Babutai, the Jianlu guard general, stood at the top of the city, looking at the dark enemies in the distance, his face solemn and solemn.
With an army of tens of thousands of people pressing down on the border, Anshan Fort could only be in passive defense, completely losing the desire and strength to leave the city for field battles.
As an important stronghold to defend Liaoyang, Anshan Fort cannot play the role of one man guarding the gate and ten thousand people can't open it. It is mainly limited by practical conditions. No matter in size or strength, it cannot be compared with Liaoyang.
Therefore, Jianlu's blockade at Anshan Fort could only be done with all his strength, causing heavy casualties to the enemy and frustrating his momentum and confidence to continue the attack.
"With more than 4,000 defenders, with their carefully constructed positions, they should be able to achieve twice as many casualties as the enemy, right?" Babutai let out a long breath and looked at the enemy who was dispatching their troops and preparing to attack. He was not that confident.
foot.
"Sir." The Jianlu officer next to him bowed and asked for instructions: "Should we move the artillery forward to bombard the enemy's position so that it cannot attack calmly?"
Babutai shook his head and said: "The artillery ranges are very different, so moving forward at this time is a risky move."
There are more than 20 artillery pieces placed on the Anshan Fort, but they are all old models. Only by relying on the high position can one increase the range and provide fire support for the defenders.
But obviously, the Dongjiang Army's attack was coordinated by infantry and artillery, and would not be a unilateral charge by the infantry. There were also plans for Jianlu's artillery, which was to destroy it remotely and prevent it from functioning.
Even in a trench battle, the Dongjiang Army must take advantage of its firepower to minimize infantry casualties. Even if the infantry has undergone close combat training, they are not afraid of fighting with the enemy.
Hundreds of mortars were deployed, aiming at the depth of Jianlu's defense. Under the cover of the mortars, the infantry slowly pressed forward, like a copper wall.
In the gap between the carts, more than a hundred trebuchets were like monsters waving their arms, stopping about two hundred meters away from the trench, followed closely by carts of ammunition.
Babutai scratched his head, not quite sure why the Dongjiang Army brought out such antiques again. But he also knew that in addition to the range, the power of the trebuchet should not be underestimated.
The key is cost. The bomb thrown by the trebuchet does not require propellant, or even directly inserts an open flame fuse, making it easier to manufacture.
A trench bridge has thick wooden boards erected high up, which can crash down at any time, covering the trench and forming a passage.
The heavy musketeers set up their weapons behind the modified carriage, and enemies within more than a hundred meters would be their targets.
Melee combat soldiers are organized into small groups, equipped with small shields, steel knives, sharp axes, and two soldiers holding short crossbows to achieve both mid-range and close range.
Accompanied by a heart-wrenching creaking sound, the soldiers pulled up the boom and loaded bombs into the trebuchet's net bag.
There are large and small bombs, but to attack enemies in the trenches, small ones are used. Each bomb weighs three kilograms. Fifteen bombs are dropped at a time and can be thrown to a distance of 140 to 50 meters.
The steps of the attack had been rehearsed for a long time. He Kegang dispatched the generals and took their respective positions. He only waited for the bombing before launching the attack.
"Fire!" After receiving the artillery report, He Kegang did not hesitate and immediately issued the order.
With the sudden wave of the command flag, the fuse was ignited, the iron hook was smashed open, and the first batch of dozens of trebuchets launched hundreds of bombs into the air, drawing an arc, and landed more than 100 meters away.
outside.
Some bombs fell into the ditch, and some bombs fell outside the ditch. In the wisps of green smoke, explosions occurred one after another, setting off clouds of black smoke and splashing clouds of dust.
The prisoners in the trench were killed, although not very seriously, but the overwhelming bombs passed through the sky, dimming the sunlight.
The bombs seemed to be free of charge. On a front line more than 100 meters wide, round after round of fierce bombardments caused the casualties of Jianlu to continue to rise.
"This is the Dongjiang Army's method of fighting the trenches?" Babutai frowned. The expected infantry charge and close combat in the trenches did not happen, at least not yet.
Obviously, the Jianlu's understanding of trench parapet fortifications was quite superficial. They were only designed to block ultra-long-range artillery rockets and avoid exploding with musketeers.
However, although the trench breastworks increase the protective effect, they are not omnipotent. The direct missile weapons and firepower of the Dongjiang Army are quite powerful.
The black powder bomb may not be powerful enough, but it is not difficult to cause damage. The three-pound bomb contains more than a kilogram of black powder. It explodes at close range and is enough to break a leg or arm.
Jianlu did not have a small number of troops deployed in front. After the bombardment stopped and the infantry charged, they would mobilize their troops. Of course, this was an advanced strategy, which was impossible and unrealistic at the time.
Because no matter how many artillery pieces the Dongjiang Army had, the power of the artillery shells would not be able to achieve the earth-shattering and shocking effects that would be achieved in later generations.
But for now, the firepower of the Dongjiang Army ranks first in the world. Jianlu has a great psychological fear in several battles.
The carts began to advance again, getting closer and closer to the trench; the trebuchets also approached in batches, bombarding the trenches farther away.
Arrows were shot out of the trenches. This was the only long-range attack Jianlu could use. Compared with the overwhelming bombing, it seemed very shabby.
But there was no way around it. Jianlu had some old artillery, but supplies such as saltpeter and sulfur were very expensive.
Especially after the disastrous detour to enter the customs, Hu Duntu returned eastward again, blocking the possibility of profiteers in Datong and other places to smuggle with the captives to enrich themselves.
I don’t know if this is the luck or misfortune of those profiteers. Guo Dajing has found it difficult to accuse them of being traitors, even though he covets the huge property of these guys.
Jianlu's bows and arrows seemed sparse, and they posed little threat to the advancing Dongjiang Army. Behind the modified cart, the musketeers were also firing continuously, and the lead bullets stirred up clouds of dust in front of the trenches.
The bombs were still flying through the air, and the trebuchets were staggered forward and backward, forming a bombardment depth covering dozens of meters, causing the Jianlu to continue to pay casualties.
The simple yet effective fighting style made it difficult for Jianlu to crack down. Even if they got into close combat, it was just a matter of attrition, and they had no chance of turning defeat into victory.
Pushing forward, pushing forward, the cart was already very close to the first trench, and the roar of the muskets became more intense. The prisoners who were exposed were constantly screaming and falling in the spray of blood.
The arrows were still shot out of the ditch, but the protection of the carriages made the lethality of the bows and arrows unsightly. It even seemed pitiful and helpless.
Densely packed bombs fell again, and balls of flames and black smoke rose up inside and outside the trenches and in the spaces between them.
The war drums rumbled, the carriages accelerated, and the soldiers shouted and rushed out.