boom!
boom!
boom!
The first battle between the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty in Henan began with the roar of artillery from both sides.
This side of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
Their artillery was cast iron cannon taken from various city walls.
Choose a suitable one and install it on the saddle and pull it out for field use.
Quite heavy.
However, the situation of the artillery team of the Qing Green Flag Army opposite them was not much better.
Although some wealthy people in Anhui and Shandong can buy Foshan brand flintlock guns - these Green Flag soldiers equipped with flintlock guns are now organized into the Chinese Army by Fukang'an as the trump card of the Green Flag.
But it was not easy for them to buy cannons from the south.
It would be nice to be able to buy some small one-inch three field guns.
In fact, mortars can also be purchased on the black market.
But it’s useless to buy it.
Because the three technologies of yellow gunpowder, conical steel shell cannon, and mechanical fuse are the top secrets of the Ming army.
It's something that the public can't get anyway.
No explosive powder is available,
The explosive power of black powder is also insufficient.
So now on the Chinese battlefield.
The Qing army discovered that if black powder was used, unless it was a large-caliber mortar, they would just fire solid bullets and shotshells, which would be more powerful.
Therefore, the artillery teams on both sides can be said to be on the same level as novices pecking each other.
After a while, the artillery teams on both sides were ready.
An artillery battle ensued.
The roar of artillery heralded the beginning of the decisive battle between the two sides.
The roar of every cannon sounded.
The deflagrating gunpowder pushed the metal bullets out.
Howling and flying in the battlefield.
Some flew from above the military formations on both sides, while others crashed into the dense formations of both sides.
Pieces of blood burst out.
Blossoms of blood mist rose.
There were bursts of screams.
The metal projectile penetrated the human body.
It kills every creature that stands in front of it equally.
Whether they are landowners or tenant farmers, whether they are officers or soldiers, whether they are wearing iron armor or not.
under the power of artillery.
All is equal.
At this moment.
The commander-in-chief of the Qing army, Fukang'an, calmly commanded and arranged the three-line movement of the Qing army on the left, middle and right.
The Chinese army consisted of line infantry equipped with flintlock muskets and more than 5,000 cavalry.
There is no shortage of horses in the north, so even local regiments can organize cavalry.
Historically, the "Nuanzi" on both sides of the Huaihe River were peasant armies who fought on war horses.
The line infantry equipped with flintlock muskets is also a "Ming-style army" trained strictly in accordance with the old version of the "Ming Army Drill Code".
On the left and right are Jiushi troops equipped with shotguns, spears, spears, swords, shields, and bows and arrows.
besides.
There are also three thousand Mongolian cavalry under the command of Eldenbao, preparing to use light cavalry tactics to harass the opponent.
The three armies are like a forest.
Move slowly.
I have to say that this group of Green Flag soldiers can fight much better than the old Green Battalion.
It has a high degree of organization, and there is an incentive to join the flag, and its morale is much higher than that of the Green Camp.
In addition, the Green Flag Soldiers are the armed forces of the landlords in Huainan, Huaibei, Shandong and other places.
What the landlord armed forces hate and hate the most are peasant armies like the Heavenly Kingdom Army.
It can be said that enemies are extremely jealous when they meet.
Infantry and cavalry on both sides were moving into the battlefield.
The main target of the artillery attack on both sides is not the other side's military formation.
But the opponent's artillery team!
Just knock out the enemy's artillery.
Then the initiative on the battlefield is in your hands.
The five thousand guards in Liu Zhixie's hands, led by Luo Siju, slowly pressed forward.
And he also had eight thousand Fubing cavalry on horseback.
This is an extremely powerful assault force.
However, Liu Zhixie was now reluctant to push these eight thousand cavalry up to charge the enemy's tight infantry formation.
However, once the opponent's infantry formation is scattered, the full force attack of the eight thousand armored soldiers will not be able to withstand the tens of thousands of scattered infantry.
As for whether it can disrupt the Qing army.
That still depends on the outcome of the artillery battle.
There was a loud bang.
A three-thousand-pound city defense artillery piece of the Heavenly Kingdom Army suddenly bounced off the scattered gun mount.
The rotating barrel smashed the heads of several Heavenly Kingdom Army gunners around. The blood and brains were mixed together. Some stuck to the barrel, and some splashed out, mixing the smell of gunpowder smoke in the air. Bloody.
The first to make meritorious deeds.
It's the artillery of the Qing army!
And the Qing army's artillery advantage has not stopped yet.
About two or three minutes later.
Another Celestial Army cannon was hit by a solid shell.
The gun body also flew horizontally, and the gun frame was scattered. Some gunners were smashed into a pulp, and some were hit by pieces of wood from the wooden gun frame that exploded. The wood fibers were inserted into the human body before they had time. The dead gunner fell to the ground, screaming accompanied by blood spurting.
On the artillery battle.
The Heavenly Kingdom Army is no match!
This is actually normal.
Because the artillery of the Heavenly Kingdom Army was city defense artillery captured in Sichuan and Guanzhong.
The guns are already quite old.
There are even some artillery inscriptions with the words "Wanli" and "Chongzhen" engraved on them.
It was cast in the pre-Ming Dynasty.
These are artillery pieces from more than a hundred years ago.
The Qing army's smoothbore cannon casting technology is still very mature.
Therefore, new cannons with basically similar specifications can be cast.
Coupled with these years of war, the Qing army has made some progress, especially in the technology of casting field artillery.
Therefore, the range and accuracy of the Qing army's artillery are higher than those of the Tianguo army.
Liu Zhixie had already seen the problem, and he decisively ordered: "Let Luo Siju build a hunting camp to harass the Tatar artillery array!"
Ming-style infantry who have fully studied the "Ming Army Drill Code".
Of course, there must be a unit such as hunters.
Although the rifles of the Ming army's hunters cannot be obtained, they cannot obtain light mortars and grenades.
But hunters equipped with muskets can also be used.
Except for the inferior range.
In fact, accuracy can still be guaranteed.
After Luo Siju received the order, he quickly dispatched a battalion of hunters.
In a skirmish formation, they launched a charge towards the artillery position of the Green Flag Soldiers.
Such a brave move shocked Fukang'an, who was in the Chinese army holding binoculars to pay attention to the front line and the battle situation.
When the artillery fire was busy in front, he still couldn't see anything special about the Heavenly Kingdom Army.
But now that this battalion of hunters takes action, Fukang'an realizes it.
The opponent he faced today was not an ordinary bandit who coerced the people and fought with the tactics of a sea of people.
But the regular army has established a firm foothold in Guanzhong!
"Gunshot! Change to shotgun!"
The Green Flag officer commanding the artillery team shouted loudly.
Both sides are learning from the Ming army.
But I have learned two swords.
It is stipulated in the artillery drill of the Ming army to use shotgun shells to bombard the infantry who are trying to get closer.
But this is the way to deal with line infantry.
rather than skirmishers.
Therefore, when the Japanese army approached in the form of skirmishers.
There was so much space between the soldiers.
How many people can a shotgun kill?
"Boom! Boom!!"
With a burst of gunfire.
More than a dozen people fell down in the charging Heavenly Kingdom Army in front.
But the remaining people still rushed forward with their heads covered.
"Quick! Reload quickly!"
The officers of the Green Flag Soldiers also panicked when faced with this situation.
The gunner who was loading was even more anxious.
The range of this shotgun is not far.
At least not much further than a musket.
The other party rushed over quickly with his head covered.
Soon they were within musket range.
Haven't had time to clean the barrel yet.
The hunters of the Heavenly Kingdom Army had already started designing in a kneeling position.
Snap, snap, snap.
A salvo of more than a hundred muskets.
Hundreds of large and small lead bullets flew across the field, and the dense rain of bullets caused the artillerymen of the Green Banners to pay a heavy price.
Fukangan took a breath of cold air.
There's nothing wrong with shooting accurately.
There are also many sharpshooters in Green Flag and Eight Flags.
But do these sharpshooters dare to charge with cannons?
"troops! Troops go up and drive away the bandit's hunters!"
At the same time, three thousand-man troops were sent up.
A thousand-man Green Flag infantry pressed forward, but as soon as they appeared, they became the target of a volley of artillery fire from the Heavenly Kingdom Army behind them.
Under artillery bombardment.
In an instant, hundreds of people were killed.
The rest suddenly collapsed and retreated backwards.
The two thousand-man teams behind them as reserve teams also panicked, and their steps and formations became chaotic.
"Those who retreat will be killed without mercy!"
Fukang'an sent a group of soldiers, who lined up behind the artillery array, holding muskets with bayonets in their hands. If they saw any Green Flag soldiers retreating, they would stab them to death with bayonets.
The artillery of the Heavenly Kingdom Army quickly stopped firing after defeating this group of green flag infantry.
So many rounds.
The artillery was extremely hot and had to wait for it to cool down.
In addition, the gunners on both sides suffered heavy casualties.
So the artillery teams on both sides stopped.
What remains is a duel between the infantry and cavalry of both sides.
The marching drums beat louder and louder.
The commanders of both sides were also observing their opponents.
Under intense orders.
The military formations of both sides showed a very high level of discipline.
Thousands of people are like one person.
After several years of war.
All parties have found ways to deploy elite troops.
Discipline, the pursuit of firepower density.
This is what everyone learned on the Eastern battlefield in this era after the confrontation between the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the peasant uprising.
Although in terms of military philosophy, the Eastern battlefield at this time was not significantly more advanced than the European battlefield.
But at this time, both the Qing army and the Taiping army had kept up with the trend of the times.
Even in the use of certain tactics, it is already more advanced than the European armies of the same era.
These two armies.
On the European battlefield, it is also a first-class strong soldier worthy of a fight.
Point to point!
Snap, snap, snap.
The first to confront each other.
They are the hunters of both sides.
They are all "good students" of the Ming Army.
The chasseurs were in front, the line infantry was behind, and the cavalry was on the flanks.
It can be said.
If there were enough flintlock muskets.
The two sides will definitely use the tactics of hunting soldiers shooting at each other and lining up to kill.
And the Eight Banners New Army in Beijing.
They were even equipped with bombardment guns that could move with the line infantry.
Although the fully advanced Qing army was no match for the Ming army on the frontal battlefield.
But against the Tsar's gray beast.
It is definitely possible to achieve a big victory.
(End of chapter)
