Lamin's idea was simple.
His own military doctor was no longer here, and Kawei, an outsider, was originally disobedient, and there would definitely be disagreements if he intervened, so he kept people out from the beginning to prevent any possible accidents. Even if Kawei had Archduke Brecht’s letter in his hand, as long as the Archduke was not present in person, it would be useless for anyone to come.
Kawei's idea is also very simple.
If the whole war only involves the Western Front, then he can be at ease without intervening. But there is still Olmitz Fortress that needs to be taken care of on the northern line. Since he is not allowed to intervene here, it becomes meaningless to continue to stay here according to the wishes of the Grand Duke.
Returning to the northern line, we can not only supervise the operation of the fortress hospital as soon as possible, but also make a detailed comparison between Olmitz's well-organized medical deployment and the mess here, so as to provide data support for the subsequent development of a clearer military medical manual.
But in Aleister's hands, this simple idea turned into a complex decision that had to be carefully considered.
The soldier's intuition told him that it would be safest to follow the Sixth Army all the way east.
As long as they reach the big city of Kischin behind the Western Front, there will be enough backup troops and supplies. In addition, there is a railway in Kischin, so you can go back to Vienna or north to the Olmitz Fortress.
Once on the train, there is basically no need to worry about being attacked again.
But the key problem lies in the road to Kisschin. Based on the results of several battles on the Western Front, he really can't make a conclusion on this idea.
Prussia's advance was far faster than France's seven years ago. Lamin's command and the combat effectiveness of the Sixth Army were obvious to all. Once entangled by the opponent, it would be very difficult to retreat. If they were to be surrounded by Prussian cavalry along the way, this mere 25-man escort would not be enough to fill the enemy's teeth.
But it would be equally troublesome to break away from the large army and go north alone now.
They had brought enough supplies when they came south from Olmitz, but now they had run out of supplies. The supplies of the Sixth Army were insufficient, and food and fresh water were in short supply. It was okay for the escort to eat a few hungry meals, but the entire surgical team brought out by Kawei could not travel.
Moreover, the road between Olmitz and Gablenz has been blocked. Going north from the current barracks requires passing through a large forest. The carriage is very inconvenient and the traveling speed is even slower. The trip that was originally completed in 4-5 days is likely to be stretched to about a week.
In such a situation, it was really difficult for Aleister to make a decision.
"If you can't make a decision, then just listen to me." Kawei drank the vegetable soup and said, "When you wake up early tomorrow morning, bring dry food and go back to Olmitz!"
"Early tomorrow morning?" Aleister was a little surprised, "How about you have a good rest tonight, slowly collect supplies tomorrow morning, and then you can leave the main force in the afternoon."
"Now that we have decided on the route, let's leave as soon as possible." Kawei kept the bread in his hand, stood up and gave it to Aleister, "Just prepare some bread and fresh water and hit the road. There is no need to do what you did when you went south."
"But it will definitely take a longer time to go back. It will be too difficult to only eat bread. What's more, according to the rations of the Sixth Army, I'm afraid it will be difficult to prepare enough bread."
"It doesn't matter. Even if we don't have enough supplies, it won't be enough no matter how long we stay. Just prepare like this." Kawei sighed and said, "I don't want to stay here for a moment."
Aleister's rational choice is to follow the large army. With a large number of soldiers to protect him, the safety is definitely higher. But emotionally he definitely preferred Kawei, and he didn't want to put his life and fortune in Laming's hands, so he made this decision after a lot of deliberation.
However, just when the convoy had just prepared the supplies for the road and the team of more than 30 people was preparing to leave the barracks, God seemed to have played a big joke on them.
It was just dawn, and the entire barracks was still closing its eyes and immersed in sleep, when the sound of Prussian artillery suddenly rang in their ears. It was different from what I heard before when I joined Brunz. There was no transition from far to near, from sparse to dense. The opponent seemed to be trying his best to eat Lamin's Sixth Army in one bite.
Laming was still fast asleep in his temporary command post. He got out of bed in a fit of excitement and quickly asked the guard who came in to report: "What's going on? What happened outside???"
"It's the sound of artillery! The sound should be a Prussian howitzer!"
Laming just woke up and his mind was a little confused: "Of course I know it's the sound of artillery. The key is where did it come from?"
"West! It should be the direction of Gablenz!"
"Gabrenz???" Lamin frowned, "The sentry who went to investigate last night said that Prussia was standing still. Why is it still there now! People have been beaten to the door of the house. What happened to the sentinels and guards who were released? No reaction at all?"
"It's really unclear."
Lamin quickly thought of several possibilities, but in the end the command had to respond immediately. He looked at the guards who were standing there dumbly, and was furious: "Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and get the soldiers up to meet the enemy!"
"yes!!!"
The Prussian surprise attack disrupted the Sixth Army's original plan for a slow withdrawal.
Fortunately, the Sixth Army fought against Prussia twice and lost all of its records, but its morale was still there. Even without Lamin's direct order, they could immediately pick up weapons and fight back on the spot as required by the regiment and battalion commanders.
Soon, the gap opened to the west was blocked by a sparse fire net. These decent counterattacks seemed to block the enemy's attack and gave the Kawei Guards a chance to breathe.
The plan was also disrupted, and Aleister immediately changed his original decision: "Doctors, please get on the carriage as soon as possible! We need to evacuate immediately!"
"Are you going back to Olmitz now?"
"No, the Prussians are coming. It's dangerous to go north. It's better to go to Kissim first." Aleister looked at Kawei and wanted to give advice, and said quickly, "Dr. Kawei, please trust my expertise. Judgment. Rushing into the woods to the north under artillery fire now is equivalent to sending yourself into the arms of the opponent's Chasseur Regiment."
Kawei was still a little hesitant at first, but seeing his tone, he no longer hesitated: "Okay, I will listen to you."
In just ten minutes, the escort gathered everyone, found the carriage prepared for the night, and left the barracks to retreat eastward amidst the sound of gunfire.
Aleister's judgment was very accurate. Before the Prussians opened fire, the woods in the north and the mountains in the south had been occupied by three regiments of chasseurs. The barracks of the Sixth Army have been surrounded in a pocket, and the only exit is the gravel road to the east that the escort is currently taking.
Kawei sat in the bumpy car, watching the sun break through the darkness in the distance and poke half of his head out of the treetops.
The sky in the east was dyed red like madder, and also cast a faint golden light on the road. The clear sound of gunfire can still be heard in the distance, and a small number of deserters who chose to leave immediately can be seen along the road. Many of them chose to enter the woods and mountains to avoid the main road. The final outcome was naturally not much better.
Herman, Damirgaon, and Berget were all doctors. The carriage left the barracks in the opposite direction in front of other soldiers, which made them feel bad.
At the same time, the real feeling of the carriage wheels rolling over the road also reassured them. Breathe a few breaths of fresh morning air, wrap yourself in a blanket for sleeping at night, and your internal organs will feel refreshed. Gradually, they were also fascinated by the scenery in front of them, and they felt as if they had left the battlefield behind.
The doctors sitting in the carriage felt relieved, but the escorts, especially Captain Aleister, did not dare to feel reassured. They were ready to leave the Sixth Army barracks as quickly as possible from the beginning.
In the eyes of the military doctors, they had escaped the frontline war, and all they had to do was wait to return to Kissim. But in Aleister's eyes, the situation is far from relaxing. The carriage was not very fast and was an easy target. No one knew how long the Sixth Army could hold it, and no one knew whether there were other Prussian teams outflanking it.
Soon the escort team received both bad news and good news.
The bad news was that the horse pulling the carriage fell and seriously injured its leg. The team had to stop and rest for a while to replace the horses for the carriage. The good news is that Aleister's judgment was very accurate, and the escort that stayed briefly was soon pursued by a Prussian cavalry company.
The opponent did not have much advantage in terms of numbers, only about sixty or seventy people, but they were all well-equipped, and everyone was equipped with a breech-loading rifle with a bayonet, and their firepower was much stronger than that of the escort.
"Everyone, disperse! Go into the woods!"
Facing the flying dust in the distance, captain Aleister knew that the escort's carriage would definitely not be able to escape, and he did not deploy his own escort according to standard fighting standards. He split his team up to reduce the concentration and distract the opponent's goals: "Don't look back, don't talk! Run separately to the small high ground in the northeast and then meet again!"
The carriages, horses and baggage were abandoned on the road, and everyone only brought bullets and a little dry food.
In order not to become a burden to the escort, Kawei and Ignatz only brought their own medical equipment boxes and set out on the road without even bringing much food.
Unlike Ignatz, this was the first and only time that Kawei had "watched" how a well-trained force prepares for battle at such a close distance.
He was very scared, afraid that he would die under the enemy's gunfire and die in the wild. The status gained after half a year of hard work and the newly established surgical system will collapse in an instant as they disappear.
But at the same time, he seemed to be a little excited deep in his heart. His originally absolutely neutral mood was forced step by step towards the Austrian Empire by the Prussian cavalry. He is now more and more eager to think from the perspective of an imperial soldier, and he is more and more eager to destroy the opponent with bullets and blades.
All in all, it's a very complicated feeling.
Kavi was escorted by Aleister and two guards, while the others headed for the high ground in the distance in a ratio of 1:2.
The carriages and horses left behind will inevitably attract the attention of the rear cavalry, but there is no time to deal with it now. We can only hope that the other party will be attracted by the baggage and give up the pursuit.
This is the best case scenario, but if the opponent does not want to give up, or sees the convoy as prey, the situation will be very unfavorable for the escort. This is not only the difference in numbers and firepower, but also the more critical time.
Even if the escort can persist on the high ground for enough time, the Austrian army on the western front will probably not be a match for the Prussians, and will only be waiting for reinforcements from the other side.
But Aleister still hopes to give it a try on this high ground: "Is everyone in place?"
"Group 1 has arrived!"
"Group 2 is here!"
"Group 4 is here!"
"Group 5 is here!"
"Group 6."
The team of 25 people was cut into 12 groups by him, and they are now placed side by side on the slope of the highland: "Where are the 3 groups?"
"coming."
The two soldiers in Group 3 did not need to be responsible for the doctor's safety. They took the initiative to walk at the end of the team. While observing the movements of the cavalry in the distance, they slowly moved towards the high ground, acting as reconnaissance posts: "The carriage we damaged did not start. Effect, they seem to be preparing to come this way."
"Everyone is here?"
"It seems that some of them were left in place for rest and recuperation. Some of them went south, and some came to the north. There are about half a company, about 20 people!"
"A company with less than 100 people is still being split up."
Kavi was lying next to Aleister. After hearing the news, he could clearly see the guard captain's body trembling slightly, and his excitement was palpable: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! "
"Are you going to block it here?"
"Yes, groups 1-6 will stay to block the attack and spread out the firepower as much as possible. Groups 7-12 will leave as soon as possible with our medical team." Aleister held the rifle tightly with both hands and placed the bullet bag at hand. , said with a smile, "Brothers, it's time for us to serve the empire!"
"team leader!"
The soldiers who were ordered to stay were as determined to die as their captain, without any hesitation. And the soldiers who are arranged to evacuate are always full of sadness and touching emotions like in the movie: "If you want to evacuate, let's evacuate together!"
"Stop joking, how can we evacuate without anyone blocking us?" Aleister stuffed the bullet into the barrel of the gun and gave the last order, "Even if you are shattered into pieces, you have to send the people back to Olmitz!"
