Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 266 Go straight to the heart
After the inspection, Vig returned to the central command post. He opened the shrike's letter, read it carefully, and then handed it to the person next to him.

"The pontoon bridge over the Shannon River has been completed, but there was a mishap along the way, and it was almost burned down by the rebels with fire ships. It seems that the enemy's morale is high, and this war is not as easy as I thought."

Vig spread out the map, reviewed the battle reports from this period, and gradually formed a vague plan in his mind.

Three days later at dusk.

When the expeditionary force arrived at Athlone and joined forces, Vig had a total of 14,000 troops, including 2,000 cavalry. In terms of numbers, equipment, and training, Vig completely overwhelmed the rebels.

However, war is not a simple mathematical comparison. With vastly different strengths, the enemy withdrew from the plains and hid in the western mountains for refuge, waiting for the right time to launch a new rebellion.

That night, Vig held a war meeting in the castle hall, briefing everyone on the current dire situation.
"After more than a decade of conflict, western Ireland has developed a group of tribal chiefs skilled in small-scale raids. They are experienced, determined, and virtually impossible to appease. There are no shortcuts; the only option is to send troops deep into the mountains to eliminate any tribe that dares to resist."

After speaking, he unfolded a large and intricately patterned map on the long table, took out many black soldier cards representing his own side, and placed them all in the center of the map.

Then, Vig took out a long, thin command stick, pushed the troop marker, and explained his ideas to the more than thirty people around the long table.

In order to achieve an overwhelming advantage, he planned to concentrate his forces in the first phase to attack the mountains due west, all the way to the west coast of Ireland, cutting off the land connection between the northwest and southwest.

After the first phase ended, the expeditionary army turned around and launched a full-scale attack on the northwest, and finally attacked the southwestern mountainous area.

After the introductions were finished, Vig turned to the nominal lord of Ireland, "Duke Eamon, what are your thoughts?"

"Your Majesty, my life's destiny is to serve you, and I will obey your every command."

Having witnessed the power of the royal family, Aemon set aside all other thoughts and only wanted to end the war as soon as possible and send away this large and dangerous army.

Over the next two hours, Vig combined information from local nobles and the intelligence system to break down the general concept of "conquering the western mountains" into numerous individual steps. He then planned the marching route, allowing the commanders of each unit to advance in an orderly manner and cooperate with each other.

That's all. Anyone have anything to add?

By now, most of the nobles were in a daze, with only a handful, such as Tolga and the Shrike, able to keep up with Vig's train of thought. After another ten minutes or so of discussion, Vig ended the meeting and announced that a banquet would be held.

Upon hearing this, the castle hall instantly came alive, and the nobles beamed with joy as they devoured the repeatedly reheated dishes.

The following day, the 3rd Infantry Regiment convened a meeting of battalion and company-level officers, and Frode was called in to take the minutes, which also served as an opportunity to gain some experience at the command level.

After the meeting, the regimental headquarters held a farewell dinner. Frode ate almost half a roast chicken and finished a large bowl of fish soup. Then, burping, he helped the tipsy Ingvar back to the Second Company.

After finishing everything, Frode was questioned by the company commander and his colleagues, "Clerk Bob, why did the regimental commander choose you to be in charge of taking meeting minutes?"

"Well, it's probably because I have the best grades." He made up a reason, but no one believed him, so he lowered his voice.

"Well, actually I'm a relative of a cabinet minister. I was sent to the army to gain experience, and I had no other intentions."

This reason was plausible, and Frode barely managed to convince everyone. In late June, the expeditionary army split into four routes and officially began its operations.

In the early morning, the banks of the Shannon River are filled with humid air. Under the sunlight, the river surface glistens with shimmering gold. The river is over a hundred meters wide, and large reeds grow on both banks.

Watch your step, and be careful not to slip into the water.

As usual, Company Commander Ingvar walked at the front of the column, leading four columns onto the pontoon bridge. His leather sandals made a dull "thump-thump" sound as they stepped on the wet, slippery wooden planks, causing the entire bridge to sway slightly.

As they approached the center of the river, the soldiers' tension intensified. They instinctively lowered their heads, their gazes fixed on the backs of their comrades ahead, none daring to look down at the rushing water. The relentless sun beat down on their helmets, sweat trickling down their necks, bringing with it an indescribable itch.

Finally, Frode stepped onto the west bank. The solid feel of the ground gave him immense peace of mind. He greedily breathed in the air and couldn't help but look back. The follow-up troops were still silently and resolutely surging forward, their iron helmets forming a dazzling band of light in the sunlight.

Ingvar issued the order, "Rest where you are, and no noise."

Before long, more than 900 infantrymen crossed the pontoon bridge, followed by scout riders and supply wagons.

Faced with the surging river and the slightly swaying bridge, the horses instinctively resisted. They snorted and pawed at each other restlessly, and no matter how much the riders tightened the reins and scolded them, they only hesitated at the bridgehead.

Soon, a fierce warhorse suddenly reared up and let out a long, terrified neigh. Several soldiers immediately rushed over, grabbed the horse's bridle tightly, and with a combination of pushing and shoving, managed to half-force the enormous beast onto the pontoon bridge, and after a long time, dragged it to the west bank.

"We're in for a lot of work now." Frode and his comrades sat on the riverbank, silently watching the commotion of the cavalry, a sense of weariness creeping into their bodies.

After a long while, the follow-up troops crossed the riverbank, and the military band played marching tunes to urge the soldiers to continue their journey.

The 3rd Infantry Regiment was ordered to the port of Galway to the west. In addition to its own troops, Breken also received 200 cavalrymen and 800 conscripted militiamen, bringing the total strength to more than 2,000 men.

Galway was originally the fiefdom of a baron, but it was later plundered by rebels. Brecken's mission is to occupy the town and clear out the surrounding area.

The day after crossing the Shannon River, the infantry regiment encountered fire from small groups of rebel archers. They lay in ambush in the hills north of the road, unleashing five rapid volleys of arrows before fleeing northeast into the swamp.

Hundreds of arrows flew towards the rear ranks, instantly causing a small commotion. The conscripted militia lacked armor, and five men were killed on the spot, while eleven others were wounded, wailing and begging for help.

With a grim expression, Brecken observed the army shaman treating the wounded. Then, he ordered the wounded to be transported back to the field hospital in Athlone by supply wagons to prevent their wailing from affecting morale.

The small group of rebels continued to harass them on the way until they were blocked by angry cavalry. After a massacre, none of the thirty-two archers survived.

Looking at the corpses lying on the ground, Brecken shook his head regretfully. It was a pity that no one was left alive, and he could not destroy their lair.

Having dealt with the rebels, the infantry regiment sped up, aiming to reach its destination before the deadline.

(End of this chapter)