Li Guolou received a telegram from Fu Xianchu and learned that more than 400 Beidong troops had revolted on the battlefield, and that the 2,000 Japanese troops in Paijiaya had been surrounded. Everything was ready except for the east wind.
This was a good news, boasting Liu Mingdeng's skillful command. Li Guolou was very reassured about the combat effectiveness of the Jianwu Army. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, but he couldn't smile, and he felt extremely sad.
Li Guolou led several armies to fight in Hualien Town on the Pingtung Plain. They clashed with the main force of the Japanese army led by Lieutenant General Xixiang Congdao and won a tragic victory.
Li Guolou successfully rescued the Ever Victorious Army that was besieged by the Japanese army, but suffered heavy casualties. The 2,000-strong New Armed Forces led by him personally suffered more than half of the casualties. The 5,000-strong Mingwu Army led by Liu Mingchuan suffered more than 2,000 casualties. It can be described as hurting the muscles and bones.
Barbarian soldiers from ethnic minorities also made outstanding contributions and killed more than 3,000 people in battle.
After Liu Mingchuan and Li Guolou met, the two cried silently, without the joy of victory.
Nie Shicheng led a thousand partial divisions and finally rushed to the battlefield. The powerful artillery battalion played a key role, causing the Japanese commander-in-chief Xixiang Tongdao to waver and dare not continue the fight.
Subsequently, the Japanese troops withdrew their positions under the cover of darkness, and the battle in Hualien Town ended. Li Guolou had no remaining power to pursue the Japanese troops, allowing the remaining thousands of Japanese troops to safely withdraw to Guishan. The Qing army won a tragic victory.
The ever-victorious army stationed in Hualien Town suffered even more heavy casualties, with 4,000 men and horses, and in the end only more than 800 people were left. Commander Browning was seriously injured, and only 28 foreign officers survived. The Nanyang Navy led by Huang Qiying In the end, there were only about fifty people left in the division militia group.
The Battle of Hualien Town was a battlefield designed by the Japanese army. Lieutenant General Xixiang Congdao laid a trap to trap more than 4,000 victorious troops. The Japanese army dispatched the main force and invested more than 15,000 people to besiege the victorious army. .
Xixiang Congdao thought he could decide the world in one battle and wipe out the Ever-Victorious Army. Unexpectedly, the battle of mass annihilation turned into a war of attrition. The Ever-Victorious Army fought hard to chew bones and refused to surrender. Li Guolou was even more like a mad dog. They rushed over and desperately rescued the victorious army, but the two armies actually fought in the plain area.
The war lasted for three days and four nights. Every trench, every creek, and every hill was a position for the enemy and us to fight for. Both the enemy and us used human lives to fill the positions. Corpses piled up like mountains. Death squads came and went, fighting each other. Refusing to give in, the Japanese army was very powerful and fought continuously for three days and four nights.
But the Qing army was even better, and they were still increasing their troops. Waves of Qing troops were thrown into the battlefield. Li Guolou actually wanted to use Hualien Town as the battlefield for the decisive battle. He did not allow the victorious army to break through. He wanted Browning to lead the victorious army in Hualien Town held back the Japanese army and fought a decisive battle with the Japanese army.
Browning saw the importance of the Battle of Hualien Town and recognized Li Guolou's military deployment. Fighting on the plains was easier than fighting in the mountains. Even if the Qing army suffered heavy casualties, it would still be better than attacking the Japanese military town, Guishan. A hundred times over, Browning personally supervised the battle and was hit by Japanese artillery. He was injured and fell into coma.
But at this time, the Victory Army was already fighting bloody battles. Bolt, who took over the command, implemented Li Guolou's tactical deployment and still stood firm and withstood the main attack of the Japanese army. The main fortifications of Hualien Town were still in the hands of the Victory Army. Every step The trenches were filled with Japanese corpses.
Xixiang Congdao finally couldn't hold on anymore and admitted that Li Guolou's command level was superior. He no longer dared to read the death reports of each team. He didn't know how many Japanese soldiers were still alive. Hualien Town had become a tomb of the Japanese army. If the fight continues, the Japanese army will be in danger of being annihilated.
At this time, Xixiang Congdao realized that Taiwan was not the territory of the Japanese. The Japanese soldiers who defended the country refused to retreat. The "King of Beidong" Luo Xingyi had become a lonely man. The Japanese army had no supporters in Taiwan. In the end, the Japanese army had no supporters in Taiwan. The scary thing is that the Japanese army is about to run out of ammunition.
The Qing army's combat effectiveness was strong and there was no hope of exhaustion. This was a war destined to fail.
On the evening of the fourth day, the Japanese troops withdrew from their positions under the cover of darkness and fled toward Turtle Mountain. Before leaving, the Japanese troops buried their dead comrades, blew up the damaged bronze artillery pieces, and smashed the redundant firearms. The remaining troops were defeated with less than 5,000 troops. , the Japanese army did not get any advantage in Hualien Town.
The Japanese army deceived themselves and others by saying that they were making a strategic retreat to Guishan. The Battle of Hualien Town had achieved the military goal of wiping out the main force of the Qing army, wiping out more than 10,000 Qing troops.
But Xixiang Congdao knew in his heart that the Japanese army lost this battle. This battle destroyed the confidence of the Japanese army. The Qing army could afford a battle in which both sides suffered losses. Li Guolou had enough financial resources to support the Taiwan campaign.
The most unbearable thing about the Battle of Hualien Town was that the Qing troops continued to join the battle. Li Guolou was not afraid of a deadly battle. The Japanese bushido spiritual death squads could not change the situation, and he had no face to show his face to the emperor. According to the report, the Japanese army dropped more than 10,000 corpses in Hualien Town.
Guishan has natural dangers to rely on. Xixiang Congdao is not afraid of the Qing army attacking Guishan, but Langjiao Port will be under the attack of the Qing army. There is a huge Japanese navy at sea. He does not need to worry about maritime operations. The Qing Dynasty Navy does not It is possible to attack Langqiao from the sea, but the land route is flat and there are thirty-eight forts built around Langqiao. The number of troops is still too small. Next, we have to request the Japanese military headquarters for additional troops, otherwise Langqiao will not be able to be defended.
Xixiang Congdao regretted it. The result of the Battle of Hualien Town made him worry that Langqiao would fall into the hands of the Qing army. If Langqiao fell, the Japanese army stationed in Guishan could only fight guerrillas in the mountains. What kind of troops would they have? During the deployment, Xixiang had a headache from the road. He accidentally fell off his horse and fell on his back.
After the war, the Qing army counted its casualties and found that more than 8,300 people were killed and more than 6,500 Qing soldiers were injured. Although the casualties were heavy, the morale of the army was greatly boosted. Since the trapped victorious army was rescued, the Qing army was The victor, all soldiers and horses know that they are the victors in this battle.
Li Guolou won the hearts of the military and was praised as the "God of War" by the soldiers.
The leaders of the ethnic minority soldiers are already clamoring to attack the hinterland of Guishan, and they no longer pay attention to the Japanese army.
The casualties of the Japanese army can only be estimated. The position where the Japanese corpses were buried was dug up by the Qing army, and various mutilated Japanese corpses can be seen.
In order to measure the casualties of the Japanese army and to show off their military prowess, the Qing army soldiers cut off the left ears of the Japanese corpses and connected them with straw ropes to form a ring of thirty ears. All Qing armies used this method to measure the casualties of the Japanese soldiers. Casualties, including some broken limbs without ears, can only be counted.
Under normal circumstances, the Qing army would not chop off the heads of Japanese soldiers unless it was a freezing winter, because the heads would pile up and stink, and bedbugs would swarm in, causing a terrible plague. The ears would not cause so many sequelae. Both lightweight and easy to count, this is the best method for measuring military merit on the battlefield, and has been used by the military for thousands of years.
You can see strings of ears hanging on the necks of the war horses, and many warriors also have such "garlands" hanging on their spears to show off their martial arts.
Jin Yinlai happily brought two strings of "garlands" and hung them on the neck of Li Guolou's horse regardless of whether Li Guolou liked it or not.
A group of Beidong Army soldiers escorted more than 200 Japanese prisoners of war, about 100 people, walking towards the station. A thin Beidong Army soldier said: "I saw the Japanese army cut off the noses of Qing army prisoners of war in Guishan, and the fortifications After the construction was completed, the Qing prisoners of war were killed. How cruel."
This is a group of Beidong troops who revolted on the battlefield of Hualien Town. They surrendered to the Qing Dynasty only two days ago. Now the Beidong army collapsed when they encountered the Qing army. They surrendered as soon as they shouted. Luo Xingying is unpopular and has been abandoned by the people of Beidong.
The Beidong Army officer was furious and shouted: "He was unkind to me and unjust. He cut off the noses of Japanese prisoners of war."
The Beidong people are a cruel people. They obey orders and do it immediately when their superiors say it. The Japanese soldiers actually used knives to cut the noses of more than 200 Japanese prisoners of war at the foot of the hillside. There were bursts of noise from the hillside. Screaming, the officers of the New Armed Forces saw this scene and deliberately turned a blind eye. The officers of the New Armed Forces all took a detour, and no one was willing to stop this atrocity.
Lieutenant Colonel Li Yunqing happened to be walking down the hillside. He saw more than 200 Japanese prisoners of war screaming and wailing on the ground. Li Yunqing was dumbfounded and furious. The troops here were under his command. The Beidong Army actually did this. This kind of thing that violates human ethics and morality, but the responsibility lies with the Xinwu Army. Li Yunqiao has a clear mind and someone must take responsibility. He quickly found a scapegoat. Captain Liu Guogai also took off his epaulets. The prisoner personally gave Liu Guogai fifty lashes and reiterated the battlefield discipline and that no physical persecution was allowed.
After Li Guolou learned about it, he ordered all the troops to enforce military discipline. However, 250 Japanese prisoners of war had lost their noses. Li Guolou was helpless and could only regard these 250 Japanese prisoners of war as slaves and divide them into slaves. To the leaders of ethnic minorities.
With a stroke of his pen, Zheng Hengdan added these 250 Japanese prisoners of war to the death list, and Liu Guogai was released that night. Zheng Hengdan was merciful and did not give Liu Guogai a demerit. Liu Guogai The officer was reinstated and transferred to another army as a captain. A scandal was revealed, and no one mentioned the whereabouts of the 250 Japanese prisoners of war.
Hualien Town has been reduced to rubble by artillery fire. As far as the eye can see, there are soldiers carrying stretchers and carrying dead bodies. There is a pungent smell in the air, the faint cries of soldiers can be heard, and the sound of gunfire in memory of dead comrades. .
Liu Mingchuan took the telegram from Li Guolou, lowered his head, read the telegram, and said in a hoarse voice: "This battle is worth it. These casualties are inevitable. Commander Li, don't mind it and fight to the death with the Japanese army." "Sooner or later we have to fight. In Hualien Town, at least we have half the geographical advantage compared to the Japanese army. The casualties of the Japanese army are no less than those of our army. Our army still won,"
The morning breeze blew across his face, and kites flew violently into the sky. Li Guolou put his hands on his hips, looked up at the blue sky and floating clouds, and said with a magnanimous look at the mountains: "Yes, we won, and we are still standing on this blood-soaked land. This is a moment to be proud of. The Japanese army will no longer be able to organize large-scale battles. We must seize this opportunity to capture Langqiao before November and completely cut off the transportation lines of the Japanese army in Guishan."
As the highest military officer of the Qing army, Li Guolou's heart was as hard as stone. This battle must be fought. No matter how heavy the casualties were, the Japanese army's arrogance would be knocked down. Fighting on the plains was a head-on confrontation with large corps, using blood and blood. win at the price.
Liu Mingchuan glanced at Li Guolou, with a hint of worry in his eyes. The field battle had been so brutal. The Qing army had killed and injured more than 10,000 people. They attacked Langqiao, an important Japanese town. It was the bridgehead for the Japanese army to enter Taiwan. It had been built into a large-scale building by the Japanese army. Military fortress, the Langqiao battle will be even more fierce. Living faces appear in Liu Mingchuan's eyes. How many comrades are buried here, and how many comrades will die here.
Liu Mingchuan felt a little shaken and hesitated: "Commander Li, our army has suffered so many casualties and needs to rest and recuperate. I think it is better to attack Langqiao next spring. This way, the casualties can be smaller and the certainty is greater."
Li Guolou waved his hand and said: "Liu Zhentai, we are in difficulty at this time and the enemy is even more difficult. How can we give the enemy a chance to breathe? No matter how many difficulties we have to overcome, we have no time to rest and recuperate. You are leading the Mingwu Army here." After a day of rest, we will march to Langqiao the day after tomorrow. There is no need to worry about ammunition supplies. Shen Baozhen has already arrived in Taiwan. Four thousand Fujian troops are coming. They are old troops trained by Marshal Zuo himself. The commander is Deputy General Xu Wenxiu. You We are old acquaintances with him, and the troops will be able to get along quickly. I will give you an additional 2,000 troops first,"
When Liu Mingchuan saw how determined Li Guolou was, his fighting spirit ignited in his chest. He saluted respectfully and shouted: "Yes, I will prepare to leave immediately. Please take care of yourself."
Li Guolou and Liu Mingchuan originally had irreconcilable conflicts. They broke up with each other in the New Armed Forces Army, formed cliques, and fought to the death. Li Hongzhang acted as a mediator in the middle. The two continued to engage in intrigues and ended up parting ways, and the New Armed Forces Army was also torn apart. For two, no one will obey the other.
However, the Taiwan War made the two become comrades-in-arms. Through the baptism of artillery fire, the comrades-in-arms of life and death emerged spontaneously. This time, the Mingwu Army rescued the Victory Army regardless of casualties and obeyed Li Guolou's command. This made the Battle of Hualien Town end. It ended with the victory of the Qing army.
If Liu Mingchuan had the idea of conserving his strength, but had gone against it, Li Guolou's tactical plan for a decisive battle with the Japanese army would have turned into empty talk. The Battle of Hualien Town would have ended with the Qing army's defeat, and the Ever-Victorious Army would have been completely defeated. was destroyed, therefore, Li Guolou put aside his previous resentment and regarded Liu Mingchuan as his confidant.
Li Guolou couldn't help but stretched out his arms, and the two embraced each other.
"Take care of yourself,"
"Take care, see you soon,"
Li Guolou and Liu Mingchuan walked with their riding whips swinging, accepting the respect of the soldiers, with a proud attitude. The commander must set an example for his subordinates.
After the great victory in the Battle of Hualien Town, the Yellow Dragon flag faced the wind on the Pingtung Plain. Looking around, we could see the huge Qing army as far as the eye could see, and the dark troops were advancing eastward.