Reich Marshal of the Belkan Reich

RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Interlude: Enemy at the gate! (Part 4)

BANG

The Colonel fires his Weapons Officers Carbine, which is literally just an m/1894 carbine that has his initials on it instead of a normal serial number. Despite the shorter barrel for officers and cavalry usage, 450mm compared to the 739mm of the infantry model m/1986, the carbine in the Colonel's hands remains impressively accurate. The bullet spat out by his carbine hit squarely in the center mass of a Sardegnian, one that has been running for a de-crewed heavy machine gun. Old coot as he might be, the Colonel still got it in him to hit a faraway moving target with himself riding a horse. That said, the man understands that if he were to use a different rifle, he might not have necessarily been able to make that shot.

The carbine he is using, or more broadly the family tree of Swedish Mauser, is fabricated using Swedish-supplied high-grade tool steel alloyed with nickel, copper, and vanadium, a product noted for its strength and corrosion resistance. Characterized by being very precise due to their cartridge, the 6.5x55mm, they are superior in range and precision to the contemporary infantry rifles of other nations. The carbine version is a cut lighter and easier to handle than the full-length rifle that is in service of the infantry the Colonel has brought today. A characteristic that has saved many of his impromptu riders and even himself a fair bit of time already. Their compact size aids in getting a swifter sight picture of the targets while still being stable enough to get a shot off. Reloading the carbine on horseback is also less complicated than expected, especially when you are an experienced rider or are trained in the art of war riding. Obviously, it won't be as fast as reloading a magazine of an SMG or a pistol, but perfectly doable as long as you get a good hold of the rein.

Rechambering another round, thus sending the spent cartridge to a place unknown, the Colonel keenly surveys his surroundings. To his sides and behind him, his cavalry unit is stomping every resistance beneath their hooves. The enemy tries their best to cause whatever damage they can, and they have managed to do some, in fact. Nonetheless, the Sardegnians are fighting a losing battle and they know it. There are rumors about desperate attempts in the Spanish-Sardegnian war that have the Sardegnians committing suicidal attacks. The Colonel hopes that the warning is still fresh on the minds of his men.

While the Colonel is mulling over possible battlefield development, his men do not stay idle. A rider charges a group of enemies, burying the sharp end of his shovel deep into the skull of a Sardegnians. Not stopping there, he sweeps the muzzle of his SMG, dumping enough bullets to turn the broadside of a barn into Swiss cheese. It does get the job done, however, as the rider has incapacitated, if not outright killed a squad of infantry. The rider reloads his weapon before retrieving his shovel which is now coated in a fresh layer of gore, leaving behind a crumpling body with its head split open vertically. The man carries onward, in search of a fresh kill as they make their way toward the Sardegnian artillery emplacement. His success also prompts other riders to be more spirited and assured of their actions, leading the cavalry charge to be more and more deadly. The sound of horse hooves, the shaking of the ground, and the bloodthirsty aura of gore-covered horses and men make the Sardegnians balk and cower on sight. On their path of carnage to reach the artillery emplacement, Sardegnians are either running away from them or bleeding beneath their steps.

The Colonel, who has accompanied his men thus far, marvels at the damage they have done. Maybe, he should not be fearing for his men, but rather he should be pitying the Sardegnians instead. After all, they're dying far away from home, and dying a dog's death at that. Nonetheless, stray thoughts like that shouldn't be left festering on the field, it would be his own death otherwise. Focusing back on the road ahead, the Colonel understands that by rounding a corner, they would then have a straight line toward the artillery, and the pier behind it. The intelligence given by the King himself has proven very true thus far, and it has aided them much in expediating the assault's progress.

Leading ahead once more, the Colonel and his group of twenty riders or so make a right turn. It's a direct dash toward the artillery, with some minor makeshift barricades in the way. Nothing the horses can't handle as they have managed to jump over taller things than some boxes and tables. It doesn't mean that a horse can't outrun bullets, however. Casualties are to be expected in any cavalry charge, especially more so in the modern era. Bullets are cruels, and faster than any horse could ever hope to achieve. Even when the shooters are panicking, there's a chance that a stray bullet will still manage to find a target out of sheer, dumb luck. Such has been the case for the round that strikes the Colonel on the head, and the force has been enough to knock his upper body backward momentarily. Fortunately for the Colonel, God has blessed him on this particular occasion. The bullet, from what can only be presumed as a rifle round, has struck his helmet at a shallow angle. The force has knocked the Colonel's helmet off his head while giving him a Hell of a headache, but the man himself is still very much alive and itching for a payback.

Emboldened by the Colonel's fearless charge, even if his head is bleeding, the cavalry storms over the last of the Sardegnians' defense before the artillery pieces. Bullets are fired, blades are drawn, and very soon, there's nothing left to stand in the way of their goal. Only, there's an issue, and it's an exceptional one at that.

In a desperate attempt to deter the Swedish riders, one of the Sardegnian howitzers has lowered its muzzle at them. Suffice to say, the scene has been enough to raise goosebumps in the Swedish riders. Even before the warning can come from the Colonel, they have all dispersed in advance. Most important of all, they pray to their God that the shell won't be landing anywhere near them. They do not stop their charge, though, for it would have been impossible to do so since it's their nature as horseback cavalry.

As if making a point that their mental preparation has been useless, however, the howitzer fires... Only to miss splendidly and hit some poor buildings way behind the charging horsemen. Nothing important is lost, so it should be fine to continue the charge, right? Apparently so because the howitzer isn't able to get another shot before the first riders have not arrived on top of them.

In the post-battle incident report though, it has been uncovered that the howitzer hasn't had enough gun depression to engage the Colonel's cavalry. Lucky break that was.

Moving close, the Swedish horsemen suppress the artillery installation with their rifles and SMGs, right before the Colonel and a few other chuck grenades at the spot. Speeding away with the sound of screaming Sardegnians as the backdrop, the Colonel and his men are soon basking in the explosive heat of a large explosion, generated by their grenades detonating artillery munitions behind them.

Now that the artillery emplacement is taken care of, the Colonel allows himself and his men a breather after securing an intersection, paving the way for the armored and infantry elements to rejoin them. Overlooking the battlefield on horseback, the Colonel is somewhat surprised to see a good number of surviving Sardegnians retreating back to the pier, with many of them boarding the vessel they arrive on. The dock is small with only one way in, so storming that place even with tankettes would be a bad idea with how many bodies and guns the Sardegnians have left. Not to mention the fact that they won't even have enough time From the look of it, the Sardegnians will be sailing their ship away. Something that the Colonel knows can't be stopped, not with his force alone.

If they can't stop it, then perhaps it's time to call in the big guns. The King did say something about his namesake coming over soon.

THIS CHAPTER UPLOAD FIRST AT NOVELBIN.COM