At the same time, the Ming and Qing armies fought at Shanhaiguan and Zhengding Prefecture.
On the battlefield east of Nanguantao Town.
There are already two thousand Ming army infantry, forming a dense skirmish line, surging in like a red wave.
Liu Zhixie stared solemnly at the Ming army in front.
Hit more with less and take the initiative.
The confidence of the Ming army is evident.
at this time.
Ran Tianyuan next to him said: "King of Heaven, the Ming army is coming, let's gather all the musketeers from all departments, and then send the cavalry on the left to attack them!"
The Taiping Army was not surprised by the Ming Army's formation.
Because they all know the range of the rifled guns equipped by the Ming army, and they also know that the Ming army does not queue up to shoot anymore.
In history, Ran Tianyuan was the most capable rebel in the White Lotus Uprising. Historically, Mingliang, Lebao, and Eldenbao all suffered heavy losses under his hands.
In today’s terms.
This Ran Tianyuan is a talented and famous general who was born in Yeluzi, but it is a pity that he was born at the wrong time.
"Their cuirassiers are placed on the left. The Ming army's right is relatively empty. We can attack on the left first."
Liu Zhixie held up his telescope and looked.
really.
There was no cavalry guard on the right side of the Ming army. There were only a few thousand infantry left, which looked very empty.
Maybe now there is a good chance of winning by attacking the right flank of the Ming army.
But now Emperor Zhu has the title of "Famous General in the World".
It can be called the contemporary Han Xin, which must win every battle and conquer every city.
Therefore, Liu Zhixie believed that things were not that simple. The Ming army must have deceived them by leaving the right side so empty.
He frowned and thought for a moment, then said: "Let's fight them on the left first, send a musketeer team, and then pull up thirty cannons. I think they only have a few cuirassiers and no cannons. It may be able to severely damage their cuirassiers."
The front of the battlefield.
Dayong, the major general of the Ming Army, Prince of Xiangshan, was commanding the 2,000 light infantry front troops of the Guards Regiment to advance in a skirmish formation.
This Xiangshan uncle had not commanded many wars alone, but his identity was not simple. He studied in French and Prussian military academies for five years in Europe. Before going to lead troops, he was the preparatory officer of the Ming Dynasty Army and Navy Officer Academy. , responsible for writing, compiling, and preparing for the establishment of the Army and Navy Officers Academy of the Ming Dynasty.
After Zhao Si was promoted to Minister of the Ministry of War.
Wang Dayong took over the position of commander of the Army's First Brigade, and before his butt was too hot, he was promoted to the commander-in-chief of the Guards Regiment.
He has held important positions along the way.
It can be seen how much Emperor Zhu trusted this unknown and low-key commander-in-chief of the Ming Army Guards.
If we can lead the Guards Regiment to a great victory in this battle.
He can be granted the title of Marquis for his meritorious service, and his military rank can be moved, becoming one of the few lieutenant generals in the Ming army.
The Taiping Army on the opposite side was also in a commotion.
More than 8,000 Taiping musketeers armed with flintlocks formed two neat lines and pressed forward, facing the frontline musketeers of the Guards Regiment.
The person responsible for commanding this wave of attacks was Luo Siju, a general who was slightly famous in history.
Luo Siju stared at the Ming army in front. If he remembered correctly, this was the first time the Taiping army had fought such a majestic battle with the Ming army.
The eight thousand musketeers around him were all veterans of the camp. They were all ruthless men who dared to withstand the artillery and muskets of the Qing army. They only fired when they were fifteen steps away from the enemy, and then directly launched a hand-to-hand charge.
Although the Ming army on the opposite side was Emperor Zhu's personal guard, this time they had no trenches, no barbed wire, and their numbers were extremely small.
How can he stop his eight thousand elites?
When I think of this.
The distance between the two sides has reached three hundred steps.
It's probably about 500 meters away in later generations.
A mile away.
The Ming army suddenly stopped advancing and leveled their guns.
Shooting from such a distance? !
Luo Si was stunned for a moment.
Then I saw more than two thousand muskets in front of me suddenly bursting out with fire and smoke. The next moment.
Puff puff!
The bullet passed through the flesh and blood, and the sound of blood spurting came one after another.
Screams rang out, and many Taiping Army musketeers in the front row suddenly tilted and fell to the ground.
The smell of blood and gunpowder smoke filled the air.
Luo Siju frowned.
He knew that the Ming army's muskets were accurate and could hit far.
But he never expected to hit it so accurately and so far.
Three hundred steps.
It was beyond the reach of the musketeers under the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
Thinking of this, Luo Siju immediately ordered the artillery to be pulled up and placed at the front, so that the artillery could be used to shoot against the Ming army's musketeers.
"Headquarters, the Taiping Army has brought up the artillery!"
Soon a staff officer pointed to the front of the battle formation and said.
Wang Dayong nodded and said: "In that case, let the front army stop advancing and the artillery battalion knock out those artillery pieces first!"
Following Wang Dayong's order.
The two artillery battalions equipped with the two infantry brigades of the Guards Regiment quickly dispatched 2-inch field howitzers.
This type of artillery has a small caliber and is an important frontline support firepower for the Ming Army's infantry brigade.
soon.
The artillery battalion pulled out the artillery, leveled it and aimed it, opened the gun door at the back, held the orange shell in the loader's hand, and stuffed the artillery in from behind the butt of the cannon.
The Guards Corps was the first regiment of the Ming Army to be equipped with various advanced weapons, including weapons such as breech-loading rifled cannons, and it was certainly the first to be equipped on a large scale by the Guards Corps.
The Ming army's artillery, which was lighter and faster to load, took the lead in attacking.
The cannonballs spinning out from the muzzle traced a straight trajectory.
Aim and shoot directly at this distance, and there are no obstacles to block it.
The high hit rate of the elite artillerymen of the Ming Army soon became unbearable for the artillery team of the Taiping Army.
boom!
boom!
As the artillery of the Taiping Army's artillery team was hit one after another.
The Taiping's forward artillery was almost knocked out before it could even fire.
Before they could retreat.
The Ming army's artillery began to target the Taiping Army musketeers on the front line.
Under the sound of explosions, gaps were blown out one after another in the Taiping Army's line.
at the same time,
The frontline musketeers of the Ming army also began to rush forward, and the dense muskets continued to rain down bullets.
The musketeers, composed of more than 8,000 veterans of the Taiping Army, were quickly beaten into disarray.
Luo Siju stared at the Ming army's infantry formation in a skirmish line ahead.
Suddenly he gave a loud order: "No need to form a formation! Press forward! Charge! Rush in and fight them hand-to-hand!"
Luo Siju's order stunned the Taiping Army officers who were struggling to control their soldiers.
Don't want to form a formation?
How to fight this?
But after only a slight hesitation, he immediately and faithfully fulfilled Luo Siju's order.
"Kill!"
The Taiping Army officers took the lead, carrying flintlock guns with bayonets on their shoulders and suddenly pressed forward.
"It's really fierce!"
Wang Dayong was amazed.
The musketeers of the Taiping Army's front army, who were already in chaos under the attack of artillery and rifled guns, were able to launch a charge brazenly under such circumstances.
"Two artillery battalions moved their artillery to the left wing and fired shrapnel shells to support the infantry! Two infantry battalions, the 1st and 2nd Guards Battalions, also pressed forward to support the front army. The Taiping Army must be blocked!!"
As the loud bugle sounded.
Two infantry battalions pressed forward, and the Ming army's strength on the front line increased from 2,000 to 4,000. They quickly formed two dense horizontal formations, preparing for volleys of gunfire and hand-to-hand combat.
at the same time.
The veterans of the Taiping Army did not care about their formation and just rushed forward with their heads covered.
The distance of three hundred steps soon became less than one hundred and fifty steps.
"Fix the bayonet!!"
The sinking officers of the Guards Corps issued orders to prepare for hand-to-hand combat.
The center must not be breached, otherwise the artillery positions behind them will be attacked.
"The opportunity has come!"
Liu Zhixie took a deep breath.
There is a distance of more than a hundred steps, as long as you can rush forward and fight hand-to-hand, entangle your opponent.
The balance of victory will tilt towards the Heavenly Kingdom, because they have more troops and are not afraid of physical combat.
"The Chinese musketeers and hand-to-hand soldiers pressed forward together, charging across the line, and the cavalry attacked the cuirassors on the enemy's left wing!"
Liu Zhixie almost gritted his teeth and ordered.
All in all!
A stud!
At this moment.
There was no room for hesitation anymore.
"Your Majesty, the Taiping Army is launching a general offensive!"
Next to Zhu Daohua, military advisor Tao Biquan's palms were sweating.
There were too many Taipings, and there were too many cavalry.
Can the cuirassier brigade withstand the cavalry charge on the left?
Zhu Daohua was calm. His reserve team had not yet taken action, and at the same time, his artillery brigade had not yet shown its power.
"Order, let the rocket launcher battalion bombard the enemy's cavalry, let the four-inch howitzer battalion bombard the enemy's infantry reinforcements, and use artillery fire to cut the opponent apart!"
Zhu Daohua immediately ordered the artillery brigade to dispatch to support the front line with heavy artillery and rockets! !
at the same time.
Li Sheng, colonel and commander of the Guards Corps of the Ming Dynasty, Cuirassier Brigade, had already drawn his command sword.
"Cuirassiers! Mount!!",
Wow.
Almost as soon as they mounted their horses, five thousand cuirassiers formed three dense rows.
The knights were almost knee to knee.
The shining breastplate and helmet shone in the sunlight.
Colonel Li Sheng rode past the front row of cavalry with his saber raised. His saber was raised horizontally, and the blade scratched the breastplates of every cuirassed knight in the front row, causing bursts of tooth-wrenching metal friction. the sound of.
"The officers and men of the Guards Cuirassier Brigade have been raising troops for thousands of days and using them for a short period of time. You are the heroes of our Ming Dynasty. You have the best horses, the best equipment, the most rigorous training, and all the preparations in the world. It’s all for today’s battle!”
"In this battle, the Cuirassier Brigade has only one goal, move forward! Move forward! Move forward! Crush the enemy in front of you!"
"Long live the emperor! Long live the Ming Dynasty!!"
As Li Sheng's saber was raised high, he waved it forward.
The cavalrymen in the first row suddenly leveled their carbines and moved forward.
The sharp spear points pointed forward, like a dense forest of spears.
"Long live the emperor! Long live the Ming Dynasty!"
The war horse under his crotch took a step forward, trotting at first, then gradually getting faster.
Then the second row and the third row
(End of chapter)
