Chapter 1218: 31. Great Alliance Moves Forward (16)_3

This new kind of square formation shouldn’t be used with heavy artillery, but should be paired with light artillery.

Because heavy artillery is too large, and the distance between gun positions is much greater than that of light artillery to facilitate the gunners’ operations.

In order to make room for the gunners and the ammunition carts, and to incorporate the dispersed heavy artillery into the square formation, the originally compact square formation had to be further hollowed out, increasing the area of the formation and thinning out the depth of each side.

At this moment, the rebel cavalry was already just a stone’s throw away, while many infantry of the parliamentary army defending the artillery positions were still hastily searching for their positions.

Hearing the deafening sound of hooves, and the hoarse roars of his officers and soldiers, Major Walei inexplicably thought of the old gunner named Sutter.

A peculiar thought emerged in the major’s mind: “The square formation versus cavalry, the sovereignty war reenacted. Were the Old Marshal’s soldiers also like this, fearing the Empire cavalry’s arrival on one hand, while anticipating it on the other?”

“The Paratu Cavalry indeed reigns supreme within the Inner Sea.” Walei stared unblinkingly at the rebel cavalry galloping on horseback and whispered to himself: “But in these years, what we’ve studied is… the tactics of infantry countering cavalry.”

The rebel cavalry came from the North, so two battalions of musketeers were concentrated within the square formation on the north side. They had already set up their firearms, aiming at the enemy through the gaps between the spearmen in the front row.

Major Walei dismounted and walked among the soldiers, personally taking the firing stick of the northwest corner cannon.

His roar was as loud as a great bell, faintly overpowering the sound of hooves: “Without orders, no one is to fire! Those who abandon their posts or shrink back on the battlefield! Execute on the spot!”

The first charging echelon of Thunder Group County cavalry had already entered the charging range, but the scene before them left the leading Thunder Group County lieutenant at a loss.

The lieutenant never expected his subordinates to directly confront the enemy’s square formation–that wasn’t something light cavalry wielding sabers could accomplish.

His mission was to destroy the cannons, his task was to force the enemy’s artillery to abandon the cannons and retreat into the square formation. His cavalry were all equipped with spikes and mallets. He was prepared to nail down and destroy the enemy’s cannons at any cost.

The enemy had formed a never-before-seen formation incorporating artillery into the square formation, protected among spear-like pikes.

The lieutenant was at a loss as to where to start, but he had no time to think. The second charging echelon was right behind him; he either charged or turned to make way for the battlefield.

The young lieutenant gritted his teeth and raised his saber–even if he couldn’t break through the enemy’s lines, he would divert enemy fire away from his comrades in the subsequent charging echelons.

The bugler beside the lieutenant immediately sounded the charge horn, and the first charging echelon of the Thunder Group County cavalry charged unyieldingly towards the eagerly awaiting artillery positions.

At that moment, the heavy cannons of the Grand Council army roared their anger.

Major Walei felt as if his chest was struck heavily by an iron pipe filled with lead, the deafening boom making the major and all the soldiers beside the cannon dizzy, with more than one soldier frightened into dropping their weapons.

Walei felt a warm flow coming from one of his ears. Without a moment to assess his injury, he roared orders: “Cannons! Fire! Musketeers, remain on standby!”

Another cannon at the northeast corner of the Big Square Formation fired in succession.

Following Major Walei’s orders, the artillery of the parliamentary army loaded both solid shot and grapeshot into the cannon simultaneously.

When the dual charge was ignited, solid iron balls wrapped with dozens of lead shots swept crosswise from the east and west ends of the formation, towards the charging rebel cavalry.

Flesh and blood splattered with the cannonballs, and in an instant, more than a dozen men disappeared from the horseback.

A poor warhorse hit directly by a solid shot was cleaved in two by a thirty-two-pound iron ball from its chest. Other riderless warhorses, driven by inertia, ran a few steps further before collapsing, their bodies spurting fresh blood from ghastly holes.

The first charging echelon of Thunder Group County cavalry suffered heavy losses, with the leading lieutenant killed on the spot.

Those cavalrymen lucky enough to survive lost the will to confront the square formation directly. Like a river diverted by a boulder, they bypassed to the sides of the formation, making room for the second echelon.

However, their misfortune wasn’t over; as they passed the sides of the artillery positions, the other six cannons deployed by the enemy there also fired one after another.

The first echelon lost another dozen cavalrymen, shot and thrown from their horses, completely disorganizing the remaining cavalry, abandoning their envelopment of the enemy’s sides and rear, turning and retreating to the previous river crossing point.

Major Walei had just repelled the first wave of the rebel cavalry’s charge with artillery fire when the second wave followed closely.

This time, Major Walei ordered the musketeers to fire, repelling the rebel’s second wave of charge with volleys.

However, when the cavalry of the rebel’s second wave charged around the sides of the formation, the third charging echelon of rebel cavalry was already in close proximity.

The cannons were being reloaded, and the pitifully few musketeers assigned to defend the artillery positions had already fired a round each.

“Hold your positions!” Major Walei’s shout was now the strongest voice on the battlefield. At this moment, he could only hope that the thinned walls of the square formation could withstand the next impact from the rebel cavalry: “Long live the Alliance!”

The third charging echelon of Thunder Group County cavalry was personally led by Lieutenant Peiduofei, witnessing his subordinates perish under grapeshot fire made him furious, yet his rage did not rob the lieutenant of reasoning.