Yang Dacheng looked at the doubts on the faces of his staff. He smiled coldly and said: "There is also a possibility. The Jurchen Tatars are luring us deep into their strongholds and waiting for us to disperse the team due to fast march..."
A messenger rushed into the tent like a gust of wind. After giving a military salute, he said loudly: "Brothers from the forward reconnaissance post report that Liaoyang City is empty. The Eight Banners soldiers abandoned the city the day before yesterday. They are heading due north. Brothers from the reconnaissance post are here. Already pursued."
Yang Dacheng and the other officers looked at each other in confusion. They became even more confused: "What tricks are these Jurchen Tatars doing? Even important towns like Liaoyang have given up."
Yang Dacheng's doubts on the Western Front also existed among Yan Siqi's troops on the Eastern Front.
After occupying Kuandian, the Chinese Army on the Eastern Front followed the Ming Army's Eastern Route Army in the Battle of Saarhu. That is, the old route of Ma Lin, the original commander-in-chief of the Kuandian Road. Yan Siqi led two divisions to Saarhu. Erhu marched. Zhao Tie was stationed in Kuandian, coordinating the east and west armies and ensuring Yan Siqi's logistics supply.
During the Battle of Sarhu, the Ming army only carried 20 days of food and grass and had to rush in. The Chinese army could advance steadily as long as they could ensure logistics. Therefore, Yan Siqi's troops arrived in Abu seven days after capturing Kuandian. In the area south of Dali Gang, many Jurchen villages along the road were razed to the ground. Sporadic harassment by the Jurchens was of no use at all.
Yan Siqi, who has always attacked fiercely and was flexible in combat, was able to suppress the speed of the troops in this battle. He advanced steadily and never took risks. The first division was in the front and the fifth division was in the rear. Reconnaissance troops and special forces were dispatched from the mountainous areas on both sides of the road. The battalion brothers searched carefully. The divisional cavalry battalions of the two divisions opened a cavalry warning curtain in front.
A staff officer suggested sending a cavalry captain straight into the Abdaligan Mountains for reconnaissance. Yan Siqi rejected it.
On the eighth day of the attack from Kuandian, Yan Siqi led the East Route Army of the Chinese Army into the Abdaligaang Mountains. The Chinese Army's marching column advanced cautiously. The forward reconnaissance, the two wings guarded, and the rear guard. The entire army only moved forward every day. Set up camp ten miles away. At night, deep trenches are dug around the camp and densely mined, and a warning net made of fishing nets with copper bells is used to surround the camp.
Yan Siqi had never been so cautious when leading the Chinese army. However, he did not see an enemy along the way. Even the few strongholds had been burned down.
…
On the vast sea, three large three-masted fuchuan and a three-masted schooner are speeding northward with the wind. Their destination is the Chinese Army and Navy base on Pi Island at the mouth of the Yalu River.
This is an improved armed Fuchuan. The Fuchuan originally had no transverse rib support structure. It relied entirely on the bottom compartment to support the lateral force of the entire ship. Nowadays, the Fuchuan produced in Taiwan and Fujian are all reinforced according to the style of European ships. The transverse ribs strengthen the overall strength of the ship and make it possible for large naval guns to fire on the deck. At the same time, they also make the hull develop into a slender shape and speed up the ship.
These three armed ships belong to the merchant fleet of the China Company. They are the latest three improved ships in the trade transport fleet under Yin Feng's name. This time, the fleet of four ships departed from Taiwan Port to transport China. The special balloon reconnaissance post directly under the military old battalion went to North Korea. At the same time, the newly graduated infantry and naval officer short-term training courses were also sent to various units on the Liaodong front line.
Zhang Pan, Zheng Zhihu and former student army commander Wang Shuowang were all in the fleet.
Zhang Pan's heart was like an arrow. He stood on the bow of the boat and looked at the northern sky. He breathed in the fishy sea breeze.
"Brother Zhang, it seems you are no longer seasick." Zheng Zhihu asked him from the side.
Zhang Pan nodded and shook his head helplessly: "It would be great if I could get on that communication ship. I heard that the speed of the clipper ship is twice as fast as ours."
Zheng Zhihu said with a smile: "When the clipper ship sails downwind, the entire hull tilts. It is very bumpy. If you are on a communication ship, you will probably have to vomit a few times to get used to it. Don't worry. The war will not be over so quickly. .When we left Taiwan Port, the Eastern Route Army crossed the Yalu River."
"That was the news sent by flying pigeons. It was at least twenty days ago. I don't know how the war ended."
Zheng Zhihu lay on the heavy gun on the bow of the ship. He said confidently: "The West Route Army must have captured Liaoyang by now. By the time I arrive in the Sixth Division, I will probably have captured Shenyang City. Don't be anxious. Listen to the sailors. Tomorrow We can see land."
…
At Zhangzi Island at the mouth of the Yalu River, Zhang Pan, Zheng Zhihu and others separated. Zheng Zhihu and others went to the West Route Army by land via Phoenix Fort. Zhang Pan took a small transport ship from the Logistics Department and headed up the Yalu River.
After the Yalu River passed Jiuliancheng, the river became narrower and narrower. On both sides of the river, Korean people could be seen transporting various supplies driven by the bayonets of the Chinese army. Two days later, Zhang Pan and a dozen newly graduated officers from the military academy abandoned their ships and went ashore. Zhao Tie, the general manager of the Chinese Army's Liaodong March, who is based in Kuandian, reports.
All the roads in this area have just been renovated and expanded. From time to time, patrol teams formed by the "Pioneering Group" patrol the roads. Batteries of weapons and ammunition, grain and grass baggage are carried by thousands of horse-drawn carriages and ox-carts. In a few Thanks to the efforts of thousands of Liaodong civilians and North Korean coolies, a steady stream of supplies are being sent to the Kuandian Camp. This is the logistics base of the East Route Army and the gathering place for the follow-up troops of the East Route Army.
As soon as Zhang Pan arrived at Kuandian Camp, without even seeing Zhao Tie's face, he was assigned by the Battalion Affairs Office of the Operation Department to the Independent Battalion of the Fifth Division as the battalion commander. He found that the entire Kuandian Camp was in a state of emergency. .Everyone was extremely busy. Troops entered the camp from the south and left the camp from the north. Countless vehicles carrying military supplies passed through the camp. They stopped for a while and then continued northward.
There is a legend in the camp that Yan Siqi and the Eight Banners Army were locked in a bitter battle under the city of Hetuala. Therefore, a large number of heavy weapons needed to be transported there. Zhang Pan's battalion was used as an escort to escort the troops northward.
"This is the heavy artillery of the Third Artillery Regiment. Ten thousand-pound siege guns. Here are twenty ten-pound field guns, twenty honeycomb guns, and fifteen large and small mortars. They are all urgently needed on the front line. Zhang Battalion Commander. There are many Jurchen Tatars in the Abdaligaang area along the way. They are constantly harassing our army's transport team. You have to be careful." An officer from the logistics department said to Zhang Pan: "But don't be nervous. These barbarians Most of the Tatars carry bows, arrows and swords and often attack our military camps at night. As long as we do a good job of vigilance in accordance with the regulations, we don't have to worry too much about these barbarians causing trouble."
After Yan Siqi passed through the mountainous area of Abdali Gang, he went straight to the old city of Hetuala, the original capital of the Later Jin Kingdom. This is the hometown of Jianzhou Wei Jurchen and the base where Nurhachi has been operating for many years.
At first, the Eight Banners cavalry attacked the marching columns of the Chinese Army. However, they soon suffered heavy losses in the face of the Chinese army's dense bullets and artillery shells. Soon the Eight Banners soldiers changed their tactics. They no longer fought in the field with the Chinese Army, but held fast to various hilltop fortresses.
As soon as night arrives, the Manchurian Eight Banners soldiers launch a night attack. They rush towards the Chinese army camp from all directions. The night attack often starts with the Eight Banners soldiers stepping on landmines or causing the bells of the protective net to ring loudly. In the end, the Eight Banners soldiers are killed under the scorching firepower of the Chinese army.
End of the field.
However, the Eight Banners soldiers in the Hetuala area do not seem to be Nurhachi's main force. Most of the Eight Banners soldiers who attack are soldiers with red and blue flags. There are no elite "Bayala" soldiers from the Eight Banners.
The Baya Labing are the personal guards directly under the commander-in-chief composed of elite soldiers selected by Nurhaci from among the Eight Banners. In other words, at least Nurhachi himself is not in the old city of Hetuala.
Zhang Pan has been promoted to captain. At this level, he can already receive some war situation reports.
He browsed the information before going on the road and made his own judgment. The main force of the Eight Banners should be in the direction of Shenyang. Nurhachi himself might also be there. Nurhachi opened the door to his hometown in the Jin Kingdom. It should be that he planned to contain the Chinese Army in the East with a small number of troops.
The main force of the Route Army. The main force of the Eight Banners should be gathered in Shenyang. They probably planned to concentrate their efforts to defeat the Chinese Army's West Route Army first, and then return to aid Hetuala to deal with the East Route Army.
This is an old strategy used by Nurhachi in the Battle of Sarhu. However, he dared to open the door of his home to contain the enemy. This kind of magnanimity and determination are indeed remarkable.
Regarding the weapons of the Chinese army, the policy adopted by the Eight Banners soldiers was to defend the city wall with high fortifications and not to fight, and to use mobile and cunning guerrilla attacks.
Their understanding of firearms is still based on Ming army firearms. The fiasco of Xianglan Banner deeply shocked Nurhachi and others. However, it is difficult for them to change their way of thinking for a while. In addition, Xianglan Banner can survive
Those who came back were all from the rear guard. They did not see the fierce firepower of the Chinese Army with their own eyes; Amin, who had seen the Chinese Army's firepower with his own eyes, was thrown into the dungeon. Therefore, Nurhachi instinctively believed that the Chinese Army just used a trick to defeat the Xianglan Banner.
In the Battle of Sanlipu, the pirates only relied on firearms to lure the blue-flag cavalry into the preset positions and then attacked suddenly. They were lucky enough to win. It turned out that Nurhachi had long wanted to send troops for revenge. However, the emerging Manchu tribe had only a small population at this time.
Millions. This still includes the captured and plundered Han population. The real Manchus of the Later Jin Dynasty. Counting various conquered tribes, some Mongolians, and Han people, there are only 7 or 8 million. Those who can fight are not included in the Ming Dynasty.
The surrender of the army is only 60,000 to 70,000.
Losing nearly 10,000 warriors of the Xilan Banner all at once. For the Eight Banners of Manchuria, it was like wiping out one-seventh of their main force at once. Such a loss is too great. The place Nurhachi is now in charge of stretches thousands of miles and needs to be guarded.
There are many places. Concentrating troops is much more difficult than during the Battle of Saarhu.
Nurhachi saw the ambition of the Chinese army: to use southern Liaoning and North Korea as bases to compete with his Houjin Kingdom for Liaodong. For this reason, he sent people to get along with Yin Feng in an attempt to maintain a temporary truce; on the other hand, he sent people to
The Haixi Jurchen and Barbarian Jurchen tribes recruited men and horses to train new Eight Banners soldiers to supplement their main forces. As for developing firearms, he also thought about it. However, the captured Ming Dynasty craftsmen could only make Ming army standard bird guns or folangs.
It is a first-class old-fashioned firearm. It can be used for city defense, but it is not suitable for the Eight Banners' cavalry mobile operations.
Holding on to the fortress wall delayed the Eastern Route Army's plan. It still played some role at first. The heavy weapons carried by Yan Siqi's troops while repairing the road were dozens of light bronze field cannons and six-gun rapid-fire guns that could be carried manually. gun.
In the area around Hetuala, the Eight Banners soldiers of the Later Jin Dynasty drove hundreds of thousands of Han slave workers. In the past six months, many masonry fortresses were built on the hills, mountain passes, and rivers around the old city of Hetuala.
After the Chinese army arrived in the area around Hetuala, they first attacked the largest southern fortress where the Eight Banners soldiers were stationed. The Chinese soldiers had no battles to fight along the way. All they did was physical work of opening up mountains and roads. They were already feeling bored. Death. Now Yan Siqi issued an order: After the Chinese army captured the city wall around Hetuala, the soldiers were allowed to keep all the looted things as their own. Therefore, the morale of the soldiers was high. They successfully scaled the city wall in the first attack. The Jinba Banner soldiers fought tooth and nail to defend the city. They were unable to counterattack at the top of the city under the intense fire from the Chinese army. They lurked behind the wall stacks and waited for the Chinese soldiers to climb up the city wall. Then they stood up and fought hand-to-hand with them.
At the rear of the main formation, supervisor officer Luo Yi reminded Yan Siqi in a low voice: "Half of all captured items must be handed over and then distributed openly. This is a stipulation of our army's military law."
Yan Siqi, who was watching the battle with a telescope, said nonchalantly: "The combat commander has the right to dispose of the spoils of war in a state of emergency. This is also allowed by military law and discipline. Brother Luo, haven't you seen how active the brothers are in fighting? Look. We’ve entered the city. We can spend the night in this castle tonight...what."
Just before Yan Siqi's eyes, the Chinese soldiers who climbed to the top of the city suddenly encountered a counterattack by the Eight Banners soldiers who were ambushing behind the city wall. In the close combat, the muskets and bayonets were obviously not used to the Eight Banners soldiers' strong armor, broadswords, heavy hammers, and wolf fangs. Bang. So, the Chinese soldiers were driven off the city walls one after another. The Chinese soldiers who risked their lives to climb up the city wall failed to maintain their defense line on the city walls and were driven out of the city.
The Chinese soldiers under the city quickly fired their guns to cover the retreat of their brothers. Then there were bursts of artillery bombardment. The smoke filled the entire castle. Then they charged a second time. The Chinese army climbed onto the city in one fell swoop. However, after climbing the city wall, they were once again attacked at close range. .Still unable to gain a firm foothold. Once again, they broke out of the city.
Yan Siqi jumped on his feet and cursed. He ordered the only two large mortar cannons "Hangtian Lei" to be pushed up to bombard the city. The Thunderbolt Rocket Force fired rockets. However, except for the watchtower, the castle was made of stone buildings. There was nothing to do. The target of the bombing. The Eight Banners soldiers hid behind the city wall and in the cellar. They escaped from the shelling.
In the next few days, the Eight Banners soldiers fought with the Chinese army in this way. They fought back the Chinese army with hand-to-hand combat on the narrow city wall again and again. It was not until there were very few Eight Banners soldiers left in the fortress that the Chinese army captured the castle.
When Yan Siqi's troops captured the first castle of the Eight Banners in Manchuria, they killed nearly 300 people. It was truly a "huge" casualty that had never been seen before. Even in the battle to capture Nanjing City, the number of people lost by the Chinese army was only this number.
When Zhang Pan escorted the heavy firearms to the old city of Hetuala, Yan Siqi changed his tactics in order to reduce casualties: he concentrated all field artillery to bombard the gate of the city. Then he dug tunnels to ambush the city with explosives.
In this way, he has captured more than ten forts in the east, west, and south directions of Hetuala. However, after the city walls collapsed or the doors were broken, the resistance of the Eight Banners soldiers was still crazy. They fought back desperately. At the beginning, the Chinese army fought hand-to-hand in the streets. We also lost a lot of people. Zu Guangxian, the commander of the 1st Regiment of the 5th Division, was originally from the Nanyang Brigade. Now Yan Siqi asked him to be his commander. He saw that the Eight Banners soldiers still fought back desperately after breaking the city. It was rare. surrendered. Therefore, he ordered the cannons to be pushed into the fortress, which flattened all the buildings in the fortress and completely destroyed all counterattacks by the Eight Banners soldiers.
From now on, this method will be used to capture various fortresses: first use firepower to block the city head, then use artillery to blast open the city walls and gates at close range, or lay an ambush with gunpowder to blow down the city walls; then use infantry fire to cover the cannons entering the city and flatten all buildings.
Then the infantry moved forward to do the final search and suppression work.
This tactic reduced the casualties of the Chinese soldiers, but the consumption of ammunition increased sharply. Moreover, the castle could not be captured any faster.