I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1147 Anti-artillery Weapons

A few days later, on the edge of the Nile Delta, on a lakeside plain called Mariotis, the eagle banners of the Roman legions fluttered in the dry, hot wind.

Here, two Roman legions (part of the Third "Cyrenaica" and the Twenty-Second "Deutarus", totaling about 18,000 heavy infantry) formed a large phalanx and lined up along the lake. On their flanks were auxiliary cavalry and light infantry from Libya and Numidia, totaling about 8,000 men.

Governor Flavius ​​personally oversaw the battle from the central command post, his gaze fixed firmly on the eastern horizon.

There, smoke and dust billowed into the sky, as if a sandstorm were approaching. Then, countless crimson flags appeared in the dust and smoke, like flames sweeping in from hell.

The Han army is here!

These people were not the entire main force of the Han army's westward expedition, but even the vanguard and part of the main force were no less than the large Roman army that met the enemy here.

First, the core of the Han army was naturally the two thousand Sanhe cavalrymen each led by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. These four thousand elite cavalrymen, although not fully armored cavalrymen, were still equipped with fine armor and sharp weapons. Moreover, each rider was equipped with iron stirrups and high-bridged saddles, making them a true main force to hold the line.

Surrounding the four thousand main cavalry were even larger numbers of surrendered cavalry from the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Kushan regions. They were lightly armed knights, dressed in fine leather armor, carrying bows and scimitars, and a few even had gleaming iron breastplates. Their total strength was three times that of the main Han army, numbering around twelve thousand cavalry.

At the rear of the column were auxiliary troops consisting of many local Egyptian militia, Jews, and other local ethnic groups recruited along the way, totaling about 10,000 people.

In peacetime, they were responsible for transporting provisions and maintaining order in the rear; in wartime, they would take on tasks such as filling gaps in the lines. Most of these men had been oppressed by Rome and had now risen up in rebellion. Although they lacked fine armor, each of them received weapons such as spears and scimitars from the Han army—the Han army's westward expedition had, to say the least, yielded more than enough weapons.

And so, the two armies quickly lined up on the lakeshore. The total number of troops on both sides was roughly the same, nearly 30,000, but each had its own characteristics.

The Romans had a larger main infantry force, which appeared to be better equipped and more disciplined.

In contrast, the Han army, apart from its main force of four thousand cavalry, was, as Governor Flavius ​​had predicted, filled with a large number of auxiliary troops of mixed composition and questionable combat effectiveness. Its only advantage was that it had more cavalry.

In response to this, Governor Flavius ​​put in a lot of effort to break the Han army's cavalry advantage, deliberately choosing this lakeside plain for his formation.

Don't underestimate this plain. At first glance, it appears flat and easy for cavalry charges, but in reality, it borders the vast Lake Mariotis to the west, while to the east lie several seasonal streams and marshes formed by the Nile's flooding. Flavius ​​meticulously positioned his Roman legion's heavy infantry phalanx firmly in the narrow corridor between the lake and the wetlands, its front only wide enough to accommodate about eight large companies (approximately four thousand men) fighting side by side.

This was an extremely clever tactical choice. It severely limited the maneuverability and deployment of the Han army's massive cavalry, forcing them to abandon their numerical superiority and launch large-scale encirclements or wheel-and-roll tactics, and instead attack from the front or limited flanks. The front, however, was precisely where the Roman legions excelled—a forest of spears, a thick shield wall, and a torrential rain of javelins awaited any enemy daring to charge.

The Roman legions' left and right flanks were protected by Libyan light infantry and Numidian cavalry, respectively, and were relatively safe thanks to the cover of wetlands and lakes. Flavius's intention was very clear: to turn this battle into a pure, head-on war of attrition, using the Roman legions' unparalleled frontal defense and close combat capabilities to wear down the Han cavalry's momentum and ultimately break the spirit of the weak-willed auxiliary troops.

"Hmph, the Roman governor has certainly chosen a good location." Guan Yu stroked his beard and sneered, a cold glint flashing in his phoenix eyes as he instantly saw through Flavius's intentions. "He wants to render my iron cavalry useless, forcing me to contend with him in a very small space."

Zhang Fei, his eyes wide, stared at the Roman phalanx, which resembled a steel jungle, and spat, "Bah! This turtle formation! Second Brother, let me, Zhang Fei, lead a squad of elite soldiers and wade through that muddy swamp on the side to stab them in the back!" Guan Yu shook his head slightly, "Yide, you mustn't be reckless. The wetlands are muddy and not conducive to a charge; if we get stuck there, we'll be at their mercy. They've arrayed themselves here precisely to provoke us."

To deal with such a tortoise formation, Guan Yu naturally did not intend to use manpower to fill the gaps. Instead, he directly ordered the rear guard to push up the tiger-squatting cannons to clear the way with artillery fire.

This is the secret to the Han Dynasty's invincible strategy in conquering cities and seizing enemy positions.

However, this time, on the shores of Lake Mariotis, the magic failed for the first time.

"what?!"

Guan Yu narrowed his eyes slightly and saw that as his Tiger Crouching Cannon was launched into the formation, the enemy's formation also slightly dispersed, several large crossbows were pushed forward, and even several surface ships quickly rowed over, carrying the same weapons.

The Roman torsion ballista, also known as the Roman scorpion cannon.

This large weapon requires 2-3 people to operate and is a culmination of Roman engineering.

These scorpion cannons were an important part of the legion's arsenal, and their symbolic significance was no less than that of the equally distinctive heavy javelins and Spanish short swords. They were important weapons for the Romans in sieges and defenses.

But at this point, Governor Flavius ​​brought them out not to attack or defend the city, but to counter artillery fire!

After enduring the Han army's relentless and devastating offensives, the Romans continued to study and learn, and soon they discovered the characteristics of the Han army's weapons.

The Han army's siege weapons were mainly divided into two categories. One was the small tiger crouching cannon that was being pushed out in front of them. It was easy to move and could be operated by one or two people. The other was the terrifying large catapult (Huihuipao), which was heavy and powerful and required hundreds of people to operate.

These two powerful weapons are quite different. One is easy to carry and can unleash thunder and lightning to fiercely bombard city gates and troops, while the other can launch boulders to destroy city walls and towers.

With the two working together, plus the Eastern Demon King who appeared on the battlefield at some unknown time and summoned thunder, they were virtually invincible.

But the Romans didn't suffer defeats for nothing. Through countless failures, they quickly discovered something. For example, the Han army's fearsome "thunder weapon" (tiger crouching cannon) was powerful, but its range was not actually that far. In particular, the light tiger crouching cannon, which was adopted in pursuit of mobility, had an effective range of less than half that of their scorpion cannon.

Governor Flavius ​​astutely grasped this point. He knew that in open field battles, the Han army must not be given the opportunity to deploy and bombard the enemy at their leisure. Therefore, he specifically brought several of the legion's longest-range and most accurate heavy scorpion cannons to the battlefield to snipe at the Han army's tiger-squatting cannons.

(End of this chapter)