Chapter 28 is still the same, covered by firepower

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March 20, 1013. Pen Fun Pavilion wWw. biquge。 info as part of the War Against the Norman Alliance, or as it is called, the War of the Unification of the Norman Empire. In the mountains of Central Europe, a large-scale war broke out between the Swiss army and the Norman general Fall.

The Swiss poured all their possessions and supplies. The husband leaves his wife, and the son leaves his mother. All three generations of the family were armed and rushed to the battlefield. As their Speaker said, this war is a war for the whole Swiss nation. Victory, we in Switzerland, will continue to exist gloriously, and defeat is the demise of our entire Swiss nation.

Under these circumstances, Switzerland organized an army of more than 60,000 men. In terms of numbers, it suddenly doubled the number of General Farr's troops. There are about 10,000 of them, and they are strong professional troops. Professional soldiers from various places, various countries, who participated in a lot of wars as mercenaries. These people are very well equipped, either by the proceeds of their looting on the battlefield or by the savings they have accumulated over the years as mercenaries. Their combat effectiveness, experience is also the best.

And in comparison, there are 20,000 Swiss mercenaries, which are slightly worse. In terms of experience, combat effectiveness, and equipment, they were no match for the 10,000 elite heavily armed Swiss mercenaries. And they are also relatively younger. Usually equipped with hard leather armor, light chain mail, or even armor at all. Instead, the weapon used was the extra-long spear that the Swiss had always used. Of course, there are other weapons such as swords, shields, axes, bows and crossbows.

The worst were about 30,000 temporary conscripts. They are either too old or too young. Aged, although there was once a glorious mercenary history. But after all, old age and frailty. And some of them are too small, and some have never even been on the battlefield. Such an army, although much stronger than ordinary cannon fodder. But in the face of the Norman professional troops. The end result can only be crushed.

When the Swiss are out of the nest. News came that he was going to fight the Normans to the death. General Farr, however, was not at all alarmed. On the contrary, this warlike and martial general felt very excited.

"Ah, are you sure they have more than fifty thousand troops?" he repeated several times to the Norman spies who had brought the news. After receiving an affirmative answer. The general's smile couldn't be taken back.

"War, that's what makes it interesting. The order was sent down, and the three armed forces were on alert. We're going to slaughter an enemy twice as many as we are!" General Farr's optimistic, even somewhat arrogant declaration, further boosted the morale of the Norman army. In contrast to the slightly tragic atmosphere of the Swiss, the Norman army was elated, as if they were going to some kind of party. They didn't stay where they were. Instead, under the leadership of General Fall, they advanced towards the Swiss mountains.

Along the way, they burned down villages and killed all the Swiss who dared to resist. It was also announced that the area was already under the possession of the Norman Emperor. Although the mountains limit their speed. But with high morale, Norman still seemed to be moving very fast. In ten days, General Farr's headquarters advanced nearly eighty kilometers. It's almost like you're arriving in Bern. And at this time, there were still a small number of Swiss conscripts in remote areas who did not reach the capital.

But it is no longer possible to wait for them. In a little while, the Norman army will arrive in Bern. Then the Swiss will be passive. The Swiss Parliament was therefore quick to decide. All the troops that had already gathered in Bern were dispatched. And that's why. In fact, the Swiss army that fought against the Normans did not number 60,000 as expected.

Some of them were killed on the march of the Norman army. Some of them still do not reach Bern. In the end, the Swiss only concentrated an army of about 50,000 troops. However, most Swiss people are already happy with this figure. At least more than the Normans. Moreover, none of their elite troops are left behind.

And so, on the twentieth day of March. The Swiss army met the Normans in the Swiss mountains, just ten kilometers from Bern. A fierce battle ensued.

Forward, a group of Norman infantry exploring the way, meets a group of heavily armed Swiss mercenaries. Both sides were just stunned, and then a heaven-shattering roar erupted. At the first time, a few soldiers were ordered to go back to the main force to report the news. A battle ensued, with a single round of axes from the Norman infantry killing a dozen Swiss mercenaries who were preparing to set up a dense array of spearmen. Immediately afterward, the Norman infantryman, who had a hundred-man squad, roared in anger and launched a charge.

Although the rugged mountain road made the Norman charge a little less powerful. But this rush, coupled with the fact that the axe was killed, still destroyed the Swiss formation a lot. Unable to maintain an array of extra-long spears, the Swiss mercenaries in the front row roared and drew their swords, tomahawks, and other short weapons. Fought with the Norman infantry. The rest of the Swiss, in the back row, are still trying to maintain their formation.

"Attack!! And beside him, the standard-bearer who held aloft the banner of the infantry tomahawk also raised the horn hanging from his chest and blew it with all his strength. Encouraged by this, the Norman soldiers roared and continued their attack. The weapons of the Swiss could not break through their plates. And their tomahawks were able to cut the Swiss in half. In such a situation, the Swiss striker scouts quickly failed. Failed without any suspense.

Then, the other troops of both sides also encountered on other mountain roads, near the hills, and a major battle soon broke out. Armed with longbows, heavy crossbows, and muskets, the Norman forces had an absolute advantage from the very beginning. The Normans immediately obeyed General Farr's orders, desperately relying on their long-range firepower, raining arrows and bullets on the Swiss. Once the opponent is close, use the throwing axe to further weaken the enemy. Then the infantry, assault infantry charged in clusters. As the last straw that broke the camel's back, the Swiss were defeated.

General Farr's use of such tactics fully compensated for the lack of adequacy of the Normans in mountain warfare. Giving full play to the advantages of long-range firepower also made up for the numerical disadvantage of the Norman army. In this way, with the advantage of materials and equipment. The Normans suppressed their opponents in the first place. And it began to move forward continuously.

The Swiss seemed to want to gain a numerical advantage by encircling the Norman army from both sides. But in this fragmented mountainous region, it is too difficult to do so. Because the mountains are difficult to walk. Often, they had to come up with a tactic, and before they could do it, they would be discovered by the Normans. This was followed by a dense coverage strike of long-range fire.

Before that, the Normans were well prepared. General Farr took out half of his army's stock of bows and arrows and crossbows. Give it to the Norman longbowmen and crossbowmen. At the same time, in order to prevent accidents such as damage to their weapons and broken bowstrings, General Farr also specially sent a group of engineers to follow the crossbow troops with bags full of various parts and several heavy crossbows. If it breaks, replace it and repair it. In this way, the long-range strikes of the Normans were maintained.

Each longbowman was given three quivers, and sixty feathered arrows. Crossbowmen were even greater, and each heavily armed crossbowman was given eighty arrows, for they did not need to draw their bows with manpower, as longbowmen do. So theoretically, even when the longbowmen are exhausted, they can still fire arrows without limit.

The two hundred and fifty repeaters who received the most supplies were the few. What they hold is a modified second generation of Egil's Wrath. A total of twelve crossbow strings are guaranteed, which guarantees them twelve consecutive fires. The pulley, which is a labor-saving structure, has been replaced with a more usable gear. As a result, the range of the repeating crossbow has been increased again, and there are many more crossbow arrows in the arrow box. A box of crossbow arrows is thirty-six bolts, which can be fired three times in a row by the repeater......

Beside each repeater, there is an engineer who carries a crossbow case, parts, and spare repeaters for them. After seeing the power of the crossbowmen in a previous battle, General Farr fell in love with this class. At the same time, his material mobilization was particularly tilted towards these crossbowmen—the engineers carried more than ten crossbowboxes on their shoulders on average. You can let the crossbowmen shoot as much as they want, and shoot all the Swiss into a sieve.

This arrangement of General Farr ultimately guaranteed the victory of the Normans. The Norman army had the advantage from the start, and maintained it.

Start the battle with scout troops on both sides. to the main forces of both sides, fighting in the fragmented mountains. Then the Swiss were in full contraction, and the Norman army was on the offensive. Although because of the terrain, General Fall could not observe the entire battlefield. But he has always mastered the rhythm of the war. Like the conductor of everything, he knows when to move forward and when to retreat. When to hold on, and when to attack. Although the war continued, the victory of the Normans was inevitable.

It was around 4 p.m. on March 20. The 50,000-strong army of the Swiss was divided into three parts. The troops on both sides of it had been firmly suppressed in several cols by a small number of Norman long-range troops and artillery units that had rushed to support. There is no longer the slightest ability to resist. Only the middle, the most powerful and warlike group of Swiss, is still fighting hard......

(To be continued)