Today's three watches

Black plumes of smoke poured into the clear blue sky, and the Vaena River was enveloped in the sound of gunfire and metal clashing.

Prussian soldiers who tried to storm the city through the Vaena River lay in the mud, but the corpses were soon trampled by another group. A bloody tug-of-war, using human life as a weight, back and forth to fight for the winner's scales.

The sound of Krupp artillery has not stopped for two or three days.

The 1st Bavarian Army was still busy besieging Le Taylor, and the 7th Army and the 2nd Knight Division were resisting more fiercely than they had imagined. They seemed to be holding the second gateway to Saint-Quentin, and relying on the danger of the Vaena River, the Imperial cavalry made a final resistance.

Standing on the hill across the wide waters of the Vaenne River and looking at the remnants of the French Seventh Army opposite, Count Tann showed his anxiety, he put down the binoculars in his hand, and signaled the artillery regiment to continue bombarding the fortress with Krupp guns, which was bound to open up the entire communication artery to Saint-Quentin.

At this time, he was worried about something else, for three hours earlier he had sent 1,300 men of the 3rd, 4th, and 10th Infantry Regiments of the Low Rhine Regiment to the town of Saint-Conley, west of Le Taylor, to annihilate the French Infantry Regiment that had disgraced him.

When the Earl of Tann received the telegram, he almost fell to the ground, and the entire charging cavalry regiment and the expeditionary frontier hunting regiment, which had been responsible for outflanking Le Taylor downstream, actually collapsed in an obscure town, while the other side strafed their troops like wheat harvesting. This was a great shame for the Earl of Tann, and even more shameful for him were the two telegrams sent by Crown Prince Friedrich, which were a naked irony for the Count of Tann and the First Army of Bavaria, which he was proud of.

The first was a condolence letter from the Crown Prince, and a warning to the Earl of Tann not to make a major mistake next time. For this unforgivable mistake, Friedrich showed generosity and mercy. But Earl Tann knew that the Crown Prince's forgiveness of his mistakes did not mean that he would not question his abilities.

If the crown prince just greets him with a knife in his heart, then the iron-blooded prime minister will not be in such a good mood.

The second was a reproach from Prime Minister Bismarck, warning Tann that the French army must be annihilated, and that if he heard of such humiliating losses of the First Bavarian Army again, he would be removed from the post of commander and replaced by someone else. Because he is a disgrace on the Franco-Prussian battlefield so far.

In reply to the telegram, Tann said that this would never happen again, because the expeditionary force had besieged the French infantry regiment in Saint-Conlay, a town that was easy to defend and difficult to attack, and they needed to take Le Taylor quickly, and the besieging Bavarian First Army had separated the Low Rhine regiment to support the expeditionary force. There were nearly 3,000 people in total to deal with this French army of less than 1,000 people, and Tann naturally felt that the victory was in his hands.

He was now under the future Crown Prince of Prussia, Friedrich, and the slightest mistake could lead to his position in the Bavarian Army, and in addition to him, Hartmann, the commander of the Second Bavarian Army, was eyeing the control of the Bavarian servant army.

The Bavarian Second Army had already begun its march in the direction of Reims, and Hartmann would reach Paris faster than he could. If Le Taylor can't attack for a long time, it will affect his position in the heart of the crown prince.

"A Le Taylor, plus a Saint-Conlay, is this intended to be a joke for the Bavarian Second Army? The order was given to storm the fortress, and the gateway to St. Quentin must be opened within a day or two. ”

Commander Tann had lost his patience, and his wide boots stomped on one of the irises, breaking the iris and stepping the blue flowers into the dirt.

However, the blue that is not completely buried is particularly glaring.

"These damn French bugs."

Commander Tann cursed angrily, "The Charon Legion has all surrendered, and the Rhine Legion is also within our encirclement, why do they have other resistance forces?" And also show unprecedented fierce resistance? ”

The telegram that the Second Bavarian Army was about to capture Reims three hours earlier made Tann completely determined, and separated the Low Rhine Army to support the expeditionary force besieging Saint-Conlay. He wouldn't let Hartman get ahead of him and ask the crown prince for credit.

The surrounding adjutants looked at each other, and no one could give him an answer.

Commander Tann didn't need an answer, he just wanted a result, and when the Prussian flag was planted on the head of Le Taylor, he would crush the once invincible Napoleonic imperial army.

Standing in place and thinking for a while, he turned his head and said to the adjutant, "Send another order, and inform the Low Rhine Regiment that it must open up St. Conley tomorrow morning to ensure that the follow-up troops can attack the northwest unmistakable." Therefore, regardless of whether the French commander who commanded this campaign was the Messiah or the Messiah, I will meet him at this time tomorrow to accept the surrender ceremony. ”

Tann was disdainful of the cowardice and cowardice shown by the French commanders, who had no determination to fight to the death, and surrendered as soon as the war went in an unfavorable direction.

Loyalty to the monarch was the glory of the Prussian army.

A smug smile appeared on the corner of Count Tann's lips, and at this time, the Krupp artillery launched a new attack on Le Taylor, and the heavy artillery fire destroyed the French army's fortifications, at which point the remnants of the 2nd Cavalry Division abandoned their horses and joined a defensive battle.

Soon he will cut the throat of northwestern France and command the army to march straight in. Complete the task given to him by Friedrich.

Tann did not know that even if the besieged men were trapped, the French army would not dare to surrender. All the formed armies, including the remnants of Le Taylor's defenders, besieged in the occupied northern part of the country, received a telegram from Paris, an order to cut off their desire to surrender.

"The French army will not tolerate the surrender of any traitor to the enemy, and if anyone surrenders and becomes a prisoner, or assists the Prussian army in attacking the homeland, he will be brought before a court-martial. His family and relatives will also take advantage of the government's guarantees and benefits. Any soldier who dares to propose surrender to the enemy or flee without approval shall be directly executed by the superior officer according to the situation. ”

The word execution, the French soldiers who had shaken the hearts of the army gave up the idea of surrendering, knowing that even if they surrendered and saved their lives, there would be a reckoning after the end of the war.

"Swear to the death, don't retreat!"

In the city, which was under heavy fire, the cavalry reloaded their Type 1854 cavalry rifles and waited for the next round of attacks after the Prussian bombardment was over.

They had no way out, and instead of dying at the muzzle of the commander's revolver and engraved with the shame of being a traitor, it was better to fight to the death with the Prussian invaders and die a glorious martyrdom.

A new round of attack began, and the Prussian soldiers, who were suppressed by the fire, forced back the Prussian soldiers, and the French soldiers, who were hiding under the corner, suddenly stood up, leaned on the cover of the wall, and fired the first shot at the enemy.

Swear not to take a step back!

God bless France!