The operation of the weapon test firing team of Beihai Town Arsenal greatly shocked He Lin and several Ouchi guards. At the same time, they were also very surprised by the excellent workmanship of the weapons provided by Beihai Town.
In their view, the Northern Navy's flintlock rifles are so sophisticated that all parts of different rifles are interchangeable; as for the artillery, in addition to the entire gun body, gun mount, and even ammunition carts being made of steel, the firing tables are also of the same caliber. It is completely universal, which is definitely a magical thing for the Manchu and Qing Dynasties.
What shocked He Lin the most was that through these weapons of the Beihai Navy, he finally realized a model that was completely different from the existing firearms system of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties. He also understood what Kong Shaoan meant by "weapon generation difference". When I thought that the weapons used by the North Navy were more sophisticated and more powerful than the ones in front of me, a feeling of despair could not help but surge into my heart.
The application of artillery actually depends on three aspects. The first is casting and metallurgy, the second is chemistry, and the third is training and use.
In terms of casting, during the Kangxi reign of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, under the guidance of Jesuit missionaries headed by Nan Huairen, the Armed Forces Academy cast the first batch of standard artillery that fully conformed to Western theory. The length, weight, caliber, magnification, and even each component of this batch of artillery were extremely precise, and they became the template for all subsequent artillery pieces.
Starting from the late Ming Dynasty, due to the poor quality of China's pig iron, the casting of artillery has adopted a composite structure process; the barrel is generally made of two or even three materials, that is, an iron core and a copper body. Although the West and Central Asia had similar techniques during the same period, their composite casting level was not as good as China's, so there was no further development.
However, as Watt improved the steam engine, Westerners-especially the British jumped directly into the next era. This was the case with the carronade guns sold to Qianlong by the British before, using "solid boring technology."
On the other hand, the Manchu Qing Dynasty had no innovation since Nan Huairen. It’s not that the Qing Dynasty couldn’t produce excellent ordnance. You must know that the best weapon manufacturing craftsmen in China are in the Armed Forces Academy and the Imperial Guard. However, under the dominance of the theory of “monarch, minister, and envoy”, only a few skilled craftsmen cannot compete with the equipment system. disadvantages.
And because the standard cannon samples of the Kangxi era were recast more and more times, the errors became larger and larger. Historically, by the time of the Daoguang Dynasty, the cannons cast by the Qing court were already "the circumferences of the head and tail cannot be calculated, any size, one for each type." It was also a cannon that fired ten-pound shells, and the first cast was probably eight. One thousand catties, the second time it became more than nine thousand catties.
In 1835, before the outbreak of the Opium War, the Qing government successively purchased a total of 59 newly cast eight-thousand-jin and six-thousand-jin cannons at the forts in Humen, Guangdong. However, when Navy Admiral Guan Tianpei came to inspect them, 10 of them were blown to pieces on the spot. Two soldiers were injured.
The chemical problem is actually gunpowder. The power of a firearm is first determined by the gunpowder, and the proportion of the gunpowder formula has a great relationship with the burning speed and storage. In terms of black powder, the formula ratios of gunpowder and gunpowder are completely different.
After the First Opium War, Chen Jieping, the then governor of Fujian, managed to buy a small bag of British gunpowder. After using the gun to test fire, he found that the range actually reached 240 bows, which is 400 meters. The gun was still the same gun, but with new gunpowder, the range was suddenly improved. Afterwards, Daoguang ordered the Ministry of War to modify the gunpowder ratio and promote it nationwide.
Then there is training. During the Shunzhi and Kangxi eras, due to the endless wars, the Qing government stipulated that every year in September or October, artillery training should be conducted on the west side of Marco Polo Bridge for ten days, and the number of shots for each gun was one hundred times. Later, it was changed to artillery drills on April and Ninth days in spring and autumn.
In the 35th year of Qianlong's reign, after many adjustments, the training time was finally determined to be five times a month, with three shots fired each time, with a shooting distance of 172.5 meters, and the target rate reached 13 out of 15 to qualify.
The above mentioned are still the training standards of the Beijing Firearms Camp. The Eight Banners and Green Camps in various places cannot say that. The accuracy of artillery training in these years is not the first priority. Being familiar with the operation, removing rust from the artillery and preparing for inspection by the superior officer are the most important things. So I still don't know how far to shoot, how far to raise the muzzle, how to aim the star, and whether the gun position is usable.
According to Li Yansheng, the former co-leader of the Heilongjiang City Artillery Battalion of the Qing Army who has returned to his post, before the troops were raised in Beihai Town, the Heilongjiang City Firearms Battalion was supposed to train for three days a year. However, since Li Yansheng was on duty, it had never fired a single artillery piece. It wasn't until Tsarist Russia attacked that their so-called "artillery" rushed to respond.
Since Qianlong's accession to the throne, whenever the Qing army needed elite gunners for large-scale wars, they would always transfer them from the Beijing Firearms Battalion and the Armed Forces Academy, and they would have to bring along the quadrant from the Manufacturing Office.
The last point is the firearms combat mode of the Qing army.
The development of the Qing army's firearms phalanx began in the Battle of Ulanbutong in the Kangxi era, and by the decisive battle with Galdan in the "Battle of Zhaomodo", it established the basic pattern of grassland and desert warfare. That is, first use long-range firepower to weaken the enemy's morale, and when it is on the verge of collapse, use cavalry to open a gap with side attacks, and then defeat it in one fell swoop.
In the history of another time and space, this pattern continued until the Battle of "Bali Bridge" before it came to an end.
By the middle of Qianlong's reign, as the use of troops in the northwest came to an end, the Qing court's military focus began to shift to the southwest. Due to the deep and dangerous mountains in the area, firearm phalanxes could not be deployed, so the use of firearms shifted from emphasizing battle formation training to emphasizing battle formation training. Personal bravery is represented by the "Battle of Jinchuan and Jinchuan".
According to the official records of the Qing Dynasty, the Jinchuan and Jinchuan rivers located in the northwestern Sichuan plateau are mountains in size and extremely steep. There are watchtowers at the passes, and the piles of rocks are like small cities. The highest one stands in the middle, and the highest one stands in the shape. The pagoda may be eight or nine feet long, more than ten feet long, or even fifteen or sixty feet tall. There are small holes all around high and low for observation and firing of guns and artillery. Blockhouses are set up in particularly dangerous places to make them even stronger, which are called "war blockhouses".
This kind of watchtower can only penetrate the stone wall if hit with a three-pounder, and the mountain-splitting cannon is even more useless. Not to mention the Qing army, even if the European armies of the same era came, they would still be beaten in the face and suffer heavy losses.
By the time of the Second Battle of Jinchuan, the Qing army's guns and even gunpowder packets and bombs were deployed. The West Route Army alone used 10,000 kilograms of gunpowder every day. Due to terrain problems, it is impossible to use artillery to shoot flatly in many places. We can only build high platforms first and then hoist the artillery up to bombard them. This is just like bombing a bunker. You attack the towers one by one. Once they collapse, you have to rush up and fight in close combat.
In the end, the Qing government had no choice but to use the "sky cannon", the country-destroying weapon of this era, which was also a siege mortar, and then every watchtower was destroyed.
The two "Battles of Jinchuan and Jinchuan" had a profound impact on the Qing army's combat methods. In terms of infantry and cavalry, due to terrain restrictions, it is difficult to deploy battle formations, and the opponent is not an upright division. Therefore, higher requirements are put forward for individual combat capabilities; for example, the Jianrui Battalion later had many training subjects, and almost all skills were lacking. study.
Because of this, individual firearms place more emphasis on range and power than on rate of fire, and the emergence of the gun is the most typical representative.
In terms of artillery, heavy artillery, which is extremely lethal in open areas such as grasslands and deserts, is like a waste in mountainous dangers. It is not as powerful as a mountain-splitting cannon, and is not as light as a gun, so it is gradually marginalized.
At the test firing range on the beach, several Ouchi guards scratched their heads as they watched, and then started using weapons under the guidance of the test shooters. At this time, Kong Shaoan accidentally discovered that He Lin's face became extremely ugly. How should I put it, just like the expression on my face when I learned that my sister was sick...
During the loading of the goods, while He Lin was going through the handover procedures with Kong Shaoan, she finally couldn't help but ask a question while there was no one around.
"Brother Kong, I have something to ask you sincerely, and I hope you can give me some advice."
Kong Shaoan said politely: "You're welcome, sir. I will definitely say what I can."
"Before King Zhao's uprising, our Qing Dynasty was peaceful and peaceful, with clean rivers and clear seas, and the four peoples lived and worked in peace and contentment. Since the Holy Ancestor, three generations of kings have worked hard to govern, and their civil and martial arts have surpassed previous generations. The most prosperous era since the founding of the country was even inferior to that of Zhenguan Kaiyuan. Besides, the legacy of the Ming Dynasty is over, why bother letting the world get involved in war again? I see that my brother is a talented person, why not use his great skills to serve the imperial court?"
"Can you wear it..." Kong Shaoan almost let it slip. He felt that He Lin's question was really ridiculous. Didn't he himself know what was going on in Manqing?
From the day he came to Beihai Town, he was indifferent to most things in this time and space. He just hoped that Zhao Xin's project would not be stopped and he would be able to make money.
After working at the power plant for two years, Kong Shaoan had never been to Whale Harbor to see the miserable conditions of the people disembarking from the boats, and of course he had never been to a bloody battlefield. He feels that those things have nothing to do with him, and he just needs to keep busy and do things well in the power plant. After the incident between Wu Ping'an and Jin Kaijun came out, he realized the cruelty of the struggle for power and Zhao Xin's tactics, and he became more cautious after that.
It wasn't until he went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to work as Chen Qingsong's assistant that he began to accompany Chen Qingsong to inspect farmland construction projects. Every time he met the villagers, he was a little overwhelmed by the warm reception and simplicity of the villagers. Gradually, he also learned about these The tragic experiences of people under the rule of the Manchu Qing Dynasty.
Only then did Kong Shaoan realize that Zhao Xin and the others were not playing some large-scale hegemony game, but saving living people. From this, he also learned that the so-called "Qianlong Emperor" was actually the peak of the small peasant economy in feudal society, and political corruption and social contradictions were intensifying. Since China has fallen into sinking in history, what Zhao Xin and the others have done may have a different way out.
After a moment of silence, Kong Shaoan lit a cigarette for both He Lin and himself, and then slowly said: "Master He, since you asked that, then I will tell the truth."
"Don't you know anything about what your eldest brother did? That's hundreds of millions of taels of silver! Qianlong didn't care and only cared about his own enjoyment. Corruption was rampant in the local area. After committing a crime, he only needed It's so ridiculous that you can get away with a little money! According to me, your Qing Dynasty is rotten to the core!"
"I..." Hearing that the other party used He Shen as an example, He Lin immediately withered. He wished he could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.
He Lin's depression lasted for many days after that. When the fleet full of cargo returned to Dagokou, he managed to cheer up with Ma BaShi's comfort.
At this time, Qianlong had returned to the Old Summer Palace, and both he and Yong Yan were extremely shocked when they learned that there were weapons among the supplies He Lin brought back. After that, He Lin handed over a sign to ask for a meeting and reported in detail the whole process of the trip. Qianlong thought that he had done a good job and praised him very much.
In early November, all supplies arrived at the Fengtai camp. Qianlong asked Wang Yongyan, Heshen, Fu Changan, Wang Jie and others from Jiaqing to go to the camp to inspect the various supplies provided by Beihai Town, and arranged for them to be transported to the Marco Polo Bridge at Marco Polo Bridge five days later. The artillery range test-fired the weapons of the Northern Navy.
It is said that the upper echelons of the Qing court finally saw Beihai Town's industrial products other than luxury goods this time. However, except for the heating treasures, which caused a great sensation, and the canned pork and beef that amazed everyone, other products did not achieve the expected results. Whether it was Fengyoujing or cotton-padded clothes, cotton hats, leather boots and other items made in Beihai Town, they were all scorned.
Needless to say, the results of the subsequent test firing were astonishing to the ministers present, both in terms of range and power. However, when they learned that the gunpowder formula in Beihai Town was an "untold secret," Prince Jia Yongyan and others were so angry that they could do nothing and scolded Zhao Xin for being treacherous. After Qianlong learned of the situation, he immediately sent an order to the Armed Forces Academy and the Imperial Bird and Gun Department to imitate it.
What? Steel cannon shooting requires something called a "fire tube" to ignite the propellant. What a joke! The fire fork is not used in the same way.
Is the gunpowder a secret ingredient? Give me a break! Our Qing Dynasty is full of skilled craftsmen, how can we still be stumped by this trick?
It’s interesting that the quadrant is made so small! The manufacturing office must copy it. We can't make it out of steel, so what's the use of copper? Besides, the Northern Pirates' stuff is so vulgar, it doesn't even have any carved inscriptions.
But the biggest group of people is the Baitang Amen who are guarding the fowler. After carefully studying Beihai Town's front-loading muskets, several craftsmen felt a little crazy; the others were fine, but what exactly was this "flash cap"? !
During this period, He Lin found an opportunity to have a deep talk with He Shen. He revealed his despair to his brother, and He Shen was also frightened when he heard it. He immediately decided to ask Ma Ba San to quietly transfer part of the family's silver and treasures to the warehouse they rented in Anping Port.
By early December, as the gunners of the firearms battalion became more and more proficient in operating the Beihai Town 12-pounder gun, He Lin's long-awaited appointment finally arrived. He was appointed by Qianlong as Fukangan's deputy and led a firearms battalion of 200 gunners and 500 shotgunners. Escort military supplies and rush to Tibet for reinforcements.
At this time, Fukang'an had already led his men towards Xining. Even if he entered Tibet, he would not start a war with Gurkhas immediately. It was nothing if the military supplies arrived a month or two late.
Before launching a military operation, he must have extensive contact with the upper echelons of Tibet, demonstrate his righteousness, gain political support, and pave the way for the establishment of a separate post-war aftermath charter. At the same time, in order to attack Gorkha, he had to issue a message to the two vassal states of Bulukba (Bhutan) and Chemengxiong (Sikkim).
On the other side, the Northern Navy's Outer Mongolia troops occupied Ulyasutai and after a short rest, they immediately dispatched another regiment and the main force of the southern detachment to march north again. Hu Ji was appointed as the commander-in-chief of this operation. , Michelang and Monk Zhou are the deputy.
After an arduous trek in the wind and snow, crossing the vast mountains and the Gobi, the troops arrived at the Sala Brak Station, seventy miles away from Khovd City, in mid-December.
Zhao Xin once again performed the trick of a magic stick. He took a car from Ulyasutai in another time and space to Khovd, and then drove north to join the troops. To be honest, if he hadn't come, Huji and his group of more than 5,000 people would probably freeze to death and starve to death on the Mongolian plateau.
Different from the wooden city like Ulyasutai, which is like a large paddock, Khovd City suffered a flood in the 27th year of Qianlong's reign. The old city that had already experienced wars has since been abandoned, and the new city is completely based on the style of Guan Nei. Construction; the city wall is more than one foot high, more than five feet thick, more than 400 feet in circumference, and surrounded by turrets.
Baoning, the left deputy general of Dingbian, and a group of Mongolian princes who fled here, originally thought that the Northern Navy would have to survive this winter and wait until the spring of next year before taking action, but who knew it was here now. So these people once again staged a robbery drama, ransacking the entire city of Khovd, taking with them the Green Camp soldiers and their families who were stationed in the local area, and retreated south along the frozen Eagle River, leaving behind a group of soldiers of the Northern Navy. Han merchants and Mongolian merchants who wanted to cry without tears.
However, the morale and morale of the tens of thousands of people led by Baoning were extremely low, and the Jasak lords could no longer restrain their men. The key is that when the Mongolian soldiers saw that they were getting further and further away from home, they fled at night.
My family is still far away waiting for me to go back. If I go further south, I'm afraid I won't be able to go back in this life! Forget it, you are always working as a errand wherever you go, so run away!
