Chapter 680 The strongest assault battalion in history
Because these artillery shells of the puppet Tang rebel army do not use kinetic energy to kill targets, but rely on direct explosions, using the shrapnel and shock waves after the explosion to kill targets.
Many soldiers of the Ming army ambushed at the explosion point. Even if they escaped the shrapnel attack by luck, they could not stop the powerful shock wave. The bleeding from the seven orifices was light, and the severe injuries to the internal organs led to death.
The huge power of the mortars suppressed the Ming army in the city almost instantly, because they could no longer find a way to counterattack or even resist!
Want to fight back? The heavy artillery of those pseudo-Tang thief army are hiding more than 500 meters away. Even a few seven-pound artillery can hit this distance, but damn, the heavy artillery of those pseudo-Tang thief army seems to be He was hiding under the mountain col.
Now they don't even know what the heavy artillery of the puppet Tang rebels looks like, so how can they fight back!
The continuous howitzer bombardment not only caused constant casualties to the Ming army gunners on the city walls, but also to the infantrymen who were hiding behind the city wall and were ready to go up to the city wall at any time to participate in hand-to-hand combat to resist the infantry advance of the puppet Tang rebel army. They suffered heavy casualties!
And from a probability perspective, the Ming infantrymen behind the city wall suffered even more heavy casualties!
Not every grenade will accurately land on the top of the city. In fact, more of them will cross the city wall and then explode behind the city wall!
The sound of artillery and explosions continued, and those Ming troops were completely stunned!
They don't know how to fight back, or even how to dodge such explosive shells!
Even hiding behind the city wall is no longer safe, where else is safe?
Li Chunjing put down the telescope in his hand at this time, and then said: "This cannon is good!"
Wang Shanxu, who was next to him, also said: "Yes, the power of this cannon is astonishing. Although the ammunition consumption is a bit serious and the accuracy is poor, the power is indescribable. If this continues, we don't have to wait a few days. Now you can launch the invasion of the city directly!"
Li Chunjing shook his head: "Don't rush, take your time!"
He only had twelve howitzers in his hands, and the bombardment only fired dozens of shells. Although the Ming army looked stunned, the number of casualties was actually not many.
So don't rush, take your time, let these howitzers bombard for a day and night, plus hundreds of field guns to assist the bombardment, he wants to see how long these Ming troops can hold on to the city!
Once the Ming army could not hold out under the artillery fire and took the initiative to retreat from the city to reduce casualties, then it was time for its own infantry to launch a charge!
As for what we should do if our infantry scaled the city wall and the Ming soldiers rushed forward to counterattack in hand-to-hand combat?
What else can we do? In the words of Butcher Chen: Fuck him!
In the siege battle, the most difficult stage is to rush over and climb the wall. At this stage, the Ming army's bows, arrows, muskets, and artillery can cause a lot of damage to one's own assault infantry.
However, after overcoming the most difficult stage, they have already climbed up the city wall. Are they still afraid of the Ming army's hand-to-hand counterattack?
Damn it, after the Tang Army's assault battalion climbed to the top of the city, there was no precedent for being driven down by the enemy, and the generals of the Second Army also did not want to let this precedent be set in their own hands!
Once they successfully boarded the city, the sword and shield soldiers in the assault camp relied on the plate armor, stainless steel swords, grenades, muskets and other equipment they were equipped with. They dared not say that they would kill gods when they met, or kill Buddha when they met Buddha. However, the Ming army It is impossible to counterattack in such a melee.
After many actual battles, the Ming army, especially the front-line Ming army, actually knew that although the Tang Dynasty's firearms were sharp, their hand-to-hand combat was stronger!
The Pseudo-Ming Army was often able to engage in mid- to long-range exchanges with the Tang Army, but it would often completely collapse in the melee stage!
The Pseudo-Ming Army did not dare to fight in the field with the Tang Army, not only because they were afraid of the Datang Army's firearms, but also because they were more afraid of the Datang Army's hand-to-hand charges!
Once they saw the puppet Tang rebels all over the mountains and plains approaching with spears and muskets with bayonets, they didn't have much courage to resist.
Li Chunjing rejected Wang Shanxu's suggestion to immediately launch an attack on the city, and instead asked the artillery to continue bombarding!
To climb the city, you must first knock out or suppress the Ming army's artillery.
Although it is difficult to destroy the artillery pieces weighing hundreds or even thousands of kilograms by simple shelling, the artillerymen will suffer heavy casualties. Without skilled artillerymen to operate the artillery, the Ming army's artillery is just a pile of scrap metal.
That’s all!
The artillery battle between the two sides continued. Although the Ming army's artillery suffered heavy blows and could not counterattack the pseudo-Tang mortar artillery positions behind the reverse slope, they could attack the field artillery positions!
As a result, the artillerymen on both sides conducted an artillery battle four to five hundred meters apart!
And casualties also began to appear in the Tang Army!
Even if there are fortifications in the artillery position, the artillery can get a certain degree of protection. The Ming army has only twenty or thirty level seven artillery pieces for long-range shooting, and the rest are represented by some bowl-mouth cannons.
**Scatter artillery, even the accuracy of the Ming army's gunners was extremely poor.
But when the numbers increase, they will always hit the artillery positions of the Datang Army and cause some casualties to the artillery!
It's just that the comparison of casualties between the two sides is not proportional at all, especially when the Ming artillerymen on top of the city are still facing the threat of grenades at all times!
As long as a grenade falls on the city, the Ming army on the city will always suffer casualties. If there happens to be a Ming army heavy artillery battery nearby, then this battery will basically be completely destroyed.
What will happen if this fight continues?
The Ming army will have fewer and fewer gunners!
And Li Chunjing does not believe that the gunner reserves in the puppet army are greater than his own!
As a modern army that relied on guns and cannons, both the army and the navy of the Tang Dynasty King's Division had a complete artillery training system. Not only the gunners, but also the ordinary gunners had undergone certain training.
In this artillery battle, he, Li Chunjing, is sure to win!
So he is not in a hurry!
This artillery battle was as planned by Li Chunjing. It lasted for a full day and night. The sound of artillery did not stop during the day and night, even if it was to protect the life of the artillery barrel and avoid exploding the barrel.
The frequency of shelling began to decrease from noon, but the shelling did not stop.
However, even if the frequency of shelling is reduced, bombing accidents are still inevitable. After a day and night of fighting, two artillery pieces of the Datang Army suffered bombings due to barrel quality problems and operational errors.
But this ratio is much less than that of the Ming army!
Because the Ming army on the city had continued shelling, at least five of its cannons had exploded, and the total number of Ming army artillery that fired back would not exceed thirty. This means that at least one-sixth of the artillery was
Withdrew from the battlefield due to an explosion.
There were many of them, but the quality of the barrels was not good, and even the calibers were inconsistent. But the more important reason was an operator's error.
In this war, it is normal to make mistakes due to nervousness. However, with less live-fire training in normal times, the gunners will make more mistakes.
The next morning, Li Chunjing, who had slept all night amid the roar of cannons, had breakfast. When he used his telescope to observe Luling City in front of him again, he found that the walls of the city were already full of pits, especially the gate tower.
The direction is even more dilapidated, and the gate tower has collapsed!
"According to estimates, the Ming Army's artillery fire has been reduced by more than 70% compared to the bombardment battle, and we can effectively suppress the remaining Ming Army artillery. It is time to launch an attack!" At this time, Wang Shanxu
He said: "The two assault battalions are fully prepared and can attack at any time!"
Li Chunjing touched the military cap in his hand, and then said: "In that case, let's get started. It's uncomfortable to stay in the wilderness for a long time. It's better to enter the city early!"
Li Chunjing, the lieutenant general of the Second Army, gave the order, and naturally all the generals below claimed it.
Then the old rules followed and detailed missions began to be deployed. This time the main attack mission will be undertaken by the Fifth Infantry Division!
Within the Fifth Infantry Division, the main offensive mission will be undertaken by the assault battalion!
The two mixed regiments will assume the tasks of the secondary front. In these two mixed regiments, troops are also mobilized to form an assault battalion.
Forming an assault battalion to carry out city-climbing operations was a common method used by the Tang Dynasty Army when attacking fortified cities. There was no fixed establishment in normal times, and there was only a command organization directly under the division headquarters.
Soldiers and even low-level officers are temporarily transferred from various units.
It is mainly composed of four arms: heavy armored sword and shield soldiers, light armored sword and shield soldiers, grenadiers, and archers, among which the heavy armored sword and shield soldiers are the core.
In the 5th Assault Battalion, more than 400 heavy armor, sword and shield soldiers wearing shiny plate armor had already begun to line up. A lieutenant colonel leading the team was lecturing, and what he said was nothing more than encouragement.
if.
After the training, the tall lieutenant colonel officer also started to put on a set of full-body armor with the help of the guards, and then raised the stainless steel sword in his hand high: "The whole battalion listened to the order and moved forward in unison.
!”
Immediately, this heavily armored force marched forward at a rapid pace. The sun shone on their plate armor, and the dazzling light reflected made it almost impossible to stop.
The Fifth Assault Battalion has more than 80 heavy armor, sword and shield soldiers wearing full body armor, and more than 130 heavy armor, sword and shield soldiers wearing half body armor.
Even the lightly armored swordsmen, grenadiers, and archers wear breastplates!
Even Lieutenant Colonel Yu Lianhong, the commander of the 5th Assault Battalion who led the team and commanded the operation, was wearing full plate armor!
All the soldiers in the battalion are uniformly wearing armor!
And this assault battalion is also the most powerful assault battalion since the formation of the Tang Army!