Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 210 Saxon Flavor Taco
After the training assault battalion tore open the breach, the main infantry of the 'assault combat group' also poured in through this gap.

Once the infantry had completely stabilized the front line, Morin no longer hesitated.

He led the regrouped 1st Company to continue the assault, while sending out several messengers. Some of them notified the other three companies to move closer to the 1st Company, while others notified friendly forces to continue providing cover.

The training assault battalion, the sharpest dagger, must continue its advance, piercing straight into the heart of the expeditionary force—the city of Alaska.

Along with the training assault battalion, which was like a sharp dagger, advancing forward, in addition to the large number of infantry that followed, there were also four oddly shaped horse-drawn carriages.

These four carriages were emergency products that Morin had worked overnight to modify after arriving at the camp yesterday, along with Ludwig and his magic technicians.

Its chassis was based on the heavy-duty four-wheeled carriages used by the Saxon army, pulled by four strong draft horses.

However, the rear carriages were completely modified.

At the rear of the carriage, sandbags were piled up, forming a makeshift fighting room.

In the center of the fighting compartment, a MG08 heavy machine gun mounted on a tripod was prominently displayed.

To protect the shooter, the technicians temporarily installed a small steel gun shield on the MG08's heavy water-cooled sleeve.

On the sides of the carriage, several thin steel plates with a strange blue luster were hung.

This is the 'Saxon-style Tachanka' that Morin has been longing for.

"Morin, are you sure this thing will work?"

Ludwig looked at the four oddly shaped carriages with a look of suspicion.

"What use is this broken carriage? It's not as practical as my armored knight stepping on it."

“You don’t understand, this is called a mobile fire support platform,” Morin explained. “The number of armored knights is limited, and your assault alone won’t be enough. Besides, you can’t keep following the assault battalion around after the front line breaks tomorrow.”

Ludwig raised an eyebrow, not for any other reason than because he felt a pang of heartache.

Because those few pieces of steel used as gun shields and the thin steel plates hanging on the sides of the carriage are not ordinary steel plates, but special armor made using magical technology, specifically designed to repair the damaged parts of armored knights.

In Ludwig's words, all the parts of those four broken carriages combined weren't worth as much as these few steel plates.

"Extravagant! Too extravagant!" Ludwig exclaimed, wincing in distress.

But now, as these four 'Saxon-style Tajonka' trucks followed the assault force, rapidly maneuvering across the battlefield, everyone who saw them understood just how useful these things were.

When Morin arrived at the edge of the city with his 1st Company and four Tajonkas and saw that the Brittany Expeditionary Force was about to slip away, he quickened his pace.

Because, considering railway lines and other transportation routes, Amiens was the most suitable region for the Brittany Expeditionary Force to retreat from.

This godforsaken place, like Charleroi, is bisected by the Somme River, a river with a certain reputation.

If the Britannians are allowed to retreat, it won't be so easy to take them down.

Through his binoculars, Morin also saw trains continuously leaving Alas City in the distance; those boxcars were clearly military trains.

At the same time, the system map also showed that the Britannians had sent two companies to approach this side, seemingly having noticed Morin's rapidly advancing force.

Both the expeditionary force command and the battalion commander believed that Morin's troops were a force similar to ghouls or dragoons.

They may be highly mobile, but their troop strength and firepower will definitely not be much.

Morin, who was leading the team toward the city, also noticed the troops. According to the map, there was no way to detour around them, and it would also waste time.

If we don't defeat the opponent, we definitely won't be able to continue advancing.

The other three companies had not yet arrived, so Morin did not rush in. He found a slightly undulating terrain and led his team there, while having four horse-drawn machine guns flank them from the left and right.

The two Britannian infantry companies that came to block their advance were temporarily commanded by a captain who originally planned to wipe out the Saxon assault force and then immediately move toward the 5th and 6th Infantry Divisions.

After observing the rapidly approaching Saxon troops through his binoculars, Harrison lowered the binoculars, a hint of relief on his face.

"It looks like there's only one company, maybe two hundred people at most."

The adjutant beside him nodded: "Yes, sir. There are several carriages following behind, they must be their supply units. It seems their commander is an idiot, bringing the logistics units to such an advanced position."

Harrison's lips twitched, but he ultimately didn't let himself laugh, though his anxiety lessened considerably.

They were ordered to delay the enemy at all costs. He had expected a fierce battle, but instead they encountered only a small group of overconfident Saxon light infantry.

"Order the troops to deploy and prepare for a swift and decisive battle. We still need to catch up with the main force," Harrison ordered after surveying the surrounding terrain.

In his view, wiping out an enemy company with two companies would be a piece of cake.

The Brittany soldiers quickly spread out in skirmish lines across the fields. They were all long-serving professional soldiers, and their tactical movements were skillful and standard.

Despite the terrible fighting and emergency evacuation that morning, their morale remained high.

"Hey John, see that? The Saxon wagons are all rushing ahead. Are they coming to deliver supplies to us?"

An old soldier leaned against the edge of the field, checking his Lee-Enfield rifle while joking with his comrade next to him.

“Who knows? Maybe they want to race us?” another soldier replied with a laugh. They looked at the four oddly shaped carriages in the distance as if they were watching a joke.

In their minds, horse-drawn carriages should only be found in rear transport teams, not on the front lines of battle.

However, what happened next completely overturned their understanding.

Just as they were about to open fire to intercept them, the four carriages suddenly stopped in unison about 300 meters away.

Then, something happened that left all the Brittany soldiers speechless.

Under the skillful control of their drivers, the four carriages completed a beautiful drift and U-turn almost on the spot, with their rear ends pointing straight at their position.

"What are they doing? Did they realize something was wrong and try to run away?" Captain Harrison frowned, somewhat puzzled.

The soldiers around him burst into laughter.

"Haha, look, those cowards are trying to run away!"

"Too late! Trying to run now? Leave your life behind!"

Just as the Brittany soldiers were laughing and raising their rifles, ready to teach these "runaway" coachmen a lesson, they suddenly saw blinding flashes of fire erupting from the rear of the carriages.

The next second, the intense sound of heavy machine gun fire echoed throughout the entire battlefield!

“Da da da da da—!”

Four MG08 heavy machine guns fired simultaneously, instantly creating a barrage of death.

Countless bullets, trailing deadly trajectories, rained down on the Brittany skirmish line like a violent storm.

The Brittany soldiers, who were about to open fire, were instantly stunned.

They didn't even realize what was happening; they only saw their comrades falling in droves, their bodies torn open by high-speed bullets.

Screams and wails instantly replaced the previous laughter.

"It's a heavy machine gun! Take cover! Quickly, take cover!"

Captain Harrison almost instinctively fell to the ground, roaring at the top of his lungs.

He just couldn't understand how heavy machine guns could be hidden behind those carriages! It didn't make sense!

The surviving Britannian soldiers frantically lay on the ground, trying to find cover, and began firing wildly in response.

However, their counterattack seemed so weak and ineffective.

Rifle bullets struck the thin steel plates on the side of the carriage, making a series of clanging sounds, but they couldn't penetrate them at all.

Occasionally, a few bullets would be lucky enough to fly towards the machine gunner, but they were steadily blocked by the thick gun shield and the piled-up sandbags.

"Damn it! Their wagons are armored too!" an old soldier shouted in despair.

Everyone panicked; the other side had clearly come prepared!

These are not transport wagons at all, but specially designed mobile machine gun positions!
"What the hell is this?!"

Harrison lay on the ground, watching his men being pinned down by the four machine guns, unable to lift their heads, being mowed down in rows. His mind went blank, and he could only unconsciously repeat the same sentence.

He finally realized that he had not encountered some reckless fool, but a group of Saxon devils armed to the teeth!

Just as Captain Harrison and his two companies were being overwhelmed and thrown into complete chaos by the four 'Saxon-style Tajonka's, Morin decisively seized the opportunity.

"First Company! Follow me!" He leaped up from behind the earthen slope, waving his arms and giving the order to charge.

"Charge! Charge! Charge!"

The sergeants of the 1st Company immediately shouted out orders, and the soldiers, armed with MP14 submachine guns and Gew.98 rifles, charged toward the enemy who were already in disarray.

The light machine gunners in the company were even more courageous. They worked in pairs, taking turns providing cover as they advanced continuously. Whenever they found a suitable firing position, they would quickly set up their MG14 light machine guns and fire a long burst of fire in the direction of the enemy, providing fire support for the charging infantry.

Gunfire erupted on the battlefield.

Faced with such a three-dimensional and dense barrage of fire, Captain Harrison's two infantry companies completely collapsed.

They had already been routed by the four horse-drawn machine guns that suddenly appeared, and now seeing hundreds of Saxon soldiers carrying automatic weapons charging at them, their psychological defenses collapsed instantly.

"Retreat! Retreat now! We can't hold out any longer!"

Captain Harrison watched his soldiers being harvested like wheat, his heart breaking.

He knew that if he didn't run, both companies would be wiped out today, so he couldn't care less about delaying the mission; survival was the priority.

He scrambled to his feet and directed the surviving soldiers to run towards the city of Alas, providing cover for each other.

(End of this chapter)