In the late summer and early autumn, the Weser River is still in the wet season, the width of the channel is maintained at about 300 meters, and the water flow is relatively slow.
Only near the ruins of the city of Bremen, where the waterway suddenly narrowed to only 100 meters. A long time ago, people buried a large number of stones in the river here, and finally created a large number of conical stone piers out of the water.
Completely rely on enough gravity to ensure that the stones will not be washed away by the river during the wet season.
Each stone pier has a small interval, which requires the selection of long enough pine trees to cut down and lay on them.
Before, the messengers sent by Liudov were only a small force, and their number was not large. Although they were ordered to repair the damaged bridge, with their strength, they could only cut down a small number of big trees to push it to the ground. on the stone pier.
The so-called bridge is only better than the single-plank bridge. Refugees can pass through in a single column. Vehicles loaded with large amounts of materials cannot travel together. Only unload all luggage.
The narrow bridge is here, and the refugee group naturally prefers to escape by boat.
Or because the bridge is too simple, it is reasonable to pull the pine wood on the bridge into the river when the Ross army retreats.
A string of bridge piers are still on the river, and some pine trees have not been pulled away. For the Frankish army, simply repairing the bridge for a small number of troops to travel together, they did not take a lot of time. But Count Robert had three thousand cavalry, how could a single-plank bridge suffice for passage?
The assault by the cavalry regiment was ferocious, the soldiers behaved in a decent manner, and the troops swept through the Norman camp.
However, he encountered a counterattack from the Normans who were very ignorant of martial arts, causing his army to suffer unexpected and heavy losses. Robert, who was shot in the arm, was heartbroken!
The Norman camp was occupied, and those who had no time to escape were killed.
However, when the soldiers began to examine the condition of the dead bodies, they found that most of the bodies were wearing crosses, and there were more women than men, and there were no dark blue tattoos unique to the Normans on the bodies.
The dead were not Normans! But...the fleeing Saxons? !
Suddenly, the decisive cavalry warrior became depressed.
The enemy who was killed was not an enemy at all. There was not a single Norman corpse here. The fact is here, the dead can only be the Saxons who fled to the north from the Westphalia region.
The current Earl Robert has no time to care that his subordinates killed the wrong person. He took off his armor and urgently dealt with the "blood hole" on his arm.
The slender arrow cluster like a steel cone pierced the entire biceps muscle, and the arrow cluster was pulled out long ago, because the cloth was tied in time, and now the blood does not flow, but his entire left arm is temporarily useless.
He had to endure the pain of his arms, tied with ropes and hung around his neck. Robert's current state is no longer suitable for combat on horseback.
He's in pretty good shape now.
Take a good look at the current cavalry regiment!
Across the Weser River, the cavalry could not gallop on the river to chop down those ships, but could only be passively beaten and hit with a deadly javelin.
The soldiers saw shocking scenes, with some brothers being pierced by barbed javelins. However, the number of casualties in the war horses was as large as 200 horses, and the bodies of soldiers also found were nearly 150 giants.
Why are there so few dead soldiers, because some people fell into the river, and the armor dragged the soldiers who had drowned in the mud at the bottom of the river.
The conditions of the wounded were even more varied, and they were all coincidentally pierced by the lock ring of the chainmail. Most of the wounded were in similar conditions to Robert himself, but the wounds were different in depth. Fortunately, these arrows were easy to pull out.
There were as many as 400 soldiers killed, seriously wounded, and missing. After all, they couldn't wield swords and axes with their arms wounded. As a result, the 3,000-strong cavalry team suffered a sudden loss of 400.
Is it only four hundred?
The lost cavalry were all Frankish regular cavalry, and they were indeed Prince Ludwig's family. It is really outrageous that such an absolute elite should lose 400 in a confused way.
But Robert was not without success.
In order to move quickly, his cavalry carried only a small amount of dry food per cavalry. His plan was to collect tributes from the local Saxon nobles to meet the military funds when he arrived in the Saxony region, taking advantage of the time when the autumn harvest was over. After all, what Saxon noble would dare to resist the food demands of three thousand Frankish cavalry?
Isn't the army's most deficient supply just around the corner?
Robert saw a lot of carts, even bullock carts and pony carts, in the Norman camp. Those bad horses cannot be ridden and can be slaughtered, the cattle that pull carts can be slaughtered, and even many silly sheep, which must be skinned carefully before being slaughtered. The Normans, or Saxon refugees, left behind a great deal of food that could immediately supplement the needs of the army.
What's even more amazing is that he saw a very special black cookware.
The injured Robert was in a bad mood. Seeing that the black "pottery urn" was boiling hot wheat porridge, the soldiers had already taken their wooden and pottery bowls and stretched them directly into the pot to dig a bowl and were busy eating.
It didn't look like a pottery urn, and when the hilt tapped lightly, Robel heard the characteristic sound of metal.
"Could it be that these urns are made of iron? It's unbelievable. Norman... no. Rus's treasure! Now mine."
When Robert saw the cast iron pot for the first time, he put aside the soldier and bowed his back to watch it for a long time.
Since the demise of Rome, the craftsmen who made iron pots have disappeared. The world only knows how to use bronze to cast some small pots, such as the technique of casting large iron pots from pig iron. When Rome was there, Rome itself did not know it, and now Eastern Rome does not know it. Casting iron pots requires blast furnaces to smelt molten iron. Such advanced technology was only mastered by the Eastern world and Northern Europe in 840 years.
Although it was the first time I saw it, the tactical advantage of the giant black metal pot was immediately discovered by Robert.
Here are all ten cauldrons, and he declared that they belonged to the Earl of Rheingau, that is, Robert himself. He planned to keep at least two, and the remaining eight were given as gifts to his monarch Ludwig.
Things have gotten very subtle and sinister.
At night, the Frankish army on the Weser set up an open camp. The bonfire here is bright, and on the other side of the river is the ruined city of Bremen.
The pain of Robert's wound seemed to intensify, and he endured it with willpower, and summoned Harald Clark who was accompanying him.
The latter questioned the earl to summon him. He didn't think that Robert would naturally overwhelm him, but he felt guilty for his deliberate cowardice in the battle during the day, and he was inevitably nervous about meeting the earl.
He approached the bonfire cautiously, and firstly asked in a small talk, "Robert, are you feeling better?"
After asking this politely, Robert was furious, and pointed at Harald Clark's nose with his free right hand: "Look at the good road you've brought! Why didn't you say earlier that the arrows of the Rus were fierce and the ships could escape. Hurry up? Now the army sent by the prince has suffered a lot of casualties. If they are not the glorious elites of the kingdom, I am afraid that the morale has already collapsed."
"This...how could I have expected such a situation."
"Are you defending?! Sure enough, you, a Danish nobleman, can't be trusted at all. I just believed your words and attacked rashly, and you are responsible for the loss."
"..." Harald Clark's mind was in a mess, he lowered his head and said nothing. As an old man, he was scolded in the face by a guy who was nearly 20 years younger than him. He endured such a shame.
But Robert was just simply venting his emotions. He subconsciously put his hand on his left shoulder, and reluctantly said: "At least 400 soldiers have been damaged, and although many are only injured, he must withdraw from the next action. I have to separate Some troops will help the wounded to evacuate, and they will also **** some booty to the prince. With your men, our troops are already 3,000. After this battle, our troops have been reduced to 2,500 cavalry. Just two more cavalry. Three fights like this and we're done."
"So, you still need me."
"What else can I do?" Robert smiled bitterly, "You must provide me with detailed information. Ah! Now I know how Hunter was defeated. The Russ among the Normans are so vicious! The enemy is not something I can defeat quickly."
"So what's next? Go on to Hamburg?" Harald asked cautiously.
"It has to be. I have to go to Hamburg, even though it's risky. We have to be careful and never attack. The priority now is to get the bridge fixed. It's a task for you, and you have to do it."
Gu Tiao
"what?!"
"If you don't rush in the battle, now you will be punished for logging. Don't say logging is tiring, aren't you Danes very good at logging? Go cut the pine trees immediately, and build the bridge quickly. My cavalry will pass the Weser River."
"Alright alright"
The Frankish army had to clean up the mess on the banks of the Weser River. The dead soldiers were buried there, and the wounded soldiers who could not continue the battle were asked to retreat.
Robert's army lingered on the river for two days, and the bridge for the cavalry team to pass smoothly was completed.
A cavalry team that turned back the same way, dragged a vehicle full of supplies, wounded, and even ten Saxon refugees to retreat.
There were still 2,500 cavalry in the Frankish army. Because of the incredible casualties before, the soldiers were still afraid of the deadly arrows of the Rus. Especially when they stood in the ruins of Bremen in person, looking at the scorched and broken walls and overgrown with weeds, those with sharp eyes even saw the bones, and they suddenly felt sad.
I have long heard that the Norman pirates were killing people in Bremen, and it was unbelievable that they burned the city, and even the great St. Peter's Church was destroyed. At one point it was just a legend, and little was known about the pirates of these Ludwig elite cavalrymen who had long lived in Bavaria.
Now all the legends are conservative, and the tragedy of the ruins of Bremen is beyond imagination.
The soldiers ignited hatred for the Normans, especially the Rus, but also a strong fear. Because they saw with their own eyes, their companions had no resistance to those deadly javelins, and died extremely suddenly and uselessly. "Don't let this kind of thing fall on me." Soldiers generally think so.
To get revenge on the Normans, it is now fully believed that many Saxons were indeed complicit with the Normans. I'm afraid that Hamburg has become a pirate den, but unfortunately the great Charlemagne has passed away. If the team that looked down on him is resurrected, can the Normans still be rampant?
The army passed through the Weser River one after another, and every time they rode across the river, they took off their armor, and most of them wore only single clothes. Most of them can swim, looking at the river under the iron hoof, for fear of falling and drowning.
It took one morning to cross the river, and on the afternoon of the fourth day when they reached the Weser River, the whole army passed the river, and they dawdled in the ruins all afternoon. Been running for five days.
Arik's squadron fled all the way to the mouth of the Weser River, where they rested overnight and took stock of their moments. Fortunately, apart from the loss of some small objects that do not hurt or itch, the only regret is that the iron pot for cooking the wheat was lost.
Early this morning, the fleet set off.
In just one day, the Russ squadron, which was evacuating rapidly, rushed to the Elbe River. In the afternoon, they met their companions who were fishing for herring and cod on a large scale in the estuary, and immediately informed them that the Frankish crusade had appeared.
Because everyone has already reached a consensus, the so-called Liudov and Rus-Danish coalition forces in the north are very loud. How could Prince Ludwig sit and watch himself get stabbed in the back?
What is very dark and humorous is that it was Liudov who sent the letter for help at the time, and it is also Liudov who is now guarding against the "Frankian reinforcements".
As the sun was about to set, the fleet staggered to the docks in Hamburg. On the way, Arik also met the team he sent out to transport people. Now the guys don't have to go to Bremen anymore, everything is over.
Arik didn't seem to think that he had hit the Frankish cavalry heavily before. For the first time, he saw the scene of thousands of cavalry groups attacking. Such a shocking force was indescribable.
He had just disembarked, and he explained what had happened to him like anyone he had seen. He didn't say a word, but kept shouting: "Get ready! The Frankish army has arrived in Bremen."
To be fair, Arik was simply sounding the alarm, and he didn't want to mess up the Hamburg area.
The fact is that the whole region is rapidly falling into tension, and the people of Saxony think for a moment of the horror that cannot be erased from the soul - the massacre of Charlemagne.
In order to retaliate for Widukind's return to the country, Charlemagne imitated Caesar to deal with the defeated Spartacus to torture and kill 4,500 Saxon prisoners of war, and he raised the butcher knife to a large number of Saxon ordinary people, everything was revenge.
History is about to repeat itself! ?
The battle-hardened Rus army has fought many wars at the national level. In principle, everyone today is not afraid of the main force of the Frank army under the leadership of Rurik, the king of Rus. What to do, what to do in preparation for battle, the Ross army does not need the guidance of the king's micro-control, and the flag teams can handle their own affairs.
The Rus army was very confident, they never knew what a defeat meant, and there were many major victories with fewer enemies and more. What's more, the situation this time is even more special. The Ross fleet is on the Elbe River. The fleet's accumulative more than 300 torsional slingshots in good condition have given everyone super confidence. Taking 10,000 steps back, it is said that the enemy is really strong, and the Russ army is a big deal to run away by boat.
Frank's fleet did not exist at all. They didn't even know how to build big ships. At most, they took out a bunch of small boats, and they were directly crushed by the hard keel of Ross's big ship. No one can defeat the Rus army at sea, river or lake.
The Rus people are like this, Ragnar can retreat as quickly as he brings a thousand Danish troops under him.
Huge pressure was thrown on Liudov, and the news was flying all over the city and outside the city. Because Arik's initial information was vague and miscommunicated, the panicked Saxon people spread it to Liudov's ears, and the situation changed all of a sudden.
Rurik knew about this, and immediately found his elder brother Arik and the captain of the second flag team who went with him to ask about the situation.
Rurik couldn't figure out what the specific situation was. What was meant by "Frankian cavalry everywhere", could it be that their main cavalry came to crusade? Really want to fight hordes of cavalry...
Rurik thought of Agincourt in an instant. What he thought was not that Henry VIII defeated the mired French army with longbowmen and dismounted cavalry, but that the French army at that time actually mobilized 12,000 cavalry. Group charge.
Can the current Frankish army also have 10,000 cavalry? If this is the case, the Ross army still has to arrange a retreat plan in advance. As for the retreat, I am sorry for the newly formed alliance, and even the Duke of Saxony, Ludoff, who has set up his children's in-laws. What a crisis situation, the Rus army must run away! Rurik is not a great kind person now. His kindness is based on his absolute superiority. Any so-called goodwill performance is completely a gift.
Rurik knew his own situation, and the main force of the Rus army could not afford to lose here.
In the same way, Ludov, who had already staked all his life and even the glory of his ancestors and tied the entire Saxon nation to his chariot, could not afford to lose.
The Ross Army and the Danish Army could run away in a critical moment, but Liudov could only fight to the death.
After hearing the rumors, Liudov made a strong misjudgment. The misjudgment made him tremble, and his wife was already crying.
The young prince Bruno just felt that the situation was inexplicable, and the younger Alice did not understand.
On the contrary, Regraf, this kid has a strong pride. He didn't understand what the main Frankish army meant, and he patted his chest and assured his fiance Alice: "Frank army, one of them will die. The arrows of our Rus can easily kill them."
In fact, Regraf had no concept of the kingdom of Mercia, he only knew that his biological mother was Princess Mercia. In his heart, he has always positioned himself as a Rus people, and he admires his father and grandfather the most.
Alice doesn't understand war at all, she is a well-behaved aristocratic girl. The so-called nobles are just because of their status, but they are illiterate. Regraf is not picky. In the end, this is his own woman. According to the commandments of God's faith, she is also his only wife in this life. It's fair to say that the girl looks pretty good, and because she suddenly met the world, she admires herself quite a bit, which greatly satisfies Regraff's psychological demands.
Indeed, Regraf's biological mother died, and his father Rurik was busy with many important things. His grandparents were old and clearly preferred their elder sister Velika, and in recent years, their eldest grandson Ospenslav.
Although he considers himself a Russ, his identity is the King of Mercia after all. He didn't say anything, but his heart longed to be loved.
He is willing to help his fiance to keep the restored duchy of Saxony, but this kind of thing is not what he said as a child.
That night, the Hamburg area entered a state of military martial law. The Ross Army and the Danish Army proved their determination to stick to it with practical actions, at least posing a posture of vigilance. For example, all the big Ross ships, including the armed cargo ships, stopped all fishing work, dropped anchors and lined up in double columns, like a wall across the Elbe.
After all, Hamburg is on the north bank of the river~www.mtlnovel.com~ The main ship of Ross constitutes a Great Wall, and all the torsion slingshots are concentrated on one side.
The bridge over the river is still there, and the bridge is under heavy military control. A bridgehead is built at the bridgehead and bonfires are lit to show the direction of the retreat of the villages on the south bank of the river overnight.
The Franks could of course reach Hamburg without the bridge, otherwise they would have to take a detour.
These positive measures made Liudov feel relieved. He needed a military meeting, he needed to have a good talk with Rurik and Ragnar, and he implored the two heroes to help him defend Hamburg.
Even if it's risky.
Just because of the misunderstanding of the wrong information, Liudov's constant self-suggestion finally felt that his estimate came true. The so-called Prince Ludwig came with the East Frankish army this time. How many might they have come? At least 20,000 troops! At least five thousand cavalry!
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