novelraw Chapter 361: Southern Strategy
Chapter 361: Southern Strategy
Several years ago, East Francia discovered that the Harz Mountains possessed abundant silver mines, and they invested immense manpower and resources into developing the mining area. Today, the total output of the various silver mines was about one metric ton, equivalent to three thousand pounds of silver.
In addition, the mining area also produced lead, zinc, copper, and gold. When all these various minerals were combined, their total value reached roughly one thousand pounds.
According to Wigg's plans, the Harz Mountains and the surrounding regions would be incorporated into his direct territory. Later on, a sufficient number of captives would be distributed to the mining area. By simultaneously introducing Britain's rail minecarts and hydraulic ore crushers, the output could be at least doubled.
In August, Wigg ordered the Third Field Division to remain in East Francia to attack the various southern settlements. After some time, once the Fourth Field Division completed its intensive training, the two Field Divisions working together would be more than enough to eradicate any remaining resistance in East Francia.
Having handled all these administrative affairs, Wigg led thirty thousand field troops back to West Francia to carry out the final cleanup operations.
After two continuous years of war, the nobles of West Francia had suffered disastrous losses, leaving the entire south in a power vacuum. Even though the local region still boasted a population of over two million, they could not organize a single decent army.
Wigg's plan was as follows:
"The Second Field Division and three Breizh Garrison Regiments will attack the southwestern Agder region. Next month, two thousand mercenaries from Eastern Europe will arrive, which should be sufficient. I will lead the remaining forces from Lyon, heading south along the Rhône River to attack Marseille and Montpellier, striving to end this war within half a year."
In September, twenty thousand Viking soldiers stationed themselves in Lyon. Following nearly a year of reconnaissance and infiltration, the garrison had gathered substantial intelligence on the southern regions and had also constructed one hundred oared longships.
For over one hundred kilometers south of Lyon, the water flowed gently, and the river valley widened further to form a much broader alluvial plain. The land along the way was rich in resources, capable of satisfying the army's demand for grain.Five days later, the army arrived at Montélimar. From there to Avignon in the south, the terrain narrowed once again, with steep cliffs lining both banks of the river. The remnants of the Frankish Army had concentrated their defenses here, attempting to halt the Vikings' advance.
This gorge was roughly sixty kilometers long with rapid currents, rendering it highly unfavorable for large-scale troop deployment. The Vikings' pace of advance slowed abruptly, and four Mountain Infantry Battalions took on the primary combat operations.
To delay the enemy for as long as possible, the Frankish Army constructed palisades at strategic choke points and built trebuchets to blockade the river channel below, forcing their foes into an uphill assault against the mountaintop fortifications.
Left with no choice, the Expeditionary Force had to advance step by step. The Mountain Infantry Battalions cleared out small pockets of enemies in the vicinity. Next, the sappers transported dismantled light ballistae parts to the mountain peaks to assemble them, using the ballistae to launch fire pots and incinerate the enemy's wooden palisades.
It was not until early October, as the weather turned cold, that the Vikings finally emerged from the gorge, having advanced at an average pace of two and a half kilometers per day.
Upon arriving at the outskirts of Avignon, Wigg organized a siege as usual. After taking control of the city, he led his army toward Marseille in the southeast.
On October 28th, with only two days of travel left before reaching Marseille, the Mountain Infantry Battalions scouting ahead discovered the Frankish Army lying in ambush within a nearby forest. A fierce battle erupted between the two sides.
When the news reached the center of the army, Wigg ordered his troops to hold their ground and stand on high alert. In just a few short minutes, the infantry organized themselves by battalions and companies, forming hollow square formations along both sides of the road.
From Wigg's vantage point, the mountain ridges to the southeast rolled endlessly. Two plumes of black smoke drifted crookedly into the sky. The forest rustled loudly in the autumn wind as dead leaves fell like rain, mixing with thunderous war cries.
The black smoke was a distress signal from the Mountain Infantry Battalions, marking their exact location. Wigg dispatched one Mountain Infantry Battalion and one Infantry Regiment to slowly converge on the site of the ambush.
Not long after, the sounds of slaughter grew even more intense, and another plume of black smoke rose from the mountain forest—the reinforcements had also been attacked.
"It seems the remnants of the main Frankish Army are all right here." With the situation changing, Wigg shifted his troops into the sprawling wheat fields on the western side of the road.
The terrain here was flat, offering a wide and clear field of view. He reorganized the defensive formations, adjusting the battalion and company-level squares into regimental squares. Over a dozen regimental squares formed a loose circle, protecting three thousand cavalry and a large number of non-combat personnel within the center.
Once the formation was complete, the Viking grand army stood firmly rooted in place, allowing Wigg and his commanders to discuss their subsequent plans. Suddenly, a massive wave of battle cries erupted from the eastern forest once more. Over two hundred Mountain Infantry Battalion soldiers assigned to stand guard fought a fighting retreat, withdrawing into the open terrain.
Soon, scattered groups of Frankish soldiers began emerging from the mountain woods. Their formations were entirely disorganized. Wearing nasal helmets and chainmail armor, a rough glance estimated their numbers at around three thousand.
What was going on? Unsure of the enemy's exact intentions, Wigg ordered his longbowmen to lay down suppressive fire from a distance.
A few minutes later, the clear blast of a war horn echoed from the woods, and the Frankish troops successively retreated back into the trees. Wigg dispatched his forces in pursuit, successfully capturing dozens of captives.
According to the confessions of the captives, ten thousand Frankish soldiers were hiding in the forest to the southeast. Their original plan had been to ambush the Vikings' marching column. However, before the Viking main force could even enter the ambush zone, the Mountain Infantry Battalions had discovered the Franks' tracks ahead of time.
Unwilling to let this opportunity slip away, Charles the Bald ordered his men to abandon the ambush site. He intended to strike directly at Wigg's central army before the Vikings could react.
Upon receiving the command, ten thousand Frankish soldiers sprinted desperately toward the north. The brave charged at the forefront, the cowardly quietly shrank to the rear, and a portion of them completely lost their bearings, wandering in circles through the complex, mountainous forest terrain.
The distance from the ambush point to the Viking main force's location was roughly four kilometers of mountain roads. After tens of thousands of men had run chaotically for a while, Charles the Bald sorrowfully realized that only a third of his soldiers had actually reached the battlefield. His so-called ambush had completely devolved into a farce.
Just like that, the Franks' final chance to turn the tables vanished entirely.
"A long-distance mountain raid requires an exceptionally high level of competence from grassroots military officers. Just what exactly was your king thinking?"
Wigg pulled out his tin canteen and took a small sip of clean water, feeling that Charles the Bald had simply lost his mind.
A captured knight replied, "After fleeing to Northern Italy, His Majesty painstakingly studied ancient Roman texts, and he was deeply moved by the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest."
That famous historical battle in 9 AD, during the reign of Augustus, saw the Germanic people set an ambush in the Teutoburg Forest, nearly annihilating three Roman Legions led by Varus and slaughtering over twenty thousand Roman soldiers.
Pfft!
Wigg spat out the clean water in his mouth, laughing uncontrollably. "So, the result of his half a year of intense study is that he treats me like that massive idiot Varus?"
Since the very beginning of the war, Wigg had equipped each Field Division with two Mountain Infantry Battalions and one Ranger Battalion.
During their march, the Rangers conducted reconnaissance across the flat terrain, while the Mountain Infantry Battalions swept the forests ahead and on both flanks. The moment they discovered any enemy tracks, the main force would form protective squares in a matter of moments to avoid sudden ambushes.
Looking at these utterly dejected captives, Wigg elaborated, "Classic battles like the Teutoburg Forest are mandatory courses at our Army Academy. Even grassroots military officers at the company and platoon levels know these historical examples inside and out. Don't ever expect us to make such a rookie mistake."