Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 440 The Great Alliance Moves Forward (Twelve)

  Like their enemies, the musketeers in Baishan County were given some long wood with thick barrels before they got their arquebuses.

  The recruits need to truncate the long stick by themselves, drill the truncated bar with a red-hot iron drill, and cut the cap to the right size. The final result was the small wooden bottles hanging on the Musketeer's chest.

   On the eve of battle, the musketeer would fill wooden bottles with just enough gunpowder for one shot, then tighten the caps firmly and place them next to the pillow with the muskete.

   Musketeers cherished and loved these small bottles of gunpowder, not only because they were useful, but also because when the Musketeers left the army they could only take them with them. So in their spare time, musketeers would decorate their little bottles to pass the time: those who knew the craft of carpentry would paint the bottles, those who liked to paint would draw on them, and the veterans would try to keep the inside of the bottle as close as possible. ground smooth.

   The small wooden bottle actually had an official name, but the Musketeers disliked that name and said it. Because they usually come in groups of twelve, soldiers prefer to jokingly call them the "Twelve Apostles."

  Erno also had the "Twelve Apostles".

   In resisting the enemy's first attack, he used "Peter", "Andrew" and "Jacob".

Next, Erno and the enemy musketeers on the other side of the river shot at each other, using "John," "Philip," "Baromas," "Thomas," "Tathe," and "Marcus." Dou", "Little Jacob" and "Simon".

   So, when the light brown figure shouted again across the nameless creek, Erno was left with only the last "disciple" that had not been used.

During the War of Sovereignty, the generals of the Cenas coalition agreed that if the musketeers assigned to the phalanx could complete twelve rounds of shooting, then no matter the scale of the battle, they would definitely win—if not, it would also be the lancers and swordsmen and shields. hand problem.

The military theorists of the    Alliance think so, and have written the relevant theories into textbooks and manuals.

   But that was thirty years ago.

   Leaving aside whether the theory of the previous generation of military strategists is correct, at least today, Erno has used up the eleven gunpowder prepared in advance, and victory is still far away.

  Erno unscrewed the lid of "Martia" and poured the black powder inside into the gunpowder pool and gun chamber. Then he spit out the lead bullet in his mouth and stuffed it into the barrel of the gun, wrapped in rags.

   After using the last "Apostle", Erno could only use the powder pot to directly fill the gun barrel with gunpowder. According to veterans, that's when it's easiest to go wrong.

The sound of gunshots, roars, screams, snare drums, the muffled sound of the wall being hit, the sound of buckshot flying through the air... All kinds of sounds are about to mix Erno's brain into a paste, he feels himself It was as if it was put into a boiling cauldron, and someone outside the cauldron was smashing the lid frantically.

  Fortunately, his hands were very stable, and not a single gunpowder was thrown out of the muzzle.

   But as he hung the arquebus, Ernault felt a sudden fright, and he remembered the gossip among the musketeers:

The musketeer who uses the twelfth bottle is bound to have an accident... misfire, blow up, and even misfire; the twelfth apostle is destined to betray his master, because before "Mattia" was chosen, the twelfth apostle's The place belongs to another man—"Judas."

  Erno hung up the arquebus nervously, and put the barrel of the gun against the wall, but did not dare to lean forward to fire. He turned his head to look at Lieutenant Woods beside him, and saw that the lieutenant was desperately pushing away the ladder to the bulge.

   shouted, Erno stood up as if suffering from great pain, closed his eyes and fired at the enemy on the beach.

   He was pleasantly surprised to find that his arquebus had neither misfired nor exploded. It's just that he just closed his eyes, and he doesn't know where the lead has gone.

But Erno doesn't need to worry about missing the enemy, because the narrow river bank below the high ground is already crowded with light brown human figures - the sight even reminds Erno of the large clumps that can be seen from time to time on the roots of summer trees. Creeping reptile.

  The parliamentary army soldiers in light brown shirts rushed to the river beach and crossed the trenches. From time to time, some people fell without warning, or were hit by lead bullets, or were pierced by iron caltrops.

   The fallen have little chance of getting up again because no one helps them. Once anyone fell to the ground, they would be trampled on indiscriminately.

   The drummer did everything he could, beating the drums like he was urging his life. Soldiers in light brown coats also pounced on Riverdale with a formidable, fanatical, blind air, as if they were not waiting for their enemies on the heights, but redemption, home, and treasure.

   The caltrops scattered by the defenders did not play the expected role. They might be able to block a few unfortunate scouts, but they were trampled into the mud with flesh and metal by the soldiers of the Grand Council Army.

   Iron mounds dragging their tails one after another were thrown over the heads of the soldiers of the Grand Council Army, and most of the grenades that fell into the crowd were trampled down. The grenades that can explode in the air all set off a rain of blood.

   But despite the horrific damage done by the grenades, the light brown waves were still unable to repel.

  The parliamentary army is really like the tide, breaking one wave and another. Before one centurion had completely landed, another centurion had already jumped into the river. People pushed and shoved each other, cursed each other, and there was not even a gap to turn around and escape.

  The Baishan County spearmen, who had already changed into short swords, picked up their long-pole weapons again. They stood behind the fence, holding their long spears upside down, and poking down desperately.

  The soldiers of the Great Council Army under the highlands had nowhere to hide. The sharp spear tip first made a small opening in the mouth, shoulders, and chest, and then slid into the human body, penetrating the flesh and blood all the way.

  A young soldier in brown even saw himself being put on a spear. With the wet sliding sound, the spear shaft kept sinking into his body. The brown-clothed soldier didn't die immediately, and the screams he made made everyone tremble with fear.

  The spearmen above the heights also retreated in horror because of the tragic scene created by themselves, and the spears also dropped their hands.

   But the soldiers behind immediately thrust him another spear, and he took it with tears in his eyes, and just as he turned around, a lead shot hit his breastplate.

   The sound of gunfire on the other side of the river has never stopped, and it has long overshadowed the sound of gunfire on the high ground. The musketeers of the Grand Council Army not only suppressed the two bulwarks on the heights, but also shot at any White Mountain County soldier who dared to stand up.

   The Baishan County spearmen who stabbed the enemy with their spears upside down all wore at least plate breastplates, but their armors were as vulnerable as parchment to the lead bullets fired by heavy arquebuses.

   Under the cover of the musketeers, the ladders of the Grand Council army took to the heights one by one, and the brown-clothed soldiers held up their shields and climbed on their hands and feet.

   The soldiers of Baishan County on the high ground tried their best to pry the ladder out, but where can they move?

  The light brown wave slammed the ladder on the high ground, and even the stone wall that served as the fulcrum of the lever was crushed, and the ladder remained motionless.

  The temporary reconstruction of the convex fort at the corner of the river bay is the key offensive position of the Grand Council Army, and Woods Frank has been sticking to the convex fort in the north.

  The first brown-clothed sword and shield player to board the northern convex castle was hit by a thick and long beam by Woods and another soldier.

   Before the two could catch their breath, another lean sword and shield player climbed up.

   The lean sword and shield hand stepped on the mud and jumped up the fence, and saw the officers in the convex castle at a glance. He jumped up and screamed and stabbed Woods.

  Woods subconsciously raised the beam to block, only to hear a "bang", a puff of white smoke spewed from the bulwark, and the brown-clothed soldier in the air seemed to have a somersault, lying on his back and fell in front of Woods.

With   's fingers still clenching the firing rod tightly, Erno gasped heavily and stared blankly at the lieutenant.

  Woods didn't care to express his gratitude, he turned his head and shouted at his subordinates: "Distillate oil!"

The    attack continued, and the third brown-clothed sword and shield fighter who climbed up the convex castle just exposed half of his head, and was smashed by an axe in the face, his helmet and half of his skull were smashed.

  Woods, who had turned over the wall, threw the axe back into the Bulge, and smashed three distillate oil tanks in a row toward the ladder to the high ground. Without waiting for the musketeers on the other side to turn their guns, they recklessly climbed back into the wall.

  Two torches flew out of the bulge, turning the ladder into a stake.

   But just destroying a ladder was nothing to the brown soldiers swarming up the Bulwark.

   What happens in the future, the lieutenant has no control. Covered in mud, Woods personally split open the wooden barrel covered with the lacquer of the Alliance Magic Warfare Bureau, and poured down the precious alchemy.

   On the north side, the lower part of the convex castle immediately turned into a sea of ​​fire. When the alchemy was burned, it released black smoke that covered the sky. The rolling heat wave even ignited the hay covered by the roof of the convex castle.

   Several burning people screamed and fled into the river, desperately trying to put out the fire on their bodies. However, the alchemy products produced by the Magic Warfare Bureau not only will not be extinguished by the water, but will float on the water and continue to burn.

   The burning man who jumped into the river was burned to pieces, and more brown-clothed soldiers fell to the ground before they could run out of the fire.

  The blaze not only expelled the Great Council Army, but even Woods and others were expelled from the convex fort that they had been holding on to due to the smoke and heat waves.

   From the northernmost end to the southernmost end of the zigzag river, the soldiers in brown and gray fought fiercely around the wall along the bank.

  In order to carry out Colonel Geisa's order to stick to the river bank, every soldier of the 1st Infantry Brigade in Baishan County was filled into the front line by Lieutenant Woods, and the grenadier detachment personally selected by the lieutenant ran between the defense zones to put out the fire.

   Even so, under the slap of waves of brown waves, the defense line of the Baishan County troops inevitably slipped to collapse.

   In contrast, the riverbanks on the south and north sides of Hegu Village are unusually calm. The musketeers were half-kneeling behind the ridge, and everything on the other side was still hidden in the smoke. There was neither a battle nor an encounter with an enemy, and it was like two worlds with the blazing river valley village.

Captain    Hudson rushed to Colonel Geisa and asked anxiously, "The fighting is fierce there. Do you want to send a large team to support?"

   Colonel Geisa, who had been listening to the explosions and screams in the distance, turned his head and asked coldly, "Does Colonel Bode want us to help?"

   "No...no."

  Gesar stopped talking, just slashed Captain Hudson.

The captain    immediately saluted and rode back to his post.

   On the field north of the village, the officers of Leiqun County were equally frightened when they saw the corpses that kept floating down from the upper reaches.

Colonel   School ordered the bodies to be dragged ashore. After personally examining several corpses, the colonel concluded: "The Army of the New Reclaimed Land... Sanel's soldiers, the remnants of General Sackler."

   Another lieutenant was puzzled. He squatted beside the corpse and pinched the light brown linen coat soaked in blood: "But they are wearing the clothes of the legion directly administered troops."

   "They changed into new clothes." Skool tapped the spiked shoes on the corpse's feet with his scabbard: "But no shoes."

The lieutenant suddenly realized, he continued to think about it, and unconsciously showed surprise: "The new reclamation army should be the most powerful army of the enemy army. After just one round of testing, he invested in his direct line, Colonel, that guy Sanel is afraid. It's going to be real!"

  School shook his head: "No hurry."

Colonel    narrowed his eyes and looked at another mound on the other side of the river, where everything was hidden behind a smoke screen. However, from the wind, Skool could vaguely hear a low and powerful heartbeat coming from the other side.

   "Has the scout sent to the other side not returned yet?" Colonel Skool asked his subordinates without looking back.

"not yet."

Colonel    turned around, his eyes were sharp enough to kill: "Then send again!"

   And right in the middle of the storm, Colonel Bode was keenly aware of some changes—the smoke screen covering the battlefield was fading.

   "It's time too." Colonel Bode calculated the time and gave an evaluation in his heart: "If it is a king, it should be faster."

  The wind speed has not changed, and the smoke screen has turned shallow, which can only mean that the Grand Council Army occupying the upper air vent took the initiative to stop the smoke screen casting operation.

   This also means that the pre-war deployment of the Grand Council Army has been completed, and Sanel is no longer ready to conduct long-distance, large-scale maneuvers.

When the    battle has entered this stage, the smokescreen will not only lose its function of cover, but will also reduce the efficiency of the command, so it is better to simply set up the battle and engage in a dignified battle.

Colonel Bode shouted: "Tell Colonel Geisa and Colonel Skool that the next two hours are the real critical moment! They must keep an eye on the enemy on the other side, and do not allow any enemy troops to break through in an organized way. River bank!"

   The messenger who was waiting in the stairwell answered loudly and ran down the stairs quickly.

  The fighting was fierce outside the village. Although Colonel Bode's vision was blocked by the smoke screen, he only needed to use his ears to hear how intense the battle was.

  The squires and adjutants sent by the three counties to Colonel Broad went upstairs several times and begged the colonel to evacuate to a safe area as soon as possible. Colonel Broad waved them off and sent them away.

   Colonel Bode dismissed the lieutenants' fuss about asking for instructions - no matter how intense the fight is now, it's just an appetizer.

   "Come on, Sanell." Bode Gates stared at the mist that was gradually escaping: "Let me see how you have grown."

   At the same time, the "appetizer" in Colonel Bode's eyes has also come to the moment to decide the winner.

   "The bank defense line can't be held anymore." Lieutenant Woods told Captain Parady in front of him succinctly: "But I am sure that the enemy commander is messing around."

  Captain Parady is in charge of the reserve team of the River Valley Defense Area - the 1st Infantry Brigade of Thunderkun County. His troops guarded the building on the west side of River Valley Village, waiting for orders to fight.

Woods's face was covered with black stains mixed with sweat and soot. He spoke quickly and explained to himself: "The commander on the other side is messing around. Fighting hard like him is more than worth the loss! He pressed all the troops in one breath. , also sent 'Zhu Jian' to supervise the battle, and made up his mind to rely on the superiority of our troops to overwhelm us. I can't fulfill the colonel's order, and I can't hold the river bank defense line..."

   "Lieutenant." Captain Parady patted Woods on the shoulder. Although his rank was higher, he did not treat Woods arrogantly because of this: "Just tell me what you need me to do."

   "Listen to my orders." Woods rolled his Adam's apple: "River Valley Village can only be guarded according to my method."

  …

  The **** tug-of-war was the winner.

After    climbed the **** again, the Grand Council army occupied a small section of the wall on the east side of the river bend, and the defenders were unable to drive them out of the line.

Due to the cutting of the river, the terrain in the south and north of Hegu Village is steep, and the slopes are directly inserted into the river, making it difficult to deploy siege equipment; and below the eastern highland is the silted river beach, which is the most easily conquered area in the three directions, and is also the great council. The area with the most troops invested.

   Knowing that progress has been made in the eastern river bay, the Great Council troops deployed in the other two directions immediately moved towards the breach. The pressure on the south and north sides of Hegu Village also suddenly eased.

  The brown-clothed soldiers climbed the ladders and continuously attacked the interior of the defense line from the breach. The soldiers of Baishan County, who had been extremely tenacious in the tug-of-war, also reached their limit and smashed away.

  In the end, the wall between the two convex forts was completely occupied by the Great Council Army, and only a few remnants of the remaining soldiers fought stubbornly in the houses and courtyards around the corner.

   Looking at the backs of the enemy troops fleeing into the village, the brown-clothed soldiers who fought hard and won burst into cheers.

   However, their commanders were not satisfied with this. Their commanders were staring at the sweetest strawberries on the cake, the reddest apples on the fruit trees, and the most valuable spoils of the battle.

   The bell tower with the four-quadrant military flag was close at hand, and the commander of the brown-clothed soldiers ordered to pursue the victory.

   turned a corner and the church appeared in front of him.

   Then, the soldiers of the Grand Council Army heard gunshots from all directions, as well as the deafening sound of horse hooves.

   The dreamy officer, engrossed in his achievements, woke up suddenly: his troops were out of the cover of the musketeers on the other side of the river, and they did not carry weapons to counter the cavalry.

  His opponent did not give him a chance to correct his mistakes—the soldiers of the Grand Council Army who had entered Hegu Village were already at the end of their force, and their strength was limited, and they were overwhelmed in an instant; Leiqun County infantrymen flanked from both flanks, cutting off the retreat of the troops entering the village.

  The brown-clothed soldiers were killed, surrendered, or jumped down the river bank in a panic.

   Victory first and then defeat, the troops of the New Reclamation Army no longer had the fierce momentum they had before. They retreated to the east bank of the nameless creek, disappearing into the fading smoke.

  The tired defenders did not pursue either. The flag of Baishan County was inserted back to its original position, and the musketeers on both sides began to shoot at each other aimlessly, but the sound of gunfire now sounded weaker than before.

   The defenders were also licking their wounds. The church, which served as a temporary medical facility, was already full of the wounded, and there were more dead lying on the ground in the cemetery than buried in the ground. No one could perform a dying ritual for the dying, and it was Colonel Bode who finally came down from the bell tower and closed his eyes for the dead.

When the   Thunderqun County soldiers took over from the White Mountain County troops and repaired the defense line, Woods Frank returned to the convex castle at the northeast corner of the river bend.

  The air of the convex castle is filled with the smell of burnt and disgusting human flesh, and some ladders and wooden shields piled up on the river beach are still burning.

   The gunshots were still ringing, and Woods did not dare to show his face.

   He looked out through the gap in the guardrail and saw the bodies of the soldiers of the Grand Council Army who had not been taken away everywhere on the mudflat. They rammed across the ground like large brown spots.

   The poor guy who was stuck on the mudflat with the spear has not been taken down yet. He stood in a weird posture, like a scarecrow tied by a devil. Just as Woods looked at the poor guy, the corpse's left eyeball slowly slipped out of its socket.

  Woods' stomach clenched suddenly, he couldn't control it any longer, and vomited violently against the wall.

   It may have been an hour, but it was so long that Woods Frank felt like a whole day had passed, so long that Woods Frank didn't know how to get through the next time.

  Ernold hurriedly ran into the convex fort, and he slapped the lieutenant on the back at a loss.

  To be honest, the few shots Ernault took on Woods' back didn't work, but for some reason, when Woods realized that there was someone next to him, he didn't feel that bad.

   "Is there water?" Woods asked hoarsely.

   "Water?" Erno was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly pulled out the water bag: "Yes!"

   Ernault pulled the stopper and handed it to the lieutenant. Just as Woods was about to take it, Ernault took the water bag back.

  Erno wiped the stopper of the water bag several times with the clean area of ​​his clothes before handing it back to the lieutenant.

  Woods Frank was moved, he took the water bag and took a sip cherishingly. The water moistened his hot lips and sore throat, giving him some strength again.

   "Thank you." Woods whispered to Private Ernault.

  Erno was too frightened to say a complete sentence, he shook his head in flattery.

Woods stood up, handed the water bag to Ernault, and let out a long breath: "Although this section of the wall is crude, there is still room for improvement. If we add battlements to the wall, our musketeers don't have to be like they are now. Be wary. Erno, you are a good soldier, don't stay here. You go to the back line of defense, where you are more needed."

  Erno didn't really understand what the lieutenant was saying. He scratched the back of his head and asked, "Sir, are you not fighting for the time being?"

   "It will take time for the enemy to regroup." Woods patted the wall: "I will use this opportunity to reinforce the defense."

   "Oh, then..." Erno whispered: "I think the soup should not be dry yet, I... I made the fire very small."

  Woods laughed dumbly: "You..."

   Before he could finish his words, the convex castle in the northeast corner of the highland was overturned by a thirty-two-pound round shell.

   With the help of the smoke screen, the eight heavy artillery deployed on the mound on the opposite bank roared in sequence.

  The real attack begins.

   [The illustrations in the previous chapter and this chapter are a little troublesome to make, so I will post them later, sorry] [Thank you for your collection, reading, subscription, recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, rewards and comments, thank you all]

   (end of this chapter)