Chapter 1209: 28. Great Alliance Moves Forward (13)_2

Sakahich was taught a lesson, his face turning green and then white. He saluted and left without saying a word.

Using some special material, the smoke screen released by the Grand Council army dissipated more slowly than the thick smoke produced by simply burning wet wood; it did not rise into the sky with the heat wave but floated on the ground, moving with the wind.

Therefore, it was not until the eight heavy cannons on the eastern hills completed their loading and fired another round of cannonballs toward River Valley Village that the smoke covering the battlefield thinned enough to vaguely see the scene across the river.

Seeing this, the artillery commander of the Grand Council army immediately ordered the loading of canister shot and pivoted the muzzles to the west, waiting for the rebel’s left flank to appear in sight.

However, when the east wind finally pulled back the thin veil covering the ground, exposing the deployment of both armies clearly, the artillery commander of the Grand Council army was surprised to find that the left flanks of the rebel square formations had already retreated at least half a kilometer.

Unwilling to give up, the artillery commander of the Grand Council army ordered to open fire, and walnut-sized lead balls swept across hills, riverbeds, and fields, spreading over an area dozens of meters wide, ultimately only knocking down a few unlucky ones, completely failing to deliver the expected damage effect.

The artillery commander of the Grand Council army ordered the cannons to be reloaded with round shot–although the enemy had retreated half a kilometer, they were still within the effective range of the heavy cannons.

However, the retreating forces of the rebel left wing began changing their formation, with the square formation gradually thinning into a rectangle, and the distance between soldiers widening. Clearly, the rebel commander did not intend to retreat further; he was determined to withstand the bombardment with a loose formation by pulling his forces to the edge of the heavy artillery’s effective range.

Just as the artillery commander of the Grand Council army could immediately discern the strategy of the rebel commander, it seemed the rebel commander was also fully aware of the intentions of the Grand Council army.

Both sides clearly understood each other’s tactics and way of thinking, and both were doing their utmost to leverage this knowledge to gain an advantage.

The artillery commander of the Grand Council army walked beside the cannons, trying to touch the cannon bodies.

In just three shots, the outer walls of the eight heavy cannons were already hot enough to fry eggs. Even through a layer of gloves, one could feel the massive heat accumulated within the heavy bronze.

The gunners originally from the New Reclamation Legion were cooling down the cannons, pouring whole barrels of rapeseed oil into the muzzles, then emptying them out after a moment, and refilling them with cool oil. This process required repeatedly raising the cannon’s elevation, tiring the gunners to the point of sweating profusely and gasping for breath.

All eight heavy cannons at Maple Fort were old-fashioned cannons that were very difficult to manage. Although they were incredibly powerful, they also came with many problems–cooling being just one of them.

Therefore, every firing opportunity was extremely precious.

The artillery commander of the Grand Council army surveyed the enemy’s left wing, which had turned into a loose formation, and after briefly assessing the potential damage effects, he decided not to waste precious firing opportunities on merely itching the enemy.

Battle flags waved, and the torrent of drumbeats resounded simultaneously across the east bank. Under the cover of the smoke screen, the Grand Council army initiated a frontal assault from their striking positions.

The square formations on the left and right wings began to advance toward the opposite bank, looking like small tan squares slowly moving across the earth from the hilltops.

Even the central square formations–which had suffered setbacks in previous assaults, comprised of various units of the New Reclamation Expeditionary Army–were reorganizing and preparing for the next offensive.

“Adjust positions,” ordered the artillery commander of the Grand Council army, aiming at the small village on the high ground across the river. “Continue to bombard the rebel center.”

Although the eight heavy cannons hadn’t inflicted massive casualties on the rebel left wing, they had successfully forced the rebels to withdraw from the along the river alignment, reaching the anticipated objective. Compared to the rebel left wing at the edge of effective range, the River Valley Village garrison, which was still within close proximity, was a better target.

The artillery commander of the Grand Council army personally inspected the firing angle of each cannon, while repeatedly emphasizing, “Pay attention! No one is allowed to fire at the church–this is an order from Colonel Sanel! Aim for the riverbank, destroy their defenses!”

Moments later, the reloaded heavy cannons opened fire again. Veterans who had once served under Marshal Ned roared as they fired thirty-two-pound iron balls, perhaps if they weren’t weapons, they would feel pained by the destruction.

Meanwhile, on the riverbank north of River Valley Village, Captain Sakahich watched the bursts of cotton-like smoke on the opposing hills, involuntarily clenching his fists.

Every time a muffled thunder sounded from across the river, a spray of rubble and sand would rise in River Valley Village to the right of the captain’s hand. The dwellings of farmers collapsed with a moan, and thick smoke rose from the ruins.

Several other things resembling thick tree branches were also flung into the air, spinning and falling to the ground. The captain had no time to identify them, but he sensed they were human limbs.

Beside Captain Sakahich, more than five hundred musketeers from various battalions lay prone behind the field embankment along the riverbank, each separated by about a meter.

The field embankment they occupied was barely over a meter high, constructed from rubble and soil, with some low shrubs planted atop to stabilize the earth.

This embankment served both as a field boundary and a low dam to prevent river flooding during the rainy season. However, at this moment, it primarily functioned as a parapet for the Thunder Group County and Riverside County musketeers.

Captain Sakahich parted the shrubs, watching as the soldiers in light brown uniforms came down from the hillside in rows in step with the drumbeats.

The dense gun barrels were like the aerial roots of banyan trees, and the bayonets gleamed under the sunlight. Military flags depicted with gallant steeds were held aloft from among the helmets and gun barrels, with the color bearers protected at the center of the array.