Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 441 The great alliance moves forward (thirteen)

The howl of the    light cannon might be drowned out by the drum beat, and the roar of the mortar might be confused with the gunshot.

   But nothing can cover up the roar of the heavy artillery, the sound of drums, bugles, shouts, hooves...not even.

Therefore, as soon as he heard the thunder from the other side, Colonel Skool immediately woke up: Sanell and Chloe dragged Maple Leaf Castle's city defense artillery to the battlefield, whether they were creating smoke screens or attacking River Valley Village, Both are designed to cover the erection of heavy artillery.

  The deafening thunder sounded eight times in a row, as if the gods threw eight giant hammers at the earth in a row.

   "Eight." Colonel Skool calmed the restless warhorse, while secretly thinking: "Did Sanel bring out all the heavy artillery of Maple Leaf Castle? Or did the king castles deliver it to him from the water?"

Colonel   School still had many questions in his mind, but this was clearly not a good time to think about them.

  Because of the loud noise of heavy artillery firing, the soldiers in Leiqun County and Bianjiang County had already spread panic and anxiety in their hearts.

   It was because the source of the noise was so close at hand—eight roars rushed down the hills on the east bank, rolled over the blood-colored nameless river, and slapped Skull’s soldiers on the chest one after another.

   The thirty-two-pound bronze cannons deployed on the hills on the east coast were all bulky, heavy old men about the same age as most of the soldiers' fathers, some of whom had even served under Marshal Ned.

  After the end of the Sovereign War, they enjoyed twenty-nine years of peace in Maple Leaf Fort. Except for a few rounds of salutes in the square every year on Victory Day, they almost never leave the dark and cold armory under the Maple Leaf Fort.

  People regard these antiques as relics of a previous era, but when they roar again, all creatures on the battlefield will still tremble involuntarily.

   The eight shots were over, and the cannon was temporarily quiet. The sporadic gunfire in the direction of Hegu Village also disappeared, and the battlefield fell into a strange silence.

  The recruits from Bianjiang County and Leiqun County were still looking around in horror, and the veterans were already desperately praying that the shells would not fall on them.

  The appearance of cannons turned the battle into a roulette game. Courage, skill, and armor had no meaning in the face of cannonballs. To a certain extent, this uncertain risk of death is more tormenting than the actual fighting.

  School galloped and patrolled along the front line of the coalition left flank. He confirmed that the left flank had not suffered casualties in the shelling just now, but he also observed the bad effect of the shelling on morale.

Colonel   School knew very well that no matter how much training the recruits from Leiqun County and Bianjiang County had received, they still didn't have the courage to face the cannonballs, and they didn't have the tenacity to ignore the flesh-and-blood comrades.

  The smokescreen persisted and refused to disperse, and still obscured the battlefield. The colonel could only hear the faint orders and shouts from the hills on the opposite bank—the enemy gunners were in full swing preparing for the next round of fire.

   After finding out the latest enemy situation, Colonel Skool made a decision.

He quickly summoned the commanders of the squadrons and issued an order: "We can't just be exposed to enemy fire. The whole army turned immediately - the formations retreated westward one after another. The city defense guns of Maple Leaf Fort are all old cannons, and we at least still have Five minutes."

   "Yes... Wait, what did you say?" The stunned adjutant even forgot the relationship between superiors and subordinates. He asked in disbelief, "Retreat? The puppet government forces shelled Hegu Village!"

Facing the eyes of the six captains under his command, Colonel Skool pointed his whip to the smoky east bank: "That's because they can't find other targets for the time being. There are various signs that the enemy's heavy artillery is on the hills on the opposite bank - ours Right ahead. Once the smoke clears, the heavy artillery will turn around and hit us."

   Because the left flank of the coalition had both Leiqun County troops and Bianjiang County troops, Colonel Scull's adjutant was served by Captain Sakasic of Bianjiang County.

Captain Sakasic has a hot temperament and never obeys Scull like the Thundershire officer. He retorted **** for tat: "But the order given to us by Colonel Bode is to stick to the river bank! No enemy army can be formed into an organized land. Cross the river!"

   "The situation of the enemy has changed, and so must the deployment." Colonel Skool frowned and glanced at the other captains: "You can have questions, but you must execute my order first."

   The captains did not dare to delay any longer, and they all raised their hands to salute and rode their horses away.

  Captain Sakasic dragged on until the end, and when the other lieutenants had left, he warned indignantly: "Colonel, if we let us out of the river bank, we will completely expose the flank of River Valley Village to the puppet government forces!"

   "The lesser of two evils." Skool replied coldly.

  Sakasic couldn't refute this reason, he hesitated and took the initiative to ask for battle: "Please let me take my troops across the river to fight!"

  School glanced at the captain: "No."

   "Why?" Sakasic was extremely saddened: "The enemy's heavy artillery is right under our noses! We have every chance to destroy them! Even capture them!"

"Don't underestimate Sanel!" Skull lost his patience, and he scolded sharply: "We have paid a heavy price for treating him as a lucky incompetent! Since he dares to put the cannon there, he I'm not afraid of you going to attack!"

Colonel Skool pointed to the newly harvested wheat fields on the east coast: "See that open space with no shelter at all? The enemy walks through there, and they are our targets. But if we step on it, it will change there. Become our slaughterhouse! Want to die? Then you go! This battle, not a single soldier can waste!"

  Sakasic's face turned blue and white after being taught, he raised his hand to salute and left without saying a word.

  I don’t know what special materials were used, but the smoke released by the Great Parliamentary Army dissipated more slowly than the thick smoke produced by simply burning wet wood; it did not rush into the sky with the thermal air, but floated on the surface for a long time, flowing with the wind.

   Therefore, until the eight heavy artillery on the hills on the east bank finished reloading and fired a round of rounds towards Hegu Village, the smoke that enveloped the battlefield was so thin that the scene on the other side of the river could be blurred.

  The artillery commander of the Grand Council Army saw this, and immediately ordered to reload the cannonball instead, and turned the gun muzzle to the due west, just waiting for the rebel left wing troops to appear in the field of vision.

   However, when the east wind finally removed the veil covering the ground, the deployment of the two armies was exposed without any cover. The artillery commander of the Grand Parliament Army was surprised to find that the rebel left platoon had retreated at least half a kilometer.

The artillery commander of the Grand Council Army reluctantly ordered to fire. The walnut-sized shot swept across the hillside, river and field, and spread over a range of tens of meters. In the end, only three or two unfortunate people were defeated, and the expected killing effect was not achieved at all. .

The artillery commander of the    Grand Council Army ordered to reload the round shells - although the enemy retreated half a kilometer, it was still not out of the effective range of the heavy artillery.

   However, the troops on the left flank of the retreating rebels began to change their formations. The phalanx gradually became a rectangle, and the distance between the soldiers also increased. Obviously, the rebel commander was not going to retreat any further. He retreated his units to the edge of the effective range of the heavy artillery, and made up his mind to use a loose formation to attack the artillery.

   Just as the artillery commander of the Grand Council Army can see the tactics of the rebel commander at a glance, the rebel commander also seems to know the thinking of the Grand Council Army well.

   Both sides are well aware of each other's tactics and ways of thinking, and both are doing everything they can to use their knowledge of the enemy to their advantage.

  The artillery commander of the Grand Council Army walked up to the cannon and tried to touch the body of the cannon.

   In just three shots, the outer walls of the eight heavy cannons were hot enough to fry an egg. Even through a layer of gloves, you can feel the huge heat stored in the thick bronze.

  The gunners who originally belonged to the New Reclamation Corps were cooling the cannons. The whole barrel of rapeseed oil was poured into the muzzle, and then poured out after a while and refilled with cold oil. The whole process required repeatedly raising the gun body, so that the gunners were sweating and panting from exhaustion.

   The eight heavy cannons of Maple Leaf Castle are all old-fashioned cannons that are extremely difficult to serve. Although they are powerful, they also come with many problems - heat dissipation is only one of them.

   So every shooting opportunity is precious.

The artillery commander of the    Grand Council Army looked at the rebel left flank in a loose formation in the distance, and after a brief assessment of the possible killing effect, he decided not to waste precious shots on the enemy's itch.

The    battle flag was waved, and the torrent-like sound of military drums sounded all over the east bank at the same time. The Great Council Army, which arrived at the attack position under the cover of smoke screens, launched a frontal offensive.

  The phalanxes on the left and right wings began to advance towards the opposite bank, looking down from the top of the hillside, like small light brown squares moving slowly on the ground.

   Even the Central Phalanx, which had suffered setbacks in the previous storm, was regrouping and preparing for the next attack.

   "Adjust your orientation." The artillery commander of the Grand Council Army aimed at the small village on the high ground on the opposite bank: "Continue to bombard the rebels' central army."

  Although the eight heavy artillery failed to inflict a lot of damage on the left flank of the rebels, it succeeded in forcing the rebels to withdraw from the positions along the river, which had achieved the desired goal. Compared with the rebels' left flank units at the edge of the effective range, they are still close at hand - the river valley village defenders are better to fight.

The commander of the artillery of the Grand Council Army personally checked the firing angle of each artillery piece, and at the same time kept his orders: "Pay attention to me! No one is allowed to shoot at the church, this is the order of Colonel Sarnell! Aim at the river bank and destroy them. Line of defense!"

   After a moment, the reloaded heavy cannon opened fire again. The veterans who had served under Marshal Ned roared and shot thirty-two-pound iron balls, and if they weren't weapons, they might have been heartbroken.

   At the same time, on the river bank north of River Valley Village, Captain Sakasic watched the cotton-like gunpowder smoke from the hills on the opposite bank, and clenched his fists involuntarily.

   Every time there was a dull thunder on the other side of the river, the river valley village on the right hand side of the captain would fly up a piece of gravel and sand. The peasant's house collapsed with a groan, and smoke rose from the rubble.

   A few thick branches were also thrown into the sky, spinning to the ground. The captain didn't have time to identify it, but he felt it was a human amputation.

  Beside Captain Sakasic, more than 500 musketeers from various battalions were crawling behind the Tiandi along the coast, each about a meter apart.

   The embankment where they are located is only over a meter high, made of gravel and soil, and some low shrubs are planted on it to fix the soil.

  This field embankment is not only a field ridge used for painting, but also a low embankment to prevent the flooding of the river during the rainy season. However, at this moment, it is mainly the parapet of the musketeers in Leiqun County and Bianjiang County.

  Captain Sakasic poked through the bushes and watched the soldiers in light brown jackets descend the hill in rows to the beat of the drums.

   The dense gun barrels are like the aerial roots of a banyan tree, and the blades of the spears gleam in the sun. Horse-painted flags were drawn from the helmets and gun barrels, and the flag-bearers were protected in the center of the array.

   Judging from the military flag, the troops attacking the left flank of the coalition came from the "Reorganization of the New Reclamation Corps", that is, the troops that originally belonged to General Adams.

  Because Captain Sakasic used flags similar to theirs, only slightly different in details.

Although    was reluctant to admit defeat, the captain had to admit that Colonel Skool's judgment was correct.

  The enemy had six infantry battalions in front of the artillery positions, and cavalry on both flanks.

   If Sakasic really made a desperate attempt to cross the river to storm the artillery position, then the newly harvested wheat field on the east bank would be his slaughterhouse.

   But at this moment, it was not Sakasic's subordinates who stepped into this killing field, but the soldiers of the Grand Council Army in light brown shirts.

   Taking advantage of the range of the artillery, the Grand Council Army successfully forced the "rebel" left flank to withdraw from the river bank defense line. Seizing the retreating fighter planes of the "rebel" left wing, the right wing of the Grand Parliamentary Army began to advance.

   However, the commander of the right flank of the Grand Council Army must not know Colonel Skool well if he thinks that his enemy will surrender the line.

  The ammunition has been loaded and the arquebus has been hung up. The musketeers from Leiqun County and Bianjiang County lay in ambush behind the Tiandi and the bushes, holding their breath.

   "No one is allowed to open the gunpowder pit without an order! Whoever opens fire, I will kill him!" Sakasich lowered his voice and warned fiercely. He pushed the musketeers on both sides: "Pass it down to me!"

   At the same time, the six phalanxes of the Grand Council Army were approaching the river bank.

   The soldiers in light brown shirts are neatly arranged, their steps are steady, and the military appearance is majestic:

Tassel-helmed sergeants with halberds walked at the front of the phalanx, soldiers with muskets on their shoulders were distributed in the four corners of the phalanx, the spearmen in the first row were equipped with breastplates with iron skirts, and most of the soldiers in the back row also wore iron. helmet.

   But about fifty meters from the river bank, they were hit head-on.

Sakaxic steadily aimed at a white-ying sergeant in front of the phalanx, opened the gunpowder pool neatly, and pressed the launch rod without mercy: "Fire! Hit me with their halberd! Hit me with their double pay. Soldiers!"

  A plume of white smoke overflowed from the Tiandi, like a pot lid lifted by water vapor. The gunshots rang out on the banks of the river, and many of the brown-clothed soldiers in the front row fell to the ground.

  Sakasic just finished his shot, and before he could confirm the result, he immediately took another loaded arquebus from the soldiers behind him.

   When he pressed the **** of the gun again, he found that Sergeant Bai Ying, who was aiming just now, had fallen to the ground with his chest covered. So he turned the gun and aimed at another "double-paid soldier" in the first row, calmly opened the medicine pool, and pressed the firing rod.

   The same goes for the other musketeers, shot for shot. Because of their prostrate position, it was difficult for them to pour gunpowder into the barrel, and they had to rely on their comrades behind them to help them load it.

   After two rounds of shooting, the sounds of gunfire on the West Bank dwindled—musketeers were scrambling to reload.

   And the Grand Council Army has recovered from the brief panic of being attacked, and the phalanx at the end of the front line continues to advance, trying to outflank the river bank defenders. At the same time, the musketeers in the frontal formations quickly stepped forward.

   This time, it was the turn of the east coast to hear a lot of gunfire.

  Captain Sakasic was so crushed that he couldn't lift his head for a while. The lead hit the embankment and bushes, sending up dust and blowing the branches and leaves.

Captain    laughed and shouted at his subordinates behind Tiandi: "Where are those idiots aiming at? Twigs? Mud? Guys, we can play with them here all day!"

   Having said that, the sound of gunfire on the East Bank was indeed denser and more rhythmic than on the West Bank.

   However, just when the commander of the right wing of the Grand Council Army thought that he had successfully suppressed the enemy in front of him and only waited for the friendly forces on the flank to flank in place, Colonel Sanel, who rushed to the artillery position following the sound of gunfire, was almost blown up by air.

   Perhaps due to the terrain, the frontline commander in the farmland could not confirm the strength of the enemy army, but Sanel, who was condescending, could see it clearly.

   The left wing of the "rebels" is still huddled at the edge of the effective range of the heavy artillery. How can there be any enemy troops on the river bank? But a few musketeers were stubbornly resisting.

   And the "rebels" were hiding behind the embankments and bushes, and it was difficult for the musketeers of the parliamentary army to kill them effectively. On the other hand, the soldiers of the parliamentary army stood stupidly in the farmland that had just been harvested, and they were just targets.

  The artillery commander who urgently replaced the round bullets with shotguns also felt a little troublesome - bombarding the musketeers scattered behind the Tiandi with heavy artillery was tantamount to wasting ammunition.

   Before the artillery commander asked for instructions, the furious Sanel had already rushed down the hill. He cursed the incompetent phalanx commander, ordered the latter to charge, and at the same time mobilized the cavalry detachments on both flanks to cross the river to outflank the enemy.

  Captain Sakasic saw a colonel on the other side of the river galloping down the dirt slope, and then the clumsy and sluggish enemy formation "wake up", and the cavalry on both flanks of the enemy line also moved.

Captain   Sakasic knew it was time to retreat, but he couldn't help but want to take a gamble.

   "Quick! Give me a gun! Quick!" Sakasic stared at the figure on the other side of the river in the uniform of the colonel, and hurriedly urged his subordinates: "Give me a loaded gun!"

The musketeer behind    quickly pulled the clear rod from the barrel and handed the arquebus to the captain.

  Sakasic personally hung the matchlock, held the gun steady, aimed at the colonel who was waving his arm to give orders in the distance, and pulled the trigger praying: "Let me end this killing! Merciful Lord!"

   The flames flashed and the lead left the chamber. When the smoke cleared, Sakasic was disappointed to see that the officer was still sitting on the saddle.

   At the same time, Colonel Sarnell touched his cheek, stabbed the horse in the ribs, turned and walked away.

   Seeing the other side run away, Sakasic punched the embankment and ordered: "Blow the horn! Retreat!"

  The shrill horn pierced through the various noises of the battlefield, and the musketeers behind Tiandi got up one after another and ran to the phalanx in the distance. Sakasic also raised his saber and strode toward the phalanx he commanded.

   However, at this moment, the commander of the artillery of the Grand Council Army seized the opportunity of the "rebel" musketeers to get out of cover, and ordered the artillery to fire sharply.

The   32-pound cannon spewed thick gunpowder, pouring ruthless lead rain on the fleeing back.

  The wheat fields on the west bank seemed to have been scratched by a comb, and there were many more "scratches" in an instant. Many musketeers ran and fell suddenly without warning and never got up again.

   When he heard the sound of thunder coming from behind, Captain Sakasic immediately shouted at his subordinates: "Fare away!"

   But he didn't make a sound, the last order dissipated in his chest. Sakasic was torn to pieces by a walnut-sized lead bullet, and he fell heavily into the wheat field, saying goodbye to all subsequent killings.

The six phalanxes of the    Grand Council Army shouted and rushed across the unnamed creek, and the light cavalry also flanked up from both flanks, intending to cut down all the musketeers of the "rebel".

   However, the battle drums were also sounded on the west bank, and the flags were waved. The six phalanxes of Leiqun County and Baishan County met the six phalanxes of the Great Council Army.

   At the same time, the Leiqun County cavalry hidden behind the heights of Hegu Village rushed out from the sloping field, cutting off one wing of the "puppet army" cavalry.

  In the fields north of River Valley Village, the two armies collided.

   [I was wrong (T_T)]

   [Additional description content: the naming of the artillery]

   [The naming of artillery is the same as "the difference and connection between guns, spears, lances and scorpions", it is a topic that is constantly cut, chaotic, troublesome and troublesome]

   [In general, the early artillery did not have the name "XX pound". Because of the low casting technology, each early artillery must use a special gun, just like the Bobosa and supporting drums in World War II... Therefore, there is no naming method of XX pounds]

   [So people at that time named cannons at will, some names are symbolic, such as lizard guns, falcon guns, snake guns; some names are more practical, such as long guns, short guns, cannons. Various countries, regions, and even different arsenals have different naming conventions, so the naming of artillery is extremely confusing]

[This is the same for the Celestial Dynasty. The Mountain Splitting Cannon, the Nine-section Cannon, the Tiger Crouching Cannon, the Son-Mother Cannon, the Great General Cannon, the Second General Cannon, the Third General Cannon (there really are), all kinds of XX General Cannons, and foreign red cannons. Yi cannons and Flang machines are dazzling and inexplicable]

   [Beginning in the 16th century, European countries began to adopt the naming method of XX pounds one after another. It seems to be just a name change, but in fact it means that artillery has begun to enter the era of "standardization" - although it is still 108,000 miles away from the standardization of the industrial age]

   [But the old naming method has also been inherited, so you can often see dual-track parallel nomenclature (the number of pounds represents the caliber, and the name represents the type)]

   [In order to avoid repetition in this book, pounds are used throughout]

   (end of this chapter)