Chapter 153: Battle Of Jungfrau Plains (10)
Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Peter Yaeger, leading the 7th Division of the Reich Empire, found himself in a situation where victory seemed within reach. Yet, he never let his guard down.
This was because it was highly suspicious that the Swiss army, despite being cornered and having the perfect terrain for an ambush, had not launched any surprise attacks.
Count Ticino must be biding his time, waiting to play his last trump card as an ambush. When exactly is he planning to launch a surprise attack?
Judging by the current situation, it was clear to anyone that Lieutenant General Yaeger was on the winning side. However, his mind was filled with unease as he awaited the enemys unexpected move.
As a result, even though he would have ordered more aggressive attacks under different circumstances, he was exercising as much restraint as possible.
Division Commander, just as you predicted, Swiss soldiers are emerging from the forest on the right. We couldnt determine the exact number, but its estimated to be between 1,000 and 1,200 men!
Normally, news of an ambush would have the Division Commander clutching the back of his neck and the surrounding staff officers in a panic, unsure of what to do.
However, for an army that had been thoroughly prepared and on alert, the emergence of an ambushing unit from the anticipated location was incredibly fortunate.
Upon hearing this, Lieutenant General Yaeger immediately shouted, Hurrah! and then commanded,
Good! Right now No, send a signal to the mages to prepare fireballs. Then, when about half of the enemy forces have emerged from the forest, launch a coordinated fire attack in retaliation.
The staff officers promptly executed the Lieutenant Generals orders, relaying instructions to each unit to implement the Division Commanders strategy while preparing the troops for a flawless response.
Since there had been no notification among the soldiers and junior officers of the Reich Empires military about the preparation for the ambush in order to maintain security, the soldiers of the Reich Empires military were shocked upon receiving the new orders.
It made sense, as they had been engaged in an intense infantry battle and had almost secured victory, thinking all they had to do now was push forward.
But suddenly having to fight enemies from both the right and the front, they couldnt help but wonder if they had fallen into the enemys trap and if this would lead to their defeat.
Damn, did Lieutenant General Yaeger get tricked by those mountain bandits?
Ah, to be defeated here! If I had known this would happen, I would have spent time with Laura before coming! It was nonsense to say I wanted to cherish you until our wedding during my leave.
We cant just sit here and take it! Now that its come to this, Ill take at least one more with me to the afterlife!
Among the soldiers, some despaired, thinking they had fallen victim to the enemys surprise operation, while others resolved to fight and die if necessary.
Calm down, calm down! Our Division Commander will never lose so absurdly! He will soon provide a strategy to overcome this crisis!
Anyone who lowers morale will be killed by me, Lieutenant Checker Schmitz, according to military law!
Dont be afraid and fight to the end! Maintain the formation! Keep the formation until further orders!
The junior officers knew from their academy days that in such situations, following orders from higher commanders like battalion, regiment, or division commanders was crucial to increasing soldiers survival rates.
Even while thinking, like the soldiers, Am I going to die in this? or If I had known this, I would have lost my virginity at a brothel, they did their best to command the soldiers, pretending to be calm in an effort to stabilize the situation.
Meanwhile, the Swiss soldiers, approaching from the right and taking advantage of the element of surprise, ran wildly towards the right wing of the imperial army without even properly forming a formation. They seemed intent on maximizing their destructive power.
Their spearheads were aimed at the vital points of the imperial army, and their faces were filled with hatred, hostility, and anger towards the enemy.
Lets kill every single one of them!
Long live free Switzerland! May Switzerland last forever!
Not a single imperial pig will survive to leave our beautiful homeland!
Moreover, Baron Ragnos, who was directly commanding this assault, fought at the forefront as a noble and valiant warrior in accordance with Swiss tradition.
Thanks to him, the morale of the Swiss surprise attack force was sky-high.
Thus, the soldiers of the Reich Empire, seeing the ambush force suddenly appear with such high morale, fell into despair, astonishment, and fear.
Just then, three flaming arrows, which were the agreed-upon signal, were shot into the air, and the imperial armys divisional flag began to flutter.
The senior officers of the Reich Empire, from Lieutenant Colonel upwards, laughed out loud as if watching a very amusing scene and said,
Those fools have fallen right into the Lieutenant Generals trap! They are as good as dead now!
Vitenheim Battalion, speed up and advance! The enemy is being pushed back! Seize this opportunity. Not a single one of them will be spared!
The two soldiers in our battalion who take the most enemy heads, I will personally write their discharge papers after the war! Fight with the resolve to die!
Being ambushed usually called for solidifying the defense to minimize damage, but attacking soldiers who were surging in with a surprise attack was one of the worst choices.
Because if the attack concentrated on the front, the flanks would become completely exposed.
So, the Swiss soldiers were genuinely pleased that those foolish Reich fools had made a foolish decision.
However, starting with Baron Ragnos, those with extensive war experience began to instinctively sense that something was amiss.
Crazy bastards, stop the charge! Slow down and form defensive lines!
We dont know where the attack will come from, damn it!
Shit, where the hell is this coming from?!
Baron Ragnos and other Swiss commanders signaled their soldiers to calm down, but their situation could be summarized as follows
When you think its too late, it really is too late.
True to those words, Lieutenant General Yaeger had already spread oil-soaked leaves near the entrance of the forest from which they were emerging, ensuring the fire would catch easily.
The fireballs launched by the imperial armys mages, as designed by Lieutenant General Yaeger, began to be sent when about half of the 1,000 Swiss ambush troops had emerged from the forest.
As the fireballs hit, igniting the oil-soaked leaves, the dry underbrush and leaves on the ground quickly caught fire as well.
The fire naturally spread widely, burning the trees and grass near the forests entrance, and half of the Swiss surprise force was either burned to death or forced to flee immediately.
Shit, its hot! Help me! Aaaah!
Mom! Mom!! I cant see. I cant breathe
Water, water! Someone bring water! I came to fight, and now Im burning to death. Ah, its hot!
Thus, half of the soldiers following Baron Ragnos were completely separated from the ambush force due to the fire and broke off.
The remaining Swiss surprise force tried to form defensive lines and survive as best as they could, but the imperial armys infantry reserves, waiting in the rear, surged toward the Swiss soldiers like a wave.
These bastards cowardly hid in the forest to attempt a surprise attack. Kill them! Dont let a single one live!
You surprised us well, so Ill make your death easy!
Living must be hard, so find peace in death!
The Swiss infantry trembled in fear at the sight of the approaching enemy, and their morale, which had flared up in attempting a surprise attack, completely plummeted.
Lieutenant General Yaeger was now certain that he had secured victory in the battle, while Count Ticino, having fought his best, realized that his defeat was inevitable.
In this situation, the Count hastily ordered to minimize the loss of his troops as much as possible.
Retreat! Retreat! Any further combat will only lead to meaningless casualties!
Though it was a wise decision not to continue a futile battle, Lieutenant General Yaeger, of course, had no intention of giving up the pursuit, often referred to as the easiest battle in war.
Send out the knights and archers again to directly confront those fleeing and slow them down! Urge the infantry forward!
With that order, the archers and knights, fully equipped, rushed from the rear towards the vanguard of the Swiss soldiers.
Meanwhile, the imperial infantry relentlessly pursued the Swiss soldiers from behind.
Scatter! Scatter, you fools! If you dont want to die, scatter!
Save, save me! Youre the ones who attacked us!
Ill surrender. Ill surrender, so please spare me!
The Swiss soldiers who surrendered to the pursuing infantry were taken prisoner, and those who missed the opportunity to surrender were killed without being able to put up a proper resistance.
In the end, the archers and knights decimated 9,000 fleeing Swiss soldiers, slowing down their escape and maximizing the damage.
As a result, the battle ended in a resounding victory for the Reich Empires army.
From the Reich Empires army of about 8,000 in one division, 200 were killed and 400 were wounded.
From the Swiss Republic army of about 9,000, 1,500 were killed, 2,000 wounded, and 1,000 taken prisoner.
Despite achieving a tremendous exchange ratio in the battle, Lieutenant General Peter Yaeger, who devised of the plan and commanded the battle, could not be entirely satisfied with the victory.
Weve won the battle but how are we going to save His Highness, the Crown Prince?
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