Eagle Byzantium

The craftsmen skillfully connected all the baggage cars end to end, forming a long rectangle at the prescribed fortification site. Then they erected the carriage boards outwards, and ten centurions of border militia infantry began to bring the carriages in. of shovels, pickaxes, shovels, wicker baskets, and sharpened stakes, and gave them to all Then half of the craftsmen affiliated with the brigade hung windproof lights on the carriage boards, and began digging trenches around the periphery of the "temporary carriage barrier". They put the excavated soil into willow baskets and piled them on the baggage carriage. The gaps are filled with the entire defense line, and the remaining soil is piled on the wheels to prevent the carriage from slipping.

The remaining half of the infantry boarded the side of the baggage train, held high torches inside, and set up flags, long hooks, spears, bows, and crossbows to guard the surrounding area.

And Monomachus led four centurions of frontier cavalry, forming a double front, facing the east gate of the North Castle, acting as a mobile security force.

When the Danishmund garrison of the North Fort saw an enemy force suddenly appear in the east and began to build a fort, they immediately understood that their intention was to isolate and surround themselves, so they hurriedly sent a detachment to rush out from the east gate and The beacon was raised again to ask for reinforcements from other ramparts in an attempt to overwhelm Monomachus's chariot ramparts.

Seeing the soaring beacon fire coloring the night sky, General Monomachus, who was leading the cavalry, hurriedly ordered, "Everyone turned their horses and retreated to the chariot base, waiting for my instructions!"

The four hundred frontier cavalrymen made a noise, and the rear team quickly became the front team. They circled to a gentle slope 800 feet away on the south side of the vehicle barrier and stopped.

At the same time, the watchman at the carriage base saw the flags and traces raised by the cavalry, and hurriedly beat the bronze drum, so that one carriage was connected to another. All the border soldiers shouted in response, and dug in outside The people in the trenches also quickly followed The gap left was moved back, and then the basket filled with soil was pushed up to seal it. They began to remove the skin shields and hung them on the vehicle brackets layer by layer. They raised the windproof lantern with the vehicle mast and placed it outside the vehicle barrier. All directions of dozens of feet are illuminated. Amidst the continuous sounds, many people began to raise their spears and various weapons and boarded the carriages. Each small flag team was responsible for one carriage (corresponding to the number of border troops), while all the craftsmen were in the middle of the carriage. , holding a torch, or loading ammunition for a crossbow and a small number of muskets.

"Bang!" A ray of fire flashed out from the carriage barrier, or to be precise, it shot out from the hole drilled in the carriage board. It was the border infantryman who fired the first shot with his musket, and the afterimage of the light was fleeting. Suddenly, the passing rocket exploded into a ball of fireworks after flying more than a hundred feet, illuminating the formation of numerous Danish soldiers who came to attack the car barrier...

Then from all directions, more and more handguns and arrows began to shoot, followed by the sound of dense arrows piercing the air, and the Danishmend soldiers over there also began to draw their bows to attack. Monomachus, who was waiting on the hill far away, saw that the cart ramparts were standing amidst white smoke, flashes of light, and flying arrows. Many spear tips were shaking with black shadows. They were the border soldiers struggling to resist. , this defense mode does not require soldiers to have many Rich combat experience does not require them to be able to ride or be brave. They only need to be able to unite together and board behind the carriage board, or stab the enemy with spears and climb over them, or use bows or arrows from behind the board. Just hit the outside with fire blunderbuss and arrows.

This is the strength of the infantry composed of common people, and it is also Gawain’s idea of ​​​​an army: "Khitan fire, infantry spears and chariot barriers, coupled with the generals and training teams, can enable the common people to quickly form an army to fight against the most elites in the East and the West. The samurai army, and then I used the more disciplined cavalry as a fist to decisively defeat the enemy."

After taking turns fighting all night long, the border troops in the carriage repelled attacks from five enemy fortresses.

In the early hours of the morning, Monomachus's cavalry launched a fierce pursuit of a certain Danish army that was exhausted and retreating towards the barrier. "The enemy failed to attack the chariot barrier, and was attacked by our cavalry." The attack almost all fell into our hands, their bodies were strewn on the road, and no one could escape."

After resting for two hours, the craftsmen and the frontier infantrymen in the carriage barracks continued to dig trenches outside the carriage barracks. First, they dug out a five-foot-wide trench, and then dug out multiple trenches. By nightfall, a trench was naturally formed around the carriage barracks. A huge civil stronghold, with an earthen embankment channel for cavalry to enter and exit, which can be regarded as completely blocking the external route to the east of the North Fort.

At the same time, Branas commanded two brigades and fire throwers to deploy their forces and block the route to the west of the North Fort.

In despair, the North Castle erected the black crescent battle flag, which was regarded as a final expression of determination towards the inner city of Melite.

When the time for the general attack came, the fire throwers concentrated all their five-barreled artillery and light artillery vehicles and violently bombarded a section of the defensive stone wall of the North Fort. The fire throwers were thrown in an arc. The heads of the defenders exploded one by one, spurting out large swaths of Pieces of lime clouds sprinkled down, leaving no one with a place to stand; then, two companies of fire-throwers held up their shields and pushed their battering rams, approached that section of the stone wall, slammed them with copper mallets, and used ropes and hooks to pull them Pull, and soon with a loud noise, the city wall collapsed.

After the smoke and dust at the gap dispersed, countless arrows suddenly shot out from inside. Although the front ranks of the two companies of fire throwers stacked their shields, they were still shot down many times and fell among the rubble, but more Many fire-throwers rushed up from behind. Under the cover of shields, they rushed to the gap, took turns stepping forward, leaping with their arms, and smashed the iron fire poles they carried into the gap like hail.

Soon, the broken notches between the walls were blasted with flames. Some iron fireballs did not bloom, but rolled on the ground, emitting puffs of black smoke. In the end, the Danishmond soldiers who were blocking the gap were not repelled by the explosion, but were driven away by the thick floating black smoke... Branas saw the opportunity and gathered the scattered soldiers of the brigade of four companies. They rushed in from the gap of the north fort with two-handed swords, scythes, etc., wearing armor, and hacked and killed the densely packed enemy soldiers who fell behind the wall.

The north fort of Melitene held out for half a day before it fell. When the backbone of Bey and Ghazi who defended the fort died in battle, the remaining more than 2,000 soldiers did not want to be buried here. They fled out of the east gate in a rush, but were blocked by the Monomachus cavalry who rushed out of the blockade, and almost all surrendered.

After capturing the North Fort, Branas appointed Orson and Dolus to stay there to defend, and he led the Red Hand Brigade without stopping, and continued to advance at lightning speed. The goal was obviously to seize the remaining outer camps. Danishmond's army gathered 2,500 people to resist the battle. The two sides started a second fierce battle at the riverside three miles outside the inner city of Melite. (To be continued ~^~)