When the big flag symbolizing the Son of Heaven appeared on the front line, the morale of the Ming soldiers on the front line seemed to explode.
Two artillery brigades, seventy-two four-inch long-barreled howitzers, and twenty-four twelve-unit rocket launchers roared out at almost the same time.
Artillery shells and rockets roared towards the Qing army's position in front.
In the blink of an eye.
In the middle of the Qing army's forward position, fire was blazing, and the explosion raised a column of smoke.
at the same time.
The person responsible for commanding the first wave of attacks was Zhou Jitang, commander of the 3rd Infantry Brigade of the Guards Regiment.
This is also an old brother who participated in the Battle of Batam and the Battle of Lanfang.
He was now behind a parapet, and when he heard the sound of cannons, the telescope in his hand trembled.
The soldiers and officers behind the parapet also poked their heads out from behind the parapet to look forward to the effects of the bombardment.
The middle of the Qing army's front was the area where artillery fire was mainly concentrated.
The grenades fired by the seventy-two large-caliber howitzers landed in this area.
The violent explosions made all the Eight Banners soldiers lie down in the trenches and did not dare to raise their heads. Occasionally, artillery shells falling in the trenches could take away the lives of several Eight Banners soldiers in an instant.
For the Qing army.
How to avoid bombardment is a life-saving skill.
Therefore, the Qing army also developed the ability of "soil work".
Digging trenches, avoiding bomb craters, etc. When it comes to saving lives, even the most authentic Eight Banners soldiers would not dare to be half-hearted.
But the Ming army fired more than just artillery shells.
The roar of rockets was heard.
This time, what landed on the Qing army's position was a smoke bomb with billowing smoke.
moment.
Nothing could be seen at the front of the entire battlefield.
At this time, the British Ocean Advisory Group, which had arrived closer to the front line, looked through their telescopes.
"Explosive bombs, smoke bombs, and then the soldiers should attack!"
George Staunton thought.
He took it very seriously. After all, the British people also have to learn.
If you don't learn, you will fall behind.
At this time, when Zhou Jitang saw that the Qing army's position was shrouded in thick smoke, he suddenly waved his hand: "Grenadiers! Enter!"
Following his order.
The sharp suona sound came to mind.
After the piercing trumpet sounded.
Five hundred Ming army grenadiers climbed out from behind the parapet.
These grenadiers were armed entirely with rifled guns and grenades.
In fact, the only name left for the grenadiers is the grenadier - the exact name should be the infantry brigade assault trooper.
Because the original Ming Army grenadiers were able to throw grenades as far as possible, they all selected tall and strong men.
And after the grenadier threw the grenade.
Usually a hand-to-hand assault is launched immediately.
This leads to the fact that grenadier battalions and companies are usually composed of elite soldiers within a brigade.
However, with the advancement of the Ming Army's explosive technology, smaller wooden-handled cable grenades have replaced the original large grenades, and their power is actually no smaller, so now the grenadier battalion only retains the original designation, but The actual role has changed - used as the sharp knife of a brigade.
Now these elite Ming army soldiers did not form a dense horizontal line.
But after getting out of the way.
Holding the gun, he crouched and walked forward quickly. After advancing for a certain distance, he lay down on the ground under the orders of the officers.
The bombardment hasn't ended yet, so of course they won't rush forward now.
But under the cover of artillery.
They also shortened the distance between themselves and the enemy as much as possible so that they could launch an assault as soon as possible.
And right now.
The Qing army's artillery also fired.
The Qing court was unable to produce "high-tech equipment" such as long-barreled howitzers,
So what is showing its power now is a large-caliber mortar.
Used to project large black powder explosive shells.
The range of this mortar is so-so.
The power is also quite impressive - after all, the charge is here.
But I really can't praise the accuracy.
The artillery battle between the two sides lasted for more than half an hour.
Zhou Jitang looked at his pocket watch and counted the time.
When the number on the pocket watch jumps to "12".
He immediately issued the order: "First formation! Go out! Form the team!!"
As the trumpet sounded.
All the infantrymen of the three battalions of the 3rd Infantry Brigade jumped over the parapet.
"The Great Tomorrow Soldier! I am invincible!"
Accompanied by waves of slogans.
Three battalions of infantry were arranged into six columns for easy marching.
Accompanied by the rhythmic drumbeats, they quickly rushed towards the Qing army's position that had just suffered heavy shelling.
Not a horizontal formation, but a column.
The marching troops completed a journey of more than three miles in one go. Almost as soon as the smoke from the Qing army's position dispersed, the six columns of the Ming army were almost in sight.
But before it was bombarded by artillery shells.
The obstacles in front of the Qing army's position have been almost destroyed.
But it was unexpected.
The Eight Banners soldiers huddled in the fortifications that were messed up by artillery fire were not all dead yet.
Not only are they not dead.
They could actually launch a counterattack relying on some of the remaining ruins of the parapet!
The muskets were set up one after another and aimed flatly at the Ming soldiers in front who were charging forward rapidly in columns.
However, they had suffered heavy losses from artillery before, so their energy was not intensive.
And he didn't dare to put the Ming army in before fighting. He opened fire just a few dozen steps away.
When intensive gunfire rang out.
George Staunton and several British military advisers were a little numb.
"I have to admit that these soldiers of the Qing Empire were very brave. They survived such a fierce bombardment and launched a counterattack!"
A British Army Colonel sighed.
They looked at each other.
They all felt that the world they saw on the Eastern battlefield was really big.
The Qing Empire's army could not defeat the Ming army in the east.
But if they were placed in Europe.
That was truly a first-rate force - these Eight Banners soldiers not only learned the tactics of avoiding explosive bombs very skillfully, but they were also able to carry out certain counterattacks without having a superior firepower.
If the Western army faced such bombardment, I am afraid that the line infantry who were rushed to the battlefield after only training for a few weeks would have dispersed in a hurry.
Western armies in this era lagged behind because Easterners were the first to enter the "explosion bomb" era.
And in the constant pull and confrontation between the Ming and Qing armies.
New tactics and new weapons emerge one after another.
The Eastern army is really powerful!
And just when the foreign advisers of the Qing army were sighing.
George Staunton's telescope swept across the front battlefield, only to see that the Ming army's column did not fight back.
And because it was a column, there were not many people hit from the front.
The Qing army fired row after row.
Only two or three soldiers in the eight columns were shot.
George Staunton was thoughtful.
"In the era of explosive bombs, horizontal team tactics may be outdated." George Staunton thought.
The era of queuing with extremely wide fronts and slowly approaching each other to hit the queuing wall may be over.
Because no horizontal line could withstand such a dense artillery attack while advancing at such a slow speed.
Under such intensive artillery fire.
The first principle of infantry engagement in double counterattacks is to avoid being bombarded by enemy artillery for a long time without the protection of fortifications.
On a low mountain ridge on higher ground east of Georges, he could see the self-grenadiers of the Ming army lying in front of the Qing army's position.
He couldn't help but think deeply.
It seems that this is the Ming army's method of counterattack.
Those Ming soldiers lying on the ground, covered in mud, didn't care at all about the dignity of warriors or the honor of soldiers.
They lay on the ground, waiting for the order to take action.
The signal was the sound of the Qing army's volley of guns.
After the first volley of shots was fired.
The frontier of the battlefield.
The five hundred Ming army grenadiers who had approached the Qing army's position under the cover of artillery fire and smoke bombs suddenly got up from the ground.
Then his right arm became round and he lunged forward with all his strength. His body suddenly fell to the ground again, and the grenade in his hand had already flown forward.
The first wave of grenades formed a dense "rain of grenades" in the air.
And the first wave of grenades hadn't even hit the ground.
The second wave has already been cast.
Then came the third wave, the fourth wave, the fifth wave
The Eight Banners soldiers of the Qing army who were guarding the bombed fortifications and trenches certainly knew what was falling from the sky.
That's not a stone.
But a grenade that kills people!
When did the Ming army's grenadiers arrive under their noses?
Too little martial ethics.
Too unreasonable.
So insidious and cunning!
"It's a grenade! Run!"
I don’t know who shouted first.
But the Eight Banners men are not fools.
Of course they knew what they would suffer under such intensive grenade attacks.
This is the situation now.
He was standing there just waiting to be bombarded by a rain of grenades.
Guarding this section were three Eight Banners ginseng leaders, a total of 6,000 people.
After being bombarded for almost an hour.
Many were killed, many escaped, and many were injured.
Finally, there were some clever ones who pretended to be stunned in the trench.
So now there are less than 3,000 people left who can move.
The Ming army on the opposite side came directly with a brigade of five thousand people.
Such a disparity in power.
He actually didn't line up to be shot.
Grenadiers must also be sent for a sneak attack.
It's so shameless.
How can we fight this?
Can't fight.
Can't fight!
As a result, the Eight Banners soldiers of the Qing army finally collapsed during this period - they were able to resist collapse until now. This is almost more powerful than the Eight Banners soldiers of any period after the Qing army entered the pass.
The Eight Banners has indeed cheered up!
(End of chapter)
