Under Aigron's watch, his artillery began to bombard Mesolonghion Fortress, which meant that his offensive had officially begun.
Amidst the deafening bombardment, a large number of solid artillery shells were accelerated by gunpowder and barrels, screaming into the air, and then falling rapidly, and finally landed in the opposite fortress in a perfect parabola.
Raindrop-like shells hit the outer walls and open space of the fortress, and then stirred up waves of mud to float into the air, and then fell like raindrops. The black mud was even mixed with some dazzling red stains—— Obviously, some unlucky enemy soldiers fell victim to this round of shelling.
However, the continuous bombardment did not bring a particularly heavy blow to the fortress, because on the one hand, Aiglon did not have heavy artillery and was not powerful enough to directly destroy the fortress; secondly, the walls of the well-designed bastion were not high. , and the masonry structure is tilted, so it is difficult for artillery shells to penetrate.
With the help of a telescope, Aigron observed the results of the bombardment - except for the smoke and dust that filled the front, the shells only left some large and small craters on the city wall.
Obviously, the effect is mild.
Although he was disappointed, Aigron was not surprised. He knew in his heart that if Messolonghion was not such a strong fortress, the Turks would not have to besiege it for so long before taking it.
In essence, he was experiencing the mood of the Turks at that time.
After the bombardment lasted for a while, it gradually subsided, and then it was time for a frontal charge.
Standing on the high ground, Aigron saw his soldiers lying in front of the trench near the bastion, waiting for the final order.
Although he couldn't see the faces of the soldiers clearly, he could clearly feel the chill that permeated the entire battle line - that was the atmosphere before death was about to come.
They were destined to engage in a bloody struggle.
Although he knew that the next attack would not have any significant results and would definitely bring heavy sacrifices, he still did not say a word and just watched the battle ahead silently.
As long as there is a war, there will be sacrifices, and he has long been accustomed to asking his soldiers to make sacrifices - all he can do is to make this sacrifice as worthwhile as possible.
Following several sharp whistles, a deafening roar came from the trench, and then a group of soldiers holding rifles jumped out of the trench under the order of the officer, and then collectively rushed towards the multi-faceted fort ahead.
In this case, the soldiers had no formation at all. A group of soldiers in black military uniforms charged forward in a scattered manner. In order to embolden themselves, many of them even let out sharp howls, as if they were on the grassland. Like a herd of bison on a galloping horse.
Amidst their roars, they were getting closer and closer to the bastion. For a moment, in some people's minds, victory seemed to be close at hand...
However, just as they were approaching the front of the fortress, the fortress, which had been silent for a long time during the previous confrontation and bombardment, suddenly made a dense noise.
Like waking giants, these bastions poured out firepower in anger at the enemy troops that were constantly rushing over. In an instant, the shooting holes in the bastions and the soldiers on the walls began to fire, while the soldiers hidden behind the walls began to fire. The artillery also began to fire back.
Artillery fire and bullets flew freely in the open space instantly, harvesting lives like the scythe of death. To the soldiers charging forward, the muffled sound of bullets hitting and passing through the human body was heard endlessly, as if there was some terrifying demon. Playing the piano and celebrating.
People continued to fall, but due to military discipline, the remaining people continued to charge forward. They crossed the open space full of stones, and then rushed into the trench in front of the bastion wall.
There wasn't much water in the trench, so they jumped in easily, but then they discovered that climbing out of the trench from the other side became a problem.
Some people tried to climb up with guns under their arms, while others held guns and fired back at the distant wall.
Because the walls of the bastion are in a star-shaped structure, the soldiers in these trenches inevitably have to withstand fire from the other two angles. Bullets continue to pour down from the walls to fight back against the attackers. .
The lucky soldiers were shot by bullets that passed by at low altitude or hit stones under their feet, while those who were unlucky had to use their bodies to bear the kinetic energy of the bullets.
Bloody light kept bursting out in the trench, and screams continued to echo in it. After a while, the trench was filled with bloody corpses, and the blood flowing out of their wounds instantly covered the bottom of the trench red. , like a carpet laid out to welcome the coming of death.
In this tragic scene, some soldiers began to have a mental breakdown. They either stood there blankly, not knowing what to do, and were knocked down by ruthless bullets; or they simply let out wild beasts' wails and tried to move back.
But even so, there were still some soldiers who still maintained their courage. They tried their best to climb up from the trench, and then climbed up the sloping city wall, while using the gap created by the shelling to cover themselves.
However, after these bravest soldiers climbed to the wall, they were greeted by bullets and bayonets from the defenders.
Unable to support themselves, they were pushed down amidst screams, and then fell heavily into the trench, facing their own death with their eyes open.
The intensive death turned the attack into a one-sided massacre, and seeing the constant sacrifices of their comrades, even the most determined warriors could not help but be dominated by fear at this moment.
Then, the remaining soldiers began to retreat involuntarily, first taking one step or two, and then running quickly. No one paid attention to the wounded soldiers who were still wailing on the battlefield. They just ran for their lives and ran all the way back to where they started. Trench during the attack.
As a result, this anticlimactic attack seemed unsustainable from the beginning. The attackers returned to the starting point, as if everything had never happened - but the corpses left in the open space and the trench under the bastion were enough to prove that The brutal killings that happened before.
This was the first time Aeglon's army retreated before the enemy.
Seeing the cowardly performance of his subordinates, the commander-in-chief Michel Ney, who was watching the battle in the artillery position, was so angry that he jumped to his feet.
In his opinion, his subordinates were embarrassing him and making him feel ashamed of his surname.
"Go quickly! Order them not to retreat! Officers are obliged to maintain order and continue the attack! Anyone who dares to retreat without authorization will be shot!" He shouted angrily at the messengers.
Then, he couldn't hold it in any longer and walked out of the position, preparing to charge with the orderlies around him.
However, Aigron, who was watching the game from the high ground, also observed Michel Ney's actions.
"Tell Michelle to stay where he is, I don't need him to charge!" He quickly ordered to his guards.
The guards quickly followed the order and finally restrained Michelle Ney, who was already furious.
At this time, the soldiers who had retreated to their original positions tried to retreat back to the camp, and it was about to turn into chaos that would spread throughout the army.
Aiglon and Michel quickly ordered the officers and guards to suppress them. After a period of confusion, they finally let
At this time, everyone knew that the attack could no longer continue.
As a result, Aigron ordered a suspension of the attack and asked all troops to return to their starting positions. The first attack on Mesolonghion failed within an hour.
Aiglon let his officers and soldiers rest for a noon to recover their wounded spirits, and then he gathered his main officers together again.
These officers came quickly with the order, and they were all a little downcast at the moment, and it could be seen that they no longer had the high spirits they had before.
Eggron wasn't surprised.
Since he led his men to land in Greece and go into battle, every battle they fought ended in victory. Although these victories were not large in scale, they were enough to make his men develop a sense that "victory is so easy to get." romantic ideas.
Therefore, they have not experienced real setbacks and are not mentally prepared for temporary difficulties.
In this sense, the current offensive setback can be regarded as a necessary make-up lesson - after all, no army in history has ever achieved victory in every battle, so how to continue to maintain cohesion despite setbacks is extremely important. important issues.
Compared to the calm Egeron, Michelle Ney seemed much more uncomfortable.
He walked up to Aiglon, tears almost bursting from his eyes, his face twitched with shame, and he could hardly speak.
"Your Majesty, I'm sorry... I let you down. I never thought that my subordinates would retreat on their own in such disgrace... I live up to my name! Please punish me!"
"No, I won't punish you, Michelle." Aigron shook his head, "From the very beginning, we knew that this was definitely not a fortress that could be taken easily, and you have already explained it to me. So - it is not surprising that the first attack failed, I am very satisfied with the performance of all of you. If you feel humiliated, then what you need most is to pick yourself up and continue to serve me with the same performance as before Serve."
"Your Majesty..." Seeing that Aigron was so reasonable, Michel Ney was even more grateful. "Even if the conditions are difficult, retreating without permission before receiving the order to retreat is intolerable. This is a serious shame! Ordinary soldiers, we We can no longer pursue the case, but the officers should have a demerit and be stripped of their medals. They must remember their shame! Let them show their due spirit of sacrifice in future battles and set an example for all subordinates."
"They are your subordinates, you decide." Aigron was noncommittal.
Although he understood the difficulties of his men, retreating without orders would not be tolerated in any case, and he also approved of punishment and deterrence.
For the military, no matter how many objective reasons there are, discipline is always a truth that cannot be violated.
After the conversation between the two ended, Aigron's eyes fell on the faces of the other officers present.
And he soon discovered that almost everyone had a very ugly expression.
Obviously, the failure of today's attack was a heavy psychological blow to them.
At the last collective meeting, everyone had lost confidence in the frontal attack on Mesolonghion. However, because they had not practiced it yet, some people were lucky. After today's attack, the bloody The fact has been put in front of everyone - although their troops have an advantage over the defenders, the possibility of taking this fortress by storm is extremely slim.
How can this not be depressing?
"Cheer up, everyone!" Aigron increased his voice, trying to cheer them up. "Although we did encounter a setback today, my determination has not changed. I must win Mesolongion!"
His words did not inspire a response from everyone, but instead made them look at each other in confusion.
After looking at each other for a moment, Prince Charles, his cousin, finally spoke in a low voice, "Your Majesty... With all due respect, we suffered huge casualties today, but they are still within an acceptable range. But if we keep attacking here If so, I'm afraid we don't have enough soldiers in our hands. You have seen that the fortress is very strong, so I ask you to think about it again. Don't waste our most precious strength here and get nothing..."
Although no one responded to him, it was obvious that others were nodding secretly. Obviously this was what everyone was thinking.
Seeing this scene, Aigron sighed inwardly.
He didn't blame his cousin for disturbing the morale of the army, because in this environment, anyone with normal logical thinking would come to the same judgment. It was just that Charlie dared to tell him face to face because he was his cousin.
Obviously, if they don't boost their morale, their army may start to weaken from the top - a commander who is reckless and mindlessly wastes the lives of his subordinates is not worthy of respect.
So, it's time to show off with them,
"You are right. Attacking Mesolonghion from the front has little chance of winning. Today's attack also proves this." Aigron nodded and admitted the reality.
Then, he immediately changed the subject, "But that doesn't mean we can't try other methods."
Then, Aiglon took out the sketch of Edmond Dantès from his arms, and then began to explain his plan to the sketch.
Everyone listened to his plan in silence, and it wasn't until Aigron finished that they whispered to each other.
"What do you think?" Aigron looked at Michelle Ney.
"Your Majesty, I think it is feasible to a certain extent, but the variables are too great." Michel Ney replied, "First of all, we don't know the enemy's internal defense. Secondly, it is too difficult to sail between the sandbanks. , it’s hard not to alert the enemy...so, I’m a little suspicious.”
Although he said this, his spirit was obviously lifted a lot - like a person who saw some hope in despair.
"Yes, I admit that it is very difficult, but I chose to take the risk because we have no other way." Aigron answered loudly. "The Count of Monte Cristo is the first nobleman I canonized. I have placed great trust in him. I believe he can do it for me!"
"Then...what if he fails?" Prince Charlie asked quietly.
"I promise you, if the Count of Monte Cristo's operation fails in the future, then I will take you to retreat and never fight again." Aigron looked at everyone and made a promise, "Does anyone else have any questions?"
