The Macedonian army was in formation, as usual, with artillery in front and bows and arrows behind, followed by a phalanx of pikes lined up, and the cavalry concentrated in one place. In order to fight against elephants and siege battles, Ducarus did not have many cavalry, which belonged to a small but refined configuration. Guards, Royal Cavalry and two squadrons of heavy cavalry.

"General, do you want to send those rookies to the front to cushion the impact of the elephant herd?"

"No need. After hunting so many elephants, are we still afraid? Just take it in stride.

Militia and mercenaries can only be used once, and I have an important use for keeping them as auxiliary forces. Just let them wait on the shore. ”

As he spoke, the Carthaginian army came up, also in a long snake formation, the tall war elephants were unusually conspicuous, on the far right of the line, one was large, and the other was slightly shorter.

"There were probably more than a hundred. Attack with fire. ”

The catapult throws a fireball at the elephant. Six shots in the first round, two in the middle of the ground. One elephant caught fire with fuel and the other was knocked down.

The experienced artillery is really good and efficient. Being able to give very strong support to teammates on the battlefield, and at the same time, it also needs comrades to use their lives to survive, which is a valuable resource.

"There is a military rule in the Macedonian army: protect artillery." (Even archers don't have such treatment.) ）

The rounds of fire directly shot a group of enemy war elephants crazy, lost their combat effectiveness and ran wildly, injuring friendly troops.

Carthage's catapults were just in place, trying to fight back. In order to ensure the elephant herd, the Carthaginian general chose to cooperate with the elephants to attack on all fronts. Speed up.

Enter the Macedonian archer range. Continued to shoot rockets violently, but it didn't work, and the elephant rushed over.

The three phalanxes came out side by side, with a dense array of guns to meet these behemoths. As the elephants ran, the ground shook around them, and the Macedonian soldiers clenched their spears. The javelinmen had already gone up to throw the javelin. Specially trained thrower subjects have a higher kill rate and a more correct firing position.

Javelins and long spears are relatively most effective against elephants. Still, the sharp tusks, the stout trunks, the pillar-like legs, and the massive ramming of the body were the nightmares of the soldiers standing opposite the human body, all of which were deadly.

Losses against a strong enemy are inevitable, and the hardships and fears of the fighters are incomprehensible to ordinary people. There were even pikemen on the Macedonian side who had been stoned to death by the fallen big guys, but everyone stayed close together and kept in formation, bent on killing the enemy. In the fierce battle, the elephant fell, and one after another.

At the same time, the Carthaginian cavalry launched a threatening roundabout attack, with the Templar infantry cooperating from the front.

The Carthaginian cavalry bypassed the flanks of the phalanx, and the Macedonian cavalry met them, fighting in fours. The pikemen on the flanks formed a phalanx and turned to the enemy cavalry. The Macedonian cavalry split into two lines and tried to encircle. The offensive line of the Carthaginian cavalry was compressed, and Ducarus saw the opportunity to besiege a lone squadron with three squadrons of cavalry, which was instantly annihilated. The lone royal cavalry drove behind the enemy cavalry.

The main Carthaginian cavalry was caught between the cavalry and the pikemen, and lost their mobility. Ducarus again led the cavalry to launch a second assault, and the Carthaginian cavalry was defeated.

The Macedonian cavalry won.

The infantry line was bogged down in a dog-tooth melee, the Carthaginian Regimental infantry had a good stun, and the ordinary Macedonian phalanx was no match. The Royal Pikemen will win in a head-to-head battle with the Spear. And the soldiers of the Holy Order, assisted by war elephants, put a lot of pressure on the Macedonian center.

Three or two elephants slipped from the side, holding solid tusks, and burrowed into the Macedonian phalanx. This was the worst situation in the battle against the Phalanx, and many soldiers were knocked into the air. Trampling and throwing, the phalanx soldiers are fighting hard. Javelinmen come up to support! Very well, another royal phalanx came to help, and the spear pierced the big round buttocks of the war elephant. I only heard this guy scream in panic, stab again, and fall to the ground......

The Macedonian left flank was crushed, but Ducarus still won the battle. He regrouped his men and defeated the remnants of Carthage in one fell swoop, and the fleeing enemy scattered across the Afrigian Plains. The Macedonian cavalry pursued mercilessly and planned, exterminating most of them.

The survivors fled back to the city of Carthage.

Ducarus did not chase down the city in one go, but reorganized the army and replenished the reserves. and the redeployment of auxiliary regiments (consisting of a large number of militias and mercenaries) from the shore. After a short rest, drive directly to the Carthaginian capital.

All strong troops, the city is fortified, and the enemy reinforcements that do not know when they will arrive. Conquering Carthage is easier said than done.

Ducarus has obtained information that there are many defenders around, and they can be quickly reinforced at any time. The difficult situation made Ducarus settle down. Because he is the commander of the raid legion and an expert in landing warfare, being surrounded is the normal battle he needs to face.

If the Carthaginian nest is defeated in one blow, it will be a fatal blow to the enemy, both politically and militarily. Cities can also be used as fortified defense points and bridgeheads.

Ducarus chose to take a cautious step and camped ten miles outside the city. However, his orders were all for the siege: assemble siege engines, distribute siege ladders to the reserves, replenish the phalanx, and personally observe the structure of the city. After a day of deliberation, Ducarus decided to attack the city.

Carthage is an extremely developed city, and the degree of construction is close to the scale of a megacity. The mighty navy and the city's war elephants made the city of Carthage look untouchable, so they neglected to build the city defenses, stone walls. For such a city, it is completely insufficient; For Macedonian artillery, the wall was as thin as paper.

The siege began early the next morning. The sky was bright and the sea was misty. Ducarus secretly rejoiced: "The first step has succeeded." ”

"Auxiliary legions, equipped with ladders to attack the city from the front."

The reserve received orders to carry it out immediately, assisting them with javelinmen. The militia and mercenaries swarmed up, and a ladder of ten people spread out in front of the city, and attacked the city collectively.

The scene is grand and spectacular.

Seeing this momentum, the Carthaginian defenders took it upon themselves and immediately climbed the city wall to intercept the attack. Punic archers stand between the battlements and take turns firing arrows, one round of bows and one round of rockets. Many of the besieging militia were hit by arrows and fell, but they did not stop advancing. Enemy fire is still fierce, and damage is continuous.

Finally, the first group of soldiers rushed to the base of the city, and stones and boiling oil fell one after another on the wall. The ladder was broken by stones, and the soldiers were hit by arrows, burned, and burned countless times.

The reserve team finally climbed to the top of the city, and there was a line of Carthaginian infantry standing on it.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, at least seven Holy Order squares."

Militiamen with simple equipment and mercenaries with mediocre combat effectiveness collided face-to-face with heavily armed Templar fighters. Cannon fodder vs. elite.

(End of chapter)