Chapter 149： Battle of Tarnovo (4)

After Captain Ilascu forced the Bulgarian Lieutenant Bebkov's plane to crash, the Bulgarian aerial reconnaissance was interrupted. After the Bulgarian aircraft took off, the Romanian flying team headed by Captain Ilascu, with the advantage of the machine gun on its own aircraft, not only had a clear view of the Bulgarian position, but also observed the hot air balloon on the position. Swept away, now the Bulgarian army has to send soldiers to investigate.

At 5 a.m. on the 3rd, the artillery support group consisting of three 50-heavy artillery regiments and one 20-heavy artillery regiment was ready. They were scattered among six artillery positions, where there were already prepared artillery positions, and there were rows of trucks transporting ammunition. Especially for the 20 heavy artillery, the current Romanian killer cannonball weighs 20kg, and a Dongfeng truck can only transport 2 such artillery shells at a time. According to the rate of fire of three rounds per minute, one Dongfeng truck can be transported in four minutes. The 36 heavy artillery of the 20-heavy artillery regiment alone requires the one-time transport of more than 600 trucks. Not to mention the ammunition consumption of 3 50 artillery regiments, there are also a large number of 05 howitzers and 75 artillery, so modern warfare is only money and national power.

When the hour hand reached 8:30, there was a rumbling sound of artillery from the rear of the Romanian position. Nearly two hundred heavy artillery pieces with a caliber of over 50 were violently directed at the soldiers of the Bulgarian First Army stationed at the position of Mount Tsarevets. Fire. A large number of positions built on the Tsarevets Mountain position were destroyed by heavy artillery. Bulgarian soldiers hiding in the trenches were hit by heavy artillery from time to time. Without a chance to scream, they turned into a pool of blood and invaded the mud.

Especially the 20-caliber cannon shells weighing 20kg, even if they are not hit, will be shaken to death as long as they are within ten meters. Therefore, on the positions of the Bulgarian First Army, we often see soldiers lined up in the trenches. Lying silently in the trenches, they had no wounds on their bodies, as if they had fallen asleep in the trenches. Experienced veterans knew that they had been shaken to death.

Facing such a scene, I can only pray to God that the shells will not fall in this trench. As for leaving the trenches and retreating to the rear, several unbearable recruits have already made good demonstrations. They all turned into dust under the attack of heavy artillery and left on Mount Tsarevets.

During the three-hour heavy artillery bombardment, the First Army, who felt the treatment of the Western Front Artillery in World War I, suffered heavy casualties in advance, losing at least 5,000 people, but the greater loss was that most of the fortifications on the position were destroyed, especially the layout. The firepower points are almost destroyed. Now there is no green at all on the Mount Zarewicz where they are stationed. There are huge craters everywhere, it looks like the surface of the moon, and the whole position is filled with the smell of choking gunpowder.

Lieutenant General Kudinchev, commander of the Bulgarian First Army defending the position, insisted that his soldiers bear the blow of artillery alone, and did not order the artillery to counterattack. On the one hand, there are few Bulgarian large-caliber artillery, and the range is not enough, and the Romanian aircraft hovered over its position like an annoying fly earlier this morning. So he decided to save the precious artillery for use at critical moments, only to sacrifice soldiers.

In a concealed observation post in the rear, Edel led the Chief of Staff, Army Secretary General Courtois, and Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Prosi to observe the effects of the shelling.

After watching the shelling, Edel said with emotion. "This is the power of heavy artillery bombardment!"

"Yes, your highness, but not many countries can use this kind of attack effect."

Chief of Staff Admiral Courtois also spoke with emotion. This three-hour shelling destroyed more than 3,000 Romanian shells, which of course would be spectacular.

"But we can't use it many times."

Deputy Chief of Staff Major Prosi will speak of such an attack from an economic point of view, and Romania can’t afford it many times.

Facing Major General Prossi’s big truth, Edel couldn't refute it and turned the subject off. "Let's keep watching."

After the heavy artillery bombardment, it was the fifth division of the Second Army that launched the attack this time. Crown Prince Edel and the others saw in the telescope that the First Division of the Fifth Division, while the heavy artillery had just subsided, went out of the trenches and took up the weapons in their hands and flew towards the Zarewicz mountain position. When they ran halfway, Bulgarian artillery from the position fell on their heads.

The soldiers of these Fifth Divisions completely ignored the shells that were about to fall over their heads, and continued to bend down and rush towards the position. After the defensive artillery fired, the Romanian army's 05 howitzer took advantage of its own hand commander and launched a counterattack against the Bulgarian artillery positions that were discovered. Sure enough, these Bulgarian artillery had no time to take charge of Romanian soldiers anymore, and they were all driven by Romanian artillery to move their positions. When entering a distance of 500 meters in the front line, the soldiers of the 5th Division lay on the ground and began to crawl forward.

This caused Lieutenant General Kudinchev, commander of the Bulgarian First Army, who was looking at the observation post behind the defensive position, to wrinkle his forehead. Seeing the wrinkles on his partner Lieutenant General Kudingchev's face that could trap mosquitoes, Major General Kazdzyov, Chief of Staff, also said with an ugly face. "It's hard for us now."

Hearing what his partner said, Lieutenant General Kudingchev, who knew what the partner thought, said without looking up. "Hopefully what we expected is an illusion."

The soldiers on the two sides fighting fiercely around the front line did not have time to consider the ideas of the upper-level commander. Now it is the key for them to kill each other to protect themselves.

A Bulgarian soldier aimed his rifle at a Romanian soldier, only to hear a "pop" that the Romanian soldier he was aiming at fell down. Before he was too eager to be happy, he felt that his eyes were dark, and he couldn't wake up anymore, and a bullet hole appeared on his forehead. No one around him looked at him too much. They all raised their weapons and fired at the attacking Romanian soldiers.

The two sides fought in the front of the position, and the artillery from both sides joined in. However, Romania gained a huge advantage with a large number of artillery, and a large number of Bulgarian machine guns and small artillery were destroyed in the position. Seeing this, Lieutenant General Kudingchev at the back of the position told a staff officer around to tell Major General Sarafov to stop using machine guns and small artillery. "

When the staff officer went to call Major General Sarafov to inform Lieutenant General Kudinchev of his decision, the offensive Romanian soldiers began to retreat back. After the gunfire stopped completely, Chief of Staff Major General Kazjuv told Lieutenant General Kudinchev with a list of losses. "We lost a lot of technical equipment. Thirty-four machine guns were destroyed, and 27 guns 57 and 75 were destroyed. The casualties of the soldiers in this shooting were not large, but we didn't have to fight a few times. "

Hearing the words of his chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Kudinchev's brows deepened.

At the rear of the Romanian position, the commander of the Fifth Division who attacked this time is being praised by Edel. "General Ankodar, you played well this time. If you come a few more times, the Bulgarians will lose their position in one battle."

Major General Ankodar said in a group of generals that he was not arrogant or irritable in the face of the crown prince’s praise. "We only caught the Bulgarian by surprise this time. There should be no such luck next time."

Hearing the words of Major General Ankodar, Army Secretary General Courtois said with disapproval. "Then you turn your temptation into an attack, and see if these Bulgarians can still take out their wealth."

Edel nodded when he heard the words of Admiral Courtois, indicating that he agrees. Now the Romanian army has to show an unreasonable aura to overwhelm Bulgarian talent. Can't care about gains and losses, so the Secretary of the Army's words made him very agree.

In the end, Crown Prince Edel spoke in a final word. "Just follow the words of your admiral. I also want to see how long the Bulgarian army can endure."