Chapter 74: First Contact War in Worms
The sky was overcast early in the morning, and the sunny days didn't last for many days. With dark clouds overhead and the two armies facing each other, there was no better scene than this.
Under the high gray walls of Worms, a large number of Burgundians lined up in neat square formations. They could no longer be described as barbarians. There were seven catapults set up on the city wall. Presumably, these barbarians were already able to skillfully use such powerful machines.
At this moment, at a distance of less than 100 meters, both sides held their shields forward and remained silent. They did not know the other side's strengths, and no one dared to give the order to attack first.
"The Burgundians may have put all their strength into this attack. We can't let our guard down!"
Chief Centurion Guy turned around and shouted to us: "Don't forget what I said. We have reached the Burgundian base camp. When you are faced with the choice between life and death, I hope you still remember that Rome is with you!"
"Ha! Rome!"
The soldiers raised their shields above their heads and beat them vigorously. I think their morale was slightly boosted by Guy's encouragement.
The Burgundians in front of us seemed to be ready for battle, but their inaction seemed to be stalling for time. I didn't know if the commanders behind us could see this clearly, or if they were actively discussing countermeasures. Now we could only wait quietly, whether to attack or wait for the Burgundians' attack, nothing was known.
“Boom boom boom!”
The seven catapults on the Burgundian city wall fired at the same time. The seven flaming boulders in the sky were like meteors falling from outer space, dragging long black tails, drawing an arc in the air, and smashing straight towards us.
"Boom boom boom"
There was no ability to defend at all. Seven huge pieces of rubble fell into the dense formation of our army, smashing a big hole in the ground. The unlucky guy who was hit was left with only a pool of blood and minced meat.
"Hold on! Hold on!"
Seeing the troops in turmoil due to the bombardment of stones, Chief Centurion Guy waved the legion flag in his hand and shouted loudly to try to stabilize the morale of the troops. But it was meaningless because the second round of bombardment from the Burgundians came.
“Boom!”
A large rock fell among the hundred-man squadron of the auxiliary legion in front of me. As it came at an angle, it knocked down several people at once. Some people even flew up due to the impact and fell at my feet.
"Hold on! Hold on! Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid!"
Chief Centurion Guy's voice was almost hoarse. The soldiers held their shields in front of them, trying to use these thin shields to block the flying stones.
Another round of flying stones landed behind me. I could clearly feel the airflow caused by the stones passing over my head. This round not only knocked down four or five soldiers, but also smashed the cavalryman who happened to be passing by, turning him and his horse into a pool of blood.
“Woo!!!”
Just as we were in a mess because of the stones, the Burgundian army blew the horn of attack. They changed from two rows to one row, and a huge gap appeared in the middle. Groups of Burgundian cavalry, holding lances, legs tightly clamped on the horses' bellies, drove the large amount of dust raised by the horses' hooves, like a tsunami, sweeping towards us.
"Defense! Shield wall! Shield wall!"
Seeing that the situation was not good, the centurions of the auxiliary legion shouted at the soldiers to form a formation, but just as the soldiers were getting close together, the roaring Burgundian cavalry had already arrived before them.
"Bang, bang, bang"
Almost all the soldiers in the first two rows were knocked down by the galloping war horses. The following infantry rushed forward quickly, holding spears and trying to stab the stopped Burgundian cavalry, but the endless stream of war horses rushed over behind them, forcing the phalanxes to retreat and parry, and they could not resist at all.
"Javelin! Spear ready!"
Chief Centurion Guy shouted in a hoarse voice. I, along with the other soldiers, drew out the javelin and raised it above our heads, then stopped where we were, waiting for Guy's next order.
"Hold on!"
The Burgundian cavalrymen kept charging, waving their lances, stabbing and poking the ground, trying to break through the phalanx of the auxiliary legion. The infantrymen holding spears were naturally not willing to be outdone. They covered their upper bodies, because the cavalrymen on high ground could not reach their legs at all. They held their spears in their right hands, ready to seize any opportunity and stab the sharp spear tips into the abdomen of the Burgundy cavalrymen.
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"Hold on!"
Even though the old man and the children were struggling and resisting tenaciously, the Burgundian cavalry was getting more and more numerous. They gathered together and pushed forward like a wall. The auxiliary legion infantry, whose numbers were constantly decreasing, gradually could not hold on. Some tried to escape when others were not paying attention, but when they turned around, the first thing they saw was the hundreds of darts we held tightly in our hands. They thought we had prepared them for them, and after a lot of ideological struggle, they turned back to continue fighting.
"Hold on! It's almost there!"
Chief Centurion Guy noticed that the spear formation in front of him had begun to waver, so he shouted and ordered the soldiers not to throw their spears in a hurry, so as not to hurt innocent soldiers. He retreated hastily until he was behind the four square formations of our first battalion.
Finally, the Burgundian cavalry tore through the defense line formed by the four phalanxes of the auxiliary legion, and then the Burgundian cavalry rushed like waves. Those old people and children, whose physical strength was the same as that of ordinary people, could no longer hold on. They fell down and gradually cracked, allowing groups of Burgundian cavalry to rush over! "Throw!" Chief Baidu Tian roared, and many people were shocked, but after hearing the order, I and they still threw the javelins in our hands at the groups of Burgundian cavalry like a conditioned reflex. In an instant, a large number of cavalry and his javelins fell down, and the cavalry behind them hurriedly "" reined in their horses for fear that the cavalry's body would trip them up, and the charge was once again disintegrated. Facing the Burgundian cavalry standing in front of him, Guy drew out the Spada iron sword and pointed it straight ahead, opened his mouth and roared: "Kill them!"
"die! die!"
The soldiers shouted loudly, raised their iron swords high, and rushed towards the Burgundian cavalry.
Faced with the sudden charge, the Burgundians were so frightened that they wanted to leave, but they were already squeezed together at the back and had no room for maneuverability.
(End of this chapter)