Especially the two-and-a-half-pound field artillery in the Chu army. The caliber of this thing is only 65 mm. The 65-mm caliber grenade is actually very small, less than the size of an adult's fist.
Because the caliber is small, it is still a spherical projectile, and the internal charge is only small, the power after the explosion is actually very limited...
When the 17th Division was in the Battle of Jinzhou, they tried using a two-and-a-half-pound field gun to launch new grenades in actual combat. The results were unsatisfactory and the power was too low.
Therefore, in the Battle of Jinzhou, the Chu army's two-and-a-half-pound field artillery unit used a small amount of new grenades at the beginning of the battle, but they were immediately useless later.
According to feedback from the frontline troops, the major arsenals of the Chu Army have stopped the production of new 65 mm caliber grenades and begun to transfer production capacity to 90 and 115 mm caliber grenades for the five-pound field gun. and nine pounds of field artillery.
However, the power of the new grenades fired by these two caliber field guns is not very good. The Chu army’s current attitude towards the new grenades fired by field guns is: something is better than nothing...
As for the actual delivery of grenade firepower, we have to rely on 18-pound lightweight grenades or even larger-caliber howitzers in the future.
This thing is the best artillery for projecting new grenades. As for field guns, old mortars, etc., they can only be made up of numbers.
The Ministry of Industry of the Dachu Empire has listed the eighteen-pound light howitzer as Chengshun's priority production target in the next five years. The arsenal outside the Tu Heavy Artillery Factory, which was previously planned to specialize in the production of mortars, will become the absolute main production force.
The artillery branch factory under the Hantian Arsenal, as well as the artillery branch factories under the three regional arsenals, Xiangyang Arsenal, Changsha Arsenal, and Guangzhou Arsenal, will also be involved in the production of modified artillery, and will produce this type of artillery. However, most of these factories They all have other artillery production tasks, so even if combined, the production capacity of these factories is only about half of that of the Tu Heavy Artillery Factory.
However, various arsenals in the rear have listed eighteen-pound light howitzers and new grenades of various calibers as priority production targets. However, the modification of the production line and the training of workers will take time. Even if they have been manufactured, they will not be transported to The frontline also takes time.
Therefore, in a short period of time, the Chu army fighting in Tongguan will not be able to receive reinforcements from new howitzers, and even if there are not many new grenades, there will not be many.
Previously, people from the Shaanxi-Gansu Campaign Command were grabbing artillery pieces and new grenades everywhere, which had already caused serious dissatisfaction from several other campaign headquarters.
Six of the twelve 18-pound light howitzers on the Tongguan front line were originally going to be given to the Northeast Campaign Command and transported to the Shanhaiguan front line through the canal. However, Lian Juncai, the logistics director of the Shaanxi-Gansu Campaign Command, personally went to Xuzhou to deliver them to the front line. Cut off.
The Northeastern Campaign Command is still bickering with the Shaanxi-Gansu Campaign Command over this batch of artillery pieces.
And I heard that the logistics director of the Northeast Campaign Command has rushed back to Jinling City from Tianjin, preparing to personally take charge and escort the next batch of new howitzers and new grenades heading to the Jiliao front.
This time, in order to avoid being intercepted, they are also planning to use sea transportation directly...
There are only so many new howitzers, and there are not many new grenades. Everyone wants the limited production. The Shaanxi-Gansu Campaign Command has been robbing them, and even used many illegal methods, which has attracted strong dissatisfaction from other friendly forces.
Army General Li Chengtong, the commander of the Northeast Campaign, therefore directly wrote to the emperor to impeach Huang Dingquan because of his own selfish interests and total disregard for the overall situation!
His Majesty Luo Zhixue did not really blame Huang Dingquan, but sent a verbal message to Huang Dingquan: Don’t do this again!
The arrangements for new equipment are all uniformly allocated at military affairs conferences based on the actual conditions of all fronts across the country. You can't just take away quotas from friendly forces just because you think something is good... This can easily lead to big troubles. of.
Therefore, in the future, it is almost impossible for the Shaanxi-Gansu Campaign Command to obtain a large number of quotas for new howitzers and new grenades.
With the current batch of artillery and ammunition, Huang Dingquan believed that it was enough to capture the Tongguan defense line.
Just as Huang Dingquan climbed up to observe the front line, a large number of Chu troops also began to take action!
Groups of infantrymen began to move forward. They needed to advance to a distance of several hundred meters from the enemy's defense line to establish a defensive area and cover the artillery troops from behind.
These are the main forces attacking Tongguan City. Currently, there is a division of infantry and more artillery units dispatched.
They will use a large number of field artillery, heavy artillery, and a large number of mortars to conduct a frontal attack on Tongguan City, using powerful artillery to crush the enemy's peripheral resistance.
At about twelve o'clock in the morning, after preparations, the artillery units of the Chu army finally opened fire one after another, setting off the prelude to the Battle of Tongguan.
"Treading on the Stars"
The first thing to appear was the large number of field artillery units and heavy artillery units that the Chu army was proud of.
More than a hundred long-barreled artillery began to fire a large number of solid artillery shells at the outer defensive positions of Tongguan City in front. These solid artillery shells may not be able to attack the traditional city wall that is often several meters thick, but it is still possible to attack some temporary outdoor fortresses. It can be used.
Soon, a medium-sized fortress built by the Ming army on the periphery was continuously bombarded by the Chu army's intensive large-caliber heavy artillery, especially after being bombarded by multiple fourteen-pound cannons. The middle and upper parts of the fortress collapsed directly, and the fortress was deployed Dozens of Ming army artillerymen at the top were alive and dead in the ruins.
However, for the Ming army soldiers who had trenches and numerous artillery defense fortifications, this level of shelling could destroy their fortresses, but it was still difficult to directly kill them.
Everyone is hiding in the ditch.
The heavy artillery troops of the Chu army did not expect to be able to directly kill a large number of effective troops. The task of these heavy artillery and even a batch of nine-pound field guns was to suppress or even destroy their artillery positions, and then cover the approach of the infantry and even the mortar troops.
Soon, under the cover of the heavy artillery troops, dozens of mortars maneuvered into position, and they quickly launched an intensive bombardment of the fortress position that seemed to be in ruins.
Although these mortars still fired old-style grenades and had a high dud rate, their quantity made up for many shortcomings. As explosions continued to be heard from this ruined position, the Ming army stationed in this fortress inevitably suffered a certain amount of casualties. .
At this time, the Chu army's infantry troops also launched a charge!
They advanced quickly in column from about three to four hundred meters away, while some infantry on both sides launched a direct charge in skirmish formation.
At this time, the Ming Army's fortress position, which seemed to have been greatly damaged, and the Ming Army in several surrounding fortress positions, emerged from the trenches, and launched some light artillery and even Some hidden two-and-a-half-pound field artillery launched a bombardment at the Chu infantry rushing forward.
However, when the sporadic artillery shells fired by the Ming army hit the Chu army's infantry one after another, in the Chu army's artillery position, more than a dozen 24-pound and 48-pound mortars that had not been fired before quickly opened fire.
Moreover, the rate of fire far exceeded the normal perception of the Ming army on the opposite side. Almost tens of seconds after the first round of shells was fired, a second round of shells was fired.
In just a few minutes, these more than ten mortars fired hundreds of large-caliber grenades.
At the same time, a batch of nine-pound and five-pound field guns that originally fired solid shells also fired a batch of grenades at this time.
The dud rate of these new grenades is far less than that of the old grenades, and as these new grenades fell into these Ming army positions one after another, intensive explosions occurred.
Those Ming Army soldiers who left the anti-gun caves, especially the group of Ming Army gunners operating short-barreled artillery and two-and-a-half-pound field guns, suffered heavy casualties due to heavy shelling.
On top of Tongguan City, Sun Chuanting frowned as he looked at the intensive explosions on his own fortress position in front.
At the same time, a group of generals around him also had different expressions, and one of them even shouted directly: "This is not right, the Chu thieves are firing too densely with the bombs!"
"The Chu thieves on the opposite side only have dozens of mortars concentrated in front. This batch of shooting mortars can only hold up more than ten mortars. It is impossible to fire so many explosive shells in such a short period of time!"
"And those Chu thieves' field artillery also opened the shells. How did they do it?"
At this time, someone asked: "Could this be the new cannon used by the Chu thieves that Jinzhou said?"
"That's not right. They should still be using those field guns and mortars. These big guys are easy to identify. You can't be mistaken, right?"
Someone else said at this time: "They are not using new cannons, but new cannonballs!"
"These Chu thieves must have used a new type of explosive bullet, which can shoot faster!"
Sun Chuanting was not in the mood to pay attention to what his generals said at this time. At this time, he was looking at his own position in front of him and at the rebel artillery position further away. At this time, he probably knew why Jinzhou was there. To be able to defeat so quickly.
It's not that the soldiers of the Chu thieves have become more brave, it's not even that the Chu thieves are equipped with more artillery. Well, although the Chu thieves have enough artillery, so much that it almost makes him despair.
It's because the Chu thieves used a new type of explosive bomb!
This kind of explosive bomb is used on mortars, which can fire faster, and can fire dense grenades in a short time, thus causing intensive damage to the defenders.
Moreover, these new explosive shells can also be used on field artillery.
As a result, the own fortress position in front was almost hit by unprecedented and far beyond expected grenade bombardment.
If we continue to fight like this, the seemingly solid Tongguan defense line may not last long!
At this time, Sun Chuanting did not know that when a fierce battle broke out in Tongguan, there were also multiple groups of Chu troops on the south side of Tongguan City launching a fierce attack on the Ming troops guarding the trails.
And the offensive is far more powerful than that at Tongguan City!
Especially in a battlefield about three kilometers south of Tongguan City, the Ming army in front of them was almost hit by devastating artillery fire!
Because here, the Chu army used all the eighteen-pound light howitzers!
Twelve doors, each with more than one door, all are here! (To be continued)
