Because the troops of the first assault wave of the Ming Army formed a longitudinal formation that was convenient for marching, they advanced very quickly. The journey of more than three miles and less than four miles was completed almost in the blink of an eye. The smoke from the Qing army's position had just dispersed, and the eight columns of the Ming army were already approaching.
Moreover, the previous rocket bombardment has destroyed a considerable part of the obstacles in front of the Qing army's positions... There were not many of these obstacles in the first place. After the four-quarters of an hour of fierce bombardment, most of them were already swaying. It could not stop the Ming army's advance.
However, contrary to the expectations of these high-morale Ming infantry, the Qing troops huddled behind the earthen wall that had been blasted with holes everywhere, and looked like it was about to collapse in some places, were not all dead yet!
Not only is there no death ray, but it can also rely on the remaining earth walls to fight back. The muskets were set up and started firing. However, they should have suffered heavy losses from the previous four quarters of an hour's shelling, and maybe a group of them escaped, so their firepower was not too intensive. In addition, they did not move the Ming army closer and then attack, but in a few seconds Fire started from ten paces away.
But the Ming army did not fight back, but continued to advance with their heads covered. Although the soldiers walking in the front row kept falling, someone was immediately taking their place.
The eight vertical formations are still advancing at a fast speed!
However, Zhu Heji did not want his men to imitate the lobster soldiers and fire musket fire at close range... It was not necessary, and it was not feasible. Because now is the "age of sugar"!
Even if the Qing army is just a "low sugar" opponent, they can still throw some sugar grenades!
The method used by the Ming army to deal with these Qing troops who relied on low walls to fire and shoot was of course "sugar". The grenadiers who were "crawling" forward had now climbed to less than fifteen steps away from the Qing army's position. distance. .
For a well-trained grenadier, it is not difficult to throw a grenade behind the Qing army's low wall at this distance!
Just after a volley of gunfire from the Qing army, a cry suddenly rang out on the battlefield: "Grenadiers... throw away your mother!"
Then I saw two to three hundred people suddenly crawling up from the muddy ground in front of the Qing army's formation. They didn't stand up, but kneeled down in a bomb-dropping position, and then a wave of zip grenades were thrown out. Then came the second wave, the third wave, the fourth wave... This is incredible, it's raining grenades!
Surely the Qing troops guarding behind that shabby low wall knew what was falling from the sky?
That's not someone throwing stones, but thunders threatening lives... and so many more!
The grenadiers of the Ming army actually sneaked up under their noses. This was already the highest level of martial ethics.
How to deal with this kind of enemy who has no martial ethics?
"Thunder...Run!"
I don't know who took the lead in shouting so loudly, but the Qing army who was stunned by the thunder reacted immediately.
Run!
Guarding this section were five infantrymen led by the Qing army. Each commander had a full strength of 1,000 people, but 200 cavalry among them had been transferred by Kangxi. Therefore, these five staff leaders only had 4,000 people before they were bombed. After being bombarded for half an hour, some of them died, some escaped, some were injured... and some were pretended to be stunned, and finally they were able to stand up and fight back with flintlocks and matchlocks. There were only more than 2,000 people left, while the eight Ming army columns rushing over had at least 6,000 to 7,000 people!
There is such a disparity in strength. Instead of just "lining up and shooting", they actually send grenadiers to sneak up and throw grenades... What else is there to fight?
After shouting, the Qing army finally collapsed. Those who were still standing turned around and ran away. They pretended to be faint and quickly got up and ran. The injured ones rolled and crawled away.
But before they could take a few steps, the grenade exploded. Fire, shrapnel, and shock waves rolled through the Qing army's position, blowing up a large area of the fleeing Qing army. The remaining Qing soldiers, who were more likely to die, were He completely collapsed and ran to the back of the formation crying.
The eight Ming troops almost won the battle without a fight. They cheered and rushed towards the position abandoned by the Qing army.
Just as the first formation of the Ming Army successfully achieved a breakthrough, the officers and soldiers of the second formation also shouted loudly and crossed the "trench line" of the first line of the Ming Army - they were formed by the Ming Army. The second row consisted of eight of the eleven battalions. When the eight battalions of the Ming army's first line began to form the team, they were already moving forward!
According to the plan of the Xingshen Army Department, the first assault wave of the Ming army was used to tear open the Qing army's defense line, while the second assault wave was to rush in through the gap made by the first assault wave, using the flintlocks and rifles in their hands. The grenade repelled the Qing army's counterattack and sealed the victory in one fell swoop!
However, the Qing army's first-line defense was more fragile than imagined, so the Ming army's first assault wave achieved a breakthrough almost unscathed.
In this case, Liu Yan, General Liu Da, who personally commanded eight battalions to break through the front line of the Qing army, would certainly not let his young men with high morale rest... and they could not let them go. Those Qing soldiers who are escaping! They look easy to destroy!
So Liu Yan couldn't wait for the eight battalions commanded by Ling Zongjun to come up, so he led his eight battalions in pursuit! And while advancing, he also gave orders to the grenadiers who had sneak-attacked the Qing army and the other four infantry battalions that did not join the attack... Let them cooperate with the artillery to seize the Qing army's first-line position.
The bayonet rolled forward, crossing the Qing army's earthen wall, and followed the fleeing Qing army all the way forward.
I don't know how far I rushed, but suddenly the sound of hoofbeats sounded on the battlefield, and the ground trembled slightly.
Liu Yan immediately knew something was wrong... This was a counterattack by the Qing army's cavalry!
But he didn't panic, because the cavalry were still a little far away, so he still had time to adjust his deployment. So he immediately gave an order to the trumpeter beside him: "Blow the suona...the big hollow square array!"
The so-called large hollow square formation is four battalions put together into a large formation, with one battalion responsible for one side. Because the Ming army was originally based on battalions as combat units, this type of phalanx had the strongest defensive capabilities. Even if more than ten thousand Qing cavalry launched successive attacks, Liu Yan was confident that he could hold on.
As long as he can hold on and wait until the follow-up troops come up, Liu Yan will be the number one hero in today's battle!
With the sound of a suona, the eight Ming Army infantry battalions on the battlefield immediately stopped advancing. Then the four battalions formed a group and quickly formed two large square formations on the battlefield.
Seeing that the formations had been set up, Liu Yan, who was surrounded by one of the formations, finally breathed a sigh of relief and began to raise his telescope to observe the movements of the Qing army.
But to his surprise, the Qing army's cavalry did not rush forward to die as expected. Instead, it stopped two miles away. A large area of black water, perhaps as many as 10,000 riders, could not move like a mountain.
The Qing army's cavalry did not move, and Liu Yan did not dare to let his eight battalions move. Because it is difficult for the troops to move after forming a hollow square formation... At least the Ming army infantry cannot move in a hollow square formation yet.
As for disbanding the phalanx, tens of thousands of Qing cavalry rushing over is no joke.
Just when Liu Yan was unable to advance or retreat, drums suddenly sounded loudly in the Qing army's formation. The eight infantry commanders on both wings of the Qing army's second line, as well as the twelve army commanders on the third line of the Qing army, marched towards Liu Yan. The eight battalions under his command came up.
At the same time, more than 10,000 cavalrymen of the Qing army also launched again!
However, they did not rush towards the two large phalanxes of the Ming army, but bypassed them from a distance, and then rushed towards the breach in the front line of the Qing army. Although they failed to recapture the gap, they still blocked the Ming army's second wave of advance.
Eight battalions of the Ming army led by Liu Yan were actually surrounded by the Qing army!
The situation on the battlefield took a turn for the worse! Emperor Kangxi's fighting skills seem to have improved a lot!
