During the Ming Dynasty of China, the Japanese pirates who ravaged the southeastern coast were tough and cruel, but they had a fatal weakness.
That is, they are not a regular army. After all, they are just a bunch of rabble who bully the weak and fear the strong. They only know how to fight alone and do not know how to form formations.
Qi Jiguang created the "Mandarin Duck Formation" based on this weakness of the Japanese pirates and the terrain characteristics of the coastal areas of the East China Sea.
To put it bluntly, the scary thing about the "Mandarin Duck Formation" is just one sentence: use more to attack the less, use longer to attack the weaker.
In the tactical configuration of the "Mandarin Duck Formation", wolf spearmen and spearmen are the absolute main force.
As for the other personnel, whether it is a shield hand or a swordsman, they are just there to provide support.
On the battlefield, every inch is longer and every inch is stronger - this is a truth that applies to everyone.
Let alone the age of cold weapons, even in the age of hot weapons, the wider the attack range of the weapon, the better.
An intercontinental missile that can hit 1,000 kilometers is more powerful and more deterrent than a rocket that can only hit 100 kilometers.
Just imagine: if you were a Japanese pirate, what would it be like if you encountered a fully-organized "Mandarin Duck Formation" on the battlefield.
A direct frontal attack?
You will directly collide with the bamboo tips and spear heads of the wolf spearman and the spearman, as well as the shieldman's large shield.
Launch a roundabout and attack its flank or rear?
Let’s not worry about whether the wolf hand and the spearman will let you touch someone’s buttocks as you wish.
Even if you really succeed in getting around, what's waiting for you will only be a beating from the swordsmen and the boring palladium hands.
The opponent not only has more people than you, but also has more comprehensive weapons than you. Long, short, offensive and defensive, all available.
And you...the only weapon in your hand is a knife...
This swordsman is sharp, but in front of the wolf, spear and shield, he is basically a younger brother.
Of course, according to historical facts, the weapons and equipment of Japanese pirates must be far more than just knives.
However, the fatal flaw of "insufficient organization and lack of understanding of forming formations" meant that no matter how sophisticated their weapons and equipment were, they could only be unilaterally massacred when they encountered the Qi Army who fought in a systematic manner.
In this way, relying on the strength of the "Mandarin Duck Formation" and the Qi family's army that he personally recruited, Qi Jiguang was victorious in every battle.
He has repeatedly set a terrifying record of "wiping out hundreds of Japanese pirates with only single-digit casualties, or even zero casualties."
Although later generations always praised the "Mandarin Duck Formation" to the sky and praised it as "the supreme masterpiece in the history of ancient Chinese wars" and so on.
But in fact, as mentioned above, the "Yuanyang Formation" has great limitations and is only suitable for narrow areas with limited terrain.
In addition, the "Mandarin Duck Formation" can only bully the weak.
If you use the "mandarin duck formation" to deal with the Mongolian soldiers who are advancing and retreating like the wind on a flat and open prairie, you will definitely lose as many heads as you put in.
When fighting in open plains, "hard formation" is the truth.
Therefore, when the "Japanese pirate rebellion" was put down and the Qi army was moved to Jiliao, Qi Jiguang did not use the "Mandarin Duck Formation" to deal with the Mongolian soldiers.
Kyoto is a strategically important place that must not be lost.
It is not only the "heart" of the Gyeonggi region, but also has immeasurable political significance.
As long as you occupy Kyoto, you can completely control the court, and then use the emperor to control the princes, occupying the highest moral point.
No matter which force it is, be it the shogunate or the various vassals, it is impossible for them to give up Kyoto easily.
In order to rob Kyoto, this thousand-year-old capital will sooner or later turn into a battlefield.
In order to defend Kyoto, Ayoto will inevitably engage in bloody tug-of-war with all forces in the streets and alleys of Kyoto for a long time to come.
There is no "urban planning plan" in Japan today.
When Toyotomi Hideyoshi came to power, he did a large-scale repair and reconstruction of Kyoto's urban layout.
The "Odoju" that divided Kyoto into "Rakusho" and "Rakusho" was the work of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
With the advent of the Edo period, Kyoto's population began to increase dramatically.
The unprecedented peace and tranquility caused the population of Kyoto to become unprecedentedly high.
In order to meet the daily needs of this huge population, longhouses with complex structures that can accommodate hundreds or even hundreds of people have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain.
[Note·Longhouse: A building form in which adjacent houses share walls and are connected to each other in a row. A longhouse is a small community, and the residents of the longhouse often share a well and a toilet]
As for the layout of streets and alleys in Kyoto, it is becoming more and more complex.
Putting aside the long house that is like a small maze, the various roads and tsujis that are as intricate as a spider web are enough to dazzle people.
[Note·road: a lane with only one entrance and exit.]
[Note·Tsujiko: There are two or more entrances and exits, a trail connecting two main roads.]
There are many bird passages that can only accommodate two people walking side by side.
What's more, it's so narrow that it's difficult to even turn around after walking in alone.
There are dangerous terrains where one man is in control everywhere... In such a situation, it is difficult to use the human wave tactic.
When the two armies are fighting, the enemy only needs to send a skilled general to block key points - such as alleys and longhouse doors - so that a million-strong army cannot advance or retreat.
This is no longer the era of swords, and there is no need for a classical army with helmets and armour.
It is a complete waste of time to study old-fashioned things like the Koshu-style art of war and the Echigo-ryu art of war.
It is even more pointless to ask soldiers to train the Bagua Formation, Crane Wing Formation and other rags that should be swept into the trash can of history.
However, it is still necessary to retain a melee force that is good at wielding swords.
Although today's guns have dominated the battlefield, their rate of fire is still very slow and their accuracy is not enough. After firing a round, it takes a long time to reload, which is not suitable for street fighting with a fast pace of combat.
What's more, in Japan, which has a large population and extremely scarce livable land, its urban landscapes are basically terrifyingly complex.
In those narrow alleys and secret rooms, it is difficult to even use a knife, which makes it even less suitable to send musketeers to fight street battles.
Therefore, taking into account practical needs and Japan's current national conditions, from the very beginning, Ayoto planned to establish four troops with their own duties and responsibility for different battlefields.
One is the melee unit responsible for street fighting, which is now the Ba Dao Team.
The second is the musketeers who formed a "queue to kill" formation in field battles and rained down bullets on the enemy.
The third is the artillery unit that "shoots his mother with cannons."
Artillery is the "valkyrie" of the battlefield.
Even in the 21st century, artillery is still a terrifying and terrifying existence.
It is no exaggeration to say that since the 15th century, the number of artillery and the size of its firepower have largely determined the development of war situations.
Therefore, Qingdeng had long made up his mind: Even if he was trying to sell iron, he would still create an artillery team!
Finally, there is the cavalry team responsible for detecting the enemy's situation and chasing down the enemy in the wild.
Although the sword has become lonely, the cavalry still plays an extremely important role on the battlefield.
Whether it is battlefield reconnaissance or chasing and annihilating enemy troops, flexible and highly mobile cavalry are needed.
During the Napoleonic Wars, France's cuirassiers terrified the entire European continent.
Swordsmen who invade like fire, line infantry who are not afraid of death, artillerymen who shake the earth, cavalry who move like thunder... If you can have these four troops, not to mention guarding the capital, Qingden even feels that
I can sweep away Liuhe and sweep across the eight wastelands! Go straight to the imperial palace and ask the emperor: "Can a person with strong soldiers and horses be the emperor?"
It's a pity...the last three are all extremely difficult to serve masters who can swallow half a gold mountain in one mouth.
The current financial resources are not sufficient, and suitable channels for purchasing firearms and war horses have not yet been found.
In other words, line infantry, artillery and horses cannot be counted on for the time being...
In Qingdeng's plan, it is enough for the Ba Dao team to be able to fight well in street battles.
Under this idea of ​​building an army, the daily training of the Ba Dao Team has always been centered around "how to fight well in street fighting."
Therefore, the soldiers of the Ba Dao Team do not need to practice anything else, they only need to specialize in the "Mandarin Duck Formation"!
Thinking back to the time when he was thinking about "how to improve the combat effectiveness of the Shinsengumi as quickly as possible", Qingto thought about it and suddenly discovered: "Mandarin Duck Formation" and the Kyoto battlefield... no, fighting with Japan's current cities and towns.
, there really are as many matches as there are matches!
In the narrow terrain, the opponents are basically "Japanese pirates" who wield swords and swords...Using the "Mandarin Duck Formation" to defeat the Japanese is a return to the nostalgic server.
Unless you encounter humanoid Gundams like Souji, Nagakura Shinpachi, and Saito Ichi, using the "Mandarin Duck Formation" to attack those with lofty ideals will definitely be a sure hit!
To be continued...