With the sound of horns and brass whistles, the hussars began to move.
Is there a process?
Of course that's good, but it doesn't mean that process can represent everything and rule everything.
Everything needs to be based on reality, stick to the process and use the process to block people. In fact, it will inevitably fall into the category of dogmatism.
And what's very interesting is that most people in Shandong know that the so-called process is actually used to hinder their own people.
Once you meet an outsider, all the so-called processes will automatically fail.
Regardless of the ordinary people in Shandong, they are obsessed with rules and procedures, but once they encounter people outside who do not abide by the rules and procedures, they have no way to deal with them, and even stop their own people who abide by the rules and procedures.
People, go and show humility to outsiders who don’t abide by the rules and procedures...
The reason is that it is a country of etiquette and humility.
In fact, if you can't control those who don't follow the rules and procedures, don't you have to control the rest who follow the rules?
According to the procedure, it is not time to eat.
Therefore, these soldiers of Cao's army had to work hard with empty stomachs.
However, under the urging of the officers, they still took action, pointing their swords and guns at the hussars and preparing for battle.
Cao Hong's original wound had somewhat recovered, but this time the battle caused the wound to burst again, and blood flowed down his legs and feet.
The guards could only re-apply herbs to Cao Hong, and then use straps to restrain him tightly.
"Xu Chu, Xu Zhongkang!"
Cao Hong said a few words from between his teeth.
Although Cao Hong hated Xu Chu very much, and saw his enemy right in front of him, he also had an expectation of revenge, but when he saw the chaos of his own soldiers on the front line, his heart continued to sink. These soldiers he brought,
It is already considered very good, and it belongs to the elite ranks of Cao's army. At least when facing the hussars, they did not think about turning in immediately, but when compared with each other, there is still a big gap.
This is a problem in Shandong as a whole and cannot be changed by Cao Hong alone.
Yes, everyone in Shandong said so, so since Liu Xiu established the capital in Shandong, the Han Dynasty has not changed much, but has gone back to the old path.
Regardless of whether Xin Mang was a time traveler or not, during Xin Mang, he made some perhaps impatient and inappropriate reforms based on some of the social and national ills at that time. From this point of view, Wang Mang was indeed too impatient. If
If his method is gentler or slower, the result may be different.
However, the big man has no if.
Just like Cao Hong now, there is no what if.
He took the risk to fight, carrying the pain that had not yet healed, not for what-ifs, but for the ultimate victory.
For the victory that Cao Hong hopes for!
From a certain perspective, this is Cao Hong's psychological sunk cost. He has paid too much for Cao's success, so he does not allow and is unwilling to accept Cao's failure, even if Cao Cao tells him about this failure.
It was not a big deal, but Cao Hong still felt uncomfortable in his heart.
Therefore, after Zhang Tiansheng's attempt to recapture Suoyang Pass failed, Cao Hong and Cao Cao proposed a wave of "siege and reinforcements"...
It's great if it succeeds, and it won't be a big problem if it fails.
However, Cao Hong still believed that he could succeed!
Facing failure, the pain in my heart far exceeds the physical pain!
The more Cao Hong thought about it, the angrier he became. He suddenly threw the bag in his hand on the ground and roared loudly: "Man! You will die if you die! How can you beg for a meal! I will do this today! Fight to the death with you all! Let this happen."
The thieves in Guanzhong also know that I, a big man, have my mighty warriors and heroic spirit!"
How can a real man be so humble just for a meal?
In addition to meals, there are also poems and distant places!
Isn't it?
The surrounding soldiers of Cao's army looked at each other and could only hold their weapons and follow Cao Hong forward.
Cao Hong's guard on the side also quickly bent down to pick up the bag on the ground, wiped the dust randomly, then quickened his pace and walked a few steps to catch up with Cao Hong.
…
…
Cavalry versus infantry array.
Before the advent of thermal weapons, this was not a simple matter.
The cavalry has an advantage over the infantry, but it may not have an overwhelming advantage against the infantry array, especially after Cao Jun has laid out corresponding defenses.
Life and death are undoubtedly the most powerful driving force for the evolution of war.
Cao Jun suffered losses and quickly made corresponding improvements in defense.
The speed of this change far exceeds the timeliness of ordinary affairs in Shandong.
At first, Cao Jun thought that the hussars were all lancers similar to those of the early Hu people. At most, they were melee lancers with reinforced armor. As long as they were not overwhelmed, they could fight in a real confrontation. After all,
When the Han Dynasty first fought against the Xiongnu, wasn't this the same way?
But when Fei Qian came to Xu County for the first time, Cao Jun discovered that it was wrong to simply use "enhanced version of Hu cavalry" to describe the Hussars. The closed dock originally used to deal with Hu cavalry,
The defensive method of tightening the suspension bridge and huddled in the city disappeared together with the smoke of gunpowder.
So Cao Jun quickly developed a method of using mud, sand and stones to block the city gates. The main purpose was to strengthen the defensive power of the turtle shell. However, Shandong discovered that the hussars had evolved again, with catapults, kerosene bombs and other lethal weapons appearing.
A sexual weapon, a simple turtle shell, cannot resist both physical and magical damage...
All kinds of things.
Every time Guanzhong makes progress, Shandong, whether it actively wants to improve or reacts passively, must keep up, otherwise it will be beaten badly.
The archer cavalry tactics shown last time also caused Cao Jun to suffer a big loss, so now in front of Cao Jun's position, even when the light at dawn is not very good, Xu Chu can see some large and small things on the ground, like
Pockmarked black spots.
That's a horse trap.
Specializes in trapping horses' legs.
Aren't horse archers required to fire fast and strong bows at close range? Nowadays, all "close range" cavalry have dug horse traps like this.
It's not impossible for Xu Chu to really make people rush up, but he definitely won't be able to run like before.
Once the cavalry's running speed cannot increase, the damage they will suffer will definitely be greater.
This is obviously not what Xu Chu wants, but if we continue to use the old traditional cavalry tactics...
Turning in front of the formation, feinting on the flanks, pulling the formation, scattering the enemy troops, etc., are all common methods used by cavalry to deal with infantry formations equipped with long spears, halberds, and strong shields and trenches.
However, Xu Chu was also unwilling to use these tactics because it would be slower.
Slow means giving the opponent more time to prepare and react, which also means a reduction in the survival probability of other hussar soldiers in Suoyang Pass.
The reason why you are slow before a battle is because you have to prepare, adjust your formation, and restore and reserve your physical strength and horsepower. But once the battle begins, you cannot be slow. You have to defeat the enemy formation quickly and effectively like thunder. Only in this way can you show your best performance.
The strength of the Hussars made Cao Jun lose the confidence and courage to resist.
Xu Chu summoned Li Li and asked, "Cao Jun's infantry formation, how to defeat it?"
"The previous method obviously didn't work. I'm also thinking about how to fight..." Li Li squinted his eyes and asked, "What do you mean, general?"
Xu Chu nodded and looked at Cao Jun's formation in the distance, "Cao Jun's defense here is to lure you and me into the formation."
Li Li turned his head and looked in the direction of Zhongtiao Mountain Camp, "Haha, that's interesting. We used Suoyang Pass to fish out Cao Jun, and Cao Jun also used this idea to fish us! It's really... haha!"
Xu Chu also smiled, then pointed at Cao Jun's infantry array, "Let's test its quality first. Although it seems that the array is neat now, I still have to give it a try!"
Li Li asked: "Should we use bows and arrows?"
"No." Xu Chu waved his hand and pointed at some Hu cavalry in the ranks of the troops, "Let them use throwing ropes."
"Throwing a rope?" Li Li thought for a moment and then he understood, "Throw a grenade with a throwing rope?"
Xu Chu nodded, "If the formation is in chaos, you can break in. However, you still need to be careful. Since there are traps in front of the formation, there are probably traps in the formation as well."
Li Li accepted the order and went down to prepare.
The horn and brass whistle were blown again, and this time it seemed more urgent and powerful, seeming to indicate something...
…
There is no such clear boundary between offense and defense.
Cao Hong's attack on Suoyang Pass was an attack, but in the blink of an eye it was a defense.
As soon as the battle started, Cao Jun discovered that some new changes had taken place in the hussars.
Although Cao Hong did not completely capture the Suoyang Pass, Cao Hong and others were suppressed in the small stone fort. The narrow doorway and stairs at the entrance of the stone fort meant that it was difficult for Cao's army to attack, and it was equally difficult for Cao Hong and others to break out, so it was also difficult for Cao Hong to break out.
It's almost like having no worries.
But even if Cao Jun focused all his attention on facing the hussars, it would be difficult to resist the flexible and changeable tactical system of the hussars, and he was even a little tired of dealing with it!
With a glimmer of dawn on the horizon, Li Li led eight hundred cavalry and rushed to Cao Jun's position.
"Steady! Steady!"
The military academy in Cao's army line shouted.
Cao's archers had to wait for the opponent to get within fifty steps before they could have greater direct lethality. Although ordinary projectiles could reach a hundred steps away, for cavalry covered with armor and wearing horse clothes, the lethality was very low.
It's actually pretty average.
Conversely, the same is true for cavalry. Running and shooting looks cool, but its lethality against armored units is also not very good.
More importantly, neither side relies on the base camp for combat, and the number of arrows they carry is limited.
Cao's army will have more, but the Hussars basically only have two bags of arrows, sixty arrows.
If you just throw it at a rapid rate, even with a slow hand, you can shoot more than a dozen arrows in one minute, and then you can shoot out all the arrows you carry within a few minutes.
Then it was like Zhang Tiansheng won...
Therefore, in the initial stage of both sides, sporadic arrows were not intended to kill or injure each other, but to confirm the distance.
Li Li led the cavalry in the front.
He and his cavalrymen all leaned forward slightly, lowered their waists, and relied on their waist and leg strength to sit on the horse at a distance.
Somewhat similar to standing on horseback.
It is not a static horse stride, but a dynamic horse stride that follows the ups and downs of the war horse.
This can maintain a relatively stable upper body on horseback, which is conducive to weapon control.
Every time Cao Hong saw such cavalry, he would feel a pain in his heart.
Because there used to be such troops among the Cao family, and the number was not large. But in the Battle of Hedong, such troops were consumed a little on the left and a little damaged on the right. Now, those who can ride a horse and run without falling off are already
It can be used as a cavalry.
If Cao Jun could get more war horses...
Before Cao Hong could finish recalling, the hussars and horses had already launched an attack.
To Cao Hong's surprise, this time the hussars and horses did not try to get within 20 steps of the infantry formation!
But it only started to spread out and turn around after fifty steps!
this……
How is this so fat?!
The last time Cao's infantry formation was destroyed by the hussars in one round, it was because the hussars showed the power of the archers' armor-piercing heavy arrows at extremely close range. At a distance of about ten steps,
Whether the infantry is a spear or
Neither the halberd nor the hussars could harm the hussars, and Cao's archers in the middle and rear of the infantry line were blocked from shooting angles by their own soldiers, so they were unable to fight back at long or short range, and could only be passive.
Got beaten!
After learning from the experience, Cao Hong and others worked out how to counter the Hussars' tactics.
The best way is of course the Lancers.
It's a pity that Cao Jun didn't have it.
So we could only study how to use infantry to restrain the cavalry tactics of hussars, so the Battle of Suoyang Pass came about.
In terms of combat deployment, Cao Jun found a slightly sloping mound, which allowed the archers in the rear to gain a certain height difference and some shooting angles.
Of course, the best way is for the infantry to line up at the intersection, and the archers to be on the high ground on both sides, so that they can freely and safely pour out long-range firepower. However, this kind of terrain is generally hard to come by, so most of the time you just need to find a place with a
The height difference is already pretty good.
In addition, there is another condition: the hussars must take the initiative to attack!
This is even harder than finding a suitable terrain.
But at Suoyang Pass, it seems that such conditions can be achieved reluctantly...
Cao Jun's reaction speed was not slow. Seeing that the hussars did not seem to have the intention to move forward, although it was not clear why the hussars did this, they instinctively knew that they could not let the hussars complete various tactical changes so calmly.
Then the military academy of Cao Jun shouted loudly: "Archers! All of them! Gale! Gale!"
After giving the order, Cao Jun's archers got busy.
"aim!"
"Everyone has it, ten rounds of rapid fire!"
"Wind! Strong wind!"
Amidst the sound of bow strings, arrows and crossbow bolts roared out, passed over the heads of the large shields and spears in the front row, and rushed towards the hussars.
The archers of Cao's army used short bows.
To a certain extent, it can be roughly regarded as the entertainment bow and arrow of later generations.
The biggest advantage of this short bow is that it is cheap.
But the result is a reduction in shooting distance and power.
A short bow's arrows are comparable to pistol bullets within fifty steps. The closer the distance, the greater the power. However, once it exceeds fifty steps, the kinetic energy decays very much, so there is a saying that it cannot penetrate Lu's silk.
Even the damage caused by projectiles is due to the smaller weight of the arrows of short bows, so the lethality cannot be compared to that of long bows with longer arrows or heavier arrows.
The hussars were really stuck on the edge of the maximum lethality of the short bows of Cao's archers.
The reason why the card can be so accurate is that the hussars are basically good players with bows and arrows. Naturally, they are very clear about the distance control of bows and arrows. However, the hussars also did not expect that Cao Jun not only led ordinary marching troops.
Short-stepping bows, long bows, and powerful crossbows!
Longbows not only take longer to make, but also cost more.
It often takes more than a year to make a longbow, and the isinglass wood also requires relatively high quality.
The cost of making one long bow can often be used to make three short bows, or even if it is a little cheaper, four or five short bows can be made.
Short bows also reduce the need for arrow quality.
This kind of short bow, or relatively inferior ordnance, is the mainstream in Shandong. The reason is naturally that there are many people in Shandong...
As for strong crossbows, they require high-quality materials, special craftsmanship, assembly techniques, etc. Therefore, Cao's army has always had mostly short bows and fewer long bows, let alone large-scale strong crossbows.
But this time, the archery troops led by Cao Hong included many longbowmen and crossbowmen.
In the land of Shandong, during the war in the Central Plains, these things were not very useful, and naturally there was no need before. However, the Han Dynasty originally had powerful crossbows, and they developed well in the early stage.
After rummaging through boxes and cabinets, I found some items in stock.
In fact, the tactics used by Cao Hong cannot be regarded as the first ones by Cao Hong and others. As early as the early Han Dynasty, Li Ling, who was finally defeated and captured, used this tactic to restrain the Hu cavalry at that time. If the bows and arrows were not exhausted in the end, Li Ling would
It was unlikely that he could retreat to Han with most of his troops. At that time, Li Ling said with emotion, "I have recovered dozens of arrows, which is enough to escape."
Of course, this is not the "tens of arrows" of Li Ling alone, but the ammunition base of the entire army. In other words, under Li Ling's tactics at that time, if there were still two bases, it would be fifty or sixty arrows and crossbows.
The arrow is enough to break out.
Unlike later movies and TV shows where the Chuangzhang crossbow is thrown while lying on the ground buttocks backward, the Chuangzhang crossbow on the real battlefield is fired stably in a half-kneeling position on both sides of the array, closer to the front.
When facing short bows, a relatively safe distance of about fifty steps is considered. However, when facing long bows and powerful crossbows, it is relatively safe to maintain at least a hundred steps. Therefore, Cao Jun's short bows are basically at a distance of about a hundred steps.
It tickled the hussars, but the longbows and crossbows mixed in actually caused casualties to the hussars!
Cao Jun had not used it before, but now it was suddenly taken out, which naturally caused the hussars and horses to suffer a loss. As Cao Jun's long-range firepower poured out, some of the hussars and horses were shot and fell to the ground!
"Good!" When Cao Hong saw this, he was very happy, "Good shot! Good! Do you see it?! The hussars are not made of iron! They will die if they are shot!"
Cao's soldiers also cheered up.
However, before Cao's soldiers could cheer for shooting many hussars, the hussars attacked...
