Chapter 32: Peter Yaeger, Soaring High (2)
Even though surely, from the slightly distant stands, there would be ongoing cheers or jeers filled with messages for me, I couldn’t hear any of those voices.
Instead, what reached my ears were only the sounds of footsteps and armor clashing from over a thousand soldiers, including both enemy and allied troops.
I must have been so focused on this battle that this was happening.
As the distance between both sides gradually shortened, Lieutenant Colonel Pommel shouted loudly,
“We won’t lose to newcomers who have never truly fought on the frontlines! Archers, fire at the enemy infantry!”
Upon hearing this, I immediately commanded my soldiers.
“Crossbowmen, fire arrows at the spearmen of Pommel’s battalion in front of you! Spearmen, continue to advance with your spears! Do not break the formation over a few arrows! Maintain the pace!”
Considering that the majority of casualties and injuries on all battlefields were due to ‘arrows’, starting close combat with the enemy a second sooner was advantageous.
While I always claimed, ‘once the battle starts, engage immediately,’ from the military science I learned at the academy to advanced tactics, the Tercio formation I’m using now increases the marching speed of soldiers drastically, making any misalignment in the formation very disadvantageous in close combat.
If the momentum of the spearmen and crossbowmen were mismatched, it would break the formation that complemented their weaknesses.
To the unknowing, my instructions might seem nonsensical and against battle traditions, but as if proving this, Lieutenant Colonel Pommel and his soldiers laughed and shouted,
“They must be foolish to approach us slowly while being hit by arrows. Lieutenant Yaeger surely has lost his mind! To be so foolish at that age, how pitiable!”
“Look at them, fighting under a lieutenant who gives such commands.”
“We’ll turn them into pincushions! At least this isn’t a real war. Let’s give them a lesson without breaking their arms!”
Laughing so, the lieutenant’s battalion began to charge at us fast and ferociously. To those unaware of the true value of the Tercio formation, it might seem obvious that ‘the youthful genius commander can’t beat the experienced and knowledgeable lieutenant colonel’.
However, to me, who knew the true value of the Tercio formation, Lieutenant Colonel Pommel and his soldiers shouting loudly seemed like foolish moths rushing into the fire.
The soldiers were getting hit by arrows, but the damage wasn’t significant due to the iron armor protecting their heads and upper bodies.
Unlike Lieutenant Colonel Pommel’s troop formation, where the archers could only act when the spearmen were apart, we had crossbowmen positioned at both ends of the spearmen, maximizing the power of the crossbows and spears in close combat.
Finally, when the spears of Lieutenant Colonel Pommel and other infantrymen came about 8 to 10 meters in front of us, I drew my sword instead of a baton and swung it as I commanded.
“Hold steady! Crossbowmen, fire arrows at the enemy infantry! Spearman, maintain a solid formation like a wall! Soldiers at the back with polearms, be thoroughly ready to penetrate their ranks when I give the signal!”
My soldiers, as if waiting for this command, cheered in unison. Immediately, 25 crossbows on each side fired arrows. Then the enemy soldiers, panicked by the sudden attack of 50 arrows from close range, lost coordination.
Lieutenant Colonel Pommel’s battalion was devoured by our crossbowmen, and their dense formation started to break. Meanwhile, our soldiers didn’t face any threat from the enemy’s attack.
In the end, they started to get pierced through our battalion’s spears like paper screens, revealing their miserable and hideous forms.
“Damn it, damn it! Usually, arrows come from above, and we can regroup even after getting hit!!”
“Who taught you fools to pierce with spears right after shooting arrows?”
“The first unit should remain calm! The fallen ones are not dead! Lower your spears and charge at the enemy! Are we going to lose to such brats?”
The commanders were trying to encourage the soldiers by finding some countermeasures, but running into a densely packed area of spears was suicidal.
In this mock battle, no one died, but they were hit by the blunt ends of spears used in the mock battle and fell, feeling immense pain.
Our crossbowmen, protected by spearmen on both sides, disrupted the enemy soldiers’ formation and prepared for battle.
The crossbowmen were reducing the number of their squad members by shooting arrows and causing disturbances.
Watching this, I wondered if, with the right dust protection, knights could defeat me in face-to-face combat if I entered a real battle with a firearm along with a bow and arrow.
However, we almost obliterated Lieutenant Colonel Pommel’s troops even with less powerful crossbows and spears instead of firearms.
I had almost achieved my goal of having everyone recognize my commanding ability.
If I was going to do it, it was better to act strongly against those who were hostile to me rather than being too humble, as Count Banner said!
“Use the flags to signal the 3rd and 4th platoons at the rear to attack the enemy’s rear by going around our right side! And use the same tactics as just now. Use crossbows to cause chaos before the spearman attacks!”
This might seem disadvantageous when the 3rd and 4th platoons who were protecting our rear start to attack, but there was a limit to the troops that could be deployed in a battle at the same time.
Therefore, most units were divided into those directly involved in combat and reserve forces, the latter remaining as surplus manpower until they switched.
So even if they momentarily circled back, it had no effect on the ongoing battle in front of us.
Rather, the enemy would be demoralized by the fear and pressure of being attacked from both front and rear, making the battle much easier for us.
Following this, the signal bearer signaled the 3rd and 4th platoons to circle to the rear.
“Good. Next, it’s the polearm soldiers’ turn! Everyone, go forward and smash their heads to teach them a real lesson! Smash them!”
Immediately, the polearm soldiers began to move through the gaps on either side of our spearmen towards the enemy.
They soon began swinging their polearms mercilessly, striking the heads, chests, and arms of the soldiers playing the role of the enemy in this mock battle.
Seeing this, the enemy soldiers couldn’t even think of a counter-attack and began cursing at me instead.
“Is it okay to fight so dirty in a battle? This is a mock battle!”
“Ouch! Ouch! I surrender!! Stop hitting me!!”
“Save me! It feels like I’m going to die in this mock battle! Those brutal bastards. Those devilish bastards!”
Normally, it would have annoyed me, but this was a mock battle impacting my performance evaluation.
Being cursed at by enemy soldiers in such a situation meant ‘you’re doing well, so your command ability evaluation goes up.’
And here, Lieutenant Colonel Pommel, who was previously acting confidently, was now half out of his mind, wildly swinging his sword instead of his baton, uttering nonsensical commands.
“Damn it, damn it! 1st platoon, retreat 10 steps and attack. 2nd platoon, follow the 1st! 4th platoon, 50 steps to the left!”
He was making the insane choice of scattering his troops instead of retreating them to regroup.
How desperate must he be to issue such commands?
However, his frantic struggle soon ended…
“We’re all being defeated! Damn it, why are Yaeger battalion’s soldiers appearing from behind! Ah~ Stop attacking with polearms! I’ve had enough. Damn, it hurts so much!”
That was because both his front and rear were being defeated by my soldiers, and he was surrounded.
Hearing this, the soldiers of Pommel’s battalion either surrendered, throwing their spears to the ground and raising both hands or tried to escape through the gaps on both sides.
Those who surrendered were fine, but those who tried to escape were showered with arrows from our crossbowmen.
After about 10 minutes, when our spearmen had punctured the enemy soldiers’ armor, a huge trumpet sound signaling the end of the mock battle was heard.
At that sound, all the soldiers of the Yaeger battalion, including me, cheered in unison.
“Damn, we won!”
“I thought we would win, but wasn’t this too easy? No, a troop that has fought on the front lines for several years being this weak…”
“We’re just too strong! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Reich Empire! Long live our Battalion Commander!”
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