Chapter 222: Why Fight
One thing Leonard must admit is that he made a miscalculation.
He didn't expect that boy Garris to react so quickly. He directly came with a mantis to catch the cicada and the oriole behind him. During the gap when he captured Latakia and reorganized his troops, he came from the other side of the river valley. Take Antioch lightly.
Originally, it was supposed to be a situation where Leonard monopolized Antioch and the whole army moved south. Because of Garris's sudden hand, Antioch was divided into two, and the two sides faced off around this rich land. .
This is not good, very bad, the kind of bad that is going to cause trouble.
As an outstanding military general, Leonard naturally knew something about the previous battles of the Crusade.
During the First Crusade, the Crusaders assembled an army of at least 30,000 people and launched a siege of Antioch, which lasted for at least half a year.
Thousands of people died of hunger, disease or war, and all horses were reduced to food. Even relying on cannibalism and the discovery of the "Holy Spear", the Crusaders struggled to conquer Antioch .
It can be said that among the many battles of the Crusaders, the siege of Antioch was the bloodiest and most difficult.
Let his ragtag group of less than 4,000 men fight a siege of Antioch?
Just thinking about this possibility made him shudder.
Leonard knew that he had to mobilize the garrison in Antioch. What he was best at was actually this skill: releasing all kinds of wrong information to induce the enemy.
When necessary, he can disguise his army to be extremely weak and make the enemy relax their vigilance, just like what happened in the Battle of Montgisard: leading the army to attack at the critical moment to capture the relaxed Saladin.
Sometimes, he can show his strength to the enemy, causing the enemy to miss strategic opportunities due to hesitation, and then press forward step by step, forcing the opponent to make radical moves, thus exposing his fatal weakness, and he is ultimately defeated by him accurately. Defeated with one decisive blow.
The battle in the highlands in the southwest corner of the Galilee coast and the battle to clean up his stepson Bohemond were vivid manifestations of this strategy.
These carefully designed tactics based on cognitive differences made Leonard a legend among the Crusader nations.
However, this strategy has its limits.
When it rises from the tactical level to the strategic level, Leonard seems to be unable to do what he wants.
Saladin directly exerted pressure on the strategic level, forcing the Kingdom of Jerusalem to fight decisively, and swept in with an upright force twice that of the Crusaders.
No matter how many clever tricks Leonard came up with, he had no choice but to retreat in the end, taking "walking as the best strategy" as his only option.
"Let me see if you are motionless."
......
Belief seems to be very important. What you believe in seems to naturally determine whether a person will stand in a certain camp. .
But people are not that simple. Many, many times, for various reasons, Muslims can join the Crusaders, and Christians can also serve the Sultan.
After the Battle of Galilee, Saladin captured a considerable number of Turkic "Christians" even though these people claimed that they had been Christians from birth.
But the imprint left on them by living as Muslims for more than ten years cannot be erased at all.
Saladin was able to forgive those captured Christian soldiers, but he still chose to be merciless when facing these "apostates".
"Apostates" are more hateful than enemies.
Because of money, a large number of Turks joined the Crusaders, and because of money, many Muslims were serving Leonard.
Today, these Turks who came to Antioch are active in the land of Antioch, lighting fires one after another in those villages.
Leonard is constantly breaking through his own lower limit. As for the Turks, there is no lower limit at all.
They turned a fighting confrontation into a plundering orgy.
This is forcing the defenders in Antioch to take action.
Joss took out a simple topographic map. After opening it, he first determined his position, and then asked Russell: "Where do you think they will be."
Russell followed his own instructions From his current position, he drew a ray to the southwest, and then pointed to a place that happened to be the junction of the hills and the coastal plain, and also happened to be the exit of a valley.
"It should be here."
Jos looked at this simple map from the city of Antioch and touched his chin.
Now he is the captain of the second company, and Russell is the Paladin of the second company.
The Second Company is a mounted infantry company with a total of 140 members. It is essentially an enhanced version of the 1st Company and is not a cavalry company.
16 8-person squads, 8 platoon commanders and deputy platoon commanders, 2 company commanders and deputy company commanders, and 2 health workers. As for Russell, he is not actually in the company establishment, but is with the company as a priest who has received holy orders. Life.
Joss had reason to believe that Russell was a military supervisor, but considering that Russell had received holy orders and was equivalent to a priest within the religious system, Russell should actually be a lower-level military priest.
Russell will be required to intervene in almost all faith-related matters within the company.
Whether it is the [Sunday Worship] on the weekends, the [Consecration of Weapons] on weekdays, or the [Sacrament of Penance] for the soldiers, Russell is in charge.
But Russell is not only their spiritual mentor, but also a comrade who fights together.
Russell will participate in most company trainings with them.
Because of the presence of Russell, the Paladin, Joss could clearly feel that the morale of the soldiers in the company was much higher than any other army he had ever participated in.
The soldiers in the company, without exception, believe that they are the company of Christ, and they believe that they are connected to the Lord through Russell.
Considering Russell's lofty status among the soldiers, even if the company's military decision-making power is in the hands of Jos, he will still discuss the battle plan with Russell, so that in the subsequent pre-war agitation, Russell will be more Good play.
Looking at the location pointed by Russell, Joss couldn't help but sigh.
"They will be there waiting for work, do we still want to pursue them?"
Pursuit? The opponent is not retreating or escaping. The opponent is choosing a battlefield suitable for the light cavalry and then preparing to fight.
If they continue to pursue, you can imagine what kind of bloody battle will be waiting for their second company.
In plain battles, there is no way to pull and pull like in mountains and hills. They are only mounted infantry and cannot actually fight on horseback. This is actually quite passive.
“Joss, why do you think they are waiting for work instead of continuing to attack?”
“Because we are the greatest threat to them. As long as we are eliminated, those Reina The Turks under Germany can do whatever they want in Antioch.”
This is not a matter of arrogance, but a consideration based on the most basic war thinking.
On the Galis side, there were of course more than 2 companies of horsemen, but being able to respond quickly, entangle the Turkic light cavalry, and prevent the other party from continuing to plunder was not something that a group of knights could do.
As lightly-armed horse-mounted infantry, their mobility is already the best among Garris's side.
Once their group of mounted infantry is eliminated, the area near the city of Antioch will become a paradise for the Turks.
“There are probably twice as many of them as we are.”
"But we can trust the prophet."
Jos took a deep look at Russell. This was actually not their first battle in Antioch.
Of the 140 members of the establishment, only 120 are left to maintain combat effectiveness. The various frictions in these days have made both sides feel exhausted.
Just as Leonard was unwilling to lead troops to siege Antioch, Garris did not intend to have a long confrontation with Leonard in Antioch.
Saladin is eyeing the south, and every minute he is delayed in Antioch is adding more danger.
Leonard needs a battle, and so does Gareth.
The trigger for this battle actually fell on the troops who dominated the battlefield maneuverability of both sides.
Leonard's side was composed of Turkic light cavalry, while Garis's side was composed of the second company of mounted infantry.
“Go and inform the prophet, the second company will complete the mission.”
Jos said to the messenger on the side.
...
In Antioch in the summer, the mountains are as silent as a sleeping beast. The golden sunlight shines on the foot of the mountains, dotted with fine dust blown by the wind.
Through the slight heat wave, those heavy and thick infantry armors reflected a little light.
On the plain, the two armies faced each other. Time seemed to be frozen at this moment. The frequency and rhythm of breathing coincided with the swaying of the leaves in the distance.
The infantry troops were lined up neatly, holding spears and shields. The ground under their feet seemed particularly solid due to their weight.
Although the number of 120 people is small, their firm eyes reveal a tenacious belief.
The spears flashed in the sun, and the shields were like steel barriers, silently conveying a heavy and unshakable power.
The mountain wind blew, and the flags among the infantry swayed slightly. The mountains behind them became their last support.
In front of the second company were more than two hundred Turkic light cavalry.
The horses of these men were pacing restlessly, blowing hot air from their nostrils.
The earth moans quietly, silently praying for the coming battle.
The goddess of luck did not favor the Second Company. When they were about to arrive at the battlefield, they already discovered that the other party was ready for battle, but their side had no news of reinforcements.
At this point, when all the soldiers were preparing to fight, Russell also led the soldiers to pray before the battle.
“Eternal God, King of all creation, since you have blessed me to reach this moment, please forgive me for all the sins I have committed today in my thoughts, words, and deeds.”
"Lord, cleanse my humble soul from all filthiness of body and spirit."
"Lord, please grant me the ability to survive this crisis in peace, so that I can call on your most holy name every day in this life, and defeat all the visible and invisible enemies who fight against us, and trample them on the ground. ”
“For to you be the kingdom, the power, and the glory, Father and Son and Holy Spirit. , from today to eternity, Amen!”
“Amen”
When they pinch their thumb, index finger and middle finger together, draw from top to bottom, from right to left. After making the cross, they all drew out their weapons or checked the spears they carried.
Russell also chose to participate in this battle. In the past two years, he has traveled through the entire Levant, from the southeast of this ancient land to the northwest of this land.
From the desert Gobi Desert, through the mountains and the Jordan River, to the Antioch plain.
He witnessed the injustice in this bloody land and followed Garris to face suffering again and again.
In the past, he was used to facing suffering, but the holy word of the Lord said that all these injustices and sufferings can be changed.
Therefore, young people like him are no longer indifferent.
As Gareth once said,
[All real people should feel that a slap on anyone’s face is a slap on their own face. 】【As real people, as the company of Christ, we should have the strongest aversion to any oppression and injustice in any corner of the world. 】
Two years later, the numb people are no longer numb, and the people who are indifferent to suffering are no longer indifferent. The blood of young people always boils once before cooling down with age.
He passed on his boiling blood to everyone in the company through the [Eucharist] again and again. For these soldiers, they need empathy and the belief that they are sacred. of.
This belief drove them all the way to where they are today. Facing the villages that were looted and burned, they became more and more convinced that they were righteous.
This is the meaning of Russell's existence. He needs to teach, instill, and convey "empathy" and "love."
This kind of love is the Lord’s love for all living beings and also their love for each other.
In this boundless love, the Turkic cavalry galloped up, and the second company also shot the first arrow.
On this land, a short horn sound broke the silence, and the Turks began to take action.
They dispersed quickly, like a flock of birds of prey approaching the infantry position.
The hoofbeats of horses resounded on the plains, dust flew into the sky, and the bows and arrows in the hands of the cavalry were already on the strings.
But before these Turks could draw their bows and shoot arrows, arrows from the infantry had already fallen on their horses.
Different from the Mediterranean Circle of the same era, the infantry units organized by Garris often had a higher proportion of long-range units.
A large number of crossbowmen filled the troops.
Although the number of these crossbowmen will reduce the impact resistance of the entire infantry front, due to the high morale of the soldiers of the Second Kingdom, Garris feels that it is not a big deal to reduce a certain impact resistance.
To be precise, the soldiers under Garis are not the kind of quails that join together to keep warm. The standing armies of these kingdoms are truly elite, and they can tear the enemy apart with their teeth.
Therefore, adding more long-range troops actually means that the soldiers under his command will gain an advantage in the exchange of fire with the nomadic Turkic soldiers.
According to Lanchester's square law, when any combat unit on both sides of the battle is fighting within each other's field of vision and firepower, the strength of either side is proportional to the square of its own number, that is, Lanchester Square law.
Of course, it can be simply understood that in long-distance firefights, the loss rate of one party is proportional to the strength of the opponent's troops and also to the strength of one's own troops.
Of course, the calculation scheme of this equation is an extremely ideal state, and all it can express is the output efficiency and damage of both parties under a hypothetical situation.
But this also tells war game players how to make a choice when they have a military advantage.
The Turks did not know Lanchester's square law, but they had a vague idea of such a concept in their experience summaries in past battles.
The reason why they chose the battlefield in this open area is to fully utilize their strength advantage.
Of course, there is another variable in Lanchester's square law, and that is the quality of the soldiers participating in the war.
The range of infantry crossbows can often be a hundred steps. Both the range and the killing effect are much higher than that of cavalry bows.
In addition, the armor-breaking ability of the cavalry bow is weaker, and the rate of two consecutive armors is higher.
Therefore, although the number of people on one side of the second company was smaller, they were not actually at a disadvantage in the exchange of fire between the two sides.
In this short but fierce rain of arrows, the Turks failed to break through the infantry defense line in the first round of attack.
Immediately afterwards, the Turks changed their strategy, divided into small teams, and wandered around the infantry position, trying to find the weak points of the second company.
The second company maintained a tight formation, armed with spears, and stood ready.
Jos and Russell knew that once the formation was broken up, the second company would no longer have any advantage.
"Steady! Steady!"
Amidst the shouts and shouts, the Turks launched another attack.
This time, the scimitars in their hands flashed with cold light, and the target was pointed directly at the flank of the second company. The screams were mixed with the neighing of horses, and blood splashed into the dust.
The battle became more intense, and neither side had any intention of giving in.
The Turks relied on speed and mobility to constantly find flaws in the second company's formation, while the second company relied on the cooperation of shields and spears to stubbornly block every impact.
The battles between each other are actually very restrained, they are testing each other again and again, and no impact requires all the chips to be pressed.
After all, the conflict between them does not actually determine everything.
【Jehovah. Blessed is my rock! 】
【He taught my hands to fight, and my fingers to fight. 】
"He is my loving Lord, my fortress, my fortress, my savior, my shield, in whom I take refuge. 】
In any case, for the soldiers of the Second Company, this battle is sacred.
Even if we are outnumbered and outnumbered, they will never back down.
This decisive attitude makes the battle full of tragic colors. Even though you know you will lose, you still have to entangle the opponent until the arrival of friendly forces, or until your own army is annihilated.
Live towards death? But that's it.
"Through the intercession of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, please have mercy on us and save us. Amen."
When the horses' hooves vibrated, when the two teams were preparing to collide countless times, Perhaps God has mercy, or perhaps the lives of simple Joe Russell and others did not deserve to be cut off.
Another sound of horse hooves came from the distance, and a royal flag of the Kingdom of Jerusalem fluttered in the wind.
To the west, the flag holding the Leonard family crest also revealed a sharp corner.
The battle for hegemony in the Antioch region also expanded because of this conflict.
...
In the distance, the clouds on the horizon were dyed blood red by the setting sun, and the battlefield was filled with the smell of blood and dust.
Roger could hear shouts and the whine of horses in the distance.
It seems that there is only bloody battle left in the whole world.
Roger checked his weapons carefully. To be honest, he was confused by the changes that had taken place in the past few days.
A month and a half ago, he was still busy planting crops in his own field.
Suddenly, Bohemond's recruitment order broke his peaceful life.
I heard that they are going to war with the Kingdom of Jerusalem and grab Tripoli.
Just fight, Roger thought, he had no choice anyway, it would be better if he could make a small fortune.
But they had walked for more than half a month, and before the war started, they heard that their lord's hometown, the city of Antioch, had been attacked.
So the army hurriedly turned back to Tripoli and ignored it for the time being, while everyone hurried back.
But before reaching Antioch, the four thousand army was defeated by Leonard in the hills, and Roger was recruited by Leonard, the new Prince of Antioch.
It was only after he was incorporated into the new army that he learned that the city of Antioch was safe and sound, but that fool Bohemond had been fooled.
Just when everyone thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, the new Prince Leonard of Antioch suddenly announced that he would regain the city of Antioch.
In the past few days, Leonard has been entertaining them with delicious food and drinks. Why did he move so easily?
But Roger felt that it was nothing. Anyway, there were only a few hundred people in the city of Antioch, and they had thousands of troops here. If they moved there, they might just open the city and surrender, and avoid fighting again. sacrifice.
If that were the case, Roger could go home smoothly and continue farming. He was really tired of running around here and there.
However, things backfired. Before they set off, news came that the city of Antioch had been taken away by the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Is it still first come, first served in this fight against Antioch?
After going around and around for nearly two months, the city of Antioch was still stolen in the end, and he would eventually go to war with the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
So what is the purpose of traveling hundreds of miles back and forth in the past two months?
In order to suffer a defeat, change lords, and then fight the original enemy at your own doorstep?
Roger couldn’t understand.
And to be honest, after witnessing the bloody battlefield before, Roger only had a deep fear of war.
“Our heavenly Father, may your name be glorified; may your kingdom come; may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven...”
Reciting the Lord's Prayer, Roger asked God for mercy.
He didn’t want to kill, let alone be killed.
After being baptized on the real battlefield, he realized that the so-called glory had nothing to do with ordinary soldiers like them. It was something that only lords and knights would talk about.
And they, the conscripted peasants, are the price of glory, the dust on glory.
The squad leader came over and urged them to prepare.
The captain who once saved Roger's life is still their captain today. When Leonard assembled the army, he replaced the middle-level noble officers, but retained these most junior squad captains.
“I don’t know who will win this time, but in short, if you see something is wrong, run away if you can. Don’t just stand still like last time. If you can’t run away, don’t look for those who want to surrender. Look for those who are red-eyed and have little blood on their bodies," the team leader warned.
Roger nodded. He understood that for low-level soldiers like them, the world is huge and survival is the most important thing. Only by living can we have a future.
A month and a half ago, he was secretly proud of being able to participate in the war, but now he understands that this war has nothing to do with him.
Reynard and Bohemond competed for the position of Prince of Antioch. No matter who became the Prince of Antioch, they were still lords and would collect taxes and soldiers.
And what does Roger, an Armenian Orthodox Christian, have to do with the disputes between the Catholic lords?
Now they are facing the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. In the final analysis, they are still fighting for Antioch.
The other party is also a Catholic lord. No matter who becomes the owner of this land in the end, the result will be the same for Roger...continue to collect taxes and continue to recruit troops.
The days of suffering have no end, and he did not participate in this battle as he wished.
When Roger figured this out, he found that he had no will to fight at all.
And when he looked at the comrades beside him, he knew that these comrades who were recruited like him also couldn't find a reason to fight for them.
(End of this chapter)