Chapter three hundred and ninetieth potential change
In the corner of the car formation, blood shot into the sky.
Gunfire and arrows intersected, and three hundred Heshuote elite soldiers wearing strong armor surrounded more than a hundred surviving Chahar warriors, surging like a pack of wolves towards a corner of the military formation.
The armored cavalry leaped into the formation, breaking long poles with the bodies of war horses and even cavalry. The dismounted infantry behind them pulled chariots, broke sandbags, rushed into the formation with short soldiers to fight, and fired arrows one after another with infantry bows across the vehicle formations.
.
When the crimson frontier armor collided with the cold chainmail, a line composed of one hundred marshal's artillerymen sounded the sound of gold and stone.
Even though Liu Chengzong's order gave Yang Qi a moment of advance notice of the enemy's attack, this moment still made the battle-hardened Yang Qi put his heart in his throat.
In his long military career, he has experienced more dangerous situations than this, but at that time he was leading a regular infantry. Now he only has these 120 artillerymen without artillery, but he has to deal with hundreds of them.
Dismounted armored knights engage in close combat!
In the order of the Ming army, if the ability of archers in close combat is beyond the reach of ordinary soldiers, then the melee capabilities of musketeers and artillerymen are the floor tiles in the army.
Whenever you come into close contact with the enemy, it is basically a recipe for collapse at the first touch.
This has little to do with the quality of soldiers and training regulations, but with the type of service, because in at least two stages of their military career, they will be artificially selected to look like this.
First of all, at the beginning of recruiting troops, any general will teach students according to their aptitude. They will use bows and arrows when they are strong and use muskets when they are weak, to ensure the lethality of the shooters.
After the army has been short of food and pay for a long time, it will be distributed twice or even three times. The rules are still the same. Those who can use strong bows still use strong bows, and those who cannot use strong bows change firearms.
So when Yang Qi saw hundreds of cavalry charging through the smoke, he had already accepted the fact that the front line was broken through in front of him and he died a violent death.
There is nothing he can change in this battle.
He was only sent by the generalissimo to accompany the artillery. Although he had a high military rank, he was not a leading officer with actual duties. Even if he issued an order, the commander leading the troops on the front line did not need to listen.
In fact, he is just a staff officer who relies on military experience to help low-level frontline officers understand the orders of the Chinese army.
Even when fighting in battle, he cannot provide the combat power that a general should have. At least there are a dozen or even dozens of well-equipped guards around the full-time general, who can fill the gap as an elite team. He has no guards, so he is at best
A senior soldier.
And in the middle of the battle, he had nowhere to escape. His family members were still in Xining City, and they evacuated to the Chinese army's headquarters without permission. Liu Shizi was definitely going to chop him with a knife.
At the beginning of the war, these pros and cons had already been weighed in Yang Qi's mind, and in the end there were only four words to describe his mood: resigned to fate.
But on the first day of the battle, the expression of Yang Qi, who was holding a battle sword and preparing to supervise the battle, gradually changed... At first, the situation was the same as he imagined.
When the enemy troops rushed into the gap, dozens of long poles were broken by war horses. The artillery commander Bai Zong in front of the formation was immediately overturned by his spear. The battle flag belonging to Bai Zong was also destroyed, and the hastily assembled formation was subsequently defeated.
Chaos.
The front line then fell into melee.
But the collapse situation that Yang Qi expected did not occur. On the contrary, the artillerymen were much calmer than him.
Although the front line is retreating, the disrupted formation has been reorganized and layered in the melee of retreat.
The soldiers fighting on their own first looked for officers with small flags on their helmets during the fight. Yang Qi knew who those people were, brave and fire, but he never thought they were officers.
It was just the property that Liu Chengzong left to the army when he was a giant bandit in northern Shaanxi in his early years. In fact, it was no different from ordinary soldiers, and even the cooks were mixed in.
But the soldiers relied on them and spontaneously formed more than twenty teams of two, three, or even four or five people. People may not have been subordinate to each other before, but at this moment they spontaneously completed the reorganization of the superior and subordinate systems of the military.
A few brave leaders stopped retreating when they had one or two soldiers by their side and tried to stabilize the line. However, the enemy surged into the tide and engulfed several bloody brave men in a blink of an eye, and the battle line continued to advance backward.
However, the brave warriors' risking their lives in the battle was not in vain. The fire chief and the commander had completed the organization behind them and laid out a second, more solid front.
The most important thing is that a team leader named Sun Sanliu took over from General Bai who died in the battle. He led several of the team's commanders holding drums and trumpets and eight leaders carrying guns on their shoulders to retreat in front of Yang Qi. The sound of small drums sounded again on the front line, and guns were raised.
Loading.
Only then did Yang Qi realize that although Liu Chengzong's car camp was only a temporary construction and its combat effectiveness was far inferior to the Ming Army's standard car camp, the artillerymen of the Marshal's Mansion seemed to be particularly proficient in close combat.
The high fighting spirit of the grassroots soldiers gave him reassurance that as long as it didn't collapse at the first touch, the battle could still be fought.
Yang Qi, who was excited, looked around the battlefield. It didn't matter if he didn't look at it. When he saw that the friendly forces on the left and right flanks close to the artillery position had sent two teams to support him, he was so frightened that the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He quickly opened his hands and shouted: "
Everyone returns to their own formation, no support!"
Yang Qi knew that the artillery position was very dangerous. Even if these hundreds of soldiers risked their lives, they might not be able to stop the oncoming enemy troops.
If he is not careful, the enemy troops will break through the formation from the southeast corner of the camp, which is directly related to his wealth and life.
But even so, the defenders arrayed on both sides cannot come to support, because the width of the artillery position is not large. Even if the enemy attacks, there will only be more than a hundred people fighting at the same time.
As long as this gap can be withstood, even if a corner is cut off, the entire vehicle formation will not be affected.
Breaking the formation is a process of tearing up gaps. Since it is a process, it will not stop. There are only successful or unsuccessful results.
When the southeast corner is breached, the gap will expand to the east and south defense lines. Enemy soldiers who cannot fill the front line will expand the width of the front line, and the pressure will then spread to both sides.
It’s easy to mend one hole, but there are holes everywhere...but it can’t be mended.
Therefore, Yang Qi knew very well that at this time, he could only wait for the Chinese reinforcements sent by Liu Chengzong behind him, and could never draw soldiers from both sides.
However, the reinforcements and troops in the car camp are stretched thin. Now they are attacked on three sides. I am afraid that the Chinese army commander will not be able to send reinforcements to the artillery positions.
It's a matter of life and death. Whether we can break the situation depends on the cavalry outside.
As soon as he thought about the reinforcements, a messenger came from the rear. Yang Qi was full of expectations. Unexpectedly, the messenger came to tell him to be careful of the enemy troops charging into the formation from the smoke.
What kind of bullshit timeliness is this!
"Although Yang Qi is a defeated general, he can still understand military music. By the time you come over, we will all be dead!"
After saying this, Yang Qi held his battle sword and said to the ordering soldier: "Ask the commander to send me ten guards. The battle situation is not good, and Yang can also take the lead. Go quickly!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Qi inadvertently looked back in the direction of the commander's tent and saw white smoke rising there. This reminded him of the night when he was surrounded, when Liu Chengzong released those cries of ghosts and howls of wolves outside the military formation. p>
He thought to himself what was going on, the generalissimo had to ask the wizard to do a trick before fighting to the death?
The first ordering soldier had just got on his horse, and the second ordering soldier had already arrived. He dismounted and handed over a bundle of rockets. He cupped his fists and said, "General Yang, the handsome man asked you, how long can the artillery be carried? The handsome man also said, can't it be carried?"
Just fire rockets and retreat in formation. The handsome man's guards can fight for a moment."
Yang Qi nodded and said: "Please report back to the commander. Mr. Bai has been killed. Sun Sanliu, the commander of the team, has led his troops to defend against the enemy. He should be able to hold on for a while. Let the commander pay more attention to the east and south sides... Smoke, what's going on?
”
"General, don't worry too much, the handsome man is angry."
Liu Shizi set up dozens of large pots in front of the commander's tent to stew meat sauce soup.
Once one side cannot hold on, his guards must wear cotton-padded clothes, thirty kilograms of chain mail, and forty kilograms of cloth-covered iron armor on the outside to fight. Even if they are not dead for a moment, the guards will be dead within an hour after returning.
Temporary reduction of staff.
You can’t do it without drinking some salty soup.
Liu Chengzong did not pay too much attention to the artillery position in the southeast corner, because both sides of the military formation were very critical. Although it was still in the shooting stage, the surrounding Heshuote army would send cavalry to attack from time to time, so he did not dare to take it lightly.<
/p>
Anyone with a discerning eye can see that those cavalry teams just took advantage of the gap in firepower to make a fake impact, but no one can guarantee that the next time it will be a fake impact, maybe it will be a real collision.
What's more important is the Heshuo special horse team that detoured to the south.
What worried Liu Chengzu the most happened. It was indeed the surprise troops sent by General Oirat. They had no intention of charging into the formation. They stationed two miles away due to the south of the formation, like an eagle ready to attack.
Wei Qian'er, who was stationed outside the formation in the west, wanted to lead his cavalry to drive him away, but Liu Chengzong called him back with a flag.
Rather than letting Wei Qian'er expel them, Liu Chengzong hoped to bear the risk and keep a trump card in his hand.
If Wei Qian'er drives the enemy cavalry far away and encounters an unexpected situation, Liu Chengzong will have nothing in his hands.
Therefore, the battlefield was being fought in full swing. On the west and south sides, there was a Han and Mongolian horse team stationed to watch the show, staring at each other motionless from a distance of two or three miles.
As the dismounted cavalry charged deeper and deeper into the formation, the following troop of thousands of herders also crashed into the southeast of Liu Chengzong's camp.
It's just that this time they advanced in a large column. After the forwards caught up with the elite troops, the follow-up troops spread out directly to both sides, threatening not only the artillery positions, but also wrapping up the east side of the southern formation and the south side of the east formation, trying to widen the gap.
.
However, it was difficult for their elite vanguard to go deeper into the position, because the artillerymen raised their guns to complete the loading. However, from time to time, terrifying gunshots were heard from the twenty-step wide gap, filling the elite Heshuote vanguards who were wearing heavy armor and moving forward with panic.
.
The guard named Sun Sanliu played a very sinister role in carrying the gun.
This artillery centurion was equipped with ten muskets. After the initial melee, only eight commanders with muskets retreated to the formation to load ammunition. The loaded muskets were fired on people's shoulders at first, but Sun Sanliu
Found that the effect is not good.
Originally, this crowded situation and the close distance should be the most suitable battlefield for wielding a gun. However, these elite Heshuo soldiers are all wearing mail armor and four-mirror armor. It is difficult for them to shoot down four or five people with a gun.
According to the record, one shot can only knock down one person, and at most it can injure the person behind him.
Sun Sanliu was very dissatisfied with the result, so he decided to hit someone in the foot.
Although the artillery's three-row thin front line is at risk of being breached at any time, the depth of the three rows of soldiers is not as long as the gun. The gun is placed on the ground, and the gunners lie down behind the formation, just enough to stretch from the back to the front. p>
Batu Er Darhan, who was sent to the front of the battle by the Imperial Guard Khan, received a blow on his head. Under the protection of Bo Zhou, he was only a little dazed from the beating, so he withdrew about ten steps from the front line and was surrounded by his own soldiers.
Next, watch the soldiers break into the enemy formation.
Originally, the situation on the battlefield had already made him happy. This time he broke through the formation and rushed into the center of the enemy's army. After the battle, the national advisor Khan wanted to promote him to the rank of Wei Jing Darhan.
But at this moment, there were two bangs in front of the formation, one on the left and one on the right, shattering his dream.
There was a loud bang, gunpowder smoke floated up from the ground, and a gun was fired. Darhan didn't feel anything else. He only felt that his subordinates who were charging into the battle suddenly became thinner.
The biggest problem is that although they dismount and fight on foot, they are wearing cavalry armor, which results in their legs and feet not being well protected during foot fighting.
The same is true for the soldiers of the Marshal's Mansion, because there is a difference in the shape of the armor between walking and riding.
Infantry heavy armor is usually in the shape of a burqa and is lengthened to the feet. The top and bottom are integrated, which is called full armor. If it is not double-breasted, the lapel opening is on the right side, and the armor plates on both sides from the armpit to the crotch can be filled.
The heavy armor of the cavalry is divided into two pieces, the upper and lower pieces. The armor skirt is separated from the front and back, and the length is no more than three inches above the knee. The armor pieces under the ribs on both sides of the upper armor are also a few fewer than those of the infantry armor.
Because the cavalrymen squatted on the back of the horse with their knees bent, their armor skirts were too long and hindered their legs. When the armor plates were fully installed under the ribs, they would press up against the armpits and rub against the hips when riding, making it difficult to shorten the body.
This is why cavalry armor has crotch protectors, armpit protectors, waist protectors, hanging legs and other accessories.
The Heshuote heavy cavalry has crotch protectors, armpit protectors and waist protectors, but no hanging legs. Their armor itself does not consider much about dismounting and fighting on foot.
So much so that when he raised his gun, eight pellets were sprayed out in a small fan and swept down three sides of the attacking soldiers. The dozen or so people either knelt on the ground or rolled around on the ground holding their legs.
Then the artillerymen of the Han army who were pressed up were poking here and there with their long spears and feather knives. If they couldn't poke it, they used gourd hammers, avoided the large deck of the four-mirror armor, and came towards the place protected by the mail armor.
After a few moments, A was fine and the person was gone.
Before the elite warriors who were suddenly attacked could react, the battle line was pushed back a few steps. The people behind quickly pressed on again, but there were two more gunshots coming from under their feet.
Liu Chengzong in the rear didn't know Sun Sanliu's tactics, but he could see that the battle line of the southeast artillery position suddenly jumped forward twice.
This made him feel very relaxed. If the problem in the southeast was not big, then the only problem was the cavalry wandering outside. Now that the stragglers in the west formation had been wiped out, there were still two sides of his formation that were not used.<
/p>
"Tell Huang Shengxiao not to move the heavy artillery. Use the south side to exploit the weakness and lure the cavalry to attack."
Liu Shizi put on his armor as he spoke, and the guards beside him followed suit. He glanced eastward and said, "They should be tired. Let's kill the enemy for a while so that they can sleep well at night."
The order was conveyed to the south, and Huang Shengxiao immediately understood that the four hundred commanders on the left side of the southern horizontal formation were fighting the herdsmen attacking the artillery position.
Even so, Huang Shengxiao still dispatched three teams from the right wing to support Sun Sanliu in the artillery position.
As soon as his men moved, the situation immediately changed. The cavalry wandering outside became restless. Only because they were still threatened by Wei Qian'er, they reluctantly stayed where they were.
At this moment, they saw Wei Qian'er's cavalry suddenly running north in a hurry.
After a brief hesitation, this 3,000-sized cavalry team left 500 cavalry as a reserve, and the rest of the army swarmed to the south of the camp to support the siege on the entire battlefield.
The extraordinary troops left behind by the Imperial Guard Khan on the outside are no longer there.
What greeted them was Huang Shengxiao's twelve heavy cannons firing thousands of projectiles at a distance of a hundred paces, plowing the Gobi battlefield into dense cracks.
At the same time, Wei Qian'er and Zuo Guang's more than 4,000 cavalrymen marched around the formation from west to north, forming nearly a hundred assault formations, rushing like wolves towards the enemy troops in the north who were besieging the car formation. p>
More than a thousand defenders on the west side of the vehicle formation also got on their horses under the leadership of He Huchen and Han Shiyou, fought their way out of the formation, circled south, and attacked the enemy's flank in the south.
Offensive and defensive positions are easy.
Liu Chengzong stood in the formation neatly dressed in double-layered armor. The high-pitched suona and roaring war drums sounded from behind him at the same time. The four-sided chain of military formations collapsed from the west, like a giant red python entrenched in the Gobi.
Open your enemy's bloody mouth like a snake swallowing an elephant.