Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 553 Siege (V)

  [Margit Island]

[Domonkos Monastery]

"Where are we?" Lieutenant Colonel Montecuccoli stood on the steps of the bell tower and anxiously asked the observer on the top of the tower.

"They've put out the lights," the young warrant officer on the lookout replied cringingly. "I can't see clearly."

Hearing this, Montecuccoli punched the stone wall beside him in annoyance.

If the artillery lieutenant colonel could see more clearly, he would really want to pull the warrant officer down and stand on the top floor to watch himself.

Years of drawing and reading at a desk seriously damaged Montecuccoli's eyesight, and he could only see colors at a distance.

This is also the reason why many people think that the director of the artillery department is difficult to get along with when they first meet him - Raymond Montecuccoli is nearsighted and doesn't like to wear glasses. He always squints at people. Combined with his alienating face, it is strange that he can leave a good impression on people.

Suddenly, a gunshot was heard from below the clock tower, followed by a loud noise.

Montecuccoli was shocked and immediately dragged the still stunned warrant officer back to the stairwell from the exposed top of the tower.

He originally wanted to blow out the signal light, but hesitated after lifting the lamp cover. In the end, he left the eye-catching signal light on the top of the tower, but hid under the floor with the warrant officer.

But the people hid, the enemy's bullets did not hit them, and there were no shouts of killing.

After waiting for a while, Montecuccoli held his breath and stuck his head out, but saw no trace of the enemy - of course, even if there was any, he probably couldn't see it clearly.

"What's going on?!" Montecuccoli climbed to the top of the tower and shouted down angrily.

A moment later, a lieutenant's voice came from below, "Private John said he saw a figure, he must be dazzled."

"Which John?" Montecuccoli was furious. But before the lieutenant could answer, the lieutenant colonel sighed, "Forget it! Let him see clearly before shooting next time! Let all the musketeers listen up, shoot when you are close! Shoot when you are sure! Don't be fooled by the rebels again!"

When he said the last sentence, Montecuccoli's fist was almost clenched to bleed.

Previously, they failed to defend the Bishop's Castle because they were deceived into missing the most crucial first round of volleys.

The rebels who landed on the island quietly moved to a place a hundred steps below the fort and suddenly lit many torches at once.

The tense sentry instinctively pulled the trigger, and the other musketeers followed suit and shot in the direction of the fire, even prompting the gunners to poke the red-hot iron rods into the powder tanks.

After a spectacular salvo, the only cannon on the Bishop's Castle that could still fire was the one commanded by Montecuccoli himself.

The enemies that were "defeated" were nothing more than fake targets made of resin and wooden sticks.

After the defenders had wasted their most deadly volley, the "rebel" commandos crawled up from two hundred steps away and launched an attack on the Bishop's Fort.

The trenches, which were still a long way from completion, only caused a little trouble to the rebels.

Therefore, without even having to wait until the first rebel climbed into the fortress through the gun port and witnessed his men firing lead bullets into the air, Montecuccoli was already certain that the Bishop's Castle could not be defended.

So he activated the backup plan on the spot and ordered his troops to break out separately.

They said they were breaking out separately, but in fact they were just running away over the wall - the trenches of the Bishop's Fort could not stop those who wanted to come in, nor could they stop those who wanted to leave.

Fortunately, the "rebels" who landed on the island were not large in size, had no cavalry, and their attention was mainly focused on the bishop's fort. They even intentionally or unintentionally made way for the defenders, so Montecuccoli's "breakout" was relatively smooth.

After escaping from the Episcopal Castle, Montecuccoli gathered the soldiers who had been separated from their immediate superiors and retreated safely to the Domoncos Monastery, located south of the Episcopal Castle and in the center of Margit Island.

The Monastery of Domonkos is a convent that has been on the island of Margit for hundreds of years, since the year when the people of Plato officially converted to Catholicism.

After Cornelius decided to build a fort on Margit Island, the Domonkos Monastery was requisitioned by the Southern Front Army, and the nuns were "invited" into the city, which was almost entirely occupied by Protestant federalists.

Because the commander himself had specifically stated the discipline, the federal soldiers did not intentionally destroy the monastery.

However, the Southern Front Command chose the Domencos Monastery because it was a solid stone building with high terrain and good views. With a little renovation, it could become a qualified fortified stronghold and could also echo with the Bishop's Fort.

Therefore, the federalists remodeled the Domonk Monastery according to the standards of a barracks, raised the walls, widened the canals outside the walls, and drilled loopholes in the walls of the monastery.

Since the Bishop's Castle had not yet been completed, the baggage and ammunition allocated to the Bishop's Castle were temporarily stored in the Domencos Monastery. In fact, the troops dispatched to the Domencos Monastery were more than those currently stationed in the Bishop's Castle.

In fact, the fall of Bishop's Castle was originally part of the combat plan formulated by the Southern Front Command, and the Domenicos Monastery was the key place that could not be lost.

If the "rebels" landed on the island in large numbers, then according to the plan, Montecuccoli would give the unfinished bishop's fort to the "rebels" and retreat to the Domoncos Monastery to hold out and wait for help.

At that time, Bishop's Castle will become a hot potato and the rebels will face a dilemma.

If the rebels decisively abandon the bishop's castle, there will be no loss, it will just be destroyed. Montecuccoli will take back the bishop's castle and continue construction under the rebels' noses.

If the rebels are reluctant to give up the Bishop's Castle, then the empty shell of the Bishop's Castle will become a millstone that crushes the rebels' flesh and blood.

So Lieutenant Colonel Montecuccoli was not surprised by the fall of Fort Bishop.

What Montecuccoli really didn't expect was that the "rebels" launched the offensive so early.

All signs indicate that the size of the "rebels" outside Zhuwangbao is currently roughly between one and two battalions, with two to three squadrons of light cavalry, and no artillery support. With such a small number of people, let alone attacking the city, they are not enough to block the city gate.

However, the rebels dared to attack, land on the island, and rush towards the Bishop's Fort.

Montecuccoli did not feel fear or awe about this, but instead felt a little sad and regretful.

It was one thing to read about the valor of the Platonic cavalry in a book, and it was quite another to experience for oneself how brave those “border folk” were.

The courage of the Palatine people, the artillery shells of the United Provinces... these resources that should have been used to deal with the empire were used against each other. When Montecuccoli thought of this, he felt extremely regretful.

At the same time, when he thought of the tricks played by the "rebels" under the Bishop's Castle, shame and anger surged into Montecuccoli's heart.

He had read many records of tricking musketeers into firing volleys in military history. In the early days of the uprising, the royalist cavalry were particularly good at repeatedly making false charges to provoke the militia musketeers into firing volleys at ineffective distances, and then easily destroying the militia's formation with a real charge.

After Ned Smith took over the Piedmont militia, this kind of thing never happened again.

Montecuccoli never thought that such a thing would happen again under his command.

It wasn't even that they were deceived by the cavalry, but that they were fooled by a small group of infantry.

He was not injured during the entire battle, but his face was burning with pain.

Even if he was unwilling to admit it, he had to admit it - the Federal Army had been resting on its laurels for too long, and was always accustomed to taking the glorious achievements of its predecessors as its own abilities.

But Raymond Montecuccoli wasn't ready to throw in the towel just yet.

"The reinforcements from the Castle of the Kings didn't know we had nailed down all the cannons, so they extinguished their torches," Montecuccoli picked up the signal light and solemnly handed it to the warrant officer who was on lookout. "There are no stars or moon tonight, and this is not a clock tower now, but a lighthouse. This light is the only thing that can guide the reinforcements - no matter what happens, don't let this light go out."

The warrant officer took the signal light naively but carefully and held it in his arms.

"Why are you holding the lamp?" Montecuccoli was so angry that he wanted to laugh. "It's facing outside."

The warrant officer suddenly realized what was happening and pointed the signal light back in the direction of the Castle of the Kings.

"Signal," Montaccucoli patiently taught the warrant officer, trying his best to control his temper. "A flashing light is more conspicuous than a constant light."

Following the command of the lieutenant colonel, the warrant officer rhythmically shook the handle of the signal light up and down.

Montecuccoli nodded and walked down the tower. "Please inform me if there is any situation."

"Where are you going, sir?" the warrant officer asked subconsciously. As soon as he said this, he immediately realized that he had asked the wrong question and shrank his neck.

However, the artillery lieutenant colonel was particularly patient tonight, and did not look like he had just suffered a defeat.

"We have just escaped death, and everyone is still terrified," Montecuccoli replied calmly, "I have to go down and show everyone that the battle is not lost yet."

The warrant officer was stunned for a moment, raised his hand and saluted, "Yes!"

"Signal."

The warrant officer quickly put his hand down and continued to shake the signal light handle.

"Warrant Officer...Warrant Officer Kemp," Montecuccoli paused and asked for no apparent reason, "Do you think we will win?"

"Of course I will!" Edwin Camp answered reflexively.

Montecuccoli smiled noncommittally and patted the warrant officer on the shoulder. "Keep up that confidence."

  Then he walked down the lighthouse without looking back.
-

At the same time, on the river beach opposite Margit Island, Woods Frank was standing in knee-deep river water, directing the follow-up troops to "board the ship."

It is called a boat, but in fact it is just a few rafts.

However, the soldiers of Baishan County have already pulled a rope between Margit Island and the west coast, so the efficiency of the raft transfer may not be much worse than the rowing boat going upstream in the direction of the Kings Castle.

The wounded who were evacuated from the island sent a message to Woods, "Lieutenant Alani reported to you that the lieutenant successfully rescued many conscripted laborers, but the artillery in the fortress was nailed down by the federal province people."

"I understand," Woods nodded and called on others to carry the wounded back to shore.

Although the result of being unable to seize the usable cannons was not difficult to predict, Woods' heart sank a little when his hopes were truly dashed.

For the new army, the most important situation to avoid is turning the battle on Margit Island into a stalemate.

Looking at the dark and silent Margit Island, Woods prayed silently:

  "If you can hear me, Senior Mason, please come quickly."
-

About 40 kilometers southwest of Zhuwang Castle, on the provincial road within Sanchahe City.

Richard Mason, who was sleeping soundly in the carriage, suddenly sneezed.

  [Thanks to the book friend [Master Tai] for being the leader, thank you very much]

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