Chapter 246: The Battle of Fort Bidou, Firing Squad in Formation

Chapter 246: The Battle of Fort Bidou, Firing Squad in Formation

TL: Etude

The artillery company’s fourteen cannons continuously bombarded the enemy troops marching in tight formation, only ceasing fire to douse the barrels with cool water once they became too hot to handle.

Initially, Kent’s forces were thrown into disarray by the attack, with soldiers disregarding their superiors’ warnings and fleeing in panic.

A team of cavalry, assigned to supervise and motivate the troops, managed to stabilize the situation by executing several deserters.

“This is no solution!” Jace frowned deeply.

Though it had been announced to the entire army the previous day that the enemy possessed the legendary Thunder Hammer, and they were warned to be mentally prepared, experiencing its destructive power firsthand still left the majority feeling fearful.

In reality, the artillery caused minimal casualties at that distance; it was primarily the sheer terror of its impact that was daunting.

“Can our crossbow artillery reach them?”

“I’m sorry, my lord...”

The officer in charge of long-range weapons helplessly spread his hands.

“Continue advancing!”

Jace waved his hand irritably, but he was confident that with their numerical and equipment superiority, victory would be theirs once they closed in on the enemy. Although the Alda troops, numbering a thousand, were troublesome, their small size wouldn’t be decisive.

Kent’s troops, regaining their composure, continued their advance, though now in a more spread-out formation to minimize casualties from Alda’s long-range artillery.

However, seizing the high ground was no longer an option for them. Count Parker, observing through a telescope, realized this amidst Kent’s confusion and immediately seized the opportunity, ordering his troops to advance at a run.

As Kent’s forces were reorganizing, the allied forces had already formed their lines on the slope. Had the enemy’s disarray lasted a bit longer, the allies would have charged.

“Are those Alda men on the left flank?”

Jace scrutinized the enemy’s formation and promptly adjusted his troops’ deployment.

The leaders of the allied forces also observed the enemy from afar.

The Alda troops were an exception; they advanced step by step to the beat of drums, approaching the enemy steadily.

Following them were the infantry of the Heller family. After Derrick led a team to deliver supplies two days prior, they had regrouped their remaining forces, now less than a thousand men. Since the Alda troops in front did not charge, they also did not, content to have someone leading the way.

Facing the Alda troops were Kent’s archers, seemingly specially assigned to the right flank to counter musketeers.

As the Alda troops advanced, waves of arrows rained down on them. Many were struck and fell, but their comrades continued forward, stepping over the fallen and keeping their eyes fixed ahead.

When infantry passed a certain point, stretcher bearers, hired by Bryce for a fee, rushed to carry the wounded to the back for medical attention. These were brave civilians willing to risk the battlefield for the sake of earning money to support their families.

The Portry infantry, following behind, were impressed by their allies’ determination. The despondency from their defeat two days ago vanished, replaced by an indescribable feeling of inspiration.

Previously, they had wondered why the Alda troops drummed during battle. Now, they too found their steps unconsciously matching the drumbeat, miraculously maintaining their formation.

It wasn’t that the Portry infantry were of exceptional quality; rather, the enemy archers were mostly targeting the Alda troops ahead, sparing them from heavy arrow fire. Had they been at the front, they might have broken ranks and charged like the other units.

...

The officer commanding Kent’s archers was puzzled. The distance was close enough, so why hadn’t the Alda troops fired their muskets?

According to those who had encountered muskets, these weapons could hit targets at about a hundred meters. Jace had ordered the archers to engage and tie down the Alda troops, preventing them from supporting other units.

Yet, the Alda troops kept advancing, unresponsive to the arrows falling upon them.

As the distance between them narrowed, Kent’s forces could see what the Alda troops held. The shiny bayonets attached to the top of their ‘muskets’ caught their attention.

Did the Alda troops intend to engage in close combat? Their ‘muskets’ seemed too short for that, and the archers, typically armed only with daggers, had a row of pikemen in front for protection.

With these questions in mind, the officer ordered the archers to shoot two more volleys, causing significant casualties to the enemy.

Finally, when the distance between them reduced to about 50 meters, the Alda troops stopped.

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