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Facing the army of the Chu Imperial Army pressing in from all directions, the Dongji people simply could not resist.
Not to mention the current remnants of the Dongji people, even the Dongji people at their peak last year could not have blocked such a large-scale offensive by the Chu army.
You know, the troops invested by the Chu army in the Northeast this year will exceed last year in terms of quantity and quality.
In terms of cavalry, the independent cavalry invested in the Liaodong region last year only amounted to more than 10,000 cavalry.
But this year, in the northeastern region alone, the Chu army invested three cavalry corps.
This does not include the numerous divisional cavalry. The strength of these divisional cavalry has also increased greatly compared with last year. Last year, the divisional cavalry regiments that participated in the Northeast war, except for the two Guards cavalry regiments, were special. , the other divisional cavalry regiments are actually very average in strength, and the quality of the horses and cavalry attached to them is slightly worse.
After a year of replenishment, especially after acquiring a large number of war horses from the Mongolian region and capturing a large number of war horses from the Eastern Captives, these divisional cavalry also exchanged shotguns for cannons. All divisional cavalry regiments participating in the war in the Northeast were basically Completed.
Each divisional cavalry regiment is equipped with four large-scale cavalry posts, and is also equipped with an additional two-and-a-half-pound cavalry artillery post.
These divisional cavalry are also closer to today's hussars in terms of weapons and equipment and even tactics. Although they still mainly fight in formation with their horses, after hard training, they can more or less be able to charge in formation with sabers.
According to the plan of the Cavalry Director of the Da Chu Empire, in the future the cavalry units of the Da Chu Empire Army will only have two types of cavalry units. One is heavy cavalry, equipped with heavy breastplates specifically for cavalry, tall horses, and mainly hollow lances. , supplemented by a saber, is a typical heavy lancer, mainly used for fighting and killing.
There is also the light cavalry. These light cavalry are equipped with light breastplates and ordinary Mongolian horses. Their weapons are cavalry muskets and sabers. They can dismount and line up to fight with muskets, or mount their horses to charge.
The hussars in the Chu army today actually belong to this kind of cavalry. The hussars in the Chu army are not limited to charging immediately. They can also dismount and form formations to play in line.
The cavalry regiments of these divisions are basically trained and reorganized in this direction, and their performance in the Northeastern operations was pretty good.
These divisional cavalry, together with the independent cavalry, gave the Chu army a superiority in cavalry strength for the first time in this year's Northeastern battlefield, and it was also a huge strength advantage.
The comparison of the cavalry strength between the two sides has increased and decreased, and the comparison of the cavalry between the two sides is almost reversed.
Under such circumstances, the Dongjiu people could not even defeat the Chu army in cavalry maneuvers.
Not to mention the infantry and artillery. On the northeastern land, the artillery of the Chu army beat everyone who refused... The Dongji people couldn't stop them last year, let alone now.
As for the infantry, the infantry in the Chu army are now reduced to artillery protection and logistical escorts on the northeastern battlefield... They have nothing to do with the front-line battlefield.
You have to know that the hundreds of thousands of troops invested by the Chu army in the Northeast region are larger than the population of the Eastern captives themselves...
With such a huge force, the only frontal battles were basically solved by the cavalry at the front. When the infantry came up, they could only attack small towns where there were not many Dongji people.
Under such a fierce offensive of the Chu army, the Dongji people led by Hauge were naturally unwilling to be completely destroyed. They thought of many ways, by spreading their forces to attack, and various ambushes, which also caused some casualties to the Chu army, but they could not reverse it at all. The situation on the battlefield.
One and a half months after the war started, Hauge was forced to retreat northward with only more than 20,000 remaining main forces, covering a population of more than 200,000.
However, the reason why the Chu army sent the First Cavalry Army and the Third Cavalry Army to play left hook and engage in strategic encirclement was to prevent the Eastern captives from escaping on a large scale like they did before in the Liaodong region.
If Hauge is allowed to run away with these two hundred thousand people, the Chu army may have to reorganize a large-scale offensive later.
And as the battlefield gradually extends northward, the Chu army's logistical supply pressure will become greater and greater, and military expenditures will also increase.
Under such circumstances, it was impossible for the Chu army to let the Eastern captives flee on a large scale.
On July 4th, the Chu Army's Third Cavalry Corps caught up with Hauge's troops. Hauge had no choice but to leave behind more than 200,000 old and weak people and quickly break through to the north with only more than 20,000 troops.
The Third Cavalry Corps was in hot pursuit!
Soon after, the nearby First Cavalry Corps also followed.
A total of 40,000 cavalrymen chased Hauge and his companions all the way north, and kept trying to take a bite.
Under such circumstances, Hauge's troops were getting smaller and smaller.
On July 18, Hauge's troops fled to the south bank of the Songhua River, but when they wanted to build a pontoon bridge to cross the river, the Chu cavalry behind them caught up with them again.
In panic, Hauge's troops could only continue to flee eastward!
However, the next day, they discovered the Chu cavalry in front!
That was the first cavalry corps of the Chu army, and it went directly to the front.
Hauge, who looked tired, looked around on horseback, his face full of despair!
To the north is the rolling Songhua River!
To the east are more than ten thousand Chu army cavalry blocking the road, and from the rear there are more than ten thousand Chu army cavalry coming!
At this time, he had no way to escape!
They couldn't even hold on to the spot, because the troops around Haug were already less than 8,000, and they were short of men and horses, and even there was not enough food.
Hauge had no other choice but to bite the bullet and break through. Otherwise, if he stayed for half a day, he would be overtaken by the main force of the Chu cavalry in the rear.
This battle was tragic and tragic for the Donglu people!
Under the bombardment of dozens of cavalry cannons from the Chu cavalry division, they attacked the Chu cavalry array over and over again, trying to open a gap.
But their efforts were in vain.
Not to mention that flesh and blood cannot resist guns and artillery, even if the equipment of both sides is at the same level, the Dongji people are still at an absolute disadvantage in terms of strength.
On July 18, the eighth year of Chengshun, the last main force of the Eastern captives was annihilated by the Chu army. On the banks of the Songhua River, the Eastern captive Qing emperor Hauge died in battle. A group of Eastern captive dignitaries and Eastern captive soldiers accompanied Hauge in fleeing. Most of them were beheaded or drowned in despair.
Only a handful of people jumped into the Songhua River when they were defeated, and then swam across the river to escape, and these people were only a few hundred people.
From this day on, the Eastern Capture and Puppet Qing regime was officially declared dead.
Even in the huge Northeast region, there are still many Dongji people fleeing or resisting, but this can no longer change the fact that the Dongji people are completely finished.
The Dongji people did not even have an organized remnant of more than a thousand people. All the cities and even villages they occupied were swept away and captured one by one by the Chu army.
Only a few people are left hiding in the mountains and forests to survive or fleeing all the way north!
After wiping out the last main force of the Eastern Captives, the Third Army was broken into pieces and began to conduct a net-like clearing operation in the vast northeastern region. They hunted down and killed the remnants of the Eastern Captives. At the same time, they established settlements at important transportation nodes or suitable for settlement. Build a fortress and garrison in the place.
This type of land reclamation and clearing operations is expected to last for a long time, possibly several years.
They want to completely turn the vast northeastern region into the actual control area of the Chu Empire, instead of just maintaining some military control over these places and maintaining suzerainty through canonization like the previous Ming Dynasty.
The Great Chu Empire wants to turn this area into an area actually controlled by the empire, or even its hinterland!
Therefore, the Army's purge operations in the Northeast region were not limited to the remnants of the Eastern captives, but also included various other chaotic barbarians.
If these barbarians are not wiped out, how can the empire be assured of moving a large number of people to these places in the future.
And without the people, how can we actually control these places and establish effective rule?
In September in Jinling, Luo Zhixue also received good news from the Third Army.
"It went more smoothly than expected. The main battle was able to end in August. It shows that the soldiers of the Third Army have worked hard!"
Xu Zhixian on the side said: "No, it's just a few months, let alone a war. Even if there is no need to fight, it will take a long time to march directly."
"In order to maintain the speed of the advance, the soldiers on the front line tried to end the main battle before the temperature in the north cooled down and complete some of the early clearing operations. However, they did not rest at all, which made the soldiers very tired."
"Even more than 20,000 mules and horses collapsed from exhaustion."
After hearing this, Luo Zhixue nodded slightly: "It's normal for mules and horses to be unable to withstand such high-intensity operations. However, the Northeast is vast and sparsely populated. The follow-up troops to clear up and garrison cannot do without mules and horses. The troops performing tasks on the front line must fight with mules and horses." Damage must be replenished in time.”
Xu Zhixian said: "Your Majesty, don't worry. There will be no large-scale wars in the Northeast now, and the number of troops required will not be too large. The subsequent local garrison and clearing operations can be based on the local garrison headquarters, and the field army can rest for a while." Second, if there is no large-scale war, the demand for mules and horses will not be too great."
Luo Zhixue said: "When the situation in the Northeast stabilizes, the staff will formulate a plan to gradually transfer some of the main forces in the Northeast, especially the cavalry units, to Mongolia and the Western Front!"
"Nowadays, several tribes in the western part of Monan are still unwilling to submit, Mongolia in Mobei is also restless, and Moxi is even more bold, Da Baotian dares to peek into the snowy areas and border areas. There must be a battle in the above-mentioned places, and the staff must prepare a strategy in advance Planning, you can’t wait for someone to knock on your door before hurriedly deploying troops!”
When Xu Zhixian heard this, his face was overjoyed: "I obey the order, and I will work with my colleagues to formulate corresponding plans later!"
Xu Zhixian was very happy with Luo Zhixue's instructions. What is the military, especially the Army, most worried about now?
It's not a foreign enemy, but after the war, the horse will be released to Nanshan, and even the rabbit will die and the dog will be cooked!
Although Luo Zhixue has never done this before, he has always treated his heroes well. Even the bandit generals in the Funiu Mountain period were able to end up with an official position or even a title to enjoy the glory and wealth.
However, even if they are not cooked by rabbits and dogs, without the Dongji people behind the enemy, the military is still worried about disarmament!
This kind of worry is not in vain. You must know that last year, the empire's senior officials had decided to reduce military expenditures in the eight years of Chengshun, from 45 million taels in the seven years of Chengshun to 40 million taels.
And now that the Dongjiu people have been defeated, I can tell with my toes that military expenditures will definitely drop next year.
A simple decrease in military expenditures is not bad. The army has been mentally prepared for this for a long time. After all, the empire cannot always maintain such high military expenditures.
The military expenditure is more than 40 million taels a year, which is a terrifying figure.
After all, the fiscal revenue budget for the eight years of Chengshun in the Great Chu Empire was only over 80 million taels.
Military expenditure accounts for more than half of fiscal revenue, which is abnormal for a normal country.
After all, in addition to raising troops, a country also needs to spend a considerable amount of money to maintain the operation of its administrative agencies. It also costs money to educate, support industry and commerce, agriculture, flood prevention and disaster relief, etc.
And military spending is so high that it must be reduced.
The military, especially the Army, has been mentally prepared for this. In the past few years, it has begun to colonize various areas, raising chickens, ducks, pigs, etc., in an effort to be partially self-sufficient in military rations.
The Third Army was fighting in the Northeast, and was still farming during the break...
But we are afraid that in addition to reducing military expenditures, we will also conduct large-scale disarmament. This is very fatal.
Because only with enough troops can there be enough establishment, and only with enough establishment can there be enough senior general positions.
You can't have tens of thousands of officers with only a few hundred thousand troops...
Once the army is dismantled, officer positions will inevitably be reduced. At that time, many people, ranging from lieutenants to generals, may have to retire from active service.
He is doing a good job as a general, and if you transfer him to reserve service... this will naturally cause concern and even dissatisfaction.
Now Luo Zhixue is saying that a war is necessary in the northwest, which means that there will still be wars in the future. Since there are wars, there will naturally be no large-scale disarmament.
These generals don't have to worry too much about being asked to retire from active duty on a large scale!
Seeing the joy on Xu Zhixian's face, Luo Zhixue naturally knew what he was thinking. They are all smart people. Everyone knows the phrase "the rabbit will die and the dog will cook."
Luo Zhixue knew it, and so did his generals.
Even for the sake of stabilizing the situation, Luo Zhixue couldn't possibly say that he would drive out the founding generals and let them go home to farm when they just killed the Dongji people.
These people, even the incompetent Luo Zhixue, will make proper arrangements and not chill people's hearts.
As for disarmament, that's for sure, because the Chu army's military strength is now huge!
This summer alone, when we fought against the Japanese and Mongols, more than 400,000 troops were mobilized.
This is only the front-line troops participating in the battle in Northeast China and Southern Mongolia. It does not include the large number of troops stationed in the northern region and the troops stationed in the Central Plains, South, and Southwest.
Not counting the Guards and Navy.
The army of the Great Chu Empire is divided into three parts: the army, the navy, and the guards!
The Guards are very simple. Currently, there are only three infantry divisions, several independent cavalry regiments, artillery regiments, and a Guards regiment stationed at the palace. They are scattered to protect other official institutions in Jinling City, and are dispatched to important officials of the empire to act as security personnel. They are called Soldiers, but actually more akin to a garrison of armed patrols.
The total strength of the Guards is more than 60,000. With the exception of the garrison regiment, these Guards troops are all units in a state of combat readiness. They are all established as Class A divisions and are fully staffed.
The navy has many ships but not many actual personnel. The current total strength is only more than 80,000, of which more than 30,000 are marines or coastal defense fortresses and naval base garrison troops.
The real leader is the Army.
The Army has A-class divisions and B-class divisions, among which the cavalry corps, field artillery, and heavy artillery units also belong to the A-class division sequence. The total amount is quite considerable.
There are currently twenty-seven first-class divisions in the army. The personnel are basically full, with about 350,000 personnel. The equipment is not very complete. After all, most of the military expenditures of the Chu army in the past few years were actually spent in the north and east. In the war of captivity, the sound of cannons brought thousands of taels of gold. With so much military spending in the north, the troops stationed in various places in the south, even the first-class divisions, had to move back.
The number of cavalry divisions has reached 30, most of them are full, and some are short of personnel. In addition to the four cavalry regiments, these cavalry divisions are also equipped with cavalry artillery troops, cavalry baggage troops and other cavalry division-affiliated units. The total strength There are about 130,000 people, but the number of mules and horses attached to them is extremely large. The 130,000 cavalrymen alone are attached to more than 300,000 mules and horses.
The cost of mules and horses is much greater than that of people. Therefore, the actual cost of these thirty cavalry divisions and 130,000 cavalry is more than the twenty-seven first-class infantry divisions!
There are many second-class divisions, currently more than ninety. They are dispersed and stationed in various places, and a large number of them have participated in the war in the north. The sizes of these second-class divisions vary, with as few as five or six. Thousands of people, with a medium range of seven or eight thousand, and as many as 12,300. For example, the several second-class divisions that fought with the main force in Liaodong seemed to have the designation of second-class divisions, but in fact they had the strength and the artillery attached to them. Not much less than a first-class division.
The total strength of these second-class divisions totaled 600,000.
In addition, the Army, Navy and Guards all have personnel directly under the headquarters of various organizations in Gyeonggi institutions, military academies, various group armies, corps, and provincial garrison headquarters, as well as local recruit training camps, etc.
Calculating this, the total strength of the three armies of the Chu Empire exceeds 1.3 million people.
This force is somewhat insufficient for the Chu Empire, which has no large-scale war and is still in the early stages of industrial development.
Moreover, more than half of these troops are second-class divisions with poor combat effectiveness and poor equipment.
Luo Zhixue is already preparing to reorganize the existing troops, and the focus of the reorganization is the second-class division.
The first-class divisions and cavalry divisions do not need to be changed for the time being. They are the core combat forces of the empire and are indispensable whether it is internal suppression or external wars.
However, from the perspective of controlling military expenditures, it is still necessary to change some Class A divisions that do not have combat readiness tasks from combat readiness status to standing readiness status, thereby reducing expenditures on auxiliary personnel.
The second-class division is the focus of rectification!
At present, the second-class divisions in the Dachu Empire have a large number of people and consume a lot of personnel, but their equipment is relatively poor, resulting in a relatively low combat effectiveness.
Except for a very small number of these second-class divisions that cooperate with the main forces on the northern front, most of the second-class divisions are still equipped with matchlocks, spears, old-style cotton armor, and not even many artillery pieces. Some of them use Some iron-cast artillery captured from the Ming army in the early years.
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Not to mention other things, at least the matchlocks must be changed to flintlock muskets. After replacing the flintlock muskets, they can be changed to the same organization as the first-class division, and they can better cooperate with the first-class division.
The production of flintlock guns has already increased. At the same time, due to continuous production, production costs have been diluted. At the same time, the technology has continued to improve, especially the bullet production technology of core components has achieved a relatively large breakthrough, and the cost has dropped significantly.
At present, the ex-factory price of a 2-year-old Type A-3 flintlock gun with the latest signal has been reduced to eighty-two-five yuan a piece. This price has dropped by half compared to the past.
And as most of the first-class divisions have been equipped with flintlock muskets, the subsequent production capacity of flintlock muskets can also be used to re-equip the second-class divisions.
For this reason, in mid-September, Luo Zhixue convened a group of senior generals from the Military Academy to discuss the reorganization of the second-class division.
At the meeting, Luo Zhixue did not speak much like the usual imperial meetings and just listened to the debates of the ministers. Instead, he elaborated his thoughts and opinions from the beginning.
"The focus of the reorganization of the second-class division is to replace the flintlock muskets and change the organization to the same organization as the first-class division."
"It is necessary to clarify the mission of the second-class division. The mission of the second-class division is to garrison the place, protect the territory and the people, and resist foreign enemies. When necessary, by supplementing soldiers, mules, horses, and equipment to cooperate with the first-class division in mobile operations."
"In the local garrison of the B Division, we must comprehensively consider the various conditions of the garrison area. Places with a larger population, places with important strategic positions, and places with local turmoil should be more deployed, while places with small populations and strategic locations are not important. In peaceful places, you can arrange less arrangements."
"In principle, the division designations of the B-class divisions will not be revoked for the time being. At that time, the number of personnel in each division will be appropriately increased or decreased!"
"We must not only control the number of troops and reduce expenditures, but also ensure that combat effectiveness does not decrease but increases!"
"The task is very heavy, but I still hope that you will use your full energy to do this well!"
Luo Zhixue was the first to express his position. Everything else was a common opinion, but the fact that the number was not revoked was special.
As for the fact that the designation is not revoked, it actually has nothing to do with disarmament or anything like that. Not revoking the designation does not mean that the military strength will not be reduced...
The strength of a second-class division is inherently very humane. A division with 12,300 troops is a second-class division, and a division with 4,000 or 5,000 troops is also a first-class division.
These second-class divisions were originally used to place generals and officers with insufficient abilities in the early stage. Without so many establishments, they could not be arranged. According to Luo Zhixue's plan, they should work in the second-class divisions for a few years to make a transition, and then retire from active service as normal. Reserve service will avoid causing unrest in people's hearts.
When this group of people has almost retired, then we can reduce the number of second-class divisions through mergers, downsizing, etc. The eighty-odd second-class divisions have too many numbers, so we have to cut out twenty or thirty second-class divisions. Just wait for the division number.
Luo Zhixue finalized the general direction, and the Military Academy quickly came up with a detailed reorganization plan for the second-class divisions, preparing to gradually reorganize and reorganize the second-class divisions.
The theoretical establishment of the reorganized B Division will be consistent with that of the A Division, but in actual establishment, it will be downsized, retaining only part of the infantry and the backbone of technical arms and a small number of mules and horses.
In order to achieve the purpose of reducing part of the force while increasing combat effectiveness.
