The rebel army on the opposite side is not easy to mess with. The imperial court has ordered a campaign for many years but has not killed them all. However, the officers and soldiers are not idle people, and Bai Guangen, the commander-in-chief, is not a good person.
At first, he followed the "Huntian Monkey" to do evil, but later he was subdued by Hong Chengchou, and he suddenly became a general of the imperial court, and his troops naturally became officers and soldiers.
Moreover, Bai Guang'en was said to be the best among the former bandit leaders who were recruited by the imperial court. Due to his repeated military exploits, he was promoted to the rank of chief military officer, and his son Bai Liangbi was also a partial general.
The unit can be used as a central army. Firstly, Sun Dushuai believed that the unit has a large number of troops, unlike two or even three troops side by side, which is more convenient for him to command. He also took a fancy to Bai Guangen's relatively rich ability to suppress bandits. experience.
"Dad! Can our army really win?"
Bai Liangbi still had doubts about whether the official army could win, because the rebel army on the opposite side also had many soldiers and horses, almost as much as his own, and they were backed by the city. If the war was unfavorable, they could still fight based on the city. This confrontation It's really hard to fight.
"Don't worry, my son. My father has followed many high-ranking officials to conquer the country. How can we not see how high the odds of victory are? Now Niu Chenghu has an artillery regiment under his command, equipped with more than two hundred new artillery pieces. This is the ultimate way to defeat the enemy. Sharp weapon! Later, when the bandit army is defeated, my son will personally lead the cavalry to attack the defeated army. If we can capture and kill Luo Rucai in one fell swoop, it will be great. Capturing other leaders is also a great achievement, and all commanders will be rewarded. Remember, don’t You have to get close to the city, otherwise you will definitely be injured by the cannon fire from the city head!"
Bai Guangen told his son about the mortar, but the boy obviously didn't take his words to heart. However, it is understandable. People who have not seen the test firing at that time will never believe that this "broken iron barrel" can be used. Surprisingly powerful.
Other troops did not dare to estimate. Bai Guangen believed that if his troops were bombarded by more than 200 explosive shells during the battle, there would be chaos on the spot. Not to mention holding the position to face the enemy, it would be difficult for the troops to assemble again, and everything would become chaotic. Become a headless fly.
Since Sun Chuanting used his unit as the front line of the Chinese army, it was a chance for him to make meritorious service and receive rewards. He must not be careless and let such good things slip through his fingers. Bai Guangen then told his son what to do after the meeting.
"Daddy, please rest assured, my child will keep it in mind!"
After receiving the advice from his wily father, Bai Liangbi personally led two thousand horsemen to stand by behind the infantry phalanx. His troops were all used to rush into the formation. If the battle went smoothly, he would go up and chop melons. Cutting vegetables.
Bai Liangbi had read the reward order many times and even copied a copy. When the two armies saw that they had not yet fought, they took it out of their arms and looked at it again. The reason why his father was so interested in Luo Rucai was because he was thinking about the fifty thousand The ownership of two pieces of silver.
Among the many leaders of the bandits, Luo Rucai's head was second only to the "Eight Kings" in value. Their group of men could not reach Zhang Xianzhong, so the general officers did not say it, but they were thinking in their hearts that their troops could capture him. Kill "Cao Cao".
"Give three steps to the left and right! Artillery range measurement!"
At this time, a loud warning came from behind. A group of soldiers came from the rear, led by a commander. Two of the soldiers also held a wooden pole with a small mirror tied to it. I don't know. What is it used for?
Since no one dared to offend under the flag of the commander-in-chief, the officers at all levels could only cooperate. The soldiers followed the orders, which was regarded as cooperating with their seemingly strange behavior.
The men and horses of this team quickly cut out three six-step wide gaps in the general formation like a knife, and then used the poles in their hands to constantly compare them with the poles behind them.
Before carrying out the artillery bombardment, the distance must be measured first. However, if the gaps in the military formation are not in a straight line and the line of sight is obstructed, it will not be possible for the observer to measure the approximate distance between the enemy's front line and our own side.
From the rear formation to the front formation, there are hundreds of steps. If a problem is discovered, it may not be heard clearly even if you shout loudly. This can only be used to remind people.
Originally, semaphores could have been used, but each ministry and officer at all levels had their own flags. There were hundreds of flags for 10,000 people. Using semaphores to correct them would be confusing.
It was easy for the soldiers to move sideways, but it was very difficult for the horses to move their nests, so it took a full cup of tea before the correction was completed.
"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, the range measurement of our base unit has been completed. Our unit is currently about 400 steps away from the enemy, reaching the maximum range of the mortar. If only the mortar is to exert its rapid fire effect, we may have to move forward. One hundred steps!"
The artillery regiment led by regiment leader Meng He is Sun Chuanting's biggest reliance and the magic weapon for victory in this battle. Therefore, everything in this department can enjoy priority treatment, and it is no exception during the battle.
The enemy must first be within the range of this new type of musket, and the musket bombs can be blasted over to cause chaos in their position. Then the whole army can launch an assault. Otherwise, if they charge directly into the formation as before, the losses of the officers and soldiers will be huge. too big.
"One hundred steps? Hmm~! Pass the order, advance fifty steps!"
As the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Sun Chuanting also knew the performance of mortars. This was top secret, but senior generals had the right to know. If you want to win now, you must maximize the power of this firecracker.
In the face of a powerful enemy, Meng He naturally did not dare to make false reports. If the two armies were to charge and fight in close combat, his artillery regiment was the most vulnerable unit and he most hoped to kill the enemy from a distance.
Sun Chuanting was afraid that advancing a hundred steps would be too far. Once the formation became scattered, the rebels would have an opportunity to take advantage of him, just like the battle of Feishui, so he only ordered to advance fifty steps.
"Advance troops to the flag!"
"Advance troops to the flag!"
"Advance troops to the flag!"
There are also rules for marching troops during a battle. It does not mean that the soldiers are asked to count and move by themselves. Instead, the soldier carrying the flag is first asked to run fifty steps and place the flag at a predetermined position. The entire battle formation then moves toward the flag's position. Make a move.
Soon, under the loud orders of officers at all levels, the infantry square began to move sonorously and slowly towards the position where the flag was planted. Since there was a row of carriages at the front, the infantry knew that they were entering the opponent's gunfire. I'm not afraid of the range either.
Because the bandit army rarely equips Hongyi cannons, most of them are firearms such as Folangji, Great God Cannon, and Tiger Crouching Cannon, which have a relatively short range. Among these firearms, the Folanji has the longest range, but at the extreme distance, That's all the power is.
With the chariot as cover and so many brothers around, even the infantry at the front would not feel weak when looking at the tens of thousands of soldiers and horses on the opposite side.
Besides, the infantry responsible for rushing into battle in the official army were highly armored. Unless they were shot with arrows at a suitable distance like the Donglu cavalry, it would be difficult to kill them on a large scale.
The ten general military officers under Sun Chuanting's command totaled more than 46,000 troops. Excluding non-combat units such as baggage and baggage, the actual number of troops in the battle was only 37,800.
In real comparison, the officers and soldiers invested less troops in the attack than the enemy. Fortunately, the disadvantage was so slight that it could be ignored. Moreover, when the rebels were facing the water, the officers and soldiers had to launch a full-line attack.
Sun Chuanting also saw the opponent's intention. The reason why he gathered so many troops was to make a desperate move and fight to the death with the government troops. As long as he could win, the entire northwest and even Henan would be occupied by the rebels.
His own troops had installed mortars, and Sun Chuanting was not sure that he had a 100% chance of winning. After the firecrackers were blasted, the officers and soldiers could be invincible and cover up and kill them at will. However, he still had to be cautious at the moment and never give the rebels a chance. Take advantage of the opportunity.
The officers and troops moved forward, with the central army moving first and the two wings moving behind. In the central army, Bai Guangen's troops moved first and Niu Chenghu's troops moved behind. Bai Guangen's infantry phalanx was the first to move, followed by the cavalry troops.
After the entire army had moved, the time for a cup of tea had passed. Although the generals in charge were eager to fight, they also understood that their commander's priority was stability and they had to slowly approach the goal.
"Fifty steps forward!"
Sun Chuanting looked up at the weather. There were only a few misty white thread-like clouds above his head. Although the sun was not shining brightly, it was probably going to be very hot today. The soldiers around him began to sweat down their faces after walking this short distance.
Seeing that the enemy troops were still staying in place without any movement or launching an artillery bombardment, but fortunately they were waiting to see what happened, Sun Chuanting ordered them to advance to the same distance again, striving to advance to a distance where the artillery regiment could test fire at will.
The official army formation slowly moved towards the Han River again. When they reached the designated position, not far ahead was the rebel army formation, and dozens of large flags could be seen.
It was embroidered with the surnames of many thieves and generals. Some leaders felt that their surnames were not as loud and domineering as their nicknames, so they simply embroidered their own illustrious nicknames on it, so there were three-character general flags...
The artillery regiment commanded by Meng He was not equipped with a mortar truck, so even if they advanced within the range of the artillery, they had to dig holes in the selected artillery position, otherwise the recoil of this thing would be too great. .
Each squad first digs a hole and puts the operating cannon in it, and then digs a hole for the backup cannon. This saves them from having to pull it out of the hole and stuff it in again.
If rapid fire is required, it is difficult for the main and secondary guns to be cooled down quickly, so water must be used to cool the barrels. Each squad must carry at least four or five buckets of water to quench their thirst when not fighting.
The user manual also states that using water cooling can quickly cool down, but it will accelerate the brittleness of the gun barrel, which means it is easy to burst. Usually, as long as the battle is not too critical, air cooling must be used to cool down.
Since the mortar itself is an iron barrel and the barrel is a layer of iron, the cooling rate is relatively fast. With the main and secondary guns, it is no problem to fire each large iron barrel once a minute. If you continue to fire , you can do it every two or three minutes.
"What are these dog officers and soldiers doing? Is Sun Chuanting stupid in the prison? Can he win with this trick?"
Watching the officers and soldiers advance bit by bit, "Yilong" stared at them for a while, but couldn't understand.
"Haha, I'm probably just a fool. I'm just like a mother-in-law. I'm going to rush over and die in the end!"
Chang Guoan strongly agreed with his companions. The two leaders watched the show with "Cao Cao" in the Chinese army, but they didn't understand what Sun Chuanting wanted to do.
"... Sun Shacai is full of tricks, we must not underestimate the enemy!"
Luo Rucai, who had put down his telescope, couldn't guess the opponent's intentions, but it was right to be careful. In the past, many of the rebels' setbacks were due to negligence.
"Brother, do you need to send horse soldiers to break into the formation first?"
Facing the approaching officers and soldiers, Chang Guoan couldn't help but be a little worried. When it came to hand-to-hand combat, it was hard to say who would win. They dared to fight and fight hard, but Sun Chuanting's Qin army was not a vegetarian.
"hold on!"
Luo Rucai did not agree immediately. The original plan was to wait until the official infantry rushed up and then the rebel army sent horse soldiers to surround them from both sides and cut the official infantry into pieces.
As long as the infantry, which is the main force of the official army, is defeated and Sun Chuanting is defeated, the rebel army can put the victory of this battle into their arms.
Luo Rucai also saw from the telescope that the opponent was equipped with too many spears, and was worried that the cavalry would suffer too much if they broke through, so he did not approve Chang Guoan's proposal.
Bai Guangen's sword and shield soldiers were equipped with spears that were more than ten feet long. They held a shield in one hand and a gun in the other. They were capable of both offense and defense. There was a row of carriages in front of the infantry. The rebel cavalry could not gain much advantage if they forced the charge into the formation. .
This is easy to understand, because they were worried that the official army would send a large number of horsemen to rush into the formation when they could not attack for a long time. The rebel army also did the same.
The two sides have been fighting for many years, and the way to deal with the horse soldiers rushing into battle is basically the same...
Regardless of the cost, we can charge away, but if we lose thousands of cavalry just to attack Bai Guangen's troops, how can we fight this battle in the future?
Horse pawns are very important to both sides. They can be said to be the fists used to hit people.
There are many pawns, which means heavy punches, and if used properly, they can kill someone.
If there are few horsemen and pawns, even light punches can have the effect of harassing people even if they can't kill them.
Luo Rucai must consider everything, including every conceivable situation, and make arrangements after weighing the pros and cons.
"...How come you don't even have a Fo Lang machine? I don't see any squatting tiger cannons or anything like that. Could it be that the Sun thief doesn't even have a fire blunderbuss?"
Chang Guoan used a telescope to look at the front line of the army several times from east to west, and then from west to east, but did not find a single firearm.
"Oh~! It's really weird!"
After Chang Guoan said this, "Yilong" deliberately scanned it with a telescope, and sure enough he didn't find even a fire gun. Could it be that the imperial court was so poor that he couldn't even afford a fire gun?
"...If anything happens, the evildoer will act abnormally!"
Luo Rucai also saw this situation. He couldn't explain it. He just felt something was wrong in his heart, but he couldn't tell where it was. He could only continue to observe the movement on the other side.
In order to prevent the army of official infantry from rushing to kill, the rebels placed the Folangji, the Great God Gun, and the Crouching Tiger Cannon at the front line, which can be said to be clear at a glance.
However, due to neglected maintenance, the rebel army's Folangji could not even fire at 300 steps. It could only fire when the official army reached a distance of 250 or even 200 steps.
At the moment, the rebels are waiting for the group of dog officers and soldiers on the opposite side to rush over and die. Their tactic is to greet them with light and heavy firearms, and then use horse and pawns to cut across them.
In this way, most of the dog officers who rushed into the formation were dead, and those who were not dead had to flee in all directions. They could follow closely behind and cover up the killing, and a great victory would be within reach.
This also makes sense. The officers and soldiers themselves came from afar, and they did not have the advantage of physical strength. They were also wearing heavy armor and had to run three hundred steps to engage in battle.
It was such a scorching hot weather, and when we arrived in front of the rebel formation, we were all huffing and puffing, and sweating profusely. The soldiers of the rebel army are naturally able to wait for work at leisure, and can use various weapons to greet them.
For the rebels, they have more horsemen, so they can naturally choose to attack proactively, but that kind of combat method will cause greater casualties.
None of the leaders wanted to lose too much of their troops, so they appreciated Luo Rucai's defensive counterattack strategy, which was more economical and cost-effective.
Sun Chuanting would be killed anyway, so naturally he would save what he could. When the army was defeated and the horsemen went up to kill him, there would be no room left.
