Chapter 34
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Chapter 34: The Defeat of the Entire Army
Liszt took a long sigh, his sword was dripping blood slowly, the reconnaissance platoon had just taken over an observation post on the east side of the front line after a fierce battle. The view from here was clear, overlooking most of the battlefield, but all they could see was their own reserve troops being indifferent.
The soldiers from the reconnaissance platoon were leaning or sitting in a tired and dispirited manner.
They had moments of great fear and madness, following their platoon leader back and forth in battle, but now they were overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness and emptiness. Their minds were blank, and their bodies felt weak.
Liszt asked everyone to rest for a while, then picked up the binoculars he had just found to continue scanning the battlefield.
The Danish reserve troops had two waves, the first wave of four to five thousand troops was almost reaching the front line, and the second wave had about five thousand people slowly advancing from the city. However, the German allied forces’ reserve troops showed no movement.
The main force of the Ninth Division of the National Defense Army had almost occupied the front line after a brutal melee battle, but everyone had exhausted their strength and morale, unable to hold their ground. Once the Danish reserve troops arrived, they would be immediately pushed back.
At this critical moment, why hadn’t their own reserve troops set out yet? Were they going to let Denmark retake the position, stand firm again, and wait for the next futile charge?
Liszt couldn’t understand, he truly didn’t know why the top commanders on the battlefield were acting this way.
"Captain… What should we do?" a soldier weakly asked, holding his arm that had just been broken.
Liszt looked complicated and said, "I will find a way to take you back, but first, rest well."
On the morning of the 20th, the German allied forces began shelling.
At twenty minutes past nine, the Ninth Division of the Prussian Defense Army set off from the starting point towards the Danish position.
Around ten o’clock, after paying a painful price, they basically occupied the Danish position.
At ten fifteen, the position was retaken by the Danish reserve team, the Danish flag flying high once again, boosting their morale as their triumphant cries echoed.
Just as the Danish people were celebrating, the Royal Navy suddenly appeared in the harbor.
Sennerburg was a coastal city built around a natural harbor, surrounded by land on the north, south, and west, with the east being entirely the sea.
The sudden appearance of the Royal Navy caught the Danish commander off guard, with seven cruisers, one Third-level Wind Sail Battleship, and around fifty to sixty transport ships.
"Why have the people from England suddenly arrived? Should we allow them to come ashore?" asked the officer.
"Um… ask them what they mean."
After a while, the officer returned and reported that the Royal Navy had come to assist us. They brought over six thousand cavalry and hoped we could help them disembark.
"Alright, almost forgot that the English are our allies this time. I first thought of their past dishonorable surprise attack, quickly let our allies come ashore."
The port of Denmark quickly became busy with welcoming work. One after another, English transport ships carrying troops came ashore. The dock workers securely tied the mooring ropes to the wooden posts and brought wide gangways specifically for transporting cavalry to help the troops disembark from the ships.
But something doesn’t smell right.
The Danish colonel in charge of docking saw several people in black full-body armor, which was not the attire of the Royal Knights.
"It’s the Prussians! Hurry…"
The Danish colonel was about to shout when a lancer thrown at him pierced his chest, carrying enough force to push him back and straight into the water.
A deep female voice came muffled from the helmet, "Oops, I dropped it, wasted a riding spear. Get me another one."
The ship belonged to the royal navy, but the cavalry inside was not very proper.
General Catherine led the elite cavalry to sneak attack Sennerburg port, with the help of the Danish people, they quickly landed and within fifteen minutes, effortlessly dealt with a small number of defending soldiers.
At the same time, several single-mast warships of the Danish navy were sunk by British cruisers.
The Prussian elite cavalry immediately charged towards the outskirts of the Danish command headquarters.
The Danish commander sat in the command tent, surrounded by staff members looking at maps. They heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance and thought the British cavalry arrived quickly, so they went out to take a look.
They opened the tent, and then…
？？？？？？
"General, those do not seem to be British troops."
"Rubbish! Get ready for battle immediately! Where is the reserve team?"
"The Sixth Brigade and the Seventh Brigade have both gone to the front line, leaving only the Royal Guard by our side."
All ten thousand reserve troops from Denmark headed to the front line. The strategists didn’t expect Prussian cavalry to suddenly appear from the port. It was surprising that Prussia came with the Royal Navy, who are supposed to be allies of Denmark…
Even Catherine didn’t expect that the Royal Guard of Denmark, which was not mentioned in the intelligence, would be present at the battlefield of Sennerburg.
The Danish Royal Guard is a highly skilled elite force, comparable to the frontline troops of Prussia. They quickly formed a solid hollow square formation and positioned the defensive structures around the command center, protecting the commanders and staff in the center.
"Lieutenant General Catherine, should I lead a detour with my men?" Mantofel asked.
"Yes, you take the light cavalry directly to surprise attack the Danish position, I will figure out how to deal with this hedgehog."
The light troop detachment of the Royal Cavalry streamed towards the rear of the Danish position for a surprise attack, while Catherine personally led over two thousand heavy cavalry to confront the enemy.
The Danish Royal Guard, consisting of fifteen hundred disciplined and enthusiastic soldiers, were fiercely loyal to the king. They had set up obstacles around their hollow square formation, making it difficult to penetrate.
If Catherine wants to forcefully go through, she can have the Magic Energy Knights lead the way to clear obstacles, then crush through the enemy’s defenses. However, there will be casualties as the heavy cavalry soldiers are valuable, even if only one or two hundred soldiers die, Catherine feels heartbroken.
We need to come up with a plan…
Catherine had a clever idea. She instructed someone to inform the Royal Navy to take the cannons off the ships and push them onto the shore. If it’s difficult to push, they can use wooden planks to make a makeshift slide and move them slowly.
At this moment, the reserve troops of the German coalition army are advancing, and the light cavalry of the Imperial Guard is attacking from the rear. Most of Denmark’s forces are engaged in intense fighting on the front lines and cannot immediately come to support the command post.
The Royal Guards of Denmark in front dare not make any reckless moves. They can only hide within a small area surrounded by obstacles, maintaining a defensive formation resembling a spiked hedgehog and wait.
Catherine led the heavy cavalry to stop 400 meters away, patiently waiting for the arrival of the Royal Navy’s cannons.
The cannons were too heavy, and the Royal Navy didn’t want to expend too much energy. In the end, it was the cavalry who dragged them one by one across.
At ten forty, there were already 16 24-pound cannons arranged beside Catherine.
"Make them surrender, or they will perish."
Two fully armed Prussia Magic Energy Knights ran up shouting, and the Denmark guards responded with a volley of shots.
The loyalty of the Denmark guards was admirable, with calm faces in the face of death. What it means to face death without fear, this is it.
The Prussia Magic Energy Knights moved away from a distance of four hundred meters, and the Denmark guard captain ordered everyone to put away their guns, deactivate the hedgehog anti-rider mode, and stand still to conserve energy.
In order to effectively resist heavy cavalry, the hollow square formation needed to be six rows of people thick. The first row lay on the ground with their bodies fully extended, stabilizing the gun butt on the ground. The following rows gradually raised their crouching and standing heights. This posture was extremely energy-consuming, and soon they would feel sore all over.
If the Prussia cavalry did not charge, they would maintain the basic formation of the hollow square. If they did charge, they would immediately switch to hedgehog anti-rider mode.
What if the Prussia cavalry fired?
"For the King! Give out our lives!" shouted the guard captain loudly.
They had enclosed themselves with anti-rider defenses, barriers, and obstacles. There was no space for evasion within this enclosure. If they left the enclosure, they would only die faster. The enemy’s heavy cavalry charging in would slaughter them all.
Catherine leisurely rode her horse, her subordinates lined up neatly waiting for the right moment to charge. A strange scene suddenly appeared on the battlefield, with both armies lined up as if in a parade formation.
Catherine waited for five minutes, then she said:
"Since the people from Denmark won’t surrender, don’t blame me for being harsh. I will show them the power of a 24-pound cannon."
A 24-pound cannon may seem small on a navy ship, but on land, they are powerful weapons that shake the ground with each shot.
Iron balls of 14 centimeters fly out at 450 meters per second, piercing through obstacles and hitting targets 400 meters away.
It was a gruesome scene of flying flesh and scattered limbs. If new soldiers saw this, they might be scared out of their minds.
But the Prussian elite cavalry watched calmly.
The Denmark Royal Guard also remained composed when under cannon fire, instinctively recovering from their initial startle.
As comrades were blasted into pieces by the 24-pound cannon, the guard captain directed replacement soldiers to fill in, adjusting the formation swiftly and calmly.
Soldiers followed orders to move to new positions, stepping on the remains of their fallen comrades. If the ground was uneven, they used their rifle butts to clear the way, even standing on soft organs.
The cannons fired, and the fence outside the Danish people’s defense line all broke. They lost their protection, but still bravely held their formation, not running away or showing fear.
There were not many cannonballs brought over, and after a few cannon shots, they ran out. Catherine was thinking whether to bring more cannonballs over. There were still six or seven hundred soldiers left in the Danish guard, a few more attacks and they would all be killed.
The Danish guard’s movement angered Catherine. They maintained a hollow square formation and slowly moved towards her side.
Catherine raised her rifle and then slowly lowered it.
The heavy cavalry advanced with unstoppable momentum.
After a few minutes, the Danish guard was completely defeated. They fought bravely until the last person, showing their courage and loyalty.
The last time a troop fought until the end to protect their master was the Swiss mercenaries in 1792. They all died protecting the French emperor Louis XVI.
