Chapter 61: Replacing people, fighting to the death
The time for Yongli to return to China was very appropriate. This was also due to Zhu Yongxing's arrangement. He was not in a hurry to take over when he was not in charge of the overall situation. Now, this matter has great consequences for Zhu Yongxing, the entire political situation, and the entire war.
, has almost no impact. It can be said that it is impossible to cause civil strife, and the Ming Dynasty's main energy is still concentrated on the final contest with the Manchus.
From south to north, from east to west, the competition of war is unfolding in all directions. Soldiers are fighting on the front line, and countless people are supporting them in the rear. From land to sea, the transportation of materials and personnel continues.
The dawn of victory is clearly revealed.
The Qing army was increasingly aware of the changes in the form of war and the bleak prospects. And this feeling was even stronger for the generals on the front line.
The sound of gunfire was as dense as popping beans, and after the flashes of fire, there were large clouds of smoke, which blurred the vision, but you could still see the falling men and horses, and heard the wails and screams.
Mele's eyes narrowed in confusion. The pungent smell of gunpowder smoke made him very uncomfortable. The battle had been going on for almost half an hour, and the result made him even more annoyed and helpless.
According to the establishment of the Ming army, this is a reinforced general banner force with more than 500 people, equipped with three artillery vehicles and three baggage vehicles. As a forward combat unit, it also has the task of reconnaissance and early warning. Now,
The general flag was suddenly surrounded by the Qing cavalry. After issuing the warning, the dozens of cavalry attached to the general flag rushed off to summon the troops. Only a few hundred infantrymen were left to fight with the Qing army in the wilderness.
fighting.
And it was these hundreds of infantrymen who hurriedly formed a defensive formation around a small mound, using three Franchise machines and hundreds of muskets. They sustained it for such a long time and inflicted great damage on the Qing army.
Of course, the casualties of the Ming army were not small. But in Hara's view, even if this small group of Ming army was wiped out, it would be seriously disproportionate and there would be no tragic victory worth boasting about.
In other words, Hala never wanted the battle to be fought like this. The 3,000 cavalry he led should wipe out all the isolated inferior enemies like a whirlwind. They should also use their mobility advantage to harass the Ming army and re-define the army in the river.
To gain time. If the battle continues like this, it will be his failure, because the three thousand cavalry really cannot withstand such consumption several times.
"Is the Ming army exchanging people for people?" Hala turned to his general and asked with some uncertainty.
The general was also surprised, thought for a moment, and replied: "This must be the elite of the Ming army, otherwise how could they fight to the end?"
Hala was silent for a while, then gritted his teeth and said, "Then we will annihilate all the elites of the Ming army. This will chill the courage of the enemy."
With a sound of "Boom!", the Ming army suddenly launched the Fran locomotive cannon, spraying deathly cannons at the enemy, mowing down a large area of the enemy.
The corpses of men and horses lay on the pillows, forming a large circle around the defensive formation deployed by the Ming army, which caused great obstacles to the subsequent cavalry charge attack. The Ming army also suffered more than half of its casualties, and the formation continued to shrink, but
Still standing still on the small mound.
Replace people with people. Although Hara's judgment is not entirely correct, it does make some sense. But this is not the purpose that the Ming army has just begun to follow.
When the training cycle of musketeers was one month or even shorter, and when the Ming army generally replaced muskets and bayonets, "substituting people for people" in war became a method for the Ming army to remain invincible.
There is nothing to blame for this. In the competition of comprehensive national strength, the number of people is also one of the various resources. Moreover, conducting a war of attrition against the Manchu minority is perhaps the most reliable way to win.
Especially after the Northern Expedition, in view of the characteristics of the North and the advantages of the Manchu and Qing cavalry, the Ming army more resolutely implemented the combat principle of "replacing people with people".
The specific method is to use the general flag as the smallest active unit of the infantry, equipped with two or more Fran motorcycle cannons, and deploy a small number of reconnaissance cavalry. When encountering the Qing army in the wild, the cavalry is responsible for early warning and asking for help from friendly forces.
The infantry defends on the spot.
All armies issued death orders, preferring to die rather than flee, and fight to the end, otherwise military law will be engaged. In this way, even if the enemy is annihilated due to lack of reinforcements, they must kill as many enemies as possible. Moreover, this also avoids
He ended up being chased and killed by cavalry during a hasty retreat.
As for why the general flag should be used as the smallest unit, it is not decided by anyone, but based on the experience in actual combat and the results of repeated studies. A general flag has about four to five hundred people, and it can form a group.
A relatively stable and solid square formation, and such a number of people will not be stretched too long when marching, and the time it takes to form a formation on the spot is relatively short, and it can be quickly transformed into a defensive formation.
When the Ming army lacked an established cavalry and could confront the Eight Banners, it was impossible to adopt such a strategy. Because the cavalry harassed the marching brigade, it was difficult to completely prevent surprise attacks, and they had to always maintain a square foot.
Marching in formation was impossible.
From the current point of view, the infantry of the Ming Army has strategic offensive capabilities, but in terms of tactical maneuverability, it is weaker than the Eight Banners cavalry. However, in terms of troop strength, the Ming Army's advantages are still very obvious, and the advantages of all firearms and equipment are also great.
A general battle between the main forces has a very high chance of winning. Therefore, the Ming army can adopt this kind of war of attrition similar to "exchanging people for people". Even if it loses some troops locally, as long as the large force advances to the vicinity of the capital, it will force the Qing Dynasty.
They have to engage in a decisive battle, or continue to retreat until they exit the pass.
"Shoot!" Tang Ji blew a sharp whistle. Amidst the gunfire like exploding beans, the Qing soldiers who charged forward kept falling in the splash of blood.
"Shoot!" There was another long whistle, and another row of muskets fired. Smoke filled the air, and screams came one after another.
Arrows also kept coming, increasing the casualties of the Ming army. The wounded soldiers were dragged to the middle, which is the highest point of the mound. Because the number of people decreased, the defensive formation continued to retreat and shrink in order to maintain the density of soldiers and the muskets.
The power of shooting.
There were less than two hundred men left in the Ming army to fight, and around the defensive formation, there were four to five hundred Qing soldiers dead. This was the first time since Tang Ji joined the army that he had experienced such a long period of uninterrupted gunfire.
Shooting. Such a fierce battle showed the advantages of long training time and rich combat experience. Especially when there was no retreat, the Ming army soldiers showed their determination and will to fight to the end.
How can a man outrun a horse when he is running away with enemies on all sides? Surrender, let alone whether the enemy will accept it, even if he is lucky enough to survive, he will not be able to escape the punishment of military discipline. What's more, how he behaves is also related to his family.
It also concerns your own honor.
"Are you afraid of death?" "If you are a soldier, you are not afraid of death. If you are afraid of death, you are not a soldier."
Every day, according to the rules of the Ming army, the chief officer yelled questions to his soldiers; and the soldiers had to answer loudly without hesitation. This is a psychological suggestion that is constantly deepening and strengthening, and it is also the most basic and reasonable request.
Being a soldier means you have to fight, and you may be injured or sacrificed. If you don't have this kind of psychological preparation, can you still be a qualified soldier?
The food and salary are sufficient, the treatment is generous, and there are no worries. Everything the court has to do is done and everything is given. If you choose this career to honor your ancestors, get promoted and make a fortune, or support your family, you must have the consciousness to fulfill your duties.
To be honest, there is no one who is not afraid of death, but those who are not timid in the face of death and can face it bravely are the real warriors. I dare not say that there are no timid people in the army, but this is the case when fighting as a whole. The people around you
Patrons and comrades can give you courage and make you strong. If you are running away, that is a different matter. It can only be a race between individuals, without caring about others.
The Qing army stepped up its offensive, and more cavalry jumped off their horses and joined the attack. Hand-to-hand combat began at the outermost perimeter, often life-for-life stabbing and slashing, cruel and bloody. The Ming army used hand grenades, and on the second and third
They carried out fierce bombing at a close range of ten meters and barely repelled the Qing army's attack.
How many people can still stand? Tang Ji gritted his teeth, tightened the bandage on his shoulder, and roughly counted more than a hundred. They were all covered in blood and were extremely tired. The position shrank again, only
The area above the mound with a radius of more than thirty meters is left.
"Check the weapons, load the bullets, and take out the grenades." Tang Ji kept giving orders in a hoarse voice.
The soldiers carried out the operation silently, realizing that it was the last moment. Even the lightly wounded soldiers managed to pick up their weapons and gritted their teeth to endure the pain.
"F*ck." A veteran suddenly raised his gun. A stunned Qing soldier among the corpses stood up unsteadily. With a bang, the guy fell straight down as if he had been hit by a hammer.
Go down.
"Well done, Lao Hei." The cheers rang out, and the dull atmosphere suddenly eased, and many people laughed.
"I killed at least ten of them." The guy named Lao Hei held his chest up and held his head high. He took out his cigarette pot and filled it with cigarettes while laughing loudly: "It's worth it. It's damn worth it."
Tang Ji smiled and nodded. At this time, such words were too morale-boosting. Suddenly, he turned to the south, where gunfire seemed to be heard.
Not only Tang Ji heard it, many soldiers followed the sound and watched, hope rising in their hearts. Are reinforcements coming? Have reinforcements arrived?
The Ming army formation with the general flag as the unit slowly appeared in Mele's sight. There were three in total, and the finished glyphs came straight in. In front of the formation was the Franco machine gun carriage, and behind the formation were the troops marching neatly.
The pace of the infantry, bayonets shining, dazzled Hala's eyes.
"Let Dulu lead his troops to stop the reinforcements of the Ming Dynasty, and order Haofa to storm the mound." Hala gritted his teeth and decided to fight to the death. If he loses his troops but fails to capture even five or six hundred Ming troops, this will be detrimental to his own morale.
It was a huge blow and a great encouragement to the enemy. He would not allow such a thing to happen.
The horn wailed, the guns roared, and the fierce battle began again... (To be continued...) r1292