After Haug's order was issued through the flag, the more than two thousand Eastern captive cavalry forwards located northwest of the Eastern captive cavalry camp also began to take action.
The horse-riding messengers gradually conveyed the orders from the generals, and finally passed them to a group of about 500 Eastern captive cavalry on the left.
The leader of this East Riding Cavalry was a middle-aged man with a scar on his face, most of his head bare, and only a thin rat tail on the back of his head.
After listening to the order of the messenger, the middle-aged man nodded slightly: "Report to the general, I already know, we will launch an attack immediately!"
After saying that, before the messenger turned around and left, he grabbed the helmet handed over by the soldier next to him, put it on, looked around and shouted: "My sons, prepare to rush up with me to kill the Chu barbarian!"
The hundreds of Dongfeng cavalry under his command are all veterans who have experienced battles for a long time, and the auxiliary slaves under the soldiers have also been on many battlefields with their masters.
So after hearing what this middle-aged man said, there were no surprises. No one even responded loudly to the booing. Instead, everyone silently checked their armor, knives, bows and arrows and other weapons in their hands.
Others replaced the war horses they had ridden before and replaced them with a group of war horses that had not been ridden before and had better physical fitness.
After the Eastern captives took control of Monan Mongolia, they not only controlled a large number of Mongolian cavalry to serve for themselves, but also obtained a large number of Mongolian war horses, so that the elite of the Eastern captives themselves had a huge ration of horses.
Even the infantry were equipped with a large number of war horses for riding on the road and for rapid maneuverability over short distances.
And these elite cavalrymen in the East were riding three or even four horses together. It was a basic operation to change horses before going into battle.
This is not only the case for the elite cavalry in Dongli. In fact, most of the elite cavalry in the Chu army also ride two or even three horses. However, the number of horses is still relatively limited, and it is impossible to allocate over-allocation of horses to all cavalry.
Cavalry such as cuirassiers and hussars are all equipped with a horse and three horses. Basically, they are a Central Asian war horse used as a combat riding horse, a high-quality Mongolian war horse used for rotational riding, and a pack horse. The lower-middle-class Mongolian horse of supplies.
For traditional cavalry, they usually ride two horses.
The division belongs to the dragoons. Because of their characteristics as mounted infantry and the real lack of horses, they are only equipped with single horses.
Therefore, when they saw hundreds of Dongdu cavalry on the front left wing changing their horses on the battlefield, the right wing of the Chu army cavalry on the opposite side also realized that the other side was probably really going to charge over.
Immediately, the officers on the front line quickly ordered the replacement of the main war horses, and asked the auxiliary grooms to move the ordinary horses that had been replaced.
This place is about to become a real battlefield. In such a chaotic battlefield, it is definitely not possible to let hundreds of war horses wander around.
"If the other side doesn't give up, I'm afraid they are going to charge us!"
"Maybe it's just a test, maybe it's just a move before the war. No matter what it is, we must stop them!"
Lieutenant General Zhu Xingfa in the rear also saw this scene on the battlefield in the northeast corner. Although the distance was a bit far and he could not see some specific situations on both sides, he could still see the hundreds of cavalry who were changing vehicles directly on the battlefield to prepare for battle. from.
When the cavalry on both sides began to transfer, check their equipment, and begin to form formations, the cavalry artillery under the Chu Army's 3rd Cavalry Brigade also deployed urgently in front of the formation.
Eight two-and-a-half-pound cavalry cannons and four five-pound cavalry cannons were divided into two small positions and lined up. The muzzles of the twelve cannons that had just been deployed were all aimed at Dongluo, which was seven or eight hundred meters ahead. Human cavalry.
They had just deployed urgently, and the gunners were still busy carrying ammunition. While the gunners were visually calculating the distance and orientation, the Dongfang cavalry on the opposite side had completed the final preparations.
More than six hundred Dongjiao people rode forward slowly on war horses. Their horses were dragging the cavalry on horseback forward slowly at a slow walking speed.
Just as they moved, a Chu army cavalry colonel on horseback across from him squinted at the opposite side and said at the same time: "This should be a Niulu, with about 250 soldiers and more than 300 soldiers." Auxiliary soldiers!"
"Their main soldiers are concentrated on the right side. There are at least a hundred armored soldiers there. Let the artillery battalion fire at them. First, fire a few rounds of normal artillery fire, and then fire rapidly after they enter 500 meters!"
Although there seemed to be 600 Dongjiu cavalry on the opposite side, the border troops who had been fighting with the Dongjiu people for a long time basically knew that this was at most an outstanding record of the Dongjiu people.
They usually have three hundred people for one Niu Lu, and five Niu Lu, that is, fifteen hundred people for Jia La (what barbarian nouns are broken, I can't even type the words).
However, don’t think that a Niulu only has 300 soldiers...
In fact, it is often more than that, because these soldiers will basically bring auxiliary soldiers to the battlefield together...
——
The Eastern captives still practice barbaric and backward slavery. They will distribute the plundered population, criminals, opponents and their family documents to armored slaves.
These armored men are worthy of being formal soldiers.
At the same time, when these soldiers are fighting outside, they will also plunder the population and make them slaves.
Therefore, many Eastern captives and Eight Banners warriors often have many slaves under their command, and then they will select a number of loyal young men from these slaves to fight with them as their own auxiliaries.
Well, it's not just slaves, some people will also bring their fellow villagers or even their nephews.
On weekdays, these auxiliary soldiers boil water, cook, carry luggage, take care of grooms, etc.
In wartime, they would go to the battlefield with their masters or fathers and brothers with weapons in hand.
Of course, because these auxiliary soldiers generally lack armor and have poor weapons and equipment, most of them follow behind to pick up the slack.
The existence of these auxiliary soldiers also led to a Niulu in the early Qing Dynasty. Although the number was rated at three hundred people, there were often five, six hundred or more people.
This is the situation of this Eastern Captive Cavalry that appears opposite the Chu Army now!
A Niulu army of more than 250 soldiers came up with more than 300 auxiliary soldiers.
But those auxiliary soldiers are also riding horses, so you should not confuse them with the young civilians in the Ming army. Although they are auxiliary soldiers, they are also eager to make contributions on the battlefield and become true soldiers. The soldiers also hope to plunder enough money and food during the war.
Especially the latter!
The reason why the Dongji people are more powerful in combat and the Ming army is fighting to the death in various battles is not because their equipment is better, nor is their tactics more sophisticated, but because their combat morale is higher.
Why so high?
Because they are poor... The many wars they waged against the Ming Dynasty, the Korean Peninsula, and even Monan Mongolia were often not for the purpose of expanding their territory, but to plunder enough money and food to survive.
Joining the army, even as an auxiliary soldier, can give you a chance to plunder a large amount of money and food, so that your family can have enough to eat in the winter.
This is the reason why most of the Eastern captive soldiers always have high fighting morale!
They are fighting for survival!
And armies fighting for survival are often very powerful in combat!
However, fighting for survival made the Dongluo strong in the early stages of combat, and also led to their rapid decline after entering the customs!
In the original time and space, after the Eight Banners entered the customs, it quickly decayed in just a dozen years. By the time of Kangxi, it had completely become a showpiece. Whether it was leveling three times or hitting the right mark, the Green Camp had replaced the Eight Banners as the Qing Dynasty. The main force of the army.
The predecessor of the Green Camp was just a servant army reorganized from the surrendered Ming army when the Eight Bannersmen entered the pass!
Just like this, the Green Battalion, which was full of rotten smell and disgusting people from the beginning, actually replaced their master and became the main force of the Qing army...
I have to say, this is quite ironic.
Why is all this happening?
Because after entering the border, they no longer need to fight for survival!
They already have large tracts of land, groups of servants, endless food, and large houses made of bricks and tiles.
They no longer have the courage and motivation to fight desperately!
————
In the original time and space, the Eight Banners quickly deteriorated after entering the customs, but now the Eight Banners' combat effectiveness... well, it cannot be said to be combat effectiveness, but rather the military morale and fighting willpower are still very strong.
More than 250 armored soldiers and more than 300 lightly armored or unarmored auxiliary soldiers, a total of nearly 600 Dongdu cavalry, completed their formation and then slowly advanced on horseback.
Although the distance is still far away, you can still feel the indomitable momentum of the other party.
When the Dongji cavalry began to advance slowly, the Chu army cavalry also began to move!
The cavalrymen in the 3rd Cavalry Brigade also changed their horses one by one and lined up and began to move forward slowly, but the speed of moving forward was very slow. It was obvious that they were deliberately controlling the speed in order to let the other side come over first, and then let their own side The artillery unit launched the bombardment first.
When the cavalrymen at the rear began to slowly move forward, the cavalry artillerymen who had advanced more than a hundred meters earlier were the first to open fire.
The first to fire were the four five-pound cavalry cannons. The gunners picked up the ammunition that had just been urgently transported and had not had time to move it out of the car and loaded it on the spot. Then the gunner took aim and opened fire.
The East Riding Cavalry has already begun to take action, and there is no extra time for the cavalry artillerymen to slowly carry down the ammunition and pile it up before firing calmly.
They must race against time and fire at the first opportunity to weaken the enemy cavalry.
After the four five-pound cavalry cannons opened fire, although their artillery position was still about six or seven hundred meters away from the Dongjiu cavalry in front, solid shells still fell into the Dongjiu people's array, causing casualties.
However, those Dongfeng cavalry are obviously battle-hardened, and this is not the first time they have been bombarded by artillery from a long distance. Therefore, although some Dongfang cavalry were killed by artillery shells, the remaining Dongfang cavalry, although there was some minor commotion, still remained Keep coming forward.
It's just that they changed from the normal infantry speed to a trot.
After seeing the Dongjie cavalry on the opposite side entering a trot, the commander of the cavalry artillery battalion smiled: "I thought you were made of iron, but I didn't expect that you started running early!"
"Start jogging seven hundred meters away. You'll be exhausted!"
While he was mumbling, he saw the major raising his command knife again:
"Two and a half pounds of cannon, solid bullets, ready to fire quickly!"
After Dongluo's cavalry started trotting, their speed had become faster. Naturally, they could not fire at normal speed at this time. They had to race against time and shoot in rapid fire mode. Most of them fired several rounds of shells in the shortest time, trying to kill more people. It is best for the enemy's cavalry to disrupt the opponent's cavalry formation and shake their morale in charging.
This will provide a favorable basis for the counter-charge of one's own cavalry.
Soon, eight two-and-a-half-pound field guns also opened fire!
A total of twelve cavalry artillery pieces, large and small, were firing cannonballs in rapid fire mode at the hundreds of cavalrymen in front.
For a moment, the cavalrymen or war horses on the opposite side of the Eastern Capture Cavalry were hit by cannonballs and fell to the ground with howls!
At this time, the Dongji cavalry on the opposite side couldn't help it anymore and entered the charge in advance!
If they continue to trot like this slowly, I'm afraid half of them will be killed or injured before they even get within a few dozen meters of cavalry combat distance...
And when Zhuang Xianhe's Dongjie cavalry began to charge ahead of schedule, two field cannons were pulled out from behind their cavalry.
At first glance, you can tell that this kind of artillery is a copy of the Chu army's two-and-a-half-pound field gun. It is almost identical from the barrel to the gun mount.
After the two East-captured artillery pieces approached four to five hundred meters, they also stopped quickly, and then tried to expand and bombard them.
For a moment, the artillery on both sides fired in unison!
People on both sides were hit by artillery shells from time to time!
However, due to the difference in firepower between the two sides, the casualties of the Dongjiu cavalry were much greater than those of the Chu army's cavalry.
——
Seeing that the other side had begun to charge ahead of schedule, the cavalry of the Sixth Cavalry Regiment of the Chu Army quickly entered the trot mode from the previous slow step mode, and then quickly entered the sprint mode, and rushed directly across the artillery position. Go up.
In a short period of time, the cavalry of both sides were under rumbling artillery fire, spanning a distance of several hundred meters... At this time, the distance between the two sides was less than a hundred meters, and the artillery fire from both sides stopped in unison.
In the middle of the artillery positions of both sides, thousands of cavalry were confronting each other. At this time, their respective artillery had no range and stopped firing. You can't fire at your own cavalry array, right...
When the cavalry on both sides rushed within a hundred meters, they saw the cavalry on both sides bending their bows and shooting arrows directly on horseback!
Suddenly, hundreds of arrows from each side rose up, and then flew across the sky and fell into the opponent's array!
A few seconds later, when the cavalry on both sides could see each other's specific movements and had drawn their sabers or raised their spears, the arrows fell to the ground!
Some arrows landed on the cavalry's armor and were spread out, while others directly hit unprotected areas, causing direct injuries to the cavalry or even death on the spot.
There were also arrows that hit parts of the horses that were not protected by armor. In pain, the horses either raised their hooves, or reversed direction and ran wildly, causing the cavalry to fall off their horses.
Screams arose one after another amidst the sound of horse hooves!
And the next moment!
The cavalry arrays from both sides collided directly!
The knights controlled their horses and rushed away from the opponent's array. At the same time, they raised their spears or sabers to kill the enemy cavalry!
From time to time, some cavalrymen were knocked off their horses. Even if they were not dead, they would be trampled into mud by the iron hooves of the horses from both sides that followed!
Bloody and cruel!
Two traditional classical oriental cavalry were fighting hard using almost identical tactics and even combat skills!
And all this is in the eyes of the generals on both sides!
When Hauge on the sentry tower of the camp in the distance saw this, he turned around and went down the tower without hesitation. As soon as he got off the tower, he saw him sneering at his generals: "Although the Chu barbarians are a bit stronger than the Ming barbarians before, But it’s just mediocre.”
As he spoke, he glanced at the main cavalry of the Chu army in the southwest: "You dare to attack Guangning with these 10,000 cavalry picked up from Ming Manzi. You are simply looking for death!"
After that, he took the helmet from the soldier and put it on, then got on his horse and pulled out his sword!
Riding his horse and looking back, he saw that it was the main force of more than 18,000 cavalry under his command. The queue was endless, almost all over the mountains and fields with no end in sight!
Hauge, who was sitting on horseback, looked at his soldiers, nodded slightly from time to time, and then galloped past the formation: "The Qing Dynasty will win!"
"Kill all the Chu barbarians!"
"The Qing Dynasty will definitely win!"
Generals and soldiers responded one after another, shouting that the Qing Dynasty would win.
Then, Hauge turned his horse's head, stood at the front of the array, and waved his saber forward... that was the direction where the main force of the Chu Army's First Cavalry Corps was located.
"Army attack!"
The next second, drums sounded, and a large number of Eastern captive cavalry rode forward.
——
At the same time, Army Lieutenant General Zhu Xingfa had a calm face. After seeing the main force of the East Riding Cavalry on the opposite side start to move, Zhu Xingfa turned to look at the commander of the Guards Cavalry Detachment, who was the Guards Cavalry Division Commander. Guards Major General Changsheng Yushu: "I will lead my brothers from the First Cavalry Army to meet them in a moment. I'll leave it to the Guards for the flank attack!"
Sheng Yu, who was in his twenties and had a face that looked fair and tender and did not look like a warrior, said: "You can rest assured that your flank will be given to me, general. Our Guards have never lost a battle, and this time will be no exception!"
After hearing this, Zhu Xingfa burst out laughing: "Who doesn't know that you Guardsmen have a lot of thoughts? They chew hard bones to push back three blocks and four, and squeeze soft persimmons and rush to attack. Can you lose the battle like this? If you change the pig to fight, you won't lose the battle, right?"
At this point, Zhu Xingfa's smile faded: "But this time, your Guards are going to fight hard. The three thousand elite cavalry on their left wing are the elite cavalry that were withdrawn from Balipu. It's not good." beat!"
Sheng Yushu didn't have the slightest intention to be angry at the ridicule in Zhu Xingfa's words, but looked determined: "No matter whether it is difficult to fight or not, our Guards will attack and guarantee to penetrate their left wing, even if we are the last person standing!"
"In the three hundred years of my Sheng family, there have been honest and loyal ministers, corrupt officials, and even traitors who defected to foreign races, but there has never been anyone who is greedy for life and afraid of death, and Sheng will not be an exception!"
"And our Guards... have never been defeated, not before, and never again!"
Lieutenant General Zhu Xingfa said loudly: "Okay, I like your confidence."
"After this battle is over, I will treat you to a drink. I have hidden several bottles of good wine stolen from the Youzhou Old Palace. You will never forget the taste!"
Having said that, Zhu Xingfa stopped talking to Sheng Yushu and rode forward directly, and his cavalry guards quickly followed suit. Behind him was the main force of more than ten thousand cavalrymen of the First Cavalry Army!
More than 10,000 riders lined up and slowly stepped forward, like a gray cloud covering the wilderness!
When they slowly moved forward, the Chu army's cavalry artillery deployed at the forefront had already opened fire on the forward waves of Dongdu cavalry that rushed over first.
Amidst the roar of artillery, Sheng Yushu led his soldiers around the array of the First Cavalry Corps and came to the array of the cavalry detachment of the Guards on the right wing of the army. He slightly turned his head and looked at the thousands of cavalry behind him, especially toward the first The fourth cuirassier regiment looked in the direction twice, took two deep breaths, drew out its saber, and said loudly to the generals behind him: "The fourth cuirassier regiment followed the general in the center and came forward, the second hussars The regiment and the 3rd Hussars Regiment are separated on the left and right flanks to cover!”
"This battle will be won and never retreated!"
And our Guards will definitely win! "
After saying that, Sheng Yushu took another deep breath, then pointed the command knife forward diagonally in his hand, clamped the horse's belly and urged the horse forward, and said loudly:
“Guards, attack!
