An artillery attack launched in response to enemy bombardment, using concentrated fire against the attacker's positions.
From counter- + barrage (concentrated attack, from French barrage meaning barrier, from barre meaning bar). The term became standard in WWI military terminology.
During World War I, counterbarrage became a deadly chess game—artillery officers would predict where enemy guns were positioned based on incoming fire, then launch counterbarrage within minutes, creating a gruesome exchange where speed and calculation meant survival.
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