North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 217 Charge! Charge!

On the Santa Rosa River, hundreds of rafts, densely packed together, launched an assault on the opposite bank.

Machine guns were set up on almost every raft and opened fire on the New Grenada army on the opposite bank.

Dozens of heavy machine guns simultaneously spewed flames, and a storm of bullets, coupled with intense artillery cover, completely suppressed the firepower on the opposite bank.

Moments later, the first wave of over a thousand California National Guard soldiers stormed across the river and into the town of Gamboa.

Immediately, gunfire erupted and shouts of battle filled the town on the opposite bank.

……

Meanwhile, the 2nd National Guard Brigade, which had already detoured several kilometers upstream of the Santa Rosa River, also launched a forced crossing under the leadership of Shi Dakai.

The upper reaches of the Santa Rosa River are narrower and shallower.

The 7th Brigade, which had retreated from Panama City, was responsible for defending the upper reaches of the Santa Rosa River.

With only two thousand remaining soldiers, the 7th Brigade was quickly defeated under the fierce offensive of the 2nd National Guard Brigade.

Having broken through the Santa Rosa River defenses, Shi Dakai did not linger with the remaining defeated troops. Instead, he quickly led his army to attack Gamboashan from the flank and rear.

Upon receiving the news, Brigadier General Garcia immediately dispatched his chief of staff to the port of Colon to request assistance as quickly as possible.

By noon, Shi Dakai had personally led the Second Brigade to the rear of Gamboa Mountain, forming a pincer movement with Feng Zicai's First Brigade against the New Grenada Army.

Despite being surrounded, the main force of the New Grenada Army's 3rd Division, under the command of Brigadier General Garcia, displayed admirable fighting power and resilience in dire straits, taking advantage of the terrain.

The Second Brigade, commanded by Shi Dakai, launched a fierce offensive, but after a long battle that lasted until late that night, they only managed to reach the halfway point of Gamboa Mountain.

At this very moment, Colonel Franco, who had personally gone to the port of Colón to seek reinforcements, finally led the 5th Independent Cavalry Brigade of the New Grenada Army back to Gamboa after a whirlwind of activity.

Shi Dakai, who was directing the attack at the foot of Gamboa Mountain, suddenly felt a slight but intense tremor in the ground.

"That voice...something's not right...!"

After a moment's thought, Shi Dakai suddenly realized: "Oh no...! The enemy's reinforcements have arrived ahead of schedule, and they're cavalry...!"

"Guard company, heavy artillery company... follow me!"

Almost all of the troops were committed to the attack on Gamboashan, and they could not be withdrawn for a while.

Currently, Shi Dakai's only combat force consists of the guard company and heavy artillery company directly under the brigade headquarters.

At this crucial juncture of the attack, if we are attacked from both sides by the enemy cavalry, not only will we fail to capture Gamboashan, but it could also easily lead to a complete collapse of the entire front.

In a battle that has collapsed, if pursued by enemy cavalry, the isolated and helpless army would almost certainly face total annihilation.

Therefore, Shi Dakai had to use his only two combat-capable companies to hold off the reinforcements behind him.

Shi Dakai, who personally picked up a gun and rushed out of the brigade command post, ordered his staff officers without hesitation: "Have the Fourth and Fifth Battalions continue their offensive against Gamboashan!"

"Have the remaining three battalions withdraw immediately...!"

"The situation and strength of the enemy reinforcements are currently unknown. If we cannot stop the enemy reinforcements, then the three battalions that have been withdrawn must set up a defensive line as soon as possible...!"

Before he finished speaking, Shi Dakai had already personally led the guard company and the heavy artillery company to hastily set up a simple defensive line just a hundred meters away from the brigade command post.

There were only two companies, with a total strength of less than three hundred men!

"Heavy machine guns, set them up here, here, and here...!"

"Mortise artillery, positioned directly around the brigade headquarters...!"

Although the two companies were small in number, they were equipped with more than ten HM51 water-cooled heavy machine guns and nine 81mm mortars.

In the midst of this utter haste, before these limited heavy firepower units were even fully deployed, the shadowy figures of enemy troops appeared on the main road two or three hundred yards away in the darkness of night…!
"Da da da da...!"

From the darkness came the dense, muffled sound of horses' hooves, like rolling thunder, along with the excited roars of countless people and horses.

Colonel Franco, who went to seek reinforcements, personally led the vanguard of the 5th Cavalry Brigade, an entire battalion of up to 500 cavalrymen, marching day and night, and with overwhelming force, tore a large gap in the two guard lines set up by Shi Dakai.

In the darkness, five hundred cavalrymen, without even firing a shot, used their gleaming sabers to break through the outer perimeter with a single charge.

Then, like a thunderbolt, it rushed directly towards Shi Dakai's command post.

On such a dimly lit night, even Colonel Franco couldn't discern the location of the enemy's command post.

He acted solely on instinct, leading five hundred cavalrymen toward the brightest lights and the densest concentration of enemy troops.

He made the right bet!
As the division chief of staff, Colonel Franco only needed to glance at the enemy's setup to understand what level of command it was.

"saber……!"

At that moment, Colonel Franco, his gleaming saber drawn, was so excited that his whole body trembled slightly!

He could almost see the scene of the enemy's command post and the supreme commander being beheaded by his own hands.

"Clang, clang...!"

Hundreds of gleaming sabers were drawn in neat rows, pointing directly at the enemy command post three hundred yards away. And between them and the enemy command post lay only a hastily constructed and rudimentary defensive line!

Under the dim moonlight, five hundred sabers reflected a chilling murderous aura.

"Glorious cavalrymen of the New Grenada Republic, charge with me...!"

Colonel Franco raised his saber at a 45-degree angle, pointing it directly at the enemy command post!

"Rumble rumble rumble...!"

Five hundred warhorses, two thousand hooves, launched their most valiant and fearless charge at the same time.

The rapid sound of horses' hooves, like muffled thunderclaps on flat ground, rolled forward!
Under the charge of the cavalry, the distance of three hundred yards could be covered in the blink of an eye!
……

Shi Dakai was personally operating an HM51 water-cooled heavy machine gun, while behind him was the brigade command post, which looked slightly panicked, and the mortar group, which was still being hastily deployed.

"On my command... wait until they are within a hundred yards before firing...!"

To Shi Dakai's left and right were also a dozen or so heavy machine guns. In the midst of the intense and hasty situation, many assistant gunners were still frantically loading ammunition belts onto the heavy machine guns.

The defenses were incredibly rudimentary, and chaos reigned!
"Rumble rumble rumble...!"

Closer, closer...!
"Stay calm, stay calm...stay calm!"

Seeing the imposing cavalry charging forward, Shi Dakai calmly roared, "Hold on... Open fire...!"

"Da da da da...!"

Before he finished speaking, the heavy machine gun that Shi Dakai was personally operating unleashed a dense barrage of bullets.

Almost simultaneously, the dozen or so heavy machine guns on his left and right also roared angrily.

"Da da da... da da da da...!"

Ten heavy machine guns spewed out flames at a rate of hundreds of rounds per second.

A deluge of ammunition rained down on the cavalry group that was right in front of them.

"Da da da da... da da da da...!"

The flames spewed from the heavy machine guns even illuminated the night sky over the area.

Countless tracer bullets pierced the night, rushing towards the charging cavalry, cruelly reaping countless lives.

“Puff, puff, puff…!”

"Hiss...!"

"Ah...ah...!"

In that instant, countless warhorses and cavalrymen erupted in such a dense chorus of screams and cries.

Many more warhorses and cavalrymen were torn to pieces without a sound, by the dense barrage of bullets, without even a chance to scream.

Countless cavalrymen crashed head-on into a wall of death!
……

Shi Dakai calmly operated the heavy machine gun, slowly rotating the gun barrel and sweeping it left and right to scan all the enemies in his line of sight.

In his hands, this HM51 heavy machine gun transformed into a scythe in the hand of death, reaping countless lives in large numbers.

……

"Charge!!"

Colonel Franco, who personally led five hundred cavalrymen in a suicidal charge, was at the very front of all the cavalrymen.

Closer, closer, even closer...!
Looking at the enemy command post so close at hand, almost within reach, Colonel Franco felt a long-lost surge of adrenaline!
At this moment, it felt as if my blood was burning!
I became incredibly excited!
For men, that's the allure of war!

But at that moment, more than ten blinding flames suddenly erupted from that seemingly simple and flimsy defensive line!
Like the scythe of death, those dozen or so tongues of fire spewed forth so greedily and frantically, reaping the lives of their own cavalry.

Colonel Franco was utterly shocked to discover that the cavalrymen around him were not falling to the ground one by one, but in large numbers!
Warhorses neighed, cavalrymen screamed, blood splattered... and many more young lives fell silently to the ground, never to wake up again...!
"This...this is impossible...Charge! Charge! Charge!!"

Shocked, Colonel Franco remained resolute and led the remaining cavalry in a charge into the enemy lines.

Even if the enemy's firepower is so strong, so what?
As long as your cavalry charges into the enemy's territory, it will be a one-sided massacre!

"Hiss... hiss...!"

The cavalry following Colonel Franco were decreasing at an incredible speed...!
For these cavalrymen charging towards certain death, the mere hundred yards was only a matter of seconds.

But in those few short seconds, the vast majority of the five hundred cavalrymen fell forever on the way to the charge!

In the end, only a mere twenty-odd riders made it to the California National Guard’s makeshift defenses…!
"Kill! Kill them all...!"

Colonel Franco, his eyes bloodshot with rage, charged into the defensive line, raised his gleaming saber, and without hesitation, brought it down in a furious slash.

(End of this chapter)