1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 142 Wang Yuxing's Army
The Incarnation of the Lord On July 1455, 7, the Eastern Roman Empire and the Hafsid Dynasty, tired of long-term temptations and small-scale conflicts, each gathered their armies and launched a decisive battle on the dry plain west of the city of Tripoli.

The sand was splattered with blood, the setting sun reflected the gleam of swords, and crossbow arrows and lead bullets streaked across the sky, making sharp whistles.

Both sides divided their troops into three armies: left, center and right, and confronted each other across a vast expanse of sand.

After a round of long-range weapons exchanges, both sides have basically figured out each other's strengths and weaknesses and began to adjust their military strategies in a targeted manner.

The Hafsid dynasty's central army waved its flag, and the cavalry on the left wing charged forward, attacking the right wing phalanx of the Christian coalition.

Under the yellow inverted star-moon flag, Yahya looked nervously at the cavalry charging on the left wing, his lips tightly pursed and his fists clenched.

Prior to this, he had a long talk with Prince Ibn, the commander of the left wing, on the military deployment of both sides.

In his opinion, although the Christian coalition forces were aggressive and their soldiers were highly professional, most of their elite soldiers were infantry with poor mobility, and the three armies could not provide timely support to each other.

Therefore, the enemy will certainly deploy its main infantry in the central camp to ensure that the center is not lost.

In this way, as long as they can gather elite cavalry in a short period of time and use the high mobility of the Berber light cavalry to threaten the enemy's two wings, they can force the enemy to mobilize its troops, thereby dividing and encircling them and defeating them one by one.

Therefore, Yahya transferred his new cavalry to the left wing and ordered Prince Ibn to gather the elite forces of the eastern princes, trying to use the absolute crushing force to defeat the enemy's right wing in one fell swoop and tear a wound in the seemingly indestructible formation of the Christian coalition.

As for the Amini on the right wing, their fighting ability is unknown and their will is weak. Yahya did not pin his hopes of victory on them. He just appointed the Grand Mufti to keep an eye on them and guard the military formation.

Yahya looked into the distance, seeing the pure white cross flag flying on the right wing of the enemy army, with a faint smile on his face.

As expected, the Christian army was not a monolithic entity. The jihadists from Europe would not obey the Greek emperor's orders, and the Greek emperor would not have too much hope in them. He would definitely let them form their own faction to avoid confusion in the command system.

I heard that the Pope of these Western Europeans had just passed away, and the various troops were not under the jurisdiction of each other. They included militia, mercenaries, and private armies of nobles... They were all a group of lunatics whose minds were blinded by illusory interests. The sources of soldiers were mixed, their morale was average, and their quality was questionable.

This is the best breakthrough!
It turned out that he was right.

Yahya turned his head and looked towards the enemy's central army formation. Under the high-raised double-headed eagle flag stood his nemesis, the famous jihadist, the young emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Hafs's left wing group charged, but the Eastern Roman center army remained motionless.

Huh, bluff!

How long could they hold out against the repeated attacks of their elite cavalry? One round? Two rounds?

Just wait and see, this dry land of North Africa will eventually be ruled by the Berber cavalry!

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Hafs cavalry stopped trotting, the riders kicked the horses hard, and the horses began to speed up, galloping across the wasteland and galloping in the yellow sand.

They soon came into the archers' range and, at the commander's command, dispersed to avoid the enemy's concentrated fire.

They skillfully clamped the horses' backs, making them leap high, jumping over the makeshift trenches and messy chevaux de frise, with their short spears held flat, their sabers raised high, their faces ferocious, and their mouths shouting wildly.

"For Allah!"

The sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and they reached the enemy camp in an instant. The Berber cavalry skillfully lowered their bodies to avoid the flying arrows.

More than a thousand vanguard cavalrymen automatically formed several attacking spearheads. The bravest fighters rushed forward, cutting into the first phalanx of the Christian coalition's right wing as easily as a hot knife into butter, and piercing through it directly.

The cavalry group continued to charge towards the second line of troops without any slackening of momentum.

"Hold on, don't panic, God is with us!"

On the right wing of the Christian coalition, Giuliano, dressed in military uniform and riding a horse, waved his sword at his men to boost morale.

This time, with the permission of His Majesty the Emperor, the 12-year-old Giuliano was given command of a force of more than a thousand people, including a mercenary team of people and a militia of more than people. He was responsible for defending the right wing and obeying the command of Duke Ferdinand, the commander of the right army.

Giuliano still remembered his first meeting with the Emperor.

Unlike the imagined fierce, stubborn and pedantic image of the Greeks, the emperor himself was an open-minded and friendly person. He welcomed the arrival of the uncle and nephew and invited them to taste the coffee shipped from West Africa.

In Misrata, they enjoyed the most thoughtful service, and everything was taken care of very well.

In addition to events related to the holy war, the emperor and Uncle Francis also discussed the deadlocked Conference of Lodi. Since there had been no substantial progress at the conference and the Crusades were in full swing, the parties involved decided to adjourn temporarily and wait for the end of the holy war before discussing further.

The result of bringing mutually hostile forces into the meeting is that nothing will be achieved.

After the death of His Holiness Nicholas V, Francis was urgently recalled by the College of Cardinals in Rome, while Giuliano, with the consent of his uncle and the emperor, continued to stay in the army and participate in the Crusades.

Giuliano came to his senses and looked nervously at the ongoing battle in front of him.

Unlike the first line of troops which was purely composed of militia cannon fodder, the second line of troops was a private army recruited by the Trastamara family of the Kingdom of Aragon. They were quite powerful and successfully blocked the charging Berber cavalry and delayed the charge from Hafs' left wing.

Even so, the second line of troops was still retreating and in danger.

The second wave of Hafsid cavalry was approaching, and several teams of thousands of men charged separately, one of which was heading directly for Giuliano.

"Formation, formation!"

"The spearmen are in front, and the archers will quickly retreat after shooting a round!"

"The cavalry should not act rashly. Wait until the infantry phalanx wears down the enemy's morale, then attack from the flank!"

Giuliano spoke loudly to his adjutant. Although he was young, he was very familiar with these basic war terms and could use them fluently.

The young man sat upright on his horse, waving his sword, his horse neighing, his armor shining, and the blue and golden oak flag above his head fluttering in the wind.

It was as if he originally belonged to this bloody battlefield.

Giuliano arranged the formation, looked carefully, and felt relieved.

"The enemy's second wave of cavalry is far inferior to the previous batch! We can definitely stop them!"

The young man held up his sword, the sun shining on his determined face.

"I will fight with you, for Jesus Christ!"

"For Jesus Christ!"

The militiamen were very impressed by this and actually temporarily suppressed their fear. They stepped forward with their spears, formed into a phalanx of spears, and prepared to meet the cavalry charge head-on.

Giuliano rode towards the mercenary group assigned to him and found the captain of the mercenaries, an old soldier from France.

"Sir Leicester, the militia cannot really stop the Saracen cavalry. When their first wave of charge is over, please seize the opportunity and attack directly from the flank to cut them in half, so that the front and rear cannot take care of each other."

"Our hope for victory here depends entirely on you."

Giuliano said with a stern face.

Leicester was a veteran soldier who had fought in the Hundred Years' War. Hearing this, he smiled casually.

"Don't worry, little guy from the Rovere family."

"I have fought for many kings and dukes, and defeated many hostile nobles for them."

"I know exactly what to do."

"This time it's different, dear captain."

Giuliano looked at Lester.

"Why is it different?"

"This time, we are fighting for one god to defeat another god."

Giuliano withdrew his gaze from Lester's wrinkled face, raised the cross on his chest, put it to his lips, and felt the heat hidden in the coolness.

The young man put down his armor, and Leicester also stopped smiling, drew his iron sword, and put on a visor.

"I understand."

...Under the Crusader flag on the right wing of the Christian coalition, Ferdinand looked at the collapsing front and felt extremely anxious.

"Damned Anjou, cowards, wimps, pigs!"

Under the repeated attacks of the Berber cavalry, the Angevin army was completely defeated, and the commander fled into the distance under the escort of his private cavalry.

"When the war is over, I will report the situation truthfully to the emperor and the pope and let them judge!"

Ferdinand was furious.

In fact, due to historical reasons, Ferdinand's family and the House of Anjou were enemies. The Crown of the Two Sicilies of Afonso V was seized from René I of the House of Anjou. Although René I was forced to give up his claim to the crown, he still had complaints about it.

This time, due to his relationship with the emperor, Ferdinand was appointed commander-in-chief of the right-wing army, which made the Anjou family unhappy.

Ferdinand was no fool. He naturally knew that he could not take revenge on a crucial battlefield. In addition to the cannon fodder at the front, the private army he brought with him was also at the forefront. They suffered heavy losses in order to block the charge of the Berber cavalry.

Among the several military formations in the third line, the Angevin army collapsed first, causing great losses to the morale of the coalition forces.

"The Barentucelli and Medici armies are almost unable to hold out. Let them retreat."

"That kid Giuliano fought well. I will definitely ask for credit for him..."

Ferdinand paced back and forth anxiously, muttering to himself.

Due to the disparity in military strength, the right wing of the army was quickly torn apart by the swarming cavalry. Even though they gained an advantage on the local battlefield, they could not change the overall situation of the war.

Now, we can only hope that the emperor's secret weapon will work.

Ferdinand looked behind him and saw a fire dragon spreading its wings and flying under the blood-red setting sun.

……

"Go on, go on, don't stop!"

On the left wing of the Hafsid dynasty, Prince Ibn whipped his horse hard and roared at the cavalry around him.

The decisive battle forces of both sides were almost equal, and the other two battlefields were in a stalemate. The Blood-Cloaked Cavalry and Amini's army charged at each other, and the central army formation was engaged in close combat.

On the desolate battlefield, horses' hooves trampled the ground, weapons clashed, and soldiers shed blood wantonly, whether it came from the enemy or their own.

Prince Ibn knew that Ebeni ​​on the right wing would definitely not use his full strength. The central army led by Yahya was facing the enemy's most elite infantry phalanx and could only hold on with difficulty.

Only by winning quickly can we turn the tide of the war and tip the balance of victory back!
Fortunately, the enemy's right wing was not very strong. Under their reckless charge, the army formations quickly collapsed and the soldiers fled in all directions.

Prince Ibn took great pains to gather the cavalry that were chasing everywhere and continued to charge towards the central flag on the right wing.

"Charge, charge. Those who retreat will be killed without mercy. Whoever captures the flag will be rewarded handsomely!"

Prince Iben gritted his teeth, his heart burning.

Now standing between him and the enemy commander behind him was only an army that had been reorganized after retreating from the front. Their fighting spirit was already very weak and it was impossible for them to stop his attack!

Whether it is capturing the flag or beheading the general, it is the highest honor for a soldier.

Closer and closer, Ibn raised his saber and shouted wildly, ready to fight.

The more than 2,000 cavalrymen gathered around were also blinded by the victory that was within sight and rushed forward.

Ok?
Prince Iben frowned, with some disbelief in his eyes.

The last phalanx of the enemy suddenly dispersed, revealing the strange formation inside.

Traffic jam?

Trying to use horse-drawn carriages to stop the cavalry charge?
Prince Iben sneered and continued to rush forward until everything went dark before his eyes.

bang bang bang-

……

In the center of the Christian coalition army, Isaac heard the sound of the Riorea Legion's organ cannons and saw the chaotic scene on the enemy's left wing. The corners of his mouth curled up.

boom--

The familiar voice came again, and Isaac sighed in his heart.

The organ gun is good, but due to technological reasons, the barrel is not sealed enough, and problems can easily occur when firing for a long time.

It must have been another careless artilleryman who forgot to oil the barrel, resulting in uneven heating and cooling, causing the barrel to crack and cause the barrel to explode.

Just fry it, it’s cheap anyway.

In an instant, the entire battlefield was stunned by the sudden change. A noisy sound came from a distance, and the soldiers' faces were filled with surprise.

The commander of the enemy's left wing was shot and fell to the ground, unconscious.

The Christian coalition forces cheered one after another, while the other side was in mourning.

The morale of Hafs's center army, which was trying to resist the advance of the Guards, stagnated, and despite the commander's calls, it began to retreat uncontrollably.

There was a sound behind him. It was the new Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, the knight Jacques from France.

"Your Majesty, it's our turn."

Jacques slowly lowered his head and raised the sword over his chest.

"We shall prevail, in the name of the Lord."

Isaac nodded slightly.

"In the name of the Lord!"

The Knights Hospitaller shouted loudly, with their iron helmets covering their faces and their lances raised forward.

"Protect the faith and save the suffering!"

"charge!"

On July 1455, 7, the Eastern Roman Empire and the Hafsid Dynasty launched a bloody battle west of Tripoli, which lasted from dusk to dawn.

At the beginning of the war, the Hafsid Dynasty concentrated its elite forces on the left wing, trying to break through the weak right wing of the Eastern Roman Empire by attacking from a point.

However, just when the grand flag was within sight, the situation suddenly changed in a flash.

The commander of the left wing of the Hafsid dynasty, Prince Ibn of the Hafsid family, was shot and fell to the ground, losing his ability to command.

The Riorea Legion was like a giant dragon with fire in its mouth, spewing hot lead bullets at the charging cavalry of the Hafsid Dynasty, frightening both the men and horses and making them retreat for several miles.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Ebenni on the right wing immediately ignored everything and began to retreat with his troops, leaving Yahya's flank to the enemy.

The defeat of the left wing made Yahya heartbroken, and the retreat of the right wing made him fall into despair. The enemy's cavalry, which was getting closer and closer, was like ghosts and gods urging his death, breaking down his last will to resist layer by layer.

Under the persuasion of his followers, Yahya quickly climbed onto a fast horse, abandoned his army, and fled for his life.

After Amini withdrew, the Slaves Legion was freed up to encircle the Hafs center from two directions, strangling the last vitality of this dynasty.

When the heavy cavalry of the Knights Hospitaller appeared on the battlefield, the army of the Hafsid dynasty was already in complete chaos, like a group of lambs to be slaughtered, looking in horror at the butcher's knife that was getting closer and closer.

The overall situation has been decided.

(End of this chapter)