Chapter 203 Showing weakness and abandoning the formation
"The enemy's firearms are sharp and stronger than our army's bows and arrows. There are dense obstacles on the road, making it difficult for our army to attack quickly. Under the intensive fire of the enemy's firearms, we suffered heavy casualties..."
"In addition to not having the cannons like those on Fort Port Arthur and the different strength of the enemy's troops, the enemy's firepower is still very fierce. The key is to block the road and our army can't use it..."
"Next, the general wants to use the carriage as a cover, break the obstacles from the front, and launch detours from the flanks. A two-pronged approach will break through the enemy's blockade."
Saharian nodded slightly. Faced with such a blockage, there weren't many tricks. Apart from charging head-on, the only other option was to take a sideways detour.
Under the Port Arthur Fort, he also saw the powerful firepower of the defenders. The muskets that ignored heavy armor defense were indeed extremely sharp and caused the greatest damage to one's own side.
Although the Hongyi cannons are powerful and extremely intimidating, there are only a dozen of them. It takes a long time to load and fire, and the number of kills is far less than that of hundreds of heavy muskets.
"If the enemy can set up such a tight blocking position, they must also be on guard on the sides." Sahalian reminded in a deep voice: "But when fighting in the woods, muskets and bows and arrows are not very useful. The main thing is close combat. Our army
Dominate."
"What Lord Baylor said is absolutely true." Sorno bowed and said, "To give full play to the strengths of our army, the only way at present is to fight in close combat."
Saharian smiled bitterly, feeling helpless.
At the same time, I also regretted that I should not have launched an attack so hastily and knew too little about the enemy's situation.
No, it's not that we don't know too much, but that the enemies have changed too much.
Saharian looked up at the sky and said, "Start the attack as soon as possible. We must break through the enemy's blockade today."
In Sakhalian's judgment, which was similar to Sorno's, he did not think that the number of enemies blocking the attack would exceed 3,000.
They never expected that the blockade had been planned for a long time and was well prepared. Moreover, Dongjiang Town used a large number of ships and was able to deploy almost as many troops as they did.
Even though there is still a gap in combat power between the enemy and ourselves, the blocking force has established fortifications, occupies favorable terrain, and has a large number of firearms. It has narrowed the gap and even overtaken it.
The enemy and our armies collided with equal strength, and Jianlu was destined to find it difficult to break through unless he was willing to pay thousands of casualties and fight with all his strength.
Obviously, Saharian was not mentally prepared for this and would never do this unless it was absolutely necessary.
Guo Dajing also didn't want to fight to the death with Jianlu, so he intercepted them layer by layer, constantly wearing down Jianlu. When Jianlu could no longer bear the increasing casualties, he took a detour.
Two thousand, at most three thousand. This was Guo Dajing's judgment. He believed that the bottom line that Jianlu could bear was this number.
To be precise, it was two red flags, or the casualties Daishan could bear.
Sorno went down to organize his troops, and soon launched another attack. The front and side attacks were carried out at the same time, and a total of four Niulu troops were dispatched.
The battle started again, and the blocking troops were well prepared for Jianlu's response. This was not unexpected. The most commonly used tool for Jianlu to attack fortresses was the jianlu chariot, which has not changed much.
Under the cover of the shield, the light trebuchet was pushed to the front of the formation, and mines and burning mud bombs flew through the air, hitting the carriages and the prisoners behind them.
The loud explosions, rising smoke, splashing fireballs, and roaring volleys of muskets became the concerto of the battlefield.
The shouts, screams, and a small number of war drums made by Jianlu were almost completely suppressed, and they fell behind in terms of momentum.
The flaming mud bomb hit the cart and hit the ground. The oil and fire that spattered were sticky and stained everything. Whether it was the cart or the human body.
Saharian narrowed his eyes. The power of this kind of fire bomb was almost the same as that of an exploding land mine. But the miserable sight of a person on fire, rolling around, screaming and screaming was really too shocking.
Although kerosene has been improved by Guo Dajing, it is still far behind the solidified incendiary bombs of later generations. After catching fire, it can be put out quickly if people are rolling on the ground.
But burning a living person is very visually impactful and exciting, and it also brings greater fear and shock to people.
There were also some dead bodies that were burned by the fire, emitting an unpleasant burnt smell, which made them even more miserable.
The coated slaves were forced to rush out from behind the cart, destroying the roadblocks with axes and hammers, and fell down continuously in the hail of bullets coming from the front.
Clusters of arrows shot out from behind the carriage. Jianlu was still doing the same thing, and he only had this long-range attack method.
The musketeer hides behind the large shield, and the "V"-shaped gap in the shield can just hold the musket. It not only provides protection, but also improves the stability and accuracy of shooting.
Rows of heavy lead bullets were fired out, leaving bloody bullet holes in the enemy's bodies. The carriages were also hit with sawdust flying everywhere, and were gradually damaged.
A battle also broke out on the flanks. The preset mines made a series of explosions, and the crossbow arrows flew through the gaps in the trees and shot at Jianlu.
In addition to obstacles such as trees and landmines, there are also iron caltrops laid out in the forest. It is difficult to find among the snow, dead branches, and weeds. The sharp spikes can pierce the soles of Jianlu's boots.
Later generations of combat boots often added steel plates to the soles to prevent punctures; some added steel bars to the front to increase the lethality of kicking people.
In the Ming Dynasty, there would definitely not be such high-end military boots. The boots worn by Jianlu were mostly made of paper, cloth, or leather, and few were made of wood.
Obviously, Jianlu would not have thought that the protection of his feet was a flaw, nor would he have thought that there were weapons specially designed to target it.
Under normal circumstances, a small hole in the foot would not be too serious an injury, and one could still charge into battle while riding a horse. But now it was a foot battle, so it would definitely have an impact, at least he would not be able to walk fast and his steps would not be flexible.
Jianlu was also very tenacious. Under the constant blows of traps, he braved crossbows and arrows and still advanced in a roundabout way.
There are also fortifications, branches, and ice piles formed by watering the snow and freezing them in the woods, which not only hinder the progress of the builders, but also play a protective role.
Despicable and shameless! I have no choice but to engage in these dirty tricks.
Chohar cursed angrily and pulled out the square nails that penetrated the soles of his boots. The sharp tips shone with cold light. His feet were bleeding and in pain.
Fortunately, the injury was not serious, so there was no need for bandaging and it did not affect his walking. Chohar stood up again and continued moving forward with the knife in hand.
On the opposite side, there is an ice wall made of frozen branches and snow. The enemy is hiding behind it, firing crossbows.
Boom! There was a roar in Chohar's ears, and the landmine buried under a tree exploded next to him, and the air wave pushed him to the ground.
Pain came from his legs and feet, and Chohar groaned. His leg was seriously injured, and he finally couldn't stand up.
But one of his companions was not as lucky as him. He covered his face and struggled and howled, with blood oozing out from his fingers. A crossbow arrow hit him in the lower abdomen. He was severely injured and it was obvious that he would not survive.
The enemy and we finally began to fight hand-to-hand. The defenders were waiting for work and had a numerical advantage, while the scattered and rushing Jianlu forces had to fight with fewer soldiers.
After a period of fighting, Jianlu was temporarily repulsed. The troops responsible for flank defense no longer fought hard with Jianlu, and continued to retreat backwards, constantly causing Jianlu to pay the price of casualties.
Crossbows are silent and can shoot more quickly and concealedly; muskets are troublesome to load and produce smoke and light when shooting.
It can be said that the weapons used by the troops blocking the attack in various areas have been studied and predicted, and we strive to be the most reasonable and threatening.
When receiving the news from the flanking troops, Liu Xingzhi also issued a retreat order to the frontal troops.
The first wave of blocking has been successfully completed, killing and injuring hundreds of Jianlu, which is beyond expectations. Moreover, it has blocked Jianlu for more than two hours and less than half a day.
Jianlu tried to break through the second blockade before dark, but it was obviously too late. In this way, they had to spend another night in the wild, and their food and grass consumption increased.
If we can rely on such a blockade to delay for five or six days, or even longer, the Jianlu's food and grass will be exhausted. Don't fight, they will starve to death.
Calculating time, Liaoyang will naturally have to transport grain, but it will also be blocked. If there are not many people to escort the grain, there is even a possibility of being ambushed and annihilated.
If he could starve Jianlu to exhaustion and win in an easier way, Guo Dajing would make his choice naturally without even thinking about it.
The enemy's retreat made Jianlu happy. In the opinion of Sakhalian and Sorno, it was the flanking detour that played a role. After all, the enemy was still afraid of melee combat, and there were still ways to break the enemy's blockade.
Even so, the roadblocks still need to be cleared, at least wide enough to allow vehicles to pass through. There is no way, the wounded soldiers cannot be left alone, and food and supplies must also be carried!
Roadblocks can not only serve as a support for blocking, but also play a role in delaying the advance of Jianlu, and can be regarded as a type of broken road.
The tactic of breaking roads rarely appeared in ancient times. The main reason was that the means of transportation at that time were relatively simple and not very heavy. They did not have as high requirements on roads as cars and other vehicles.
However, the effect of breaking the road is small, but not impossible. It limits Jianlu's maneuverability and traveling speed, which in itself limits its strengths and advantages.
Liu Xingzhi led his troops to alternate cover and safely retreated to the second blocking position. The distance was only two miles away, which prevented the pursuit of the Jianlu cavalry to the greatest extent.
Guo Dajing personally led his troops to respond and was ready to block Jianlu again.
Weary and depleted the enemy, this is also the effect of layers of interceptions. Jianlu suffered casualties, but still had hope and did not give up because the blocking was too strong.
Each blockade killed and injured two to three hundred Jianlu, and by the time they reached the main blocking position at Xiaoheishan, the Jianlu had to pay almost eighteen hundred casualties.
In such a battle, Jianlu may not pay too much attention to the number of casualties each time, or may not have time to accurately count them, but the total number is very shocking.
In Guo Dajing's explanation to the officers, it was a bit like boiling a frog in warm water. It was a little hot, a little hot, and finally it was unbearable and almost cooked.
The same is true for Jianlu. After two or three hundred, one or two hundred... after four or five attempts to block the attack, one Jia La's troops have been lost, and they may not have realized the seriousness of the casualties.
From this point of view, the defense of Lushun Fort was indeed too fierce. Although it minimized its own casualties, it also made Jianlu feel discouraged and did not dare to launch another attack.
Of course, Guo Dajing couldn't be too harsh and give Jianlu a head-on blow. Li Weiluan didn't do anything wrong either.
But now, Jianlu has met Guo Dajing, and under his command, he will pay a heavy price.
Seeing that the enemy was repulsed, Sakhalian and Sorno immediately took the time to destroy the roadblock, opened the passage, and continued to move forward.
From the very beginning, Saharian and other generals misjudged. They believed that the enemy to be intercepted would not have too many troops, would not have too many formations to intercept them in the wild, and that their fortifications would not be too complete, and that their own troops would be able to break through and defeat them.
After Guo Dajing asked Liu Xingzhi about the blocking process, he had an idea and made the decision to abandon the second blocking position.
"Sir, do you want to continue to create misunderstandings for Jianlu and lure the enemy deeper?" Liu Xingzhi was also very smart and immediately understood Guo Dajing's intention.
Guo Dajing nodded and said with a smile: "If we continue to block the attack as we did in the first formation, we will not be able to fight for more than three battles, and we will definitely be disheartened. If we retreat halfway, our main position will be in vain."
The strongest firepower was undoubtedly the main position, with light and heavy muskets, Fran machine artillery, and various projectiles, which were enough to cause heavy casualties to the captives.
Moreover, the terrain is also the most advantageous. Fighting against the mountains, there is basically no need to worry about Jianlu's outflanking.
It would be a pity not to use such a good condition.
Liu Xingzhi thought for a moment, bowed and said: "Please give the last 600 men and horses to stop the enemy in the third or fourth formation."
The strength of the first line was almost a thousand, but Liu Xingzhi now only had 600. The blocking strength was reduced by half, which was certainly not very strong, and it also made Jianlu mistakenly think that the enemy was at the end of its war effort, and the more they fought, the fewer they were.
Guo Dajing nodded his head in appreciation and said: "Then the fourth and fifth formations will block it a little. When the Jianlu attack our main position again, they will probably be in a state of exhaustion."
Abandoning two formations in a row was a flexible adjustment based on the current situation of the Jianlu. If the attack was too harsh, it would not only increase casualties, but also make the Jianlu fearful of difficulties. The heavy blows that the main position was prepared for might be in vain.
Liu Xingzhi took the order and, together with Guo Dajing, led the troops to continue retreating to the fourth formation one mile away.
……………..
Jianlu retreated, and the Dongjiang Army in Lushun Fort also made adjustments.
In addition to Kong Youde's troops rushing to Hongzui Fort by boat to intercept, Mao Wenlong also sent Shang Keyi and Zhang Dalu with 3,000 troops to follow Jianlu and defend at Nanguan or Daheishan.
These 3,000 men and horses were not chasing and killing Jianlu, but monitoring Jianlu and putting some pressure on Jianlu. Therefore, there were not many people and they marched cautiously, not wanting to confront Jianlu.
Even with the deployment of 6,000 troops, Lushun Fort, which has an absolute advantage in weapons, has sufficient defensive strength, and there is no need to worry about the enemy being able to turn around.
At this point, more than 10,000 Jianlu under the two red banners were already under attack from the front and rear by the Dongjiang Army. There was no plan to annihilate them all, but at least the Jianlu were to be stripped of their skin.
"Know yourself and the enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles without danger." Mao Wenlong planted a small red flag in front of the sand table, which seemed to be teaching, but also seemed to be summarizing, and said: "Jianlu's launch was not only hasty, but also did not know the information. It can be said that he was defeated before fighting.