Chongzhen Ming Dynasty: Starting from Meishan Chapter 458 Infantry v Cavalry
Almost as soon as the Ming army cavalry set up the hollow square formation, the black Jiannu cavalry swept in from all directions on the "prairie". The scene was really overwhelming.
However, the soldiers of the Ming army who had already formed a formation were still not panicked at all.
The entire hollow phalanx was silent, except for the war horses snoring from time to time.
The cavalry officers were in a tight formation. The cavalry in the front row placed their flintlock muskets on the saddles that served as protective walls. The cavalrymen in the second and third rows held their flintlock muskets vertically on their chests, with their sharp bayonets already sheathed.
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Hu Guozhu and hundreds of Qinwang scholars also put away their swords and drew short blunderbuss.
Seeing that the Ming army's cavalry had set up a strange formation, the Eight Banners Manchuria and Eight Banners Mongolia cavalry who rushed to the battlefield were not in a hurry to attack, even though the Ming army's formation looked vulnerable.
After a while, the Eight Banners of Manchuria due north suddenly split their formation from the middle.
Immediately, a group of white-colored cotton-padded armor with red edges, and white-flaged bagaras with long tassels, spears, and bowls on their heads walked in from the crack, and the leader was Duduo.
"Slave meets Master."
"Slave, please see the Ten Kings."
"I will see you, Your Majesty."
Oboi and other Manchu generals as well as Mongolian generals from the Eight Banners came forward one after another to pay tribute.
"No need." Duduo waved his hand and turned his eyes to the Ming army formation in front, "What formation is this? The circular formation does not look like the circular formation, the square formation does not look like the square formation, and the fish scale formation does not seem to be either.
This is what it looks like.”
Both circular and square formations are good defensive formations and can effectively resist the impact of cavalry.
However, both the circular and square formations were solid and required spearmen, but the Ming army did not have spearmen.
No one could answer Duduo. Even Duduo, who had been familiar with the Three Kingdoms since childhood, didn't know what the formation of the Ming army was. It was even less likely for these Manchu generals and Mongolian generals who didn't know a few Chinese characters to know.
"What a pity." Duduo sighed suddenly, but it was a pity that he did not bring the red cannon.
If there is a red cannon, just set up the cannon and fire a few shots at the Ming army's infantry formation, and that's it.
But now, they can only send cavalry to charge. However, Duduo believes that the Ming cavalry cannot withstand a few charges. How can it be possible to withstand the impact of the cavalry with only the short sword attached to the self-generated fire gun?
Duduo's eyes immediately swept over Baiyintu, Aobai and other Manchu generals.
Duduo's first reaction was to use the cavalry with the two yellow flags as cannon fodder to first consume the Ming army's energy and ammunition. After the Ming army's ammunition and energy were almost consumed, he would let the white flags pick the fruits of victory.
But in the end, Duduo still suppressed this impulse forcibly. The generals of the two yellow flags, such as Obai, Sony, etc., had already publicly surrendered to him, so there was no need to kill them all.
Let him let go of the grudge between the two white flags and the two yellow flags.
Now Duduo turned his attention to the Eight Banners Mongolian generals.
In fact, it is a luxury to use the Eight Banners Mongolia as consumables. The best consumable soldiers are the Green Battalion. Unfortunately, all the Green Battalion soldiers are infantry, and the most elite Green Battalion soldiers have been transferred to Dagukou.
The outer vassal Mongolia is also a good consumable, but it is too far away.
Therefore, we can only use the Eight Banners Mongolia to consume the Ming army's vigor and ammunition.
"Zhamusuo." Duduo's eyes finally fell on the Zhenhuang Banner Mongolian Gushan Ezhen Zhamusuo, "First, half of your Zhenghuang Banner Mongolian faction, Niulu, will attack the Ming army head-on."
Duduo still wanted to try whether it was possible to attack the Ming army's formation from the front.
Because the efficiency of attacking from the front is the highest, once successful, the Ming army cavalry will directly become lambs to be slaughtered.
The reason why only half a Niulu cavalry team was sent was because the front width of the Ming army's infantry array was so small that it could only accommodate half a Niulu 150 cavalry at most, and any more would not allow them to stand.
The long side of the Ming Army's hollow square formation was only 300 meters.
The distance is 300 meters and it is a bit crowded to accommodate 150 riders.
"Hey!" Zamusuo immediately ordered 150 cavalry and attacked the Ming army's infantry array from the north.
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Hu Guozhu saw through Jiannu's intention at a glance.
Moreover, Hu Guozhu soon came up with an idea to create slaves.
"All of them are here. The Jiannu cavalry will start shooting as soon as they enter a hundred steps."
Hu Guozhu held a short musket and walked back and forth behind the array due north, while giving an order: "But before the Jiannu cavalry has entered thirty steps, aim at Jiannu. Don't hit the horses, don't hit the horses! Don't hit the horses!"
Hu Guozhu emphasized three times not to hit horses. The cavalry officers were very confused. Didn't they hit horses when they were far away before, and hit people when they were close? Why was it the other way around this time?
But no one questioned it.
Because all the cavalry officers came from the New Army.
All the officers and soldiers of the new army have been trained into robots by Prince Qin.
After emphasizing three times not to shoot the horses, Hu Guozhu then shouted: "It is not allowed to hit the horses until the Jiannu cavalry comes within thirty steps, which is the second round of shooting."
"When there are only a small number of slaves left, no more fire is allowed. Use bayonets to kill them."
While talking, the Jiannu cavalry had already entered within a hundred steps and spread out towards the two wings. The 150 cavalry almost covered the Ming army's infantry array.
Prince Qin, who was standing in the array, immediately gave the command: "First row, fight!"
"Boom, boom, boom!" was heard as the 900 cavalrymen in the first row opened fire almost simultaneously.
"Second row, step up!" After firing the cannons, the first team immediately withdrew to the end, the second row quickly took over, and the third row stood in a ready-to-fire position.
Hu Guozhu looked up and saw that only a few of the Jiannu cavalry in front were dismounted.
The hit rate was less than one percent, but this was what Hu Guozhu had expected. When he shot the Jiannu cavalry hiding on horseback from a hundred steps away, the hit rate was almost the same.
The sound of hoofbeats surged like thunder, and the Jiannu cavalry quickly approached.
The speed of cavalry is still very fast. Even Mongolian horses can reach an average of more than ten meters per second, which is six to seven or even eight steps per second.
About four seconds later, when the second row of Ming troops stood in formation, the Jiannu cavalry had already entered within 70 steps.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Hit!" After another intensive burst of gunfire, this time more Jiannu fell from the horse than before, enough
More than ten riders fell off their horses.
After another four seconds, the Jiannu cavalry came within forty steps.
The third platoon of Ming troops took over and opened fire. This time, more Jiannu fell from their horses, more than twenty of them fell from their horses.
By this time, Jiannu's casualties were close to 30%, but the remaining over one hundred Jiannu cavalry, instead of slowing down at all, began their final sprint.
And just at a distance of forty steps, Jiannu fired the first wave of heavy arrows.
At a distance of forty steps, it was already within the effective shooting range of the large bow.
Along with the sound of "xiuxiu" breaking through the air, more than a hundred heavy arrows roared towards the place.
It must be admitted that Jiannu's riding and shooting skills are really good. Even on the back of a horse running at high speed, even from forty steps away, he can still hit more than half of the target.
However, most of the heavy arrows only hit the torso of the Ming cavalry.
Although it penetrated the outer cotton armor, it did not penetrate the inner iron lining.
Only two cavalrymen were shot in the face and fell to the ground dead on the spot.
After another four seconds, the first platoon of Ming soldiers loaded their ammunition and came up again.
At this time, the Jiannu cavalry had already rushed within ten steps, almost as close as Chi Chi.
Hu Guozhu estimated the speed of Jiannu's cavalry and the reloading speed of the Ming army's cavalry to the extreme. After reloading their ammunition and returning to the protective wall, the first row of Ming soldiers decisively pointed their guns at Jiannu's horses.
Ten steps away and a target as big as a war horse, you can hit it with your eyes closed.
"Boom!" Another burst of intensive gunfire sounds sounded, and the Jiannu cavalry instantly fell on their backs.
Amidst the tragic hissing, nearly a hundred Jiannu cavalrymen fell onto the grass almost at the same time. The Jiannu cavalry on horseback were also heavily thrown to the ground. Some were directly pressed under them by the horses, and some were pressed against them.
They slid far away on the grass, almost directly in front of the Ming army's formation, but most of them were smashed to pieces.
Only less than ten horsemen and slaves escaped by chance.
However, these Jiannu cavalry still did not stop.
Instead, he continued to advance on his horse and launched a charge without fear of death.
Then, before the second row of Ming troops could take over, they rushed to the hollow square formation.
It was too late, but it was too late. The Jiannu cavalry tried their best to lift the reins of their horses, and the men and horses jumped into the air. They actually jumped over the horse guard wall set up by the Ming army cavalry in front of the formation, and fell into the hollow square formation of the Ming army.
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However, it is of no use, and entering the hollow square is a death.
Hu Guozhu and a dozen Qinwang scholars were already waiting for them.
There was a dense sound of muskets, and the last few slaves were shot and fell from their horses.
There are only six or seven horses left that have lost their owners and don't know where to run?
The second row of Ming soldiers who had just replaced them were not idle either. Instead, they pointed their guns at the Jiannu cavalry who had just climbed up from the grass and called them one by one.
Gunshots were fired continuously, and the last few dozen Jiannu cavalry were also shot dead.
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Seeing that the last few dozen Mongolian cavalry were shot dead by the Ming army, Duduo was not angry but happy.
Although the attack of the Eight Banners Mongolia failed just now, it proved one thing, that is, the Eight Banners Mongolia had every chance to rush to the Ming army's formation.
Although the cost is higher, most of the cavalry rushing in front will be killed, but the cavalry following behind have a chance to directly overwhelm the Ming army's infantry array.
"Zhamsuo, Tengisi!"
Two Mongolian generals came out in response.
Duduo pointed his riding whip forward and shouted sternly: "I order each of you to lead two Niulu cavalry to attack the Ming infantry array from the north and south at the same time!"
"We must overwhelm the Ming army's array in one fell swoop!"
"Hey!" Zhamusuo and Tengjisi agreed loudly.
Then the two of them ordered two Niu Lu's cavalry.
The two men formed their charge formation in the shortest possible time.
Four Niulu with 1,200 cavalry were divided into eight cavalry columns, four in the north and south.
After reorganizing the cavalry formation, Zamusuo and Teng Jisi simultaneously drew their sabers and led them forward. 1,200 Mongolian cavalry charged at the Ming infantry array from the north and south directions at the same time.
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Seeing that Jiannu directly dispatched thousands of cavalry to charge, Hu Guozhu was not surprised but overjoyed.
Although he had only destroyed half of Jiannu's cavalry just now, through the exchange of fire just now, Hu Guozhu had completely believed what Chongzhen had told them before.
Infantry equipped with flintlocks are enough to defeat cavalry head-on!
"All of them!" Hu Guozhu raised his short musket and shouted loudly, "Wait until Jian Nu comes within fifty steps before firing. Give priority to the horses, give priority to the horses, give priority to the horses!"
It was also emphasized three times that horse hunting should be given priority.
But this time you can't fire until you're within fifty steps.
Prince Qin's disciples distributed around the hollow square followed the message.
The cavalry soldiers in formation still had no expression or any reaction.
The sound of hooves was like thunder, and the sound was far greater than the wave just now, but the Ming army soldiers still had no expression on their faces. They were like a group of emotionless robots. Well, they were indeed evolving into killing machines.
In the blink of an eye, the Jiannu cavalry had already entered within fifty steps. Of course, this was only an estimate.
"First row, fight!" Hu Guozhu pulled the trigger without hesitation, but he was just firing a gun at the sky.
"Bang!" The sound of the gunshot was an order, and the first rows of Ming soldiers in the north and south directions of the array pulled the triggers one after another.
"Bang bang bang!" There was a dense sound of gunfire, and the Jiannu who were charging from the north and the south were instantly overturned. At least more than a hundred Jiannu war horses fell to the ground.
This time the hit rate is nearly 50%.
Hu Guozhu nodded slightly, which was pretty much what he expected.
"Second row, fight!" Following Qin Wang Shizi's command, 900 Ming troops from the second row in the north and south directions quickly stepped forward and pulled the trigger.
At this time, the Jiannu cavalry had already approached within forty steps.
This speed is much slower than the half-niu record in the first wave just now.
The reason is also very simple. The fallen cavalry hindered the entire cavalry formation.
"Bang bang bang!" There was another intensive sound of gunfire, and this time more Jiannu cavalry fell. More than two hundred Jiannu war horses fell to the ground in response.
In this instant, the newly replenished front row of cavalry was almost completely wiped out.
Because there are more fallen cavalry, the impact on the cavalry formation is greater.
So when the third platoon of Ming troops came up to replace them, the Jiannu cavalry had just entered thirty steps.
"Bang bang bang!" Another intensive burst of gunfire sounded, and now the three hundred Jiannu war horses rushing in front fell to the ground almost at the same time, and many cavalrymen in the second row also fell to the ground.
This was actually a saturation shooting for the Ming army. They had 900 flintlock muskets, but they could only hit 150 horses. On average, each horse had to face the concentrated fire of six flintlock muskets, and it was difficult to miss.
The three hundred Mongolian cavalry in the front row fell to the ground almost at the same time.
This disrupted the entire cavalry formation behind them.
After the first platoon of Ming troops reloaded their ammunition and took over, the following Jiannu cavalry had just reorganized their formation, and before they had time to launch a charge, they were hit by another dense rain of bullets.
"Xilulu!" The mournful neighing of the war horses suddenly echoed.
Another three hundred war horses fell to the ground almost at the same time.
At this time, more than 600 war horses had been shot.
Moreover, the bodies of the war horses also caused serious obstacles to the following cavalry.
The Jiannu cavalry that followed had to stop and stood there stunned.
