193 – Defense of the Yellow Plains (6)
If you ask them to imagine a scene where an artilleryman fires a cannon in Korea, most people will imagine this scene.
When the ignition port at the back of the cannon is ignited, bullets are fired from the iron cylinder at an invisible speed.
Then, when it reaches the target point, it explodes with a bang, tearing the surroundings to shreds and destroying them.
However, it was only 200 years ago that such cannons were standardized worldwide, and cannons before that were only capable of shooting huge masses of stone or iron.
If you say that, the power may seem weak, but… It will always look relatively weak.
As if to prove it, 20 cannons fired iron bullets from cannon holes drilled in the floor of Marquis Creutel’s wooden castle, emitting acrid smoke and noise.
All bullets made of iron moved quickly towards the enemies at an invisible speed.
The way they thump and thump the ground seemed like a wide stone floating on the water.
By the time the gunpowder is ignited, the journey towards the enemy is completed in a short time of only about 1 second.
The soldiers of the French allies marched, as always, in dense infantry squares.
When the soldiers, who did not know what a cannon was, heard the sound of gunpowder exploding and the sound of the cannonball hitting the ground.
Some soldiers felt the fear of the new weapon called the cannon through a spinal cord reflex, no, no time to feel it…
Each limb, such as arms, legs, body, and head, was scattered in a 2.5kg lump of metal at over 400 meters per second.
The matchlock stopped as if it had completed its mission once it was pierced, but the bullets from the cannon devastated all the soldiers in the same line, from the front to the rear.
As a result, all those who were in the trajectory of the shell died instantly in that state, or those who did not die were not able to wake up properly from the tremendous shock.
They just let out despair that they will die now, the pain felt from the damaged body, and moaning at the loss.
Also, the soldiers who were lucky enough not to be hit by the shells next to or around them started to run wild when they saw a lump of meat steaming up next to them.
“Kreutel, motherfuckers!! At least you borrowed the devil’s power?”
“Watson!! Taylor, Captain of the 10th! Nonsense… How many people died in just one shot!!”
“Captain White!! 12 in one damn iron ball… Thirteen soldiers were seriously injured or killed… ”
“If you keep fighting like this and advance, everyone will die!! Wouldn’t you like to do something if you arrive alive before you go to Fortress?”
Because the impact of the cannons was so great, the centurion usually judged how long it would take before the next attack.
And after figuring out that it takes about 5 minutes for them to reload, I would have encouraged them to go as quickly as possible because it would take some time for the enemy’s next attack to come.
However, even veterans who are accustomed to war become paralyzed or lose their reason in front of fear that exceeds their limits.
Eventually, among the lower-ranking commanders, there were those who lost their senses due to the impact of the cannon and gave orders optimized for survival in violation of military orders.
“With a weapon called a matchlock, even if you shoot dozens of them at once, only a few people will be able to find it. What the hell is this damn iron ball?! Shit!! Crowd release!!! If you don’t want to fall behind!!”
If the captain of the centurion had given such an order to lead the serf infantry in normal warfare, the chiefs who acted as noncommissioned officers under him would have stopped.
Because, if fraudulent and untrained serfs are scattered in front of the enemy…
They will try to desert to escape the fear of facing a terrifying enemy and the unfair situation of not receiving any reward.
Also, if you succeed in deserting, you don’t have to continue fighting a terrible war, and you don’t suffer any disadvantages due to the lack of an administrative system.
In other words, it is a gamble that the probability of failure is high before the spread, but the centurion openly opened it.
Accordingly, some of the men of the Marquis Simon abandoned their spears and cumbersome weapons as soon as the order was given to spread.
After that, as if they were going to get out of this terrible place even for an hour, they didn’t say anything and just ran to the front, back, left and right.
Against them, single-handed units belonging to the French allied forces wielded swords and spears to prevent desertion.
“Die, you scumbags!”
“All you have to do is close your eyes and move forward. Why are you dying because you can’t do that?”
“Like these lowly serfs!!”
The Marquis Simon was also briefly confused by the unique fear of cannons, but soon looked around.
The soldiers who had been hit by cannons that fired iron balls earlier did not retreat because they were noticing the commander of Franchi.
However, due to the tremendous power of the attack, some centurions lost their momentum and even violated the strict military order that forbade open formation because ‘the serfs will desert if the mass square is released’.
Thanks to this, the speed of marching toward the enemy slowed down, and because of that, the time the allies were exposed to the iron ball thrown by Marquis Creutel increased more and more.
‘If I retreat from here, I and my family will be politically purged, so I can’t retreat. However, if you build a formation that can minimize damage such as spread formation, desertion will be rampant… ‘
“I report to the entire army. Do not be afraid of mere metal beads, and proudly make a square with long spears and march with dignity. However, the knights should be scattered and march with their flags high. Also, if there is an idiot who is slow to advance or reluctant to advance, the solo squad will personally blow off that guy’s head, whether he is a noble or not.”
When the Marquis Simon gave the order, the flag bearing the French imperial family’s crest was raised high, prompting the advance.
At the same time, Franchi’s single-handed troops set fire to the eyes and directly decapitated soldiers who were lagging behind with whips, and those who fled or hesitated with swords.
Then, the hesitant serfs and lower-ranking commanders shed tears of blood and screamed, thinking that if they did not defeat the enemy, they would be killed by their allies, and started running.
Seeing this, the Marquis of Creutel was taken aback.
‘Crazy guys, if you want to take less damage from the cannon’s attack, it’s most efficient to capture the wooden castle as quickly as possible, but… No way, to use a single combat force to slaughter allies and drive them on.’
Of course, that choice is the most effective strategy to win this battle.
However, just as we do not always live our lives only by considering efficiency, if soldiers are treated harshly like that, public sentiment will break through after the war.
Then, banditry or rebellion increases not only in the Marquis Simon’s territory, but also in the territory of other nobles under the command of the Marquis.
Therefore, the tactic of attacking without going back and forth like that is usually used when there is no more retreat, such as in the defense of the capital.
‘If I had been Marquis Simon, I would have led the guards and stood at the forefront until we reached the castle walls to boost morale. Then, you don’t have to use the single combat force so harshly… ‘
However, as the saying goes, in every war the enemy’s reckless numbers give the allies an opportunity, the soldiers of the Marquis of Creutel made the most of their enemies’ bold mistakes.
In particular, there was a friendly conversation between the artillerymen dealing with the cannon, which is currently doing the most active.
“Corporal Peter, until yesterday, didn’t you say that the artillerymen came and went through hardships because of me? “
“At that time, I didn’t know that cannons were so great. Besides, if you are discharged from the artillery, you will be given 1.5 times more land, and the promotion of sergeant is almost at the level of applying. It’s heaven.’
“So, when you go back after this battle, you will introduce me to your little sister.”
If you have a conversation like this, you might make mistakes, but the soldiers who handle cannons have already gone through several rounds of training…
Regarding the technique of handling the cannon, without adding a single exaggeration, he reached a level where he could do direct fire with his eyes closed as long as he gave him a loading tool and a bag.
So, while chatting whenever there was a chance, I was able to repeat loading and firing 1.5 times faster than usual.
Also, the meat dough made with 1.5 times more French soldiers increased…
Seeing this, the nobles under the command of the Marquis of Creutel said to their subordinates, ‘Isn’t the artillery ending the war like this?’ he joked.
To that extent, the power of the cannon was overwhelming, no, it showed the appearance of a guardian of the battlefield.
However, no matter how much the opponent stands in front of the cannon and makes fun of it by saying ‘Guess me’… It seemed to show that there is a limit to the loading speed of cannons.
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Marquis Simon’s soldiers had come close to the fence made by Marquis Creutel.
The siege warfare between the fenced castles hasn’t started in earnest yet…
Some of the soldiers were already cheering as they had suffered so much from cannon fire to get here.
At first glance, it seemed that a crisis was upon us, but…
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Marquis Creutel observed this situation from the command post in the rear, and gave an order in a calm voice.
“From now on, each cannon must be loaded with grapeshot.”