Chapter 73 Rescue Askrum (1)

Myrtias listened, thoughtful.

"One more thing, you'd better arrange a few clippers at the port of West Pentum City. Once I need the assistance of the Fourth Fleet, I can quickly notify you."

After hearing this, Myrtias shouted dissatisfiedly: "Our Fourth Fleet has only a hundred warships in total! To patrol such a long coastline, to intercept any hostile forces attacking from the sea, and to assist you in combat... ...I have absolutely not enough ships and sailors!"

"If the Fourth Fleet performs well in this war, I think the Ministry of Military Affairs will definitely consider increasing the size of the Fourth Fleet." Alexis could only motivate in this way.

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Plagules quickly assembled the Fourth Cavalry Corps, and Alexis immediately led the two thousand cavalry out of Brindisi and quickly northwards into the Puchetti area.

In the evening, they finally arrived at the military camp near Sylvim City.

When the commander of the Fourth Army, Melisanda, personally welcomed Alexis into the barracks, Alexis, who had been running around for a day and hardly stopped, was so tired that he was shaking a little while walking. After all, he is not young at all over 50 He was full of energy, but he was still asking with concern: "Has the Tenth Legion been convened?"

"The brothers are all in the barracks." The youngest commander said in a loud voice, "As soon as you give your order, Commander, we will go to the battlefield immediately."

"Arrange accommodation for the cavalry regiment, and also arrange a place for me to sleep, so that I can have a good night's sleep." Drowsiness surged, Alexis couldn't help yawning: "Tomorrow ... early in the morning, we will Set off!"

The soldiers around who heard this were all excited.

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Early the next morning, the bugle of the camp sounded.

The soldiers of the Tenth Corps and the Fourth Cavalry Corps, as required, did not pack their armor and weapons and put them on their shoulders, but hurriedly put them on and walked out of the barracks to the playground.

In the conference room of the camp, Alexis, Melisanda, and Pregulus urgently held a brief military meeting.

"Now, how is the enemy situation in Downey?" Alexis asked.

As the Tenth Legion in the immediate vicinity of Downey,

Melisanda naturally knew the most and the most timely, and he immediately replied: "According to the report from yesterday's reconnaissance, the large force of the Samonais is still besieging Askurum and Vibingrum. The enemy who occupied Gruum City has not left, but a small number of Samonites rushed into the hinterland of Downey and looted..."

In fact, it has only been more than two days since the Samone invaded to the present, and it is impossible for the Samone to move to attack a new target so quickly.

Alexis then asked, "Where is the Eleventh Legion?"

"Still at the barracks," Melisanda replied.

Alexis was already familiar with the terrain when he captured the Downey area two years ago.

The central town of Downey, Lucena, is not located in the center of the Downey area, but is more northwesterly, closer to the Samonai Mountains, and there are no large towns on the west side as a barrier. If the attack is fast, it will only take more than half a day to reach the city directly, so after the Dauni area was conquered and Antonios became the chief executive of Lucena, the chief executive who was a legion commander went to Dai. Firth wrote a letter and suggested that the barracks in the Downey area should be located on the west side of the city of Luceria as a fortress to protect the security of the city of Luceria.

The proposal was approved by Davers.

Therefore, under the circumstance that Askurum, Vibinrum, and Gruum are all under attack, and the city of Luceria may be attacked from three sides, it is safe for the newly-built 11th Corps to garrison the barracks and wait for reinforcements. practice.

Alexis pondered for a while, and then made a decision: "The Tenth Legion and the Fourth Cavalry Legion crossed the river from the upper Ofanto River and went directly to the rescue of Asculom!"

"Yes!" Both Plagulus and Melisanda were excited.

Adjutant Eumatius reminded: "Lord Commander, now we don't know how many enemies are in Askurom? Is there an ambush?... Would it be too much to rely on just one legion and cavalry to attack? Taking an adventure? Beware of the lessons of the First Army!"

"I believe in the combat effectiveness of the Tenth Legion and the Fourth Cavalry Legion! I also believe that the Samonites would not have expected that our reinforcements would attack them so quickly, which would make them unprepared!" Alexis slightly He raised his head and said confidently: "Even if Askurom does have a large army of Samonais, they can surround us. As long as we can hold on, I believe Capos, Antonios, and Tigeti. Ross will definitely come to the rescue with all his strength, just in time to defeat the main Samonei people in one fell swoop!"

Alexis has read the battle report of the First Army, and he is very clear: Although the troops and types of troops he is leading are very similar to Amyntas who rescued Wolsey not long ago, it is different from Amyntas fighting alone. , he is fighting within the country!

He firmly believes that once an abnormality occurs, Capps, Antonios... these old comrades in arms will definitely come to the rescue. Even before, he and Antonios had some minor conflicts.

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The siege of the city of Askurom was mainly by the Pentene tribe. It should be said that their attack was very sudden. When they entered the territory of Askurom, the Askurom people were still grazing cattle and sheep or planting farmland, completely unprepared.

Knowing that the Samonei invaded, many people ran into the city in panic, and the Samonei warriors followed closely behind, trying to take the opportunity to rush into the city.

But the chief executive of Askurom was Hegesitus, the former chief of the Cyren tribe who bravely resisted the oppression of the Bruti tribal alliance and set off the war of Dionia's conquest of Bruti. He also assisted Hiros in the South-Italian War, and served as the city administrator of Bruti, Messapi, and Pucherti for more than ten years until he was transferred to Downey the year before. It can be said that his administrative Not only is he rich in experience, he is also not unfamiliar with the military.

A few months ago, he received a warning from the Ministry of Military Affairs: the towns in Downey were asked to strengthen their vigilance and beware of Samonite attacks!

He did not regard it as a child's play. He not only mobilized the public to strengthen the city's defense, but also increased the number of inspection teams to strengthen the patrol of the city. At the same time, he would gather citizens who had participated in military training in the city square every few days for one or two drills. After hours of formation and fighting, citizens with horses were formed into a small team, and every day they took turns to patrol the foothills in the west...

Several dozen days passed, everything was normal in the mountains of Samona, and there was no trace of war. Due to the repeated advice of his subordinates (after all, frequent military training is not conducive to the upcoming spring sowing), he relaxed his vigilance slightly and reduced training. , Unexpectedly, at this moment, the Samonai came to kill.

The Askurom scout patrolling out of the city quickly discovered the enemy's situation, shouting: "The Samonais are coming!" to inform the people of the villages passing by to evacuate, while rushing into the city.

After Hegesitus got the news, he did not panic too much. He ordered: close the city gate, pull up the drawbridge, and at the same time sound the alarm bell, let the young and middle-aged citizens still in the city pick up their shields and spears and go to the city for defense.

At the same time, he also made the soldiers at the front of the city shout to the fleeing people outside the city, advising them to flee to Hedorum, which is further east. The city gate of Askurom will never be attacked by the enemy. opened!

It is precisely because of the implementation of these measures that when the Samonai army, mainly Penteney warriors, rushed to the city, what they saw was that the city of Askurom had been prepared.

Although there were not many citizens who could fight in the city at this time due to the raids of the Samonites, Askurom was also a large city in the Downey area, with an eight-meter-high wall.

The Samonaites rushed in without siege equipment. Badani could only have tens of thousands of soldiers line up under the city, roaring in unison, trying to intimidate the Askuroms to open the city and surrender.

How could Hegesitus be frightened by such a battle.

Badani had to camp outside the city.

In the next day or so, Badani ordered the soldiers to cut down trees, made a large number of ladders and sambar, and launched an offensive on the city of Askurom, trying to take advantage of the large number of people and conquer the road. This important town in the southwest of the Neeland region reinvigorated the Penteney tribe and the prestige of his great leader.

So from the beginning, Badani ordered his troops to launch a fierce attack.

The Samonite warriors carried the ladder and the wood, risking being shot by javelins and arrows, and quickly attacked the city from the north, west and south.

Hegesitus, the chief executive, came to the city and led the civic army to resist.

The Samonei offensive was like a wave, one wave of setbacks, and another wave of attacks. The continuous attack made the insufficient Askurom citizens gradually unable to resist.

By the afternoon, the western city wall had brought the Samonites to attack the city several times. Hegsitus hurriedly gathered the few remaining reserve soldiers, and finally drove him down the city, and another soldier hurried from the city. The southern city wall came: "Lord Hegesitus, the enemy has attacked the city, and the Inspector of Corpacus is asking you for help!"

"Where can I have any reinforcements here?!" Heggstus smiled wryly, reaching out to wipe the blood splattered on his face and blocking his vision. Looking at the tired citizen soldiers beside him, Samonai warriors shook from the city. With the roar in his ears, the timidity in his heart disappeared in a flash, and he resolutely turned around and said to the administrative adjutant: "You immediately rush to the city, gather the old people, and rush to reinforce the southern city! Hold on! Tell Cooperkas to hold on! As long as We held it today! Reinforcements will arrive tomorrow!"