Although the Joint Logistics has set up a military depot in Fengchuan County to stockpile arms and ammunition, the transportation of these things not only poses a transportation capacity problem for the Joint Logistics, but also has security problems. Black powder is far less stable than various explosives. Therefore, the transshipment adopts the method of multiple small quantities, and the replenishment is even slower.
If they can't win it in one fierce attack, the artillery fire they can rely on in the second assault will be greatly reduced. Soldiers can only rely on dropping explosives and hand-to-hand assaults to fight.
While the 3rd Battalion and the siege artillery company landed in the south of Wuzhou City to build fortifications, Yang Zeng's 8th Battalion landed at the foot of Zhushan Mountain on the west bank of the Guijiang River.
Although they were ready for battle, the Ming army in the nearby mountains did not take advantage of their landing to launch an attack. Only some soldiers came closer to observe. The light infantry responsible for peripheral security immediately abandoned their casualties and fled as soon as they fired.
The 8th Battalion had already had lunch in advance and had a good two hours of sleep, which was when they were most energetic. According to the scheduled battle plan, the first shot of the Wuzhou siege will be fired by the 8th Battalion. At this moment, the soldiers are all gearing up and their fighting spirit is high.
According to the report provided by the brigade reconnaissance company, Zhushan has no Ming army guards, only a small number of outpost personnel, and no fortifications. To the north is Bangshan, where the Ming army was heavily stationed. The highest altitude of Mount Zhushan is only about 11 meters, while the highest altitude of Mount Bang is only about 38 meters. They can only be regarded as hills, but they are the commanding heights around Wuzhou City. They are much higher than the west wall of Wuzhou City on the other side. Even in cold weapon military operations, Bangshan is one of the important supporting points outside Wuzhou City.
According to the report of the brigade reconnaissance team, there are about a thousand Ming army groups defending Bangshan and the surrounding areas. The combat effectiveness is not low, especially the "new army" of Xiong Wencan inside, equipped with Nanyang-style rifles, and the firepower of the users is high. Yes, the shooting was accurate, and the timing of firing was better than the Ming army they had encountered before.
In addition, this Ming army also installed a large number of light Franco cannons. This light Franco cannon is not so much a "cannon" as a heavy matchlock gun. Although it is bulky, it has better shooting speed and lethality. It performs well. If the infantry breaks into the range, this thing can cause a lot of damage to the infantry.
As usual, the Ming army also installed a large number of various firearms. The power of these weapons varied, but as long as they were launched at the right time, they could still cause considerable damage to the attacking troops. Judging from several exploratory reconnaissances by the scouts, the Ming army in Bangshan was more "calm" than the various armed forces they encountered in the past. They rarely fired at will, and every time they fired, they could project a large amount of firepower in an instant. At close range, it can often overwhelm the firepower of light infantry. The most important thing is that the Ming army built trenches and fortifications.
The Ming army's "building forts and digging trenches" in battle was not a new technology. In the battles between the late Ming Dynasty and Hou Jin Dynasty, in order to deal with the impact of Hou Jin's heavy infantry and cavalry, they often adopted the tactics of building camps in the field and using firearms to resist defense. . The Eight Banners often had to wait until the Ming army's gunpowder projectiles were used up before launching an attack.
Yang Zeng set up a temporary command post on Zhushan Mountain. He used a telescope to carefully observe the Ming army's position opposite. The Ming army's trench was built along the mountain, roughly in the shape of an irregular quadrilateral, with two levels. What Yang Zeng saw was one of the sharp corners of this quadrilateral fortification. Yang Zeng sighed that this spy was really an expert. He had learned the methods and ideas of the Fubo Army in constructing trenches and other field fortifications.
The east, west and north sides of Bangshan are steep, and only the south side is gentler. The longest sharp corner of Bangshan position is located on the south slope. To attack this sharp corner, attack from the front. Although the slope is gentle, you have to face all the firepower on both sides of the sharp corner. If you attack from the side, the slope is too high and it is easy to be hit.
In order to capture Bangshan, the 8th Battalion had to attack from the rear. In addition to shrapnel, it was difficult for the cannons and howitzers of the brigade artillery responsible for supporting them to effectively attack the Ming troops hiding in the trenches on the top of Bangshan. They could not fall in the trenches. The shot grenades inside could only be said to be better than nothing in terms of damage to the Ming army. The low-tech method of trenching was considered an effective way to defend against artillery fire.
Of course, there is no way to attack trenches, and that is to use mortars - the predecessor of this mortar has a curved trajectory and is very effective in attacking trenches. But because the mortar is heavy, its range is short. Apart from large-caliber mortars in the siege artillery, the field artillery was completely unequipped. I can't wait for the rearward dispatch for a while.
In the past, Yang Zeng would not hesitate to order his men to charge with bayonets and directly defeat the Ming army nestled in the trench. But judging from the reconnaissance report, the Ming army not only had the same strength as the 8th Battalion, but was also equipped with many firearms, bows and arrows. The Ming army hid in the trenches, with extremely small targets. The light infantry covering the charge of the large forces could hardly hit anything. Once the enemy fires in the trench, whether it is a volley of firearms or a projectile of bows and arrows, it can cause heavy damage to the charging infantry.
Judging from the scouts' reports, the Ming army's fighting will was good, its officers commanded effectively, and its training was well organized. In the past, conventional all-army assaults did not necessarily fail, but they would definitely cost a lot of casualties.
Although the leaders have repeatedly emphasized that there is no need to worry too much about casualties in war, and troops must be decisively deployed when necessary. But Yang Zeng is an old man in the Fubo Army, and he knows very well that it was not easy for the leader to build an army on his own. The leader must use this "capital" to conquer the world, and the less one dies the better.
He put down the telescope and returned to the battalion headquarters. The battalion staff had already prepared a simple sand table diagram. Several company commanders were pointing around the sand table. Discussing attack plans. Yang Zeng decided not to deploy a specific combat plan and listen to the views of the company commanders.
Yang Erdong has been working as a servant for Mr. Xiong Wencan for more than two years. He eats good food and gets a generous salary. His family thinks that he has a good job. Although the training as a servant is strict and there are many errands, he also has to be a forward in the event of a war. But the food, clothing and treatment are much better than ordinary soldiers.
These days, there are many people who are willing to risk their lives in exchange for food and clothing. It is a great luck to be a servant for Governor Xiong - with the treatment of a servant, compared with the servants around ordinary generals, they have no chance of fighting. Not much, so Yang Erdong is very satisfied with his current situation.
It's a pity that Yang Erdong's luck has come to an end now. Xiong Wencan wants to have a "showdown" with the Kun thieves in Wuzhou, and their servants have to "work together" to work hard. Everyone murmured: This time, there is a high probability that their lives will be at stake.
Although there was a danger of death, not many people ran away. Running away means losing one's job. For Qiu Ba, who is accustomed to having ready-made clothes, going to work and working hard is not a good idea. This business is not easy to do either. Might as well take a gamble. If their lives were spared, even if Governor Xiong was dismissed from his post and questioned by the court in the future, they would still have a way out - at the worst, they could still receive a few taels of money for dismissal.
Finally, Yang Erdong's ancestors showed up. He was not assigned to Bangshan outside the city, so he did not have to bear the brunt of the battle with the Australians. Instead, he and the other nine bird gunners were assigned to Master Chang to wait for his orders.
Chang Qingyun held the command arrow given to him by Xiong Wencan, rode a tall horse with a sword hanging on his waist, followed by ten servants of the Xiong Mansion carrying shotguns, and walked through the city of Wuzhou, looking very majestic. Xiong Wencan asked Chang Qingyun to perform his duties of inspecting the armies and suppressing military discipline. Chang Qingyun felt deeply honored and worked very hard. After killing several deserting soldiers, he looked even more majestic.
This made Yang Erdong miserable. Chang Qingyun rode his horse and galloped at every turn, while the few soldiers could only follow at a trot on foot. Soon they were out of breath. By the time they reached the south of Wuzhou City, they were already Can't run anymore.
"Master Chang, you have to let us take a breather, don't you? Brothers can't run anymore. Let us take a break, drink some water, and then continue to patrol the city later, okay?" Yang Erdong said boldly.
After hearing this, Chang Qingyun gritted his teeth and said viciously: "You don't know how powerful the Australians are. If you don't maintain good military discipline, when the Australian artillery comes, I don't know how many people will scatter in all directions."
"But Master Chang, the brothers really can't run anymore. We don't need to rest for a long time, just for a while." Yang Erdong said.
"Yes, Master Chang, just let us take a break!" Several other servants agreed.
"It's because of the Ming Dynasty that there are too many people like you who are paid and do nothing, which is why slaves are invaded every year, bandits are everywhere, and thieves are in chaos!" After that, he picked up the whip and hit Yang Erdong.
Yang Erdong shrank and slipped to the side, his whip missing.
Just when Chang Qingyun retracted his riding whip and was about to whip him again, he heard bursts of cannons in the distance, like huge thunder after thousands of lightning flashes. Almost in an instant, the city wall above Chang Qingyun's head collapsed. A brick half the size of a man fell directly not far away and broke into several large and small pieces.
Chang Qingyun's car was suddenly startled, neighed, and jumped up on its two front legs, almost going crazy. Fortunately, Chang Qingyun grasped the reins tightly and stepped on the stirrups firmly, so he was not thrown off the horse. Yang Erdong had raised horses before, so he had some knowledge of horse nature. He stepped forward and grabbed the reins of the horse, hissed a few times, patted the horse's neck a few times, and finally calmed the horse down.
Chang Qingyun was so frightened that he did not dare to ride any more. He dismounted in a hurry and ran to the city wall - this was the only way to prevent the cannon. He said to Yang Erdong: "You have made up for it, I will spare you for now!"
Before he finished speaking, there was another cannon shot, and then another, and the sound of cannons rose and fell continuously. The south wall of Wuzhou City was so coaxed that bricks and stones flew everywhere, leaving almost no intact place. Chang Qingyun knew that the Australian cannons were powerful, but he did not know that they were so powerful. The walls of Wuzhou City were so thick that they were almost as vulnerable to the Australian cannons as playthings made of clay.
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Will update next time Volume 7 - Guangzhou Governance Chapter 307
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The public account Lingao Qiming——
Lingao Qiming book fans base
The braggart’s message board;
Introduce and sort out important figures and event information;
Showcase the style of the Lingao community and a traveling exhibition of outstanding fan and material works;
Organize online or offline gatherings of elders from time to time;
In a word, Senatus Populusque Magnus
