Chapter 411: Angels are Falling! (1/2)
Berengar gazed into the distance, where he saw the rear lines of the Austro-Granadan trench system. Since the First Division had arrived, they had seized most of the territory that would one day become known as Andalusia. Even the grand city of Cordoba was retaken in the name of Granada.
Since the territory had been reclaimed, the Austrians and their Granadan allies had begun fortifying their defenses with an intricate trench system, not unlike what would have been seen in the Great War of Berengar's past life.
There was simply one problem, a complete and total lack of machine guns. Because of this, Berengar's Army would have to rely heavily on artillery barrages and the mass employment of needle rifles.
Thus Berengar and his Second Division entered the Trenchline where they were swiftly dispatched to various sectors to enlarge the defensive perimeter. As Berengar entered into the muddy trenches, he was greeted by both of his Generals whom he had placed in the field.
Generals Arnulf and Adelbrand were quick to greet their King as they saw him and his soldiers enter the massive trench system dug into the Andalusian border. The two men immediately saluted their King and Reichsmarschall before welcoming him to the front line.
”Your Majesty, we were not expecting your arrival so soon! I must say it is good to have some reinforcements!”
Berengar returned their salute before gazing off into the distance. Far north of the front lines, an army was on the march, displaying multiple banners that Berengar did not recognize. Upon seeing their leader's interest, General Arnulf handed him a pair of binoculars to gaze at the oncoming forces. He caught the young monarch up to the situation at hand as he did so.
”The enemy approaches; they have split into a total of five armies consisting of nearly a hundred thousand men each. A prominent Iberian Nobleman leads each Army; the forces consist of Iberian Catholics, Crusaders, and foreign volunteers. Their objective is to crash against our lines of defense, hoping to break through our thinly spread forces.
With the arrival of the Second Division and the soldiers of the Bohemian Army, we will now have 140 of the 7.5cm FK 22 guns in place along our defensive perimeter. The rest of the artillery pieces will be from Bohemia and Granada, so a mixture of about 100 1lb Falconets and surplus 1417 12 lb FIeld Guns. I'm not sure how many rifled musketeers and arkebusiers we have, but it is definitely in the tens of thousands.”
Berengar immediately began to speak of his plan as he spoke to his Generals with a voice filled with determination.
”My plan is simple, the bulk of our Army will hold the line until our Byzantine Allies arrive. At the same time, I will lead the Cavalry, Mounted Infantry, and a single Artillery Battery to pierce through the enemy lines and lay siege to their capital cities. Once I have their monarchs and their families in my hands, I will demand the Catholic Forces to withdraw from Granada and the land they have seized in this conflict or face the execution of the royal families.”
Arnulf and Adelbrand looked at Berengar with a worried gaze; the plan was risky, to say the least; it could easily result in his capture or death. As the ever-loyal subjects of the King, Generals Adelbrand and Arnulf immediately began to protest Berengar's current strategy.
”Your Majesty, such action is reckless beyond measure; we should hold the ground we have until our reinforcements arrive and do our best to slaughter as many of the enemies as possible!”
Berengar immediately frowned upon hearing this before speaking about the reality the Austro-Granadan Alliance was about to face.
”Half a million men will be marching upon the Emirate of Granada, they will come in waves, and we lack the firepower to cut them all down effectively. Some of them will make it into these trenches, where you and your men will be forced to fight them in melee combat with your bayonets and your spades.
Allow me to clarify the situation further, you currently have 75,000 men at the most, spread out across the entire Granadan border! If I do not force the enemy to capitulate by some unconventional means, then we are in for a hell of a fight! I will not concede defeat simply because my enemies outnumber me!
If the Catholics do not surrender when I capture their royal families, I will slaughter them down to the last child! If they do not capitulate when I seize their capitals, I will massacre every living being who dwells within them. If they do not concede defeat when I have taken their fields and infrastructure, I will burn them to the ground!