Cannons

After dealing with the plot to infiltrate and blockade Carnford, Harald did not feel relieved. Another, heavier, and more real problem haunted his mind like a ghost.

Cannon.

Carnford's Cannon played a crucial role in the war. Elite soldiers of the Sparrow Corps, pushing heavy Shield-carts, were about to approach the foot of the city wall when they were destroyed in a very short time by the deadly firepower that suddenly roared from the city wall!

Even the Shield-carts that I had painstakingly assembled with the craftsmen, which were supposed to pose a great threat to the city walls, were reduced to fragments by the precise and fierce artillery fire.

"Cannon..." Harald rubbed his temples hard with his fingers, muttering the word he both hated and longed for.

This was not the first time he had experienced the power of the Goldflower Kingdom's Cannon. In his early years, when he followed his father in his campaigns to conquer important border towns of the Broomflower Kingdom, he had witnessed the terrifying scenes of those dark cannons spewing flames and death beneath the sturdy city walls, tearing the brave Sauron warriors to shreds.

At that time, Cannon was usually only used in large-scale military battles or when besieging important cities and fortresses; it was the Goldflower Kingdom's trump card and a strategic weapon.

He never imagined that even a remote and previously inconspicuous border fortress like Carnford would be equipped with such formidable Cannon!

The message behind this sent chills down his spine; the Goldflower Kingdom's emphasis on and investment in the Northern Territory far exceeded his previous estimates.

The Sauron Tribe was not as completely isolated from firearms as people might think.

This all-out southward invasion was swift and unstoppable, successively capturing several important fortresses and castles on the borders and in the heart of the Goldflower Kingdom.

In these fortified strongholds, they did indeed capture a considerable number of Cannon of various types, from heavy fortress cannons to lighter Bronze Cannon and iron cannons suitable for field battles.

At the same time, they also captured many gunners who originally belonged to the garrison and were skilled in Cannon operation and maintenance.

However, that's precisely where the problem lies.

The Sauron Tribe rose to prominence between the Changbai Mountains and the Heilongjiang River, and its military traditions were rooted in the mobility of mounted archery, the sharpness of scimitars, and the bravery of individual warriors.

They fundamentally lacked understanding and knowledge of these complex "steel behemoths" that required meticulous maintenance and scientific operation. These war machines from the civilized world seemed too sophisticated and even somewhat "delicate" to the Sauron, who were accustomed to a life of archery and horsemanship.

The captured gunners, under the Sauron' rough management and lack of respect, and even frequent abuse, either harbored rebellious thoughts and were unwilling to serve sincerely; or they were trembling with fear under harsh guard and unable to carry out their work effectively.

More importantly, the Sauron army, from top to bottom, generally lacked the awareness, conditions, and skills to systematically maintain firearms.

Cannon requires regular cleaning of the breech, inspection of the firing pin, maintenance of the gun carriage, and protection against moisture and rust... All these tedious procedures are almost impossible to implement effectively in the face of the nomadic plundering mentality of "throwing away what's broken and looting what's missing".

To make matters worse, the Cannon itself was extremely heavy, making transportation a major challenge.

During the long campaigns and forced marches of the Sauron army, these heavy iron lumps endured unimaginable jolting and rough treatment.

The lack of specialized artillery vehicles and standardized transportation procedures resulted in most Cannon having damaged carriages, broken wheels, or even cracks in the gun barrel that were difficult to detect with the naked eye before they even reached the front lines.

Even if a small number of Cannon were to arrive intact, their use would be fraught with enormous risks.

Due to lack of maintenance, improper transportation, and the use of captured but inconsistent quality gunpowder, these Cannon were extremely prone to barrel explosions.

A musket exploding might only endanger the gunner, but a Cannon exploding on the front lines would be catastrophic. Hot metal fragments would sweep across the surrounding area like the Grim Reaper's scythe, instantly killing not only the gunner operating it but also severely impacting nearby infantry ranks, causing heavy casualties.

What's even more devastating than the loss of personnel is the blow to morale.

A sudden, deafening explosion of friendly Cannon, its power and devastation enough to instill fear in even the bravest soldiers, causing the entire offensive line to waver or even collapse.

For this reason, the commanders of the various Sauron legions were generally wary of these captured "unreliable thunderbolts" and dared not use them easily, preferring to rely on traditional infantry charges and cavalry flanking maneuvers to solve problems.

Although Harald himself valued firearms, he specifically instructed that the relatively sophisticated Nine-pound Field Gun, which had been transported to the outskirts of Carnford City with great difficulty, should be carefully preserved and used.

He had hoped the cannon would play a crucial role in breaching Carnford's not-so-sturdy walls; however, who could have predicted that the tide of battle would turn so drastically?

Ultimately, they were forced to retreat in a panic and flee in disarray.

In that chaotic situation where the entire army was on the verge of collapse and everyone was scrambling to escape, there was simply no time or manpower left to attend to that incredibly heavy Cannon.

To prevent it from falling into the hands of the soon-to-be-counterattacked Broomflower defenders, the only option was to painfully destroy it completely before evacuating.

A weapon that could have changed the course of the battle ultimately self-destructed, becoming an embarrassing footnote to Sauron's defeat.

For the Sauron Tribal Alliance, which relied mainly on plunder and simple handicrafts, cannons, a complex and difficult-to-manufacture military weapon, were an insurmountable barrier.

Perhaps smuggling through merchants? Harald thought about it and shook his head.

The caravans of the Broomflower might be able to smuggle some swords, armor, and even a few Flintlock Rifle and gunpowder from within the Broomflower through clandestine channels. These were all considered "tactical-level" supplies, and were subject to relatively lax supervision.

However, the cannons were enormous and conspicuous, and each one was strictly numbered and controlled in the Goldflower Kingdom. Smuggling them out of the pass, through layers of checkpoints, and into the Northern Territory was simply a pipe dream.

Making it myself? The thought had barely crossed Harald's mind when he chuckled self-deprecatingly.

This was an impossible task. Manufacturing qualified bronze or iron Cannon required advanced metallurgical techniques, precise casting processes, strict quality inspections, as well as matching shells, gunpowder, and well-trained gunners.

The Sauron struggled even to forge high-quality steel plate armor, let alone Cannon, which was several orders of magnitude more technologically advanced.

This is not just a resource issue, but a huge gap in the entire industrial system and knowledge accumulation.