Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 15 A tragic victory
"What the hell are you yelling about?! Is the war over?! Get the hell out of here! Get out of here!"

He stepped forward and kicked a soldier in the backside without any hesitation.

“Corporal Jonah, Corporal Bowman, and you!” He pointed to another corporal. “Take your squads, advance in shifts, providing cover for each other! Clear out the remaining enemy in the village!”

"Remember! Unless you encounter resistance, you are not allowed to fire on civilians! Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lieutenant!"

After being yelled at, the three corporals realized that now was not the time to celebrate, and immediately led their respective units into the street fighting in the village.

As the main force charged in and began hand-to-hand combat, the kingdom's resistance in the village quickly crumbled.

These troops, whose training and organization are not very high, are only good for firing from a distance.
Don't expect them to have the guts to fight these fierce Saxon soldiers with bayonets.

Some of the Kingdom's soldiers, sensing the unfavorable situation, had already slipped away from the other side of the village before the battle was completely over.

The remaining soldiers who reacted slowly were either shot dead on the spot or obediently threw down their weapons and surrendered.

The village of San Isidro was eventually captured by the Saxons.

After the battle, a report on the casualties was quickly submitted to the battalion headquarters.

The result left everyone speechless.

Yes, the fighting spirit of the Kingdom's army was very poor, only slightly better than those troops who would fire their guns into the air as soon as the enemy arrived.

But this very unit, which was underestimated by many Saxon soldiers before the war, caused the 1st and 2nd Companies, who were the main attacking force, to pay a heavy price on their way to the attack.

The command systems of these two companies were disrupted – the total number of officer casualties exceeded 25%, and the number of soldier casualties exceeded 35%, which greatly reduced the combat effectiveness of the two infantry companies.

This also means that on the first day of the war, Major Thomas's 1st Battalion lost almost half of its infantry company.
In stark contrast is Captain Hauser's 3rd Company, especially the 3rd Platoon under Morin's command.

Throughout the entire left-wing assault, the 3rd Platoon miraculously suffered no combat casualties.

Only two soldiers twisted their ankles while crossing the riverbed, and another soldier tripped and fell during the final charge when he was too excited.
In a sense, it meant zero casualties.

Moreover, according to post-war statistics, the machine gun positions they knocked out from the flanks, along with the Royal Army infantry who were planning to go and provide support, totaled at least forty men.

A zero-for-40 exchange ratio is simply a fantasy.

When Captain Hauser led his company into the village and found Morin, the rough-and-tumble company commander could no longer contain his emotions.

He rushed up and gave Morin a tight bear hug, then patted his shoulders hard with both hands, repeating only a few words over and over.

"Well done! Well done, Morin!"

The soldiers of the 3rd Company around him also looked at the new platoon leader, who had only taken office yesterday, with a mixture of awe and admiration.

Prior to this, their respect for the young lieutenant stemmed more from his rank.

But now, that respect has become incredibly pure and sincere.

The military, especially the rank and file officers and soldiers during wartime, is inherently a group that admires the strong.

No matter how eloquently you speak, it's not as effective as leading them to more victories and saving more lives.
The 1st and 2nd companies suffered losses during the attack and needed urgent rest and treatment of the wounded.

Therefore, after the main force cleared the village, the task of establishing an outer defensive position naturally fell to the 3rd Company, which had suffered the least losses so far.

Captain Hauser led the main force to construct a defensive line in the direction of the village facing Seville—the direction from which the enemy might counterattack—using the remaining buildings and low walls. Infantry of this era had not yet developed the concept of large-scale trench warfare, and Morin did not see any soldiers in the company equipped with shovels.

Therefore, the so-called defense line usually relies on buildings and existing earthen walls.

Morin, along with his third platoon, continued to defend the left flank of the village.

With the knowledge he gained from the two military academies before and after his journey, and with the assistance of the system map, he quickly directed his soldiers to begin constructing a defensive line.

"Sergeant Klaus, please drag that captured Vickers machine gun over and set it up on the mill platform on the right. If there are any grain sacks around, just pile them up in front of the machine gun!"

"Corporal, you take the first squad and establish a crossfire point at the gap next to those houses!"

"Corporal Bowman, Second Squad, take charge of our left flank and the village interior! Tell all villagers to stay home and not go out!"

He issued clear and specific commands in an orderly manner.

In addition, there were also outer observation posts and both overt and covert sentries, which were also set up by Morin.

Although these Saxon soldiers had never encountered such things before, they quickly understood his meaning after Morin patiently explained his orders and requirements.

Sergeant Klaus and several corporals, now bound by Morin's orders, immediately got to work with their men.

Soon, a defensive position with a certain depth and crossfire, centered on a captured Vickers machine gun and supported by multiple dispersed firing points, took shape on the left flank of the village.

At this point, Morin had to admit that the 80-man "super-sized" infantry platoon was really effective.

Whether it was establishing defensive positions now or launching attacks before, he felt very comfortable with it. The ample troops allowed him to make various tactical arrangements in a very luxurious way.

After the setup was completed, Morin and Sergeant Klaus arrived at the Vickers machine gun position.

The latter had the opportunity to use this Brittany heavy machine gun during previous exchanges between the two armies, so he was able to teach other soldiers how to use it—of course, only the simplest feeding, aiming, firing, and basic obstacle clearing.

As for maintenance and repair skills, those are not important at this moment.

After all, the ammunition for this captured heavy machine gun was very limited. Morin estimated that it would run out of ammunition in a decent defensive battle, just like those 'bonus weapons' with limited ammunition in a game.

After Sergeant Klaus inspected the machine gun, he determined that it was indeed unaffected and could be used normally.

He then began instructing the two temporarily recruited gunners, striving to teach them how to use the machine gun in the shortest possible time.

After having four corporals arrange the shifts for each squad, Morin ordered most of the soldiers to take a break.

Not long after, the 1st Battalion's command post moved to a relatively intact small chapel in the center of the village.

Morin, who had been brought to the camp headquarters with Captain Hauser, could see that Major Thomas, the camp commander, looked extremely grim.

Although he successfully captured the village, the price he paid was too high, making it difficult for him, as the battalion commander, to explain himself to the brigade headquarters.

However, when he met Morin, he still mustered his spirits, offered a few words of encouragement to the outstanding young officer, and promised to recommend him for commendation.

After a brief exchange, Major Thomas instructed Captain Hauser and the 3rd Company to prepare, as taking the village of San Isidro was not the end, but the beginning of the battle, and even fiercer fighting was to follow.

This news also increased the pressure on Morin. San Isidro, a village on the outskirts of Seville, was clearly intended to delay the Saxon soldiers' advance.

But even in villages like this, machine gun emplacements have appeared. Seville's defenses are no less formidable.

(End of this chapter)