An aide of Dumas was given a task. A signal flag to the steel-clad fleet was to be raised, ordering them to come in with the mission of bombarding the British in their superior position on the hill. Twenty minutes passed before the first artillery rounds reached their marks.
Chapter 10
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The battle for Portsmouth was short and bloody. At the peak of the fighting it seemed the entire town was afire. The French troops had been ordered to storm the hill. Without Napoleon's normal positioning of units for a purposeful fight, the order turned out to be a disaster.
Roger Dumas and a small group of aides remained huddled at the end of the dock. Their cover remained largely unmolested until the Josephine steamed in for a rescue. As she pulled up to the end of the dock, cannon rounds began to splash in the water around her, violent gushes of water sprayed up into the air. Those first few misses were followed by a hit on the dock, sending splintered wood in every direction, killing one of the aides and rendering another unconscious. The dock itself had been cut in half.
Roger Dumas jumped down to the deck of the steel-clad as it slipped alongside. He was followed by the others, the unconscious aide left behind. He scurried up a ladder and was soon inside the steel turret that protected the artillery piece as it continued to belt out rounds. When the third and last aide had entered the hatch, it was pulled shut and the propeller gears were put into reverse. The steel-clad slowly backed away and was quickly headed out to sea.
Dumas peered out through the command slot as the gunner continued to release rounds. “Thank you, Lieutenant. I don't think this battle is going to end on a good note for us.”
“Admiral, I was thinking. We still have the barges and the tanks. We could land them back on the beach at the original site. To the best of my knowledge the docks are still there.”
“Excellent suggestion, Captain.”
“It's lieutenant, sir.”
“You are mistaken, Captain Monesse.” The admiral turned to his aide. “See to it his promotion is expedited.”
The newly promoted captain bowed. “I am honored, Admiral.”
“Yes. Now, post a signalman on the deck. I want our barges and tanks back on the beach. And I would like you to take half of these ships up the coast with our new tanks and our assault troops. They will be going ashore at Felixstowe. From there they will swing in to attack the fortifications of London from the north. I want them laying siege as soon as possible. Withdraw only when it appears an overwhelming force has been raised and is coming out against you.”
The captain gave a concerned look. “Sir, you are asking me to command this force?”
“I am. And I believe you to be fully capable of doing so. We are in desperate need of a diversion. I will be commanding the tanks here in an attempt to take pressure off our forces in the port. Oh... and have several of our supply ships bring in extra ammunition, fuel, and food. I have to believe this will be a protracted campaign. And by all means, leave a force large enough to protect that beachhead. If we are forced to retreat I would like a way to preserve whatever armaments we can.”
Naffi narrated as he sped through parts of the playback. “I soon found myself climbing into the turret of a tank as it rolled onto the docks at Bognor Regis. We moved out onto the beach and were quickly heading across the fields toward the south side of Chichester. As the town came into view it became apparent British reinforcements had arrived and taken control.
“I gave the command to fire a handful of incendiary rounds into the thatched roof buildings as we sped past. The smoke rising behind us told me we now had time to focus on the fight that was coming without worry of who was behind us, they would be busy. In order to get to the battle as soon as possible, I led the team up to a village called Rowland's Castle before turning back toward Portsmouth. Almost immediately we came upon a battalion of British infantry.”
“Infantry against tanks? I take it this didn't go well for the Brits.”
“Not at all. One would expect a group that is so outgunned to scatter. I will give them a nod as to their discipline. They followed orders, even though those orders sealed their fate. As our shells fell on the rear of the column the order went down for them to form up into rows. Had we not been in such a hurry to obliterate them and move on, I would have almost felt sorry for their demise.”
“Two dozen armored tanks. And they just stood there taking shots at you with their muskets?”
“It appears the automatic rifles had not yet been given to all of the troops. The fight lasted all of twelve minutes before we powered on. Unfortunately, the Brits assaulting Portsmouth got wind of our advance and came out to fight. Again, it was initially a slaughter... until they turned their artillery. We lost three tanks before realizing what had happened.”
Reno glanced at the display. “There are only two more hours of recorded data.”
Naffi sighed. “Yet again I was killed. Sometimes it just seems like living as a Human is a nuisance. Anyway, I began maneuvering left to right in a random fashion. The other tanks followed my lead. For a good twenty minutes the British, try as they may, could not hit our mobile artillery. We had picked off five of their sixteen artillery pieces before realizing we had not been watching our flanks. They rolled up another three dozen cannons and began to rip us apart.”
“Why didn't you retreat?”
“Arrogance, I would have to believe. After the first few cannons fired upon our positions and missed badly, I got the wrongful impression that we could continue to move and fire with impunity. And I can tell you now there is no safe place in a field when you have forty artillery pieces constantly bombarding your position. In the span of three minutes, eight of our tanks were lost.”
“The armor failed? That doesn't seem right.”
“I believe there were several contributing factors. First, we took hits to our treads. They quickly learned that a strike, directly from the side at tread level, knocked the tread from its track. And once immobilized, the accuracy of their gunners became apparent. By the time I fully realized my mistake, we were down to six tanks. That's when we lost our left tread. What happened next was terrifying.”
The recording was stopped by Naffi.
Reno tilted his head to one side. “It wasn't recorded?”
“It was. I would prefer to not relive it. I will instead tell you what my mind remembers. The impact to the side of the tank was a severe jolt, but not one that disabled my crew. The turret spun and my gunner took careful aim before releasing his next round. We were rewarded with the destruction of a cannon.
“It was at that moment however, that their cannons got their range on us. Five shells struck in rapid succession, tossing us about the cabin. Two additional shells struck the turret. It held solid, but even with my earplugs my eardrums had burst. The next four rounds somehow flipped us onto our side. At least I believe it was our side. We were in that position for only a moment before all went black.”
Reno edged up to the console. “Let's see what the archives say about the battle.”
Several minutes of reading followed.
Naffi scowled. “Of all the luck. Napoleon used our assault to manage a breakout. A charge up the hill with his remaining troops was successful. It says that by the time the retreating Brits were reforming their lines, Napoleon had captured their artillery. A rout ensued with twenty thousand men fleeing across the countryside.”
Reno chuckled.
“What is it? What did you read?”
“It appears Napoleon claimed it to be one his finest battles. It says here it's thought he ordered the end-around by the tanks and the diversion at Felixstowe that turned the battle in his favor.”
“What? He did no such thing! That was my plan!”
“I thought it was the plan of Captain Monesse? And Napoleon did orchestrate the breakout.”
Naffi growled. “Yes. I guess technically it was, Monesse. But it was under my direction. And I can't believe Napoleon claimed cre
dit for any of it.”
Reno smirked. “Well, if it's any consolation, he didn't technically claim credit. He just said it was one of his finest battles. Says here he lost forty thousand men before they charged up that hill. The British lost twelve thousand during the encounter.
“Hmm. It also says that in the months that followed, Napoleon landed another one hundred fifty thousand men at the port and marched on London. The siege lasted seven months before the English capitulated as the cold weather was setting in hard. A surrender was agreed upon where Parliament would continue to run the day-to-day operations of the country while all military operations were turned over to the French. And it was the event that earned Napoleon the title of Emperor.”
“And what of London itself?”
“Largely demolished. A new capital city was constructed at Portsmouth and Parliament was moved there. The royal family was abolished and their lands were seized. The French at the time had no stomach for royals.”
“And the larger fight?”
“It says Napoleon was assassinated two years later by a spy with the British resistance. Within five years, revolts in other regions and an inept government in France saw an almost total collapse of the Empire. The old alliances quickly arose and the British, over the decade that followed, managed to regain control of the seas. Smaller skirmishes kept the focus on war and not science or productivity.”
“And our Opamari ancestry?”
“Again unchanged.”
“Maybe the French route is not the best of paths for us to take.”
Reno smiled. “Or, what we need is for a strong leader to be there in the case that Napoleon falls. Do we know anyone we believe would be qualified?”
Naffi slowly shook his head. “Your Human snarkiness is showing again.”
“Indeed. So... will you be going back or do we search for another time to attempt to intercede?”
“We go back. If we gain control of this Empire we can push forward as much science and technology as is possible. Imagine an array of ground-based plasma cannons with enough power to keep Opamari ships at bay and to destroy any bombs they will attempt to drop. Having warships won't even be necessary.”
Reno chuckled. “I don't know what galaxy you live in, but warships will most certainly be necessary. Without threat to their fleet and their colonies, our people will just continue to look for ways to attack. Plasma cannons and atmospheric bombs are not the only two destructive choices that are available.”
“What else would there be?”
“Massive amounts of toxins? Viruses? Asteroids? We could even build a massive mirror that would reflect enough infrared light to cook the entire planet. There would be many other ways available as alternatives to our weapons. The weapons are used because of their obvious conveniences.”
Naffi held up a hand. “OK. You win. I would like a new tank force though. So I guess we'll be sending you back first.”
Reno stood with a smile. “How many would you like this time?”
“How about a force of one hundred?”
“Very well. I'll be back shortly with a pair of clones. In the meantime, scan the archives for signs of Marwal. And think about how you will go back. Roger Dumas is dead.”
“Yes. But his body was not recovered. The archives say they believe he died in a tank, but they are uncertain, only knowing for certain that he was never heard from again.”
“People saw you leave in a tank.”
“But no one saw me die. What I'm thinking is that we drop my clone in the British countryside where I can make my way back to the beachhead. This would be immediately following my death, so Napoleon would still have his breakout. I will just sail across the Channel and return with my new tank force. From there we work on the fall of London without actually destroying it in the process.”
“It sounds like you are already prepared for your return.”
Naffi nodded. “I believe I am.”
Reno's clone traveled back and soon had one hundred armored tanks hidden away in a number of oversized barns. After being dropped in the British countryside, Roger Dumas began to make his way toward the beachhead. His first mission, as was usual, was to acquire clothes. The act of doing so took him to a farmhouse.
Naffi paused the playback. “I didn't think it possible, but lightning has struck me twice.”
“What? Were you injured?”
“Worse. Lovesick.”
Reno chuckled. “In the British countryside?”
“There was a maiden in a garden, tending to her crops. I hid behind a stone shed, waiting for her to finish and go inside so I could steal clothes that were drying on a line. I don't know if it was her shape in that dress or because she was working so diligently in the garden, but I soon found myself lusting after her. I could not remove my eyes from her body. Even as she toiled in the dirt, her face showed a smile, a tenderness and innocence. I just could not force myself to look away.”
“Did you act?”
“I didn't have the opportunity. As I peered around the corner, obsessing over the maiden, I felt the tines of a pitchfork sticking me in the back. I glanced over my shoulder to see an elderly woman with a scowl on her face. I begged forgiveness and offered apologies, telling her that a French soldier had stolen my clothes.”
“And?”
“And I was marched out into the open in full view of the younger woman, her daughter. I'll have to admit that I was embarrassed over my nakedness, a feeling I had not had before. After I continued to plead for most of a minute, the woman lowered the pitchfork and the daughter went into the house, returning with a shirt and a pair of pants that had belonged to her dead husband. I thanked her profusely and then hurried off on my way.”
Naffi let out a long slow sigh.
“You are still obsessed with her. I can see it. The recording shows four months of life. Can I guess you returned at some future date?”
“I had to. My mind was consumed with her. I made it back to the beachhead and caught a ship back to Calais. From there I acquired the hundred tanks. And thank you for training crews and having them at the ready. Had I needed to do that myself it would have added a month or two to my efforts.”
“So you got the tanks and returned to Britain?”
The recording was forwarded to a new section. “I followed Captain Monesse to the northern side of London. He had been conducting a once-per-day feigned charge in order to keep troops on that section of the city walls occupied. Napoleon's force was just approaching from the southeast.”
Playback was begun.
Roger Dumas pulled up beside the tank commanded by Captain Monesse. “You have done well, Captain.”
“Thank you Admiral. How goes the invasion? We have yet to receive word.”
“Our tank line allowed Napoleon's troops to break out of the city. Sadly, our tanks were destroyed, but not before the British soldiers were sent fleeing across the fields. The port at Portsmouth is now fully operational with new troops arriving daily. I'm told the force will soon swell to as many as two hundred thousand men.”
“British troops have been arriving from the west in a constant stream. I have to believe that the two hundred thousand of Napoleon may not be enough. We've managed to stop close to ten thousand who have come in from due north, but I believe most have been working their way around to the west.”
“Have you lost any of your tanks?”
“Two. The walls of the city are lined with newer, more-powerful cannons. They can reach just as far as ours. Their hits were lucky, but effective. We are no longer charging in. We go just far enough to send in a few rounds per day. They mostly just strike the wall, doing modest damage.”
The captain glanced back. “How many tanks did you bring?”
“One hundred. And we have two new types of shells. One that is solid with a core of lead. The other is a new explosive. Our goal will be to focus the heavy shells at a single point with the hope of digging a deep pit or crevasse into the wall. The explosive r
ound will then be used in an attempt to exploit the damage the heavy projectiles have done. We tested the method on walls at Calais. It will take a day, but we could turn a fifty-meter section of wall into ruble each and every day.”
The captain looked back at the wall with a scowl. “It will mean exposing our crews to their artillery.”
“I have what I hope to be a solution for that. If you take note of the trailers we are pulling. When the supplies are removed, the base of the trailer tilts up, giving is a thick steel plate as a wall for our tanks to stay behind, cutting down the area of exposure and protecting our main vulnerability, our treads. We simply move the trailer into position with the base tilted up and begin firing. When finished, we back away with the trailer wall still protecting us.
“What of our tanks that do not have a trailer?”
“Not to worry, Captain. We brought extras.”
Monesse smiled. “It seems you came prepared, Admiral. When do we begin?”
“As soon as the supplies are unloaded.”
Chapter 11
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A row of sixty tanks sat ready with their protective shield walls attached to their tow-hooks. The order was given by Roger Dumas to advance. As they moved across a large field, one that would have normally been planted with wheat, the shells from the cannons on the wall surrounding London began to fall. Explosions were followed with upheavals of dirt flying into the air.
Two of the shield walls were struck at the same instant. A spine-shaking clang sound rang out from each as a shallow depression was made by the shells, but the shields held strong. As the tanks moved into position and began to fire, six sections of the protective stone wall of London began to take hits. The heavy rounds crushed away chunks of rock and mortar with each strike.
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