In this war between the Tang Dynasty and the Tatars, the competition was not about the intelligence of both sides, but about hard power.
Because the generals on both sides are not stupid. Deng Xide and Kang Changning are veteran generals who have experienced the domestic unification war, not to mention they have a whole staff team to help them make suggestions.
The staff system of the Tang Empire could only be said to be dispensable in the unification war, and relied more on the personal talents of the generals. However, as time went by, the staff system also developed more and more maturely, and could serve as
Staff officers are often the best officers in their ranks.
This point is inseparable from the unique promotion system of the Datang Army. If officers of the Datang Army want to be promoted, it is impossible for them to become a captain, then a battalion commander, then a regiment commander, and then a division commander.
There must be a transition to other positions in the middle, especially the transition from regiment commander to division commander. Usually the regiment commander who is favored by the above will be transferred to the operations department to serve as combat staff, or other similar positions, and then he can become a brigadier general.
, to be the deputy division commander or division chief of staff.
After the unification war, there has never been an example of a colonel commander being directly promoted to division commander!
This unique system ensures that the staff team of the Datang Army can gather a large number of officers with front-line combat experience and solid military theories, greatly improving the overall quality of the staff team of the Datang Army.
Let the staff have a greater role.
One person may make a mistake, but when a group of people discuss it comprehensively, all kinds of rights and wrongs will be laid out for discussion. The finally selected plan is the one that has been discussed after countless times. Even if there are any flaws in it, most of them have been prepared in advance.
I know and will take some precautions.
Similarly, although there is no professional staff team on Anda Khan's side, the Tatars have been fighting in the north and south all year round. Especially Anda Khan himself, he spent almost all his life on horseback fighting the enemy.
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He and his subordinates are all generals with very rich combat experience. Even if these people have not received professional modern military training and have no staff to help them make suggestions, they can still avoid disaster by relying on experience and military talent.
Most of the mistakes.
Therefore, it is almost impossible for both parties to make some low-level mistakes.
However, this does not mean that they will not make mistakes, nor does it mean that they will definitely win the battle!
There are always winners and losers in wars. This Battle of Hetao either ended with the defeat of Deng Xide's Ninth Army or the defeat of Anta Khan's cavalry army. No one knows who won and who lost.
Problem.
At least so far, both sides have strong confidence in their own strength!
Deng Xide's confidence comes from the empire's strong strength, which is reflected in the sufficient reserves, sufficient supplies, and advanced weapons, while Anda Khan's confidence comes from the rich war experience of his own army and the powerful cavalry force.
Once he gathers hundreds of thousands of cavalry, it will be enough to sweep across the entire grassland!
The self-confidence of both sides also allowed them to resolutely implement their strategies. Deng Xide just wanted to go to Dongsheng City, build Dongsheng City, insert a big nail into the grassland, and directly kill the Tatars.
Anda Khan wanted to annihilate these tens of thousands of people, and even if it didn't work, he would severely injure them, so as to dispel the idea of the Tang Empire sending troops to the grassland again in the next few years.
The tit-for-tat confrontation between the two sides means that although both sides maintain restraint most of the time, battles will always break out.
Thirty-two kilometers away from the Great Wall defense line, a castle with a circumference of only a few hundred meters stands on the flat grassland. At first glance, it is obvious that this castle is newly built, and it is also very simple. You can still see the outside of the castle.
Many traces of hasty construction work.
This fortress was the second earthen fortress built by Deng Xide after his troops left the Great Wall. It was named Nanlin Fort. More than 800 Tang soldiers were stationed here, including 500 soldiers from the frontline troops.
, plus more than 300 soldiers of the reserve division.
In addition to conventional weapons, these eight hundred soldiers also possess six artillery pieces, including four five-pound field cannons and two nine-pound field cannons.
These field guns are all equipped with howitzer shells that the Tang Army has only begun to install in the entire army in recent years!
They are stationed here to serve as a guard and defense against the Tatars. At the same time, they also need to provide logistics forces.
At this time, Lieutenant Colonel Cao Guangtao, the top commander of the Nanlimbao garrison, was looking into the distance with a frown. Behind him, the soldiers were gathering urgently. The officers were shouting, hurry up, hurry up, because they were going to meet friendly forces.
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Three kilometers away, a thousand Tatar cavalry were forming formation, preparing for battle. They were part of the five thousand partial division cavalry sent by Antar Khan to attack the grain road.
Directly in front of them, a typical Datang Army baggage force was urgently setting up a defensive formation. This baggage force was the Datang Army Transport Force coming from over there. This transport force had more than five hundred soldiers.
Two carriages transported more than 400 tons of various materials.
There were also a lot of troops escorting this batch of supplies. They were the divisional baggage regiment of the 13th Infantry Division under the Ninth Army, also known as the 13th Baggage Regiment. The 13th Baggage Regiment formed during the war had enough troops.
There are more than 2,000 troops, and at the same time there are more than 1,000 civilians from the 45th Transportation Regiment affiliated to the Logistics Department.
In terms of the strength of both sides, the transportation force of the Tang Army undoubtedly has an absolute advantage. They not only have the fully armed 13th Baggage Regiment, but also have more than a thousand civilians.
Although the 13th Baggage Regiment is labeled with the word baggage, in the Datang Army, the definition of baggage troops does not mean transporting materials, but escorting materials. The difference between the two also leads to the Datang Army.
The baggage troops inside are actually all combat troops.
This baggage regiment has complete infantry, artillery and artillery, and even reconnaissance cavalry.
Although the civilian men of the 45th Transportation Regiment were temporarily recruited, they were also issued with cold weapons and some flintlock guns to assist the troops in fighting.
In other words, if necessary, this transportation force can have more than 3,000 people for defensive operations.
But even so, the thousands of Tatars on the opposite side still posed a great threat to them!
These Tatars did not rush up immediately. Instead, they began to form formations on the outside, and then only sent a few dozen people to come forward in waves. These Tatar cavalry, used for probing and harassing, were fully utilized.
The characteristics of the East Asian cavalry and archers are that they charge in at high speed. If they find an opportunity, they charge forward and fire a wave of arrows. If there is no chance, they do not waste any time fighting, but quickly turn around and leave at high speed.
The biggest purpose of this tactic is not to kill many enemies, but to force the enemy to stop and then formulate a defensive formation!
The Tang Army's baggage troops were indeed forced to form defensive formations. The combat infantry quickly formed huge hollow square formations, and covered the carriages in the baggage troops in the middle.
But in this way, they will be trapped in place and unable to maneuver!
After the defenders of South Limburg discovered that the friendly forces were in trouble, they did not hesitate to take the initiative to support the friendly forces in their operations.
Of the more than 800 defenders, 600 troops quickly left the city and charged forward without fear!
At this time, the Tatars on the opposite side saw this scene, but they did not stop them. Instead, they continued to wander around the periphery, carrying out small-scale attacks from time to time.
They don't seem to have any plans to launch a large-scale attack!
Since they were not attacking, the transport troops supported by friendly forces began to slowly maintain their formation and set off towards South Limburg!
After a full two hours passed, the transport troops, under the watchful eye of the cavalry, completed a mere three kilometers and then entered South Limburg.
The reason why they can achieve this speed is because they transport supplies all with four-wheeled heavy-duty carriages. The carriages are fast enough, and the infantry maintains formations on the periphery to maneuver.
After they entered South Limburg, before they could breathe a sigh of relief, they discovered a puff of smoke appearing in the distance. Experienced soldiers knew at a glance that it must be cavalry, and most likely the enemy's cavalry.
Because in the rear, the Tang Army had almost no cavalry. The cavalry regiments were all at the front. Some division cavalry of the Ninth Army were also with the main force of the Ninth Army. Except for a small number of reconnaissance cavalry, there were no large-scale cavalry in the rear.
of cavalry exists.
The smoke and dust were getting closer and closer, and finally, the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty in Nanlinbao discovered that the enemy troops coming here were really Tatar cavalry, and there were three thousand cavalry at the time.
Including the previous thousand cavalry, a total of four thousand cavalry were guarding outside Nanlin Fort, watching eagerly!
They didn't attack!
Why don't they attack?
Because their mission is not to conquer Nan Limbao, but to cut off the supply line of the Tang Army. As long as the transportation troops are blocked in Nan Limbao, for them, their tactics have been successful, and there is no need to take the initiative to attack.
South Limburg.
The Tatars' thoughts were clear to the defenders in the city, but early the next morning, they still left the city!
Because they need to deliver the supplies to the main force of the Ninth Army!
If the enemy wants to attack, they will fight!
Seeing that the transport troops of the Tang Dynasty Army dared to leave the city arrogantly, the Tatar generals outside the city did not hesitate at all and directly ordered them to set up a charging formation!
Four thousand Tatar cavalry formed a charging formation, which was quite scary. They could launch a charge at any time and overwhelm the enemy.
However, the transportation troops of the Tang Army did not stop!
The commander of the 13th Baggage Regiment, Colonel Liu Mengyang, glanced at the Tatar cavalry who were about to charge, then suppressed the subordinates next to him who wanted to speak, and said directly: "Ignore them, we continue to move forward!"