In the south of Jinzhou, on Shimen Mountain, while the fierce offensive and defensive battles between the Ming and Qing Dynasties were in full swing, a more fierce battle was also going on around the Huangtu Ridge on the west bank of the Xiaoling River in the southeast.
The reason why the battle here is more brutal is because many new tactics were used for the first time in the battle.
Moreover, in the offensive and defensive battle of Huangtu Ridge, the artillery usage rate was the best and the effect was the best. With the new tactics, its advancement speed was completely faster than that of Shimen Mountain.
It can be said that the Battle of Huangtuling was a brave and risky attempt by Zhang Cheng. Fortunately, he succeeded!
Unlike the soldiers and horses of the Ming army in other towns, each battalion has its own commander. During wartime, they are divided into different places according to military orders, or they are responsible for attacking various fortresses and cities, and there is a lack of coordination between them.
Moreover, although the Ming Dynasty at this time had some tactics of infantry and artillery, chariot and cavalry coordination, and even infantry, cavalry and artillery coordination, the coordination was not effective because each battalion was divided.
However, the Xuanfu soldiers and horses under Zhang Cheng did not have these shortcomings!
The first is the Xuanbei Army. When it was first formed, Zhang Cheng was firmly in control. Each battalion had him as the supreme commander, and the general was only responsible for the execution of specific tasks.
As for the receipt and disbursement of the required money and food, and the replenishment of battle-damaged troops in each battalion, these key aspects of controlling the army will be completed by another group of officials.
In this way, the disadvantages of being a general are avoided, and the commanders of each battalion must completely obey Zhang Cheng. Otherwise, once Zhang Cheng cuts off the supply of money and food and the replenishment of soldiers, the battalion will not be far away from disappearing.
Furthermore, during the creation of the Xuanbei Army, Zhang Cheng made several adjustments to the Qianzongs assigned to each battalion in order to make the commanders of each battalion accustomed to such operations. This also prepared the way for future large-scale mobilization and deployment when there were many troops under his command. The main foreshadowing is the replacement of the generals.
Moreover, Zhang Cheng had no idea of simply forming an infantry or cavalry army. Even in the early days of the formation of the Xuanbei Army, due to the lack of resources and prestige he controlled, he could only form two infantry battalions.
Zhang Cheng has not given up on his long-term plan. He has always kept the most elite night guard cavalry around him, and has established a craftsman camp in Yunzhou early to research and manufacture artillery, tanks, etc.
Looking at the dozens of military commanders and commanders in the entire Ming Empire, I am afraid that only the Xuanfu Town troops and horses commanded by Zhang Cheng have the most complete military types, can unified command and dispatch, and can effectively coordinate with each other. .
As early as in the several battles before aiding the Liao Dynasty, the soldiers and horses of Zhang Cheng's battalions had practiced coordination of infantry, cavalry, and bicycles many times. Even at the gate of Kaifeng City, the three armies of infantry, cavalry, and vehicles coordinated. , killing the intruders and defeating them.
It can be said that the Ming officers and soldiers in Xuanfu Town commanded by Zhang Cheng are already the strongest border town troops since the Ming Dynasty, except for the Qi Jiajun of Qi Jiguang and Qi Shaobao.
And this time the attack on Huangtu Ridge created a new strategy of coordination between the infantry, cavalry and artillery armies!
Because of the attack on Huangtu Ridge, it was inconvenient for chariots to climb mountains and fight, so Zhang Cheng sent an order to dismantle all the small Folang machines, tiger squat guns, mortars, etc. in each battalion, and distribute them with the gunners to the infantry battalions for use.
In the previous round of battles, this was the arrangement. Under the cover of the infantry camp fire cannons, the gunners carried small cannons to the Qing army's position and bombarded them with three or five guns in turn.
This method of attack did surprise the Qing troops guarding the mountain, but the effect was not obvious. After all, the Qing troops were hiding behind piled stone and earth walls.
Even if the cannons such as the squatting cannon and the mortar can be hung with a wire like a long-distance projectile and thrown into the wall, the power of sporadic cannons is limited.
However, Zhang Cheng's purpose at that time was just to test the maneuverability of this small artillery in field battles, as well as the effect of infantry and artillery coordination. After so many days of rounds of battle, each infantry battalion had become accustomed to shelling, and then used The tactics of firing volleys of fire cannons.
But now in the mountain attack battle, they have changed their style of fighting.
According to Zhang Cheng's arrangement, his Xuanda troops here will be divided into two parts.
One is Wang Pu's Datong soldiers and horses, who are responsible for inserting from the northeast side of Huangtu Ridge to cut off the communication between the defenders of Huangtu Ridge and the Qing army in Shimenshan; the second is the soldiers and horses of Xuanfu Town, who will be responsible for the main attack on Loess. ridge.
Among the Xuanfu soldiers and horses, Guo Yingxian's Zhenbiao Battalion was made up of cavalry and had been incorporated into the mobile force according to Zhang Cheng's proposal. Together with the elite cavalry from Datong Town, they formed a battalion, commanded by Guo Yingxian, and were on standby in Pingchuan on the west side of Songshan Mountain. .
Therefore, the only troops participating in the attack on Huangtuling were the original Xuanbei soldiers and horses, plus He Zhenxiong's troops from Zhenbiao's left-wing battalion, which was less than 2,000 soldiers and horses.
The specific allocation of soldiers and horses of the Xuanfu was that Li Jiyu of Dengfeng Camp was the main attacking force, and he was also assigned a battalion of carriages and a battalion of tank artillery and gunners to assist in attacking the mountain.
When Zhang Cheng attacked the mountain this time, he changed from the piecemeal tactics of previous round battles, and instead used small artillery to concentrate fire and carry out coverage bombing.
They not only concentrated the original dozens of various artillery pieces in the Dengfeng camp, but also added the artillery from the two car camps, and launched a salvo at the Qing army's mountain defense position, striving to fully cover the Qing army's position with their own artillery fire.
Even if they were all solid iron bullets, the momentum would be enough to collapse the Qing army guarding the mountain.
Moreover, according to Zhang Cheng's instructions, at first it was fired by a small Buddha machine, a tiger crouching cannon, and a mortar cannon. Later, a rocket box would be added, and later, a flying cannon would be used to fire explosive shells.
Such a tactic with increasing power will make the defenders feel more and more collapsed, with no hope at all.
The soldiers and horses of the Chicheng Battalion of Zhang Guodong of the Xuanfu Army circled from the southern foot of Huangtu Ridge to behind it, preparing to cross the Xiaoling River in time. Of course, they also had another task, which was to seal the retreat of the Qing soldiers guarding the mountain.
Zhang Cheng's two infantry units of the Chinese army, the chariots on the left side of the chariot, and the cavalry from the Huwei camp are all kept as reserves of the Chinese army. They can be used as the second echelon to attack Huangtuling, and can also provide timely support to other places. .
The right battalion of the chariot was sent to assist him in blocking the connection between Huangtu Ridge and Shimen Mountain at the request of Wang Pu, the commander-in-chief of Datong.
There are also some tanks in Datong Town, but like other towns, they are reluctant to spend money. Almost all of their tanks are light tanks. Not only are their protective capabilities weak, but even the artillery and rockets on the vehicles are old goods. .
Such a chariot cannot be compared with Zhang Cheng's chariot battalion. Not to mention the sophistication and sturdiness of the Xuanfu Army's chariots, even the artillery and rocket boxes on the vehicles are also extremely sophisticated.
In addition, an artillery unit from the Shenji Battalion led by Fu Yingchong stayed behind to support the attack on Huangtu Ridge.
The Huangtu Ridge side is slightly different from Shimen Mountain. Shimen Mountain also has east and west stone gates that need to be guarded. Moreover, it is close to the Weijin Camp of the Qing Army. Even on the south bank of the Nerv River, there are some military camps of the Qing Army stationed. Rescue can be obtained in times of crisis. .
Huangtu Ridge is in the southeast of Shimen Mountain. Although there are roads connecting the two places, most of these passages have been controlled by the Ming army since the Qing army tightened its defense lines.
Huangtuling's current communication with the outside world is through the valley road on the west bank of the Xiaoling River, or the pontoon bridge across the Xiaoling River, to communicate with the Qing army on the east bank of the river and transport supplies.
Therefore, it laid out numerous trenches, earth walls, and stone walls on the north, west, and south sides of Huangtu Ridge for key defense, especially in the west direction, because it faced the Xuanfu Army camp and faced the Xuanfu Army camp. The crux of it is.
Moreover, the Xuanfu army has been competing for these barriers with the Qing soldiers guarding the mountains for more than half a month, and many of them have changed hands several times. Therefore, in order to prevent the Xuanfu army from attacking, the Qing soldiers can only continue to strengthen.
Because of this, Zhang Chengcai left the gunners and heavy artillery of Fu Yingchong's Shenji Battalion with the Chinese Army in order to rely on their powerful artillery fire to carry out a full coverage bombardment of the Qing Army's defensive line at the foot of Huangtuling Mountain.
Of course, although the heavy artillery of the Shenji Battalion is good, it is inconvenient to transport it. If it is in the plain area, it will be fine, it will only cost a lot of manpower and time, but in the mountain attack battle, it cannot be transported to the mountain.
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In the 14th year of Chongzhen, August 27th, Chen hour.
Following the order of Zhang Ruoqi, the commander-in-chief of the Liao Ming Army, and with the sound of cannons, the officers and soldiers of the Xuanfu Army and the Datong Army came out together, each rushing to their own battlefield.
Fu Yingchong also bid farewell to Zhang Cheng, Commander-in-Chief Zhang Ruoqi, and Bing Xian Zhang Dou. He was going to the front line of the Shenji Camp artillery array to personally direct the gunners to bombard the Qing army's position at the foot of Huangtuling Mountain.
The Shenji Battalion received Fu Yingchong's instructions this time, and the deputy general came to the front of the formation to take command. They also worked extra hard on the artillery. After they tested the positioning, they directly launched an indiscriminate saturation bombardment.
Indiscriminate saturation bombardment, a term coined by Zhang Cheng, only marks the center point of the bombardment target, and then concentrates all the artillery firepower to extend a certain distance from the center point to conduct indiscriminate artillery bombardment.
No matter what is within the coverage area of the artillery fire, it will be flattened and destroyed, and the fire will not stop until the barrel turns red or the cannon is exhausted. This is a saturation bombardment.
In the following days, this kind of indiscriminate saturation bombardment will become the most violent method of artillery in the Xuanfu army.
The Qing army's artillery on Huangtu Ridge had all been withdrawn, leaving only some small and medium-sized artillery pieces. Before they saw the Ming army attacking the mountain, they were greeted by an extremely violent bombardment.
The entire Qing army's defense line at the foot of Huangtu Ridge was like a hell on earth. The position was full of artillery pieces flying around, many artillery pieces were embedded in the earthen walls, and most of the stone walls were bombarded and collapsed.
During the bombardment, Fu Yingchong also used some poison bombs and gray bombs. However, he received Zhang Cheng's instructions and did not dare to use too many for fear of hurting the Xuanfu Army officers who were about to attack the mountain.
But even so, the position at the foot of Huangtu Ridge was filled with yellow smoke, which was also mixed with white powder and slowly spread in the air.
Those Qing soldiers who thought they were lucky were not hit by the cannons flying around, but they could not escape the poisonous smoke and white ash. The entire position at the foot of Huangtu Ridge was an apocalyptic scene, with Qing soldiers falling to the ground and wailing everywhere. soldiers.
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The yellow smoke at the foot of the mountain was gradually blown away by the wind, and the soldiers guarding the mountain who were still alive were secretly thankful that they had escaped disaster.
Not far away, like a red cloud, figures in red armor flashed out. Looking through the light yellow mist, their faces seemed to become ferocious and terrifying, like Yama coming out of hell to harvest human lives. .
Gradually it became clear that the red clouds were the soldiers of the Ming army who were rushing to attack Huangtu Ridge, but those Qing soldiers who were about to die were no longer able to fight anymore.
A few Manchurian Zhengbai Banner Tatar soldiers who were not dead persisted and barely stood up. They were indeed a fighting nation. Even so, they still held bows and arrows, or shields and swords in their hands.
Originally, they were located at the back of the formation. They were regarded as the last combat force of each line of defense and were used as the main force in close combat. However, they could not be ruled out as serving as the supervising team.
After all, the people guarding the mountain at the moment are mainly Han troops and Korean troops. How can we rest assured if we don't leave some elites from various Manchurian banners to watch?
Suddenly, these Tatar soldiers seemed to hear the sound of trumpets reaching their ears, and then they vaguely saw the Ming army soldiers in front of them gradually scattering and switching from a dense formation to an extremely loose formation.
Isn't this unconventional?
The Tatar soldiers were all puzzled. In their opinion, every time they faced a charge, each army should attack hard in a dense formation, so that they could quickly break through the enemy's formation and save most of their physical strength.
But the performance of the Ming army in front of them actually made them confused. Their heads were full of paste and they were half-dead by the poisonous gas, but now they became even more confused.
They actually forgot to rush forward to fight, or maybe they just had a fierce look to spare, but in fact they were just like other Qing soldiers, unable to fight anymore.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."
With the crisp sound of firecrackers, the few Manchurian Zhengbai Banner Tatar soldiers who were barely standing fell to the ground in an instant and could no longer stand up, because they all went to another country.
They are also happy because they no longer feel discomfort and pain!
The reason why these incoming Xuanfu Army soldiers suddenly formed a dense array and turned into a dispersed linear array was actually Zhang Cheng's arrangement.
In the first few rounds of battle, he had already gone to the front line to direct the formation changes.
Zhang Cheng suggested that the troops attacking the mountain could move forward densely, but they could also become sparse when approaching the enemy's position to prevent the enemy's ricochet from causing serious damage to our soldiers.
And if the opponent comes in formation, they must quickly form a tight formation again.
This is actually very easy to do, because when the armies of the Ming Dynasty formed formations, they almost always used trumpets as trumpets.
This is what we often call the swan trumpet sound. Each battalion and each team marches into formation, and it is often used as a trumpet. For example, blowing the swan sound with a trumpet means setting up the array, and there is an open space between each soldier and each team.
The trumpet blows a single tone to spread out the lines, so that the distance between each group is one foot to five feet. If the trumpet blows again, the line will be looser or denser.
The same is true for sparseness and density, turning left and right. In fact, these can be easily achieved simply by changing the sound of the horn.
Of course, whether the array is neat and tidy after being deployed, and how fast or slow it is deployed and tightened, also have a lot to do with the eliteness of each army.
The reason why Zhang Cheng dared to make this suggestion during the war was largely based on the training level of the Xuanfu Army.
After all, this is a team that he personally led. From the selection of soldiers, to the formation of the battalion, to the battalion training, until the final suppression of bandits and thieves, every step was carried out according to his plan.
Naturally, it is not comparable to those old armies in other towns that rely on servants to support the scene!
