337 – Attack on Veneta Castle (4)
Just as Peter Jaeger had predicted, the militiamen guarding the castle walls were now in an unbearable state of fear.
Their hands holding the spears were shaking violently, their bodies were sweating coldly, and many of them peed their pants one after another when the Imperial soldiers approached or came close to them.
Some people even tried to escape from the castle walls, but fell to their deaths after being hit by our soldiers rushing through the narrow passage.
“What are you, Randel? Damn it, save me! Surrender! Surrender! “You bastards!”
“If I die now, my wife and children will starve to death. “I will be a prisoner of war, so just save me.”
“I surrender, I surrender. So please put down that mace!”
When the militia thought about it, it seemed like there was no answer at the moment, so many of them put down their weapons and surrendered.
His unit commanders, such as Captain Randel, who was the first to climb the castle, could not accept their surrender as they were fighting on the narrow walls of the castle.
Because the orders of their commander, Peter Yeager, were to ‘secure prisoners and accept surrender without interfering with the conduct of battle.’
If a surrender is accepted through an already narrow passage through the castle wall, a conflict will occur between the imperial soldiers who must push in and the prisoners who must come down from the castle wall, causing problems.
‘Given Captain Jaeger’s personality, if he were to report that our soldiers died needlessly while capturing prisoners, not only would he be cut from his promotion, but he would also be subject to all kinds of disciplinary action. In that case, it would be better to give shock and fear as the original order.’
“The company commander is the leader, the company commander is the leader! Don’t fall behind! “Anyone who lags behind will receive guerrilla training until they feel like they are going to die!”
“Charge forward! “They are no different from human-shaped scarecrows!”
“Every time they break one of their heads, they think they will run out of money and push them away!”
The imperial soldiers were in a situation where they could not capture prisoners alive, so they took out the maces or swords they had on their waists and killed the militiamen in front of them by stabbing them or breaking their heads.
Rather than pushing indiscriminately on the wall, the soldiers in the back slowly pushed in with their five and ten aligned like swords.
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It is natural that there was no advanced military technology such as formal training, and even among the militia, those who were said to be good at fighting only learned martial arts that were useful in one-on-one close combat.
The Venetian soldiers on the walls began to fall into panic as the battle progressed, and this situation was relayed to Jacopo Tieplo, Duke of Veneta.
“Here’s a report! The Reich Imperial Army has completely taken control of the entrance to the eastern and western walls and is pushing in! If we continue like this, the gates may open!”
“The 2nd militia regiment commanded by Colonel Dandolo is annihilated! The 2nd militia regiment is annihilated! “The colonel was killed on the castle wall.”
“Your Majesty the Duke! We need to add more reserve militia! Please send more support up the wall immediately!”
Every time Duke Tieflo heard the report, his head felt dizzy, to the point where he felt as if he was being bleached white.
In other words, it meant that even the duke, who had led the prosperity of the Duchy of Veneta and its union for decades, was being pushed back to the point where he could not even dare to block the offensive of the Reich Imperial Army, which numbered over 150,000 troops.
As befits a man with a seasoned ruling career, his face did not show any concern and he simply nodded his head each time he listened to the report in silence.
‘f*ck, isn’t our Veneta going to fall to these guys if this continues? ‘If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have touched the damn Duchy of Philolence.’
In my heart, I felt like I wanted to give up because I thought there was absolutely no answer to the situation.
“Your Highness the Duke, I have a good plan to overcome this situation.”
“Oh, Baron Wallenstein. Yes, I can believe what you say.”
When the mercenary leader, who had played a major role in the Veneta Alliance’s fight against Milan four years ago, said that, the duke’s face lit up.
Other nobles who served the duke also looked at the mercenary who had risen to prominence quickly with disdain in normal times, but now they listened to everything he said.
“Aim for where the Reich Imperial Army is on the wall and attack them with arrows and magic. Then, our army will be able to attack them unilaterally from a distance, breaking the momentum of the rapidly advancing imperial army.”
As he predicted, the imperial soldiers were busy engaging in close combat with the militia densely placed on the castle walls.
Even if the Venena soldiers fired arrows from right under the castle wall, the imperial infantry was in a position where it was difficult to dare to respond.
So, as far as long-distance battles are concerned, it could have been a reasonable and effective tactic for the Venetian army to unilaterally defeat the soldiers of the Reich Empire.
However, there was one problem…
“I understand what the Baron said. However, if you fire at the enemy soldiers on the castle wall, the friendly soldiers who are engaged in close combat with the enemy will also die. Misfires (shooting at the wrong target) must be taken into account…”
At those words, Baron Wallenstein clicked his tongue.
“Baron Dolito, if we continue like this and insist on the tactic of sending in additional reinforcements, our soldiers will only continue to die. Maybe the wall will be breached today and everyone here will die. In that case, we have no choice but to endure the unfortunate event that ‘some’ soldiers die from being hit by our own soldiers’ arrows.”
When the Duke heard those words, he nodded his head and said.
“If the walls cannot be protected, the Principality of Veneta will be destroyed. Therefore, I think it is right to defend the castle walls at all costs. Immediately move the archers, crossbowmen, and wizards to target and fire at the imperial troops on the castle walls.”
Once the order was issued, the Venetian long-range attack force was very hastily dispatched right under the castle walls.
As soon as they were in position, their commander waved his sword and gave orders to those who hesitated at the thought that their allies might be hit.
“Aim for the imperial army and shoot! “Shoot even if your allies get hit!”
“If the wall is breached, your wives and children will all be raped and murdered by Peter Yeager and his army!”
“Don’t hesitate and shoot! “The Duke takes full responsibility!”
Immediately following orders, they shot arrows and chanted magic to attack the imperial army.
The Reich soldiers had no means of responding to a sudden long-distance attack from the side, so they were attacked one-sidedly and it became difficult for them to withstand, let alone advance.
Some of the commanders were concerned that if things continued like this, the soldiers on the walls would be wiped out, so they tried to request a retreat.
The judgments of Laura, who was pushing forward while massacring the militia one by one on the eastern wall, and Werner, who wielded a mace in the vanguard as a brigadier general and said he always respected Captain Patton, on the western wall, were completely different.
“Keep moving forward even if arrows and magic come flying at you! “If our troops retreat on the first day of combat, their sacrifice will be greater in the future!”
“General Patton once taught that a man shows his true worth in the most dangerous battlefield! “I, Brigadier General Kyle von Werner, will continue to fight even if I die here from an enemy arrow!”
As the two men gave the same command at the same time and continued to advance, the militia on the wall were so excited that they almost fainted.
“You crazy bastards! What on earth are you thinking when you’re shooting arrows? “You didn’t shoot properly!”
“You bastards who don’t even know your mother and father!”
“….. Being hit by a friendly arrow…”
Even so, we can’t retreat because the friendly militia keeps pushing in behind us.
The militiamen who had inevitably become the vanguard were massacred by the imperial soldiers who relentlessly advanced despite being hit by arrows fired by friendly forces from the side and from the front.
Peter Yeager sighed and said as he received reports of the war situation from his soldiers.
“I thought they would succeed in the siege without much sacrifice because the militiamen were honestly like scarecrows. “The Duke of Tieflo is going to have his head, so we won’t be able to take the castle today as I first expected.”
That’s what he said, but Captain Jaeger wasn’t particularly disappointed because it was already expected.
No, just climbing the castle wall on the first day was such an encouraging achievement that the staff were admiring it from the sidelines.
“It may be tempting to continue the attack at night, but if you do that, your soldiers will collapse from exhaustion in the enemy camp. Then there will be a big loss. Everyone come down from the walls when the sun sets. Instead, I will rest tomorrow.”