Chapter 221: (Self Edited) Decisive Battle (2)
Rushing up the stairs and scanning the battlefield, the frontlines were already considerably close to each other. Yet, they had not made contact yet. In the central front, infantry units were slowly advancing while Gin’s combat carriage unit, led by himself riding a horse, was seen moving forward.
Just within reach of the enemy’s gunfire, the carriages formed a gentle curve, like arrows descending from the sky onto the ground, while presenting their rear at a 45-degree angle to the enemy, stopping diagonally. Through rigorous training, the carriages were arranged almost perfectly in a straight line.
The draft horses, previously pulled by the coachmen, were detached, and the coachmen mounted the saddled ones. Each coachman held the reins of a single horse, guiding them swiftly past the allies’ frontline and away from the battlefield. The carriages were left behind.
Shortly after, as the enemy’s line drew nearer, the 139 carriages lined up horizontally commenced firing. The enemy soldiers began their counterfire. Unfortunately, it seemed ineffective.
These large carriages, gathered from all walks of life, were equipped with roofs and iron plates on their left sides and rear, providing substantial ballistic protection against enemy bullets. The iron, gathered from various sources and hammered to a thickness exceeding 3 millimeters, was adjusted for optimal defense.
To increase the defensive capability and evasion, they angled themselves diagonally to the enemy’s gunfire instead of presenting a flat side. Trapped inside, the former soldiers of the Second Army would be diligently venting smoke generated by their own gunfire through manual ventilation fans, while listening to the barrage of enemy bullets pounding against the metal. The fans seemed to be working well, as smoke billowed out from the ventilation ports installed on the roof of each carriage like chimneys.
With a crew of 9, one would be tasked with operating the ventilation fan, while the rest, in pairs, would alternate between reloading and firing through the slit-like gunports. Though copious amounts of white smoke rose from the enemy frontline, most of it would likely result from futile attempts to breach the iron plates.
The crucial point was that these carriages could form a wall against infantry without firearms and could unilaterally attack enemy gunmen in a firearms battle. Even if the enemy attempted to bring down the carriages through close combat, by then, the distance would have closed, allowing Dimitri’s elite soldiers to engage in close combat and continue firing even when approached. In close combat, they had no weaknesses.
Through the telescope, it was observed that the infantry catching up were securing chains attached to the carriages, passing them to the neighboring ones, diminishing the momentum of their charge. Originally, this equipment was designed to counter a cavalry charge of several thousand riders, but it seemed such an event was not happening.