Jiannu's more than twenty red barbarian cannons took the lead in launching the bombardment.
However, it was of no use. It was almost impossible to see any Ming troops falling to the ground.
A simple calculation can be made. The width of the skirmish line of the Ming army's infantry exceeds 2,000 steps, and the minimum value is 3,200 meters. The maximum caliber of the Jiannu Hongyi cannon is 4 inches, which is 0.128 meters.
Therefore, the probability of being covered by a single cannonball is 4 in 10,000.
30 Hongyi cannons fired at the same time, with a coverage probability of 1.2%.
If there is such a small chance of getting shot, what else can you say besides blaming yourself for being lucky?
In short, the battle between the two armies will be affected by many factors, but probability is serious and objective and will not be affected by realistic factors.
This can be confirmed from Chongzhen's telescopic vision.
In the field of vision, Jiannu's artillery shells plowed trench after trench in the wilderness, but the Ming infantry who had opened a sparse dispersion line remained unharmed.
Of course, it's only temporarily okay.
As time goes by, as the distance between the two parties gets closer,
From a probability perspective, the possibility of the Ming army being shot will gradually increase.
Finally, a shrill scream came from a distance, and a Ming soldier was hit in the right foot by a ricochet, and his right foot was instantly shattered from the ankle down.
Ming Jun, who lost his right foot, screamed and fell to the ground.
The medical soldiers rushed forward with a stretcher to rescue people.
After entering five hundred steps, Jiannu's Fo Lang machine gun and Tiger Crouching Cannon fired one after another.
Now the number of Jiannu's artillery increased to a hundred, and the distance between the two sides was closer. The probability of Ming infantry being shot increased greatly, so one after another Ming soldiers were shot and fell to the ground.
Some were hit on the head or torso and died on the spot.
Some were hit in the arms or legs and fell to the ground injured.
But overall, the Ming army's casualties were still very small.
Moreover, the Ming army has already begun to sprint, preparing to cross this death zone in the shortest possible time.
As long as they rush to the slope protection of the gun platform, the Ming army infantry can use the slope protection to avoid Jiannu's artillery fire, and then they can lie on the slope protection and start shooting with Jiannu in the gun platform.
With the morale and combat effectiveness of both sides, Jiannu could not hold on for too long.
Regarding this judgment, Chongzhen was still extremely confident. The Eight Banners Han Army and the Green Camp did not have much combat effectiveness, at least far behind the Eight Banners Manchuria.
However, what happened next was far beyond Chongzhen's expectations.
After sprinting for more than a thousand steps, the Ming infantry finally broke into the slope protection outside Jiannu's gun platform. At this time, all the artillery of Jiannu had become a display, and even the squatting tiger artillery had become a blind chicken.
.
Because there is still no way to measure the parameters and calibrate Zhuyuan of Jiannu's Tiger Crouching Cannon.
Therefore, the infantry of the Ming army could calmly lie down behind the slope protection and start shooting with Jiannu.
The only disadvantage is that the Ming infantry must lie down, which is a little inconvenient when reloading bullets, but there is no inconvenience when shooting.
As a result, the Ming army and Jiannu began to shoot at each other across a trench fifty steps wide.
The two sides fought back and forth for several times, but the scene that Chongzhen and Xu Yingwei expected did not appear. The Eight Banners Han Army and the Green Camp in the camp showed no signs of collapse.
"How could this happen?" This was indeed beyond Chongzhen's expectations.
When did the Eight Banners Han Army and the Green Camp become so brave? Do they really think of themselves as their masters?
Seeing that the Eight Banners Han Army and the Green Camp troops in the camp did not collapse due to the approaching Ming Army, Xu Yingwei decisively organized six assault teams and launched an assault on the six peripheral guns.
So, the 180 Ming troops were divided into six groups. They put the flintlock rifles with bayonets on their shoulders, took the leggings thrown by their comrades and went down into the trench two feet deep, and pulled out an improved weapon from their waists.
A grenade with a long wooden handle, he pulled the fuse and quickly rushed towards the gun platform fifty steps away on the opposite side.
However, the trench was already filled with traps.
Crossbows, caltrops, and mines were fired one after another.
The Jian Nu who were guarding the cannon platform did not wait. They leaned forward and fired at the trench. They would rather be killed by the Ming army behind the opposite slope protection than to give priority to the Ming army infantry in the trench.
Obviously, the Jiannu also knew that the Ming army in the trenches was the greatest threat.
Under the trap of Jiannu and the desperate blocking of the musketeers, the 180 Ming troops in the six groups that attacked quickly suffered all casualties, and the first storm was defeated.
"This?" Zheng Sen was dumbfounded.
Is this still the Eighth Army and Han Army they are familiar with?
Is this still the green camp they are familiar with?
Is this thing faked by Eight Banners Manchuria?
At this moment, Gao Qiqian suddenly pointed his finger in front of him and screamed.
"Long live my Lord, look to the north, north! There seems to be something to the north?"
Chongzhen looked up and saw a faint black line faintly emerging on the northern horizon.
Seeing this scene, Chongzhen's heart suddenly sank. He hurriedly raised the telescope and pointed his field of view forward, and began to quickly adjust the focus of the telescope.
After a while, the view became clear.
Good guy, there is actually an army of slave builders coming with a mighty killing force.
The forwards of this slave-building army were all cavalry, numbering at least 20,000 to 30,000. Behind the cavalry there must have been infantry and even artillery, but they had been obscured by smoke and dust.
Needless to say, this is the arrival of the main force of Jiannu!
At this time, the Ming army's scout cavalry wandering around the periphery of the battlefield blew the bugle. Zheng Sen also quickly signed to Xu Yingwei below, and Xu Yingwei decisively issued a retreat order.
The attacking infantry brigade quickly withdrew.
The wounded in the trench were rescued.
But the remains of the fallen soldiers cannot be taken care of for the time being.
…
"Kongming Lantern!"
Looking at the huge red date-shaped object in the sky in front of him, Hong Chengchou's expression softened.
Still in time, we finally arrived before the Ming army captured the Weihekou camp. If we arrived half a day later and allowed the Ming army to capture the Weihekou camp first, the entire Weihe defense line would have lost its strongest defensive support.
If such an unfavorable situation really occurs, the entire war situation will deteriorate drastically.
But fortunately, such a situation did not happen, and the Eight Banners army arrived in time.
"Huh..." Hong Chengchou reined in his horse and shouted, "Send the order, the Eight Banner Mongolians will block the left and right wings, the infantry camp, and the chariot camp will form defensive formations on the spot, and then order the artillery battalion to step up and follow."
Hong Chengchou never thought about fighting a field battle with the Ming army.
However, if the Ming army abandoned its artillery and launched a sudden attack, Hong Chengchou would never mind fighting a field battle with the Ming army.
Therefore, Hong Chengchou did not rush to order the army to enter the pre-built gun platform, but ordered the army to deploy on the north bank of the Wei River, assuming a field battle posture with the Ming army.
Of course, if the Ming army moved back with cannons, Hong Chengchou would decisively order the Qing army to enter the gun platform. Only a fool would actually fight an upright field battle with the Ming army.
However, Hong Chengchou was not a fool, and the Ming army was even less so.
The Ming army did not abandon its artillery and launched a sudden attack on the Qing army.
Seeing that the Ming army was not fooled, Hong Chengchou had no choice but to give up.
"Send the order and each battalion will enter the cannon towers on both sides of the Wei River one by one."
"Lian Yong, who was originally stationed in the gun platform, withdrew immediately."
"And continue to repair more defensive guns in the upper reaches of the Wei River."
On both sides of the Wei River, in addition to the Weihekou Camp where the Eight Banners Han Army and the Green Camp were stationed, which was the gun platform built by Dorgon when he personally led the army to attack Dagukou, many more were later built on both sides of the Wei River further upstream.
Gun stations, these gun stations were originally guarded by temporarily formed Lian Yong.
Now that the main force of establishing slaves has arrived, Lian Yong was driven out.
Soon, groups of trained warriors were driven out of the guns and rushed to the two sides of the river further upstream to repair the guns. These warriors were said to be soldiers, but in fact they were strengthening the people.
But these strong people can also fight.
And the combat effectiveness is actually not bad.
The main force of the Jiannu slaves continued to advance into the Weihekou camp.
Hong Chengchou also boarded the observation deck surrounded by his subordinates.
In the center of the Weihekou camp, there is a wooden platform built on a rammed earth platform, with a total height of about five feet. It was specially used by the Qing army to observe the movements of the Ming army on the opposite side.
It can also be used for command and dispatch during combat.
When Hong Chengchou and a group of generals hurriedly boarded the observation tower, they found that the Ming army on the opposite side was pushing the red cannons one by one to the coast, and then retreated through the ice to the main camp at Dagukou.
The cavalry of the Ming army was responsible for breaking up the rear and monitoring the direction of the Qing army's camp.
Kong Youde then asked Hong Chengchou: "Hongbutang, why don't we let the Eight Banner Mongolians rush down and try it?"
"No, don't act rashly." Hong Chengchou flatly refused, "Has King Pingnan forgotten the battle of Guting Town? Although the Mongolian troops of the Eight Banners are numerous, they cannot defeat the self-made fire blunderbuss with their cavalry bows."
Kong Youde immediately said no more.
…
Near dusk, the Ming army successfully entered the Dagukou camp.
Not caring about dinner, Chongzhen immediately convened a military meeting.
"I really didn't expect that only one day later, the main force of the slave establishment arrived at Dagokou in time." Chongzhen said, "I originally thought I had a high enough regard for Dorgon, but I didn't expect that I still underestimated him."
Yan Yingyuan said sincerely: "Dorgon is really difficult to deal with."
"But it doesn't matter." Jiang Tianyi said, "It would be great if we could capture Jiannu's Weihekou camp in one fell swoop with lightning speed. But it doesn't matter if we can't capture it. It's just a matter of building one more large camp.
It only takes ten days and a half more work, but we can still afford this time."
"Otherwise." Chongzhen frowned, "Didn't you find any problem?"
"Your Majesty, there is a situation that really requires attention." Xu Yingwei said seriously, "The Eight Banners Han Army and the Green Camp soldiers stationed at the Hekou Camp are much more fierce than we expected."
"This is really evil. What do these Eight Banners and Han troops want?"
"If this had happened before, the Eight Banners and Han Army would have collapsed long ago."
As soon as Xu Yingwei said this, other scholars also reacted.
Chongzhen said solemnly: "The performance of the Eight Banners Han Army and the Green Camp is so abnormal. There must be something fishy in it. If we can't figure out the reason, the outcome of the Northern Expedition will be unpredictable."
