Chapter 293
In the wilderness on the border of the duchy, the Alda army commanded by Schroeder and the duke's army faced off from a distance.
He ordered all the troops to form a tight formation and deployed two-thirds of the artillery on nearby highlands. Once the enemy entered the effective range, he immediately opened fire to disrupt the opponent's deployment. The number of Da's troops is far less than that of the opponent, and the opponent cannot be allowed to get too close in attack formation.
"If the enemy does not move, I will not move. I will wait for the troops in the rear to arrive before launching an attack."
Schroeder summoned all the officers and decided on the following strategy.
Opposite them, the mercenary captain Fergus was also sizing up his opponent from a distance.
As he watched, he marveled, "The formation has changed quickly and the troops are neatly organized, but this posture is far beyond the so-called [army] in your northwest bay. No wonder you are so afraid."
Emerson next to him gave a wry smile, "Captain Fergus, it's better to stop talking sarcastically and think about how to deal with the army in front of you."
Fergus grinned: "Light It's useless to look good, but hard work has the final say on the battlefield."
He waved his hand: "Follow the plan."
...
"Cavalry! The enemy cavalry is rushing toward us!"
An officer holding a telescope shouted anxiously. This was the second and third battalions being attacked by the first For the first time, they were engaged in a frontal battle with the Duke's army, and everyone was very nervous.
Schroeder ordered: "Don't panic, notify the artillery to fire and delay the opponent's march. Infantry! Form a square formation to meet the enemy!"
Following his order, two infantrymen The battalion quickly formed a large hollow square.
There was a rumble, and the artillery on the hillside and near the phalanx opened fire, bombarding the rapidly approaching cavalry with crossfire.
The Kent family cavalry who had suffered losses learned well this time and did not attack in a dense formation. Instead, they spread out widely among themselves, which reduced the hit rate of solid artillery shells.
However, the casualties caused by the shelling were still considerable, and many people or horses were still injured by jumping and rolling shells.
The cavalry quickly approached the phalanx, and the soldiers facing the enemy in the phalanx immediately opened fire. For a time, shouts of death, gunshots, and screams intertwined on the smoke-filled battlefield.
“Wait until you get 50 meters before shooting! You bastards!”
Baron Andrew, the commander of the Bairding Battalion, used his whip to whip the soldiers who fired recklessly.
As soon as the enemy cavalry approached, these novice firearmsmen nervously pulled the triggers. Although the bullets were more than powerful at this distance, the hit still relied entirely on faith.
The results of the Bairding Battalion's first shooting were limited. Andrew turned his head and looked at the Second Battalion on the other side. The number of enemies who fell in front of them was much more than in front of his own formation. He felt very depressed.
These guys are too embarrassed for themselves, too embarrassed for Earl Garnard, and too embarrassed for Bailding.
The cavalry of the Duke’s army arrived one after another. Some knights relied on their own armors and spears to stab the square. Many soldiers were stabbed away by the spears, although they were equipped with breastplates produced by Northwest Industries. , the spear did not pierce the flesh, but under such force, it would be seriously injured even if it was not dead.
The crackling sound of muskets in the phalanx kept ringing, and cavalrymen approaching the phalanx fell to the ground and could never get up again. The duke's army used a loose formation to approach the Arda army. Although it reduced the probability of being hit, it also greatly reduced the power of the impact.
The cavalry charge did not achieve any commendable results. Fergus and Emerson's faces were ashen. Many of the officers around them who were facing the Arda army for the first time were dumbfounded. In their impression, , an infantry phalanx with this number will collapse in one attack.
"Sure enough, it is not an ordinary army!" The expression on the mercenary captain's face became more and more solemn, arrogant and arrogant, but in the bottom of his heart, he never despised any enemy, otherwise he would have been in a cruel fighting career long ago. Was eliminated.
He looked towards the hillside in the distance, hoping that everything would go well there.
...
"Where is the artillery...the artillery? Why didn't it sound?"
The cavalry's attack and harassment lasted for nearly an hour before they retreated to their starting position, and the Arda army resumed its line. formation.
Schroeder's tense nerves relaxed a little, but his heart immediately rose again - the artillery on the hillside had not moved for a long time, and an ominous premonition emerged in his heart.
Unfortunately, the premonition became reality and a group of people ran down the hillside. He immediately ordered the troops to respond.
It was already obvious. Schroeder was shocked and angry. How could this be reasonable? There were two platoons guarding the artillery position. With the condescending terrain and powerful firepower, what kind of enemy could attack them?
"Master Schroeder, the position...the position...is lost."
An artillery officer reported to him with a red face and extremely ashamed.
"Tim! Where's Tim? Stand up for me!"
The old knight was furious, looked around and shouted the name of the artillery position commander. He dared to do anything without his order. Retreat, there are obviously so many people running down, the person responsible must be punished on the spot.
The key is that nearly 20 artillery pieces remained on the position and were handed over to the enemy.
An officer bravely replied in a low voice: "Captain... Captain, he led the people to cut off the rear in person and has already sacrificed..."
Schroeder was silent, he was not comfortable with sacrifice. people get angry. Moreover, artillery is a relatively precious technical arm, so Tim must have taken this into consideration when making such a decision.
After some questioning, I got a general understanding of what happened. While the artillery on the hillside concentrated on bombarding the cavalry, another enemy army quietly reached the high ground with the help of the cover of woods and thatch.
"It's a longbowman. It must be right. It is ruthless and accurate, and the shooting speed is also fast. Many brothers were hit by arrows, and the infantry guarding the position was suppressed at once."
"You have shotguns. Why don't you use shotguns at such a close range?"
No one answered Schroeder's question.
"You! Say!"
The old knight pointed at a lieutenant, and his powerful roar made the nearby soldiers tremble.
The lieutenant puffed up his chest like a reflex and replied loudly: "Report to the commander! We did not expect a large number of longbowmen to come, and did not carry enough shotguns to the high ground in accordance with the regulations."
Schroeder was speechless for a while. While the 1st and 3rd Battalions were fighting bloody battles outside, the 2nd and 4th Battalions stayed in Arda and Bairding to serve as guards. The relatively comfortable life made them relax.
We must find time to improve military discipline, but the most important thing now is to return more artillery positions. Firearms are the biggest support of Alda's army and cannot fall into the hands of the enemy casually.
Fortunately, when the artillerymen retreated, they brought back the draft horses and the gunpowder. The enemy could not take away the artillery immediately, nor could they obtain gunpowder samples for analysis.
(End of this chapter)