Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 344: The Prelude to the Final Battle
For more than a week afterward, the cavalry of both sides clashed several times in the open fields east of Saint-Malo.

Overall, Frankish scouts were better at melee combat. Their warhorses were tall and strong and could carry heavy loads. The scouts were equipped with longswords, maces, shields, and other weapons.

The Rangers' steppe horses were small and had poor load-bearing capacity. They were only equipped with a saber and a bow and arrow. Their light cloth armor weighed only twelve pounds, which was not as protective as the chainmail of the French scouts and was not suitable for close combat.

However, the Rangers' advantage lay in their mobility. Steppe horses were resistant to heat and cold, and could endure roughage, allowing them to remain in the field for two days and one night, or even longer. Frankish warhorses, on the other hand, were relatively delicate, had shorter combat endurance, and were far less efficient at reconnaissance than the Steppe Rangers.

In late August, Vigé learned the general situation of this French army: 15,000 men, commanded by William the Count of Orléans, who was the brother of Queen Ermentrude.

At this moment, William's army was stationed 30 kilometers away, not daring to advance further, seemingly waiting for reinforcements.

"That's it?"

Vigé no longer hesitated and ordered the engineers to set fire to the tunnels beneath the city walls. Soon, five breaches appeared in the eastern wall of Saint-Malo, and the Viking soldiers stormed into the city, clearing out all resistance in half a day.

Upon learning of the fall of Saint-Malo, the Count of Orléans retreated eastward along the route he had taken. Vig did not pursue him, but instead ordered his soldiers to repair the city's defenses and expand the port facilities to prepare for reinforcements.

In September, Vig received word that the Franks had amassed a field force of over 70,000.

Charles the Bald, along with the three kings of Middle Frankish and East Frankish, jointly issued a declaration calling on all Franks to unite, offering a bounty on any nobleman who slayed the Serpent of the North, who would be eligible for the title of King of Britain. This bounty was reportedly approved by the Church.

Vig had anticipated this situation even before the war began, and his reaction to it was indifferent.

"Is this a medieval version of an anti-British alliance? Fine, I'll tear the encirclement apart with my own hands and eliminate all threats in one fell swoop."

On September 8, the last batch of troops arrived in Saint-Malo. After three months, Vig had finally transported 50,000 troops to Frank.

That evening, he convened a meeting of commanders and reiterated the war objectives.

“This war is different from the previous two Viking-West Frankish wars. It’s not about plundering. My annual income has long surpassed that of Bald Charles, so there’s no need to rob him. My only thought is to eliminate this nemesis completely to avoid future troubles.”

Currently, the main force of the French army is still in Paris, and the enemy's movements are slow. Paris is about 400 kilometers away from Rennes, and at their marching speed, it will take them at least 20 days to travel that distance.

Vig decided to make use of this valuable time.

He led his main force to attack the Nantes region south of Rennes, continuing to gather food and warhorses to force the French army to come and fight.

In fact, even if Vig hadn't made a move, Bald Charlie would have taken the initiative to attack. If things dragged on any longer, he would have been overwhelmed by this massive army sooner or later.

On October 5th, as autumn winds began to blow, the French army entered Le Mans. Three days later, they reached Laval, only 60 kilometers from Rennes. Viguet left a garrison regiment at Nantes and led the main force back to Rennes, where they faced off against the enemy.

After a month of travel, the Viking soldiers were severely exhausted. Vigg was not in a hurry to engage in a decisive battle and planned to delay for a while to allow the troops to recover their fighting strength.

The stalemate lasted for five days, during which Vig received two pieces of news: a supply convoy from Saint-Malo to Rennes had been attacked, and a large number of cavalry had appeared outside Nantes.

Currently, there are three ports suitable for accommodating large-scale fleets:
The French army launched simultaneous attacks from the north and south—Saint-Malo in the north, Brest in the west, and Nantes in the south—seemingly attempting to cut off the Vikings' supply lines. Vieg, seemingly lost in a fog, dispatched large numbers of rangers and mountain infantry to assess the movements of the main French force based on reports from each unit.

Two days later, he speculated that the main French force was located in the northeast region and might attack Saint-Malo, then continue westward to cut off the connection between Rennes and Brest.

Another possibility is that the enemy intended to lure them out of the city and then launch an attack, repeating the tactics used by the French army in the Battle of Auxerre when they raided Ragnar.

"Ha, Bald Charlie actually uses such complicated operations. He's been through many wars. It seems he's very confident in his command abilities."

Excluding the garrison troops in various locations, Vig could mobilize 43,000 men, including 2,800 heavy cavalry and more than 1,000 rangers.

He paced back and forth around the map table in the center of the hall for a long time, and then made the following arrangements:

"Order the Shrike's troops to lead north to the village of Lot, twenty miles away. Assign them an additional eight hundred heavy cavalry. If they encounter any small enemy forces, annihilate them on the spot and do not let them escape. After the battle, have his two mountain infantry battalions stationed in the forest near Saint-Malo to intercept and kill enemy reconnaissance units."

The Fifth Garrison Regiment was stationed at Benniu Bridge in the north. If attacked by the enemy, they could hold out for half a day before retreating.

The 13th and 14th Infantry Regiments of Utgard's army remained at Baron Pass's estate. In the event of a defeat at the direction of the Bull Run Bridge, the nearby Rangers were to provide support, while the infantry remained in the rear and were not to move rashly.

"

Vig planned to deploy an ambush in the north, and once the enemy crossed the Bull Run to the west, he would send Utgard to retake the Bull Run Bridge and trap them.

Upon receiving the order, each unit left the city in an orderly manner and quickly headed to the designated location. Vig remained in the Duke's mansion hall, staring blankly at the map table.

The next day, there was little movement in the north, but news came from the south that the French army had intensified its offensive against Nantes, attempting to retake the town.

Nantes, bordering the Loire River, has a newly built stone wall. In a recent battle, the Vikings used tunneling tactics to breach three gaps in the wall.

After capturing Nantes, the Vikings hastily built a wooden fortified wall at the breach, but unfortunately, its defensive effectiveness was far less than before.

The local garrison was the 2nd Garrison Regiment, a thousand soldiers, commanded by Leonard. Vig had warned him beforehand that if the enemy breached the city, Leonard didn't need to hold out; he could lead his troops to the dock and escape by boat.

On the morning of the third day, Vig was woken up from his sleep. His first thought was, "Nanté has fallen? So quickly?"

Leif said excitedly, "It has nothing to do with Nantes, it's the northern front. Scouts from the 5th Garrison Regiment have detected thousands of French troops approaching and are requesting further instructions."

The Fifth Garrison Regiment has eight hundred men. If they hold the Benniu Bridge to the death, they can at least hold out until reinforcements arrive from nearby areas, but Vig does not intend to do so.

"Have a messenger inform Rickard that he can retreat at noon. At that time, Utgard's Ranger Battalion will be responsible for providing cover and preventing him from being pursued by the French cavalry."

(End of this chapter)