Chapter 171: We Could Just Surrender...
While Linde was setting her plans into motion, Berengar had begun another round of conscription. With the time it took to train recruits, he could have another division when Austria finally fell to the Bavarians. The Army of Tyrol was a well-oiled machine at this point, with a large batch of veterans acting as Non-Commissioned and Commissioned Officers; their experience from Berengar's previous campaigns allowed them to maintain control of the many new conscripts who formed the majority of the new units which were appearing. Infantry and Artillery had been prioritized in recruitment, as for the Cuirassiers and other forms of Cavalry such as the Lancers in which Berengar was fostering, they were costly to train and maintain, and as such had taken a backseat.
By now, 3/4s of all of Berengar's forces were equipped with the 1417/18 Rifled Musket, allowing a massive range advantage on the battlefield and during sieges alike. Because of this Berengar had decreed the 1417 Land Pattern Musket, which was smoothbore to be halted in production, and the existing Muskets were to be converted into Rifled Muskets. When Berengar finally marched to war in an attempt to reclaim Austria, all his troops would be equipped with Rifled Muskets.
Aside from Line Infantry, units of Grenadiers were fostered by the more talented conscripts and were utilized as shock troops. Berengar had also begun forming Jaeger Companies comprised of lightly armored soldiers with special rifles designed for long-distance shooting. These rifles were based on the Whitworth rifle from the American Civil War during Berengar's past life. The primary difference is that they utilized a flintlock system instead of a percussion cap system. These precision rifles employed specials hexagonal bullets in a .451 caliber and were capable of an effective range from 800 - 1,000 yards. The Jaeger Companies would be used as marksmen on the battlefield and would precisely execute high-profile targets, such as enemy commanders.
These Jaeger units were dressed in Green and Black Landsknecht clothing and wore very little in terms of armor; after all, they were engaging targets at such a distance they seldom needed the protection afforded by armor. The Jaeger recruits were handpicked from the most capable shooters and trained explicitly in marksmanship. They would indeed have a fearsome reputation on the battlefield when they were finally deployed.
...
While Berengar's forces improved in size and strength, the battle at the borders of Tyrol was still ongoing. Reinforcements had arrived to Count Siegmund's forces, and he was now forced once more to march on the walls of the Star fortress. His medieval soldiers boldly held onto their weapons as they charged at the walls of the mighty fort in front of them. Trepidation filled every step, as those who had been present to witness the bloody spectacle of the last charge were all too aware of what awaited them.
Nevertheless, the men were pushed forward towards the steel-reinforced concrete walls in which the Tyrolean forces were garrisoned. After advancing towards their objective, the thunder of the cannons mounted on the walls began to echo in the air, and the explosive shells rained down upon the invaders who prayed for their survival. However, if God truly existed, he was far from merciful; after the first barrage of cannon shells landed into the enemy's formation, they exploded upon impact and sent shrapnel in all directions. The blast itself was deadly. However, the shrapnel caused absolute carnage, which tore its way through the gaps in the Bavarian soldiers' armor and wreaked havoc across the battlefield.
This was only the first volley, as such the cannons were rapidly reloaded before being fired once more. Meanwhile, the defenders of the garrison began firing their rifled muskets at the enemy when they appeared within range. The large .58 caliber lead bullets tore through the brigandine and plate armor of the attackers, rendering their defensive equipment practically useless. Blood spilled with every successful hit, and bodies fell to the floor.
Despite this, the Bavarians continued to advance, hoping to get to the fortress and raise their ladders. Yet such a thing never occurred as they were quickly torn to shreds by the defender's mighty weapons. It did not take long before the survivors began to route back to their siege camp once more. Despite the reinforcements received from the Duke, Count Siegmund's army had once more failed to reach the sturdy walls of the star fortress. Filled with fury from the recent defeat the Count began to curse to himself as he witnessed the bloody spectacle unfold.
"I can't even build a God damn trebuchet without it being blasted to shreds by those wretched cannons! How the hell am I supposed to take this fortress!?!"
The commanders of his army were circled around him, and every one of them could feel the Count's pain. Duke Dietger of Bavaria had ordered the man to invade Tyrol from the Northwest, and despite his best efforts, he could not even get close to the fortress which blocked his path. Every time he attempted to do so, his men would be torn asunder by the powerful weapons in which the defenders possessed. It was not simply a matter of explosive power but the exceptional range in which the defenders held. Archers and Crossbowmen did not stand a chance to get a shot off before getting gunned down by the rifled muskets.
Due to the range of the cannons, Count Siegmund could not advance siege weapons into a position without them getting torn apart by the guns above. Trying to invade Tyrol was a nightmare for Count Siegmund, especially since he was morally against the idea, to begin with. Was this God's punishment for daring to march on the center of the Reformation? This was a question Count Siegmund had asked himself many times since he first arrived at the Tyrolean border.
Nevertheless, Duke Dietger would not accept failure; the rest of Austria had been invaded, so why were he and the other Commander who took a position in the Northeast having such a hard time advancing into Tyrol. No matter how Siegmund tried to inform Dietgar of Berengar's weapons, it was of no use; one would have to personally witness their destructive power to believe their effects, for they were something that had never been seen before in this feudal world. Eventually one of Siegmund's commanders voiced a suggestion on how to proceed.
"Why don't we just wait for Duke Dietger to conquer the rest of Austria before we attempt to attack again. Morale is shaking, and there is no point sending more men to the slaughter. Before long, we will have a mutiny on our hands. It is simply impossible to enter through Tyrol through the borders of Bavaria..."
What the man said was the most reasonable course of action for the Bavarians at the Tyrolean border. Any further attacks would be a waste of lives. Since they could not enter through the border with Bavaria, they would have to wait for Dietger to march on Tyrol from Salzburg, which could only happen after the eastern portion of Austria was taken.
Of course, Siegmund was fearful that if he took this approach, his liege would punish him severely for his "cowardice" as such, he was hesitant to adopt such a strategy. Thus he tried to encourage possible alternatives from his commanders.
"Is there any other ideas on how to break through this fortress that has blocked our path?"
After a few moments of silence, one of the other commanders decided to voice his idea, despite knowing it would probably be rejected.
"We could just surrender..."
The moment he said this, all eyes stared at him as if he were an imbecile; as such, he quickly coughed before explaining himself further.
"There are probably less than 500 men in that garrison, and Berengar has these forts all over the border, assuming his entire army is equipped with such terrifying weapons. Do we really believe Duke Dietger can win this war? Is it not better to surrender to Berengar's armies now and be treated with dignity? I hear he is quite merciful to those who surrender willingly."
After explaining himself thoroughly, the other commanders present began to take his idea as a realistic suggestion. They had already lost thousands of men in their multiple attempts at the wall without injuring any of the defenders; even in a field battle, the weapons the Tyroleans used would be disastrous to fight against. Maybe the man had a point?
After a heated debate, Siegmund had finally come to a decision. He would no longer waste the lives of his men trying to invade Tyrol, it was a pointless endeavor, but he also would not surrender to Berengar until he knew who would win the war as such he gave his commands.
"We will sit back and do nothing until we can see who a clear winner of this war is. If Dietger's armies begin to pressure Berengar's, we will launch another offensive; if they are soundly defeated, we will surrender to Berengar. Does anyone disagree with this approach?"
After having a vote, the result was unanimous; the army at the Northwest Border of Tyrol would no longer actively engage in this conflict, giving Berengar and his forces some reprieve.