Karta was not all greedy for life and fearful of death. He had realized that with less than two thousand men and horses, he could no longer drive the landing enemy down the river.
On the contrary, under the enemy's firepower on the river and on land, a hasty attack will incur heavy casualties. Without the power of surveillance, the enemy's landing will be even more unscrupulous.
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"How many troops can the enemy land to fight?" Karta looked from a distance, frowning slightly, and estimated the enemy's strength.
In Hou Jin's research and judgment, they believed that the Dongjiang Navy could carry no more than 10,000 troops at most. Because the ships not only had to transport troops, but also grain and ammunition, the Dongjiang Navy did not have that many ships.
Karta thought the same way. He felt that the 10,000 Dongjiang Army infantrymen could still win the battle with the strength of the mobile corps.
At most, the enemy's landing near Liaoyang will affect the internal and external response strategies. As long as the advancing enemies can be eliminated as soon as possible, it will have little impact on the overall situation of Liaoyang's attack and defense.
In his field of vision, more and more enemies were landing, gradually advancing outward in strict battle formations, guarding the increasingly larger landing site.
"It's so fast!" Karta had to exclaim. The proficiency and speed of the Dongjiang Army's landing were astonishing. It was not only the reasonable design of the landing ship, but also the orderly organization.
Dozens of landing boats shuttled back and forth, transporting not only soldiers but also a considerable amount of heavy weapons ashore.
In order to reduce the burden of shipping, the Right and Front Convoys carried thousands of rockets and only about a hundred mortars.
If we still advance along the river, the navy's gunboats can provide fire support. The distance of more than two miles along the river is within the range of mortars.
Mao Chenglu had already landed on land and commanded the troops to move forward in formation. The landing field was getting bigger and bigger, and more and more troops were landing. The front had been stabilized so that the landing would not be affected.
Up to now, the landing was considered a complete success. Although it did not use all its strength, for example, all the naval gunboats did not fire to avoid wasting ammunition.
Mao Chenglu was basically relieved and his expression became much more relaxed. The soldiers of the two associations were not afraid if they went on the defensive against Jianlu's mobile corps.
Even if there are no flying cavalry coming to assist in the pincer attack, with their powerful firepower, the infantry of the two federations can equal the casualties to the Jianlu cavalry, and even gain the upper hand.
Of course, it is extremely difficult for the infantry to defeat the cavalry, and the possibility is very small. The main reason is that they cannot catch up, so they can only let the cavalry escape.
"Report to the general, the front camp has been assembled." The messenger rushed over and bowed to report.
Mao Chenglu nodded and said: "Move forward steadily and expel the Jianlu."
The First Association was divided into three battalions. All 3,000 troops of the front battalion had landed, forming a strength advantage over the Jianlu. Moreover, with the landing of artillery and mortars, the firepower was enough to suppress the Jianlu.
According to the battle plan, the soldiers of the two associations will advance eastward along the Taizi River, and the navy will also sail along the river at the same time. The water and land will cooperate to use the river as the boundary to cut off the retreat of the Liaoyang enemy.
You must know that due to backward productivity, there is no bridge on the Taizi River between Liaoyang City and Hedong, and pedestrians and vehicles on both sides of the river rely entirely on ferries.
Pedestrians and livestock generally crossed the river by ferry on the Taizi River outside the Gaoli Gate (near today's Zhonghua Bridge), while general cargo was shipped at the Efang Wharf outside the East Gate.
In other words, when the Navy crossed the Taizi River, it also cut off the connection between Liaoyang and Shenyang.
The Gaoli Gate in the northeast of Liaoyang is only a dozen miles away from the Taizi River Ferry. The infantry stationed here is equivalent to surrounding one or both sides of Liaoyang.
The infantry marching along the river can receive fire support from the gunboats on the river, and there is a supply of food and grass supplies on the ship. Even the wounded can be transferred to the ship, reducing the burden on the infantry.
The navy has infantry to clear out threats on the shore, and can sail safely without worrying about being attacked by shore in narrow rivers.
Of course, in this process, there will definitely be one or several fierce battles.
Jianlu's mobile corps will do their best to stop it, otherwise, even they will be imprisoned in the Liaoyang area and suffer the fate of destruction together.
Boom, boom, boom... More than a dozen artillery shells flew through the air, causing the Jianlu cavalry to panic. Karta had to order the troops to continue retreating and stay out of the enemy's artillery range.
The enemy's superiority in strength and firepower had completely dissuaded Karta from launching an attack. All he had to do was keep a distance and wait for reinforcements to arrive.
Another battalion of infantrymen landed on the shore and assembled and spread out. Zhang Tao and Li Weiluan on the boat finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled in unison.
Even if Jianlu's elite cavalry arrives, two battalions of 6,000 men and horses can still resist for a period of time with the fire support of gunboats and vehicles, buying time for subsequent infantry landings.
The stability of the landing site also speeded up the landing of infantry and equipment. It would not take long for the infantry of both associations to set foot on land, forming a force that was difficult for the rebels to defeat easily.
"I believe in Guo Shuai's vision and ability. If the entire Jianlu Mobile Corps arrives, Feiqi will definitely not sit idly by."
Zhang Tao seemed quite confident and said to Li Weiluan: "If only half of the Jianlu elite cavalry comes, the soldiers of the two associations can handle it."
Li Weiluan nodded in agreement and said with a smile: "I am full of confidence in this, no doubt."
Zhang Tao smiled and said: "Although this battle is in Liaoyang, it is a decisive battle. If the Jianqi forces are defeated, Shenyang will not dare to defend it; if it is difficult for our army to win, as long as we do not break our muscles and bones, it will be just one night in Pingliao."
Two years."
After a pause, he put away his smile and said solemnly: "No matter what, a bloody battle is inevitable. Jianlu cannot afford to lose, but our army wants to defeat Liaodong in one battle."
Li Weiluan pondered for a moment and said: "Our army is very certain of victory. If we fail to win a complete victory, the food and grass supplies of the Jianlu will be difficult to support. If we try to pacify Liao in one or two years, the resistance will be even smaller."
Because Li Weiluan and Guo Dajing have similar temperaments, they are both cautious. From his true heart, he would rather delay Ping Liao's time.
Time is also a knife that weakens the Jianlu, but the Dongjiang Army can develop and grow stronger. The price will be much smaller if Liao is defeated in one or two years.
However, Li Weiluan still regarded obeying orders as his bounden duty, and he also followed Guo Dajing's vision in terms of strategy.
Moreover, the benefits of pacifying Liao in advance are also obvious. Although Jianlu still has the power to resist, the Dongjiang Army cannot have a 100% chance of winning.
"Ping Liao as soon as possible is of great significance to Dongjiang Town. The price paid now is larger, and the space for development is fully opened, which will usher in a leap." Zhang Tao said: "Guo Shuai's ambitions are not limited to Liaodong."
Li Weiluan nodded and said, "Li, don't worry."
Zhang Tao stretched out his hand and reminded with a smile: "The soldiers of Youxie are also about to land."
Li Weiluan cupped his hands and said: "General Mao has secured the landing site. Li will personally lead the soldiers ashore. We'll say goodbye for now."
"Take care." Zhang Tao returned the salute and said, "The navy continues to move eastward along the river. We will see you again soon."
Li Weiluan smiled, walked to the side of the ship with a few soldiers, climbed down the rope ladder, and galloped towards the shore in the small boat.
………………
Southwest of Liaoyang City.
Artillery fire roared, gunpowder smoke filled the air, and the shouts of killing shook the sky. The enemy and we were engaged in a fierce fight around the trench positions.
The tactics were the same as the attack on Anshan Fort. Trebuchets dropped bombs, causing damage to the prisoners in the trenches; melee infantry entered in groups and fought and advanced in the trenches; trenches were laid over trench bridges, and musketeers worked together on the ground.
However, Jianlu still used bows and arrows as long-range weapons and melee combat as the main force. There were no new ideas or changes, and there could be no new ones.
Standing on the top of the city, Hauge looked at the battle outside the city, his brows furrowed and his face solemn.
The Dongjiang Army's tactics were beyond his expectations. Several trench parapets had been lost, and casualties were increasing.
Even though there were fortifications to rely on, the Dongjiang Army relied on its superior firepower and specialized close combat training to attack very fiercely. Moreover, the casualties were not as disparate as the slave chief had expected.
Not only was there not a huge disparity, but the casualties were similar. Even as the battle continued, the Dongjiang Army's casualties became less than those of the Jianlu soldiers who were on the defensive.
"The protection provided by the trenches to archers is far inferior to that of musketeers." Haug's deep voice rang out, and he finally saw the clue, "The enemy should have been specially trained and cooperated very skillfully."
When using a musket, you can shoot without exposing your body, standing, kneeling, or lying down, effectively using the trench parapets for protection.
When archers draw their bows and release arrows, they have to stand straight and at least the upper body must be exposed before they can aim and shoot. Of course, it is safer to shoot without showing your head in the trench, but the damage to the enemy can only depend on luck.
For the soldiers of the Dongjiang Army who entered the trenches, bows and arrows were almost useless. Even if they were thrown, they could not compare with the power of bombs thrown into the trenches.
Under the cover of large shields, the musketeers of the Dongjiang Army passed through the trench bridge and cooperated with their comrades in the trench. Coupled with the bombing of trebuchets and mortars, they formed a three-dimensional fire attack.
The gap in melee combat was made up by the Dongjiang Army's advantage in all aspects. This was a war of attrition that Jianlu did not want to see and did not want to fall into.
Gong Adai gave a bitter smile and said: "This is the tactics used in Anshan Fort, which consumed a large number of our troops. When we get closer to the city wall, the enemy will bombard the city with artillery."
Ta Zhan said slowly: "If we continue to fight like this, our army will suffer heavy casualties, which is not good for defending the city."
Gong Adai shook his head and said: "We can only continue fighting like this, there is no other way. If the enemy gets close to the city wall, they will either bombard the city with cannons or blow down the city wall, making it impossible to defend against them."
Hauge pondered, frowned, and said: "The enemy's troops do not have an advantage. They are probably waiting for reinforcements to arrive before attacking the city."
Looking up to the northwest, Hauge looked worried and continued: "The enemy's navy has entered the Taizi River, and Azig is leading his army to fight. I don't know if he can defeat the enemy and then return to Liaoyang to help in the battle."
Haug didn't trust Azig very much. But he felt that it was unlikely that Azig would preserve his strength or escape from the battlefield.
After all, this is a critical moment that determines Daikin's life and death. The war has just begun, the outcome is unpredictable, and it will not happen that everyone will fly away when the disaster approaches.
Ta Zhan expressed comfort: "The enemy's navy can carry up to ten thousand men and horses, as well as the required food and ammunition. Azig has 20,000 elite cavalry in his hands, so there will be no accidents."
The current situation is indeed not very critical. The key is that the Dongjiang Army approaching the city does not have the strength to besiege the city.
To put it bluntly, the Jianlu in Liaoyang City still had a way to retreat, so they were not too panicked and continued to stick to the strategy of waiting for changes.
The emergence of the Dongjiang Navy threatened Liaoyang's retreat to Shenyang. However, the Liaoyang Jianlu could still retreat to Benxi and return to Shenyang, or they could retreat directly from Benxi to Jianzhou.
Before all retreat routes were cut off, Hauge and other slave chiefs were unaware of the danger. When the Dongjiang Army's net tightened, it was too late for them to escape.
The fierce fighting outside the city continued. The newly formed troops were divided into three groups and took turns charging into the battle. The Jianlu had no chance to breathe and could only fight continuously.
"Order Luo Lantai to lead troops to reinforce." Haug observed the battle situation and issued the order.
The refueling tactic was also a last resort. Although the main force of the Dongjiang Army was gathered in the southwest corner and seemed to only attack the south, it could switch to the west at any time.
Besides, the positions outside the city must always be guarded. It just depends on the specific situation and the strength of the troops.
In this way, the Dongjiang Army did not divide its forces thinly, but Jianlu had to use troops in the four cities. Although it was true and false, it also took up a lot of troops.
Since fighting outside the city is no longer an option, and we don't want the enemy to get close to the city wall and take advantage of the artillery bombardment, we can only continue to invest troops and fight with the enemy under the city.
"We don't want to fight a war of attrition, but the enemy insists on forcing our troops to fight with them." Haug shook his head helplessly and said, "I hope the enemy will have a bottom line of casualties, not at any cost."
The bottom line for casualties is also set by Hauge and other slave chiefs, or it has been set in the plan. In order to ensure the defense strength of the city, we cannot lose too much outside the city.
The maximum number of troops cannot exceed 10,000, and the garrison force must be 25,000 to ensure that there are no loopholes in the city's defense.
Fighting for consumption and manpower, Jianlu did not want to do this, but they could not show it in front of the enemy. They had to use a tough stance to show the enemy their determination to stick to Liaoyang.
"I thought that the enemy would also take casualties into account." Ta Zhan said more confidently: "From the previous battles commanded by Guo Dajing, reducing casualties has always been the key point. For this reason, no expense is spared on ammunition."
Gong Adai agreed and said: "First, they bombard the city with indiscriminate artillery, and then use tricks to blow up the city. The enemy rarely adopts attack methods such as ants crawling on the city. It can be seen that they still care about casualties."
Hauge gently nodded and said: "Let the enemy realize the heavy price of attacking Liaoyang, so we must be tough. Although our army is unwilling to fight with the enemy, we cannot let the enemy see this."
The strategies and ideas are in line with the essentials of a military strategist. Although you don't want to fight, you must show the enemy your will to fight.