The sky gradually darkened, and the artillery of Verdun, which had been silent for a rare moment, seemed to be preparing for the coming "night state."
The commander-in-chief of the German Fifth Army Group, who was also Crown Prince William of Germany, stood proudly on the high ground in full uniform, holding binoculars and observing the direction of the French Army.
Although he could only see a bit of floating smoke under the hazy moonlight, he pretended to say, "The bombing effect looks very good, the French have been bombed out of sight."
(In the picture, the first figure from the left is Crown Prince William, the full name is omitted for brevity. The one in the middle is German Emperor William II.)
Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Ernst replied, "We may despise the French bureaucrats, Your Highness, but never underestimate the fighting will of the French soldiers; they are much tougher than we imagine."
