A howitzer shotgun shell can cover an area with a diameter of more than a dozen meters after exploding. As a kind of rear-loading rifled gun, the Tiger artillery basically fired directly at a distance of ten miles, with an error of no more than 15 meters. In other words, for each salvo of the Tiger artillery, about sixty percent of the shells covered the artillery positions of the European coalition forces.

With such a hit rate, the artillery positions of the European coalition forces immediately suffered the most heavy casualties.

The shrapnel of a shrapnel could not destroy the heavy copper cannons of the European coalition. Although steel is harder than copper, steel slag can only scratch a few notches on the bronze cannon. The shrapnel killed and wounded a large number of artillery in the vicinity of the bronze artillery, which was even more unprotected than the infantry in the first-line trenches, with only cotton clothes on their bodies, and was defenseless in the face of shrapnel.

The Europeans' artillery positions were full of eighteen pounds or more, and these heavy guns were equipped with as little as ten guns and as many as twenty men to operate. More than 2,000 heavy guns were probably accompanied by artillery of nearly 30,000 men, which were scattered in four directions of Lisbon and concentrated in nine different artillery positions.

At this time, all nine artillery positions were baptized with shrapnel shells. Behind the roaring shrapnel explosions was the screams of pig-killing artillery. Nearly 30,000 European artillery soldiers were inhumanized under the bombardment of hundreds of grenade shotguns, and blood flew wildly.

Cromwell held up his binoculars and looked at the artillery position. Artillery trench positions were often shielded by earthen walls in front and open in the rear. Looking at the past from Cromwell's point of view, it is clear what is happening there.

In the telescope, he saw a huge explosion underneath the sparks, and a cannon who was cleaning the chamber of a gun was suddenly stabbed in the head by shrapnel. The human skull could not withstand the power of high-speed steel, and was pierced in an instant. The artilleryman let out a heart-rending scream, which was abruptly stopped by the destruction of his brain, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

He was not alone, several of the artillerymen next to him were shot at the same time, falling like sandbags to the floor of the trench. This artillery position was probably bombarded by more than sixty howitzers, and more than 100 artillery pieces were killed in an instant.

After this artillery position was bombed, another artillery position was bombarded with explosions in patches. Cromwell looked at the artillery position on the other side in a panic, and found that the artillery on the other side had suffered even more heavy losses.

Large swaths of artillery fell to the ground, twitching and rolling on the ground. Shrapnel pierced the artilleryman's body with a column of blood like a jet of water, splattering everywhere. Not only was the blood flying, but even some of the artillerymen's limb parts were cut off by shrapnel. Cromwell saw that the wrist of an artillery captain had been severed by a piece of steel from a shrapnel and the whole thing had fallen off, leaving only a layer of skin attached to his arm. The blood at the severed arm gushed like a spring, splashing a meter or two away.

The artillery captain desperately covered his wrist wound and screamed like madness. But he didn't scream a few times before he was knocked down by another artilleryman. The artilleryman was pierced in the stomach by two pieces of steel slag, and he went crazy with pain, and rushed wildly next to the barrel, knocking the artillery captain to the ground.

On the ground were three other wounded soldiers who were twitching and rolling.

With just one salvo, the Europeans lost thousands of artillery.

Cromwell's mouth opened wide in panic, not knowing how to face such a terrible situation.

By Cromwell's side, Wilhelm II was already trembling.

Wilhelm II knew Li Zhi, although he did not have the absolute confidence of other European kings, but he also felt that the European coalition was strong. Although the Netherlands have lost to Li Zhi countless times, Wilhelm II always hopes that this time the whole of Europe will unite and play at home and can recoup some of the lost ground.

The truth shattered Wilhelm II's last thoughts, the Tiger howitzer cannon had completely dominated the battlefield, and the European coalition forces could only be slaughtered.

Wilhelm II looked at the stalled area behind him in a panic, and seemed to be preparing to escape.

Louis XIV's face was frighteningly dark.

The artillery of the European coalition forces is also returning fire, but the shooting accuracy of smoothbore guns is far inferior to rifled guns, and they are not opponents at long distances. What's more, the fuses of the Europeans' shells were very backward, and it took two or three seconds to explode after they landed, and the Tiger Army and Portuguese soldiers were often able to react to dodge the bombs. The casualties caused by the backward flowering shells were very limited.

If this continues, I am afraid that it will only take two days for Li Zhi's artillery to wipe out all the artillery on this side, and then start a one-sided massacre.

The proud young king, who had always considered himself the leader of the first power in Europe, suddenly found himself as powerless as a baby in front of Li Zhi.

His eyes widened and grew redder.

Barthes, the French general beside him, was sweating nervously and whispered, "Your Highness? What to do? Your Highness? Isn't this the way to go? ”

However, Louis XIV, the Sun King, did not seem to hear a word, and only stared at the battlefield full of artillery fire.

European artillery, having suffered heavy losses, began to return fire, but with little success. Then the Tiger Army began the third round of shelling.

More than a thousand more shrapnel shells flew across the battlefield, exploding gorgeous sparks over the trenches.

The soldiers of the European coalition found themselves no longer warriors, and they felt that they had become lambs to the slaughter, trembling with the power of the new artillery. Shrapnel exploded in the air and directly killed the soldiers in the trench, which was no longer a shield for bullets and shells, but a grave for the soldiers.

In the rain of shrapnel, European soldiers died one by one in their graves.

The Queen of Sweden couldn't bear it in the first place.

The Swedes brought with them this time seventy thousand Nordic soldiers, all of whom were the elite of the Swedish Legion. The just-concluded Thirty Years' War had proven that the Swedish soldiers were tough and resilient warriors, possessing qualities that were superior to those of other European counterparts. However, in the face of these new shells, Sweden's high-quality fighters fell one by one like pigs and sheep.

Christina angrily yelled at Louis XIV: "Your Highness! To be beaten like this is to die! You've got to come up with a way to get out! Right now! ”

Louis XIV looked at the young Christina in surprise, not expecting the beautiful Nordic woman to roar at him.

He swallowed and looked around.

All the European aristocrats have no way, all like headless flies. They all looked at Louis XIV with great flamboyance, hoping that Louis XIV, who had always been calm, would come up with a countermeasure.

Louis XIV's eyes were somewhat hollow.

Now, if they retreat, the European coalition's attack on Portugal will be considered a complete failure. The withdrawal of a million European coalition troops is likely to be unstable and disorganized, and such losses would be terrible.

The slaughter on the battlefield continued, and the fourth salvo began with the new artillery of the Tiger Army.

Louis XIV gritted his teeth and suddenly shouted, "Strike!" The whole army went out of the trench and stormed the trench on the opposite side! ”