Chapter 48 Battle of Anping – Day One (2/2)
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
Pan Feng troops sounded the drums and color flags were waved around. The shield bearers marched forward with their shield covering their head and the battering ram behind them. Hundred men followed after the troops, carrying tall ladders and ropes. A total of 1,500 men stepped forward in the first wave.
Tong watched the incoming troops with mocking smile.
'Instead of attacking at the weak-point corners, they walk straight into the crossfire. What a bunch of simpletons.'
”Archers and Pillbox Squadrons get ready to fire on my command! Ballista Squads stand by! Do not fire until I give the order! Trench Squadrons, withdraw from the first and the second lines. Draw them in!” Tong shouted with all air in his lung.
Pan Feng shield bearers marched to the gate which had walls surrounding the troops in a triangle shape. One of the soldiers was scared from seeing the shape of this fortress, he walked straight into a V-formation.
”Archers! Fire!”
Archers on both wings on the walls rained down their arrows. At the same time, the pillboxes on the ground, in front of the edges of the walls and behind the trenches, shot out crossbow arrows.
The shield soldiers attempted to block the incoming arrows in front of them, only to find out that they were hit by the side. The arrows didn't come from the front straight angle, but from both sides on their left and right, and from the top of the wall and from the ground.
No matter where they lift their shields to block, there would be arrows flew at them in their blind spots.
The crossfire tactic showed the effect. The approaching soldiers cried in pain, afterwards fell one after another.
A crossfire tactic, which also known as interlocking fire, was a prominent tactic in World War I. The troops would fire from two angles and the arc of fire from the angles crossed each other. Once someone got caught, the person would be considered lucky if he managed to get out of there alive.
The commanding officers were elated seeing the effectiveness of this formation. Meanwhile, Tong cringed while watching his men and his formation.
'If only I have barbed-wires, land mines and more snipers, none of them can even approach the wall. There are still rooms for improvement.'
Tong glanced at the right wing of the wall. Hua Shi, who wore leather armor and disguised herself as one of the archer, was shooting several bright arrows at the targets below. She was enjoying her farming session for free lifespans and grinding her magic arrow skill EXP.
Tong glanced at his radar map. The west gate was still calm. It seemed that Guo Dian hadn't attacked yet, which relieved Tong.
'The first wave was nothing to worry about. Now, show me your next move.'
…
Pan Feng stood on the watch tower, shocking from what he saw. The first wave of the shield bearers with battling ram failed without being able to reach the gate.
The rate of fire from the volleys was terrifying. It was as if there were over 10,000 archers shooting from the walls.
Speaking of the walls, the strange shaped fortress also played a part of this massacre. Pan Feng noticed it just now that it looked like a wing formation or a V-shaped formation.
”Have the front troops withdraw! Sound the drums!!”
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
The retreating signal drums vibrated and the troops that was on the frontline withdrew in a hurry, leaving their comrade's dead bodies behind.
”I want a report on the west side. How is the battle on the west side going on?”
Pan Feng asked his subordinates in his tents whose face were all pale. They knew that once they reported it, Pan Feng would be mad.
”Report to the general, Guo Dian ordered his troops to stand by. They have not laid the siege yet.”
Pan Feng slammed his fist on the wooden table in front of him, destroying it. His face was boiling red. Veins was bulging under his skin.
”DAMN IT!! GUO DIAN!!”
The officers in the tent shrunk back from the roar, but Pan Feng aide stepped up to calm him down.
”Lord Pan Feng, you should not be angry. I think it was a correct decision by Guo Dian not to assault.”
”What!?”
The aide was none other than Xin Ping who had suggested Han Fu to get rid of the Zhang family and ruin the cooperation between Zhang family and Yuan family.
”In common instance, the number of our soldiers has to be at least five times higher than the defending troops in a siege warfare. And from the latest intel, they now have 5,000 men inside. Therefore, we fall short in terms of number and the preparation for this siege.”
Pan Feng heart sunk. Xin Ping was right. After the failed siege they were left with around 7,000 men, which was not enough for a standard siege against 5,000 defenders.
”Then what can I do to break the situation?”
”Lord do not need to worry. I have just received an interesting intel and already drafted a plan. I'm sure you will like it.”
Xin Ping grinned.