Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 458 Holder

   On the night of arriving at Maplestone City, the Tiefeng County Army set up a siege camp outside the city.

   Compared with the distance from Maplestone City, the location of the camp is closer to Maple Leaf Fort, which faintly cuts off the connection between Maple Rock City and Maple Leaf Fort.

Standing on the battery at the northeast corner of the camp, Richard Mason explained the essentials of setting up a siege camp: "According to the requirements of the "554 Regulations", the siege camp must be set up at least three kilometers away from the enemy-occupied area. , near the water source, easy to defend and difficult to attack. At the same time, the siege camp must be built as solidly as possible. If conditions permit, the siege camp should be built according to the highest standard of permanent military camps.”

   In addition to Mason, there were also a group of new army officers on the fort.

  Whether he was serving in the infantry, artillery or cavalry, as long as he was not on duty, they were all called over.

   Facing a group of new army officers, Mason tried his best to use an encouraging tone and asked, "Why?"

  The commissioned commanders of the infantry, cavalry and artillery at all levels looked at each other, some had their own thoughts, but no one dared to speak rashly.

  Maybe in the eyes of the soldiers, they are high-ranking officers, but in front of several tribunes, they still feel like they are the top soldiers.

   "Don't be afraid, say it boldly." Mason asked kindly: "Why at least three kilometers? Set up the camp so far away, isn't it a waste of soldiers' physical strength? As a siege party, why spend so much effort on building a military camp?"

   "Because of the cannon?" Someone whispered.

"Yes." Mason nodded approvingly and explained: "If the camp site is too close, it will give the defenders the opportunity to use artillery harassment. The camp target is too large, and the artillery does not need to be shot accurately. But as long as the camp is too large One or two shells falling into the tent can make everyone sleepless all night. Three kilometers away is enough to isolate most of the artillery harassment. But there is more than one reason."

   "In order to prevent the defenders from robbing the camp." Bart Shalling said.

"Yes." Mason smiled and nodded again, and continued to explain to the others: "The further the distance between the siege camp and the fort, the more likely the defenders will be exposed in the middle of the attack, and the longer it will take to withdraw troops. In many cases, the defenders often do not take the shortest route to attack the camp, but instead attack from the city gates in other directions, deliberately take a long way, and return from the city gate closest to the siege camp after the battle. However, these are only after besieging large cities. What will happen... I can't explain it in a few words, and I will tell you separately in the future. Is there anything else?"

   Several new army officers expressed their thoughts, but none of them were right, and the battery serving as a temporary classroom fell silent for a while.

   "Another most important reason is to leave enough space as a battlefield for fighting the enemy." Seeing this, Mason directly revealed the answer.

He accelerated the progress and explained: "This is why the siege camp needs to be built to the highest possible standard. In theory, siege warfare requires huge resources, so that the siege army cannot pose a threat to other directions, and it is difficult to To deal with external attacks. Generally speaking, when you attack the city with all your strength, once the enemy reinforcements appear, the battlefield situation will be reversed in an instant.”

"The siege of the city without breaking the siege happened many times in the war of sovereignty." Mason said at his fingertips: "For example, the siege of Doolin in 529. The Union army broke into the city and took the imperial troops in the city fortress. Surrounded. The alliance army occupying the city was soon trapped by the imperial army who came to support. Finally, the old marshal arrived and surrounded the imperial army that blocked the city from the outside - like a pie inside and out It usually covers a full four floors! So as a siege party, you must be prepared to be besieged."

   Regardless of whether they understood it or not, the officers of the new army were all nodding desperately.

   "The last one...the Siege of Doolin." Someone couldn't help being curious and asked in a low voice, "Who won?"

   A group of new army officers looked at the questioner one after another, and looked at Mason Tribunal in unison - in fact, this is what everyone cares most about.

   "That's when we won." Mason raised his eyebrows: "Otherwise, why would I bring up this battle example?"

   The observatory fell silent again.

   "So." Mason raised his hand and pointed around, "Why did we set up camp here?"

  Behind Mason, the lights on the top of the maple castle wall are clearly visible. Around the watchtower is the farmland that has just been harvested, flat and empty.

   The siege camp of the Tiefeng County Army was neither close to the water source nor conducive to defense, and the distance from the enemy fortress was far less than three kilometers.

"Because reconnaissance and intelligence have shown that the defenders of Maple Leaf Fort no longer hold large-caliber artillery, and there are only a few small-caliber city wall revolving guns left in the fort. Therefore, we can boldly approach and camp next to Maple Leaf Fort." It was very late, and Mason had no time to continue his heuristic teaching: "Similarly, only when we are in a close enough position can we deter the Maplestone militia and respond to any changes in time."

   "In a nutshell," Mason concluded: "Not only is it important to understand the theory, it's also important to adapt."

  The officers of the new army applauded, and many of them breathed a sigh of relief - they could finally go back to rest.

   After walking all day, digging trenches for half the night, and being dragged to class temporarily, everyone was very tired.

"After talking about the siege side, let's talk about the defender." Mason was still in his thoughts: "There are never fortresses that can't be captured, but why do we build them? Because fortresses are not only shields, but also fulcrums, springboards and spearheads, which can not only consume the enemy , delays the enemy, but also provides a solid supply store and protects friendly forces for interior maneuvers. Even if the enemy eventually breaks through the fort, the fort is enough to pay the enemy dearly..."

   "So." Mason pointed to the Maple Leaf Fort and asked brightly, "Look at this strong fortress, and then look at the surrounding terrain and environment. What can you learn from its location?"

  …

  Although the form of attack and defense around cities and fortresses is not valued very much in the country of galloping horses.

   But in the alliance's military system, there is no doubt that siege tactics are a big question, and can even be said to be one of the most important contents.

   As far as siege is concerned, everything from the location of the camp to the determination of the main attack direction, from the means of blocking the enemy's stronghold to the timing of using psychological tactics, is very particular.

  In the past, this military knowledge—not just including siege tactics—was only handed down orally within the noble class, and young nobles learned how to command an army by serving the senior nobles by observation.

   So when they do take over the command flag of an army one day, they naturally know what to do.

   In this way, the ruling clique monopolized military knowledge and succeeded in quelling most of the uprisings in a flash.

But the drawbacks of this approach are equally obvious: with just a generation or two of peace or a devastating fiasco, the aristocracy can throw away all the knowledge necessary to form a large army, and have to start anew. start accumulating.

   may even stagnate at the level of petty play for a long time due to the lack of external threats.

   The Alliance military system created by Marshal Ned Smith did not have this shortcoming.

   Through monastery-style military education, Winters, Mason and other batches of Union officers no longer have to sum up experience bit by bit through practice, but can learn from books the lessons that their predecessors exchanged for blood and tears.

   But when it came to the new army in Tiefeng County, the situation reversed again.

   In addition to the superstructure, all the middle and lower-level officers of the new army in Tiefeng County were selected through actual combat.

   They are brave, loyal, intuitive, and extremely lucky. Compared with the fashionable and ignorant students who have just entered the military academy, they already have all the qualities to become a qualified military commander.

   All they lack is knowledge.

   Winters and Mason had to take every opportunity to get knowledge into their heads.

  …

  …

   The next day when the siege camp was set up, the company of the monkeys received orders to dig trenches.

   Digging trenches, some recruits are not quite used to it, but the "veterans" who have experienced the battle of blood and mud are already familiar with it.

   The heavy battalion brought a whole carload of shovels, axes, and pickaxes, got the tools, and had a feast.

   When digging, do not dig straight, but dig diagonally.

   First dig out twenty paces and widen.

   Then dig out another twenty steps vertically and widen.

   In the end, the whole trench has a W-shaped zigzag appearance.

  Although the Maple Leaf Castle in front of him no longer has effective countermeasures, the Tiefeng County Army is still scrupulous in digging the trenches.

  Not only are the Tibetan soldiers’ caves at the corners of the trenches reinforced with wood, but also branches and straws are collected everywhere to cover the top of the trenches, blocking the view from the top of the wall.

   While digging trenches in front, the rear is also digging baskets. As if they were not besieging a fortress with only a few hundred old, weak and sick, but attacking a heavily fortified fortress.

  Compared to the vast formation of the Tiefeng County Army, the response of the defenders seemed very weak.

   When it was first discovered that the Tiefeng County Army was digging trenches and approaching, several rounds of artillery were placed on the top of Maple Leaf Fort. However, seeing the city wall artillery less than a pound shot past, the rebels ignored it, and the defenders stopped wasting gunpowder.

   So the defenders in Maple Leaf Fort widened their eyes, letting the Tiefeng County army "do whatever they wanted".

   Probably because he knew that the monkey was about to be promoted, he dispatched a live sergeant to give the monkey an easy job: cutting down trees.

   Hearing the sergeant's words, the monkey silently put down the pickaxe, led the axe and carriage, and headed to the outskirts of the woodland.

   The double wagon drives along the suburban roads, which are flanked by freshly harvested wheat fields.

  The oxen and draught horses paced the harvested wheat fields. These big beasts were very smart. They had to eat up the leftover ears of wheat before they could enjoy the straw.

   "It's so good. We should have a land for the next time, right?"

   "It should be, but I don't know where it will be divided for us."

   is talking about the monkey's comrades-in-arms. They follow the monkey chicken and dog to the sky, and they don't have to dig soil under the big sun.

  Monkey drove the carriage with its head down and didn't talk to each other.

There were originally six people in the tent where the    monkeys were located. After the battle at Hegu Village, only three were left with healthy limbs, and one was now lying in the wounded barracks.

  Monkey did not speak, and the other two comrades in arms chatted with each other.

  The relationship between the soldiers on the same account is unusual. The two comrades know that the monkey is sad because of Paco's death, but they don't dare to speak when they see the monkey being depressed like others. In fact, their "normal performance" is the monkey's greatest consolation.

"Hey, we are already at the edge of Maplestone City, but we are not allowed to enter. I don't know what the adults think!" What does a big city like Maplestone look like! Can't you let me go in and see?"

   "Who doesn't know what you're thinking?" Another soldier leaned against the guardrail of the carriage and scolded with a smile, "Don't you just want to visit the kiln?"

   "Don't talk nonsense!"

   "Sergeant Lu Xirong has said that just the few silver shovels in our pockets can be washed clean in less than a day, and we have to owe a lot of debt."

   "When did I say I was going to that kind of place?"

"Okay, I've framed you. Hey, have you heard of it?" The soldier leaning against the guardrail lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "The list of meritorious deeds has come out. Captain Bunir's mu counts this time. It's still number one, it seems like what's the name of the merit... yes, it's called 'leading'?

   "Why don't you say that people are powerful?" Another soldier naturally spread his hands: "People are credited for merit, and others are the first. Now that no one is credited for merit, others are still number one."

   "How many acres does he have?"

"one thousand?"

   "One thousand? It's already been one thousand. I estimate that there are two thousand."

   "My God, two thousand acres. If I also have two thousand acres, I won't carry a musket, and go home and close the door to be the owner of the manor."

   "If you have a life to earn, you have to use that life." The soldier leaning on the guardrail laughed and scolded: "When you save two thousand mu, I'm afraid you won't take your life into it."

After he finished speaking, he looked up at the blue sky and sighed: "I don't need that much, two hundred acres is enough. I just want to finish the war early, go home and build a cabin and raise a few more horses. In the first year, I only planted barley, and in the second and third years, I planted wheat again. In ten years, I can change the wooden house to a big one. Then, I will live in it until I die of old age.”

   Another soldier listened and couldn't help but sigh.

   "What about the pension for a dead person?" The monkey asked coldly, "Did you tell me?"

   The soldier leaning against the guardrail froze for a moment and scratched the back of his head: "It seems to be paid in full according to the number of 12 years of service. There are children for children, no children for parents."

   "Not at all?" the monkey asked again.

   "Then what else can I do? I won't give it if I don't have it."

  Monkey gave a "hmm" and pulled the reins: "Here it is! Get off the bus."

  The three parked the car outside the road, untied the yoke of the horse, and let the horse graze on its own. Then he picked up the axe and walked slowly towards the woods.

  It is not easy to chop down trees, but there is one advantage - you can be lazy.

  It's not like digging trenches, all accounts and teams work together, and it is clear at a glance who is behind.

   But the monkey was very "unappreciative". Although there was no one to supervise the work, he still wielded the axe vigorously.

  Monkey doesn't really want to chop down trees, he'd rather dig trenches, because the heavy and difficult physical work can keep him from thinking wildly.

  He slammed on the tree trunk one after another, as if he was slashing the enemy.

  Splintered wood splattered, pine tree after pine tree toppled with groans.

  Monkey almost did the work of two others. Before he knew it, he was no longer the thin, slick "monkey", but a strong-armed, taciturn soldier.

   From morning to noon, almost a truckload was cut down, and the monkey and two comrades called back the draught horse and dragged the logs one by one from the forest to the roadside.

  While the three of them were sweating, a messenger cavalry galloped over with a horse.

  The messenger, dressed in a beautiful green uniform, asked politely, "Which one is 'Holder'?"

   The other two soldiers were a little puzzled, and the monkey didn't understand it at first, but he remembered something, and in the surprised eyes of his comrades, he went to the messenger cavalry: "I am."

   "Please follow me back to camp." The cavalry ordered to point to another horse tied to the saddle: "The Mason Tribunal wants to see you."

  Monkey wiped his sweat: "But what about my work?"

   "Cut down the tree?" The cavalry order was almost choked: "It should be no need to do it."

  Monkey frowned: "There are so many logs, only two people are left here, when will they be finished?"

   "It's all right! Go! Go!" The comrade-in-arms behind him hurriedly stepped forward, grabbed the monkey's coat from the car and handed it to the monkey: "We can finish it, how many trees are there? It's a piece of cake."

   The messenger cavalry suggested very considerately: "How about this, you go back to the camp with me first, and then I will inform the chief sergeant of the company, and ask him to send a few more people to help?"

  Monkey thought for a while, nodded, and said, "There is another question."

   The messenger was puzzled.

   "I can't ride a horse."

   "It's fine." The messenger cavalry smiled: "You can lie on the horse's butt."

  …

   The road was bumpy, and the monkey was brought back to the camp by the cavalry.

  The barracks is like a small town, and the interior is divided into various areas. Outside the camp where the central army was located, the cavalry was ordered to put down the monkey whose internal organs were about to dislodge.

   "Inside is the general headquarters," said the messenger cavalry.

  Monkey asked in confusion: "Aren't you going in with me?"

   "I don't have permission and can't enter the central barracks." The cavalry ordered to raise their hands and salute: "You can only go to see Mason Tribunal yourself."

   Monkey has never been to the Central Military Camp. Even inside the military camp, there are strict restrictions on entering and leaving different areas. It is impossible for a monkey to enter the Central Military for a visit.

   But this was the first time someone saluted the monkey, he didn't want to lose face, so he returned the salute and walked stiffly towards the camp gate.

  The guard at the door checked the monkey's identity card and put him in.

   In the center of the Chinese army camp are three large tents arranged side by side, and there are some small tents around the big tent.

   Soldiers with weapons hanging from their waists and clerks in civilian shoes shuttled between tents, everyone was busy, and the monkeys seemed to have entered another world.

  He shamelessly stopped a clerk and asked about the tent where Mason Tribunal was located.

   Walking to the entrance of Mason Tribunal's tent, he realized that he was not the only one the Tribunal wanted to see—about thirty people had gathered in the tent, some he knew and some he didn't.

   Suddenly, Monkey found his friend Doug was among them. Doug also saw the monkey and waved to the monkey with a smile.

  Monkey hurriedly walked into the crowd, squeezed beside his friend, and asked excitedly, "Why are you here?"

   "The prep students are here." Doug's answer was consistently concise.

  Monkey just wanted to ask more carefully when the atmosphere in the tent changed suddenly. Everyone put their heels together, keeping their waists straight.

The    monkey also stood at attention subconsciously.

  Richard Mason went into the tent where the monkeys were.

   Mason Tribunal was still kind, and people wanted to get close when they saw him. He raised his hand to signal everyone to take a break.

  The monkey noticed that the tribunal looked a little tired, and his fingers were covered with traces of charcoal powder and ink.

"Why did you call you here? Someone must have guessed it, so I won't hide it." Mason's tribunal announced with a smile: "You have all passed the selection and will officially become the first batch of students of the New Reclamation Military Academy. ."

  I don't know what other people are thinking, but the monkey's heart beat faster than ever.

"The school is still under construction, but I'm short of manpower right now, so I thought of you." Mason's tribune's magnetic voice continued: "My job here is the responsibility you will undertake in the future. It wouldn't hurt to let you guys get acquainted, would it?"

  Monkey didn't react for a while, but others wouldn't wait for him.

   "Okay, let's get to work now." Mason Tribunal clapped his hands: "Who will count? Raise your hand."

   Some raised their hands.

   Mason Tribunal nodded, and an officer led away the people who were still raising their hands.

   "Who can read and write?"

   "Who will draw?"

   "Who can work as a carpenter?"

"Who…"

   Fewer and fewer people were around, and Doug was gone. When leaving, Doug glanced at the monkey worriedly, he touched the back of the monkey's hand, and left silently.

   In the end, only the monkey was left in the tent.

   The tribune went to the monkey: "What's your name?"

Although    is just a plain sentence, the monkey feels a great humiliation inexplicably - the most humiliating thing for the monkey is that this humiliation does not come from others, but from his own incompetence.

  Monkey suppressed the tears and replied in a low voice, "Monkey-Holder."

   "Holder, recruiting troops for the Battle of Blood Mud, uh..." The tribunal's voice was still warm: "You captured Axel Orange. Haha, you made him miserable."

  Monkey lowered his head to prevent the tribune from seeing his eyes, and swallowed hard his tears.

"It's nothing if you can't read and write. Tamas didn't know how to read and write before, and now he's also a battalion commander. The military school will open a special course for you, so that you can master reading and writing as soon as possible." The tribunal comforted a few. After thinking about it, he asked again, "By the way, can you ride a horse?"

  Monkey can't ride a horse, but this is his last chance, and he instinctively wants to answer "yes".

   Because in the first ten years of his life, avoiding responsibility and getting rid of punishment has become a habit. In the face of unbearable consequences, he always subconsciously chooses to lie. So monkeys are monkeys.

   But now, something else—another instinct shaped by life in the military stopped him from lying.

   "No," replied the monkey.

  He lowered his head, not daring to look at the tribune, for fear of seeing the disappointed gaze of the other party.

   "Oh." The tribunal scratched the stubble in distress, and suddenly clapped his hands: "So, go to the prisoner of war camp."

  Mason walked to the table, wrote a quick note, and sprinkled a handful of fine sand on the note. After the ink was blotted dry, he folded the note and handed it to the monkey.

   "Hand over this note." The tribunal said with a smile: "The guard will take you there."

  Monkey raised his arm and gave a solemn salute.

  …

The    POW camp was a separate camp, but not far from the siege camp.

  The monkey walked for a short while before reaching the gate of the prisoner of war camp.

The    monkey handed the note to the guard, and the guard took the note and entered the camp.

   After a while, the officer in charge of the prisoner of war camp came out. He glanced at the monkey suspiciously, but after checking the ID card, he nodded and waved: "Come with me."

   The officer in charge of the prisoner of war camp did not bring the monkeys into the camp, but led the monkeys to a shade of trees outside the camp, then turned and left.

   In a clearing under the shade of a tree, two men in armguards, helmets, and wooden swords were competing—or not, they were coaching one-on-one.

   Seeing the monkey approaching, the two stopped their movements.

   One stood silently with his sword in hand, the other turned to look at the monkey, raised his hand and lifted the shield.

  Monkey suddenly found out that he got a "job" that could make other preparatory students jealous to the point of bleeding.

  Because the underside of the shield is the wolf's eyes.

​

   [The reason why this painting is "good" is because few painters understand the military, and even fewer can reflect the details of the siege battle]

   [The things that the predecessors painted are not necessarily correct. Most painters have never fought a battle. Even if they are fortunate enough to watch the battle, they can only rely on their brains to make guesses about some details they do not understand. Not to mention some painters who don't even have the chance to watch the battle, relying on their brains to make up guesses]

[And this engraving in the Easter Egg Chapter shows all the details on the battlefield extremely well, from the fences, weapons, and city walls of the defending side, to the trenches, artillery, and mortars of the siege side, and the movement of the corps. ... blah blah, it's worth zooming in on every detail to see]

   [Thanks to book lovers for their collection, reading, subscription, recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, rewards and comments, thank you all]

   (end of this chapter)