It was also the first time that Hillman presided over the entire division to participate in a formal war, and the first time he participated in a war was such a large and important battle. This made him extremely honored and at the same time felt heavy pressure. From a personal skill Only Hillman himself knows how much hard work and sweat it took to grow from an outstanding hunter to a division-level officer. He lacked formal military training and knowledge and had never served as a commander of a regular army. Man faced the dilemma of suddenly becoming a member of the Northwest Army from a Guide volunteer. Fortunately, the commander Long Zibing, who was from the regular army and had considerable combat experience, gave him a lot of help. Hill was also diligent, studious and leading by example. Mann quickly established a firm foothold in the Fifth Division, and what was most important to him was a year of further study at the Northwest Military Academy and several short-term trainings. In the eyes of the generals, various short-term trainings were optional. Hillman attended without missing a beat and graduated with honors.
Fei Mu, executive vice president of the Northwest Military Academy, commented on him: "He is tireless in learning and commendable in his diligence." He was awarded the Academy's highest award - the Order of the Rose (Note 1) twice. He was able to receive an award that he has always been stingy with. Fei Mu's praise for his eloquent language is rare in the entire Western Xinjiang military community. Many top students who claim to be graduates of the Imperial Military Academy find it difficult to get his respect during the training at the Northwest Military Academy. Look, the fact that a son of Orion origin was able to win twice the Rose Medal that many students dream of has made many people in the military circles of Western Xinjiang look up to him with admiration.
However, all these honors belong to the past. If you want to prove yourself, you must use the success of this battle to prove yourself. Hillman is well aware of the cruelty and importance of this battle, although he has absolute confidence in his division. Confidence, but the enemy is equally powerful, and many things cannot be accomplished just by having confidence.
The offensive was like a tidal wave. Hillman, holding the giant sword in his hand, stared intently at the battle ahead. This place had entered the range of the opponent's long-range weapons. Although the long-range strike weapons at the head of Fanlin City had already encountered long-range force from Western Xinjiang. Although suppressed, Kaman's slingshots and crossbows, which had already taken protective and evasive measures to move, were fired from time to time, posing a considerable threat to the attackers. However, in Hillman's view, war is inherently about bloodshed and sacrifice. If a division If the regiment commander is afraid of the enemy's attack damage and is afraid to move forward, then such a division commander can be discarded.
Stones the size of millstones continued to fall, and one of them landed near the Hillman Observation Post. The enemy's slingshot was so effective that two soldiers on standby were killed on the spot. The thick tower shield fell in front of the boulders falling from the sky. It seemed so fragile and futile. The powerful inertia brought by such huge stone bullets was enough to make all individual defensive weapons useless. Hillman waved impatiently to signal the guards who came to cover to get out of the way and not to interfere with his own battle situation. Such accidental events cannot affect Hillman's will. As a division commander, his responsibility is to accurately observe and judge the battlefield situation, and finally make reasonable deployment arrangements.
Wave after wave of surging attacks continued to roll towards the majestic city head, just like waves hitting the rocks. When the waves dispersed, the rocks still stood motionless. The blood-red waves rolled over, leaving behind countless broken limbs. No one expected that the war would be so intense, and it had already reached a fever pitch on the morning of the first day.
The First Regiment of the Fifth Division withdrew after only holding on for more than an hour. The huge consumption and losses forced them to accept the reality of defeat, but the Second Regiment that followed them also failed to achieve satisfactory results. , although they once rushed to the top of the city with the help of the power of siege vehicles, in just a few breaths, the desperate Kaman army relied on their superior strength to kill all the soldiers from Xijiang who rushed to the top of the city, falling to the ground like fallen leaves. The corpses were rising again, and dust was flying under the city wall. Hillman clenched his fists and watched the scene in front of him feebly. Although he had been quite mentally prepared, the young men who were so alive and victorious actually died in front of him. At this moment, this This heartbreaking feeling is enough to drive people crazy.
Forcibly restraining his desire to go into battle in person, Hillman gritted his teeth and issued the order for the Fifth Wing to follow up. In war, there are casualties and sacrifices. Hillman can only use this deep in his heart. In one sentence, he warned and reminded himself to stay calm. As a division commander, he must keep a cool head to deal with all emergencies. Otherwise, the command will bring greater losses to the troops. This is what he studied at the military academy. The middle school teacher reminded him again and again of his words.
And this is just one battlefield in Fanlin's offensive and defensive battle. In this battle, Liang Chongxin did not focus on attacking in a certain direction like in previous siege battles. Instead, he launched a strong attack from three gates at the same time, leaving only the east gate empty. Wait, this not only leaves a way for the Kaman people to retreat, but also reduces the Kaman people's desperate resistance. Although it is known that this tactic may not be useful for veterans like Maili, in this situation As long as it can be known to the middle and lower-level officers and soldiers of Kaman, it will be enough to shake the confidence of the officers and soldiers. This may not be seen in the early stage when the enemy's morale is strong, but in the later stage, especially when the war enters the most brutal stage of hand-to-hand combat, any A slight flaw in one party's psychological confidence will have unimaginable effects. As long as they think that there is another way to go, no matter who they are, they will first consider their own way of survival. This is determined by human psychological characteristics.
Just when Hillman was feeling angry and frustrated about the failure of the first siege, Nick, who was sitting in command in the official office of Fanlin City, was also often frightened by the fierce and complicated battle that was far beyond his imagination. He was already preparing for the third battle. The day was just a regular long-range weapon contest between the two sides. Unexpectedly, the long-range weapon contest only lasted a few hours before entering an unprecedentedly fierce offensive and defensive battle. What worried Maili even more was that the enemy was so determined to attack. He was so brave that he actually attacked his city twice on the first day of contact. This was simply unbelievable in the previous offensive and defensive battles he had experienced.
In addition to strictly ordering all the troops defending the city to strengthen their defenses, Mailley also had to rearrange the deployment of the reserve team, especially at the south gate where the attack was the fiercest. Mailley made an exception and sent an extra 2,000 reserve teams to take precautions. Although the attack on the city does not mean that the city defense is in danger, it at least proves that the enemy's attack capability exceeds his expectation. According to Maili's prediction, this phenomenon should not occur until at least the third day, but That this happened on the first day greatly heightened Mailey's concerns about his defensive scheme.
The shouts of killing that resounded through the sky lasted almost from the morning until the sun set in the afternoon. The eight-hour continuous attack was not only exhausting for the attackers, but also unbearable for the defenders. As the horn blew, almost everyone subconsciously He breathed a sigh of relief, and even Maili, who had been sitting in a handsome chair and resting with his eyes closed, felt the same way. This made Maili himself feel a sigh from the bottom of his heart. Maybe he was really old, and he couldn't help but have this hope. The subconscious thought of ending the war as soon as possible.
Liang Chongxin was very satisfied with the first day of the battle. The fighting spirit and combat effectiveness displayed by his First Army fully proved the status of this army in the Western Xinjiang Army. The Fifth Division attacking the South Gate and the North Gate attacked The Second Division once attacked Fanlin City. Although the time was short, it was a good start and allowed the Kaman people to truly see the style of the Western Xinjiang soldiers and the First Army.
Liang Chongxin did not place any hope on being able to capture Fanlin on the first day. If he had such an idea, it would be an insult to the ability of Maili, one of Kaman's two pillars. Although the two attacks on the city were worthwhile. Congratulations and encouragement, but Liang Chongxin also knows that this does not prove that the Kaman people are weak in defense, it can only show that there is a more difficult battle waiting for him and his army behind. It is obvious that Maili is conserving his strength and hiding it in the snow. The purpose of the main force is obvious. He hopes to have a protracted tug-of-war with himself, hoping that he can control the offensive and defensive rhythms of both sides and disrupt his own deployment, thereby gaining time and winning the opportunity for changes in the current situation to bring changes to the entire battle. Opportunity, Mailey's calculation should be said to be quite good, but maybe he really underestimated his side's determination and confidence this time.
The personnel losses and equipment losses of various ministries were quickly summarized in Liang Chongxin's hands. It should be said that the degree of personnel losses did not exceed Liang Chongxin's expectation, but the enemy's emphasis on siege equipment caused the equipment losses to far exceed expectations. Well, In order to prepare for this offensive and defensive war, the War Readiness Administration has tapped the war potential of the entire Western Xinjiang in this area. In addition to preparing sufficient equipment, a large number of craftsmen and repair equipment have also been directly transported to the front line. The craftsmen We can use the rest time of the soldiers at night to repair the equipment that can be repaired. This can not only greatly reduce the operating pressure of the engineering soldiers, but also further give full play to the overall attack capabilities of the equipment. After all, many equipment must reach a certain scale before they can be fully utilized. Their power, and the reduction in quantity will greatly limit their power.
Note 1: The Order of the Rose is a kind of medal issued by the Department of Culture and Health of the Government Affairs Bureau of the Western Xinjiang Metropolitan Protectorate. According to the level, they are the Peony Medal/Rose Medal/Darcissus Medal. It is mainly aimed at the cultural, health and education industries in Western Xinjiang. In order to reward those who have made outstanding contributions in the cultural, health and education industry, it was later extended to the students and students of the college. However, very few student students receive this medal, no more than three people every year.