vstars Chapter 406 Three Lines of Defense
Chapter 406 Three Lines of Defense
In the inner castle of the Countess of Franche-Comté, the dim candlelight shone on a map spread out on the table. Hawke stood in front of the map, describing the current war situation to John's retainers and Matilda with a serious expression.
"From the current situation."
Hawke ran his finger across the map, pointing to the eastern border of Nilan Territory.
"The fortress here was the first to be attacked by Yoda's army, and it is also where the fighting is currently most intense."
"The Yoda army in the south of Franche-Comté chose to move south to attack the fortresses garrisoned by other Midland troops."
At this point, Hawke changed the subject, frowned, and his tone revealed a hint of helplessness and worry:
"This time, the speed of Yoda's army's attack was beyond my expectations."
"According to intelligence, in addition to mobilizing most of the Yoda Knights, they also cooperated with the Kushans and used the siege artillery they had built to capture several large cities and fortresses."
"The most famous one at the moment is the Battle of Rona City," he took a deep breath and continued, "The Yoda people used that cannon to directly penetrate the city wall with one shot. General Conseil of Midland fought hard and died for his country in the end."
"The Midlan army, having lost its leader, surrendered quickly, and the entire city was captured within a day."
At this moment, Matilda frowned and asked softly, "If the Yoda people use that kind of artillery to bombard the walls of our border fortress, will it be the same as the fortress that was conquered by the Yoda people before?"
Hawke nodded and replied seriously:
"Yes, ma'am. Our fortress can only stop the enemy's cavalry at best. It is not strong enough to defend against artillery, especially heavy artillery like this."
Then Hawke took a deep breath and continued:
"However, the Yoda people don't have many of these cannons. The preliminary estimate is that there are less than ten of them."
"Moreover, their attack method is very simple."
Hawke continued his analysis.
"It means to smash a gap in the city wall, and then use infantry to charge in, thus occupying the entire city with human lives."
Hawke's voice echoed in the dim conference room. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes revealed deep worry. He slowly spoke, expressing his deep concerns:
"Yoda's army will definitely attack the fortresses one by one from different directions, especially from the south and the east, using heavy artillery."
"And our forces..."
Hawke paused, his tone becoming more serious.
"Even though the Earl has expanded the army before, it is still too small. Even if we add the temporarily recruited militia, it cannot reach half of Yoda's total strength."
"Especially along the long border, it seems to be stretched too thin."
Hawke's voice was deep and powerful, and every word was like a heavy hammer hitting people's hearts. His words permeated the air, bringing an invisible sense of oppression.
At this moment, Matilda suddenly broke the silence. Her voice was firm and powerful, like a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds, dispelling the haze in the conference room.
"Then narrow the battle line, concentrate the troops, and shorten the supply distance."
Her words were concise and decisive, as if she had thought them over countless times.
After hearing this, Hawke showed an expression of disbelief on his face. He opened his mouth slightly and asked hesitantly:
"Do you mean for us to abandon the fortress outside?"
Matilda nodded, without any hesitation in her eyes.
"Yes, but not now."
As she spoke, she picked up her baton and drew an arc along the outer fortress, then continued:
"Use this place as the first line of defense. Order the garrison above to hold out for at least a month. Help the militia living in the village fortress to help the villagers retreat to a safe place. Take away all the food and livestock. If they can't be taken away, destroy them on the spot."
Then Matilda drew an arc along these fortresses and villages:
"Use this place as the second line of defense. The garrison troops retreating from the upper line, together with the local patrols, will continue to block the enemy and consume their troops and supplies. They will need to hold out for another month to buy more time for the Earl's Castle to build a defensive offensive."
"third."
Matilda's voice became more and more steady. She connected the Earl's Castle and the City of Niland and said:
"We will build a third line of defense with the Earl's Castle, Niland City and the fortresses in between. Gather all the defenders and the defenders of the Forest Territory here to fight the final battle with the Yoda army. By that time, the entire Franche-Comté will enter winter. In the cold wind, it will be more difficult for the Yoda army to be supplied. We can rely on the Forest Territory and other countries to get more support."
As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere in the conference room suddenly froze, as if even the air had become heavy. Everyone looked at each other, each with their own thoughts, but they all chose to remain silent. Until Hawke broke the silence, his voice was a little hesitant, but also full of worry.
"Ma'am, this plan does sound very thoughtful, but there is one thing we must consider."
Hawke paused and continued:
"If the troops stationed in the various fortresses surrender..."
Before he could finish his words, Matilda interrupted him directly, her tone firm and decisive.
"Then there's no point in defending."
Matilda looked around at the ministers present, her eyes flashing with an unquestionable light, and continued:
"My dear ministers, at this critical moment, we should give the army the most full recognition and trust. Lord John's army is a first-class army in any country across the entire continent. If they can't even stand firm against the artillery and human sea of Yoda's army, then no matter how they fight, they are doomed to fail to win this war."
A few days later, the air on the eastern border of Nilan Territory was filled with a strong smell of gunpowder. The battlefield was littered with corpses, and the bodies of Yoda's soldiers lay on the ground in all directions, as if telling the story of the tragic battle that had taken place before. A scout rode a horse and carefully passed over the corpses, and the horse's hooves stepped on the blood-stained land, making a dull sound.
Finally, he came to a fortress full of shell holes. The walls of the fortress were riddled with holes, and mottled bullet marks and burn marks could be seen everywhere. It was so quiet that even the sound of the wind seemed to have become cautious. The scout reined in his horse and looked around, feeling uneasy.
"Hey, is there anyone else in there?"
He shouted loudly at the city wall, and his voice echoed across the empty battlefield.
After shouting several times, an officer finally poked his head out from the city wall, his face full of fatigue and determination. He said in a hoarse voice:
"I am the last centurion of this fortress and the highest commander of the more than 230 soldiers currently in the fortress. May I ask what orders are given from the rear?"
The scout was shocked when he heard this. He didn't expect that there were still so many soldiers defending the fort. He calmed down and continued to shout:
"According to the order from the Earl's Castle, we hope you can hold on for another month so that the villagers in the rear can evacuate to the Forest Territory."
At this moment, a low and rapid horn sounded in the distance. The centurion's face changed and he immediately said:
"Got it. You should leave immediately and tell the villagers behind us that our fortress of more than a thousand people will fight to the last man."
After saying that, the centurion turned and ran all the way to the east of the city wall. Along with him came the soldiers who had experienced the attacks of the Yoda people several times. Some of them were dusty and ragged; some were wrapped in bandages and bloodstained. But their eyes revealed an unyielding determination. They stood quietly on the city wall, looking at the Yoda army in the distance and the siege artillery that had opened a big hole in their city wall.
The air was filled with a tense and solemn atmosphere. The soldiers said nothing, but silently clenched their weapons in their hands, quietly waiting for their own end.