A few minutes later, with a bang, a red signal flare rose in the night sky. Both the enemy and ourselves could clearly see the signal flare emitting dazzling light across the sky.
Although Fan Yongdou had never seen this thing, he knew very well that the opponent was the first to launch an attack.
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Hu Laofi yelled, "Solid bullets, fire immediately. Fire three rounds first."
The artillery squad immediately took action, first filling the silk ammunition bag into the barrel, then the cork cartridge holder, and finally the spherical lead ball.
The length of the east city wall is 500 meters, and the range of the camel cannon is also 500 meters. In other words, if you fire from this end, you can hit the very back.
Old Fart Hu spit out the butt of his cigarette and stamped it out.
"Fire cannons on the city wall, and every shot will make a bloody alley."
Zheng Decai asked: "When will we attack? How will we cooperate?"
Hu Laofi said: "Follow us and we will clean up a section. You can follow. I will tell you when I need you to go up."
"Fire," with the order, the gunners immediately pulled the rope.
Now the firing device of the camel cannon has been replaced by a flintlock bolt, which can be fired by pulling the fire. At the same time, the fire door is retained as the ignition port to backup the firing method.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three cannons roared. Then three more roars came. It was the west city wall that also launched an attack.
Three three-pound shot put flew towards the barricade thirty meters away at high speed.
The defenders on the east wall carried all kinds of tattered furniture and built a barrier as a bunker. They used it to shoot at the riflemen of the cavalry army.
The distance of thirty meters is an instant for a cannonball. The huge kinetic energy directly smashes these broken tables, chairs, canopy beds, eucalyptus and the like. Broken wood chips are everywhere with sharp stubble.
Flying.
The gunman who was originally hiding behind was directly smashed to pieces by the cannonball along with the barricade.
The swordsmen who were sitting around the fire eating in the back were hit by the lead balls at high altitude. There were more than 700 people behind the barricade. These lead balls penetrated directly into the crowd, flying blood and flesh all the way. They stopped after they penetrated ten rows.
Come down.
Fortunately, this is a three-pounder. If the twelve-pounder can penetrate the barricade, it can hit it from beginning to end. Three cannons will plow this section of the wall.
The crowd suddenly screamed.
The cannonballs flew past and body parts flew across the body. As long as it was hit by the cannonball, no matter which part it was, it would turn into a pile of rotten flesh and fly away, and the body parts would fly away directly.
Qin Donghai had been a soldier, and he immediately fell to the ground. His face changed uncertainly. It was a bad start to the year. It was like a ghost. The Tatars actually had so many firearms.
He clearly saw a swordsman in front of him being hit in the torso by a cannonball. The man's chest exploded directly, and his limbs flew away in four pieces. The cannonball flew past his back with the smell of blood mist and burning.
The strong wind scratched his back and hurt him. Then he heard a thud, and an unlucky guy was hit. He didn't need to look back to know that that person was dead, because the flesh and blood fragments sprayed all over him.
He shouted: "Get out of the way and stand on both sides."
Unfortunately, the camp had already been bombed. Everyone abandoned their jobs and ran around wildly, trying to avoid the shells. Everyone shouted loudly. His voice was drowned in the noise.
Immediately afterwards, another round of artillery shells came.
Three artillery shells once again sent the barricade flying in all directions, and then flew towards the running crowd, leaving three bloody passages.
After three rounds of firing, the barricade had been basically destroyed.
Hu Laofi said to Zheng Decai: "Zheng Yingzuo, the situation is better than I thought. They just built a barricade. There is nothing behind it. Our work is done, you can charge."
Zheng Decai cupped his hand and said, "Thank you. After the battle is over, I'll treat the artillery brothers to a drink."
"Okay, let's wait. If you need anything from us, just ask us." Hu Laofi also said with his hand.
Nowadays, the infantry is very respectful to the artillery. They all know that when the attack encounters a difficult nut to crack, you have to rely on others to solve it for you.
"The first squadron, in small groups, forms two horizontal lines and advances forward."
Following Zheng Decai's order, every small group formed a two-row line, which just covered the city wall horizontally. They raised their flintlock guns with bayonets and walked forward with unified steps.
Soon, the first team crossed the barricade, and then the subsequent teams advanced one by one and passed the barricade.
"Prepare, release" the squad leader's voice came from behind the barricade.
Then there was a burst of gunfire, and then another burst.
The first row finished their guns and immediately squatted down to reload. The second row behind them opened fire.
After the bombardment, the swordsmen who had not yet restored order were already panicking when they heard the sound of neat footsteps. Then they saw a row of people pulling a horizontal line, cutting off the city wall, and walking forward.
Under the night cover, a row of bayonets gleamed in the firelight.
A sense of oppression came over my face. It was suffocating.
However this is not over yet.
Immediately afterwards, the second row of soldiers walked over from the barricade. The third row, the fourth row, the fifth row...
They didn't know whether to rush over or retreat when gunfire rang out.
Because of the shelling just now, many of them were killed, or were wailing on the ground. The team was also completely in chaos. They completely dispersed and were no longer organized.
This is the difference between a mob and a regular army. As long as their minds are beaten to death, they will be completely scattered.
They didn't hesitate for long because the other side opened fire.
A line of fire passed through, and gunfire sounded like exploding beans. From a distance of more than ten meters, with almost no need to aim, a group of swordsmen fell down.
Then, these soldiers who had fired their guns squatted down and reloaded. A row of people behind them immediately opened fire. Another storm of bullets came.
These horizontal lines occupied the entire cross-section of the city wall. There was no place to hide. The dense lead bullets flew in, and everyone in front of them fell down one after another.
After each group of people opened fire, they immediately squatted down and started reloading. They continued shooting from behind.
One squad was followed by another. Nine squads from one battalion entered the barricade at once. Before the fifth round, the swordsmen on the opposite side collapsed. They couldn't rush forward at all. The dense musketry seemed endless.
Not even a single volley was fired, but a group of people were captured.
After five rounds, they collapsed and fled backwards.
Zheng Decai immediately ordered, "The front row immediately pursued them and killed them with bayonets.
The entire battalion charged forward in waves, chasing the fleeing swordsmen until they ran off the horse trail.
Zheng Decai ordered the city wall to pursue and control the east gate. Two teams rushed down the horse paths on both sides of the city gate. With several rounds of musket fire, the merchant group at the east gate was dispersed and the east gate was successfully controlled.
