Morin was not surprised that the Romanians had set up outposts on the mountain.
In fact, during the entire climb up, several red unit cards had successively appeared on his system map. Some were located on the high ground halfway up the mountain, while others were positioned at the entrances to surrounding gorges.
This was easy to understand.
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A mountain range is not a single, isolated peak. It is an entire complex terrain composed of the main ridgeline extending outward into countless secondary peaks, ridges, highlands, and the valleys sandwiched between them.
Therefore, mountain warfare is not as simple as "I occupy the highest peak and the job is done."
For the attacking side to pass through a mountainous region, they must follow the valleys and passes.
For the defending side to control a mountainous region, they must not only hold the critical passes but also spread out observation posts and fire points on the high ground on both sides to form a comprehensive defensive system.
And Morin's group managed to arrive near the pass safely thanks to two things.
First was the solid "point-clearing" work by the vanguard squad. In this mountainous terrain filled with loose scree and sparse vegetation, the soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Company displayed reconnaissance skills far exceeding those of ordinary infantry units.
The second, naturally, was Morin's "hack."
The locations of enemy unit cards lit up on the system map allowed Morin to lead his men to bypass the areas where the Romanians had already set up security positions, traversing silently through the valleys to their current location.
But the Romanians' reaction speed was indeed faster than Morin had previously estimated.
Judging from the unit card on the system map, the force currently stationed near the Predeal Pass was not a simple outpost.
That unit card marked [Kingdom of Romania Army - 2nd Home Defense Brigade - 3rd Border Guard Regiment Pass Outpost] actually represented a defensive force of battalion size.
Furthermore, there was a small supplementary artillery marker below the icon, indicating a battalion reinforced with artillery.
Morin watched silently for a few seconds, his optimism index dropping by another twenty percent.
Meanwhile, lying next to Morin behind the rock, the vanguard squad leader who had fallen back to report spoke in a hushed voice.
"Commander, this isn't a simple outpost."
"The enemy has constructed complete tunnel fortifications on the high ground on both sides of the pass. Their fields of fire cover the entire pass corridor."
"Also, our forward team climbed to the commanding height on one side of the pass just now, taking advantage of the pre-dawn darkness."
The vanguard squad leader paused for breath before continuing his report.
"Looking down from up there, the Romanians are using a pre-installed mechanical system to hoist artillery pieces up to the commanding heights from the rock layer further down."
"What kind of artillery? Did you see clearly?"
"They were wrapped in gun covers, couldn't make out the model."
The squad leader gestured with his hands.
"But judging from the size, besides the few small mountain guns already on the position, the big boys they are hauling up... I estimate they are at least 100mm caliber or larger."
Hearing this, Morin's optimism index plummeted directly to zero.
Hoisting large-caliber artillery up to the high points of the pass—these Romanians sure moved fast...
"Shooting from high to low makes fools out of your foes"—this principle holds true in both ancient and modern times.
In complex mountain terrain, if the defenders set up large-caliber artillery on the commanding heights, the artillerymen above the pass can fire plunging shots directly along the valley line. The attacking troops squeezed in the valley would have absolutely nowhere to hide...
When that time comes, the price the attacking side would have to pay couldn't be summed up with just the word "heavy."
But what concerned Morin more was another matter.
It hadn't been long since the Serbian Second Army Group was routed head-on, yet the Romanians had already urgently reinforced their border defenses in the Carpathian Mountains.
What did this mean?
It meant the opponent's command echelon wasn't stupid. At the very least, they possessed some strategic acumen. Or perhaps, as the war dragged on, everyone was slowly gaining experience...
With the coalition forces of Saxony and the Austro-Hungarian Empire breaking through the Serbian defense line, there were simply too many tactical options they could deploy next. Detaching forces to attack the Kingdom of Romania was entirely possible.
Furthermore, the Romanians had always placed great importance on the Carpathian Mountains, their sole strategic barrier, for many years.
After all, once over the mountains, the capital wasn't far away, and there would be no natural defenses left...
So the Romanians were clearly somewhat frightened, even proactively pushing their border defense troops to the other side of the mountains to seize favorable terrain preemptively.
A major characteristic of mountain warfare is that the number of passes suitable for the passage of large armies is extremely limited.
The defending side doesn't need to stretch a continuous defense line across a long mountain range; they only need to dispatch a small number of troops to choke off these critical chokepoints.
Then the attacking side either has to fill the gaps with human lives or obediently take a detour... The problem is, in the Carpathian Mountains, the cost of taking a detour is absurdly high.
"No wonder mountainous regions in ancient times were all considered natural fortresses... This forsaken environment is indeed unfit for fighting."
After complaining in his head, Morin also secretly rejoiced that he hadn't just relied on the enemy situation briefing from the General Staff in Dresden, but ran over here to conduct forward reconnaissance himself first.
The intelligence provided by Dresden only stated: "Kingdom of Romania border defense troops have garrisons in some areas of the Carpathian Mountains."
It wasn't until he came over and saw it with his own eyes that he realized the gap between the description "have garrisons" and the actual situation was about three Carpathian Mountains wide...
The opponent not only had garrisons, but also tunnel fortifications, large-caliber artillery being hoisted into position, and a whole slew of forward security positions pushed over the watershed to this side.
"Mountain warfare truly is another world..."
Morin sighed inwardly.
Back in the military academy before his transmigration, mountain warfare courses for ordinary cadets like him only scratched the surface. Because in modern armies, this was also a specialized subject; not just anyone could master it.
"Commander, do we continue pushing forward?"
The 3rd Battalion 1st Company commander lying on the other side of Morin asked softly.
Morin looked up at the now fully brightened sky, then at the exposed mountain path ahead that offered almost no cover.
Daytime, no cover, enemy holding the high ground and artillery.
With these three conditions combined... Although it wouldn't be a big problem for him to personally lead a charge and take the pass, the issue was he only brought one company this time, and their mission was merely to conduct preliminary reconnaissance.
Knowing that this was absolutely not the time to act rashly and "alert the snake by beating the grass," Morin shook his head decisively.
"No, prepare to fall back... We're not here to fight this time. We're here to scout the path for the main force behind us."
He then pulled out his portable magitech communication equipment main unit, toggled a few buttons, and spoke to the sub-units carried by the other two platoons.
"All platoons, attention. Those who have completed their designated reconnaissance missions are to descend the mountain immediately and rendezvous at the designated assembly point... Those who haven't finished, operate for at most one more hour and then withdraw!"
At this time on the system map, the other two platoons had also arrived near the passes and high grounds they were responsible for scouting, similarly lighting up several red unit cards on the map.
It seemed the situation in other directions was similar; the Romanians had put effort into several major transit routes.
After putting away the communication equipment, Morin patted the company commander's shoulder.
"Let's go. Make sure everything scouted along the way is recorded well. There's a big job waiting for us when we get back."
Going up the mountain wasn't easy, and going down was equally taxing.
Especially since Morin and his men had to avoid the Romanian security positions marked earlier, taking detours through loose scree and shrubs while fully armed.
It was around noon when Morin, leading his platoon, finally reunited with the other two platoons at the designated assembly point at the foot of the mountain.
The platoon leaders took turns reporting the reconnaissance results of their respective directions to Morin.
Overall, the harvest was considerable. The locations of enemy positions on several key passes and surrounding high grounds were basically ascertained. At the same time, multiple possible attack routes and flanking paths were marked out.
The entire company suffered no casualties or missing personnel, nor did they make any contact with the Romanians' positions.
"Hmm, not bad."
Morin gave a rare, unsparing evaluation after hearing the reports.
"But the bad news is... we'll have to change our plans when we get back. The Romanians are more proactive than we thought."
Guided by the system map, Morin led the entire company traversing the valley, deliberately avoiding areas that might expose their whereabouts along the way.
It wasn't until they finally left the mountainous area and reunited with the company supply train staying on the periphery that Morin completely breathed a sigh of relief.
He took off his rucksack and shotgun from his back, sat on the tailgate of a supply wagon, and chugged half a canteen of water.
The 3rd Battalion 1st Company commander sat heavily on the ground beside him, pulling open his collar to cool off, his face flushed red.
Although the wind was still strong in the Carpathian Mountains in May, the daytime temperatures weren't exactly low. Areas above 1000 meters in altitude could reach nearly 20°C.
And at the foot of the mountain where the supply train was located, it even reached 23°C. Therefore, after strenuous exertion, the instruction unit soldiers were also hot enough to unbutton their collars one after another.
"Commander, you barely even panted the whole way... I see your stamina rivals that of a mule."
Morin, who was drinking water, almost choked.
"You little brat... is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"I swear to the Heavenly Father, it is absolutely a compliment! Mules are the heroes of mountain warfare!"
Morin rolled his eyes, then tossed his canteen to the company commander.
"The usual routine. Arrange sentries and relief personnel. The rest of you make the most of the time to rest, just in case of any emergencies."
"Yes, Commander!"
After giving brief instructions to the company commander, Morin, now idle, found his mind filled with the scenes he had just witnessed on the mountain, and the densely packed enemy unit cards lit up on the system map.
This majestic mountain range could be considered the Romanians' natural iron curtain, but simultaneously, it was also a shackle pinching their throats.
Tearing it open would absolutely require more than just hot blood and two legs.
Aside from more professional soldiers and heavier armaments, a tactical approach entirely different from plains warfare was also needed.
Fortunately, he already had some ideas... Though how useful these ideas would be wouldn't be verified until the main force arrived.
Morin pulled out his notebook and jotted down the scouted information and his preliminary concepts over several pages.
Although his handwriting was so scribbled even he struggled to read it, there were some things he had to write down quickly while his memory was fresh, or he'd forget them all once things got busy.
After finishing, Morin ran over to the communications squad, which had already set up a large radio, and had them send a message to the rear:
Stating that besides the originally scheduled supplies, the Kampfgruppe also required a large quantity of ropes, pulley blocks, portable lifting equipment, and camouflage nets.
After the telegraph operator finished transcribing it onto paper, Morin thought for a moment, then had him add one more sentence at the end.
"Oh right, and mules... the more the better."
From May 9th to the night of May 10th, the rumble of supply trains along the railway lines barely ceased for a moment.
The main force of the "Morin Kampfgruppe" and other supporting troops were successively transported by military trains to the assembly point at the southern foothills of the Carpathian Mountains.
On the flat ground near the station, tents and temporarily constructed supply dumps expanded at a visible rate.
Kleist and Manstein arrived with the second batch of Kampfgruppe troops.
Kleist, having "gloriously ascended" to the position of temporary deputy commander of the Kampfgruppe, went straight to Morin's command tent upon arriving at the temporary assembly point, handing him a highly detailed itemized list.
"Commander, you've practically become a division commander..."
Morin took it and flipped through it, discovering that the forces directly attached to the Kampfgruppe were even more than anticipated.
The two Guard Infantry Regiments were agreed upon beforehand—the 23rd Guard Infantry Regiment and the 31st Guard Infantry Regiment, both elite units within the Guard Corps.
Although the time since they transitioned to the new training syllabus wasn't as long as other units, fortunately, their innate troop quality was excellent, and their weaponry was also prioritized for upgrades.
Outside of these two infantry regiments, Crown Prince Georg also shoved a complete field artillery regiment over.
According to the organizational chart on the list, this artillery regiment was equipped with 77mm guns and the new long-barrel 105mm guns.
The 105mm gun was a good piece of equipment. Although troublesome to transport in a mountain environment, as long as they could be set up in suitable positions, relying on a range far exceeding the opposing artillery, they could still generate sufficient suppression against the pass positions.
But what surprised Morin the most was a line appended to the end of the list:
[Additionally attached: four reconnaissance aircraft along with supporting ground crew and maintenance personnel. Await forward deployment immediately upon the establishment of a frontline field airfield.]
"Wow, reconnaissance aircraft are good stuff. This is truly a generous move..."
Morin put down the list, unable to help but sigh in admiration, while Kleist also nodded.
"It was personally arranged by His Highness the Crown Prince. However, we have to handle the construction of the frontline field airfield and runway ourselves."
"It's fine, minor issue. The current active reconnaissance aircraft don't have high requirements for field airfield conditions. We'll just have the engineers level a piece of ground when the time comes~"
Morin closed the list, his estimation of Crown Prince Georg rising a few notches in his heart.
It seemed the rhetoric transforming the other party into the "Sun" a few days ago was somewhat useful after all.
And on another front, the Austro-Hungarian allied troops also began arriving at the assembly area during the day on May 10th.
The assets the Austro-Hungarian Army brought out this time truly surprised Morin somewhat—four specialized mountain infantry regiments.
They were the 1st and 2nd Kaiserjäger Regiments, and the 4th and 27th Mountain Infantry Regiments.
Whether it was Dresden putting "pressure" on Vienna, or the Austro-Hungarian Empire itself getting anxious, in short, they had indeed shown some sincerity this time.
These four units belonged to the minority within the entire Austro-Hungarian Army that were publicly recognized as "capable fighters."
Although Morin had developed a certain degree of psychological trauma regarding coordinating with the Austro-Hungarian Army...
To be precise, quite a deep psychological trauma... but when it came to reinforcements, having them was better than not.
And to be honest, in a mountain environment, these Austro-Hungarian mountain infantry, who trained year-round in the Alps, were indeed more suitable for this operation.
Since allied forces were coordinating in combat, dedicated liaison officers were naturally needed to coordinate command.
On the afternoon of May 10th, as Morin and Manstein walked together toward the liaison tent on the east side of the assembly area, they saw a figure that nearly made them blow their tops on the spot.
Standing in front of the tent was an officer in an Austro-Hungarian Army uniform, with lieutenant colonel epaulets on his shoulders and a liaison officer armband on his right arm.
Morin recognized that face.
Manstein also recognized it, and his reaction was even more intense than Morin's—
His right hand had instinctively reached for the pistol holster at his waist, only slowly withdrawing it when he realized it was inappropriate.
"Major Sarkozy... Lieutenant Colonel?"
Standing in front of the tent was none other than Sarkozy—the Austro-Hungarian officer who, due to a military train dispatch "error" before the Balkan offensive began, sent Morin and the instruction unit regimental headquarters directly to Vienna.
Although, through a series of mishaps, it was precisely the intervention of Morin and his men that quelled the military coup in Vienna and prevented the worst-case scenario from happening.
However, Morin and the others still harbored lingering resentment toward this "Major Sarkozy," and consequently developed a profound distrust of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's dispatch capabilities.
He didn't expect this man to not only avoid punishment but actually be promoted to lieutenant colonel.
Upon seeing Morin and his group, Lieutenant Colonel Sarkozy, leading a bunch of subordinates, stood bolt upright, head held slightly high—a standard Austro-Hungarian officer's posture.
He first saluted Morin politely, then nodded in greeting to Manstein and Paulus respectively.
"Colonel Morin, it's been a while."
"Hmm, it has indeed been a while..."
Morin smiled, the temperature of that smile being roughly a few degrees lower than the nighttime temperature of the Carpathian Mountains.
Manstein moved his hand away from his holster, but not too far.
Lieutenant Colonel Sarkozy gave a dry cough, straightened his back, trying his best to maintain the dignity of an Austro-Hungarian soldier.
"Colonel Morin, I am very glad to cooperate with you again. This time, I am serving as the liaison officer responsible for coordinating the operations of the four mountain infantry regiments."
His voice was steadier than before, but the pitch was still half a beat too high.
"Please rest assured, the previous... dispatch issues will absolutely not happen again!"
Morin and Manstein exchanged a helpless look.
Even if they wanted to replace him now, it was too late. The entire combat operation was an arrow on the bowstring; it was impossible to change anything because of one liaison officer.
Ultimately, Morin nodded. After the two sides exchanged a few pleasantries outside the tent, Sarkozy proactively invited Morin into the liaison tent to discuss the situation in detail.
Once the two walked into the tent, Sarkozy immediately changed his face.
A cautious expression replaced the forcefully maintained dignity from just now. He almost bent over halfway, leaning close to Morin's side.
"Colonel Morin, there were many people outside just now... I acted like that to maintain the dignity of the Austro-Hungarian military... Please forgive me."
Morin opened his mouth but said nothing. For the first time, he found this guy rather amusing.
"Alright, alright, sit down... Let's get down to business."
Hearing Morin's words, Sarkozy immediately became serious, pulling a stack of documents from his briefcase. They were all regarding the organization, personnel, and equipment status of the four mountain infantry regiments, as well as basic information on each regimental commander.
Morin flipped through them and found that the paper strength of these mountain units was indeed quite full. At the very least, there was no classic maneuver seen in some Austro-Hungarian units of "writing one thousand men on paper but actually having six hundred in place."
"Where are their regimental commanders?"
"They are all on standby in their respective camps. Please rest assured, Vienna has issued explicit orders that this operation is under the unified command of the Saxons. They will have no objections! Furthermore, you are an Honorary Colonel of the Austro-Hungarian Army, a recipient of the 'Commander's Cross of the Order of Leopold'..."
Morin nodded, not getting bogged down on this issue.
To put it bluntly, as long as these Austro-Hungarian mountain troops could execute orders and not drop the ball at critical moments, he didn't want to interfere with their specific combat command anyway.
Later that day, Morin also received an unexpected pleasant surprise.
On a military train transporting vehicles from the homeland, there were also over a hundred technicians wearing "United Industry" uniforms.
The lead technician found Morin, respectfully handed over a receipt, and said to him:
"Colonel Morin, United Industry accompanying technical personnel have arrived, totaling 112... Madam Falkenstein sent us to conduct vehicle preparation, inspection, and technical support."
At this moment, Morin realized that his telegram to the rear, which only mentioned "wanting vehicles," had been comprehensively supplemented by the rich older sister in her own way.
"Cecilia..."
He folded the receipt and tucked it into his pocket, the gloom in his heart brought on by the reconnaissance results dissipating somewhat.
"Alright, you guys head to the rear logistics area and settle in first. Someone will arrange accommodations for you... Pay attention to safety, and don't run to the front lines."
At 9:00 PM on May 10th, Morin punctually walked into the largest tent in the assembly area.
The tent was already packed with people.
The core officers of the "Morin Kampfgruppe" were all present: Kleist, Manstein, Paulus, the battalion commanders of the instruction unit, and the regimental commanders of the Guard Reserve Infantry Regiment, Cavalry Regiment, the two newly incorporated Guard Infantry Regiments, and the Artillery Regiment.
On the Austro-Hungarian side, there was Lieutenant Colonel Sarkozy and the commanders of the four mountain infantry regiments.
A sandbox had been temporarily constructed using wooden boards, sand, and dirt. Although not as exquisite as the one at the Army Group headquarters, the main topographical features and outpost locations were clearly marked.
Morin comprehensively briefed everyone on the reconnaissance results, then used a twig to draw several attack routes on the sandbox.
"Overall, in a mountain environment, it is impossible for large forces to deploy on a broad attack front... Our core objective is to take the Predeal Pass and the controlling high grounds on both its sides, opening a path that supply convoys can pass through."
He tapped a few marked points with the twig.
"Secondary passes and high grounds in other directions will be the responsibility of allied forces to capture or pin down."
The commanders of the four Austro-Hungarian mountain infantry regiments whispered among themselves after hearing the task assignments, but raised no objections.
The pre-battle conference concluded about an hour later. Finally, Morin swept his gaze over everyone in the tent.
"Early tomorrow morning, all units will act according to assigned targets at the designated time. First, clear the Romanian security positions on the outer high grounds, then push up the mountain."
"Simultaneously, I hope everyone prepares themselves for a fierce battle... That is all, meeting adjourned!"
At 5:00 AM on May 11th, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Thick morning fog filled the valleys at the southern foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, compressing visibility to less than fifty meters.
Standing outside the command tent, looking at the dense grayish-white fog before him, Morin actually breathed a sigh of relief.
This morning fog, extremely common in mountainous areas, was instead a godsend cover for the attacking force.
Even if the Romanian defenders on the high ground looked down with binoculars, they could only stare in frustration under this kind of visibility.
When the scheduled time to commence operations arrived, all units began to move almost simultaneously.
According to the attack plan Morin finalized at the pre-battle conference, this time he directly tossed aside the principle found in the traditional military doctrines of various nations that "an attack must first seize the commanding heights on both sides and establish flank cover."
Not because there was anything wrong with this principle, but because under the current operational context, if they obediently gnawed down the high grounds one by one and waited until they were all cleared before advancing toward the pass, it would be too late.
So Morin chose to have the units forgo flank cover and drive straight up the valleys.
The instruction unit's 3rd Battalion and the two Guard Infantry Regiments acted as the first echelon, rapidly thrusting forward along several main valley corridors.
The four Austro-Hungarian mountain infantry regiments simultaneously launched attacks on secondary high grounds and passes on both flanks, acting as both coordination and a pinning force.
The artillery regiment remained on standby in the rear for now—in the thick fog, artillery essentially had no observation conditions. Firing rashly would not only miss the targets but also expose their own artillery positions.
Therefore, long-range fire support would have to wait until the fog cleared.
Contrary to Morin's initial concerns, the process of deploying and penetrating by the various units in the early stages was even smoother than anticipated.
Thick fog filled the entire valley. The instruction unit soldiers moved through the fog, their footsteps absorbed by the damp air and soft humus layer.
They advanced along the routes Morin had marked during his previous reconnaissance, evading the fields of view of multiple known enemy observation posts—although these outposts couldn't see anything in the thick fog anyway.
On Morin's system map, the red unit cards representing the Romanian security forces stayed quietly in their respective positions without any abnormal movement.
Due to the unique and dangerous nature of this operation, Morin once again did not stay in the rear, but moved alongside the instruction unit's 3rd Battalion.
Right now, not far in front of him were those gray figures advancing while keeping a low profile.
Hand signals relayed back from the front continuously passed down the line—safe, continue advancing.
During the period when the fog was thickest, the vanguard units of the Saxon-Austro-Hungarian allied forces had already bypassed several foothill villages and towns originally controlled by Romanian border defense troops.
Scattered across the villages were several stone-built herdsmen's huts, with crude wooden handcarts and some farm tools parked at the doors, but no residents were seen.
Long after the border situation grew tense, the herdsmen and farmers in these villages had already been evacuated further to the rear.
There were small squads of the Kingdom of Romania's forces in some villages.
However, these security squads deployed at the foothills mostly consisted of only company or platoon-level strength, scattered across the vast mountainous region, lacking effective communication with each other.
When the instruction unit's assault infantry emerged from the thick fog, these small groups of Romanian soldiers hadn't even figured out what happened before the battle ended.
There were no massive volleys of gunfire, nor any fierce firefights.
The soldiers of the instruction unit and the Guard Infantry Regiments, relying on absolute numerical superiority and surprise, divided and surrounded the scattered security positions one by one.
Some were even blocked at their doors while the Romanian soldiers were still eating breakfast.
When they saw the suddenly appearing enemy and the gun muzzles in their hands, their first reaction was to raise their hands still holding their cutlery.
Around 7:30 AM, the thick fog began to gradually dissipate.
Sunlight leaked through the gaps in the clouds, and visibility in the valley rapidly recovered.
By this time, the allied first echelon had controlled most of the foothill areas and villages along the attack corridors.
Several scattered Romanian security strongpoints had been cleared one by one; some surrendered, some were annihilated, and a small number of routed enemy troops were running up the mountain.
Morin looked at the situation on the system map. The first phase had concluded, smoother than he expected.
The battle now entered the second phase—launching a forced assault on the main passes up the mountain.
According to the prior operational deployment, the first to launch the second phase attack were the four Austro-Hungarian mountain infantry regiments.
Their task was to simultaneously attack several secondary high grounds and passes from multiple directions to pin down and disperse the attention of the Romanian defenders.
Meanwhile, Morin's main force, after completing final adjustments and ammunition resupply, would concentrate its strength to execute a frontal assault on the Predeal Pass.
On the system map, the blue unit cards of the Austro-Hungarian troops had already begun moving up the mountain along their respective axes of attack.
At Morin's "forward command post," located at a temporary position established in a sheltered spot in the valley, the 3rd Battalion was continuously receiving reports from all directions via intermittent radio signals and messengers riding mules.
"Friendly 1st Kaiserjäger Regiment has made contact with the defenders and is engaged in a firefight."
"Friendly 4th Mountain Infantry Regiment is scaling the rock face on the west side of Hill 234, encountering no resistance yet."
"Friendly 27th Mountain Infantry Regiment and 2nd Kaiserjäger Regiment have begun launching assaults on designated targets..."
Listening to the reports, Morin kept his eyes on the blue unit cards approaching the red ones on the map.
So far, progress was good.
He paid special attention to the right flank. The attack there was the responsibility of the 27th Mountain Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Kaiserjäger Regiment.
According to the information provided by Lieutenant Colonel Sarkozy, the 27th Mountain Infantry Regiment had the most complete structure and sufficient personnel among the four units, while the 2nd Kaiserjäger Regiment possessed the richest experience in Alpine training exercises.
Morin placed these two strongest Austro-Hungarian units on the right flank because the high ground terrain on the right flank was the most complex, and it was also one of the key positions guarding the flank of the Predeal Pass.
Taking the high ground on the right flank would allow them to threaten the defenders of the pass from the side, creating conditions for the frontal assault.
Just as Morin felt the time was ripe and prepared to order the artillery to begin preparatory bombardment on the pass positions—
A muffled sound came from the direction of the right flank.
No... not just one sound.
Immediately following the first sound, a second, third, and fourth sound arrived in rapid succession, each one deeper and heavier than the last.
The entire valley echoed with the noise.
Morin sprang up from his camp chair, rushed out of cover, and looked up.
Halfway up the mountain on the right flank, massive amounts of dust and scree billowed into several grayish-white pillars of smoke.
Then he saw a sight that sent a chill down his spine.
The slope on one side of the entire mountain was collapsing.
Hundreds, thousands of tons of scree, dirt, and fractured rock layers cascaded down the steep mountain slope, forming an alluvial fan over a hundred meters wide.
And the area this alluvial fan was grinding over was exactly the attack route the vanguard units of the 27th Mountain Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Kaiserjäger Regiment had just passed through.
The torrent of scree swept up trees and shrubs as it tumbled downward, the billowing dust obscuring a large swath of vision.
The others in cover also rushed out. Everyone stared dumbfounded at the landslide occurring in the distance.
After an unknown amount of time, a dust-covered messenger riding a mule burst out from the smoke and dust permeating the valley.
"Commander! The right flank was blown up! The Romanians planted explosives on the mountainside in advance. They... they blew half the mountain down!!"