Chapter 25 Wall-riding Tactics

Author: Gongsun Wujiu

Chapter 25 Wall-riding Tactics

After three days of selection, Zhang Yue finally selected 20 subordinates from more than 100 prisoners.

These Yi followers are very good in both riding skills and endurance. With a little training, they can become excellent cavalry.

The other prisoners who were not selected were actually not bad, and their defeat was just due to luck. There was not much difference in other aspects. In order to give hope to the prisoners who were not selected.

Zhang Yue announced that a second selection will be held in three months.

After hearing this news, the defeated prisoners regained hope.

In order to integrate these Yicon into the Han army as quickly as possible, Zhang Yue gave each Yicon a Chinese name. He believed that through subtle transformation, these people would eventually naturally integrate into the Han people.

"Enter!"

"Kill...kill...kill!" Zhang Yue was directing the newly recruited volunteers to conduct training on the school field.

The individual combat skills of the Yi Cong were good, and Zhang Yue's training for them mainly focused on coordinated combat.

What they were training at this time was the cavalry formation tactic, which was a cavalry tactic improved by the later Swedish King Gustav after his defeat at the hands of the Polish Hussars.

It emphasizes discipline, organization and training, and does not pay attention to soldiers' riding skills or equipment.

During the battle, the cavalry formed a dense formation, like a wall. So it was also called a wall charge.

During the Thirty Years' War, Gustavus used this kind of wall-mounted charge to defeat the cavalry of the Holy Roman Empire at that time.

This tactic actually applies the infantry's square formation tactics to the cavalry.

It's not something advanced in itself, what's competing is the will and discipline of the soldiers.

Because the current state of war is definitely very different from that of later generations, Zhang Yue doesn't know whether this tactic is suitable for this era.

The group of followers recruited this time can be used as an experiment.

If the effect is good, Zhang Yue plans to use wall-mounting tactics to replace the original cavalry tactics. If the effect is not good, it will not affect the army's combat effectiveness.

The wall-riding tactic is simple to say, but it is not easy to train well. Although this tactic reduces the riding skills of the soldiers, it greatly improves the discipline.

In Zhang Hao's words, what Zhang Yue did was nonsense. He was simply training the cavalry as infantry.

Now that the wall-riding tactic has been practiced for seven days, the followers have been able to form a neat queue. They look majestic.

However, as soon as Zhang Yue gave the order to charge, the team dispersed. It was like a stone being suddenly shattered.

Zhang Yue rode on horseback and cursed fiercely: "You guys, these idiots, have all turned into roe deer..."

The Yi followers were humiliated by being scolded one by one. It had been seven days, and when I and others lined up to charge, they were still no more than twenty steps away, and the formation became scattered.

"Regroup and practice again!"

Under Zhang Yue's command, the Yi followers trained over and over again, and slowly their charging formation became more and more orderly. A month later, they were finally able to do it, charging like a wall.

Zhang Hao and others initially complained when they saw Zhang Yue training cavalry like infantry. However, as the training progressed step by step, his weird words and complaints became less and less.

…

Under the warm winter sun, two teams of cavalry stood facing each other, the atmosphere was tense and solemn, and it looked as if a battle was about to break out.

However, the weapons they held in their hands revealed their true situation. All the weapons were made of wood and were covered with thatch.

Everyone guessed well. This was Zhang Yue's two cavalry teams conducting confrontation drills. The ones in the east were 30 cavalrymen from Guo Kaiyitun. The ones in the west were the Yicong cavalry trained by Zhang Yue himself.

This was also the first collision between the traditional Han cavalry and Zhang Yue's wall cavalry.

Both sides are full of confidence and firmly believe that their side will win.

On the high platform, all officers above the rank of officer in Longjiao Fort have arrived, and they are all the referees of this confrontation.

Everyone looked serious, and everyone knew very well that the outcome of this confrontation would directly affect the future training methods of the cavalry.

"Let's start!" Zhang Yue ordered.

"promise!"

The messenger agreed and immediately notified the trumpeter on the watchtower using flag language.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...!"

The horn sounded, and the two teams of cavalry began to move.

In order to save horsepower in cavalry combat, they generally do not charge directly, but slowly approach the opponent first, and then gradually increase their speed when they reach a suitable distance. Only when they are about thirty steps away from the enemy will they sprint with all their strength.

This is because the endurance of horses is not very good. Once the cavalry loses its speed advantage on the battlefield, it loses its value.

The same is true for both sides in today's drill. Both sides controlled their horses and slowly moved forward. When they reached a certain distance, they gradually accelerated their speed.

As the distance between the two sides got closer and closer, the speed of the war horses gradually increased.

The Yicong cavalry used a typical wall-mounted charge tactic, with men and horses mounted next to each other, and the formation was quite dense.

"It turns out this is like walking through a wall!"

Guo Kai was shocked by the momentum of the Yi Cong cavalry rushing in like a wall.

The Yitun cavalry who were facing the Yicong cavalry felt even greater pressure. Although there were only 20 cavalry on the opposite side, they felt as if they were facing a high mountain.

They only felt dry mouth, sweating profusely, and even wanted to escape immediately.

"boom"

The two groups of cavalry finally collided with each other. Fortunately, it was just a drill and both sides controlled their horse speed. Otherwise, there would definitely be many casualties among the soldiers.

Guo Kai stood up with a livid face. He did not expect that half of the people on his side would fall off their horses in just one hedging, while only one of the Yi Cong cavalry would fall off their horses.

Although it was the first collision, it was already clear which one was stronger and which one was weaker.

"Stop it!"

Li Si suggested that from the hedging just now, everyone knew that Yitun had no chance of winning.

Guo Kai also bowed to Zhang Yue with sincerity at this time: "A hundred generals are talented, I am really convinced this time..."

Zhang Yue held Guo Kai's arms and said, "Uncle Guo Du said something serious!"

Then he gave an order to the messenger: "Pass the order, the drill ends here, the whole army will have extra meals today!"

"promise"

The signal signal of the messenger was sounded, and soon the sound of gold sounded, and the two teams of cavalry returned to their barracks.

"There are hundreds of generals and great talents, and we can't do anything better than them!" All the officers said with sincerity.

Zhang Yue helped everyone up modestly and said, "Thank you for your praise. I hope you will help me a lot in the future!"

Li Si smiled and said: "Today I know that the Duke is very talented. We should work together to assist the Duke. With such cavalry, why should we worry about not having military merit..."
Chapter completed!