While Weiss retreated with his troops to the Sambara River, the construction of the defensive line along the river was still in full swing. Before the arrival of the regular troops, the security regiment and the citizen volunteer team from Okujo were the main force in the construction of the fortifications. Thanks to the investment of dozens of construction machines, the construction of the defensive line proceeded faster than expected, and the rearguard troops fought well in the blocking battle, and the federal army units, which had been very embarrassed at the previous stage, were able to regain their strength along the Sambara River.

As a training instructor of a regimental-level combat unit, Weiss was naturally not qualified to participate in combat meetings at or above the regimental level. Basically, the intelligence information about the situation on the front line and the current defensive deployment was heard from the regimental staff officer, Captain Max Lesser. This gentleman graduated from the Gaston Military Academy seven years ago, and since he is an old senior, he will naturally take care of his junior brother, and he knows Weiss's experience, and when he helps the regiment commander command the troops, he also takes various opportunities to let Weiss show his talents. As a matter of fact, the 340th Reserve Regiment lost less than 40 percent of its troops from rushing to the front line, encountering vicious battles, and then constantly retreating, and the 23rd National Defense Division was a relatively intact unit with combat effectiveness. The regimental commander, Colonel Jo Langton, knew his job well and asked Weiss to play the role of the second staff officer of the regimental headquarters during the unit's operations.

On the third day of the arrival of the 23rd Defense Division at the Sambara River, the newly formed Command of the Line of Defense clarified the defense areas and tasks of the various units. This time, a total of 9 divisions and 14 regimental units were attached to the Sambara River defense line. Most of the troops were deployed in positions on the south bank, with the exception of two regiments of the 23rd Defence Division on the north bank.

The 340th Reserve Regiment was also among them.

South of Scamo Heights, an iron bridge spans a 300-foot-wide stretch of river. During the flood season, the river was deep and turbulent, and most of the officers and men of the army did not know how to use water. Therefore, this railway bridge can be said to be the only way for the troops on the north bank to withdraw to the south bank.

The Norman army was menacing, and it was undoubtedly very dangerous to put the troops in a desperate situation under such circumstances. However, the military orders were like a mountain, and even though the officers and men were all kinds of anxiety and helplessness, they could only quickly go to the new defense area to garrison.

From the top of the Scamo Heights, you can not only see the scenery on both sides of the Sambara River, but also the smoke and clouds of the city in the distance. It is a well-located observation deck, an ideal observation post and artillery position on the battlefield, and its tactical value can be seen. This highland, in fact, is a rocky hill, less than a kilometer long and wide, and the summit of the mountain is more than 100 meters above the ground, and the only building on the hill is the monastery located on the top of the hill before the coalition forces dug the mountain to build fortifications. Now that the monks had been evacuated, the monastery had become a liaison point for the defenders, and the two infantry regiments stationed here had built a large number of bunkers, trenches, and artillery positions from the mountainside to the summit, and the frontal fortifications were connected to the shelter behind the mountain by means of communication trenches and a small number of tunnels.

Put two regiments, equip a few artillery batteries, and store sufficient ammunition supplies, not to mention impregnable, at least it is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

It took most of the day to walk up and down the Scamo Heights, and Weiss felt much more at ease. Until the Norman army brings in heavy artillery or invests in the main warships to provide firepower to suppress it, as long as the Federation army does not make a fool of itself and does not make a big mistake, it will not be a problem to hold this place.

Before dusk, Weiss returned to the regimental headquarters. Regiment Commander Jo Langton and Regiment Staff Officer Lesser spent almost the whole day inspecting the defense area of the headquarters, checking and filling in the gaps in the defensive settings and firepower allocation, and there was no lightness with Weiss jumping out of the matter to see the overall situation. Weiss was not stingy, and calmly shared with the two officers what he had seen, gained, and thought that day. His studies at the Batton Military Academy and the Delefig Senior Staff Academy, as well as his experience and thinking on the Northern Front and the Western Front, enabled Weiss to gradually develop the ability of meticulous and in-depth observation, the ability to think in a cocoon, and the ability to express himself concisely and directly, which also became his advantage from ordinary staff officers.

After listening to Weiss's analysis and suggestion, Colonel Jo Langton and Captain Lesser invariably showed a look of relief on their tired faces. Their first reaction was obviously not to use this battle to gain victory or even fame, but to find a way out for the two thousand brothers in the whole regiment - they had to hold their positions in the face of the Norman attack, not to be killed or wounded or dealt with by military justice for abandoning their positions. Generally speaking, as long as they can hold out for 2-3 days under the onslaught of the Norman army, the higher command will replace them with new forces, and this replacement process is often safe and reliable.

Following Weiss's strategy, Colonel Jolandon hastily had dinner and went to the division headquarters on the south bank to get all the necessary weapons and equipment from his superiors, especially individual flamethrowers. As early as the last war, the warring parties developed and equipped their troops with this kind of attacking weapon. In the two decades after the war, although the federal army neglected to upgrade its land weapons, it was still able to ensure a strategic reserve of conventional equipment. In addition, the Sambara River defense line is backed by the federal industrial town of Aocheng, where the military-industrial giant Grumman and the veteran power company Cadiz have production lines, and their operations have not been seriously affected by the war situation at this time, and their finished product warehouses have weapons, ammunition and various war materials.

That night, the flames of the explosion stained the northern sky, and the rumbling roar continued throughout the night, indicating that the Norman army was approaching. At dawn, the last rearguard troops arrived on the riverside, and they retreated across the bridge to the south bank, while the two regiments of federal officers and soldiers who remained on the Scamo Heights could only watch as their sappers blew up the two bridges upstream and downstream, and as far as the eye could see, only an iron bridge was left nearby, but the sappers had already planted explosives on the piers and deployed direct-fire artillery on the south bank of the bridge.

For two or three hours after the rearguard troops crossed the bridge, the iron bridge was empty, and not a single person or car passed. Just when the officers and men of the remaining troops were feeling disappointed, dozens of trucks arrived from the direction of Austria, which drove through the positions of the Union troops on the south bank and over the iron bridge, bringing thousands of weapons and equipment and a large amount of war materials to the defenders of the Scamo Heights. It can be seen that the guns and ammunition have just been packed, and as soon as the lid of the box is opened, the new oil shines one by one. The Norman army was about to arrive, and the officers hurriedly arranged for the equipment and supplies to be unloaded and transferred to the field warehouse, and the necessary parts were distributed directly to the soldiers. When they got the new weapons and equipment, the experienced officers and non-commissioned officers immediately asked the soldiers to make corrections and adjustments to ensure that they could be used in battle.

By the afternoon, the vanguard of the Normans had come into view.

Standing on the top of the hill in the monastery, a high-powered telescope is set up, and the size, composition, and formation of the Norman army can be seen at a glance.

Although the headquarters of the 23rd National Defense Division was located on the south bank, before the enemy launched an attack, the division commander, Major General Varkles, led the staff officers of the division headquarters to cross the bridge to the north bank and ascend the Scamo Heights to inspect the defense, inspect the enemy's situation, and cheer for the soldiers stationed there. While the divisional officers condescended to observe the enemy's situation, the Normans sent dozens of chariots to conduct close reconnaissance of the Scamo Heights and its surroundings. After the Norman army's armored fighting vehicles came into range, the Union soldiers stationed in the forward position opened fire, and they immediately destroyed and damaged two Norman tanks, which was considered to have won the first round of the confrontation between the two sides, but this insignificant result did not boost the morale of the officers and soldiers, because as far as the eye could see, the Norman army had gathered hundreds of tanks and tens of thousands of infantry, like a dark cloud pressing down on the territory, making the federal officers and soldiers feel the pressure.

In the kingdoms of North Fries and Wessex, the Norman army was rampant, relying on skillful air-ground coordination tactics and ingenious interspersed jumping strategies, and the army units in flight mode advanced at an astonishing speed, while in the northern battlefield of the Ulster Free Federation, due to the defeat of the two air forces, the Norman army used airborne tactics behind enemy lines many times, but the head-on battle still returned to the traditional ground mode. Compared with the Free Federation, the Norman Empire has a small population and limited resources, and it would be very disadvantageous for them to fall into the war of attrition that occurred in the previous war, so they did not repeat the meat grinding war of artillery opening the way and infantry filling in the past, but relied on their "steel heavy cavalry", or frontal assault on the enemy position, or high-speed interspersed and roundabout, so as to break the coalition army's exit combat troops, overcome the border defense line of the coalition army's heavy accumulation, and break through the strong Marogos-Cersillo defense line. Attacking the hinterland of the Federation in one fell swoop with a relative disadvantage in troops, and gradually pushing the Federation to the precipice of defeat......

After being held back by Union fire, the Norman chariots quickly retreated out of range of rapid-fire guns, but instead of withdrawing, they continued to reconnoiter around the Scamo Heights, and some even brazenly stopped in the open area and set up high-powered binoculars for visual observation.

The armored combat vehicles that the Normans put into the battlefield can be roughly divided into three types, one is the light four-wheeled armored vehicle that you see in front of you. Judging from the physical objects seized by the Union Army, they were not directly fitted with thin steel plates on ordinary cars, but had sturdy frames, powerful engines, and special tires, which is another proof that the Normans were well prepared for the war. The second was a medium four- or six-wheeled armored vehicle modified on the basis of a cargo truck, which was used to carry infantry and rapid-fire guns, acting as the main force in the Norman armored battle group. The third type is a heavy armored vehicle made from tractor turf, which is thickly armored, slow, capable of crushing barbed wire and crossing ordinary trenches, and usually plays the role of a can opener in battle.

With the approval of Major General Vacles, the Union troops stationed on the Scammo Heights used some of their field guns to drive away the enemy tanks. As soon as the cannon sounded, the Norman chariots ran back as fast as they could, and when the cannon stopped, they came back in circles, and so on. The Normans raced racing, and the Union army practiced artillery, each with its own place, and it was very lively. It wasn't until the flying battleships of both sides appeared that the pre-dinner appetizer was removed from the table.

For the first time since returning to the Northern Front, Weiss had seen a Norman battleship on the battlefield, and judging by its appearance and combat values, it should be a Norman-class battleship with top combat power.

The series of battle readings in the special line of sight made Weston's heart tremble: Is this the rhythm that is going to directly bombard the Scamo Heights?