Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Turning the Tables (3)
The first outpost fell almost effortlessly. Even after capturing the outpost, a supply convoy entered, mysteriously becoming prisoners of the partisan forces.
They seized a large haul of supplies, including food, clothing, weapons, ammunition, medicine... an assortment that left the soldiers wide-eyed. According to the plan, after taking the outpost, they were supposed to take what they could and burn the rest on the spot, as long as it wouldn't affect their march.
However, after capturing the outpost, no one had the heart to burn these treasures. For example, the food – what did the Irish peasants eat? Mostly, it was potatoes! The typical Irish diet consisted of boiled potatoes, boiled potatoes, and more boiled potatoes.
But in the outpost's warehouse, there were bags and bags of flour! That was perfect for making bread! It had to be carried away! And those clothes and blankets, with their fine fabric and thick cotton... how could they compare to what they had before? People couldn't help but want to take them. Then there were the weapons, not as good as what their French comrades had provided, but they would still be treasured when they brought them back for the county and regional units. And, of course, the most crucial items were the medicines – things that couldn't be easily bought, and they couldn't afford to lose any of them. "What's the commander saying? I don't care, I want them, I want them..."
Fortunately, in this short operation, besides capturing a lot of supplies, they also took a considerable number of prisoners, especially the "militia" or "peacekeeping" forces, who almost kneeled as soon as the first shots were fired. In the days leading up to this, the partisans had made it clear that their policy was "surrender your weapons, and you'll be spared."
So, aside from a few who were too slow or foolish to surrender in time, most of the two hundred or so militia members emerged unharmed. Joyce summoned Sergeant Roy, "Take a squad and have these militia members carry as much of this stuff as possible back to our supply point. We're stretched thin, and you've got only ten men in your squad. Do you think you can handle over two hundred prisoners?"
"Reporting, Commander, no problem, even double that wouldn't be a problem!" Roy immediately replied.
Roy went to the warehouse and found several long ropes. He tied each of the militia members around the waist and lined them up in a chain. Then he loaded each one with as much as they could carry before leading them towards the marsh.
Joyce also utilized the captured wagons and sent them back slowly, carrying loads of supplies.
Joyce dared to do this because he knew that there were no large British forces nearby. So, in the short term, they were relatively safe.
However, this delay had negative consequences. Due to the excessive time spent at this outpost, when Joyce led his forces to the second target, he discovered that the British were well-prepared for defense.
"We lacked experience in handling war spoils, and this cost us too much time. What we could have taken with a surprise attack had to be seized through direct assault. This not only increased casualties but also gave the enemy an opportunity to destroy important supplies in the warehouse..." – Joyce, "Summary of the Second Anti-Sweep Operation."
Joyce's second target was the Blackwater Pond outpost, which had similar defenses to the first target. But by the time they reached it, the British had raised a drawbridge, soldiers were on the high walls, and the cannons were ready to fire.
The commanding officer of the garrison was Captain Lloyd. After hearing about the attack on the Yellow Willow Ridge outpost, he dispatched a messenger to Dublin to report what he had learned. At the same time, he ordered the drawbridge to be raised, preparing for defense.
He was reasonably confident in their defense. According to Lord Norfolk's estimate, the rebels had limited siege capabilities due to the lack of artillery. So, although they had many soldiers, they couldn't take well-defended outposts easily. When he saw the Irish "rebels," his confidence grew. They didn't have artillery.
"Don't panic, they don't have any cannons! Without cannons and with their numbers, how could they possibly take our fortifications? As long as we hold the outpost, the Governor-General will reward us generously!" Captain Lloyd shouted loudly, boosting the morale of his soldiers and indirectly trying to reassure the "militia."
"Brothers, those bog-trotters aren't anything to fear. We have cannons; don't be afraid!" The soft voice belonged to the "peacekeeping" commander. Lloyd felt that the "peacekeeping" forces were a burden most of the time. Still, if they could fire some shots randomly over the walls, they might be of some help at a time like this.
"Rebels" stopped just outside the firing range of the cannons. They didn't seem eager to attack, appearing to be waiting for something.
"Tommy, what are they doing? Why aren't they attacking?" asked a British soldier.
"How would I know? Maybe... maybe they saw our cannons and got a bit scared?" answered the soldier named Tommy.
Captain Lloyd, who was standing nearby, remained silent. He knew what the "rebels" were waiting for. He remembered Lord Norfolk's teachings at the officer training course.
"The rebels lack the capability for direct assaults. So, when they have an advantage, they'll likely want to resolve issues through guerrilla warfare. Because they lack artillery, their offensive capabilities are limited. Therefore, they may opt for encircling key positions, luring our reinforcements, and ambushing our troops in the prearranged battle site. However, if they are forced to assault well-defended positions, they will probably choose night attacks."
"So, these rebels are either waiting for an ambush against other troops or waiting for the cover of night to launch their attack," Captain Lloyd thought.
Soon, night fell. In the fading daylight, Lloyd noticed that the opponents were becoming active.
The British had made some preparations for a night attack. They had placed mines around the outpost. The landmines, although extensively used by the Irish against the British, had also fallen into the hands of the British. Shamelessly, the British had started replicating them as soon as they could. Besides landmines, they had set up illumination fires outside the walls. This way, even in the dark, the area would be slightly brighter.
Of course, it remained to be seen how effective these measures would be.
"If the rebels attack, they will have to pass through the minefield first. This will cause casualties and act as an indicator for the target," Lloyd commented as he inspected the cannon positions while waiting for the landmines to explode. Once they did, the artillery would immediately fire shrapnel in that direction to strike the potential attackers.
However, the landmines never exploded, leaving Lloyd increasingly worried. "What are those rebels doing in the darkness?"
The "rebels" were doing what you might expect – clearing the mines. After discovering electromagnetic induction phenomena, the military-industrial complex had introduced a new toy – the coil landmine detector. Powered by a simple dry battery, it effectively detected metallic landmines buried underground. The British, not being short of money, used these detectors to find and remove the mines they had laid around their outposts.
Next came the illuminated fires. These fires had limited illumination, but as long as the attackers didn't fear losing a few dozen yards, they could quickly cross the lit area. In this process, the enemy could fire at most once. Now, because the mines had not been effective, the enemy's attention wasn't on the fires.
At this moment, the artillery on the outpost's walls suddenly fired haphazardly in the direction of the minefield. Apparently, the British hadn't yet noticed the approaching Irish troops.
"Sound the signal!" Joyce ordered when his forces were in position.
The bugler stood up, raised his bugle, and the "drip, drip, drip" of the horn echoed. Amid this sound, the soldiers burst out of the darkness, crossing the illuminated area lit by the fires. They were now facing a trench.
The soldiers placed ladders against the trench and quickly crossed it. At this point, the defenders on the wall noticed them and began raining down musket shots. The attacking force suffered heavy casualties.
While under heavy fire, the attackers managed to place explosive charges at the base of the wall and ignite the fuses. They retreated quickly.
The rapid retreat of the "rebels" relieved Captain Lloyd. But immediately after, there were several large explosions, and large sections of the wall crumbled.
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