Chapter 615 The Battle of the Left Bank of the Tam River of the Three Kings and One Duke
The army that Wiglaf tried his best to gather finally arrived at the outskirts of Tamworth. When he really saw his beloved capital, he felt that the situation was more serious than he expected.
"Those damn ships! Damn Vikings!" He clenched his fists while riding his horse, as if his finger bones were about to be broken.
The Earl of Shrewsbury came on horseback. Although the situation was beyond his imagination, he was confident after fighting the Old Britons in Wales for so long.
"Your Majesty, none of the scouts we sent have returned. They will not get lost unless they are all killed. It seems that the enemy intends to fight us to the end."
"It seems that the enemy has a lot of troops, we..." Earl of Leicester was worried, and he backed down.
The angry Wiglaf just wanted to rush down the gentle slope and kill all the enemies who had begun to gather.
Wait a minute! Why is there an orange flag inside? A group of troops is leaning on the Viking ship.
"Ernred! You traitor to the faith, I will kill you!"
Wiglaf flicked the reins and spurred his horse forward. Seeing this, the whole army began to move again.
On the other side of the battlefield, when the coalition soldiers backed by the fleet saw the movement of the Mercian army, everyone felt that the next step was a bloody battle.
Aynred dismounted, and his cavalry basically no longer existed. The warriors at hand were mostly farmers, and the number of troops could not be considered very large.
"The shield bearer is in front! The others are in the back!"
"Form a wall! Let's advance slowly!"
"Attention archers, stay grouped."
He tried his best to imitate the tactics of the Vikings, specifically the Rus' army.
Behind the Northumbrian Army was the main force of the Ross Army and the Balmok Army, which relied on the fleet. There were also people standing on the moored ships. A group of torsion slingshots had been adjusted to their maximum shooting angle, and they could provide tactical support at any time.
Rurik claimed that this was a war between Mercia and Northumbria, and the Viking coalition had no obligation to help Northumbria.
That being said, when the war suddenly broke out this morning and the Mercian army was annihilated on a large scale without pain, it would definitely be a major threat to its future development on the British island.
Wearing an iron helmet, Arik knew that he had a chance to lead the brothers of the First Flag Team to take action.
He temporarily stood on the side of the Avlora facing the enemy and shouted loudly: "Look at your defeated generals! Rurik, this old guy with a broken arm is imitating us."
"Yes, I saw it all."
"Is this appropriate? This person has learned too much. If he turns against him in the future, we may encounter some trouble."
"It doesn't matter! We will become stronger by then! Look, they have only learned a superficial lesson."
"Okay! When will I take action? Those Mercian troops are here to die, and I can't wait to kill them as a blood sacrifice to Odin!"
Hearing his cousin's bold words, Rurik wanted to laugh. How could this guy get so smart? But it's okay, since his cousin is a simple martial artist, it will be easier to control him.
Both the Ross Army and the Balmok Army made arrangements. Each of the two armies took out 500 brave men and hid them behind the Northumbrian Army.
Firstly, they can play a role in supervising the battle. Secondly, they can also provide psychological protection for the Northumbrian army. Thirdly, if the war becomes tense, they can suddenly attack from both wings and encircle them in a roundabout way to fight a battle of annihilation.
This is Rurik's ruthless tactic, and it is also the pincer tactic that military strategists have tried many times. A rout is not considered a real victory, but a battle of annihilation that kills the enemy's effective strength is a victory.
The decisive battle must be a battle of annihilation. This is really a new thing for the Kingdom of Mercia, and Wiglaf has no idea about it. This is a demonstration that the Russians are more terrifying than other Vikings.
The Mercian army was advancing, and they saw their opponents gathering in a dark mass. Every warrior was worried about their future.
As the distance approached, Wiglaf finally saw clearly and he recognized the flags.
"He is indeed a Northumbrian! This disabled person, Eynred, is actually humiliating me! I want to negotiate with that guy. You guys, come with me!"
He was calling to the Earl of Shrewsbury and the Earl of Leicester. The two nobles did not want to take risks, but the king himself, wearing a small golden crown, actually rode out on horseback, accompanied by several guards.
"Is this guy crazy? Is the person we elected really a reckless fool?" Earl Shrewsbury shook his head and held the reins without moving.
Under such circumstances, the Earl of Leicester was also full of disappointment with Wiglaf. "It was he who announced the surrender of Wessex before, and it was he who caused the loss of the capital. This has completely offset his efforts to force East Anglia to surrender."
Attack. Friend, will you come forward to meet the Northumbrian?"
"Do you think I'll go?" Shrewsbury put on a stinky face.
Earl Leicester forced a smile, "I'm just afraid that Wiglaf will be killed by Aynred."
"If that's the case, I won't fight. I don't want to fight the Northumbrians."
"It's okay, I have too few people, and I don't want to be too impulsive."
Soon Wiglaf was shocked to hear that the two great nobles under his command had actually maintained restraint, and any words of loyalty had become bullshit to coax children.
He still approached the Northumbrian army in person and cursed Aynred in public for not being a man, especially the fact that he was not a man enough in that regard and even had his arm broken.
King Aynred of Northumbria, who was in the army, became furious when he mentioned this broken arm. What a humiliation, this is also one of the great humiliations!
Because the one who cut off his arm was Rurik of Rus, that young man was his biggest enemy, and the Viking army behind him were all his biggest enemies, so he had no choice but to cooperate with him and greet him with a smile.
But Eynred's hand was not empty. He actually prepared a terrifying gift for the Mercians.
After Wiglaf shouted, the Mercian army suddenly gave way.
Aynred himself took off his iron helmet, revealing a familiar face.
Upon seeing this, Wiglaf immediately became interested and continued to taunt: "Who do you think you are! You betrayed your soul and formed an alliance with the barbarians, and you killed my people and then took my city. You are a coward, a disabled person, and a woman who can't be beaten."
Those who spurn you will go to hell!"
Eynred wanted to kill this yelling guy with his own hands, and now it was time to deliver the gift.
A mutilated corpse was dragged out, still in front of Wiglaf.
"Do you recognize this person?" Eynred asked deliberately with the news.
"You! You guys!" Wiglaf suddenly fell off his horse in a sudden rage.
He was helped by the dismounted guards to get back on the horse. Regardless of the mud on his face, he screamed with bursting veins: "You killed my prince. You also humiliated his body."
"Yes, it's me!" Aynred kept his guilty conscience aside. In this world, the King of Mercia could not let the King of Mercia speak unilaterally. He deliberately shouted loudly: "I killed your Botwulf! Yours
All the relatives were killed! The canary you loved is now the pet in my cage!"
"You! You are so vicious!"
"Do you think you are a good person? You are just a hypocritical fool! Let me tell you, Tamworth is already my Northumbrian territory, and the Earl of Chester and the Earl of Perksett are also loyal to me. This is
This is the price for your invasion of our country, don’t you accept it? Then fight!”
"Fight! Then fight!"
Wiglaf had a sharp sword in his heart. He ordered his men to take away the prince's gray body, then mounted his horse and returned to his military formation.
Now, he had no intention of talking to the two men who were standing still.
As the king of Mercia, he faced all the warriors with his sword and commanded: "no miseria!"
The Mercians began to roar, then shouted the slogan "No mercy", and thousands of infantry began to advance.
Wiglaf was carried away by anger. Although the Earl of Shrewsbury and the Earl of Leicester felt uncomfortable with the advance of such a large army, the three thousand people under the direct command of the king were already advancing forward.
The armies of the two earls followed closely behind, and they deliberately followed the main force. Fighting for their lives with the Northumbrians was not what these two earls were interested in. Who was interested? Naturally, it was on the northern border.
Earl Lindsay, it seems that man has died in the battle.
The Mercian army behaved like a large group of thugs ready to fight. They had no clear formation at all, and only warriors holding shields at the front initially formed a loose shield wall.
"No miseria!" The Mercians kept roaring, each roaring to embolden themselves, and everyone shouted in unison, their morale really increased.
The Viking bows and arrows shocked Wiglaf for a time. As for the Northumbrians, he was really worthy of it. Even if the elite warriors suffered a large loss, others still had a psychological advantage over Northumbria.
"My lord, they are already within the range of the slingshot!" Yevro on the boat shouted to Rurik.
"Don't get involved in the battle yet! Inform all brothers not to shoot arrows without orders!"
Rurik wanted to sit on a high mountain and watch the fight between tigers. Soon, the armies of the two British Saxon kingdoms collided fiercely.
The two kings also completely vented the resentment accumulated in the previous months of confrontation. Seeking benevolence, benevolence was rewarded, and the two sides won a strategic decisive battle!
This battle is of great significance to the Russian people. Rurik saw it clearly and couldn't help but sigh: "I thought you could be stronger. I can't even imitate it, and now it's a chaotic battle again."
Yes, Aynred's main force was lost, and Wiglaf was in the same situation. Even if Aynred built a shield wall, the decorative significance of this wall is obviously greater.
The battlefield quickly turned into a chaotic battle between soldiers. There were no infantry tactics here. The minds of both sides were completely blank, and killing became their only reason for existence.
The front line was a battle of axes, swords and spears, and the dry grass was quickly covered with red liquid, quickly turning into a scarlet mud.
The archers in the rear fired at each other, but their numbers were too small, and their mutual support completely aggravated the chaos on the battlefield.
The chaotic fighting lasted for a while, and Rurik, who watched the whole play, felt that it was like an "ant war". Yes, ordinary farmers are like insignificant ants in this world, and their death is as meaningless as an ant's.
No support yet?
Rurik decided to continue to stand still. He was waiting for the right opportunity, but the Balmoks' thoughts were even more ruthless.
According to Magnute's idea, Northumbria and Mercia would both be wiped out in the battle, and then his Balmoq army from the Viking Kingdom of York would rush forward to pick up the fruits of victory.
Indeed, there was a huge fight between the two sides, and soldiers from the two countries were dying quickly. Naturally, there were many fighting madmen among them, most of whom were veterans of Earl Shrewsbury.
Rurik gradually realized this.
"Oh? The Mercians actually have elites?"
At this moment, Arik, who was already gearing up under the boat, raised his head and shouted loudly: "Isn't it okay? If the stalemate continues like this, I will take my brothers and charge by myself!"
"Then let's get started!"
As soon as Rurik finished speaking, the soldiers of Arik's First Standard Corps suddenly came out from the left side of the front to cover up the enemy.
Seeing the Russians taking action, the Balmoks also dispatched from the right under the leadership of Biyoni.
What Rurik did was actually even more amazing. He ordered: "Shoot forward! Focus on those who are wearing armor and hacking!"
At this moment, Jevro was a little hesitant and asked loudly: "My lord, there are Northumbrian warriors in there."
"Are you kidding me?" Rurik suddenly became furious and raised his face: "Do you really regard them as comrades in arms? Shoot me."
The words awakened the dreamer, because Jevro and the Northumbrian army had spent some time together, and such close contact could be seen clearly for their essence - they were all the most ordinary farmers.
But on the battlefield, this sense of compassion was too absurd, and Jevlo and his men returned to their cold nature.
The cast-iron projectiles smashed over! Arrows flew! And the javelins that were shot out were attacking the two armies fighting indiscriminately!
There was a whooshing sound in the sky, and Eynred was shocked!
"What are you doing! Those are my people." He turned around and called on Rurik to stay calm, but his own shouts had long been diluted by the shouts of killing.
But it was this move that made Wiglaf, blinded by anger, transform into a warrior. He rode into the battlefield with his guards and became the target of public criticism.
He was shot dead with a javelin, both man and horse. Wiglaf, who had escaped death in Dole Village, eventually died under Wiglaf's sword, just like several generations of his Mercian ancestors.
It was a battlefield, but for him personally he died a worthy death.
At this point, Wiglaf's family became extinct.
This scene was witnessed by Earl Shrewsbury, but the Earl himself encountered an even worse situation.
Stones and javelins falling from the sky caused massive losses to his soldiers. It was also seen that soldiers from both countries were nailed deeply to the grass by the javelins.
"This is the devil's trick!" He stared up and raised his head, seeing the blue and white flags flying on the ships, and there were new shouts of killing all around him.
He saw a large number of warriors holding round shields coming out from both sides, and it was obvious what would happen next.
"No! Let's leave quickly!" The Earl of Shrewsbury, who had just lost his beloved horse, ordered his people to retreat, but it was not easy to escape from the scorching battlefield.
The chance to escape is fleeting, and a new fierce battle has begun on both sides!
Arik felt that this battle was like a new replica of the decisive battle on Gotland. He also shouted among the rebels: "Russians! Defeat them just like you defeated the Gotlanders!"
Everyone understands it when listening to it.
The Rus and Balmoks did not hesitate to build shield walls and encircle them from both sides of the battlefield to the middle. A very clear encirclement was being built.
At the rear of the battlefield, Rurik ordered the suspension of long-range support until he was worried about accidentally injuring real friendly forces. He did not just sit back and watch the Viking coalition gain the final victory, but ordered a ruthless man like Yevro to carry a
The fierce mercenaries rushed into the chaos and supported the Northumbrian army from the front.
Those Mercian warriors who tried to fight against the Viking shield wall, they hit the shield with their weapons in vain, or dragged their exhausted bodies against the wall. Almost all of them were farmers who were urgently recruited. Of course, miracles may burst out in times of crisis.
They have average combat effectiveness, but their equipment is really poor and their physical strength is exhausted, so any counterattack will be in vain.
Peasant warriors were stabbed to death by steel swords pierced through gaps in their shields, or stabbed and hacked by halberds.
A deadly encirclement is about to form!
Seeing that it was no longer possible to escape with his men intact, Earl Shrewsbury simply left the battle with dozens of his men.
The round shield was a characteristic feature of the legendary Viking army. Two shield walls were rushing towards him. The earl led his last men like sharp swords into the gaps in the shields that had not yet completed the encirclement, and rushed out forcefully.
Is this a breakthrough?!
Realizing that someone had actually escaped, Arik was furious and could organize his men to pursue him.
Ross's crossbow shot down the fugitives mercilessly. Poor Earl Shrewsbury, who successfully broke through, his chain mail could not resist the surface-hardened pointed conical armor-piercing arrows shot by the steel-arm crossbow.
The count's horse had been shot long ago, and he had fled for his life on foot, but now he was nothing more than a dying, twitching corpse.
The encirclement was completed and kept shrinking, and what was left could no longer be called a battle.
The Viking coalition enjoyed a new autumn slaughter. They fought in the sun and sacrificed the blood of the Mercian army to Odin.
And what about Eynred? Now he is no longer laughing at his broken arm.
The once humiliated King of Northumbria finally found his confidence in the killing of the Mercian army. He knew that he had to be ruthless. Only in this way could he truly rule the land of Tamworth firmly.
Central Mercia, and even surrendered to the newly minted local nobles who submitted to themselves.
More importantly, it is to prove one thing to the Vikings - Northumbria is not a country of cowards!
Unfortunately, this king's performance in the actual decisive battle deepened Rurik's contempt for him. There is no need to say much in his evaluation, which can be summed up by saying "I don't know how to fight."