Gastens and Ivan's troops carried out Gastens strategy well, and they rushed out of the woods where they were hiding, and almost immediately entered a state of charge. The staggered skirmishers alternated in squads, all with guns and no one firing.

"Don't waste bullets before you get into range, you know that the production of each bullet takes up the time of the Elena factory, and I hope that each of you can make the labor of the workers in the rear not in vain."

This was Gastens on the guiding ideology of the use of ammunition in guerrilla warfare. Because of the lack of supplies, guerrilla warfare had to use ammunition more carefully. At the same time, because of the range advantage, the soldiers can also aim and shoot more safely, and the generation difference in weapons gives Elena's guerrillas an excellent environment for guerrilla warfare and sports warfare.

"Shooting !!!"

The voices of more than a dozen commanders sounded at about the same time, and the partisan soldiers, who had already entered the firing range, began to shoot. In the direction of their guns, the enemy convoys did not show the usual panic, but gathered tightly together, and the soldiers leaning on the outside even built simple fortifications in a very short time with the help of wagons and grain wagons. The soldiers hid behind the fortifications, guns in flat hands, and quietly aimed. A rain of bullets from the opposite side flew over their heads and bounced on the bunkers in front of them, and from time to time soldiers were hit, screaming and dying. But even so, the soldiers of the convoy maintained a basic formation and an unsettling silence.

"This team is too calm", Gastens saw the problem, "this is not a pure transport team all the time!" ”

"Bait for fishing?" , Ivan instantly understood what Gastens meant, "Then what to do, do you want to retreat?" ”

The 3rd and 4th Regiments of the Production Brigade, which had just left Elena, were well supplied, and they did not need supplies for the convoy. The main purpose of attacking this convoy was still to destruct Eliot's team. If there were any hidden intrigues or traps for this team, Ivan didn't mind abandoning this brief engagement.

"Keep fighting", Gastens maintained his basic judgment, "Even if there is fraud, the number of people is only so many, we have the advantage of weapons, and it is no problem to fight down." Send some people to look around and watch out for enemy ambushes. ”

Ivan arranged for the soldiers of the guards around him to check the surrounding enemy, and then refocused his attention on the two sides of the war. In such a moment, their own soldiers had already rushed to the golden position about one hundred and fifty meters away from the other party. In this position, the ammunition of your own soldiers has sufficient kinetic energy, while the enemy's Type 27 and Glory Rifles are not in range. The soldiers of the production brigade, who had undergone actual combat tests and rigorous training, lay on their stomachs on the ground, aiming and firing one shot at a time. From time to time, the steam backpacks on their backs hummed and inflated the under-pressurized cylinders. The bullets that fly from the muzzle of the gun rotate towards the target, causing casualties to the opponent continuously.

Gastens observed the situation on the battlefield and made a basic judgment in his heart. This kind of firing distance will make the enemy very uncomfortable. Although they had been prepared, they may have even hidden steel plates in those carts carrying grain. However, this kind of situation of only being beaten and not fighting back, no matter how elite the enemy is, will definitely not be able to endure it for a long time. To break this impasse, they had to take action, abandon their current fortifications and take the initiative. But as long as they take the initiative, their soldiers will definitely make them realize the power of the rear-firing rifled guns.

As Gastens had predicted, the enemy was on the move. They pushed the cart and began to charge at the guerrilla fighters under the cover of the cart. From the carts of grain stood a number of soldiers, with iron plates on their chests and rifles in their hands. Their bodies swayed from side to side as the cart advanced, but the muzzle of the gun in their hands remained basically stable.

"These people are elite! It's a trap for sure! ”

Ivan muttered again, but was complained by Haba Nai lying beside him, "Everyone can see that this is a trap, and now the question is whether to fight it?" ”

"To fight", Gastens was firm, "our weapons and tactical superiority is not so easy to counteract, you see." ”

As Gastens said, although the enemy took out armored combat vehicles, it still could not change the difference in weapons between the two sides. The soldiers of the guerrillas killed a number of soldiers in the enemy's carts, brought the armored tanks to a standstill, and killed many soldiers on the tanks. However, the enemy's numerical superiority gradually became apparent at this time, and one after another tanks came into range, and the partisans suffered casualties. There were even quite a few soldiers on the chariot who jumped out of the chariot after entering the firing range, brandishing scimitars in an attempt to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Although the guerrillas still maintained a cautious distance of contact and carefully controlled the contact area between the two sides, the number of casualties on the partisan side began to increase as the fighting progressed.

"Head, isn't it okay to hit like this?" , Ivan was a little anxious, "Although the enemy died more, but we only have two thousand people, we are really going to die, but there is nothing." ”

"Is there an ambush?" Gastens replied to the question, raising a question that he was more concerned about.

Ivan called two people over and asked, and gave the answer.

"Nope."

"Tell them that there is no need to save ammunition, suppress a wave of firepower, and see the reaction."

Gastens adjusted his tactics, and the partisans at the front quickly executed. The guerrilla soldiers, who had maintained a basic firing frequency, suddenly increased the firing frequency, and the sudden burst of gunfire continued for some time and then thinned out again. This wave of fire suppression caused considerable casualties to the enemy who were launching the chariot charge, and also delayed their offensive. After the gunfire of the partisans had thinned out, the enemy soldiers hesitated for a moment before charging again.

"The terrain in the woods is more favorable, tell them to fight and retreat."

Gastens again gave a new order. The partisans began to rely on the advantage of range to fight and retreat. Half of these soldiers were veterans, and they retreated while maintaining the stability of the team as a whole. Although the recruits from the fourth production regiment were a little flustered, under the leadership of the veterans, they also kept up with the pace of the team. Although the rhythm was generally stable in the process of retreating, the retreat of the guerrillas brought a more encouraging signal to the other side than expected. Seeing the rare appearance of fatigue on the part of the devil-like enemy, the soldiers of the convoy let out a howl of excitement, and they pushed the chariot to charge, eager to fight, only to find that the chariot was blocked out of the woods and could not enter.

"The leader is really the leader, and if you go into the woods, you can't do it, right? Without those cars, I'll see what they can do! ”

Ivan saw that his side had effectively stopped the enemy's chariot attack, and instantly relaxed. Gastens was able to take command by his side, allowing him to remove the biggest psychological barrier and make it easier to observe the situation. However, contrary to what he had imagined, Gastens did not express any apparent joy at the fact that the enemy attack was blocked.

"One more wave, and then withdraw."

"Huh?" , Ivan didn't understand a little, but he pondered it carefully, and probably guessed the starting point of Gastens to make this order. The enemy's armored fighting vehicles and far more troops than expected made their own losses exceed expectations. Although we should be able to win in this kind of fighting, it is also inconsistent with the idea of guerrilla warfare. Guerrilla warfare is originally a tactic in which the enemy advances and retreats, and there is really no need to confront the enemy.

Gastens's order was quickly carried out. The guerrillas who entered the forest did not fight the enemy for long. Relying on the range and accuracy of their own weapons, they fought and retreated, gradually breaking away from the enemy and disappearing into the depths of the forest. Behind them, the soldiers of the 2nd Division of the 3rd Guards Army hesitated for a moment and abandoned the pursuit.

"This time it was a good fight!"

Soon after the disengagement, the commander of the 2nd Division of the 3rd Guards Army, John Duden, set the tone for the outcome of the contact battle, "Although the casualties were nearly 1,000, the casualties inflicted on the enemy were less than 100." But this battle proved our new tactics, and with vehicles equipped with ironclad vehicles, we could improve the propulsion of our troops, and also counter the enemy's weapon superiority to a certain extent. ”

"However, ironclad chariots also have drawbacks," added Richard Moore, an operational staff officer of the 2nd Division of the 3rd Guards Army, "and the ironclad chariots have a limited number of soldiers and cannot provide adequate firepower coverage as the queue to shoot tactics do." It can also be seen from this battle that we have more than 30 ironclad chariots and nearly 600 soldiers, but the damage caused to the enemy is limited. ”

"Yes, and the soldiers on the cart are advancing with bullets, and the psychological pressure is also very great", John Duden nodded, "This is still our army, and the psychological quality is good, if you change troops, you can't fight like this." ”

"But it's a viable tactic anyway, and you have to report it to His Royal Highness," Richard Moore concluded, "and it's better than the current way of playing." ”

"That's nature," John Duden looked into the distance, and in the lush woods, the enemy was long gone. He couldn't help but wonder who would be Gastens next?

————————————

"Head, I think we can win because the casualties are too big to fight?" , on the way to retreat, Ivan took the initiative to ask questions. Gastens was still quite aggressive in the use of troops, and now he suddenly relented, which made him a little curious.

"Casualty is one thing," Gastens crossed a ravine, "and on the other hand, because of the enemy's purpose." The purpose of our guerrilla warfare is to harass the enemy, disrupt their logistics, disrupt their rhythm, and reduce their will to fight. And this team was specially built to ambush us, and their purpose was to fight us. If we continue to fight in this situation, our goal cannot be achieved, but the enemy's goal can be achieved, and even if we win, we will actually lose. Because we did what the enemy wanted, we fought them head-on. ”

"Oh, I see," Haba Nai, "that's what the head said, that you can't get your hands on the other side in a war." In this war, the other side wants to fight, but our purpose is not to fight, but to attack and harass, so if we continue to fight, even if we win, we will not achieve our goal. ”

"That's what it means, and it's also very cost-effective for our casualties."

Gastens nodded, letting Ivan and Vir continue their discussion. In his heart, there was a faint worry that did not speak. Because there is no gunpowder, there are very few explosives in this world, and the possibility of developing a powerful artillery similar to that of the earth is very small. And steam cannons like the Neglo Republic, because they use solid shells, are limited in lethality, and more of a deterrent. At the same time, in terms of weapon power, in order to further improve the lethality of the use of pneumatic propulsion projectiles, the requirements for technology, materials and manufacturing processes will be accelerated. In contrast, the cost of developing defensive equipment, such as soldier armor or armoured fighting vehicles, is much lower. In Gastens's judgment, the development trend of the world's weapons will shift to defensive weapons rather than offensive weapons. He had thought that the other countries here would not realize this so quickly, but judging from the battle just now, some people had already begun to focus their attention on the idea of developing defensive equipment. If the opponent is allowed to develop this line of thought, the enemy's firepower advantage will be offset more quickly, and the enemy of the revolutionary army will become stronger.

However, there is no good way to do this, with the departure of the era of magic and the popularization of the steam breech-loading rifled guns introduced by themselves, the development of weapons and armor in this world will surely enter the fast lane. Although his knowledge is advanced, there are also many intelligent people in this world, and he must create conditions for the revolutionary cause and expand his superiority as much as possible during the period when his superiority is maximized.

So, time is tight.

"Head, where are we going next?"

Ivan and Haba Nai discussed for a while and began to ask questions. In this battle, they suffered more than 100 casualties, although the absolute number is not much, but in the history of the production brigade is not a few. Both he and Weir are concerned about the team's next steps.

"Change the target and continue to fight", Gastens was very resolute, "We came out this time to put more pressure on the enemy as soon as possible and fight for space." If we could take substantial control of a part of the province of Enspan, as a revolutionary area on the outskirts of Elena, we would have more strategic initiative. ”

"Okay, hit!"

Ivan himself was very fond of war, and he naturally had no objection to Gastens' proposal. Haba Nye had just become the commander of the Third Regiment for a short time, and he also hoped to have more opportunities to fight. The two commanders, together with Gastens, gave a new battle order.

Turn around and head south, find new targets, annihilate the enemy's living force, and keep the enemy restless and sleepless at night!