Chapter 180: The Easy Victory

“God, have mercy on them!”
“111th Regiment, advance!”
After being shattered by gunfire countless times, the French had internalized the concept of skirmishing attacks to the core. Thus, the formation of the twelve infantry companies attacking was quite scattered. Yet, due to their excessive density, they still formed units the size of infantry platoons.
Braving the torrent of bullets, they shouted and waved large flags as they charged forward. In their minds, Erminga’s infantry brigade would strike behind the Black Flag Army, turning their assault into a leisurely march.
But the Black Flag Army was equally delighted to see the French arranged in such a formation—they could barely hold back their laughter.
It had been so long since they last saw such a mass charge after the Shanxi Campaign. In that instant, all hidden firing positions opened fire simultaneously.
37-mm machine gun shells rushed in with thick smoke, various mortar shells rained across the entire formation, and rifle fire never ceased—truly a downpour of attacks.
The local infantry lost all courage in that moment. They fled desperately, trying to find hope for survival amidst the sea of fire. But with bullets everywhere, where could they go? People fell every minute.
The bombardment never stopped. Though the French, with their disciplined courage, charged straight into the bullets, they managed to advance less than 100 meters before being pushed back by the onslaught.
Not only did the enemy forces on the front lines fire with full force, but those on the high ground to the left also opened fire relentlessly. Hundreds of shells struck the formation, creating a storm-like effect.
The violent explosions even drove away the original mist, surrounding all the French troops in smoke—their only hope for survival.
Although the mist reduced the effectiveness of the artillery bombardment, aside from rows of corpses, the French were forced to turn and flee, abandoning both the dead and the wounded as they rushed toward the rocky outcrop.
Erminga’s infantry brigade continued to attack, but its efforts were futile. The high ground to the left of the Black Flag Army had enough defenders and firing positions, and Erminga’s textbook-style attack achieved nothing significant.
“The 111th Regiment is doomed!”
One staff officer said to Nigri, “We must reorganize our troops!”
All reinforcements were also suppressed by the Black Flag Army. Now, the 111th Regiment was struggling under their firepower, and their assault left nothing but massive casualties.
“I’ll go save them!”
Nigri knew his mission clearly: “It was my wrong order, so I take responsibility.”
……
On the other side of the battlefield, Liu Yu could see little through the mist. Though it had thinned considerably, his best tool for understanding the battlefield was still the telephone.
However, he could see the joy among the soldiers: “Commander, an entire enemy brigade has come, and we wiped them out with little effort. Now their remnants are still fighting desperately in front of their positions.”

The officer laughed so hard his eyes crinkled: “Great! This is truly amazing! It’s been ages since I’ve seen them charge in formation!”
Liu Yu, however, asked, “Where is Erminga’s brigade?”
“Now those two infantry brigades are mixed together; it’s impossible to tell which are Erminga’s troops and which are Nigri’s!”
“Then they’re all enemies!” Liu Yu concluded. “Start counterattacking in small units, with the infantry companies ready to follow up at any moment!”
The 111th Regiment was still fighting desperately. Of the twelve companies involved in the attack, fewer than three hundred men remained. It was a difficult moment. Although the remaining French troops weren’t completely demoralized, they could only huddle behind rocks, under repeated bombardment from the Black Flag Army’s artillery.
They could hardly do anything but passively endure the bullets fired by the Black Flag Army, occasionally firing a few shots themselves. They waited in the white mist, hoping it wouldn’t dissipate.
“And our gunfire! The 111th Regiment is still fighting!”
This development excited Nigri greatly: “Form a charging company! Follow me to support the 111th Regiment! Hurry! There’s not much time left!”
Nigri’s plan to lead the charge himself was rejected by his subordinates. As the supreme commander, he shouldn’t take on the responsibilities of an infantry company commander. But soon, 150 brave men volunteered.
They leaped forward quickly, eyes narrowed: “Don’t worry! We’ll bring back all the wounded and corpses!”
The sun gradually rose, and the mist thinned. The rocks that had provided cover for the French forces soon became fully visible to the Black Flag Army, making them an ideal target for attack.
They even fired a barrage of artillery shells at the area, sweeping every corner with mortar fire. Many were injured or killed, but the French forces finally managed to organize a counterfire.
However, their shooting yielded little result. The Black Flag Army could eliminate any target in their line of sight without hesitation, while Erminga’s attacks had entered their fourth round.
Although the wave-like attacks had achieved some success, it was still far from sufficient. He seriously considered deploying an entire infantry regiment. But thinking of the lessons from the 111th Regiment earlier, he felt a chill. He thought it was better to prioritize safety—after all, the 111th Regiment was part of Nigri’s brigade.
Nigri, on the other hand, was extremely dedicated. Both the 111th Regiment and the volunteer charging company were under his command. Now that the charging company had bravely approached the enemy positions, an officer would organize their retreat.
The mist dissipated even more. The French forces’ original confidence had vanished after this battle. They realized that even under these conditions, the Black Flag Army had built highly sophisticated fortifications. This wasn’t the kind of field battle they wanted—it was a standard siege battle.
“Damn it!”
They no longer had much hope of achieving a decisive victory. How many troops had they deployed in the Shanxi campaign! That was the peak of French combat strength in Vietnam, yet the French still lost, utterly defeated.

At the thought of this, the soldiers of the Ermingarde Infantry Brigade also attacked weakly, their officers equally undecided. Just then, bursts of cheers suddenly came from the front. “Long live! Long live!” Soon the soldiers were energized by this development: “It’s the Volunteer Assault Company—they’ve brought back the 111th Regiment!” “The men of the 111th Regiment are back! They’re back!” This was the only thing that excited the French since the battle began—the 111th Regiment hadn’t been annihilated by the Black Flag Army. Over a hundred native soldiers had already fled back, and now, with the help of the Assault Company, French soldiers were also making their way back through the hail of bullets. “Amazing!” Ermingarde exclaimed at this turn of events: “We can achieve victory!” But he soon realized that the remnants of the 111th Regiment were in terrible condition. Six or seven French companies had participated in this attack, yet only two companies remained after retreating. “God! If word of this gets back to home, who knows what kind of disputes it will cause!” “We’re in big trouble!” “We shouldn’t have fought the Black Flag bandits—it’s their territory.” The standing soldiers lacked confidence in themselves. After over a year of fighting, the initial patriotic fervor and romance had long vanished, and everyone was thinking about more practical matters. The 111th Regiment was a stark reminder of reality—they hadn’t only retreated but also faced pursuit by the Black Flag Army. The artillery on both sides was engaged in fierce combat, while the infantry fired all their bullets as quickly as possible. “Where is Nigri?” Ermingarde asked. “I must discuss important matters with him.” Just then, the Black Flag Army launched probing attacks, with their small units searching for targets and launching assaults from all directions, with gunfire incessant. “Where is General Nigri?” “Colonel, he’s commanding the rear troops to cover the retreat of the 111th Regiment!” Nigri was a brave general. Though he hadn’t participated directly in rescuing the 111th Regiment, he was still directing operations at the front lines. Ermingarde hoped to see Nigri immediately. The battlefield had changed drastically, and he needed to understand the full situation to make a decision. “Where is General Nigri? I’ll go see him!” Soon someone called out, “Colonel, General Nigri is here! Please come!” Ermingarde ran quickly toward them. “Major General, do you have any orders? I’m willing to follow any of your commands.” He hoped to gain some support from Nigri, and seeing him would calm him down. But soon he cried out in shock, “Major General, what happened to you?” He saw a stretcher, with Nigri, covered in blood, leaning on it, his face pale. Several military doctors were giving him emergency treatment. “Colonel, General Nigri is injured.” “How did this happen?” Colonel Ermingarde was stunned for a moment. “How could the Major General be injured?”

“The major general personally led his troops to cover the withdrawal of the 111th Regiment, but during the battle with the Black Flag Army, he and his staff were unfortunately hit by a mortar shell and suffered severe injuries.”
“Is it serious?”
“Quite serious,” said the military doctor in a seasoned tone. “If not treated promptly, it could be life-threatening. He shouldn’t have gone to the front line.”
As a major general commanding a brigade, acting as a front-line commander like a company commander would have far-reaching consequences in case of an accident: “It now depends on you, Colonel!”
“Me?” Erminga asked herself in her mind. “Me?”
“After the major general was injured, you are the highest commander of the entire force.”
“You must take on all the responsibility.”