Yan Yingyuan was promoted from a clerk to a governor today. He secretly vowed to be loyal to the emperor and serve the country. He would lead his troops to fight to the death against the Donglu to express his gratitude for the emperor's care and cultivation.
However, if a worker wants to do his job well, he must first sharpen his weapon. Yan Yingyuan also understands that without complete certainty, it is difficult to inflict damage to the menacing Donglu cavalry with just his passion.
The cave war opened Yan Yingyuan's eyes. With caves and regiment training, the common people could master the capital of self-protection, and the government and army could concentrate their forces, so they no longer had to defend themselves in vast areas.
The prince also said that there was a more powerful fighting method than cave fighting, which naturally aroused Yan Yingyuan's great curiosity.
Yaoji didn't wait for the other party to ask questions, and directly gave the specific name: "This method is mine warfare. When Qi Shaobao was stationed in Jizhou, he made a mine called 'Steel Wheel Fire'. And like ' Explosive objects such as "Slow Cannon", "Explosive Cannon" and "Invincible Mine Cannon" are all very good defensive weapons. However, I believe that they were not widely used before and were only limited to small areas and city defense battles. They still need to be carried out. Large-scale promotion, such as in the Great Wall defense line under the jurisdiction of Jizhen, especially in areas where Donglu may break through, can lay landmines on a large scale to form a minefield, causing thousands of people to die before they can enter the pass."
"Slow Cannon" is a delayed mine with a painted appearance that looks like an Easter egg. It will not explode until the enemy plays with it or even hides it in a horse's bag. It usually delays for two to four hours. It is a painted version of the timer. bomb.
"Explosive gun" is the current name of "steel wheel fire". It can be pulled by a wire or stepped on. When the steel wheel is activated, it rubs violently with the flint, igniting the fire line and then explodes.
The "Invincible Mine Cannon" is made of pig iron and made into a ball. The large version is charged with one bucket of powder, and the small version is charged with three to five liters of powder. A bamboo tube is inserted from the powder feeding port to protect the fire line. When the enemy enters the site, Just light it.
In addition, other items that can be buried or thrown include the "Pomegranate Cannon" and "Weiyuan Stone Cannon".
The former has an iron shell with a small wine glass containing fire inside. When the wine glass is tilted, the fire can ignite the gunpowder.
The latter is made of stone and contains two kilograms of gunpowder and hundreds of small stones. It can be ignited and thrown, or it can be buried on the roadside and released.
In general, compared with similar products of later generations, these grenades and landmines are not functional enough, and some are too complex to manufacture and are inconvenient for mass production.
A certain prince wanted to create two different defensive weapons. Grenades are grenades, and landmines are landmines. Don't confuse their respective functions and become neither fish nor fowl.
Yao Ji also wanted to make a special statement to avoid Yan Yingyuan misunderstanding: "During the court meeting, I did not intend to completely abandon the Great Wall defense line, but to transfer the main force into the city defense and let a small number of troops be responsible for the defense line. Let them bury them in front and behind the defense line. A large number of machine-type landmines, so that the mines can kill Donglu on their own without the need for soldiers to manage and kill them. The mines must be counted in the tens of thousands to form a large-scale minefield, so that they can have enough killing effect on Donglu. I sincerely Anmin Factory and surrounding factories will be notified so that they can build enough mines to defend key areas."
Don’t braids like to break through near Xifengkou?
When winter comes again this year, you should take a good trip to the mine array.
Let the defenders of the Great Wall Defense Line teach you a lesson first, then pat your butts and leave when the ground is almost done.
If you dare to chase after you, you don't have to go far. There will be people in Zunhua, Shunyi, Huairou and other places to teach you a second lesson.
Every county town and garrison has a garrison, a hole in the ground, and a mine. You must fight hard without fear of casualties.
A battle like the last time, which was like being in an uninhabited country, will happen again this time. One city will suffer a loss of 500, and 20 cities will lose 10,000 people.
If the work of Yan Yingyuan and Hou Tongzeng could be implemented at the county level, Braid would definitely not be able to withstand this level of casualties.
Three thousand people were killed by mines on the Great Wall, and ten thousand died during the attack on the city. On the way back, they were pursued and beaten by the Ming army. If the total casualties reached 20,000, I'm afraid Huang Taiji would be depressed when he heard the battle report.
Braid enters the level for the sixth time. A certain prince's tactical goal is not high, that is, he wants to find ways to destroy one-tenth of your troops.
Regardless of whether it is the main force or cannon fodder, more than 10,000 people must be defeated and disabled. You cannot escape unscathed after the robbery.
First of all, we must clearly understand the balance of strength between the two sides, admit that our side does not have the strategic initiative, and must suffer strategic failure.
The current moment is to free ourselves from the mobile war that is led by pigtails and drag it into a protracted war of attrition.
Using a strategy that combines coastal harassment with in-pass sniping, the lowest casualties are used to obtain the greatest results, thus accumulating tactical victory and reversing the strategic situation.
Due to the limited population of Braids, even if we include Monan Menggu and the plundered population, the number of troops that can be mobilized will not exceed 300,000.
Therefore, we insist on letting the pigtails kill and injure 20,000 horses a year. If things go on like this, within ten years, gratifying results will be achieved.
If Huangtai Chicken really suffers from some kind of bleeding disease and will die suddenly, then it would be a good idea to do nothing.
Later, Dorgon was more able to assess the situation than his predecessor, and would not easily send heavy troops into the pass without waiting for a good opportunity.
In short, let's try our best to survive the most difficult three years first, and then life will be easier.
When it came to handling border affairs, the prince did not act impulsively, but was mature and prudent. Yan Yingyuan was greatly surprised, and he bowed his hands and saluted: "Your Highness is wise, this plan is very clever, our army has few casualties, but it can cause heavy damage to the Donglu!"
Once a large area of landmines is laid in the vast area outside the Great Wall, it will be really spectacular, and it will definitely make it difficult for the Donglu to move during the attack.
Moreover, in city defense battles, mines are the best weapon to defend Donglu's heavy armored infantry.
Its heavily armored infantry are almost invulnerable from head to toe, and even if fired at close range, they may not be able to injure them at all.
Apart from their faces, their biggest weakness is their feet, and mines are their natural enemies.
As long as the soles of the feet or even the legs are injured, even the toughest enemy will lose their fighting power and lie on the ground screaming in agony.
Compared with strong bows, crossbows and even fire blunderbuss, landmines are a defensive weapon that can almost cause zero casualties to one's own soldiers.
In addition to the defense line of the Great Wall, Yaoji believes that all strategic nodes must also be armed: "The capital is very large and has many troops. I believe that Donglu dare not peek, but this is different in Baoding and Tianjin. Mines must be widely laid around the city. The relevant land requisition must be completed within two months, and the landmines can be laid before the enemy comes. I will let the garrison generals from various places be responsible for this matter, and Yan Aiqing can lead a team to inspect."
It would be great if the emperor who had been hit by many obstacles dared to come to the capital to attack the capital. A certain prince would teach you how to fight on the same day, and whoever didn't go all-in would have his grandson.
Even if landmines are not used, the defensive weapons include oil, grenades, and mortars. If the capital is besieged for three days, it is guaranteed that everyone in the braided army will be beaten to a "good start"...
Huang Taiji brought an army of 100,000 to attack the city. It was estimated that 20,000 casualties would have to be withdrawn in despair. Calculated, the 20,000 unlucky men only took four days.
If you want to waste more, you can either continue to attack by force, or you can only besiege the city.
The former requires the consent of each banner owner. Although the army obeys the command of Huang Taiji, the men and horses of each banner are their own, especially the Dorgon brothers. When it comes time to fill the hole with their lives, can they obey the order? Two said.
Choosing the latter doesn't cost much, but in the face of King Qin's army coming from all directions, hundreds of thousands of troops can still be mobilized even if the Ming Dynasty has more troops.
Braids can win in field battles, but no one is willing to do this kind of fighting method that is completely useless to the flag owners. They might as well go to various places to grab a vote and leave.
If it is just a siege without a fight, like the Songjin War, if you want to besiege the capital for half a year, this situation is unlikely to happen.
First of all, although the capital has a large population, there is also a lot of food that can be stored. If you save on food, you can definitely survive this period.
Secondly, the capital is not Jinzhou. It is seven hundred miles from the capital to Shanhaiguan. Once the Ming army entrenched in western Liaoning attacks, it will be impossible for Pigtail to quickly return reinforcements.
In the end, as long as Huang Taiji dares to play like this, the strategic initiative will fall into the hands of a certain prince. Ming Ting hopes that the other party will give up mobile warfare and switch to positional warfare that can hurt each other.
The Qing army had more horses and more cavalry, and it was especially good at mobile warfare.
The Ming army had many cities and was easy to defend, so of course it liked positional warfare.
Therefore, for both parties, only by leveraging their strengths and avoiding weaknesses can they get twice the result with half the effort, otherwise they will suffer heavy losses.
"Bo Aiqing is here, please give me a seat!"
In order to let Yan Yingyuan have a more comprehensive understanding, Yaoji specially found Bo Jue, who was known as the most intelligent young man in the Great Attack Dynasty.
This guy also has a lot of research on mines, and can personally make a variety of products that can damage braids, so he is treated as an expert and is invited to explain.
"Your Highness, this object is the mine that Cao Min...er...is researched by me!"
Bo Jue took out a sample without a cover, and the inner structure was revealed, so everyone could see it clearly.
"This object is composed of a shell, an upper cover, a mechanism, gunpowder and other components. In normal times, you only need to remove the mechanism, and even if the infantry steps on it, the mine will not explode. When the enemy comes, install the mechanism and the enemy will It can be easily fired by being stepped on by soldiers, without the need for a rope to pull.”
An extremely smart guy like Bo Jue naturally disdains making hand-pulled mines, which is tantamount to a serious insult to his IQ.
"Bo Aiqing, I am very curious, how does this mechanism work, and how is it guaranteed to trigger an explosion?"
Yaoji felt that if the mechanism of this mine was simple enough and reliable, it could be mass-produced. Of course, Bo Jue would have to pay a large amount of patent fees.
"Your Highness, there is a leaf spring in the mechanism of this thing. With the help of the force of stepping on it, it can hit the flint and start a fire. I later felt that this thing was not enough to be used as a ignition rope to detonate the gunpowder inside, so I added some fire. After the oil was improved, it was tried nearly a hundred times and failed to ignite less than five times!”
Bo Jue was not satisfied with the first generation he developed, so he made some minor improvements, such as the position of the leaf spring, the required force, and most importantly, the addition of kerosene.
The thin version 2.0 mine is more stable and easier to detonate than the previous model. It can be said that it has reached military level, but it must undergo official testing before it can be finalized and mass-produced.
"Load the charge, field test!"
After Yaoji spoke, everyone looked horrified. The prince wanted to test the mines in the East Palace courtyard. How could he possibly change this?
Seeing that a group of people including Yang Jinchao didn't know what to do and tried to persuade him, Yaoji chuckled and explained: "Just put a little gunpowder in it so that everyone can see clearly. It won't really happen." It hurts everyone.”
Everyone was relieved now. They had been frightened by the prince just now.
For these laymen, just looking at the structure is very abstract in their minds.
If you want to deepen your impression, you must give a live demonstration.
The inventor Bo Jue personally performed the demonstration, and Yaoji did not say anything to stop it, because the charge was less than half a tael, and it was like a small firecracker at best, and it would not blow up this great talent at all.
"Bang~!"
As the leaf spring stimulated the flint stained with kerosene, red light appeared in the blink of an eye, and then a cloud of smoke exploded. The entire demonstration process was extremely short, but it was successful, and it gave everyone a preliminary understanding of thin mines. impression.
"Tsk! Not bad~! I wonder if Bo Aiqing can make a mine with a pedal that can bear a load of two hundred kilograms?"
Referring to the landmine varieties of later generations, Yaoji suddenly thought of another derivative.
"Your Highness has ordered me to do as I please. It's not difficult to do so. I just need to increase the leaf spring's bearing capacity, but I don't know..."
At the end of Bo Jue's words, he remembered that he was asking the prince in return. It seemed not very polite, so he could only hesitate to speak.
"Specially deal with the Donglu cavalry! If the Donglu cavalry captures Ming people, they may be able to drive them through the minefield. This kind of mine is its natural enemy. It will not explode if a person steps on it. Once a heavier cavalry steps on it, it will Explode immediately!”
This is equivalent to the later anti-tank mines. The cavalry group at this time is equivalent to the later tanks. The Ming army cannot defeat them in the field, but it does not mean that there is nothing to do against these extremely vicious people.
"Your Highness knows things like a god, but I am not as good as you!"
After being pointed out by the prince, Bo Jue also felt that it was necessary to create this kind of landmine aimed at the Donglu cavalry, which would blow them up and cause them to die miserably.
"This thing is the work of Aiqing. I just made it out of my feelings. By the way, I plan to buy the mine developed by Aiqing and the subsequent improvements for a thousand taels, so that An Min Factory can To carry out mass production, Aiqing must not leak the structure of this object to others in the future."
This price shouldn't be too low to buy. Yaoji has also carefully looked at the internal structure of the mine. It's not too complicated. The craftsmen of Anmin Factory dismantled it and studied it, and figured out the secret. It is completely ready for mass production.
"Your Highness must not do this. I really dare not sell this thing to Your Highness!"
Bo Jue directly rejected the prince's kindness, which really flattered him.
"Oh? Why? Is it possible that Aiqing has already shown this thing to others? Or maybe you think the price offered by me is a bit low?"
The price is easy to negotiate, but I can't guarantee anything else. This matter can be discussed until you are satisfied.
"Your Highness has misunderstood. This thing is just for me to play with and has not been shown to others. Previously, His Highness treated me with as much kindness as a mountain. I have not accomplished even a single contribution and I don't know how to repay His grace. If His Highness does not give up, I will be bold enough to kill you." This is dedicated to Your Highness."
Bo Jue didn't have the money to give money to others, so after much deliberation, he took this opportunity to give the prince a mine...
"Haha, I see, then I will accept Bo Aiqing's heavy gift. But as I said before, I still have to invest one thousand taels of silver to buy it. This move is not for Aiqing alone, but to all the people who share the same interests in the world. Display, as long as the work is valuable, I can offer a price to buy it. Some people are poor and their family members are sick. If they can exchange the items for cash, it can be regarded as helping their families. "
Today I collected thin landmines for free, and tomorrow someone will say that the prince is taking advantage of others. Yaoji doesn't want to get such a reputation, and he has to take a long-term approach to catch big fish.
