Zhen Kun led the Marine Corps and rushed out of the Edo Concession. He had already seen Japanese troops blocking the road ahead.
This Japanese army chose the location to block the road very cleverly.
They should have been prepared for it. Looking at the complicated trench ahead, they could not dig it out in a short time.
Zhen Kun could not make a detour. If he detoured from this place, the army would be attacked by artillery from the Edo city wall.
He did not dare to evacuate. Behind him was the Edo Concession, which contained a large number of Chinese.
Zhen Kun led his army to bypass this army. They would definitely kill the Chinese in the Edo Concession and also affect the Fifth Army that was about to land at Edo Port.
He looked at the Japanese army equipped with matchlock guns. If the army used such backward weapons, they would be able to break through easily.
The Japanese army looks very young, many of them are 17 or 18 years old.
This army should also be neglected in training. But they lined up neatly, with a hint of a strong army.
Zhen Kun immediately ordered the soldiers to quickly build defenses.
Various artillery and Gatling guns moved forward in front of the position.
Noda Kojiro saw the Chinese army in front stopping to build fortifications.
He went to China for further study, specializing in the study of the Chinese army and knowing their tactics very well.
Noda Kojiro said with a smile: "I learned the trench tactics from China.
With the combination of trenches and firearms, we will definitely be able to block the Chinese army's attack.
This is called learning from China and developing skills to control China.
According to the news circulating in Chinese newspapers, they did not have a better response to trench tactics. "
Noda Kojiro was very happy. His purpose was not to defeat the Chinese army.
Instead, they were blocked outside Edo City. The longer it was delayed, the better it would be for the Japanese country.
Troops from various parts of the Tokugawa Shogunate would come to support Edo.
The general also had enough time to unite Zonglianheng and unite the daimyo from all over Japan to resist the invasion of China.
When Zhen Kun looked at the trench tactics of the Japanese army, he felt that he was not as good as a tiger but as a dog.
Trench tactics are a technology developed specifically for breech-loading guns.
The Japanese army used matchlock guns and trench tactics, which seemed very amateurish.
When Zhen Kun saw this situation, he felt very relaxed. The marines were new recruits and there was no need to worry about the Japanese army being too strong.
He saw that the army had already set up positions. The positions were not for defense, but to facilitate artillery to support their attack.
From its inception, the Marine Corps' mission has been to attack.
Zhen Kun is not good at defense, but better at offense.
He learned that the artillery was ready. The order was given immediately and the artillery opened fire immediately.
The artillery that the Marine Corps has is still the naval gun that Governor Feng supports a lot.
Artillery poured large amounts of ammunition into the Japanese camp.
The Marine Corps rushed towards the Japanese camp with the sound of artillery.
When Noda Kojiro saw the Chinese army rushing up, he immediately shouted: "Fire and counterattack, hold them back."
The Japanese army's matchlock guns counterattacked, and their range was far inferior to that of the Chinese army's rifles.
But they were on the defensive side and only needed to wait for the soldiers of the Chinese army to get within the range of the muskets.
The Japanese army was also equipped with a large number of squatting tiger cannons.
Their Crouching Tiger Cannon is larger than that used by China.
This kind of gun can be hidden in trenches and fire, firing a large number of cannonballs at the enemy.
Noda Kojiro saw the Chinese army entering the shooting range, and they fired a large number of shotguns to prevent the Chinese army from rushing up.
Noda Kojiro heard the whistling of artillery shells, and he immediately hid in the trench.
It was difficult for artillery shells to hit accurately in the trench where he was hiding.
After the explosion, he shook off the floating soil on his body and carefully poked his head out.
The shogunate's new army suffered heavy shelling and suffered about five percent casualties.
But these soldiers, trained in Shintoism and samurai spirit, still showed no signs of collapse.
Noda Kojiro saw many Chinese soldiers in front of the position being hit by shotguns, and a ferocious smile appeared on his face.
The cannon-casting technology of the Japanese army was simply not comparable to that of the Chinese.
They learned from each other's strengths and directly fired shotgun shells from the large squatting tiger cannon.
Even if it fires shotgun, it has a farther range than a musket and covers a large area.
This kind of artillery relies on shotguns to kill enemy troops and does not require high skills on the part of the artillery. This is suitable for the situation of the new army of the shogunate.
You cannot use your own shortcomings to attack the enemy's strengths.
The Japanese cannon-casting technology was too backward and they only used artillery to bombard them. They would definitely lose.
Zhen Kun watched as the Marines launched several attacks, resulting in nearly five hundred casualties.
The muskets on the opposite side were not a big threat. Most of the soldiers were hit by shotguns.
The Japanese army on the opposite side suffered more casualties, roughly 2,000 casualties.
The Japanese army suffered so many casualties and showed no signs of collapse. The quality of this army was far superior to other Japanese armies.
When they attacked Edo, if they had this army, they would not be able to capture Edo.
Most of the Marines were new recruits, and all experienced officers had been transferred. They had charged several times but failed to capture the opponent, and there were many casualties. They were hesitant to move forward.
Zhen Kun sighed, it would be difficult to take down this army with just their Marine Corps.
He just heard the messenger report that the flagship of the Second Fleet had arrived at the Edo port and waved flags to them to inform them of the situation on the battlefield.
The main force of the Second Fleet has already escorted the Fifth Army to land.
The Fifth Army has assembled a division of troops and is rushing to the battlefield.
Zhen Kun looked at the Japanese army in front, his eyes showing murderous intent.
This is on the seaside, and even Edo City is within the range of the battleship's main gun.
He immediately looked at Chief of Staff Zhao Xiuming and shouted: "Chief of Staff, notify the frontline troops to withdraw.
Send a semaphore to the flagship battleship Han Wudi and request Governor Feng to provide us with fire support. "
After Chief of Staff Zhao Xiuming received the order, he immediately began to implement it.
The sound of gongs rang out, and the attacking Marines heard the order to retreat.
They covered each other and withdrew from the battlefield in an orderly manner.
Zhao Xiuming also asked the semaphore troops to send semaphores to the flagship battleship Hanwu Emperor in the port.
After they communicated via semaphore, Governor Feng agreed to the Marine Corps' request.
They reported the coordinates of the Japanese army's location to the Hanwudi battleship.
Noda Kojiro burst out laughing when he saw the Chinese army retreating.
"The Chinese army is nothing more than that.
It’s hard to live up to its reputation.
Inform the General that I have led my troops to resist the attack of the Chinese army.
With your current casualties, we can stop you for at least half a month.
Please, General, send troops to support us in time. "
When Noda Kojiro was happy, a huge roar came from above the Japanese army camp.
He looked upwards and saw dozens of artillery shells, almost as tall as a man, heading towards the Japanese position.
What did Noda Kojiro think of? His face changed drastically, and he shouted anxiously: "This is a shell from the battleship's main gun. Get down quickly and everyone hides in the trench."
He reacted the fastest and immediately hid in the trench.
The cannonballs flew extremely fast and soon landed in the Japanese camp.
The shell hits the fuse, igniting the gunpowder inside the shell.
After a huge roar sounded, a crater several meters deep was left on the ground.
Shrapnel flew around, and when it touched the muskets and cannons, they were cut in half by the sharp shrapnel.
Many Japanese soldiers were blown to pieces by artillery shells, and their bodies were never found.
There are also some Japanese soldiers who are far away from the impact point of the bombs. They are hiding in trenches.
These people had no wounds on their bodies, but they bled to death from the shock waves caused by the shells.
Su Li rushed to the battlefield with the First Division. He saw that the fleet's main guns were still bombarding the Japanese camp.
He ordered the messenger to send a semaphore to the battleship Han Wudi, the flagship of the Second Fleet.
Request the fleet to stop the bombardment.
The bombardment soon stopped, and huge smoke rose from the Japanese camp.
Su Li asked Zhen Kun about what happened on the battlefield.
Fifth Corps generals knew how the Marines were doing.
They whispered: "This army is too useless. An army with low combat effectiveness like the Japanese army can block their attack even with such primitive matchlock guns.
If it were our Fifth Army, we would have reached Edo Castle by now. "
They waited for the smoke to clear and prepared to attack the Japanese camp.
…………………………
The noise caused by the naval fleet's main gun attack also caught the attention of the people in Edo Castle.
Inoue Kawasawa immediately knelt in front of Tokugawa Iemitsu.
“Sir General, I made a mistake in my judgment, please punish me, Your Majesty General.
The power of the main gun of the Chinese battleship has been greatly improved.
The threat from the battleship's main guns is too great.
Noda couldn't stop it, and neither could Edo Castle.
I request the general to evacuate Edo Castle as soon as possible.
We must not fight near the coastline. The Chinese army has battleships for artillery support, and we have no hope of victory at all.
Omi believes that inland mountainous areas like Nagano Prefecture are suitable for large armies to conduct defensive operations.
The food produced there can also allow us to maintain a certain amount of troops.
The most important thing is that we need to send a force to Kyoto City to take His Majesty the Emperor into our hands.
If His Majesty the Emperor falls into the hands of China or other daimyo, it will be very detrimental to us.
As long as we can withstand the first wave of attacks from China, we can use the appeal of His Majesty the Emperor to call on all daimyo to resist China.
If we do this, there is still a glimmer of hope. "
Tokugawa Iemitsu saw the power of the battleship's main gun, and he also recognized Inoue Kawazawa's analysis.
He immediately helped Inoue Kawazawa: "Inoue-kun, it's not your fault, it's because we underestimated China.
The general immediately notified the shogunate to withdraw from Edo Castle.
Mr. Inoue, I leave it to you to welcome the Emperor. We must not let the Emperor fall into the hands of the Chinese.
The Tokugawa shogunate's troops left in Kyoto City will be brought to Nagano Prefecture under your command by the general.
Inoue-kun rushes to Nagano Prefecture as soon as possible. This general will delay the actions of the Chinese army.
Through the Emperor, we called on all daimyo to join forces in resisting the Chinese army in Nagano Prefecture. "
After Tokugawa Iemitsu made up his mind, he immediately led the forces of the Tokugawa Shogunate to withdraw from Edo Castle, which they had operated for a long time.
He also sent Inoue Kawazawa to Kyoto City with military talismans.
While Inoue Kawazawa welcomed the emperor, he also took over the Tokugawa shogunate's troops in the castle.
Let him bring this important army of the Tokugawa Shogunate to Nagano Prefecture.
There was chaos in Edo City, and the powerful and their samurai escaped from the city to protect their families.
Ordinary people can only close their doors and pray for a safe passage through the day.
…………………………
Su Li watched the smoke from the battlefield dissipate in front of him.
He waved his hand and ordered: "Clean the battlefield and fill in the trenches as soon as possible.
We want to capture Edo Castle and capture Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu alive. "
Su Li understood the situation in the Japanese country, which was in a state of separatism by various forces.
The largest force is the Tokugawa Shogunate. If the shogunate Tokugawa Iemitsu is captured, half of the war will be over.
After receiving the military order, Captain Zhang Shan led his men towards the Japanese camp.
There were broken limbs everywhere here, but they were used to this scene.
Captain Zhang Shan reminded: "Everyone cheer up and pay attention to the Japanese soldiers who are not dead and the unexploded ordnance."
Noda Kojiro's right arm has been broken, tied with a white cloth and hung around his neck.
He held the command knife in his left hand and stood up slowly while leaning on the ground.
He saw that most of the camp had been destroyed, and many soldiers were lying in the trenches, unable to get up again.
Most of the surviving soldiers were injured, and the camp was full of craters.
Noda Kojiro saw the Chinese army rushing towards the camp.
He picked up the grenade made by the Japanese country and shouted loudly: "Onboard! We must not surrender. We must die worthy and prevent the Chinese army from rushing over."
There was an atmosphere of sadness in the camp.
Many Japanese soldiers were shouting loudly.
The new army of the shogunate were the most fanatics selected from the tens of millions of Japanese people. They were ready to sacrifice their lives for the Japanese country.
Zhang Shan led the army into the Japanese camp.
There was a lot of burning smell and barbecue smell coming from the camp, which covered up the smell of blood.
Zhang Shan looked at the team in front and just entered the camp.
The soldiers walked to several dying Japanese soldiers.
These Japanese soldiers immediately fired the grenades on their waists.
They will perish together with their enemies.
Captain Zhang Shan saw that the situation was abnormal and yelled: "No, get away quickly."
But it was too late, only a loud bang was heard.
The grenade exploded, the black powder grenade was very powerful, and more than ten people in the front were injured.
Zhang Shan immediately ordered: "Everyone replenishes the Japanese army's guns, we don't want any prisoners.
The entire army must be vigilant and not give the Japanese troops an opportunity to take advantage of them. "
After the Fifth Army suffered casualties, it immediately increased its vigilance.
The soldiers who discovered that the Japanese troops had lost their combat effectiveness no longer thought about capturing them and just shot them again.
The Fifth Army continued to advance, but they encountered stubborn resistance from the Japanese army.
Even if they are extremely seriously injured, these people will not leave the battlefield and continue to fight with their injuries.
The Fifth Army relied on firepower to suppress the Japanese army and suffered most casualties. The Japanese army was quickly broken through the defense lines.
Noda Kojiro found that they resisted desperately, but achieved little effect.
The Chinese army directly used grenades and mortars to blast a safe route.
Their living space is gradually compressed.
Noda Kojiro saw that the Chinese army was not far away from him, and there were corpses piled around him.
He immediately put the command knife on his stomach and used his left hand to cut open the stomach.
Noda Kojiro knelt on the ground and shouted: "Sir General, Noda can no longer serve you.
Noda betrayed the general's trust and failed to hold off the Chinese army for too long. "
After Noda Kojiro finished speaking, he fell in the trench and gradually lost his breath.
Su Li saw that the army had broken through the Japanese army's obstruction, and in front was Edo Castle.
He ordered the artillery to set up positions and try to capture Edo Castle.
The Fifth Army was unable to capture the city and then requested naval battleships for artillery support.
The artillery of the Fifth Army conducted a test attack on the city, and they found that the walls of Edo Castle were full of dumb artillery.
After their attack, the artillery on the walls of Edo Castle did not fight back.
Su Li immediately asked the army to launch a feint attack, but they did not encounter the enemy and easily captured Edo Castle.
All the troops in Edo Castle fled, and there was no one to defend the city.
The Fifth Army poured into the city to control the situation in Edo Castle.
Su Li learned that Tokugawa Iemitsu had abandoned the city and fled.
He immediately ordered to send cavalry to try to pursue him, at least to find out where Tokugawa Iemitsu was fleeing to.
(End of chapter)
