Chapter 289
"I guarantee that my soldiers will be able to charge over in the shortest time possible!" Martonis mustered his courage and said loudly when he recalled the purpose of his visit.
The Devers's face darkened. "Nonsense! Do you think this is a football game where you can do whatever you want?! Hurry up and go back to command your team. If you affect the attack of the entire legion, the military law will not let you off! "
After seeing Martonis leave angrily, the Devers turned to Tormid and said, "Go tell Amyntas that Martonis requests to replace his team. The reason is that the third team can do better. Let him do as he sees fit."
Tormid immediately understood the Devers's intention and rode away.
Yumasas saw that the Devers commanded the generals and soldiers with ease. It was not something that the temporary generals of Tarantum could compare to. He had mixed feelings.
"Sir Yumasas, let's go to the hill." The Devers led the guards to the hill behind them.
"Huh?" Yumasas asked in shock, "Sir Devers, aren't we participating in the attack?"
"If I participate in the attack, who will command the battle?" The Devers smiled.
"Do you still need to command after the battle begins?" Yumasas, who had participated in many battles when he was young, could not understand why a consul would not take the lead but "hide" behind the troops. However, he saw that the soldiers behind the Devers had a matter-of-fact expression on their faces. Clearly, they did not think that their consul was a coward.
Yumasas could only follow behind with a stomach full of doubts.
"Commander, what … what's the mission of my team?" Y 'zam caught up and asked the Devers directly. His subordinates had already completed their scouting mission and were returning from various places.
"Your team …" The Devers turned to look at the Mountain Reconnaissance Team that was gathering not far away. He had almost forgotten about this important force. He thought for a moment and said, "They're temporarily the reserve team. Let them hide in the passageway we came from and rest first."
"Ah … reserve team?!" Y 'zam was a little dissatisfied when he heard that.
"Don't worry. Mountain battles are your specialty. When the battle begins, you won't be lacking," the Devers comforted him.
Y 'zam chuckled.
… …
"How is it? I told you you would fail! You've been with Devers for so long, so how could you not know him? Once he's in a battle, it's as if he's a different person. No matter how close you are to him, he'll always demand that you obey his orders. Otherwise … Hmph … "Olivers said in a half-joking and half-comforting manner when he saw the dejected Matonis return.
Matonis ignored him and walked straight to the flag of his battalion.
"Captain, all the companies have lined up!" The adjutant reported.
"Call the captains over, I have something to say!" Matonis said with a dark expression.
Soon, the five company captains arrived.
"Listen up, all of you. I only have one request. All soldiers must attack with full force. Our Third Brigade must be the first to break through the enemy's defensive line!" Matonis stared at them and said firmly, "Which company, which unit, which squad, which soldier did not perform well, I will not only scold him but also scold him! And don't even think about seeing me being nice in the future! "
"Understood!!" The company captains replied loudly. They didn't feel any pressure. Instead, they all looked excited.
… …
"Listen up, brothers. Take off your helmets!" The captain ordered.
Although the soldiers obeyed and took off their heavy Corinth helmets, some of the new recruits were confused. "The battle is about to start, why do we have to take off our helmets? Won't we get hurt easily? "
The veterans who had gone through the Persia expedition and fought many battles in the mountains would tell them, "We have to climb up and attack with our heads up. The helmets are too heavy, and we'll fall easily. The holes in the helmets are small, and when we look up, the helmets will slide back and block our vision. It's not good for fighting …"
"But without the protection of the helmets, we'll get hurt easily!" The new recruits were still worried.
"Don't we still have the round shield?" The veteran made a pose and placed the shield on top of his head. He tilted his body forward at a great angle. "See that? With the shield and slope protecting your body, you won't get hurt! " He paused and sighed. "It's a pity that we can't wear our new helmets this time. Otherwise, climbing and fighting would be no problem at all!"
… …
"Your Majesty, look at the enemy's right flank!" Pucchetti's general, Pullo, pointed to the foot of the mountain. Behind the Greek formation that looked like "cubes", there was an endless stream of troops moving to the far right flank …
"Their right flank obviously outnumbers their left flank! We don't have that many troops on our side. If we want to form a formation as long as theirs, we have to reduce the thickness of the formation. This way, the strength of our defense will be weakened. But if we don't do this, their soldiers will circle around from the outside of our left flank and attack our flank … "
Tremoni furrowed his brows tightly as he observed the changes at the foot of the mountain. He understood the enemy's intentions. Seeing that the enemy had only formed into small squares and had yet to link up into a large square formation, he believed that there was still enough time to adjust.
Pucchetti's troops were all at the top of the hill, and the Devers could not see the approximate number of Maputo's coalition forces. In fact, Tremoni's army was less than 12,000 people. Including the more than 3,000 Mesapi soldiers led by Igratya, the total number was only 15000. As for Diónia's reinforcements, just the two Diónia legions alone had 14000 people. In addition to a mountain reconnaissance brigade of 1,000 people, there were also 3,000 people from Heraclea and Metapontum. There were 3,000 more people than the Maputo's coalition forces in front of them.
Tremoni was outnumbered, and his biggest advantage was the hill. He could not lose the advantage of being on a higher ground. So, he made a prompt decision. "Pullo, quickly bring 1,500 people to strengthen the left flank!"
Just as the Pucchetti began to mobilize their troops in a panic and prepared to rush to the left flank, the bugle suddenly sounded at the foot of the mountain.
Tremoni was very surprised. The Greeks had not even formed a phalanx, and they were already attacking in a hurry?
Under his puzzled gaze, the "little squares" formed by the Diónia had begun to move forward slowly. He turned his head to look at his own army. Although the Pucchetti did not have a tight phalanx like the Greeks, they still had a neat and orderly formation. However, at this moment, because of the mobilization of troops, the soldiers were completely in a mess.
"Pullo, quickly stop the mobilization!" He hurriedly ordered.
"Yes! But what about the left flank? "
Tremoni thought for a moment and said, "Immediately go and tell Timothy Grass to mobilize all the cavalry that has nothing to do at the back to assist our left flank!"
… …
Trifias also did not expect the Diónia to attack so soon, and his own army was still on the way to the right flank.
"Sir, what should we do?!" His subordinate asked anxiously.
"Let's get to our position first," Trifias said calmly.
Fortunately, because the Dionysian Army had moved forward, the pass became less narrow, and it was more convenient for them to march.
When the Devers heard the bugle, he could not help but praise, "The First Legion moves fast!"
Then, the bugle also sounded on the right.
He nodded and said, "The Second Legion is not slow either!"
"Sir Commander-in-Chief!" Tormid rushed up from the foot of the mountain and said breathlessly, "The troops of Heraclea and Metapontum have not yet arrived at their predetermined positions, so they cannot attack."
"Don't worry, it will be better for them to attack later," the Devers said calmly, as if everything was under control.
Tormid was also a smart man. After the Devers' reminder, he immediately understood that the soldiers of Heraclea and Metapontum were weaker in combat. If they attacked at the same time, they would be at a disadvantage against the fierce Mecca and Prussia coalition forces, and would likely fail and become a burden to the whole army. Their late arrival would cause the enemy on the opposite side to be at a loss, and it was very likely that they would participate in the battle with the Second Legion, making the 3000 men of Trifias, who arrived late, an extra force on the battlefield!
Umarcas could not be as relaxed as the Devers. After the bugle sounded, his heartbeat began to accelerate, and his eyes followed the movement of the army at the foot of the mountain. The battle of nearly 40,000 people was about to begin, and the outcome of this battle would determine the fate of the Tarantum army …
… …
The Tarantum army, whose fate would be decided, was not far from this battlefield. On the narrow and winding valley pass, their six-mile long marching column was ambushed by the Mesapi people. They fell into chaos and panic, completely losing organization and command, and could only fight on their own.
Diomiras had no time to regret not listening to the Devers' words. He shouted loudly to cheer up the soldiers around him and to fight bravely for survival. But on the boiling battlefield, his voice was like a stone thrown into a torrent, and it had no effect.
The Mesapi people's attack from both sides gradually squeezed them tightly into the pass, making it difficult for them to even swing their spears.
Diomiras' ears were filled with the screams of the soldiers, and he gradually felt despair …
At this moment, there was a small commotion on the battlefield, regardless of friend or foe.
"The bugle! It's the bugle! Our reinforcements are coming!! " The cheers of the soldiers entered Diomiras' ears, which were somewhat numb, and he hurriedly listened carefully.
The noise that filled the sky still could not block the sharp sound of the bugle. It broke through the heavy resistance, and faintly echoed in the valley where the sounds of killing shook the sky …
The image of the Devers immediately appeared in Diomiras' mind. At this moment, he did not hate them, but shouted with joy, "Citizens, hold on! The Diónia people are coming! … "
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