Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 298 Command of the Allied Forces
The two cavalry units were routed one after another, and the morale of the Franks plummeted. The entire central army was completely overrun, and Carloman and Fat Charles fled the battlefield under the escort of the knights.

In this battle, the Vikings suffered 400 dead and 800 wounded. The Franks suffered nearly 3,500 casualties and prisoners, with the remaining 2,000 becoming disorganized routs, hardly of any use.

After the battle, Vig recalled the oddly-haired light infantrymen and asked them about their origins, the truth of which was surprising.

They were also Franks, living in the remote forest regions of Bavaria, which preserved ancient tribal traditions, including the common axe-throwing tactic.

Correspondingly, the Frankish people living on the West Frankish plains became accustomed to agricultural life, shedding their tribal customs and gradually losing their martial traditions. This trend was irreversible. As the population grew and their territory expanded rapidly, the Franks' original tribal system could not adapt to the new environment. They could only piece together a new governance system by referencing Roman culture and customs.
“I see. I thought they were foreign tribes from Burgundy or Swabia.” Wigton felt bored and waved away the prisoners, then led Frode around for a stroll.

"What mistakes do you think the enemy made? Suppose you were in command of the French army, how would you make those decisions?"

After calming himself down, Frode replied based on his existing knowledge, "Kaloman shouldn't have changed his formation at the last minute. During our westward maneuver, his troops were in constant disarray due to the change in formation."

If it were me, I would send all the cavalry to launch a surprise attack on the Viking main force, which was flanking the enemy, to buy time for the infantry to deploy their formation.

Vig: "This is your judgment based on post-war information. Suppose that during the battle, there were forests to the west and north, obstructing your view, how could you be sure that the troops on the west side of the battlefield were the main Viking force? If you sent out all your cavalry and ended up only catching an insignificant force, what would you do next?"

Cavalry is a formidable fighting force, but its weakness lies in its tendency to break formation; a moment's inattention and it's gone. For example, in the Ranger battalion, half the members have yet to return, and at this rate, it's expected that some will still be left outside by evening.

This question was beyond Frode's ability to answer. He turned to look at the shrike, the viper, and other nobles, but they wisely refrained from interjecting. He could only ponder it alone, and he still hadn't come up with an answer by the time he fell asleep that night.

The following day, the Vikings buried the remains of their comrades and enemies and headed south to Schleswig. Upon seeing the iconic black flag, the more than two hundred local soldiers scattered and fled.

Upon taking over the defenses, Vig was surprised to find that there were still fifty households in the city. "How did they manage to survive so many wars?"

He ordered his troops to level the abandoned ruins in the city, rebuild orderly barracks, and sent messengers to the navy, instructing them to bypass the Jutland Peninsula and deliver supplies to Schleswig.

At the same time, Vig also sent envoys to invite Viking rulers such as Eric the Younger, Hafdan, Lexal, and Fawel to form a coalition to deal with the Frankish threat.

In response to Vig's summons, the two kings and a host of powerful nobles gave him great face and successively sailed to Schleswig.

On April 6, Vigé stopped delaying and called a meeting with everyone.

Eric the Younger, Hafdan, and others took their seats. Without any pleasantries, he immediately stated his position: "I want to take command of the Viking coalition. Who agrees? Who disagrees?"

Favre: "I agree."

Lexar: "I agree too!"

Viking society revered military might, and throughout Northern Europe, no one understood warfare better than Vig. This proposal garnered the support of most nobles. Young Eric exchanged a glance with Hafdan, his tone calm, "I agree."

With command confirmed, Vig ordered each unit to report their numbers. In name, the Viking coalition could muster 13,000 men, but in reality, they only had 10,000, with many more soldiers still gathering.

After the meeting, Vig began reorganizing the troops of more than thirty powerful lords, working himself to exhaustion and eventually abandoning this inefficient idea. Two days later, he suddenly felt uneasy, with a sense of urgency to end the war as soon as possible.

Delay could lead to unforeseen consequences, so Vigé decided not to wait for reinforcements. He left the Nordic nobles in the south to repair the Danivilc defenses and led over nine thousand soldiers north to try and defeat the army of "Young Louis" as soon as possible.

On April 12, the Allied forces arrived in Wael.

Gazing at the dilapidated walls and the Saxon flag fluttering atop the watchtower, Hafdan appeared dazed.

When Louis the German invaded, he and his fourth brother were stationed in Wael. Now, times have changed, his fourth brother has been killed in action, and the roles of attacker and defender have been reversed, which is very sad.

“I’ll take charge of Waeler!” he demanded of Vig.

Vig rode his horse around the stockade wall to observe the situation, and sent people to inquire with the remaining villagers nearby. He learned that there were only about three hundred soldiers guarding the city.

Since Hafdan was willing to do this dirty work, Vig was happy to see it happen. He let Hafdan lead a thousand soldiers to besiege the enemy, while the main force continued northward.

He arrived at Aarhus along the road, where several hundred French troops were also stationed. As usual, he left behind more than a thousand ragtag troops.

Two days later, Vig arrived in Lannes. Unlike the previous two towns, this place had its gates wide open and the walls were deserted, with only a few Viking residents hiding in their houses, cautiously observing.

After questioning, the French army seemed to have sensed the threat from the south. Although they did not understand the specifics, "Young" Louis decided to consolidate his forces to avoid being scattered and defeated.

Vig: "How's the situation in Aalborg?"

A civilian replied: "Five days ago, Aalborg fell, and Louis sent riders to display the Uber banner and royal items around to proclaim his power."

Leaving several hundred men to garrison the area, Vig continued north, where he encountered Louis the Young Man's army of about six thousand men a day later.

Upon witnessing the Serpent of the North's army, Louis forced himself to remain calm and, using the supply wagons, also deployed an extremely conservative defensive formation. The battlefield was open, preventing Vig from using the terrain to deceive the enemy; he had no choice but to lay out his formation and engage in a direct, head-on battle.

The Vikings had 7,000 soldiers, the vast majority of whom were elite troops patiently trained by Vig. Their morale, equipment, training, and organization were among the best in the Nordic world.

Within just ten minutes of the battle, Louis felt immense pressure as the shield wall crumbled and the infantry commanders requested reinforcements.

On the eastern side of the battlefield, his cavalry, on which he had placed high hopes, performed poorly. They were blocked by the enemy's bayonet phalanx and, when they tried to detour, they were suddenly entangled by Viking cavalry and surrounded. Only a little over sixty French cavalrymen managed to escape.

"We can't hold on any longer, retreat!"

With the battle going poorly, Louis hastily retreated. Fortunately, a small river lay not far to the north. After crossing the river, he burned the bridge and led his remaining three thousand men away from Vig's pursuit.

(End of this chapter)