[Read the latest chapter] After adopting this method, the waterway leading to the Qimu Island trestle can barely remain in use. Icebreakers break the ice every day and night to basically maintain the smooth flow of the waterway and ensure that refugees can continue to be transported.
However, this approach can only ensure the smooth flow of the trestle channel, but it does not help much with the serious problem: the safety of the island.
After Longkou Bay was frozen, Qimu Island was no longer just a sand bank connected to the mainland, but became part of the coast of Longkou Bay. Under the heavy snow cover, it was almost impossible to tell that it was an island.
The small islands near the Bohai Bay are frozen every winter and become undefendable. Similar lessons were countless in the Liaodong War at the end of the Ming Dynasty. Because the Hou Jin army did not have a navy, they often took advantage of the large-scale freezing of the Bohai Sea. Sent out troops to attack the islands where the Ming army was stationed, often achieving great victories
Dongjiang Army has suffered this loss many times, and now they will definitely make full use of this advantage when they are the attackers.
Although Longkou Bay is not frozen thickly and there is still a certain gap between the sea ice, it is not difficult for people and horses to walk on it. This makes Qimu Island, which is originally surrounded by water on three sides and can only rely on spy boats to ensure maritime safety, a big obstacle. Worry
"When it freezes, our ships lose their ability to maneuver," said Lu Yang, who hurried from the Daishuang after hearing the alarm. "The warships in the channel can only serve as fixed forts..."
"The power of your five ships firing together is enough," Zhu Mingxia said. "The disadvantage is that it has no maneuverability and can only provide fire support within the channel, and the accuracy is just a little bit worse."
Since the island is surrounded by ice, the enemy may not choose the sand embankment as the only attack channel. They are likely to come around from the ice to launch an attack on Qimu Island.
In this way, all facilities on Qimu Island may face direct enemy attacks.
"I'm not too worried about the enemy being able to invade. Our biggest weakness is the refugee camp - it's the weakest fortification, and there's a backlog of almost 10,000 people inside. Once a war breaks out, it will be very difficult to handle if the refugee camp blows up." Lu Wen Yuan frowned.
The refugee camp also has walls, towers, and artillery, but there are too many refugees inside. Once they encounter a fierce siege, it is difficult to "emotionally stabilize" them. Moreover, the refugee camp itself is the weakest in defense, and many places are just earth. The Tiga wooden fence is not so much an external defense measure as it is for prison control.
The eyes of several people were cast on Zhu Mingxia. As the chief officer of the northbound detachment, defensive operations were naturally his responsibility.
Zhu Mingxia said: "It doesn't matter that the enemy may not be able to land on the island under our firepower. Even if they can land on the island, we can defeat them before they start the siege battle."
He paused and said, "Not to mention that we have a lot of pots and jars on the island. It would be quite troublesome for them to rush up to the island and break some of them."
Zhu Mingxia believed that his troops were quite sufficient and had enough firepower, so there was no need to trap the fortifications. His plan was for Xiang Yong and a small number of troops to hold on to each fort. He led four infantry companies to form a mobile defense on the island, cooperating with the forts. and the artillery on the battleships. If the enemy attacks from that side, head over there to meet them and drive them directly off the island.
"The enemy will move slowly when they come over the ice. If we use cannons to continuously bombard their marching column, they may not be able to hold on until they reach the edge of the island," Zhu Mingxia said. "Don't worry, the enemy will definitely be defeated. We must capture more prisoners." It’s a bit difficult…”
"If you take any more prisoners, this place will become a hell on earth..." Lu Wenyuan shook his head repeatedly, "Just drive them away."
Chen Sigen said: "It doesn't matter how many prisoners we take. The key is to beat the rebels to pain, otherwise they will not know what to do."
At present, they divided their labors. Lu Wenyuan was in charge of the overall work in Qimu Island Village, Chen Sigen was responsible for guarding the willow edge, Zhu Mingxia led three companies to carry out mobile defense, and Lu Yang returned to the fleet.
The security forces of the Northward Detachment and the Shandong Advance Column all slept in their clothes and kept their weapons at all sentry posts. Zhu Mingxia pulled out all the artillery on the island and installed gun emplacements. In the past, in order to prevent "terrorism", some of the artillery Only gun emplacements were set up, not cannons.
Immediately order each kitchen to cook, boil a lot of water and make dry pancakes - the battle may last for a day and it is not enough to eat dry food alone, and once the enemy lands on the island, it will be inconvenient to cook and boil water in each camp, so Make reserves in advance
Zhu Mingxia asked Lu Yang to dismantle a few more typewriters from the battleship, strengthen them and install several naval short guns in stock on the bastion of Wicker Bian.
"Is my bastion too well-armed?" Chen Sigen couldn't help but object. "Now the roads to the island are open in all directions. There is no need for the enemy to attack from the wicker edge..."
"Your Willow Edge will definitely be under the greatest pressure," Zhu Mingxia said to Chen Sigen. "The sand embankment is the most convenient way to enter the island, and the road conditions are also the best. The enemy will definitely drive a large number of refugees through the sand embankment to directly attack the Willow Edge. I'm just afraid that you will kill someone with ease..."
Chen Sigen expressed doubt: "Are you so sure?"
"Of course, let's assume that if you were a rebel general, how would you plan to attack Qimu Island?"
"Since I have a numerical advantage, of course I will attack from multiple directions and force the defenders to divide their forces."
"Yes, it is easy to choose a breakthrough point after the sea is frozen. The best way is to go back to our weak flanks from the sea ice. But it is not easy to march in a roundabout from the sea ice. If most of my men are It is impossible to coerce the refugees and drive them to carry out such complicated tactical operations." Zhu Mingxia pointed to the sand table, "If I were Mao Chenglu, I would drive a large number of refugees to directly attack the wicker edge from the front, attracting our attention and firepower. Then select elite troops to attack on foot from the sea in a roundabout way."
Chen Sigen nodded: "But if we strengthen the wicker edge like this, isn't it just what they want?"
"If I were an army of the same level as theirs, Mao Chenglu's plan would be a great threat to us," Zhu Mingxia said. "But there is a generational difference between our army and theirs - the Dongjiang Army is not the Tatar's opponent in Liaodong, and it is not the opponent of the Tatars in Qimu Island." The opponent of the Fubo Army is that the Willow Branch will have to bear the attack of thousands of refugees. Prepare more igniters to disperse the cannon fodder as soon as possible, which will save a few lives."
"I see--"
"I have to remind you of something," Zhu Mingxia said. "Intelligence shows that the rebels have taken a large number of young people, and there are many ordinary people in Huang County - they are likely to use the people as precursors to fill trenches and use them as cannon fodder." Use ammunition to attack the wicker edge, and you must be able to hold on when the time comes..."
Chen Sigen turned pale and clenched his fist: "I know what you mean, don't worry."
Zhu Mingxia arranged the defense, and non-stop directed the personnel of the engineering training team to lead the security forces to the shore of Qimu Island to plant simple versions of directional mines, and installed barbed wire and mines around all the forts.
He ordered that four infantry companies performing mobile defenses be given double ammunition, including bullets and grenades.
After the arrangements were made, Zhu Mingxia sent out all the special reconnaissance teams and reconnaissance cavalry at hand to keep abreast of Mao Chenglu's movements.
Mao Chenglu's army set out from Huang County on January 21st of the fifth year of Chongzhen, that is, the year of Renshen. The entire army consisted of nearly 10,000 people. Most of them brought the people of Huang County under their control, and some of them were armed. Many people were driven to fight without even a stick.
The road was snowy and difficult to travel. Although the rebels obtained a large number of cattle, horses, donkeys, mules and other livestock due to plunder, the army carried six heavy artillery pieces and many artillery guns of different sizes. The march was not fast and did not arrive at the Longkou Bay area until that night.
Mao Chenglu didn't even know where the "Deer Village Master"'s village was at the beginning. He only knew that he probably sent several groups of people on the road in the Longkou Bay area to stay late at night. Only then did he find out that Zhuangzi was on Qimu Island.
They arrested some more people along the way. They probably knew that there was a stockade on Qimu Island, and a stockade wall was built on the sand embankment. There were villagers checking in and out, and the guards were very tight.
Mao Chenglu had been to Qimu Island before and knew the general terrain. After camping ten miles away from Qimu Island that night, he immediately sent out several groups who stayed overnight to explore the surrounding situation - especially the ice conditions in Longkou Bay.
That night, the special reconnaissance team and the Ye Bu Sushou had a continuous night battle around Qimu Island. Gunshots and screams rang out from time to time in the dark night. Less than seven or eight of the ten people returned to the camp.
Early the next morning, Mao Chenglu, surrounded by his generals, boarded Longkou Dun on the side of Longkou Bay - from here you can clearly see Qimu Island.
Mao Chenglu took out the telescope - which Sun Yuanhua had specially asked the missionaries to buy from Europe - and observed the terrain around Qimu Island.
It can be seen that the sand embankment, the only access to the island, is very strictly guarded. In addition, there are three isolated villages on the island with walls and towers.
Looking at this, Qimu Island is not an easy fruit to chew on. Mao Chenglu took a breath: he found that these villages were all "Western French piers", which were the red-haired people's cities that Governor Sun had always advocated building in the past. He regarded them as one of them. A famous general, he also communicated with Silao of Folangji Gongsha in Dengzhou, and generally knows the tactics of Folangji.
"My dear, this village is difficult to manage," he muttered, and handed the binoculars to Chen Guangfu, the commander beside him - he was ordered to lead 3,000 people to reinforce Mao Chenglu, and is now a "general". To be continued. If you like this This work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation)
