Chapter 1,623 Prelude to the Attack 1

Chapter 1623 Attack Prelude 1

The war situation in the second half of 1913 could be said to have taken a turn for the worse. The Russians' Bolushinov Offensive was so powerful in the early stage that it severely damaged Hungary. However, it was of no use. On the contrary, the Russians exhausted all his troops on the Belarusian and Ukrainian fronts. With the last bit of strength, Russia is already in decline, and the whole world is considering the situation after the Russians are finished.

And the prince is no exception. He has too many things to do this winter, and they are too important. But now, in the autumn of this year, before everything is ready for a showdown, he still has one important thing to do. To do it, that is to solve the British and French coalition forces in Asia Minor.

"Your Highness, as of 6 p.m. yesterday, the Bavarian and Bohemian Army had mobilized 6 rapid divisions and 8 ordinary infantry divisions from the Eastern Front and the mainland, as well as at least 5 independent tank battalions, as well as attached heavy artillery. and supply units. The number of troops that the Air Force can currently deploy on the battlefield in Asia Minor has reached 8 wings, with a total of nearly 920 aircraft of various types. "

"We now have 800 tanks, assault guns and protected self-propelled artillery deployed on the entire Asia Minor front. The number of various barrel artillery has reached 1,400. The total number of troops is 250,000. The entire force is ready and ready at any time Ready to enter the battlefield." At this time, Lieutenant General Raul, who replaced Count Caliput as the prince's chief of staff, reported.

"What about our enemies?" the prince asked while looking at the huge sand table.

"Judging from the current situation, the situation on the northern front of Asia Minor is relatively stable. After Joffre directed his armored troops to go south to support the British army, the remaining French troops were still blocked in Bursa. But the situation was not ideal, Feng. General Seckert's troops have been fighting hard for three weeks and have suffered heavy losses. The French's third wave of reinforcements has arrived, and they may be making final preparations. If they are ready, the next wave of attacks may be Can break through Bursa’s defence.”

"The third wave of reinforcements? It seems that Britain and France have really spent a lot of money." An officer next to him said with some surprise.

"It is no secret that we mobilized a large number of troops into Asia Minor. The Allies may not know exactly the troops and equipment we mobilized, but they can still get a rough idea through the intelligence system. The initial raid failed to achieve a decisive victory and entered a stalemate stage. , if they do not plan to give up Asia Minor, then they must continue to increase their troops. Perhaps from the perspective of Britain and France, it is better to contain us in Asia Minor than to let us go to the Western Front." Ruprecht said.

The depletion of national strength caused by a 250,000-strong army fighting in Asia Minor and fighting on the Western Front are completely different. After all, the supply line has been stretched several times, and the supply environment is even worse. According to statistics from the General Staff of the Bavarian Army, the same number of logistics personnel required to fight in Asia Minor is about three times that of fighting on the Western Front! Is this also the fundamental reason why Britain and France decided to fight in Asia Minor at all costs? so,

It is reasonable for the prince to see this situation happen.

"Tell me about the situation on the northern line." The prince said.

"Xiafei has returned to the northern front. If the strength in his hands and the reinforcements he is about to receive are taken into account, he can probably gather 5 integrated infantry divisions and no less than 4 armored divisions. In addition, the French and British There are at least 5 brigades of colonial troops and some cavalry units. Oh, and there are at least 30 companies of marine artillery. Counting these, the opponent has an advantage in heavy artillery. Tanks and other armored units The number may not be much less. In addition, they are also equipped with about 300 aircraft, of course mainly fighter jets," said Major General Raul.

"So what's the situation on the southern front now?" the prince continued to ask.

"The British army is larger than the French. Of course, the combat effectiveness is definitely not as good. Their colonial troops account for more than half, of which the Indian army accounts for about 30% of the total. The total number of front-line troops is about 200,000. , the armored force is fully equipped with 3 armored divisions, including the French armored force brought by Xiafei. The heavy artillery force seems to have a large number of personnel, but the firepower on the battlefield is a bit inferior to that organization. But even so, the British attack is still The relatively smooth outer area of ​​Sinjan, if we advance another 10 kilometers, we can use heavy howitzers to threaten Ankara's railway." Major General Raul said.

"Fight the French first," the prince said, looking at the map. "The British can let it go and deal with it as appropriate."

The Bavarian General Staff was accustomed to obeying the prince's opinions. Lieutenant General Raul said nothing nonsense and began to make preliminary preparations for the battle. The prince also needed to think about the war layout for the next month. The prince's idea is very simple. In the next month to 40 days, the threat in Asia Minor will be basically solved!

Note that it is a basic solution, not a complete solution. In fact, if the British and French troops retreat to the landing site, under the cover of the naval guns of the British and French navy, then the prince really has no good way to deal with it. For the current British To put it bluntly, it is still nothing to assemble a detachment of pre-dreadnoughts in one go. Not counting the secondary batteries, there are 24 12-inch heavy guns! This thing can't fight warships, but it can destroy heaven and earth against land targets. As for air force air strikes? Well, since the Allies are ready to continue the stalemate here for a long time, the airports and fighter units behind them will naturally follow up. I'm afraid it's hard to say how effective the air strikes will be.

In fact, air force battles often depend on location and available troops. In Bursa, the Bavarian Air Force currently has an overwhelming advantage, but this may not be the case when it comes to the sea! Didn’t you see that the Allied forces had a huge advantage in the Western Front Air Force in World War II? Didn’t the first two years of the Imperial Air Defense War still have twists and turns?

As for what is the concept of basic solution? In the prince's definition, it means that the British and French coalition forces were severely damaged. The combined front-line strength of the British and French coalition forces on the northern and southern fronts was about 350,000. The prince's requirements are not high. He can kill about 280,000 people in this battle. If this plan can be achieved, then the remaining Allied armies will definitely have nothing to fear, because after the loss of this wave of main forces, it will be impossible for Britain and France to once again draw such a large and elite army from the Western Front! What if Britain and France could still occupy a corner of the coast of Asia Minor at that time? They were doomed to be unable to advance.

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