Chapter 50 The Start of Urban Warfare

Hearing the whistle, Morin took a deep breath, cast a final glance at the workers and artillerymen still frantically racing against time, and shouted to Andrei and Ludwig: “I’m leaving this place to you! Try to produce as many sets of equipment for the remaining Armored Knights as possible!”

Ludwig nodded heavily, then patted his chest: “Don’t worry, we’ll make those Britannian Iron Cans taste something nasty!”

Morin didn’t delay, turning and sprinting toward his 3rd Platoon’s defense sector.

Along the way, he was astonished to find that in the less than two hours he had been gone, more than half of Seville’s urban area had been transformed. The potential unleashed by people in desperation was astonishing.

While he and Ludwig were busy with the ‘can opener’ experiment, the Saxon soldiers, International Brigades fighters, and the Aragon National Army, organized by their respective officers, had already put Morin’s urban warfare theories into practice. Many wide streets were now barricaded with various obstacles—overturned wagons, broken furniture, doors, and stones pried from buildings—piled up into uneven street barricades. Several major thoroughfares were crisscrossed with dense barbed wire, which gleamed with a cold light in the sun.

Large numbers of citizens, with their families and belongings, were being evacuated to the relatively safer southern parts of the city and the outskirts, guided by the more ‘people-friendly’ soldiers of the International Brigades and the National Army. The few elderly residents unwilling to leave their homes were persuaded by neighbors to hide in their cellars, blocking the entrances with heavy wooden planks.

Although the quick pace of the mobilization meant that many details Morin had emphasized, such as linking building interiors and camouflaging fire points, hadn’t been fully completed. The Seville of the moment already had the makings of an ‘urban warfare meat grinder.’

Morin’s heart settled slightly. This tactical system, for soldiers who had not experienced the brutal baptism of urban warfare—especially the attacking force—would be deadly enough. However, he was still somewhat uneasy. Despite the support of ‘urban warfare theory,’ the soldiers had not undergone specialized training, and this was their first time engaging in this type of combat. Morin had no idea how the final battle would play out.

He glanced at the several lines of text he had fixed on the system map:

[Saxon Empire Air Force – ‘Zeppelin’-class Armored Airship – L30]

[Status: Approaching destination]

[Estimated Time of Arrival: 3 hours, 48 minutes]

“Only less than four hours left. We should be able to hold out, right?”

When Morin breathlessly reached the 3rd Platoon’s temporary position, Platoon Sergeant Klaus immediately came to meet him.

“Platoon Leader, you’re back.” Klaus’s voice was as steady as ever. In Morin’s absence, the Platoon Sergeant had organized the 3rd Platoon’s sector impeccably.

“Battalion Command just issued an order: the severely depleted platoons of 1st and 2nd Companies have been broken up and used to reinforce the rest of us with intact formations.” Morin brightened. This was good news, as the 3rd Platoon had also suffered considerable losses in the previous battle.

“How many men did we receive?”

Klaus: “Quite a few. Not only are our missing positions filled, but we also gained two extra squads! The Regimental Machine Gun Company also detached an MG08 heavy machine gun team for us!”

Morin was ecstatic; this was precisely what he needed. He immediately spread out the map, pointing to the designated 3rd Platoon sector, and began issuing orders.

Perhaps Major Thomas and the Brigade Command particularly valued Morin and his platoon’s combat effectiveness. Their assigned sector was one of the few relatively wide streets in the northern part of Seville: ‘Avenue of the Sun.’ This street was the most likely axis of advance the enemy would choose upon entering the city.

The avenue was now segmented by numerous layers of barbed wire, and three main barricades had been constructed at the end of the street using sandbags and bricks. All connecting alleys on both sides were completely blocked with various debris, leaving only a few narrow paths for friendly personnel to move through. This forced the enemy into a single direction of attack: straight down the avenue.

“Klaus, you and the other NCOs take one or two squads each, and wait in the standby zone. When the enemy infantry approaches, move into the second and third floors of the buildings I’ve marked to form a crossfire over the street. Remember, block all first-floor windows and doors from the inside, and enter from the rear!”

“Yes, Platoon Leader!”

“The newly arrived two squads will be our reserves. They will also wait in the standby zone. Ensure they are concealed and do not expose their positions easily.”

A moment later, another piece of good news arrived: a 77mm field gun and a 105mm howitzer were assigned to this sector. Morin immediately concealed them behind the heavy machine gun emplacement, with shrapnel shells loaded in the 77mm gun and high explosive shells in the 105mm gun.

After deploying the bulk of his forces, Morin kept a small ten-man group, including two messengers, close to him. In this era without individual radio communications, they would be crucial for relaying his orders to every corner of the sector during the inevitable chaos.

Having done all this, he finally relaxed slightly and opened the system map.

On the map, dense red unit markers representing the enemy had appeared on the city outskirts and were slowly closing in on Seville. The information displayed on the markers confirmed that the enemy had indeed received at least two regiments of reinforcements, and the Britannians’ Northumberland Fusilier Regiment had added a brand-new battalion.

Their forward observation posts outside the city were rapidly retreating, and the area they illuminated was shrinking. However, one unit icon remained particularly conspicuous: the 52nd Cavalry Regiment, which had launched the critical flanking charge on the high ground. The unit information showed that this mobile force had sustained casualties, with its strength only at 64%. Yet, the Cavalry Regiment had not withdrawn. Like a pack of tireless wolves, they continued to patrol the outskirts, hunting for high-value targets like enemy command posts or artillery positions.

“Be careful, my friends,” Morin silently prayed for them.

A few minutes later, the outermost red unit markers on the map touched the edge of Seville. Perhaps due to the severe damage to the Aetherium Crystal Cannon emplacements, the Royal Army launched this offensive without any preliminary artillery bombardment. Soon, the advance units of the Royal Army and the Britannians cautiously stepped into the city that was about to be ravaged by war.

Major John, the Britannian officer leading the advance observation, was filled with doubt. “What’s going on? Why is there no resistance?” he asked the Royal Army liaison officer next to him. In his view, since the Saxons had chosen to hold the city, they should have concentrated all their forces on the outskirts, using fieldworks to fight an honorable decisive battle—which had been the consistent doctrine of the Saxon Empire Army in previous colonial conflicts.

But now, the outskirts were deserted, eerily quiet.

“Did they… abandon the defense?” the Royal Army liaison officer was also uncertain. “Did they just give the city up to us?”

The thought was tempting but too implausible. Major John frowned and waved his hand: “Have the Royal Army men go in first. We’ll follow behind and stay vigilant!”

The first wave of Royal Army soldiers, steeling their nerves, walked onto the streets of Seville. They moved slowly and cautiously, their rifles tensely aimed at every possible hiding spot. However, after walking several dozen meters, the outer streets were empty save for scattered debris. Their courage slowly returned, and the officers walked to the flanks to maintain their somewhat loose formation.

But as they reached the center of a main thoroughfare according to their map, they found the road ahead completely blocked by an assortment of chaotic obstacles and barbed wire—there was no space to even step through.

“Damn it, what are those Saxon men doing?” a Royal Army officer cursed. “Send a few men up there! Cut the barbed wire!”

Several soldiers stepped forward and ran toward the barbed wire with large cutting pliers. They had just reached the wire and crouched down.

“Bang!”

A single, crisp gunshot shattered the dead silence. One soldier holding the pliers collapsed instantly, a cloud of blood exploding from his head.

Then, as if it were a signal:

“Bang! Bang! Bang-bang-bang!”

“Dakka-dakka-dakka-dakka-dakka—!”

The entire city of Seville came alive.

(End of Chapter 50)