"You mean we should flood the trenches?" Duke Fisablon's eyes lit up.
"Yes, as long as these duchy rats can't stay in the trenches any longer, they'll become our targets the moment they come out. Locke, you've really come up with a good idea this time. How could I not have thought of such a simple idea … "The second prince slapped his forehead in frustration.
The atmosphere in the tent immediately heated up. They had found the key to breaking the stalemate. Everyone was in high spirits at this moment. They rubbed their palms together, ready to teach the Fulondo, Falkner, and Handa dukedoms a good lesson in the upcoming attack. They would be able to vent their frustrations that had been stifled for more than a month.
"Haha, it's all thanks to Dolles. If he hadn't mentioned that the rain would flood the trenches during the rainy season, preventing the rats from staying in the trenches, I'd have thought of using water to flood all the trenches along the defensive line. That way, the rats would have no choice but to fight us to the death," Laurist said humbly with a smile.
"But, but where are we going to get so much water to flood the trenches …" Duke Kempis asked a little later than the others.
Laurist smiled, revealing his white teeth. "Simple. The Nibaraku River isn't far from our camp. We'll block the flow and build a small reservoir. Then, we'll dig a trench to connect to the trenches along the defensive line. Once the water is full, we'll dig an opening and let the water flow through the trench …"
"We'll have to continue the attack and hide the sound of us building the reservoir and digging the trenches. We'll wait until the dead of night before we release the water. Who knows, we might even be able to give the rats hiding in the trenches a big surprise." The second prince finished Laurist's sentence.
"We'll also need wooden planks and rafts, the more the better. We can set them up on the trenches so that the cavalry and chariots can pass through quickly. We'll be able to close the gates and capture the Duke of Fulonto alive," Duke Fisablon added.
"That's it." The second prince immediately made arrangements. "Locke, you are responsible for building the small reservoir and digging the trenches. You can recruit the poor people to work. All the cavalrymen will go and help. Try to get everything done in three days. Duke Gammus, give me command of your two regiments of heavy armour. We will take as much ground as we can in the next few days to conceal our intention of flooding the trenches. Count Şahin, send two of your light infantry regiments to chop down trees and make more rafts … "
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Another attack began, but this attack made the generals who were preparing to defend feel a little strange. They discovered that the attacking heavily-armored soldiers weren't going to fill in the trench or tear down the earth wall this time. Instead, they were just going to use wooden rafts to pass through the trench. The heavily-armored soldiers who attacked later were armed with crossbows, javelins, axes, and other short-range weapons to shoot at the guards hiding in the trenches. Because they were in a higher position and had proper protection, they had a great advantage in terms of casualties.
Perhaps they want to use a large number of casualties to deplete our defensive strength and achieve their goal of occupying the position? That was what the generals of the duchy thought, so they responded by withdrawing the guards at the frontline and gathering a large number of troops in the rear, hoping to lure the attacking enemy deep into the rear. Then they could once again replicate their previous victory. Of course, they also arranged for a regiment of men to pass through the trenches to block any possible enemy reinforcements.
However, contrary to their expectations, after the heavily armored soldiers occupied more than ten trenches, they no longer attacked. Instead, they transported a lot of wooden rafts from behind, and they even inserted these wooden rafts vertically into the trenches …
What did this mean? The generals of the duchy gathered together for a long time and finally came to a conclusion. It was very likely that the enemy wanted to use these wooden rafts to block the trenches in all directions so that the defending forces couldn't pass through the trenches to attack the occupied position. Then, they would use the wooden rafts to block the trenches section by section. On one hand, they could consolidate the occupied position, and on the other hand, they could continue attacking until the entire defensive position was broken through.
This was definitely a new tactic to deal with the trenches with wooden rafts. Hence, all the generals of the defending duchy were led astray and focused on thinking about how to deal with the Andinac Kingdom's wooden rafts. They made use of night attacks and strong attacks to pour oil on the wooden rafts to block the trenches. In one night, they burned dozens of wooden rafts. But it was useless. The next day, the attacking heavily-armored soldiers transported more wooden rafts to block the trenches again.
At the same time, they lit bonfires in the trenches at night and arranged guards with crossbows on them. At the slightest movement at night, they would shoot arrows and sound the gongs to call for reinforcements. Just like that, the attacking side only occupied forty to fifty trenches after four to five days.
The generals of the defending side were finally relieved. Although this tactic of using wooden rafts to block the trenches was somewhat effective, it wasn't very threatening. Now, the advancing speed of the Andinac Kingdom's army was getting slower and slower. Coupled with the resistance of the defending soldiers, they could at most occupy four to five trenches a day. At this speed, it would take at least two to three years for them to reach Pedro City. As long as they could hold on for a few more days, the enemy's attacks would weaken.
However, tonight, the defending generals of the duchy wanted to launch a big counterattack against the attacking heavily-armored soldiers of the Andinac Kingdom. Their goal was to take back one-third of the occupied position. As the commander of the duchy's second garrison legion, Viscount Sanskro of the Folando Duchy, who was in charge of defending the trenches, keenly noticed that the attacking heavily-armored soldiers didn't have a strong desire to attack. They weren't as proactive and tenacious as they were a few days ago. They seemed to be bluffing, or perhaps they had transported too many wooden rafts to the frontline. Every one of them seemed to be doing their job half-heartedly.
"Very good, the enemy's morale has been worn down. It's our turn to counterattack tonight." Viscount Sanskro said to his generals, "Haven't you noticed? The enemy seems to be absent-minded today. Although they deployed a regiment to the frontline in the evening, they don't seem to be as spirited as they were a few days ago. I think it's time for our counterattack. At night, we'll send a regiment to harass and attack them. At dawn, we'll send the remaining regiment to launch a big counterattack. We'll drive the enemy back from their position."
Apart from the ten trenches in front of the defensive position, which were long and straight, the rest of the trenches were dug into a zig-zag shape by the defending soldiers of the Folando Duchy. They even set up forks, bends, and communication trenches that connected to the front and back trenches. At the corners of the zig-zag trenches and some of the wider trenches, there were half-meter-high soil stairs that allowed the defending soldiers to climb up and observe the enemy's movements. They could also hide in the trenches when they were attacked. It was no wonder that the invading soldiers of the Andinac Kingdom called them "soil rats".
It was the sudden attack of the Sword and Shield Division of the White Lion Legion that caused the attacking and defending sides to engage in close combat, which ended in the defeat of the Sword and Shield Division. Following that, both sides engaged in more night attacks, harassment, and shooting of crossbows. Just as the commander of the Flying Tiger Legion's War Chariot and Crossbow Division, Dolus, had said, his War Chariot and Crossbow Division was useless in such a battlefield. On the contrary, the defenders were equipped with short-range, small-sized, and powerful old-fashioned crossbows that played a very good role. In these few attacks, the casualties of the heavily armored soldiers had already exceeded three digits.
In addition, the defending soldiers were equipped with short swords, throwing axes, small round shields, and other weapons that were suitable for use in the narrow trenches. The heavily armored soldiers with spears and two-handed swords could not fight the enemy in the trenches because they would become food for the enemy if they went down. Their weapons could not be used to fight the enemy in the trenches, so they could only look at the trenches and sigh.
Viscount Sanskro, the commander of the Second Garrison Legion of the Flondor Duchy, was a veteran general on the battlefield. He was also well-known in the Duchy. Whether it was defending against the eldest prince's invasion, counterattacking the Kingdom of Redelis, besieging the Second Prince, destroying the Duchy of Melaine, and participating in the attack and defense of the southern province, he basically represented the Flondor Duchy in all the wars that involved the four central duchies. As a result, he was promoted from a Gold Knight to a viscount by the Grand Duke of Flondor. He was a very trusted general of the Grand Duke.
As one of the members who participated in the attack and defense of the southern province, although Viscount Sanskro had experienced an embarrassing defeat, he was lucky enough to escape from the battlefield. In the past few years after returning to his country, he had been recalling and thinking about the battle with the armed forces of the Norton Family. He had a very deep understanding of the Norton Family's super strong long-range attack power.
When he knew that the Norton Family's armed forces were involved in the attack of the Andinac Kingdom, he stopped his colleagues' plan to rely on the fortress for defense. Together with the Grand Duke of Flondor, they came up with a countermeasure of using trenches and earthen walls to set up a defensive position. Judging from the current situation, the effect was very good.
Because he understood the characteristics of the attacking and defending forces and the disadvantageous situation, Viscount Sanskro was full of confidence in the big counterattack that he was prepared to launch. First, he would use the cover of the night to harass and attack the heavily armored soldiers of the Andinac Kingdom at the frontline, so that they would not have a peaceful night. At dawn, the harassing troops would be withdrawn. Then, the enemy would think that the sky was bright, and they would let out a long sigh of relief and get ready to rest. At this time, if he suddenly mobilized all his forces to launch a big counterattack, the enemy would definitely be caught off guard.
Retaking one-third of the position was the bottom line. If they were lucky, they might be able to retake half or even two-thirds of the occupied position. Viscount Sanskro believed that after this counterattack, the enemy would lose all their morale, and they would not be able to launch a larger and more powerful attack. To be honest, this tactic of using wooden rafts had really put a lot of pressure on the defending duchy. Unfortunately, this tactic could not last long, and as long as the defending side was willing to pay a higher price, they could still deal with the wooden rafts that were blocking the trenches.
It was already late at night, and they were more than a mile away from the frontline. Viscount Sanskro looked around. The trench he was in was deeper, wider, and larger. This was because they needed to gather their troops and not be discovered by the enemy, so the trench was dug into a small square. Three thousand soldiers of the duchy's Second Garrison Regiment were lying on the ground, seizing the time to rest. None of them took off their armor, and their weapons were placed beside them. Even if they could not sleep, they had to close their eyes to recover their energy. In about two hours, it would be their turn to launch a big counterattack at the frontline. There were eight small squares like this one, and they were all filled with soldiers who were lying on the ground and resting.
The weather tonight was perfect for a night attack. There were many clouds in the sky, and the silver moonlight was covered by the clouds from time to time. Viscount Sanskro began to worry. It was almost November, and there shouldn't be any rain. It would be fine if it rained, but it would be bad if it rained heavily. The accumulated water in the trenches was a big problem for the defenders. Although it wouldn't affect their defense, it would affect the speed of the soldiers defending, and they would suffer more casualties. He could only hope that this counterattack would make the enemy not have the thought of attacking again. That would be the best result.
The front line was on fire, and there were faint sounds of fighting. It seemed that the sneak attack soldiers had burned some more wooden rafts, and it looked very bright in the night. But then, there seemed to be a very loud noise. It seemed that the enemy had transferred more troops to the frontline overnight. There seemed to be more torches, and the sound had changed. There were fewer shouts of fighting, and instead, it was the sound of distinguishing between friend and foe. "Who? Who? "The sound was getting louder and louder.
Strange, why is the rustling sound getting louder and louder, and getting closer and closer? Why does the regiment I sent to harass the enemy seem to have stopped moving, and the enemy's torches seem to be getting closer and closer? Is the enemy still planning to attack overnight?
Viscount Sanskro felt more and more uneasy. He went up the trench, hid behind a mud wall, and carefully looked in front of him. At this moment, the silver moon in the sky flashed through the clouds, and revealed its bright face again. The silver moonlight suddenly sprinkled over the world …
"What, what is that?" The sentry standing guard pointed at the front and screamed.
"Shut up! Bastard! Are you trying to attract the enemy's attention? " Viscount Sanskro cursed in a low voice. He took off his helmet and looked forward, only to see pieces of silver light flashing in the trench in front of him. Soon, the trench was filled with the silver light, and there were some small black dots struggling in the silver light …
The silver light was quickly approaching him, and at this time, the silver moon in the sky was covered by the clouds again. The world was dark, and only the light from the torches at the frontline in the distance was flickering …
The rustling sound was getting louder and louder. At this moment, Viscount Sanskro, who had already understood what was going on, turned pale. He no longer cared if the noise would attract the enemy's attention. He turned around and shouted at the soldiers who were lying on the ground resting in the trench, "Get up, get up, water … water is coming!"
This was how the tragedy happened. The trench, which looked like a small square where soldiers could gather, was dug a little too deep. It was more than three meters deep. Most of the soldiers who were resting were lying on the ground. Although they were woken up or kicked, most of them were still in a daze. At this time, the water was already here. When the turbulent water gushed into the small square from the traffic trench, everyone became anxious. Those who were standing by the trench hurriedly climbed up, but there were only four or five entrances to the top. For a while, people were pushing and shoving each other, and only a few of them managed to climb up …
The water was already up to their waists, and all the soldiers were anxious. Everyone knew that they were standing at the lowest point of the trench, so order was broken. Everyone was anxious to climb up, and those who were standing by the trench climbed up directly. However, when they dug the trench, they had modified the walls of the trench so that it was a little smooth. As a result, not many people climbed up, and most of them were dragged down by their companions behind them …
Misfortune never came alone. The soldiers were wearing iron armor, and the water made them even heavier, especially the ground of the trench, which had been soaked in water. When they pulled up, they would be covered in mud, and if they fell down, they would not be able to get up again …
Viscount Sanskro's voice was hoarse from all the shouting. Finally, there was some order in his command of the soldiers. He asked the soldiers by the trench to form ladders for the soldiers behind them to climb up first, and then pull them up. However, after a while, there was chaos again, because the water was already up to the soldiers' necks. Some of the shorter soldiers could not even stand on their feet, and could only grab the soldiers in front of them. But the soldiers in front did not want to be dragged down. They flipped over and threw the soldiers behind them into the water, but the soldiers behind them did not let go. The two struggled in the water, and then they sank …
The sky was about to brighten. Viscount Sanskro's eyes were bloodshot as he looked at the trench that had calmed down. The trench that was the size of a small square had become a small pond, but the water was densely packed with the corpses of the soldiers who had drowned and tangled together …
On top of the trench stood a few hundred soldiers who had luckily escaped from the water. They were all wet and shivering in the November morning wind. Viscount Sanskro looked at the corpses at the bottom of the trench, and then at the soldiers standing next to them. He suddenly screamed, drew his sword, and slid it across his throat. Blood splattered everywhere, and he fell into the trench filled with water and corpses …
…
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