XVII

Two white beams of light streaked across the early sky.

The horses' hooves, wrapped in thick cloth, stepped over the shadows cast by the grove and bypassed the flanks of the Second Guard, unaware that they had been spotted by the opposing observation posts.

"About twenty companies of cavalry are pointing at our flanks! The rear guard is bayonet with his back to the enemy, and the flanks continue to make a feint! Don't let them know that we are ready!"

Egar Eugen quietly informed the commanders of the various companies of the code that only members of the staff could understand, causing a small commotion. The scheduled general assault on the frontal enemy was immediately aborted, and four companies were transferred to the rear to prepare for the enemy's attack.

Both sides have patiently deployed their troops to adapt to the rapidly changing situation. In previous exercises, the Phates and Fort Stillburg Defenses were the two units with the highest winning percentage, far more brilliant than the Lenny garrison he now commanded, but tonight was not a drill, and it was not paint-filled blank ammunition used. Lieutenant Colonel Eugen chewed gum irritably, confidently awaiting the expected enemy attack.

The huge cavalry team almost simultaneously reached the assault line one hundred and fifty meters from the enemy, and stopped in the shadows for a moment, as if to gauge the situation on this side. In the dim moonlight, the sparse sound of gunfire and the flickering of the muzzle fire seemed to indicate that the battle of the defenders of the fortress to retake the Fourth Guard was in full swing. Therefore, these competent cavalrymen did not hesitate for long and immediately launched a surprise attack. Each assault platoon consisted of two companies, each of which formed a phalanx of thirty cavalry widths and four rows, with a total of six frontal assault platoons scattered over a frontage of nearly eight hundred meters. They no longer hid their whereabouts, but shouted earth-shattering slogans, accompanied by the holy light of prayer, and rushed straight behind the enemy array!

The commanders of the companies, who had been keeping an eye on the rear guard, did not miss this moment.

"Raise the spear in the rear!"

Rulin's bayonets and spears were raised simultaneously on the hundreds of meters long defensive line, reflecting a faint chill in the dark night.

The shouts of killing immediately turned into screams. Before the rows of green-clad cavalry at the forefront of the charge could react, the bayonet forest in the darkness had already poked them off their horses. There were five layers of deep guard lines, enough to hold off the heavy knights of the Empire, not to mention these light cavalry of the Fathes. After all, there is no invincible Iron Cavalry in reality, and properly equipped infantry does not require any trickery to deal with a frontal assault of cavalry. The fact that a small number of cavalry assaulted a heavy infantry array can only exist in fiction. When it was seen that the next Phaetes were about to suffer fatal losses......

A horse at the end of the left flank suddenly leaped out and crossed the entire front at incredible speed. The rider in the shining Mithril breastplate bowed down, a blinding red light dancing on the scepter in his hand, turning into a red arc across the battlefield, across the front of the entire camp, and brushing against the firing line.

It was the line of death that only a madman would pass through, but this man rushed over!

"All the guerrilla cavalry turned!"

Seeing this, each cavalryman immediately jerked the reins of his horse, and hundreds of sabers were inserted back into their waists, replaced by freshly drawn pistols. The herd of horses, still rushing towards the bayonet formation, came to a neat halt, and the rows swirled accurately to the right, leaving only the horsemen to shoot bullets at the enemy formation.

Their movements were as accurate as real dragon knights, as neat and graceful as a minuet - not a single horse crossed the red line that crossed the firing line!

The people who can perform this tactical move are like stars in the sky, but there are not many cavalry units that can perform this tactical maneuver - as for the cavalry units that can immediately turn from shock to "dragoon dance", there are no more than three in this world.

Seeing this action and that ride, Lieutenant Colonel Eugen knew who was on the other side. He spat out the gum from his mouth and muttered the prayer.

"Lend me a sword and use it. ”

After removing the sword from the waist of one of the gendarmes beside him, Eugen pulled the reins of his horse and let his mount leap into the air, and the sword was thrown out of his hand with a white holy light.

The white light swirled and chased after the lone rider who crossed the front of the battle line, and slashed straight at the enemy commander who crossed the battlefield!

"Robert Al, this is a gift for you!"

The man on horseback glanced back at the sound, immediately released the stirrup of his left foot, and hung his body diagonally on the side of the horse, revealing a wonderful riding skill. Then, with a flick of his scabbard, he let his saber pop out, and the hilt touched the white light in the air—the swirling sword spun in a direction that could fly over the horse's head!

"Hey, are you a bribe, Eugen?

The commander, who also had the rank of lieutenant colonel on his shoulder, replied loudly, and immediately withdrew with the cavalry team that had finished firing out of the musket range, leaving Eugen's urgently dispatched sniper team into the air.

The heroic battle between the commanders of both sides caused a thunderous cheer in the formations of both armies - but in fact, neither took advantage. The undying partisan cavalry followed Eugen's line back and forth in an attempt to find a flaw, while Eugen showed his talent as the "commander-in-chief of the special forces of the Free Army", blocking every possibility of the enemy destroying the offensive plan with a small number of reserves, and transferring all the isolated troops back to the center.

It's like the first ten moves on the board by fellow players who know each other's moves. You don't have to take any long tests to read the other person's intentions.

*** ***

"The commander on that side should be Lieutenant Colonel Al, the gallbladder of the Phatez, right? Seeing the guerrilla cavalry here makes me feel like I'm back home. ”

On the walls of the fortress, two kilometers to the south, the envoys from the empire sighed as if no one was around. The female captain officer who was in charge of monitoring him on the side smiled slightly when she heard this: "You have a lot of affection for Fates, Your Excellency the Viscount?"

"No, it's just that he has a lot of affection for the guerrillas. I've been fighting their harassment forces since I was a teenager. In the Duchy of Figota, both the guerrillas and the names of their commanders can silence a crying baby. ”

Rasta's joke was not funny, and Edith didn't know how to react for a moment, so she had to change the subject with a smile: "What do you think of the current state of the war? ”

After Viscount Rasta pondered for a moment, he looked at the few torches moving below and analyzed: "According to the current situation, our army should have a slight advantage. The opponent is the musketeers, but the surprise attack has completely failed. In the face of a well-prepared opponent with bayonets and muskets, it is obviously not feasible to compete for lethality, and the only choice left is to shake the opponent's morale, or find the opponent's flaws and break them in one fell swoop. If they are facing the Imperial Army, they still have a chance to find a flaw, but in the face of friendly forces who know the roots, all their actions are sealed to death. In addition, Eugen has already beautifully boosted the morale of our army just now, even if it is a partisan cavalry, there should be no chance of a big victory now. After all, it's not the time when knights can sweep through the infantry. ”

There was some loneliness in his last sentence, after all, he was also the one who wore the outdated title of "knight". However, his mind is not as old as his title. The analysis of these few sentences was quite thorough, reflecting the basic quality of a commander, and several staff officers around him were a little surprised.

"Wouldn't it be too optimistic? The defenders of Fort 4 and the infantry that had just been repulsed on the flanks were nearby, and if we gathered them all together for a flanking attack, we would have a chance to annihilate our army. Edith made a direct rebuttal, and it seemed that she had been deducing the situation as well. Naimon, who was listening from the sidelines, blushed: he himself was fascinated by the wonderful scene of the cavalry assault and the duel of the chief officer below, and he did not consider the change in the battle situation at all.

"From here, our army is indeed in a state of surroundment. But it is not so easy for the besiegers to attack in coordination. The three enemy forces below were chaotic and obviously not subordinate, and this level of coordination could not shake our position in any way. Even if we forcibly attack with the consciousness of sacrificing one wing, we can only force our army to break through and return to the city. Presumably, after the 4th Fort was recaptured, the enemy army would begin to retreat...... Unfortunately, this is such a great opportunity. If there were two thousand or so more troops, I would be able to keep the enemy forces coming and going, except for the guerrilla cavalry. ”

The Viscount's tone was indifferent, but it contained a firm self-confidence—the kind of confidence that only a famous general with a lot of experience has. He said that if he can do it, he will definitely be able to do it. This self-confidence is contagious to everyone around them. If there really are an additional 2,000 troops now, the surrounding staff officers may reach a consensus, and it may be possible for him, the Imperial soldier, to take him out to rescue......

But there was one person who questioned it, and that was the lowest-ranking and youngest of all the staff officers.

"That Robert should be the one in charge of the staff of the Fathes, right? Why would he continue to fight such a war of attrition with no hope of victory?"

Hearing this, the surrounding staff officers all smiled bitterly. Edith sighed and explained helplessly: "The new Ding who just graduated just can't do it." No matter how failed the battle plan is, if it is withdrawn without any losses, it will only prove the incompetence of the commander-in-chief, and the final report cannot be written. Even if you know that you will fail, you must work until the last moment, so as to give the impression that your superiors have fought hard - this is in the army, no, this is the iron rule of survival in this world. No matter how hard you try, if others don't know you're trying, there's no point. It's the same even in the Imperial Army, Mr. Rasta?"

“...... Well. You have to please your superiors, we have to please the emperor, it's the same thing. In this world, you can't rise to the top without doing that. Rasta said with a look of disgust.

"But, Robert must be a man who cherishes his soldiers, and I don't think he will continue to fight uselessly for the sake of showing himself......"

"No matter how much you cherish your soldiers, you still have to give way to your own future at this time. Even if it were me, I would have tried until the last minute in the face of this situation. After all, it was a risky surprise attack plan, and if you can't take a foothold before the arrival of the big army, you will have to take responsibility. ”

Namen thought for a moment, but still insisted on his opinion: "But that is a commander who is always at the forefront of the team, and would rather expose himself than stop the assault of the troops." Doesn't the average person do that? Is he really just trying to perfunctory his superiors? There must be some other reason......

"It's also possible that they are waiting for reinforcements, but this is not very likely. Rasta surveyed the battle in the distance and said, "Look, their flank infantry has launched another failed counterattack. This was obviously just a routine hopeless attempt, and if the cavalry could not do it, the infantry would be used...... If they still had reinforcements, they would have been on the front line long ago. ”

During their discussion, Major Cussen marked the latest positions of the two armies on the command map. Eugen's reinforcements succeeded in gathering and nearly conquered the Third Guard, while the disgraced Fatess infantry crowded the vast positions on the south and east sides of the Third Guard, trying to prepare for the next offensive. The position in which they were holding also showed that they had no reserves other than the guerrilla cavalry who had already attacked.

But Naymen Soleton still felt a faint sense of unease. He always felt that there were factors that had not been taken into account.

*** ***

Harassment and Anti-Harassment. Assault vs. counter-assault. Blocking shooting and sniping.

Inside and outside the fort, which was only a few hundred meters square and built purely to serve as an artillery base, soldiers in the same uniforms fought each other. Finally, after the reinforcement of the seventh assault company reached the city walls, the weakened Fathesan army began to retreat to the northwest.

"Conquered!"

It was nearly ten o'clock in the evening when the cheers finally came. Egar Eugen stood on the deformed wall, looking at the enemy forces to the east and south. Robert's men split into several groups of harassers and were constantly attacking the defenders he had left behind. They did not make a decisive assault, but such cumulative losses were also unbearable for several companies that served as defenders.

"Let the rearguard withdraw and get within the cover of Fort Guard's artillery. The rest of the troops rested here, replenished ammunition and fire. An hour later, an attack on Fort 4 was launched. ”

The commanders of the units reported the damages. With the exception of a few companies facing the guerrilla cavalry and more than a quarter of the companies attacking the fortifications, the remaining units suffered only about one-twentieth of minor injuries. The fighting in these hours was not intense. Hearing such a result, Eugen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Even if they have reinforcements, they won't arrive until mid-afternoon...... I think we'll be able to end the battle before dawn. ”

In the previous battle, the artillery at the head of the city was probably destroyed in half, but the rest also provided enough deterrent. The partisans finally tried to withdraw from the range of the artillery, as everyone had estimated. However, they did not retreat to the 4th Fort to the east to strengthen the defenses, but began to build fortifications in the plain south of the 3rd Fort in the middle of the range of the Fort Guard's artillery and the main Cypriot artillery. The guerrillas abandoned their horses and stood in the makeshift defensive line of the Magical Engineers, as if to prevent the defenders of the fortress from reinforcing Eugen.

From the beginning of the battle to the present, this is Robert's first evil move. Completely unconventional actions. It is true that the other side will not know how many reserves are left in the fortress, but such a bold action can only prove that they have other plans.

"That's weird...... Are they thinking of annihilating us all here? How is this possible? Why are they retreating to the northwest?"

Robert could bring five thousand men at most, Eugen had judged, but now wavering was eating at his faith.

The lieutenant colonel walked briskly north along the crooked top of the wall, looking out over the avenues and forests that stretched north. The darkness and fog completely obscured his vision, and even the Fourth Guard only loomed in the telescope, let alone the more distant avenue leading to the capital of Phates. It seems to be possible to see a fire flickering in the haze, but it seems to be just an illusion of the eyes, or some xenomorph creatures that move in the night. In the land after ten o'clock in the middle of the night, there is no light, no reality, only the fog of war.

Yes, or no, will there be enemy reinforcements?

The soldiers were resting, but Lieutenant Colonel Eugen was having a hard time. Robert also came from the Special Operations Department, and now a quarter of the free army's magic users are in his Phartes. Although theoretically it is impossible for him to empty the mages of the entire Northeast Front, he ......

"Send two reconnaissance companies with mages to the northern forests, and the others hurry up to resupply. Leave them alone with what they do in the South. ”

He was determined to act cautiously. If an enemy comes, it can only come from the north. At that point, it is only necessary to crush the enemy's reinforcements, and the remaining lone army will collapse without a fight.

At this time, at the head of Fort Fort, where the northern forest could not be seen, the officers were already jubilant. The results of the siege proved that the number of troops of the opponent was as small as estimated. In the eyes of the staff officers, this adventurous attempt of the other side has been a failure.

"Conquered! faster than expected!"

"Maybe we should think about the defense of the South Bank Fortress. If there is a plan for them to cooperate, it is almost time for the troops there to move. ”

"There's no need for that. After all, tonight is Adventist, and if you don't go out until now, it will be very difficult to mobilize the soldiers again. Maybe not even that Lopez guy, I guess?"

"Hurry up and retreat, what kind of trench are you digging yet? It is useless for those more than 1,000 people to resist stubbornly, and they will not be able to escape after the artillery is mobilized tomorrow morning. ”

The staff officers were amazed by the accuracy of Lieutenant Colonel Eugen's judgment, and the crowd was filled with optimism, and even the second staff officer, Peter Cusson, began to make further plans for the pursuit. But the envoy from the empire still frowned, muttering to himself, considering the other party's actions.

"That's Robert, the gallbladder of the Fates. When we faced him, we never dared to celebrate the victory too early. He even brought the notorious magic engineering team, how could he be defeated like this? What kind of troops are formed, what kind of tactical intentions are demonstrated. ”

"Well said. If it's an engineering team, it proves that he has a lot of ambition here. "It's not Namen's unconfident youthful voice, nor Edith's frivolous female voice, but a deep bass. Rasta turned his head to see an unfamiliar gray-haired elder with a large golden four-pointed star on his epaulettes. He never expected to see this person at this time, so he cheered up and took half a step back.

"By the will of His Majesty the Emperor Gustav, the Knight of Liberation, Viscount Vlasol Rasta, has an audience with His Highness the Generalissimo. ”

Rasta respectfully and cautiously looked at the famous general who was known in the Imperial intelligence system under the code name "Miracle of Fort Steel". The imaginary enemy for a long time is now the target of persuasion, and the world is so fickle.

"This is the letter of state entrusted to me by His Majesty the Emperor......"

The marshal did not take his credentials, but turned his back, pointed his finger at the dim battlefield below, and asked in a deep voice, "In your opinion, what should be the next strategy, Viscount?"

Is he testing me?" thought Rasta, the corners of his mouth lifted proudly, and he tucked the letter back from his waist and strode forward to Goval's side.

"Obviously, this is to cut our ties with the attacking forces, and there must be means to do so. Robert is not one of those who like to gamble on luck, and it is too early to start celebrating. There was a hint of disdain in his tone - and the object of this disdain was obvious. Since the first two wars of freedom had experienced the tragic situation of victory and then defeat, the oriental proverb "victory must not be proud, defeat must not be discouraged" became the motto of the new generation of imperial officers. In Rasta's opinion, Major Cussen's temporary staff was too optimistic.

Govar nodded and continued, "Then you see, where will the enemy army come from?"

"Ambushes from the north, lurking in our army, using magic to open up a path, or flying ......" Rasta slammed to the brakes, not revealing the Empire's military secrets, "it should be these three." ”

The marshal smiled incomprehensibly: "Do you have the same judgment as Eugen?, but in my opinion, you have missed a very likely path, but a sea ......."

"It's by sea, they use leased merchant ships. ”

Not far away came a small voice of self-talk, almost at the same time as Marshal Govar. This did not escape the ears of the two, and they both looked at the young lieutenant with some surprise.

*** ***

"Is it your own judgment?" Rasta blurted out in confusion. Does this big boy have a unique talent for tactics? However, as an informant for the Imperial Ministry of Security, such an action would be too imprudent......

"Not my judgment. I just observed the enemy situation for Captain Edith, and I observed an unknown fleet......" Namen smiled wryly and shook the telescope in his hand.

"It's really coming, it's too fast. How many are there?" asked Marshal Govar aloud, attracting the attention of the entire General Staff.

"Report sir, you can see three large armed merchant ships, and the waterline is very deep!"

"Only three merchant ships?" Seeing that everyone was shocked, Rasta, who was not familiar with water warfare, asked Edith beside him in a low voice, "This can probably transport hundreds of people?"

The female captain recalled: "If you transport infantry, you can probably transport less than 1,000, and if you transport cavalry, at most 300, this number is not enough to affect the ...... of the battle."

"Then it must be artillery. Govar strode past them, and said in an unquestioning tone, "Pass the order, and stop them from landing!

The General Staff immediately became busy again, mobilized manpower to defend the coastal batteries, and urgently ordered the stationed fleet to be dispatched.

Fortunately, the other side seems to have only these two merchant ships, and no more fleets are close. The Alert Battery fired several shells in a threatening manner, forcing the two merchant ships out of the range of a good harbor where they could land. Just as they were breathing a sigh of relief, the other party made an unexpected move.

"I finally found out. Abandon ship!" Lieutenant Colonel Robert El, chief staff officer of the Phaeth Army, stood on the shattered walls of Fort 4 and looked at the huge fortress to the south.

The three armed merchant ships turned the rudder and took advantage of the southeast wind to crash into the shoals near Fort Fourth Guard. The hull of the ship collided with the reef and shook incessantly, making a loud noise, and the residue of the fine wood splattered away. Waters poured into the bottom cabin, and the hull of the ship immediately tilted to one side. Before the ship's side touched the sand, the engineering team that was already waiting on the shallows for the transformation and tectonic magic to take action. The reefs changed shape under their magic, connecting and paving a path to the stranded ship. The soldiers immediately stepped forward and filled the gaps in the stones with sand.

In just a few minutes, several man-made landing platforms paved the rocky beach and connected directly to the ship's side, which was seeping water!

As the defenders of the fortress watched, the horses abandoned by the cavalry were brought to the stone paths, and bottles of light and heavy artillery were dragged out of them.

Five doors. Ten gates. Twenty gates. Thirty gates.

On the first ship were eight-hundred-pound falcons and fifteen-hundred-pound eagles. The second ship was a 2,500-pound cannon and a 10,000-pound heavy mortar for siege. On the third boat was about enough ammunition for a night's work, ranging from ordinary solid bullets to the precious new acid infusion bullets.

The faces of all the people on the walls of Fortiburg finally changed. They finally understood each other's bold plans.

It was not a waste of transport capacity to transport horses and artillery, as is usually done by sea, but an outrageous plan of having the convoys, gunners, and artillery mages march to the city first, and then use the navy to transport the artillery! Such a plan was enough to save two full days before the main force of the Directory from the northwest arrived.

"I see. Almost all the artillery of the Phaetes in the south. A 48-hour challenge...... I accept. Send a signal to Eugen's troops!"

As Govar gave the order, Rasta caught a glimpse of the young general who had been roaming the city of Stillburg. This can only be an illusion, because it is impossible for the Marshal of the Free Army, who is a soldier of the old days, to master advanced magic such as rejuvenation......

"No, it's hard to say, because faith is power. ”

The imperial envoy shook his head and pressed his hand to the hilt of his sword, ready to defend his own safety. He didn't have the confidence of the old marshal.

*** ***

Again boring addendum:

The artillery of the Free Army was centrally deployed in division-level units, with about 80 to 100 guns for the first division and 50 to 70 guns for the second division. According to its purpose, artillery is divided into three types: support guns, field guns, and siege guns. Due to the advancement of circuit science, artillery forged in the fifties of the seventeenth century gradually began to support infusion bullets containing wide-area magic. Any cannon equipped with Enchanted Shells (ENTs) basically requires a mage to be responsible for visual detonation in the establishment, otherwise the Enchanted Shells will not explode over the target. In order to improve this shortcoming, in the early seventies people invented the loop delay fuse, which eliminated the solid shell and the old-fashioned enchanted bullet. These weapons were extremely effective in the wars of the early seventies. In the mid-sixties, there were very few types of magic bombs, and the production capacity was also very low, the annual output of the Koman Empire was less than 1,000 rounds, and the output of the United Provinces was only three or four hundred, and the general army allocation accounted for at most one ammunition base.

Support artillery

The Falconet/3-pounder gun weighs 800 pounds, uses 3-pounder shells, has a caliber of 60 mm, a barrel length of 1.8 meters, and an effective range of about 350 meters

The Eaglet/6-pounder gun weighs 1,500 pounds, uses 6-pounder shells, has a caliber of 85 mm, a barrel length of 2.1 meters, and an effective range of about 500 meters

Field artillery

Cannon/Cannon: 2,500 pounds, 12-pounder shells, 115 mm caliber, 2.8 m barrel, effective range of about 650 m

The long/24-pounder gun (Culverin) weighs 4,800 pounds, uses 24-pounder shells, has a caliber of 150 mm, a barrel length of 4.2 meters, and an effective range of about 1,200 meters

Siege artillery

Heavy Cannon/50-pounder (Heavy Cannon) weighs 7,000 pounds, uses 50-pound shells, has a caliber of 230 mm, has a barrel length of 6 meters, and has an effective range of about 800 meters

Heavy Mortar 10,000 pounds, using 200-pound shells, 430 mm caliber, 3 meters in barrel length, and an effective range of about 750 meters

Welcome to the majority of book friends to come and read, the latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all here!

Welcome the majority of book friends to come and read, the latest, fastest, the hottest serialized works are all here!