody knew what disaster this command would bring to the French forces at the frontline; at that moment, everyone was still fantasizing about tearing through the enemy’s defenses.

…

It wasn’t only the ground forces facing trouble. The French Army Airship Troop that had just appeared above the Austrian army was also encountering the greatest enemy of their lives.

After dropping a bomb from the airship, Hudson suddenly exclaimed, "Tom, what kind of bird is that ahead? Why does it look so strange?"

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on freёwebnoѵel.com.

Tom, who was operating the machine gun, was just as dumbstruck, staring blankly ahead.

Having spent a lot of time in the sky, they could be considered quite knowledgeable; if not all, at least they were familiar with most bird species across the European Continent.

As the distance between them closed, they could vaguely make out the contours of the airplane, and a young man suddenly realized, "It looks like the airplane mentioned in newspapers."

By then, bullets were already whizzing by. Even those who had been slow to catch on now understood an enemy was upon them.

Tom, as the machine gunner, instantly snapped to attention. After such a long wait, it was finally his turn to showcase his prowess.

But an awkward scene unfolded. Compared to the bulky airship, the enemy airplane was far too agile, making it impossible for him to aim properly.

There was no helping it; the French airship was equipped with a heavy hitter like the Gatling gun. It had sufficient power, but it was a tragedy in other respects.

Faced with an airplane buzzing around above them, Tom, clutching his machine gun, was utterly at a loss.

This vexing problem did not trouble him for long; it ended with the fall of the airship.

Once the French Army Airship Troop realized something was amiss, panic spread among them, but by then, it was already too late to flee.

Like a meteor shower, one after another French airship plummeted downward. The soldiers of both France and Austria who witnessed this scene knew an era had ended.

A new ruler ascended; the old monarch was deposed. The French Army Airship Troop, through their deaths, marked the end of the airship era with a bloody full stop.