Re: Blood and Iron

Heinrich sat in the back of a halftrack. The armored vehicle which he sat in was in the rear of the formation, along with the other command vehicles. It was a specialized halftrack that made use of an armored compartment and advanced radio equipment.

Its singular purpose was to convey orders to the rest of the Battalion Tactical Group, and maintain operational control over the battlefield. He was also more than capable of coordinating with other battalions, as well as aerial assets, which were in the area.

The engines of 40 armored vehicles within the battalion growled in tandem as Tanks, and halftracks drove across the winding mountain pass which led to the strongest point in the Italians defenses at Trient.

All the while, self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns were mixed in the column providing protection for the many armored vehicles from whatever threats may potentially present themselves.

The SPAAGs themselves came in two different configurations, one with a quad mounted 2cm flak gun mounted to the chassis, and another with a single 37mm flak gun which was able to create a large explosive blast and fire at higher altitudes.

Heinrich himself sat in his seat, while listening to his headset, which was attached to the radio within his halftrack. From the sound of it, his forces were closing in on the enemy's position. And the 1st Air Wing, which was attached to the 8th Army was flying overhead.

The light bomber variants of the He-51 were about to make contact with the enemy fortifications. And the men on top of the SPAAG's mounted weapons were quick to cheer as they saw the German planes fly towards the fortifications embedded within the mountainside.

A group of He-51s, which were painted with the typical camouflage pattern were being led by a plane whose pilot was now infamous for his massive kill count. By now the Red Baron had scored a solid 100 kills in the sky, while he had also shot down 3 of the British tanks from above the Belgian front lines.

Among the people of the German Reich, the name Manfred von Richthofen was renowned far and wide. While his infamous moniker was used with dread among those pilots within the Allied Flying Corps.

The Red Baron led the charge from the sky, while Heinrich led the vanguard from the ground below. And for the Allied soldiers who waited in the fortifications, to hear the screaming howl of engines and the sight of endless tanks prowling through the mountain pass, it was truly like the gates of hell had opened before them.

Especially after the German light bombers dropped their payloads on the heads of the allied soldiers. Who hid beneath their bunkers, hoping to wait out the storm of fire. But was this remotely possible?

Because the moment the Italian soldiers and their allies hid beneath the complexes, the Germans had built for their own defense in preparation for this war, the self propelled artillery of the 75mm and 105mm variants began to open fire on them.

In addition to this, the towed howitzers and mortars of the 150 and 211mm varieties. The explosives blast rocked the cliff side where the steel reinforced concrete fortifications were battered time and again. With each passing second, a barrage was fired upon the allies, or a bomb dropped from above.

While at the same time the 1,000 Panzer Is within the German 8th Army opened fire with their 5cm semiautomatic guns. Each of which fired the advanced Panzergranate 39 armor-piercing shells. While the artillery and bombers dropped explosive fire upon the fortifications, which slowly chipped away at the concrete bunkers, the 5cm shells despite being of the smallest size, were the most effective.

They were designed, after all to penetrate through thick hardened steel armor. If one fired them on concrete fortifications, it was like punching a giant hole through dry wall with your fist. The result was devastating. And before the allies even realized it, they had been exposed to the enemy fire.

The Allies quickly began to panic as they realized the enemy was able to sit back over a thousand meters away and bombard their position with impunity. Those who tried to get on their 2cm Pom Pom maxim guns, which were used for anti air, as well as their own artillery were quick to realize that they were the first devices to be targeted.

Without superior firepower, they were effectively relying on small arms, and a few hundred Boys anti-tank rifles, and Blacker Bombards which the British had brought with them when they deployed to the Italian Alps to help counter the 1916 Spring Offensive.

However, there was just one problem… The effective range of these weapons was a few hundred meters at best. After that, any hope of penetrating armor became non-existent. Meanwhile, the Germans could sit back at 1,500 meters with their Panzers, Halftracks, and other armored vehicles.

Firing upon the allied position with complete and total impunity without having to worry the least about resistance. After all, the PzGr. 39 fired out of a 5cm gun was capable of penetrating 37mms of hardened rolled homogenous steel armor at a distance of 1,500 meters. Explore more at empire

Which was more than enough to continue chipping away at the fortifications built into the mountainside until nothing was left of it. And that was the plan.

The Germans would sit back and bombard the ever living hell out of the Allies until their concrete fortifications were rendered to ruin, and then they would roll over the rubble as if it had been nothing short of a minor inconvenience.

And this is exactly what happened, as Heinrich reported back to Bruno that the first stage of their operation to advance into Trient and reclaim it for the Archduchy of Austria had been a monumental success.

"It appears you were right after all. The enemy does not have the means to reach us at this distance. Within the hour, these fortifications will be nothing more than scrap. Are you sure you want to do this? Did you not spend an exceptional sum of time and money building these to begin with?"

Bruno's voice followed over the wire. He sounded indifferent as he responded to the question with certainty.

"Since the Allies now possess them, it would be better to destroy what I have built, than allow them to continue to make us of it. Burn it to the ground, and march over its ashes. Kill everyone who stands in your path. We don't have the time to take prisoners…"

This was an order Heinrich expected from Bruno. After all, the man had a habit of ignoring surrenders and pretending like he was never given notice. In this day and age, it was hard to prove otherwise. And because of this, he could only sigh and shake his head as the echoes of battle continued to resound throughout the mountainous ravine where the battle was taking place.