After confirming the troops, Ouyang Shuo continued to arrange the logistics.
"Zhao Youfang!"
"Here!"
"The mountain roads are difficult to travel. The Combat Division needs to transport the supplies to the Mystic Bird tribe in advance."
"Yes, we will complete the mission!"
"In addition, the Combat Division also needs to prepare some siege weapons. The attack on the checkpoint is likely to be a tough battle. We can't be careless." Ouyang Shuo continued to order.
"Understood. Rest assured, Sir." Zhao Youfang was full of confidence.
"We can't be careless with the medicine. There are many snakes and insects in the forest. We have to guard against them. The Combat Division needs to contact the medical center and prepare the appropriate medicine. It's best to consult the Mystic Bird tribe's great shaman. He's an expert in this area. "Ouyang Shuo was very detailed.
"Yes!"
After arranging the logistics, Ouyang Shuo continued, "Song San!"
"Here!"
"The Military Intelligence Department needs to quickly gather information on the Gale tribe, including the terrain along the way. This is the first time Shanhai Town is fighting in the forest, so the intelligence work must be done properly. "
"Rest assured, Sir. Leng Qian has already led the 1st Military Intelligence Team into the mountains to investigate."
"Very good. Zhao Sihu! "
"Here!"
"Is the equipment for your five platoons ready?"
"Reporting, Sir. Two archer platoons have been equipped due to the abundance of bows and arrows we've seized. It's just two crossbowmen platoons. Because crossbows are rare to begin with, and because the Bow and Crossbow Division works through the night, we've only equipped one platoon. "Zhao Sihu said awkwardly.
Ouyang Shuo shook his head and said with a frown, "How can we fight without equipment?"
Zhao Sihu panicked. He was afraid that Ouyang Shuo would leave the City Defense Camp behind. He quickly said, "Sir, I suggest that the remaining crossbowmen platoon be equipped with bows and arrows. They can still fight."
Ouyang Shuo glared at him and berated, "Nonsense. Do you think fighting is like playing house? These soldiers have never received archery training. Even if they are equipped with bows and arrows, it's just a pile of scrap metal. Moreover, the firing cycle of the crossbow is much longer than that of the arrows. We need at least two platoons to form a smooth attack. "
Zhao Sihu immediately turned from a tiger to a cat after being glared at by Ouyang Shuo. "Then what should we do?"
Fortunately, Ge Hongliang came to his rescue. He stood up and said, "Sir, this subordinate has a suggestion."
"Please speak!"
"According to my understanding, the First Platoon of the Cavalry Battalion was originally made up of crossbow cavalry that had been transferred through the commander's seal. They were equipped with crossbows. Therefore, this subordinate suggests that we can lend the crossbow machines of the cavalry battalion's first squadron to the city defense battalion's crossbowmen squadron. "Ge Hongliang said.
"Alright, we'll do as you say." Ouyang Shuo was overjoyed.
After Ouyang Shuo finished making the arrangements, Ge Hongliang added, "Sir, while the War Preparedness Division and the Military Intelligence Division are busy, the Infantry Camp and City Defense Camp cannot remain idle. I suggest that the two battalions should be stationed in Pool Town tomorrow morning. For the next few days, we will be training in the mountains and forests south of Pool Town. "
Ouyang Shuo nodded and said, "Division Chief Ge's suggestion is very good, but we can't forget about the Wolf Mountain garrison. How about this, the Infantry Battalion and the City Defense Battalion might as well take a step further and directly enter the Wolf Mountain Mine. We can train together with the Wolf Mountain garrison so that we can familiarize ourselves with each other in advance and avoid confusion when the time comes. "
At the mention of the Wolf Mountain garrison, Ouyang Shuo thought of something. He turned to Zhao Youfang and said, "The War Preparedness Division will prepare another batch of weapons and equipment for the Wolf Mountain garrison."
"Yes!"
"Alright, go and prepare!" Ouyang Shuo said at last.
"Yes!"
…
20th of April. In front of the Mystic Bird Tribe's village, the Infantry Battalion, City Defense Battalion, and Wolf Mountain garrison had assembled. For this expedition, Ouyang Shuo was personally in command, while Ge Hongliang was the military adviser.
"Soldiers, five days ago, the Cyclone tribe attacked our Wolf Mountain mine for no reason and injured our compatriots. This is a declaration of war against Shanhai Town and all the major tribes. Shanhai Town will not tolerate this kind of provocation. A debt of blood must be paid in blood. "Ouyang Shuo shouted loudly.
"A debt of blood must be paid in blood! A debt of blood must be paid in blood! "The soldiers responded in unison.
"Let's go!"
The majestic troops began to march towards the Cyclone tribe. The Infantry Battalion was the vanguard, the City Defense Battalion in the middle, and the Wolf Mountain garrison at the back. Behind them were the supply troops, which were mainly made up of mountain barbarians from various tribes.
At four in the afternoon, the troops arrived three kilometers away from the Cyclone tribe. Under Shi Wansui's guidance, the troops began to choose suitable places to set up camp. They were prepared to rest for the night and attack the next morning.
In the central camp tent, Ouyang Shuo summoned the three Battalion Commanders and the Military Intelligence Division to hold a pre-war military conference.
"Leng Qian, what's the situation with the Cyclone tribe? Did they notice our movements?" Ouyang Shuo first asked the Military Intelligence Division.
Leng Qian stepped out and said, "Sir, everything is normal with the Cyclone tribe. There's nothing unusual."
"Oh? How could this be? They attacked our Wolf Mountain Mine. Could it be that they aren't worried about our retaliation at all? They didn't even take any precautions. Is there a trap? "Ouyang Shuo found it hard to believe.
Leng Qian hurriedly explained, "Sir, there's something you don't know. The mountain barbarian tribes often fought with each other because of the problem of hunting areas. Such a sneak attack was nothing out of the ordinary in the eyes of the mountain barbarians. As the only large tribe in this area, the Cyclone tribe regarded itself as the overlord. They didn't like the Mystic Bird tribe this time, so it was only natural for them to teach them a lesson when the hunting team went out to hunt. In addition, because of their arrogance, the Cyclone tribe didn't accept the Great Shaman's invitation last time. Therefore, these guys know nothing about our Shanhai Town and don't understand our military strength. That's why they're so at ease. "
The Wolf Mountain garrison's Battalion Commander, Stone Wolf, added, "That's right. In such a situation, small and medium-sized tribes like us dared not say anything even though we were angry. It's precisely because of this that we're so enthusiastic to support the Cyclone tribe when you're ready to teach them a lesson. "
Ouyang Shuo nodded and said with a smile, "Good, it seems the heavens are on our side. Pass down the order to strengthen the vigilance at night and not underestimate the enemy. We'll strive to conquer the Mystic Bird tribe in one fell swoop tomorrow. "
"Yes!"
The next morning, the troops began to cook. After breakfast, they immediately broke camp and advanced toward the Cyclone tribe.
Looking at the checkpoint in front of him, Ouyang Shuo was lost in thought. The entire checkpoint was 30 meters wide and 6 meters high, completely blocking the passage to and from the valley. The checkpoint was built with large blocks of stone and looked extremely magnificent. In the middle of the checkpoint was a four-meter-wide wooden gate for people to enter and exit. The checkpoint's design was similar to that of a city wall, with many uneven battlements for archers to shoot and hide from.
Ouyang Shuo said to Ge Hongliang, who was standing at the side, "How do you think we should fight this battle, Division Chief Ge?"
"It's not that we can't break through the checkpoint's defense force with the scaling ladders we brought, but the casualties will be quite high. This subordinate carefully observed the checkpoint and found that the checkpoint's gate doesn't have a more advanced suspension bridge design, but just a simple wooden gate. Therefore, this subordinate suggests that we should focus on the gate, "said Ge Hongliang.
Ouyang Shuo nodded in agreement and said, "You're right. We only have so many assets, so we can't squander them as we please. It's just that it won't be easy to break through the gate. Once we show up, the other party will definitely notice it immediately and increase the number of soldiers guarding the checkpoint in a short time. They'll have a high vantage point, so it'll be very difficult for us to smoothly attack the checkpoint, and we'll also suffer heavy casualties. "
Ge Hongliang confidently said, "Don't worry, Sir. According to the Intelligence Division's report, the other party's bows and arrows are the same as the other mountain barbarian tribes. They're the most primitive single wooden bows, mainly used for hunting, and their shooting range is less than 120 meters. But we're equipped with Beginner Compound Bows, and our shooting range is close to 200 meters with light arrows, which is far beyond their shooting range. Our crossbows are even more impressive, with a shooting range of 300 meters. "
"Therefore, we can adopt the long-range suppression tactic of the crossbows. As long as we stand 150 meters away and use our crossbows to suppress the enemy's defense force, they won't dare to show up. In this case, the infantry battalion can assault the checkpoint's gate under the tight protection of the shields and smash the gate open. "
"Good! This is a brilliant plan!" Ouyang Shuo applauded.
With the plan settled, the powerful war machine began to operate quickly. The first to take the field was the City Defense Battalion. 150 meters away from the checkpoint, the first row was the Blade and Shield Battalion. This was the battalion with the most combat experience among the infantry. All of them were veterans of hundreds of battles and were at least at the fourth rank. The Blade and Shield Battalion's mission this time was to use the shields in their hands to form a defensive wall to protect the crossbowmen behind them.
The second and third row were naturally the two archer battalions. They came from the mountain barbarian tribes, and Zhao Sihu had chosen them to be good archers with compound bows in their hands. Their combat strength was extraordinary. The last two rows were the crossbowman battalions selected from the Shanhai Town. Crossbows were easy to master, and ordinary people only needed three to four days of training to master them.
The left wing of the City Defense Battalion was the infantry battalion in charge of this attack. Five hundred elite mountain barbarian soldiers, although they weren't equipped with Tang Sabers or infantry armor, they still couldn't be underestimated. The commander of this battalion was the bravest Shi Wansui in the Shanhai Town army, and the five captains were also extraordinary.
The right wing of the City Defense Battalion was the reserve force, the Wolf Mountain Garrison Battalion. Originally, Stone Wolf had strongly requested to be the main attacker, but Ouyang Shuo considered that the Wolf Mountain Garrison Battalion hadn't experienced a real bloody battle before. If this kind of battalion participated in this kind of battle for the first time, Ouyang Shuo wouldn't feel at ease.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
