Chapter 17 The Defeat of the Grand Duke (Part II)
Although autumn is the season of harvest, it is also the season of withering. Therefore www.biquge.info Oriental people believe that autumn is a season of slaughter, and the autumn wind is also considered to contain murderous winds, and they tend to execute prisoners during this season. This is very different from the Yartikats who are accustomed to carrying out executions in February.
At this time, the scene of what happened to Falunci seemed to confirm the view of the Eastern Continent, and the two fronts were spread out at the same time, and both were already in full swing. This feeling is especially profound for the Mastar Army, which is fighting on the Western Front at the moment.
Leon's wedge formation was met with a heavy onslaught from the Franciscans. The elder Henry also used the same formation, launching a steady stream of attacks in waves. Due to the terrain, the two sides had to fight in this scattered formation with centurions as the basic unit. This stretched the entire front for about 3 franca, and the centurions became the protagonists of the later stages of the battle. They had to deal with a frontage with an average width of 60 faz, which would have been enough to put down a full crew of Farensi standards in the past.
Although Marshal Henry's offensive was continuous for a while, Leon also coped with it without leaking. He knew that the Farensi army could only launch such a powerful attack with temporary vigor, but this morale would not last long. As long as he held out until nightfall, he should be able to retreat calmly at that time. In this way, the capital for the counterattack can be preserved, and even if the initial attempt fails, it will not end dismally.
While the commanders were making their own calculations, the soldiers on the front line could not be so relaxed. Compared with the past when the two armies fought in a tight formation, the current situation can only be said to be more conducive to slaughtering each other. The forces on the front line on both sides were being consumed at an alarming rate. In just two hours before sunset, 5,200 people had been killed on the Farensi side, and the 10th Army Corps of Mastar Center, which was responsible for fighting them, also paid the price of 4,800 men. And the Pharisees have only advanced by 3 fats.
However, Marshal Henry's attack did not stop with the sunset, and the Phalensi army lit their torches and continued to advance towards Leon's camp. The 10th Legion, of course, could not let the other side underestimate itself, and then organized an even more stubborn resistance.
Leon was puzzled and anxious. It was impossible for the Phalensian army to maintain such an offensive until dawn, on the one hand he was convincing himself in this way; On the other hand, taking advantage of the darkness to avoid the reconnaissance of the opponent's dragon knights, the plan to retreat and redeploy the formation has been delayed in this way. According to the latest information, the commander of the opposing side is Hannibal Henry. This old man should be a steady and persistent type, why did he make such an unreasonable move?
Two hours after sunset, Admiral Sauer entered the battlefield with the Fourth Army, which suddenly changed the situation to the slight superiority of the Falensi army. After deducting the number of casualties since the battle, now, the 88,000 Mastar Army has to fight against the 94,000 of the French Army, which will be an all-night engagement.
Leon felt that he could not sit still, so he was regrouping his heavy lancers. If the Falencians must drag on until dawn, then he is unceremoniously ready to inflict a deadly blow on them with recuperated heavy lancers. He gave several wing captains the task of holding a few points on the front before dawn, which would be the key position for him to launch a counterattack. For this reason, Leon did not hesitate to put the phalanx army and archers into the battlefield.
In the second half of the night, the offensive of the French army did not stop, but it also showed a hint of fatigue. The Mastar army managed to maintain the defensive line as planned, and Leon put his mind down at this moment. He personally led the men to wake up the rest of the lancers and ordered them to march into the predetermined attack position. The Mastar Knights were gearing up for this, and they were already looking forward to delivering a blow of a lifetime.
The Goddess of Victory seems to have smiled at the Mastars because of the ill-advised actions of Commander Pharynsi.
Marshal Henry was also on pins and needles at this time, and the key part of his plan seemed to have fallen off the chain, but he was also riding a tiger.
"Where's Lord Mazarel?" The old marshal asked.
"He hasn't come back yet." The staff replied.
"Haven't you picked up a friendly army yet?" The old man muttered to himself silently.
The god of the dawn will return to the earth in two or three hours, and the morning chirping of various creatures in the mountains and forests in the early hours of the morning will form a beautiful symphony, as if it is bringing the final climax of the bloody battle that has lasted all night.
"His Royal Highness!" An aide rushed into Leon's tent, who had just laid down and closed his eyes for a moment.
"What's the need to be so flustered?" Leon asked, sleepily opening his eyes.
"Iva's Falencian army broke through our defensive line early yesterday morning, and the number was more than 8,000, this is the report that has just been received!"
"What's the matter, can't the two wings stop each other? Where are they now? Leon jumped up from his couch.
"Your Royal Highness, the southern part of our army's camp has been raided by unknown troops, and they have already broken through the rearguard camp!" At this time, the captain of Leon's personal guard rushed into the camp and reported.
"Damn, it's coming so fast, hurry up and organize defense!" Leon ordered.
However, there are no more usable troops in the camp of the Mastar army, and all the troops that can fight have been assigned the task of counterattacking by Leon, and the Chinese army camp can be said to be a veritable empty city.
As we mentioned earlier, the front of Iva Fortress is too wide, which is good for attacking, but it is also bad for attackers. However, this problem is not something that the Mastar army needs to worry about in the past. Therefore, Leon subconsciously ignored it, and wanted to use only 2 wings to completely block the assault launched by the 12,000 Falunsi Army in the city, which was obviously a big deal.
The Pharansian army also made a slight mistake, and the Iva garrison should have arrived around the evening as it had marched normally. However, because of the small confusion in the battle with the Mastar blocking force, the team lost its way at first and took a lot of wrong paths. Fortunately, they finally met Mazarel, who had been searching all night, and finally walked into the right path under his guidance, so they launched an attack on the opponent's Chinese camp in time at this moment.
There were only logisticians and wounded men left in the camp of the Mastar army, and even if the Iva garrison had been on the road all night, it would not be possible to resist the onslaught of the other side. In about a quarter of an hour, Leon could clearly see the banner of the Pharians.
"Your Highness, please go quickly, go and join the lancers, we can't resist for long." The captain of the guard said earnestly.
"No, I'm not leaving, I'm about to win, just hold on for another hour!" Leon said reluctantly, "If it's only an hour late, my iron rider will completely crush those Pharians." ”
"You, you, and you, take His Royal Highness the Grand Duke and go to find the Tenth Legion!" The captain of the personal guard decisively gave the order to the three knights.
"What are you doing! I'm not leaving here, never! Let go! Let it go! Leon was forced to pick up by three strong knights, pushed on his horse, and sent away.
When Mazarel's dragon knights swept past the stalemate of the two sides, the Pharansi commander immediately understood that their surprise had had been effective. Marshal Henry threw the last of his reserves into battle, and the Pharians, knowing that victory was in sight on their side, shouted the name of Hasus and rushed into the battlefield with their tomahawks.
In the pre-dawn darkness, the Mastar army on the front line clearly saw the light of the fire coming from behind them, and when they looked back, it was their own camp that was burning there. The officers immediately understood their situation, and as soon as one centurion began to withdraw from the battlefield, it would immediately set off a terrible chain reaction that would eventually lead to the collapse of the entire front.
By the time Leon found a team of heavily armored lancers ready to fight back, the situation had become out of control.
"I want you to take your people and immediately follow me to launch a counterattack, as long as we fight back, we can turn defeat into victory!" Leon excitedly grabbed the deputy captain's shoulder and said loudly.
"Your Highness, take a look at the situation around you." The deputy wing commander said bitterly, "We can't let the best parts of the Imperial army die in vain. ”
Leon scanned helplessly around, littered with discarded weapons and equipment, light infantry and archers fleeing backwards in droves.
"Your Highness, we can't let you go on an adventure either."
"I know, I understand......" Leon bowed his head.
Field Marshal Henry saw himself win the battle, and the Phalensins swooped down on the enemy and crushed them, causing them to flee with their heads in their hands. It was the greatest victory of his military career, and it was enough to prove that Marshal Henry was still immortal.
However, there is still an important issue to be resolved, and that is how to maintain a strong pursuit. What is it that can inflict the most damage on the battlefield? Many people may think of it as an elaborate ambush and trap, or some kind of ruse, or some kind of powerful weapon. However, any famous artist who is commendable in the art of war will tell you that all of the above is relatively secondary. What can really destroy the enemy, completely destroy their living force, is a continuous, powerful pursuit. This should have been understood earlier and deeper in the Orient than by the Artikats, as the phrase "from behind" is often heard in the mouths of their street storytellers, and this term often represents a crushing defeat for one side.
For now, however, the Falensi have to struggle with this problem. Most of the Mastar's forces have been routed, but the Phalanx and hoplite forces remain in formation. If you can't deal a heavy blow in time, maybe in two or three months, the Mastars will make a comeback.
However, after days of fighting, coupled with the all-night fighting that had just been experienced, the various units of the French army were exhausted. In order to overcome the immediate difficulties, in addition to requiring officers and men to show sufficient will, the necessary work to boost morale is indispensable.
Field Marshal Henry gave an order to the commanders of the regiments to immediately organize the hussars of their headquarters and personally lead them to join the pursuit. The commanders of the divisions reorganized their infantry units and joined the pursuit after a half-day rest. Finally, he ordered that all those who were still able to move in the operation of the Mercedes Division be gathered in front of his camp.
Looking at the soldiers who stood on an average of seven or eight points on each of them, the old marshal made the following speech: "I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the other friendly and neighboring units of the 23rd Division who have already participated in the battle, for the efforts you have made in fighting so far. Without your persistence, we would not have been able to achieve the victory we have today. We paid a very high price for this victory. Although I did not see all the details with my own eyes, I believe that every soldier who died fell as a hero. Now I want to say that you can rest assured and leave the rest of the work to someone else. ”
After the soldiers were disbanded, he summoned the surviving officers to the front.
"General Mercedes, you have made a mess of the plan made by me and Her Majesty the Queen, and you should have been dragged out and hanged according to military law, but fortunately, you did not disgrace us, so I spared you this time." The old marshal said this to the commander of the 23rd Division, who could only bow his head and stick out his tongue.
"General Speight, I think some people will be upset that you did not go to Parello to buy us a wine feast as I suggested. However, I need to thank you for your contribution to the entire army. ”
"It's my job." Spart saluted the marshal.
"Captain Curran, Captain Kopna, the reason why this war has led to the current situation can be said to have been started by you. After this battle, I believe that you will soon be promoted, which will be a very valuable asset for your future career. I hope you will continue to work hard. The two lieutenants also saluted the old marshal.
"Then everyone, I'm so proud of you!" The old marshal saluted the officers.
Dawn soon followed the sound of hussars' hooves throughout the area, and the three generals personally led all the hussars in pursuit. Oyifi, Xiao, and Sauer each commanded their troops, lined up from east to west, and pursued the fleeing enemy in three ways. The commander-in-chief, Marshal Henry, led the hussars of the Second Army behind them, and the infantry followed by the commanders of their respective divisions.
Leon retreated while reorganizing his forces along the way. By daybreak, he had gathered eight relatively complete battalions of heavy lancers, as well as several squadrons of light cavalry. Subsequently, he left behind two heavy cavalry brigades and ordered Baron Duville to take charge of collecting the phalanx and other infantry, and he himself led the remaining six brigades to retreat first, trying to divert the main pursuit of the Faluncian army.
The Phalanx units of the Mastar Army were quickly reorganized in fragments, which was something that had to be admired for their ability to keep a clear head in the midst of such a rout. They discarded some of their heavy equipment and withdrew to the rear in small units, preparing to cross the river downstream of the Sorena River in order to evade the surveillance of the Iva side.
The pursuit of the Falencian army continued until 1 September, and the capture could only be described as decent. In the course of the pursuit, a total of more than 32,000 Mastar troops were killed and more than 30,000 were taken prisoner. By 1 September, Sauer, the fastest in advance, had reached the foot of the city of Iwa. And the 10th and 11th Wings of Mastar, which were originally monitoring the fortress of Iva, had already obtained this fortress by Ping Bai when the Falencian army attacked. But they did not garrison the fortress with their whole army, but used the fortress as a fulcrum to put on a defensive posture.
On 2 September, Leon broke through the Fallensi army and retreated into Iva, with only 1,500 horsemen able to follow him, and they abandoned most of their equipment.
By 4 September, the main force of the Fallensi Army had reached the line of the Valania Delta. The defences organized by Baron Duville on the spot were broken by Marshal Henry in turn, and on this day the two sides were almost at the same end.
At this moment, under the city of Iva, the 38,000 remnants of the Mastar army have to face more than 100,000 Farensi troops. In addition, the weapons and equipment that Mastar had relied on in the past were completely lost, and all the siege equipment fell into the hands of the enemy.
On 5 September, Field Marshal Henry received an emissary sent by Thorde Reims, commander of the Northern Army. The Count of Reims had awakened from a coma a few days earlier, and although he was still relatively weak, he was able to handle some business. The Marstar side made a request for peace talks, and Marshal Henry made a condition that the Marstal people reply within two days.
The Falencian side demanded that the Marstar army withdraw all of its former positions and return the fortress of Iva to the Falnsis, and if this could be carried out smoothly, the Farency side would release 5,000 prisoners to show its sincerity for reconciliation. The remaining captives were charged with 1 solida (gold mastar, 1 solida to 30 silver falencian silver, this price is simply extortion compared to the time in 344, the price has increased by 5 times, but it is extortion. But then again, the number of people who want to share the spoils this time is also 5 times that of the year. and the Farencian side will be responsible for returning the bodies of the fallen soldiers of the Mastar Army. In addition, the two countries should begin negotiations on a new contract.
On the surface, it seems that the Farencian army can even wipe out the remnants of the Mastar army in one fell swoop and attack Campeña in one fell swoop. In fact, however, the remnants of the Ninth Legion in Mastar sent information to Marshal Henry on 3 September that the Mastar Praetorian Guard, the First Legion of the Central Army, the Knights Templar, and the Eighth Legion of the Eastern Army had arrived at Campeña. The Falencians had no intention of starting an all-out war with the Mastar at this moment, and Marshal Henry also hoped to draw two legions to the Eastern Front as soon as possible to deal with the Iberians and replenish the emptiness near the royal capital.
On 7 September, the Count of Reims agreed to the Falencian demands, and the next day the Marstar Army handed over the defense of Iva to the Falencian Army, returning to Campeña with the entire army of 5,000 prisoners of war who had been released. And the main person who came forward to lead the reconciliation with the French was temporarily the Count of Reims, and the politically astute immediately realized that the situation of Le Leon, Archduke of Fielders, had become very delicate.
On September 9, 348 in the continental Gregorian calendar, the Third Battle of Parello, which lasted nearly one month, came to an end. The French side fought 135,000 men and suffered 39,000 casualties, of which 28,000 were killed; The total number of troops involved in the battle was 148,000, and the number of casualties and prisoners reached 96,000, of which 44,000 were killed. In addition, it is worth mentioning that the most fatal blow was the loss of 8 of the 15 Phalanx brigades and 6 of the 14 heavy lancer brigades of the Mastar. After this battle, in this area, the Mastar army went completely on the defensive.