Eight hundred and seventy-first chapter ten thousand cavalry charge
When the Tang Army's artillery opened fire, the Tatar cavalry, who knew that the Tang Army's artillery was sharp, immediately dispersed, trying to reduce the casualties caused by these solid artillery shells as much as possible. This was their instinctive reaction, and it was also a tactic that had been prepared long ago.
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We can't just huddle together and then be bombarded one by one by the Tang army's artillery!
After this is dispersed, as long as it is not bad luck, then the loss will not be too big. As for a small loss, they don't care!
No one can die in a war!
After seeing the Tatar cavalry disperse, Chen Keqiao from behind smiled. As he expected, he successfully dispersed the enemy's cavalry through artillery fire.
Chen Keqiao wanted to disperse the enemy's cavalry for a very simple reason, that is, to reduce the concentration of Tatar troops in a fixed combat width as much as possible, thereby reducing the number of bows and arrows they project in a unit area, and at the same time
This allows more of your own fusiliers to have the opportunity to fire, thereby increasing the density of firepower.
To put it simply, it is to reduce the enemy's firepower density and increase your own's firepower density!
The Tatars continued to charge forward, but the front of their charge had expanded to more than two hundred meters, and the depth had become smaller.
Chen Keqiao is still smiling from behind!
Chen Keqiao is not afraid of the enemy taking the initiative to attack. What he is afraid of is that the enemy will not fight and then turn around and leave!
The Tatars continued to rush forward. After reaching a distance of about 100 meters, they found that the Tang army on the opposite side had not yet opened fire. The Tatars naturally knew the basic tactics and range of muskets. They got extremely powerful weapons from the Ming army.
With a small number of muskets, the muskets can fire at about a hundred meters and cause effective damage.
But the Tang army on the opposite side did not dare to shoot!
They must not dare to shoot. It is difficult to load the musket. After firing, their musket becomes a fire stick!
"Go on, charge up and shoot!"
Since the Tang army did not shoot, they were not polite. They took the opportunity to safely spend this period of time, and then rushed to a distance of fifty or sixty meters to shoot arrows.
However, when they rushed to about fifty or sixty meters and were about to release arrows, the musketeers directly in front of them had already pulled the triggers under the command of the officers. Without any precaution, the musketeers in front of them had already pulled the triggers.
Dozens of Tatar cavalry were all knocked over on horseback. Although some of them were fine, their horses were hit. For the running cavalry, the cavalry themselves were concentrated and their horses were hit.
, in fact, it doesn’t make much difference, they all have to die.
Row after row of Tatar cavalry fell, but they kept advancing!
If you want to stop them with just musket fire, you are underestimating them!
Some of them also began to shoot arrows directly on horseback. A large number of arrows flew directly to the Tang Army's formation in front, causing many casualties to the Tang Army's musketeers in an instant.
Although most of the musketeers of the Tang Army were equipped with helmets and breastplates, after all, full-body armor could not protect their whole bodies. They would also be injured if they were shot at limbs and other areas not protected by armor.
However, at this time, not only the Tang Army musketeers in front opened fire, but also the Tang Army formations in several square formations on both sides were also running quickly for tens of meters, and then opened fire on both sides of the Tatar cavalry.
The firepower of the Tang soldiers was so fierce! This was the first feeling of many Tatars. Although they were attacked, the Tatars had many cavalry and they would not be knocked down at once, so they chose to turn!
The left and right sides are a bit dangerous. If you go around, not only are the Tang Army formations that have slightly protruded on the left and right sides, but also there are several Tang Army infantry phalanxes on the left and right wings. Turn and rush in front of their formations.
,a bit dangerious.
The leading Tatar generals also saw many phalanxes of the Tang army in front at this time. They were very far apart from each other. This was an obvious loophole. Their cavalry could pass through it, avoid the firepower directly in front, and then get to them.
Kill the enemy from behind.
In this way, it is even possible to break through the enemy's array in one fell swoop!
Immediately, under the leadership of these Tatar generals, the Tatar cavalry directly bent their bows and fired arrows on their horses to counterattack, while at the same time motivating their horses to turn, and then rushed towards the gaps between the many Tang army infantry phalanxes in front!
In this scene, Chen Keqiao looked ecstatic on the spot, "Nima, this is a good opportunity, a good opportunity that I can't even imagine!"
At first, he just wanted to use artillery to force the Tatar cavalry to disperse, and then directly use frontal fire to kill them. The worst he could do was to bear their bows and arrows, but even if he exchanged one for one, he would still make money!
If there were casualties in his Fifth Infantry Division, new recruits would be immediately available from behind. However, if the Tatar cavalry on the opposite side were killed or wounded, Chen Keqiao would like to know how they can quickly replenish them?
Now the Tatars have taken the initiative to rush in. This is a great opportunity falling from the sky!
Previously, the cavalry of the Ming Army rushed through the phalanx of the Tang Army, and it was also the four-corner phalanx of the matchlock troops, with even weaker firepower. However, even so, the cavalry of the Ming Army suffered heavy casualties at that time.
Now the Tatars are also rushing in. Do they really think that the gaps between the numerous square formations are not passages for them to break through?
That is not a passage for breakthrough, but a passage for death!
However, the Tatars, who faced the Tang Army's hollow phalanx for the first time, didn't know this!
So in order to avoid frontal firepower, they chose to rush in through the passage between the hollow phalanxes, but they found that the situation on the opposite side was different from what they expected!
Because at this time, they saw a scene that almost made them despair: the Tang army on both sides also pointed their muskets at them and opened fire. What was even more frightening was that another Tang army formation appeared directly in front. This square formation was in front of them.
The musketeers in front also opened fire!
The Tatar cavalry who rushed into the gap between the square formations were faced with firepower from the front, left and right at the same time!
Even though the firing speed of the muskets was slower, the concentrated firepower still caused heavy casualties to the Tatar cavalry in the middle in an instant!
At this moment, the Tatar cavalry who rushed into the many square formations of the Tang army felt that the muskets of the Tang army were coming towards them from all directions. In fact, this was not their illusion, but a fact!
Although the Tatar cavalry on horseback also fought hard with bows and arrows, the number of Tatar cavalry who came to test the attack was not large in the first place. The total number was only 2,000. Some were lost on the road before, and then they were scattered.
, the rush into the Tang Dynasty square formation was also divided into several directions, resulting in a small number of Tatar cavalry in each passage.
Although their archery skills are good, the number of troops is limited, and the Tang Dynasty Musketeers opposite are also protected by helmets and breastplates, which reduces casualties to a certain extent.
What's more, archery also requires physical strength. If you continue to shoot arrows, your physical strength will decline rapidly. Even the most elite archers will basically be unable to shoot more arrows after shooting more than a dozen arrows in a row. They can maintain high-speed continuous shooting.
Archers or mounted archers don't exist at all.
As a result, the Tatar cavalry who rushed in discovered that this scene was different from what they expected!
Although the musketeers of the Tang Army continued to fall, the Tatar cavalry fell faster and even in greater numbers!
What's more important is that the Tatar cavalry who rushed in couldn't find the direction to come out for a while. After being forced to turn continuously, the speed of the war horses also slowed down.
And once a cavalry loses its speed, is it still a cavalry?
At this time, Buzgud's face was ashen in the rear. What was going on?
He is a little confused!
During the attack of his own two thousand cavalry, the Tang Army's infantry phalanx did not collapse. This was normal. It was within his expectations. After all, the Tang Army's infantry numbered tens of thousands. As long as the formation did not move, the two thousand cavalry could not defeat them.
method.
However, our own cavalry suffered such heavy losses, and after rushing in, there was a possibility of being surrounded. The infantry phalanx of the Tang Army was moving slowly, trying to block the path of the cavalry in the formation.
In just a few dozen seconds, the cavalrymen who rushed in had already suffered hundreds of losses, and I am afraid that not long after, all the two thousand cavalrymen would be lost.
No, we can't delay it any longer, we must get those cavalry back!
Immediately, he did not hesitate too much and directly issued the order to charge. And this time he also learned the lesson of the previous two thousand cavalry. He must not take the initiative to rush into the square formation that seemed safe but was actually extremely dangerous.
passage between.
He wanted to attack the Tang army's phalanx in a more straightforward and direct way and bring back the remaining more than a thousand cavalry!
So while leading the cavalry forward, he shouted loudly: "Form up, don't disperse, just go up and shoot arrows, then rush up and break away from their phalanx!"
The firepower of the Tang Army on the opposite side is really too strong, unlike what was rumored before!
He has seen the infantry phalanx of the Ming Army. It is said that the infantry phalanx of the Ming Army is almost exactly the same as the phalanx of the Tang Army. They both use matchlocks and spears, and the ratio is about 50:50.
But the Tang army on the opposite side had no spearmen, but all muskets. Moreover, their muskets did not use match ropes, and the musketeers were arranged very closely.
As a result, the firepower of this Tang army was at least three times stronger than the firepower of the Ming army he had seen!
It was too dangerous to engage in a duel with the Tang army with such powerful firepower, as evidenced by the defeat of the two thousand cavalry in the front. Although our cavalry firepower was powerful, their muskets were not bad either. As long as they hit the target, one shot would be enough to knock down a cavalryman!
If we shoot directly, even if we can win, we will probably suffer a lot of casualties. The muskets on the opposite side are too powerful, and even one bullet will kill us, and this is not what Buzgud wants!
However, when the phalanx on the opposite side looked very thin and they charged forward forcefully, Buzgud was confident that he could break through the phalanx in front of them!
There are just three rows of musketeers on the front, and they can be broken through with a single charge!
When more than 8,000 Tatar cavalry rushed up from the opposite side, Chen Keqiao in the rear took a breath!
The Tatar general opposite was very decisive!
This time, I am afraid that my Fifth Infantry Division will suffer heavy casualties!
If the infantry forcefully fights against the cavalry, even if it can win, it will be a miserable victory, not to mention that the opponent is charging with thousands of cavalry!
But again, he, or rather the Tang Army, was not afraid of fighting a war of attrition with the enemy's cavalry!