Chapter four hundred and twentieth eight thousand to three thousand melee
Regardless of the infantry square formation, due to the limitations of gun-holding postures, if you want to hold guns and shoot at the same time, you are limited to three rows at most, and the remaining soldiers can often only serve as reserves.
Historically, the musketeers in Gustav's phalanx often relied on three rows of volleys to cause heavy damage to the enemy.
The specific tactics are that when the enemy approaches, the original six rows of musketeers quickly change into three rows, with the three rows in different postures, holding their guns and firing at the same time.
This method of three-row salvo shooting can obviously bring out the full firepower of the musketeers. Moreover, the bullets raining down and roaring like thunder can also better deter the enemy.
In the study of the Dongjiang Army's musketeer phalanx, Guo Dajing still adopted a more conservative six-row depth.
Although three rows of fusiliers, after rigorous training, can basically maintain a continuous fire offensive (the elite Prussian infantry in the eighteenth century could even maintain continuous fire with two rows).
But six rows have the advantage of six rows, that is, after launching three rows of salvos, they can still maintain the continuity of firepower.
Of course, six rows are only the basic type of battle formation. Depending on the battlefield conditions, it can also be changed to three rows to extend the shooting line, which is somewhat similar to line infantry tactics.
Regarding the musketry infantry phalanx, Guo Dajing did not have high requirements.
First of all, in the exchange of fire with Jianlu, a satisfactory casualty exchange can be achieved; secondly, it can withstand the impact of Jianlu cavalry in a short time.
When the armor is complete, the lethality of bows and arrows is obviously not as good as that of muskets. Even in the damage ranking of cold weapons, there is a saying that "three arrows are not as good as one sword, and three knives are not as good as one gun."
Unless it hits a vital point, the damage caused by a missed arrow is indeed limited. The armor of the Dongjiang Army has been improved and added an iron surface, which provides stronger protection for bows and arrows.
The changes to the armor and stomach are mainly to enhance the protection of the chest, abdomen and arms, while the back is almost non-existent. With the total weight almost unchanged, there is key protection and it does not increase the burden on the soldiers.
Go forward bravely, and would rather fall in the face of the enemy than flee in confusion. This is what Guo Dajing has always instilled in the army, and the improvement of the armor and stomach has also made soldiers more advocating this concept.
If the enemy's arrow misses the attack from the front, you may not die, but if you give your back to the enemy, it is very likely that an arrow will pierce the heart.
After such a subconscious mind is formed, it will still play a great role in improving combat effectiveness.
After the three rows of volleys fired, the three rows of musketeers behind quickly stepped forward from the space between their comrades in the front row and raised their guns to fire.
Arrows were thrown out, one canopy after another; muskets roared, row after row.
The rebels were on their backs, and the musketeers were constantly paying casualties. The long-range confrontation between the two sides was not evenly matched, and the musketeers still had the upper hand.
Doaro got up from the ground in a daze. His horse was hit by a bullet. To the cavalry, he lost his combat effectiveness.
Two Jianlu horses passed by him and stretched out their hands to pull him up. Doaro used the force to turn over, rode a horse with a Jianlu, and galloped away into the distance.
The battlefield was full of people and horses. In this tentative attack, Jianlu suffered more than 200 casualties, and hundreds of musketeers also fell.
The muskets continued to roar, chasing the enemy who passed in front of the formation and then galloped away. The roar of dozens of heavy muskets was even more astonishing, and the Jianlu cavalry who retreated in the distance fell again.
Hu Xing'a frowned and was very dissatisfied with the outcome of the battle. The cavalry clearly did not have the upper hand by shooting, so dismounting and fighting on foot seemed to be the solution.
You don't have to worry about the impact of your horse being injured and falling to death. You can also use longbows and large arrows to increase the range and power, causing greater damage to the enemy.
But this is not the result that Hu Xing'a hopes for the most. Isn't fighting for consumption what the enemy wants?
Moreover, several enemy infantry battle formations are being adjusted to shorten the distance between them. In this case, the attacking troops will be hit by crossfire.
The enemy's main force was on the opposite side. Hu Xing'a looked ahead and narrowed his eyes slightly.
The reason why Hu Xing'a sent hundreds of cavalry to test the attack was that he did not expect much results. Because he also knew in his heart that the Dongjiang Army was no better than other Ming armies and could not be easily defeated.
Moreover, he believed that the greatest threat was the enemy's cavalry. Thousands of cavalry were standing ready to confront each other, waiting for his own army to reveal its flaws.
Therefore, Hu Xing'a did not dare to send too many men and horses to attack the infantry formations on both sides.
"Yanaha." Hu Xing'a finally made a decision, called a slave chief, pointed at the enemy formation in front of him, and ordered: "You lead a thousand people to dismount and fight on foot, and you must defeat the enemy in front of you."
"General, I obey!" Yanaha bowed on his horse to give the order, reined in his horse and drove away. Soon he led a thousand soldiers to form a formation and pressed against the infantry phalanx in front of them.
Hu Xing'a also sent hundreds of troops to guard the enemies on both sides and prevent them from reinforcing them.
As long as the main force of the enemy in front of them is defeated, the rest will fall into chaos without fighting. Hu Xing'a firmly believed in his judgment. Although he led his cavalry to meet the enemy without carrying chariots, the enemy also did not have a preset solid position.
Li Weiluan looked at the adjustments made by Jianlu and issued orders and adopted countermeasures.
The two thousand lancers behind the formation had already dismounted and held their guns, and were ready in formation. After receiving the order, they immediately advanced to the two wings, and soon formed three battle formations that were very close to each other.
Li Weiluan still did not order the artillery to fire rockets. In his opinion, the enemy's losses were not big enough, and the coverage and bombardment of rockets may not have the final say.
Including the lancers who dismounted to fight, there were already 3,000 musketeers.
There is no big problem in resisting the attack of a thousand Jianlu.
The longer the delay here, the more fully prepared the troops that have been inserted behind the enemy's rear will be, the tighter the pockets will be, and the greater the certainty of annihilating the enemy will be.
If this enemy group is eliminated, Hetuala will become an empty city, and thousands of cavalry will rush in to destroy it, just like searching for something.
Hu Xing'a frowned when he saw the sudden increase in enemies in front of him, and sent five or six hundred soldiers to supplement the attacking troops.
Yanaha sent two Niulu to attack the enemy's battle formation on the left and right wings respectively, and then led the main force to attack the center.
The heavy muskets in the three formations opened fire first, and heavy lead bullets flew out and hit the enemy a hundred steps away.
The twenty-odd vans blocking the front suddenly opened their baffles, revealing the black muzzles of the guns. When Jianlu continued to advance within a hundred steps, they suddenly erupted, spraying out a dense rain of shotgun shells.
The vanguard troops carried Fran cannons, which were lighter than field guns. There were only about twenty of them, but once they started roaring, they almost never stopped.
The artillerymen replaced their muskets as quickly as possible, and fired five shots in less than half a minute. Under the hail of bullets, the momentum of the Jianlu attack was halted.
A large area of Jianlu fell down, and after the sound of cannons stopped, screams and wails could be heard throughout the battlefield.
Before the big arrows of the infantry bow could take effect, the Jianlu were hit hard, and there was some confusion immediately. But the attack from the Dongjiang Army continued, with rows of muskets spitting out flames and fire after the sharp whistles.
White smoke.
The high rate of fire of flintlock guns and paper-cased fixed-loading ammunition was vividly displayed by the veteran unit of the Youxie. The thick white smoke almost obscured the sight, and the sound of gunfire was like exploding beans, seemingly without stopping and continuing.
Before they even reached the van's defense line, the Jianlu's casualties increased sharply, and their counterattack seemed insufficient.
The arrow missed and flew through the air. Although it also caused casualties to the Dongjiang Army, it did not seem to affect the Dongjiang Army's firepower projection.
The bleak autumn wind blew away the gunpowder smoke, spreading the pungent smell of gunpowder and sulfur throughout the battlefield.
The longer the time lasted, the sparse and sparse Jianlu's arrows were lost, and they became more and more weak under the fierce and fierce musket blows.
The artillery roared again. At a distance of twenty or thirty steps, the Fran machine gun roared again, and the dense rain of lead bullets covered Jianlu's face.
Yanaha roared loudly. He was going crazy. He had only one thought left, commanding the Jianzhou warriors to rush through the defense line of the chariots and engage in close combat with the enemy with spears and swords.
But what he saw were corpses and wounded people lying on the ground, and what he heard were endless screams and wails.
Countless officers and soldiers with superb riding skills, fierce and brave officers and soldiers did not even have a chance to fight with the enemy, so they fell to the ground or were injured and lost their combat effectiveness.
Yanaha could also see that the enemies on the opposite side were constantly falling, but this was far from enough. Compared with the casualties of his own army, he could not be reconciled at all.
It was as if a rotten watermelon had exploded in front of his eyes, and blood and flesh burst into Yanaha's face. That was his own soldier, and the dog's head was shattered by a heavy lead bullet.
Li Weiluan finally gave the order to fire the rockets. More than a hundred rockets flew up from behind the array with flashing tail flames, swept through the smokey sky, and smashed into Jianlu's brigade.
In Hu Xing'a's shocked eyes, a few seconds later, one after another explosions were heard. Balls of flames burst out, black smoke rose in streams, and gravel and weeds flew up.
Several flag-flower rockets flew straight into the sky with a scream, and then exploded, blooming into dazzling and gorgeous flames and smoke in the sky.
All the infantry formations on the battlefield, no matter how big or small, moved towards the nearest enemy. The fire flashed, the gunfire roared, and the Dongjiang Army's counterattack began.
The rockets made a piercing scream in the air, smashed into the Jianlu cavalry, and then burst out with dazzling firelight. Amidst the deafening noise, they shot death shrapnel in all directions;
The muskets roared continuously, and the dead lead bullets pierced the air and fired towards Jianlu;
Behind the Jianlu brigade, intensive gunshots also rang out, and the musketeers appeared in battle formation, pressing toward Jianlu like monsters spitting fireworks.
Advance, advance, advance! All the musketeers on the battlefield moved, advancing towards the enemy and shooting at the enemy.
Eight thousand musketeers versus three thousand captives, no one could have imagined that the final battle would be like this.
On the vast battlefield, Jianlu fell into complete chaos, whether it was the offensive, diversionary, or Jianlu troops.
The explosion that was so close to Chi Chi knocked Hu Xing'a off his horse. The severe pain that came from his body, but the lack of regret in his heart, made him feel more painful.
At this time, he finally figured it out. This was a trap set by the enemy. They used several times more troops and sharp firepower to bury him and the Jianzhou warriors here.
If we had not underestimated the enemy, if we had not thought too much, the result would not have been as bad as it is now.
When he sees the enemy in front of him and the small battle formation on the flanks, he should launch his entire army without hesitation and charge towards the opposite side.
Perhaps, the enemy was also afraid of the cavalry attack, which is why they put up this messy and confusing formation.
Perhaps the enemy wanted him to fight with reservations instead of charging recklessly.
But now, it's too late. The troops have fallen into chaos and are already fighting on their own, resisting the enemies coming from all directions and struggling desperately in the blazing lead bullets.
The cavalry's circuitous and violent attacks were completely defeated in the enemy's counterattack.
There is absolutely no room for display.
"Fire!"
"Fire!"
The officer's throat-piercing roar and sharp whistle had lost their effect in the melee.
The soldiers loaded and fired mechanically, focusing only on their own movements and completely missing the concentrated firing of the entire row.
At this point in the battle, it is normal for such a situation to occur, and free fire cannot affect the outcome of the battle.
Sun Huzi stood side by side with a dozen of his comrades, holding the muskets in his hands, and faced the galloping horseback soldiers with ferocious faces and wolf-like howls. It was a crazy and fatal impact.
His hands were shaking a little, but Sun Huzi could hear the sound of his companions firing, and he gritted his teeth and pulled the trigger. A cloud of white smoke rose up, blurring his vision, but it did not affect his ability to see the Jianlu people flipping on their backs.
.
Not only were they shooting, but Pao Ze was also firing, forming a cross fire.
Two or three Jianlu rolled on the ground, jumped up again, waved their weapons, and continued to charge forward.
"kill!"
"Kill!"
Amidst the roars of his comrades, Sun Huzi also raised his gun, subconsciously pointed the bayonet at the enemy, and subconsciously followed his comrades.
There were comrades who lived with him day and night, and their roars and actions gave Sun Huzi courage, even though he was a new recruit and had not yet experienced the test of the battle formation.
Several gunshots rang out, very close to Sun Huzi, knocking Jianlu, who had already rushed forward, to the ground.
"kill!"
"kill!"
Sun Huzi also shouted, and with his comrades who rushed forward, they thrust their bayonets into the enemy's body.
The bayonet penetrated deeply, and his comrades quickly withdrew the bayonet, but Sun Huzi did not pull it out. He could only step on the enemy's body with his feet and use all his strength to pull out the bayonet.
The bayonet was stained with blood, dripping down. Sun Huzi was in a daze, looking at Jianlu who was stepped on by him, staring with eyes like a dead fish.
"Go ahead and kill!"
There was a shout in his ears, and Sun Huzi seemed to wake up slowly. He looked up and quickened his pace to catch up with his comrades.
It seemed that only being with them was the safest thing. Sun Huzi saw the bearded corps commander glance at him and grinned.
This officer, who was usually strict but could still laugh on the battlefield, seemed to have given him great encouragement. He couldn't help but puff up his chest and straighten his musket.
More than five hundred rockets had been fired back and forth, and finally they were forced to stop in the melee between the enemy and ourselves.
But this did not affect the progress of the battle. Fighting was happening everywhere on the battlefield, and chaos was not suitable for the cavalry.
The Jianlu troops had been completely dispersed and divided into several large or small isolated armies, desperately but in vain resisting the sharp and fierce firepower of an opponent several times their own.