RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Interlude: Enemy at the gate! (Part 4)

RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Interlude: Enemy at the gate! (Part 4)

BANG

The Colonel fires his Weapons Officers Carbine, which is literally just an m/1894 carbine that has his initials on it instead of a normal serial number. Despite the shorter barrel for officers and cavalry usage, 450mm compared to the 739mm of the infantry model m/1986, the carbine in the Colonel's hands remains impressively accurate. The bullet spat out by his carbine hit squarely in the center mass of a Sardegnian, one that has been running for a de-crewed heavy machine gun. Old coot as he might be, the Colonel still got it in him to hit a faraway moving target with himself riding a horse. That said, the man understands that if he were to use a different rifle, he might not have necessarily been able to make that shot.

The carbine he is using, or more broadly the family tree of Swedish Mauser, is fabricated using Swedish-supplied high-grade tool steel alloyed with nickel, copper, and vanadium, a product noted for its strength and corrosion resistance. Characterized by being very precise due to their cartridge, the 6.5x55mm, they are superior in range and precision to the contemporary infantry rifles of other nations. The carbine version is a cut lighter and easier to handle than the full-length rifle that is in service of the infantry the Colonel has brought today. A characteristic that has saved many of his impromptu riders and even himself a fair bit of time already. Their compact size aids in getting a swifter sight picture of the targets while still being stable enough to get a shot off. Reloading the carbine on horseback is also less complicated than expected, especially when you are an experienced rider or are trained in the art of war riding. Obviously, it won't be as fast as reloading a magazine of an SMG or a pistol, but perfectly doable as long as you get a good hold of the rein.

Rechambering another round, thus sending the spent cartridge to a place unknown, the Colonel keenly surveys his surroundings. To his sides and behind him, his cavalry unit is stomping every resistance beneath their hooves. The enemy tries their best to cause whatever damage they can, and they have managed to do some, in fact. Nonetheless, the Sardegnians are fighting a losing battle and they know it. There are rumors about desperate attempts in the Spanish-Sardegnian war that have the Sardegnians committing suicidal attacks. The Colonel hopes that the warning is still fresh on the minds of his men.

In the post-battle incident report though, it has been uncovered that the howitzer hasn't had enough gun depression to engage the Colonel's cavalry. Lucky break that was.

Moving close, the Swedish horsemen suppress the artillery installation with their rifles and SMGs, right before the Colonel and a few other chuck grenades at the spot. Speeding away with the sound of screaming Sardegnians as the backdrop, the Colonel and his men are soon basking in the explosive heat of a large explosion, generated by their grenades detonating artillery munitions behind them.

Now that the artillery emplacement is taken care of, the Colonel allows himself and his men a breather after securing an intersection, paving the way for the armored and infantry elements to rejoin them. Overlooking the battlefield on horseback, the Colonel is somewhat surprised to see a good number of surviving Sardegnians retreating back to the pier, with many of them boarding the vessel they arrive on. The dock is small with only one way in, so storming that place even with tankettes would be a bad idea with how many bodies and guns the Sardegnians have left. Not to mention the fact that they won't even have enough time From the look of it, the Sardegnians will be sailing their ship away. Something that the Colonel knows can't be stopped, not with his force alone.

If they can't stop it, then perhaps it's time to call in the big guns. The King did say something about his namesake coming over soon.