I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France

The orders from Crown Prince William soon reached the front line, instantly boosting the morale of the troops there.

Colonel Vito, commander of the 51st Infantry Regiment tasked with the main offensive mission, excitedly high-fived his staff officers and shouted to his men in the trenches, "Gentlemen, it's time to end this battle. Taking Verdun City means we have survived! Understand?"

His men responded enthusiastically, "Understood, Colonel!"

They indeed understood that victory in a certain battle signified a temporary cessation of fighting.

Next would come the rewards, and they might be reassigned to the rear for a period of rest.

No one wanted to stay longer in this blood-soaked, death-filled, and foul-smelling battlefield, even for a moment.

Delicious food, comfortable surroundings, and women... were all beckoning to them.

As long as they fought through this battle, all the good things would no longer be a distant dream!

Colonel Vito took out his pocket watch, gazing at the ticking hands in the faint starlight.

Finally, the hands pointed to nine-thirty.

The once quiet world suddenly burst into noise; the long-silent artillery roared once more, shells tearing through the skies and crashing fiercely onto French fortresses and positions.

In the dark night, these shells seemed to be bombarding aimlessly, but Colonel Vito knew they had been carefully arranged:

Large-caliber heavy artillery was responsible for bombarding fortresses;

Medium and small-caliber howitzers bombarded trenches and enemy artillery positions;

Mortars were tasked with targets hidden behind fortresses.

All these artillery pieces had calculated their parameters during the day and even conducted test fires to enable better nighttime assault.

Of course, gas shells were mixed in with the purpose of forcing the French soldiers into panic, making them fight with gas masks on.

The bombardment lasted for over half an hour, the air thick with choking smoke fumes, and the dust kicked up obscured the already scant starlight, plunging the world into darkness once more.

Colonel Vito considered this a good thing.

If even they couldn't see clearly, the enemies wearing gas masks would be like blind men.

Seeing the timing was right, Colonel Vito blew his whistle, and the soldiers clambered out of the trenches, crouching as they crawled toward the high ground where Suville Fortress was located.

The artillery continued sporadically, guiding the advancing German forces and preventing them from getting lost in the dark.

This was also a deceptive tactic: as long as shells were still exploding on the front lines, the French soldiers wouldn't dare remove their gas masks.

These fools, Colonel Vito thought smugly, by the time they realized they had been deceived, bayonets would already be driven into their chests!

However, what could they do?

If they dared to remove their gas masks, the artillery might genuinely fire a few gas shells.

Colonel Vito began to feel sympathy for these French soldiers; they had no other option but to be defeated.

To Colonel Vito's surprise, this attack was easier than any previous ones, as the troops approached the top of the hill without encountering any resistance.

They must have fled, Colonel Vito felt anxious.

This wasn't a good thing; if they managed to flee back to Verdun City and engage in urban combat, it would be troublesome.

Thinking about this, Colonel Vito waved his Luger Pistol and shouted, "Advance quickly, don't let them escape!"

(The image above shows the German-made Luger P08 pistol, successfully developed in 1899 and chosen by the German Army as the standard sidearm in 1908)

The soldiers responded, brandishing their bayonets and charging toward the hilltop positions as fast as they could.

Still nobody, even the trenches were empty, left intact for them.

The German forces cheered in unison; they hadn't expected to break through the French's final defense line so easily, almost signifying the French's defeat; they just needed to chase them down to achieve victory.

"Continue advancing!" Colonel Vito sensed something odd, things weren't supposed to be this way.

The soldiers, following orders, crossed the hilltop positions with their guns, some circling Suville Fortress, seemingly trying to find its entrance.

Suddenly, a burst of gunfire rang out, dozens of German soldiers at the front fell in response, and the soldiers behind them were frightened, dropping to the ground.

But before they could react, dozens of smoke-spewing hand grenades rolled onto the hilltop positions and exploded amidst the German's cries of alarm.

"They are below." The soldiers shouted to report to Colonel Vito with voices filled with fear; they disliked this unexpected turn.

Colonel Vito immediately responded without thinking: "Those are just remnants, eliminate them…"

Before he could finish, Colonel Vito realized he was wrong.

The French's 75mm guns kept firing shells onto the hilltop positions, sending the Germans lying on the ground into the air in batches.

Colonel Vito advanced arduously amidst the bombardment and then saw the muzzle flashes, at least dozens of them, all deployed at the foot of the hill, in the dead angles of the German howitzers.

What's going on?

Colonel Vito shivered; had they changed their tactics?

Impossible, no one would give up the high ground, especially with their fortress here!

Right then, several Molotov cocktails were thrown down by the Germans, and Colonel Vito finally saw in the firelight that the French had dug trenches below, forming a defense line!

Though Colonel Vito felt surprised, he also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The distance was no more than thirty meters, without barbed wire, and the Germans held the high ground; a single charge could break into the defense line and annihilate them.

Stupid French, Colonel Vito hesitated not, taking the whistle from his neck and blowing it forcefully.

"Tweet…"

The whistle pierced through the sounds of artillery and explosions, reaching the soldiers' ears, who shouted in unison as they climbed from the ground, brandishing their bayonets and launching an assault toward the enemy's defense line.

Their speed was rapid, the formation dense, resembling a swarm of ants surging toward the French defense line.

Just as they were about to breach the trenches, sudden "boom boom" explosions occurred, the void filled with the "whoosh whoosh" sounds of small objects flying past.

Simultaneously, the anguished screams of German soldiers arose continually.

Colonel Vito focused and realized that the previously fierce soldiers charging at the enemy had collapsed, some clutching their faces, others their heads, while many writhed on the ground, flailing like maniacs, each one in unbearable agony.

"What is that?" Colonel Vito was horrified.

It could instantly disable all attacking soldiers, at least a few hundred, and Colonel Vito hadn't even seen it clearly.

Colonel Vito felt unwilling to surrender and couldn't believe the existence of such a thing.

He blew his whistle again, leading the remaining soldiers to charge downward himself...

"Boom boom"

"Boom boom boom"

…

A series of explosions.

Colonel Vito reluctantly acknowledged it.

At least dozens of small objects hit him, covering his face, body, and legs, causing excruciating pain across his body instantly disabling him from combat, yet they weren't fatal!