Chapter 699 This is our mine! (Asking for monthly votes at the end of the month)
“You guys, don’t try to take away our mine!”
Beside the stone water tank on the east side of Chebiniya Town, the miner Old Vicha raised his gun. Shoot at the Austrian soldiers in gray and white military uniforms in the distance.
He has been a miner for more than 20 years, and he never thought that one day he would go to the battlefield to kill the enemy.
But he and his fellow workers did a great job.
More than half a month has passed since the Austrian army entered Krakow, and a small part of the town of Chebinia is still in the hands of the Umyan Mining Company.
If anyone has any doubts about the fighting will of these armed miners, then reality will definitely give him a few hard slaps.
In fact, these miners were even more determined than the army to defend Krakow.
In the past, they could barely survive on food and clothing. Once they got sick or injured, their families would go hungry.
After French investors brought the most advanced steam engines, the output of silver mines doubled, their wages also increased significantly, and the mines also provided good benefits.
Now not only do they not have to worry about food and drink, but they can also eat two or three meals of meat every week. New clothes, new furniture and the like are no longer a fantasy.
It’s okay if you have to suffer all the time. Once a person experiences the taste of a good life, he is unwilling to go back to the past.
Yes, I don’t even want to “die” in the physical sense.
When they knew that the Austrians were coming to rob the silver mine, they immediately gathered spontaneously without anyone calling them, holding the flintlock guns they had issued when dealing with the "gangsters" to express their gratitude. We must protect the silver mine to the death.
The more than 200 Austrian soldiers in front of them are still more than 90 steps away from here, basically not within the range of the flintlock.
But after a burst of gunfire, they all turned around and fled in panic, as if they were hit by a cannon. Some even threw away their guns. [Note 1]
It’s not that the miners are so skilled in shooting, it’s just that the morale of the Austrian army is too low, and no one wants to be shot for this meaningless war.
The miner captain shouted: "The enemy has retreated, stop shooting!"
The position next to the water tank immediately became quiet.
These miners have a very big advantage, that is, they are very obedient to orders - for such extremely dangerous work as mining, those who disobey management usually don't live long.
"These cowards!" Old Vicha's son put away his note and cursed with a smile.
The voices of the workers came from the side:
“No, they didn’t even rush far enough last time.”
“That bush in front is probably them. A place that can never be reached..."
Suddenly, the captain shouted: "Be careful! They are back again!"
Old Vicha looked around with a relaxed expression, and saw more than 300 Austrian soldiers lined up in a tight line, pressing towards them with the sound of drums.
Behind them, there were dozens of officers wearing white and green military uniforms.
Further away, there is Wilmser and his staff.
The Austrian general has been forced to come to the front line personally to supervise the battalion-sized attack.
And he also used extreme caution to attack with nearly ten times the force - there were only more than 40 miners on the water tank side.
The Austrian soldiers were forced to advance until they were less than 40 steps away from the miners, and then raised their guns amid the officers' angry curses.
The miners shot as fast as they could, but their numbers were too small to cause serious damage to the enemy.
The previous situation where the Austrian army was on the verge of collapse was not at all due to their superb shooting skills.
"Shoot—" an Austrian major shouted loudly.
Under the surveillance of the supervising team, the soldiers of the three companies had no choice but to pull the trigger.
A burst of intense gunfire passed through the town, and nearly half of the miners groaned and were knocked to the ground by the bullets. The Austrian army's numerical advantage was too great. If a firefight actually started, the miners would be unable to resist.
The miner captain covered his arm that was shot and shouted hoarsely:
"Retreat! Retreat to the jewelry store!"
Old Vicha hurriedly picked up his son and ran north with his co-workers.
There was another burst of gunfire behind him, and when he looked back, the captain was still holding a flintlock gun in one hand, standing motionless in front of the sink.
He lowered his head and ran with his companions to the jewelry store, only to find that the mercenary position here was also fiercely shooting at the Austrian army.
The enemy is obviously several times more powerful than our own people.
Yes, although the morale of the Austrian army is low, Wilmser is also a battle-hardened professional officer. After discovering that his soldiers were passive and idle, he immediately launched a half-month campaign. sexual deployment.
He dispersed all the soldiers around the town of Chebinia, all fighting in battalion-level units. He sent his own guards to supervise the battle together with the battalion commander, and authorized the shooting of any soldier who dared to retreat.
At the same time, he himself patrolled the battlefield.
Under such strict orders, after five days of fierce fighting, 20,000 Austrian troops finally drove the mining company's defenders out of the town of Chebinia.
There were gunshots everywhere. Old Vicha ventured to the top of a two-story building and finally saw the flag of the company's patrol team.
He jumped from the window and called to the nearly a hundred miners gathered:
"Over there at Mrs. Mariush's flower shop, hurry up!"
When they arrived at the flower shop, they heard the patrol captain Makavsky saying to a mercenary officer:
"There are too many enemies. We have to retreat to the Tarnovsk Mountains."
Then, Lao Weicha led his son and withdrew to the northwest along with the patrol.
Soon, gunfire came from the front.
Makafsky ran over on horseback and greeted everyone loudly:
"There are Austrian troops blocking us in front. Let's go east."
Old Vicha nodded nervously and said to his son:
"He must be referring to the path next to the mining pool. You can also go into the mountains there.”
In fact, the mine is bare and not very suitable for defense.
But right now, they have only this option.
After a group of mercenaries broke up, the rebels of the mining company just saw the mineral washing pool from a distance when the roar of cannons came from ahead.
The sound of "chirp——" broke through the air, and a tree more than ten steps away from Lao Weicha was broken by a cannonball, and wood slag flew everywhere.
Makawski suddenly turned pale: "There are enemies in front too!"
However, the main force of the Austrian army is on the flanks, and there are enemies behind them. If they cannot go up the mountain, they will be surrounded. Here it is.
The locals Wilmser had captured through interrogation previously had figured out the terrain near the mine and blocked all roads in advance.
Although the morale of the Austrian soldiers was low, they had no choice but to shoot to protect themselves in the face of the charging Poles.
Makawski drew out his sword and shouted loudly: "Come up with me!"
The miners suddenly shouted:
"Don't be afraid They! This is our mine!"
"No one can stop us, everyone!"
Old Vicha followed the sound of the military drum and walked towards the Austrian infantry line in front of the washing pool. He dragged his son who was rushing in front back and blocked him firmly behind him.
Blood sprayed out from time to time, and his co-workers fell one by one, but the sound of the military drums did not stop, and they all continued to move forward until they could clearly see the spray from the Austrian guns. Fiery flames.
(End of this chapter)