"Are you going out again?" A Xiu's face was full of reluctance, but she didn't say much.
Guo Dajing patted Axiu's hand and said helplessly: "Jinzhou will be recovered next year. I want to know about the situation at Fort Lushun. I want to see the training situation of the army and what is lacking."
Axiu nodded, forced a smile, and said, "Can you come back during the New Year?"
"That's for sure." Guo Dajing smiled and said confidently: "It may not take long. If everything goes well, ten days and a half will be about the same."
Axiu thought this was good news, took the needle and thread, and prepared to sew another pair of socks for Guo Dajing.
Watching his wife skillfully sewing with one hand, Guo Dajing couldn't help but be fascinated.
Although she rarely does rough work anymore, her hands still look rough, but the woman's dexterity is still there, flying up and down, and her stitches are tight and dense, full of care for men.
Axiu raised her head, looked at Guo Dajing's eyes, and asked somewhat strangely: "What's wrong? I sewed it wrong?"
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "The sewing is very good, everyone is fascinated by it."
Axiu refused to smile and said, "To be honest? I'm afraid I won't be able to do this needlework!"
Guo Dajing reached out and touched his wife's face. His love for her was undisguised, and even Axiu could feel it without speaking.
Axiu turned her face slightly and rubbed her husband's hand. A red cloud appeared on her face, but she smiled happily.
Very good, most of the psychological shadow caused by the mutilated arm has dissipated, and I have learned to be naughty.
Guo Dajing also smiled happily. The two of them looked at each other and smiled like fools. They didn't know who took the initiative and slowly hugged each other.
……………….
The sun hangs in the sky, bringing some warmth to the increasingly cold weather.
"Set the ship." Guo Dajing gave the order, and the ship slowly started to leave the dock.
The boat had set off, but Guo Dajing's gaze was still on the shore, staring at the crowd seeing him off on the pier. Without a telescope, he could see the waving arms and the reluctant eyes.
Like a normal person, like every relative who came to see her off, Axiu was dressed in coarse cloth, and next to her was Rong'er, who was holding her severed hand.
It wasn't until no one could be seen anymore that Guo Dajing turned around and exhaled a mouthful of thick white mist.
Lin Tianyou and Xiao Lin Haoer had already returned by boat. Guo Dajing led the hunting team and transported 400 heavy muskets and 300 light muskets to Fort Lushun, and tested the training results of Fort Lushun's musketeers.
In order to ensure the combat effectiveness of the troops participating in the war on each island as much as possible, Guo Dajing specially wrote a letter to hold a competition between the various armies when the ministries gather in Lushun next year.
According to common sense, everyone wants to save face, especially military commanders. They don't want their subordinates to be weak and embarrass themselves.
Guo Dajing thought it was appropriate to use this method to motivate. It didn't have to be a competition, but it could be achieved by allowing him to command and use it with confidence.
There is definitely a difference between strength and weakness, and their use must be deployed according to the actual situation. This is the way to use troops, and Guo Dajing learned it from online novels.
After tightening his collar, Guo Dajing turned around and got out of the cabin. After sitting down, he chatted casually with Fujino Masa and his daughter.
Heavy muskets are excellent for defense. They have a long range and great power. They are very lethal to the heavily armored dead soldiers rushing in front.
But defense alone is obviously not enough. How to use it in field battles, what kind of battle formations to form, and what types of arms are needed to cooperate, all need to be carefully studied.
"The Western Yi people used a phalanx that combined spears and muskets." Fujino was holding a piece of paper and using the diagram above to introduce, "The muskets were evenly distributed around the spear phalanx, taking into account attacks from all sides.
.”
This should be the Spanish phalanx, sometimes mixed with spearmen, musketeers, sword and shield soldiers and halberdiers, which almost became the dominant force on the European battlefield for a time.
"This kind of phalanx should pay more attention to hand-to-hand combat." Guo Dajing was not sure and looked up at Fujino Masaru.
Fujino nodded and said: "Judging from the distribution ratio of spearmen and musketeers, this is indeed the case. Because heavy muskets are bulkier and less maneuverable."
There is indeed such a problem, but if you switch to a light musket, it will be insufficient in terms of power. It is impossible to have both at the moment.
However, the Spanish square formation is difficult to command and control, and training is time-consuming and laborious. It is not a formation that Guo Dajing is satisfied with.
A relatively simple battle formation that can be arranged at a faster speed, or a vehicle formation, is the direction of development.
Guo Dajing pondered, took a piece of paper, drew a simple diagram, and asked Fujino for advice: "The battle formation will be simplified, with fewer people and more mobility. In order to avoid attacks on the flanks and rear, multiple square formations will be
Combined to form a checkerboard or plum blossom shape..."
Fujino was looking at the diagram, thinking about it for a long time, chin slightly, and said: "Theoretically it works, but it still needs to be tested in practice."
After a pause, he said to Guo Dajing: "Light muskets and bayonets are a good improvement. If the spearmen are replaced by light musketeers, will it have the same effect?"
Guo Dajing slapped his thigh and said, "Mr. Fujino, great idea. In this way, the formation of the phalanx can be made up of all musketeers, who can fight hand-to-hand and shoot from a long distance. With the addition of some chariots, it will be more rigorous and difficult to attack."
"Is the bayonet a little short?" Hide Fujino, who was pouring tea and water, interjected: "Compared with the spear, it seems that the deterrence is not enough."
In hand-to-hand combat, it is also true that an inch longer means an inch stronger. What's more, the length of the weapon also has a certain effect on the combat psychology of the soldiers.
But ancient spears were generally five or six meters long, or even longer. When it came to melee combat, they could not be used flexibly. Most of the time, they just stood in line to block cavalry attacks.
The spears specially used for fighting, or should be called spears, were usually three meters long and nine kilograms in the Ming Dynasty. Soldiers who can use heavy spears must be carefully selected, and height is one of the necessary hardware.
one.
Guo Dajing knew the length of a light musket and bayonet. It was about 1.8 meters, which was indeed much shorter than a long gun.
But muskets and bayonets can eliminate cold weapons, not because their length is more conducive to close combat. It is because they can both shoot and block the impact of cavalry, and can also fight in close combat.
It is difficult to achieve perfection in a weapon. You can only consider its comprehensive performance. It can be used at a distance and can be used in melee combat. Even if it is shorter than a spear, it is more lethal than a purely equipped spear.
Fujino just smiled at his daughter's worries and said: "A musket with a bayonet, even if there is no chariot, can still deter the enemy's horses. As for hand-to-hand combat, the Jianlu don't seem to have many spearmen."
It’s not that there weren’t any, but there were no organized spearmen. Because all the captives were cavalry, bows, arrows, bucklers, and scimitars were the most commonly used weapons.
Moreover, the main purpose of the infantry formation is to fight against the enemy's cavalry, which is the first priority. To engage in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy's infantry is secondary.
Guo Dajing was thoughtful and drew another diagram on the paper.
Fujino was stroking his beard and thinking, and when he saw Guo Dajing added the word "projectile" in the hollow battle formation, he couldn't help but smile.
There is no need to stick to this and that formation of the Western Yi, whatever is practical. Guo Dajing believes that the modern hollow square formation is the best for restraining cavalry.
Once the solid phalanx is destroyed, the troops will easily become confused and unable to complete the reorganization of the phalanx.
The hollow phalanx appears to be much more flexible and maneuverable, because the hollow phalanx itself is a complete combat unit modeled on a specific mathematical model, with extremely distinct rules for the arrangement of people.
Under the command of the commander in the center, the number of personnel arranged in each circle is arranged according to the rules. Even if the phalanx is impacted, rapid capacity adjustments and supplies can be made based on the original model.
Once the soldiers in front of the long snake formation are defeated, it will be difficult to have an appropriate defense plan. If they face a more powerful cavalry, they will be defeated immediately.
Each circle of the hollow phalanx has supply personnel arranged to facilitate timely replenishment of lost troops during battle and ensure that the phalanx will not be broken up during combat.
The arrangement of the hollow phalanx requires about a few hundred people. It is only a medium-sized army and is far lower than the number of people required by other phalanxes, which reduces the cost of personnel and weapon rationing.
The reduction in cost means that the hollow phalanx can have greater logistical capabilities, which is crucial on the battlefield.
After all, war is often about supply and consumption. Whoever can hold on longer will win.
"The infantry in the hollow phalanx are equipped with weapons. No matter which side is attacked, they have defensive capabilities. The soldiers can serve as the rear of each other's comrades, which is very helpful to stabilize the morale of the army, boost morale, and enhance the will to fight."
Guo Dajing's thinking was opened up. He pointed at the drawings and talked eloquently, "In the hollow in the middle, in addition to the commander, some heavy weapons can also be placed to provide fire support. I think projectile weapons are the best."
Fujino nodded repeatedly and said: "In addition to heavy weapons, we can also arrange some cavalry as side support. Several hollow square formations can also cooperate with each other to exert greater power."
"The key is that the infantry formation is more adaptable to various terrains, while the cavalry has much greater limitations. If the square formation can occupy favorable terrain, its combat power will be improved..."
During the discussions and exchanges, the hollow phalanx proposed by Guo Dajing became more and more perfect, and the two had begun to discuss the specific number of people and arms that would make up the phalanx.
"Are we going to use the hollow phalanx in the battle to collect Jinzhou?" Fujino Masa suddenly asked, showing some concern.
Guo Dajing shook his head vigorously and said: "Of course not. Let alone a few months left. Even if the hollow square formation has been trained for more than half a year, I may not be confident."
Fujino was relieved, smiled and nodded, took a pen and paper, and continued to count the number of people in the phalanx.
If nothing else happens, next spring, when the ice and snow melt, is the time for Guo Dajing to start. His main consideration is to build fortifications. How to dig trenches in the ice and snow?
At the same time, the time to regain the Golden State cannot be too late, and the military operation must be completed before spring plowing. Otherwise, crops such as potatoes, rye, and corn cannot be planted, and it is meaningless to occupy the land alone.
In this way, the launch time can basically be determined, between March and April. It can not only build civil fortifications, but also leave time to defeat the Jianqi and immigrate to cultivate.
As for Jianlu, Guo Dajing was basically certain that Huang Taiji would launch an attack on Chahar. Even if the time was delayed or something unexpected happened, he did not want to cancel the operation to regain Jinzhou.
Even if the Jianlu troops were strong, Guo Dajing believed that by concentrating the troops on several islands and holding on to Lushun Fort with more than 10,000 troops, they could remain invincible.
From March and April to the coming of summer, Jianlu's best time to attack was only a few months. Just like Jinzhou and Ningyuan, Jianlu was still unable to attack in front of the heavy artillery of the strong city.
If the Jianlu troops were not strong enough to attack, Guo Dajing would use ruthless tactics to lure the enemy to the foot of Lushun Fort, and then land a surprise attack to cut off the Jianlu troops' retreat, causing them to suffer heavy losses.
While his thoughts were wandering, Guo Dajing saw Hide Fujino, who had always been a good girl, winking at him.
Teasing? Isn't it bad to do this in front of your father?
Guo Dajing turned away his eyes, lowered his head and scribbled on the paper, pretending not to notice. Although he avoided Fujino Hide's eyes, he still felt a chill on his body. Eye knife? This girl has learned a new skill?
………………
As the only ice-free port in Liaodong, Lushun has a very important geographical location and is the hub of communication between Pidao, Liaoxi, Tianjin and Denglai.
Not only that, Lushun, or Jinzhou, can also radiate to the islands in Liaodong Bay, as well as Gaizhou and Fuzhou.
For example, Changsheng Island and Xizhong Island are adjacent to Fuzhou Guard, Lianyun Island is adjacent to Gaizhou Guard, and Sanchahekou can raid Haizhou, Liaoyang, and Shenyang from waterways.
It can be said that if Jinzhou becomes a stable base and can garrison tens of thousands of troops, it will make it difficult for Jianlu to live in peace.
Because of this, Guo Dajing firmly believed that Jianlu would not sit back and watch the Dongjiang Army regain Jinzhou and advance the battle line from Liaonan to the heart of their rule.
For example, Zhang Pan died for his country because he built positions and defense lines at Nanguan and touched the nerves of the captives before launching a sudden attack.
Therefore, with lessons learned from the past, Guo Dajing was also cautious about regaining Jinzhou and had to be extremely well prepared before launching the campaign.
The five thousand shi of grain shipped to Lushun was not considered an emergency relief aid. In addition, the artillery, guns, ammunition and supplies were transported to prepare for next year's war.
Li Weiluan, Shang Keyi and other generals rushed to the port to welcome him. While grateful for Guo Dajing's generous gesture, they also saw his confidence and will to launch next year.
"This is another investment of several thousand taels of silver!" Li Weiluan glanced at the list and was filled with emotion. Compared to the imperial court's cut off of food and salary, Guo Dajing was surprisingly generous.
Guo Dajing chuckled and said: "Everything is done to regain Jinzhou next year, tens of millions of acres of land, how much is that worth? It can't be compared!"
Shang Keyi said with a smile: "Preliminary measurements show that there are nearly 20 million acres of cultivated land; the forest land has not yet been measured and counted."
At this time, Jinzhou did not have as many towns and factories as in later generations, and naturally there was a lot of cultivated land. Some forest land could actually be turned into cultivated land, and there were no laws and regulations to protect the environment like in later generations.