The transportation troops of the Tang Army did not stop. They continued to move forward. Although they had already set up a defensive formation and the marching speed was not fast, they did not stop after all!
When the Tatars really launched a charge, they stopped, but after they stopped, the Tatars would not really launch a charge, but chose to withdraw. Even the Tatar generals
You know, don't foolishly attack the Tang Army's infantry phalanx unless absolutely necessary.
But what frustrated the Tatars was that after the Tatars chose to retreat instead of charging, the southern barbarians continued to advance in their fighting formation.
This is not a real rush to fight, but don't expect to stop this transport force.
So, several Tatar generals discussed it, and then the four thousand cavalry began to formulate a real charge formation!
Their mission is to intercept the grain road. Anda Khan's order to them is that they must not let a grain of grain pass. At this time, they have no choice but to fight. They can't expect to scare the Tang Army from the side.
, can stop the advancement of this transportation force, and the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty are not to be scared.
At this time, they were forced to a dead end. Except for a real battle, they could not completely stop the transportation force from moving forward.
Just like the transport troops of the Tang Army, although they knew it was very dangerous and could collapse at any time, they had no other choice but to bite the bullet and keep moving forward!
At this moment, the troops on both sides have been forced to a dead end. Apart from a battle, there is no room for relaxation at all!
Seeing the four thousand cavalry on the opposite side, they finally couldn't help but start to form formation. Colonel Liu Mengyang, the leader of the 13th Baggage Regiment, looked back at Cao Guangtao, and then said: "Brother Cao, it seems that a battle is inevitable today!"
Lieutenant Colonel Cao Guangtao said: "This is natural. We can't expect them to just let us leave without doing anything."
Liu Mengyang laughed and said: "That's true!"
Then, riding on horseback, he turned around and said to the adjutant beside him: "Send the order, the transportation group continues to march, and the combat troops form formations to accompany the advance!"
Even if you want to prepare for war, you can't stop, because the Tatars on the opposite side just want them to stop. As long as you stop, the Tatars on the opposite side will not attack. However, if you stop, then
This means that the task failed.
The combat strength of the transportation force was more than 2,000. In addition to Cao Guangtao's support of more than 600 troops, the number was nearly 30 million. Surrounding the more than 500 four-wheeled carriages in the transportation force, a number of people were listed.
A huge hollow square array.
But these hollow square formations continue to move. The open grassland gives them space to keep the formation and continue to move!
When the Tatars on the opposite side saw that the southern barbarians on the opposite side were still moving, they also knew that if they didn't rush forward to fight, these barbarians would not be able to stop obediently!
So not long after, the sound of horse hooves was heard instantly, and four thousand cavalry rushed towards the transport unit like a torrent!
As for Liu Mengyang, he pulled out his command knife and said: "Send the order for the whole army to fight!"
Then he turned back to Cao Guangtao again and said: "Liu came forward to meet the enemy. I will ask Brother Cao to take care of these baggage."
Cao Guangtao said expressionlessly: "Brother Liu, please feel free to meet the enemy. Our six hundred soldiers in South Limburg will not let these Tatars find an opening!"
Liu Mengyang laughed: "Okay!"
Then he rode his horse and walked slowly north. The red dragon and sword flags held by the guards around him were flying high in the autumn wind. Behind the red dragon and sword flags were two thousand soldiers of the 13th Baggage Regiment.
Hollow square array!
When the artillery sounded, the artillery troops who were always prepared stopped to fire at the first time. When they fired, they didn't even have time to maneuver or set up any special artillery positions because it was too late.
Liu Mengyang rode on his horse and watched the cannonballs flying towards and exploding among the Tatar cavalry, and then overturning the Tatar cavalry one by one. After taking a deep breath, he raised his command knife high and said: "Ready!"
Many officers also shouted their tactical orders to prepare the soldiers for impact!
Facing the attack of cavalry, all the infantry can do is passive defense!
The soldiers in the front row stuck their rifles with bayonets diagonally on the ground, and then squatted down, turning their heads and lowering their heads at the same time, looking only at the ground, not at the cavalry roaring in front!
The soldiers in the second and third rows raised their muskets. They did not lower their heads, but were ready to fire at any time!
Cannonballs flew out one after another, sending up clouds of white smoke in the Tatar cavalry, but the charging Tatars did not stop, they continued to charge!
This battle, involving thousands of people, will directly determine the strategic success or failure of both sides.
If the Tang Dynasty's transportation troops can block it and transport the materials to the location of the main force of the Ninth Army, it means that the Tatars will not be able to cut off the food routes of the Ninth Army of the Tang Army. This will also mean that the Tatars
People will be completely faced with strategic passivity!
On the contrary, if the 13th Baggage Regiment fails in this battle, it means that the pre-designated plan to maintain the logistics line will not work, and the logistics supply line cannot be maintained, leaving Deng Xide with only one choice,
That is retreat!
The Tatars are getting closer and closer, five hundred meters, three hundred meters.
Closer, closer.
When these Tatars rushed to a distance of about a hundred meters, Liu Mengyang could clearly see that many Tatar cavalry were still wearing plate armor produced by the Tang Empire, and a few Tatar cavalry were still holding matchlock guns.
.
Over the years, the Tang Empire exchanged a large number of horses from the Tatars through plate armor, matchlocks and other weapons.
The trade of weapons for horses between the two sides is basically selling the dagger that can kill oneself to the other party!
The Tatars got a lot of plate armor and matchlock guns, and the Tang Empire got a lot of horses. As for who took advantage, it's a matter of opinion. At least so far, both sides feel that they
It occupies a certain advantage.
A distance of one hundred meters would not take more than a few seconds for a cavalry charge, but this does not mean that the infantry of the Tang Dynasty did not have time to shoot. In fact, they would have a lot of time to shoot.
!
Because there is a high probability that the Tatars will not be able to charge directly!
According to the experience of the Tang Army fighting against the Tatars over the years, the Tatars still like to use typical riding and archery tactics, which is to rush to a distance of tens of meters and start turning, while bending their bows and shooting arrows, using dense
The rain of arrows killed and wounded the enemy.
This time is also the best time for the infantry of the Tang Army to fire!
By that time, the two sides will actually be shooting at each other to compete on their ability to withstand casualties!
The flintlock muskets of the Tang Dynasty Army were naturally capable of hitting a hole with the cavalry, but the frequency of shooting was a bit low, and the amount of bullets delivered in a short period of time was not as good as that of bows and arrows.
In addition, the power of the Tatar bows and arrows posed a great threat to the Tang army. Although the infantry of the Tang Dynasty were generally equipped with breastplates, the protective area of the breastplates was limited, and the Tatar arrow rain was very dense.
, therefore the casualties caused to the infantry of the Tang Army will not be small.
This is actually why the Tang Army is equipped with flintlock muskets and howitzers, but it is still generally equipped with armor. Even ordinary infantry are equipped with breastplates, and the armors they equip are also light plates.
The biggest reason for armor is that their opponents are generally equipped with cold weapons, and light armor is enough to deal with these cold weapons.
If it were a war with the Portuguese or Spain, the Tang Army would dare to throw away their armor directly, because these foreign armies generally equipped with matchlock guns and very few bows and arrows, abandoning plate armor in exchange for mobility would have greater benefits.
.
But for the Tatars, armor can still play a great role!
The Tatar cavalry did what they expected. After rushing into a distance of a hundred meters, they actually started to turn. The high-speed cavalry also needed space to turn. They could not rush to forty or fifty meters.
If you turn again, you will run into the infantry square of the Tang Army.
They start turning at a hundred meters, and when they continue to turn to a distance of thirty or forty meters, they can basically complete the high-speed turn and maintain a short parallel state. At that time, they will bend their bows and shoot arrows, and immediately leave at high speed after shooting the arrows.
go.
At the same time, the impact of the cavalry did not come all at once, but was divided into multiple consecutive waves. There were about hundreds of cavalry in one wave. The cavalry in each wave were tens of meters apart, with a steady stream of
This kind of impact caused damage to the Tang Army.
When the Army of the Tang Dynasty could no longer hold up under the rain of arrows, it was time for them to launch a final charge and enter the square formation for hand-to-hand combat.
Liu Mengyang was very clear about the Tatars' tactics. Similarly, he also knew that the Tatars on the opposite side knew his own tactics.
These basic tactics of both sides are almost all transparent, and there is no possibility of temporary changes, because these tactics are actually the optimal solution for both sides.
If you want to change, you need to completely innovate in terms of tactics and weapons and equipment, and don't expect any innovation in a short period of time.
The first wave of Tatar cavalry rushed forward. They completely completed the turn at a distance of forty or fifty meters, and then each of the cavalrymen bent their bows and shot arrows on horseback. This job of bending bows and shooting arrows on horseback
This skill is enough to make the cavalry generals of the Tang Army envious, but among the Tatars, it is a necessary skill for almost all cavalry.
Just when they started shooting arrows, the infantrymen of the Tang Dynasty Army also pulled the trigger under the command of the officer!
The speed of bullets was much faster than arrows, so many Tatar cavalrymen were hit and fell down without completing the action of drawing their bows and shooting arrows. As a result, many of the first wave of cavalry were killed and injured in an instant.
, however, it did not cause many casualties to the Tang Army.
However, at this time, the second wave of Tatar cavalry also rushed up!
They did not encounter any interference. The Tang infantry who had just finished firing were reloading, and the artillery was also reloading!
So they can bend their bows and shoot arrows calmly!
A dense rain of arrows flew towards the direction of the 13th Baggage Regiment of the Tang Army. Dozens of people fell down in an instant. These people were all hit by arrows in unprotected parts in the dense rain of arrows.
Soldier.
Bullets can kill, arrows can also kill!
The comrades beside them fell, but the remaining musketeers did not show any emotion at all. They continued the rigid loading work. After loading, under the command of the officer, they raised their guns, took aim, and pulled the trigger!
Then, another row of Tatar cavalry passed in front of them at high speed and fell from their horses!
This battle showed incomparable cruelty from the beginning!