Black Iron’s Glory

Chapter 353 Battle of Bering Ghana (Lower)

“Huh” Claude took a long breath and looked at the majestic castle of Wickham in the distance.

On February 8, 587, after more than a dozen days of long journeys, Claude led the 131st group of light cavalry battalions to the vicinity of Wickham Castle, the capital of Cromwell, where they hid in a snowy mountain forest.

“Sir, according to our reconnaissance, Castle Wickham now manages the strength of two enemy regiments, one of which is the logistical battalion of the Severk Standing Army of the Kingdom of Hicks, with the task of transporting supplies. Another was the local guard regiment drawn from the colonies of the Kingdom of Hicks, which was responsible for guarding the castle of Wickham. ”

Major Berklin, the battalion commander of the light cavalry battalion already under Cromwell's command, reported to Claude on earlier reconnaissance: "As a result of the massacre last November, the slums surrounding Wickham Castle are long gone. This prevents us from pretending that the Nikanchas are mixed up in the city and from moving around the castle.

Due to our repeated attacks on logistics transport routes, Castle Wickham has now suspended the delivery of logistics heavy supplies to cattle hunting towns under the direct authority of Bering Ghana, while convoys transporting supplies from the port of Wibator have been on the move for about two and a half months. I used to pretend that adventurers had gotten lost in a convoy, and I heard from the drivers that the supplies in Port Vibato were running out, and most of them were shipped to Castle Wickham. ”

Claude tightened the leather robe on his body, and the winter on the continent of Nubicia was so shady that it was February's ice season, or did he feel the chill drilling into the cracks of his clothes? Even wearing leather trousers, hand leather gloves, ankle leather boots and a leather robe. But when I stood there for a moment, I immediately felt all stiff. Of course, maybe this has to do with Claude riding on a horse for half a day, and in this weather, riding on a horse is a sin.

Stopped, Claude cursed, and the weather was such a surprise attack on Wickham Castle that it was a bad time to destroy the city's stockpiles of military supplies. But orders like mountains must be executed even if they are unwilling to do so. General Michelch wrote the order himself demanding that Claude burn the enemy's stockpiles of military materiel at Wickham Castle by the end of February, deprive the enemy of the last straw to save his life and put an end to the war, which has been going on for more than four months.

Since the beginning of the war last October, Claude-led Rangers have, as planned, cut off the enemy's logistics transport route, preventing military supplies stored behind the enemy from being transported to the front line. Even if the enemy used the strength of a regiment to escort the convoy of supplies, the result was that the escort's strength was crushed, either completely destroyed or some legs slipped away early. As for the material, it was either seized as used or burned locally. Instead, more than two hundred new four-wheeled wagons were added to the regiment, all of which were carefully selected for the best trophy.

General Michelch led the Cavalier Regiment and one of the First Overseas Field Regiment in two battles surrounding the Tanya Regiment of the Kingdom of the Hicks and raiding the Cudzoya Regiment, without the participation of the Claude's Ranger One, Three, One Regiment. Claude was busy leading troops around attacking the logistics convoy of the Kingdom of Hicks, seizing countless amounts of grass and armaments. It took more than half a year to reach the rear of the Cavalier Regiment and the Overseas Field Regiment, which greatly reduced the burden of supplying supplies from the river under Robisto's administration and received a major award from the Regiment.

In December, the enemy learned not to use the strength of a battalion to escort the logistics convoy, but to assemble the strength of a guard regiment. But in the same vein, Claude summoned four of his battalions directly, and a raid crushed the convoy's guard corps, taking advantage of the enemy's forward logistics base in Bailingana, the town of Lockheed, where a fire ashed the town once famous for its bison leather products.

Since then, those logistics bases in the Kingdom of Hicks have known that, with their own strength, they have been unable to resist attacks on convoys of logistics by the windy enemy. In addition to strengthening the security of the towns and cities serving as logistical supply cantonment sites, it is only desirable that the Standing Army Corps on the front line send troops back to escort them. Regrettably, however, the three remaining Standing Regiments on the front line were unable to secure themselves, sending a division of troops to escort supplies, which was eventually swallowed up by the Rangers without even reaching their destination.

It snowed heavily in January of the New Year, and the three regiments of Vikron, Seiburg and Fairbott of the Kingdom of the Hicks held their warmth at the banks of the Dolinibara River and set themselves up to defend themselves. The towns where the logistics were being supplied were not in the mood, nor were they prepared to find a way to deliver supplies to the front line, but to remain in the towns strictly guarded against death. So the Horseback One, Three, One group could only freeze the wild breeze under the direct authority of Bering Ghana. Qi Claude wanted to forcibly take over the next town to survive this cold weather...

However, only in mid-January, Claude received an order from General Michelch to mount a 131 group surprise attack on Wickham Castle, the capital of the Cromwell administration, before the end of February, and to burn the arms reserves of the Kingdom of Hicks there.

This is not an unthinkable task, but last year, when Claude was ordered to dig a secret passage out of Wickham Castle in case all the residents of Wickham Castle were relocated.

The five Standing Legions of the Kingdom of Hicks had placed the Logistics Base at Castle Wickham, stockpiling all armaments from Port Vibato. While the Klaud-led Rangers succeeded in cutting off the enemy's logistics supply route and keeping the enemy's logistics out of the front line, General Michelch had to guard against the sudden withdrawal of the enemy's three standing regiments back to Wickham Castle, so that the war would be prolonged.

“Sir, why burn the stockpiles if we can actually assemble a whole regiment to capture Wickham Castle? The military materiel required by the five Standing Legions is a tremendous asset. If we can take it away, we'll be rich...” Berklin said.

Claude shook his head: "Burning these stockpiles is breaking the enemy's hopes. If we take over Castle Wickham and seize them, we lose the initiative of battlefield and put ourselves in the open, waiting for the enemy to attack us. It is the same wealth that deprives us of manoeuvre and flexibility, even to defend it and defend it against the enemies of the attack.

For us, the military holdings of the enemy inside Wickham Castle, while expensive, are not what we urgently need. Previously captured enemies had already made clear what they were stockpiled with, nothing more than grass, military uniforms, winter clothing, ammunition and firearms, as well as daily items and luxury items enjoyed by senior enemy officers. For us, that's what alcohol and premium ingredients are for, and it's not worth sacrificing the lives of soldiers for that.

We have our own grass, we don't need enemy uniforms in the winter, and as for the ammunition and guns, they don't match the equipment made in our kingdom, and I'm sure you don't see these things either, and you're just going to be burdensome with those supplies. If we had taken over Wickham Castle, these things would have actually exchanged a lot of money after the war. But for the enemy, there is hope for survival, and they will fight to the death to attack Wickham Castle before they run out of food.

As you can see, if the enemy's three standing regiments pull back their battalions, the Rangers will not be able to block their way back. It will take a month to get here from the Dolinibara River, believing that the grass the enemy is carrying has been drained. Even if we occupy the castle of Wickham, it is the only way to survive in the eyes of the enemy, who will strike dead. Do you think one of our regiments can resist the attacks of nearly 200,000 enemies?

Instead, we burned down military supplies stored in the castle of Wickham, and even if the enemies of those three standing regiments were to withdraw immediately, there would be nothing but despair here at the warehouse of materials that looked ashed. After a sigh of relief, they no longer had much thought to fight. Without grass, they had to surrender to us in order to live under hunger. General Michelchi asked us to burn the stockpiles here in order to destroy the three standing regiments of the enemy at the least cost. Do you understand? ”

Sometimes Claude had to break down some strategic details and reasons to teach his neighbors in the hope that they would grow up as soon as possible. Sometimes it is not a good thing to be promoted too quickly after much credit. After Berklin was promoted to Major as Battalion Commander of the Light Cavalry, he was relatively good in tactics, but the overall view was poor and was easily obscured by what appeared to be a phenomenon. Otherwise, he won't say what he wants to take over the castle of Wickham. It sounds like greed. The fact is that the victory of the previous attack on the enemy's logistics convoy increased his arrogance and did not look at the enemy...

“Sir, I understand.” Berklin was somewhat ashamed to say that several of his close associates, such as Browick, McJackie and others, nodded.

“Okay, now we have to figure out how to get close to the castle.” Claude smiled and frowned again: “I knew we wouldn't dig the exit in the trenches, I'd rather dig harder and farther...”

The exit of the dark lane that was dug last year was in the trench outside the castle, disguised, and the enemy could not easily spot a dark lane entrance into the castle. But the problem is that it's winter, the snow in the trenches is a foot deep, plus the ice melting season, and the surface looks pale, but in fact, if you go inside the trenches, it's guaranteed to be a piece of mud. If enemy probes come out above the walls and take a closer look, it's easy to spot traces of people sneaking into the trenches.

Just as Claude and others were wondering outside the castle of Wickham how to infiltrate the castle for the heinous act of homicide and arson, three regiments of the Hicks kingdom, Vikron, Seiburg and Fabert, expected the King's fleet to finally arrive in the waters of Robisto's capitol, Port Patrez, to say nothing, launched a direct attack on the port of Patrez.

Heavy artillery battles took place for three days and three nights, relying on long-range shelling during the day and arriving at the tactics of the attack at night, and the Neptune fleet almost destroyed the entire port of Patres. This was the largest maritime attack since the city was built in Port Patrez, where the shelling of nearly 100 battleships of the Neptune fleet left Port Patrez almost in ruins. Nearly this adjective is the Neptune Fleet or not victorious. Seventy or eight artillery are still fighting back in the ruined port of Patres...

Forty-seven battleships were wounded and had to return to the port of Vibato for repairs, while 21 were sunk in the waters adjacent to the port of Patres. But for the Neptune fleet, the destruction of the city's artillery position at the entrance to the Dolinibara River was the greatest victory, meaning that the Dolinibara River could be unimpeded. The remaining 32 ships of the Neptune fleet, carrying nearly 50 ocean-going sea-going vessels, went up against the current and prepared to reach the cantonment sites of the three Standing Legions.

But what the Neptune fleet did not expect was that General Michelchi had long been allowed to set up a barrier wire on the Dolinibara River, blocking the path of the fleet. Three clandestine heavy field artillery positions on the coast then opened fire, sinking three ocean shipping vessels and one battleship in the first round.

Nearly all of the light infantry field artillery was mobilized by the Ranger Regiment to join the battle when the defensive Neptune fleet responded after suffering heavy losses. Although a fist-sized bullet from a light infantry field artillery cannot cause direct damage to the warships of the Neptune fleet, a red-burning bullet landed on the deck, igniting the sail and posing a great threat to the sailors and crew on board.

A sea boat started firing, and the response of the remaining ships of the King's fleet grew smaller and smaller. A battleship was hit and slowly sank, with sailors jumping from the boat to survive all over the river. However, in the weather of February, the river was cold and bitter. Many sailors and crew swam in the river and suddenly sank, never surfaced again...

The ambush of the Dolinibara River on 12 February was the most tragic day in the history of the Sea King fleet of the Kingdom of Hicks, because it was not at sea and the fleet lost its final battle against the fleet. Instead, in inland rivers, ambushed by the enemy's army and sunk with heavy field artillery and light infantry field artillery, most of the battleships and ocean carriers were destroyed, with only eight damaged battleships and 11 ocean carriers luckily escaping extinction and returning to the port of Vibato.

It can be said that the shelling of the Port of Patres to the Dolinibara River was ambushed and that the kingdom of Hicks' naval fleet had been severely damaged. Withdrawal of more than fifty battleships in the port of Vibator, but one wounded, cannot even return to the mainland of the Kingdom of Hicks until it is repaired. Within a year and a half, the flag and cruise ship of the King of Hicks fleet will no longer be visible at sea...

Upon learning of the tragic ending of the Neptune fleet, the three Standing Regiments did not hesitate to immediately pull out their battalions and embark on a path back to Wickham Castle under Cromwell. The Rangers did not block the way of the arrow-like enemy, they simply captured the towns of the three enemies in front of them as logistical supply sites, emptied all their supplies and prevented them from being replenished.

On 25 February, Claude personally led a robust team, dressed in the military uniform of the Kingdom of Hicks, into the Castle of Wickham through a secret passage while the enemy guards on the castle were negligent and careless. Then, at midnight, several stores of grass were set ablaze. Claude opened the castle gates in a panic as the enemy fired. One hundred and thirty-one ready rangers stormed into the castle, quickly destroying the enemy and seizing the entire castle.

The next day, more warehouses were set ablaze, and Claude led a cruise with a convoy of prisoners to evacuate Wickham Castle with hundreds of wagons full of spoils. The fire lasted for two days and the entire castle of Wickham was burned to ashes.

On 10 March, with the onset of the rainy season and in the cold, humid rain, the three standing legions of the Kingdom of Hicks marched for 28 days and finally arrived at the castle of Wickham awaiting only a black-grey debris.

The officers and soldiers of the three standing armies of the famished Kingdom of Hicks are finally desperate. They can no longer go back to Port Vibato for half a month. All the officers' rides and the leather products on the soldiers have been eaten up by them...

When the Rangers' flag appeared in front of them, all Hicks soldiers laid down their weapons and surrendered with their hands up.