Chapter 1092
The Power of a Professional Army
Chapter 1092 The Power of a Professional Army
When the men and horses of the Wanjia Army marched about a hundred feet away from the Haihan Camp on the west bank of the Jiahe River, they saw the riders on the opposite side gathered together, and then quickly formed a three-line formation in the front, middle and back, and rode their horses slowly towards them. The direction greeted.
Seeing this, Gan Qiang immediately ordered to stop advancing, and let the infantry in front begin to form formation, preparing to meet the possible cavalry attack from the opposite side.Although these infantrymen were not well-equipped, they were all veterans who had been on the battlefield. They stopped immediately, and the long weapons lined up in front of the horses. The densely packed gunpoints pointed forward obliquely, and the densely packed knives in the back row. Ax and archer, always ready to make up the knife.This set of tactics is also imitated by the Ming army. Although there are no special horse-repelling spears and body shields in the formation, as a civilian armed force, it is not easy for infantry to keep calm when facing cavalry. There is no way to pursue perfection.
Gan Qiang gained Wan Meng's trust and reuse because of this tactic of coordinating foot and horse, and he has never been defeated by using this tactic against the enemy in the past.Of course, most of the opponents he encountered in the past were the same savage folks as the Wanjia Army. If he really encountered a regular army with comparable strength, his counterfeit skills would definitely not be enough.
Gan Qiang didn't think that the opponent this time was stronger than the Ming army, and all he was thinking about was what kind of reward Wanmeng would get after finishing this record, and he didn't foresee the dangerous situation that was about to emerge at all.
"There are some routines, but it's a pity that we met!" Liu Xian also noticed the change of the opponent's formation while on horseback.This is basically the only correct way for the infantry to fight against the cavalry in the wild. When the two sides are evenly matched, the steady infantry formation will not be easily defeated by the cavalry, and the opponent's leader's strategy is also very correct.
But the only problem is that the opponent Wanjiajun encountered was the Haihan cavalry. Due to its armed level beyond the times, this army will rely more on hot weapons in combat, and its tactics are also formulated around the use of firearms and weapons. , completely separated from the understanding of ordinary people.The most important thing is that the Haihan Cavalry has never carried out combat missions outside Hainan Island before, and the outside world has almost zero knowledge of this force, so it is impossible to talk about any targeted tactical arrangements. up.
After the distance between the two sides was further shortened, Gan Qiang finally saw clearly that the opponent's cavalry was not holding a spear or a scimitar, but a strange looking weapon that looked like a firecracker. He was also a little puzzled at the moment.He had seen some of the cavalry of the Ming army carrying blunderbusses, but that kind of weapon had to be mounted after dismounting to shoot, and it was not suitable for use in mobile warfare.If they dared to dismount their horses and mount their guns during the confrontation, then the cavalry on Gan Qiang's side would seize this opportunity to attack and catch them by surprise. It has become the fat meat sent to my mouth.
Before Gan Qiang made a final judgment on the Haihan cavalry's tactics, the opponent had already started to speed up the horse's forward speed, changing from a small step to a big leap. This is basically the situation when the cavalry charged .Gan Qiang didn't want to think about it anymore, and ordered loudly: "Infantry stand firm, cavalry prepare to fight!"
The Haihan cavalry suddenly divided into two groups and turned to the left and right at a distance of ten feet from the Wanjia army. At the same time, the cavalry on horseback raised their guns and fired two shots at the Wanjia army.The three platoons were operating in this way, and the Wanjia Army hadn't figured out what was going on at all. The infantry standing in front holding long weapons fell down, at least 30 to [-] people.
Although the limited number of long-range weapons in the Wanjia Army also counterattacked, it is clear that the sporadic bows and firecrackers were completely unable to compare with the opponent's firepower density and firing frequency, and did not receive immediate results.
At this time, Gan Qiang had already led his subordinates to rush out. He originally wanted to take advantage of the opportunity when the opponent's cavalry turned in front of his own infantry to attack from the side, but the opponent's volley of guns during the charge also made him and his soldiers All were shocked.Gan Qiang reckoned that the weapon in the opponent's hand was a bursting blunderbuss similar to the three-eyed blunderbuss, but he could only shoot two rounds in a row, so he could seize the gap in the opponent's firepower output and kill him on his own.So he didn't try to change the original battle plan, and still led his subordinates to rush straight there.
Gan Qiang clearly saw that the opponent's cavalry inserted the three-foot-long firecrackers into the saddlebags one after another after shooting. He clenched the spear in his hand, stared at one of the targets, and planned to fight Afterwards, he stabbed him to the point of chilling his heart.These Haihan cavalry didn't even have decent armor and helmets, and in Gan Qiang's eyes, they were simply undefended living targets.The set of armor he was wearing was picked up from the Ming army officers who died on the battlefield during the Denglai Rebellion. Although it was a bit heavy, its protective power was quite good. It was basically difficult for ordinary machetes to break it. cut through.
Gan Qiang was getting closer and closer to the opponent. He slowly raised his spear and calculated the distance to fight. The opponent obviously did not have a long weapon, only a machete hanging from his waist, which was obviously not enough to defend against his spear Attack, Gan Qiang thought that his record of killing enemies on horseback should add another one.But at this moment, Gan Qiang noticed that the opponent did not draw out the scimitar to fight, but took out another weapon from the saddle bag, which looked like a firecracker but was only less than one foot long.Gan Qiang even saw the other party smile smugly at him, and then pointed the object in his hand at himself.
"Accept!"
Seeing that the distance between the two was less than one zhang, Gan Qiang roared and wanted to stab the spear in his hand.At this moment, he saw a flash of fire from the weapon in the opponent's hand. Before Gan Qiang could react, he felt as if his chest had been hit by a sledgehammer, and his body lost his balance and fell backwards.However, he knew in his mind that if he fell off the horse right now, he was afraid that he would be trampled by the mounts of his accomplices following him, so he clamped the saddle with all his legs and feet desperately to prevent himself from falling.
But this posture saved his life. His body fell on the horse's back, and his eyes happened to see the scene of more than 20 riders following him being shot one after another, and blood blooming on his body.
These ordinary riders don't have the capital to be like him. Equipped with good Ming army armor, they can't resist the opponent's approaching shots with their physical bodies.Even though the bumps on the horse's back greatly reduced the hit rate of pistol shooting, after shooting as many as dozens of guns, more than half of the 20 or so riders of the Wanjia Army were shot, and there were seven or eight on the spot. The man fell off the horse.
Although the armor on Gan Qiang's body saved his life, the mount under his crotch was not so lucky, and he happened to be at the front of the entire queue, and several of the stray bullets flying around hit him. on the horse he was riding.After suffering the pain, the horse lost Gan Qiang's direct control, and ran straight away from the battle formation and ran in another direction. After running a hundred feet, it slowly fell down from exhaustion and lay down in a bush.Fortunately, Gan Qiang was able to roll down to the ground steadily, avoiding the end of breaking his hands and feet.
Gan Qiang groaned and propped up his upper body, and looked down at the place that had been hit hard before, and saw that the armor on his chest had sunk deeply to form a pit, and there was a lead bullet the size of a soybean embedded in the bottom of the pit.Although it didn't penetrate the armor, Gan Qiang could clearly feel the pain coming from his chest. Presumably, the impact should have caused some damage to the bones and organs.
Gan Qiang saw that his horse could no longer stand up, so he endured the pain on his body and stood up slowly with his hands propped up.He didn't know where the spear fell just now, and now he only had a short knife on his body that could be used as a self-defense weapon.But when he saw the situation on the battlefield clearly, this willingness to continue fighting disappeared immediately.
The cavalry team he led had been destroyed by more than half of the opponent's firecrackers, and the few remaining cavalry who had survived had also been scattered and fled in all directions, unable to fight the opponent head-on.The situation of the infantry was even worse. When Gan Qiang led the troops to rush out, the infantry was on the verge of collapse. The cavalry collapsed at the touch of each other, and the infantry lost their only cover.These stragglers are not professional soldiers, and they don't have much will to fight at all. It's okay to fight against the wind. When encountering such a situation, they are the first to save their lives. They gave up resistance and started to run back.
However, how could a two-legged man outrun a four-legged horse? These people were chased from behind by the returning Haihan cavalry within a hundred paces.Once the infantry is dispersed, it is completely irresistible to the cavalry, and it only needs to be harvested one by one with a saber.However, the Haihan cavalry didn't act ruthlessly. After cutting down the fastest runners, the rest didn't dare to try to escape any more, and could only beg for mercy.
Seeing this, Gan Qiang also knew that the situation was over. Seeing that the opponent had not sent troops to arrest him, he quickly removed the armor on his body, endured the pain in his chest and escaped into the nearby forest.
From the start of the troops dispatched by the two sides to the engagement, and then to the end of the battle, the whole process took only ten minutes.Except for the Haihan side who had already been sure of their opponents before the battle, the other two sides who fought in Fushan County were shocked by the process and results of the battle. They did not expect the gap in strength between the two sides to be so large.Of course, what shocked them the most was the unusual fighting style of the Haihan cavalry.
"Master Huang, if I hadn't been dazzled, then the Haihan people would have defeated the Wanjia Army by firing firecrackers on horseback?" Although the distance was far away, the flames and smoke from the firecrackers were still visible, but this The matter was so unbelievable that Zhang Pucheng had to ask Huang Qu, who had watched the battle together, to verify.
Huang Qu was no less shocked than Zhang Pucheng. As an officer, he naturally knew how difficult it was to shoot with a firecracker on horseback.This is all second, the key is that the team of Haihan riders was able to shoot multiple times in a row on horseback, abruptly defeating the superior Wanjia army, how did it do it?
"Master Zhang, these Haihan people... I'm afraid they are more powerful than we expected. In my opinion, it is not appropriate to confront them head-on. With this level of combat power, even if the Qishan Qianhu sent reinforcements over, they would still be able to defeat them." But theirs." After pondering for a moment, Huang Qu still gave an answer that sounded rather timid.
Zhang Pucheng still had some disbelief: "My Daming officers and soldiers are well-trained, if the strength is equal, how can we not defeat this foreign militia?"
Huang Qu said gloomyly: "Master Zhang, have you ever seen a militia armed with so many firearms and war horses that can easily deal with field battles? I have lived for more than 40 years and have been in the army for more than 20 years. I have never seen any militia." To be able to have this kind of strength! To be honest, I have never seen this kind of continuous fire guns they are equipped with before."
Zhang Pucheng was also taken aback by Huang Qu's tone: "Master Huang, what do you mean by that?"
"This is not a militia!" Huang Qu shook his head slowly but firmly and said: "This is an army! An army with rich combat experience and complete equipment! The Wanjia Army wants to trouble them, it is simply hitting a stone with an egg. Mr. Zhang, we'd better not interfere with this matter, so as not to get into trouble!"
Zhang Pucheng was dubious about Huang Qu's judgment. Although he didn't believe that Hai Han's strength was as strong as Huang Qu described, but the opponent had indeed defeated the Wanjia Army under his nose, and Huang Qu was an expert in military affairs. Regardless of whether there is selfishness or not, his judgment must be much more reliable than that of a civil servant.But considering his position, Zhang Pucheng still has to say a few words: "But if this group of people has evil intentions against the local people, or attacks the county, then I don't care what their origins are, and I will fight to the death! "
Huang Qu can fight with his heart, but he has more heart but not enough strength. If he is not strong enough, he can't beat him at all. If he fights to the death, he will just give away his head in the end.The example of the Wanjia army is right in front of us. Although the Ming army is stronger than the bandit armed forces, it is still not strong enough. Huang Qu can't think of any effective countermeasures for the Haihan rider's horseback salvo. .
If the officials of the Ming Dynasty on the top of the city were shocked by this, then the Wanjia army watching the battle under the city was even more shocked.When Wan Meng dispatched his troops, he was quite optimistic about the outcome of the battle. He thought that even if he couldn't completely annihilate the opponent's riders, as long as he defeated the opponent, dispersed the people waiting by the river, and prevented the opponent from implementing the immigration plan here, the battle would be regarded as a victory. It's working.
However, the reality gave him a big slap in the face. The more than 20 cavalry led by Gan Qiang were defeated almost in an instant, and the infantry formed was useless at all. nothing.As for the undercover personnel sent to the riverside earlier, I don't know if they have been activated there. Anyway, they didn't see any results at all. Obviously, this arrangement also failed.
(End of this chapter)
When the men and horses of the Wanjia Army marched about a hundred feet away from the Haihan Camp on the west bank of the Jiahe River, they saw the riders on the opposite side gathered together, and then quickly formed a three-line formation in the front, middle and back, and rode their horses slowly towards them. The direction greeted.
Seeing this, Gan Qiang immediately ordered to stop advancing, and let the infantry in front begin to form formation, preparing to meet the possible cavalry attack from the opposite side.Although these infantrymen were not well-equipped, they were all veterans who had been on the battlefield. They stopped immediately, and the long weapons lined up in front of the horses. The densely packed gunpoints pointed forward obliquely, and the densely packed knives in the back row. Ax and archer, always ready to make up the knife.This set of tactics is also imitated by the Ming army. Although there are no special horse-repelling spears and body shields in the formation, as a civilian armed force, it is not easy for infantry to keep calm when facing cavalry. There is no way to pursue perfection.
Gan Qiang gained Wan Meng's trust and reuse because of this tactic of coordinating foot and horse, and he has never been defeated by using this tactic against the enemy in the past.Of course, most of the opponents he encountered in the past were the same savage folks as the Wanjia Army. If he really encountered a regular army with comparable strength, his counterfeit skills would definitely not be enough.
Gan Qiang didn't think that the opponent this time was stronger than the Ming army, and all he was thinking about was what kind of reward Wanmeng would get after finishing this record, and he didn't foresee the dangerous situation that was about to emerge at all.
"There are some routines, but it's a pity that we met!" Liu Xian also noticed the change of the opponent's formation while on horseback.This is basically the only correct way for the infantry to fight against the cavalry in the wild. When the two sides are evenly matched, the steady infantry formation will not be easily defeated by the cavalry, and the opponent's leader's strategy is also very correct.
But the only problem is that the opponent Wanjiajun encountered was the Haihan cavalry. Due to its armed level beyond the times, this army will rely more on hot weapons in combat, and its tactics are also formulated around the use of firearms and weapons. , completely separated from the understanding of ordinary people.The most important thing is that the Haihan Cavalry has never carried out combat missions outside Hainan Island before, and the outside world has almost zero knowledge of this force, so it is impossible to talk about any targeted tactical arrangements. up.
After the distance between the two sides was further shortened, Gan Qiang finally saw clearly that the opponent's cavalry was not holding a spear or a scimitar, but a strange looking weapon that looked like a firecracker. He was also a little puzzled at the moment.He had seen some of the cavalry of the Ming army carrying blunderbusses, but that kind of weapon had to be mounted after dismounting to shoot, and it was not suitable for use in mobile warfare.If they dared to dismount their horses and mount their guns during the confrontation, then the cavalry on Gan Qiang's side would seize this opportunity to attack and catch them by surprise. It has become the fat meat sent to my mouth.
Before Gan Qiang made a final judgment on the Haihan cavalry's tactics, the opponent had already started to speed up the horse's forward speed, changing from a small step to a big leap. This is basically the situation when the cavalry charged .Gan Qiang didn't want to think about it anymore, and ordered loudly: "Infantry stand firm, cavalry prepare to fight!"
The Haihan cavalry suddenly divided into two groups and turned to the left and right at a distance of ten feet from the Wanjia army. At the same time, the cavalry on horseback raised their guns and fired two shots at the Wanjia army.The three platoons were operating in this way, and the Wanjia Army hadn't figured out what was going on at all. The infantry standing in front holding long weapons fell down, at least 30 to [-] people.
Although the limited number of long-range weapons in the Wanjia Army also counterattacked, it is clear that the sporadic bows and firecrackers were completely unable to compare with the opponent's firepower density and firing frequency, and did not receive immediate results.
At this time, Gan Qiang had already led his subordinates to rush out. He originally wanted to take advantage of the opportunity when the opponent's cavalry turned in front of his own infantry to attack from the side, but the opponent's volley of guns during the charge also made him and his soldiers All were shocked.Gan Qiang reckoned that the weapon in the opponent's hand was a bursting blunderbuss similar to the three-eyed blunderbuss, but he could only shoot two rounds in a row, so he could seize the gap in the opponent's firepower output and kill him on his own.So he didn't try to change the original battle plan, and still led his subordinates to rush straight there.
Gan Qiang clearly saw that the opponent's cavalry inserted the three-foot-long firecrackers into the saddlebags one after another after shooting. He clenched the spear in his hand, stared at one of the targets, and planned to fight Afterwards, he stabbed him to the point of chilling his heart.These Haihan cavalry didn't even have decent armor and helmets, and in Gan Qiang's eyes, they were simply undefended living targets.The set of armor he was wearing was picked up from the Ming army officers who died on the battlefield during the Denglai Rebellion. Although it was a bit heavy, its protective power was quite good. It was basically difficult for ordinary machetes to break it. cut through.
Gan Qiang was getting closer and closer to the opponent. He slowly raised his spear and calculated the distance to fight. The opponent obviously did not have a long weapon, only a machete hanging from his waist, which was obviously not enough to defend against his spear Attack, Gan Qiang thought that his record of killing enemies on horseback should add another one.But at this moment, Gan Qiang noticed that the opponent did not draw out the scimitar to fight, but took out another weapon from the saddle bag, which looked like a firecracker but was only less than one foot long.Gan Qiang even saw the other party smile smugly at him, and then pointed the object in his hand at himself.
"Accept!"
Seeing that the distance between the two was less than one zhang, Gan Qiang roared and wanted to stab the spear in his hand.At this moment, he saw a flash of fire from the weapon in the opponent's hand. Before Gan Qiang could react, he felt as if his chest had been hit by a sledgehammer, and his body lost his balance and fell backwards.However, he knew in his mind that if he fell off the horse right now, he was afraid that he would be trampled by the mounts of his accomplices following him, so he clamped the saddle with all his legs and feet desperately to prevent himself from falling.
But this posture saved his life. His body fell on the horse's back, and his eyes happened to see the scene of more than 20 riders following him being shot one after another, and blood blooming on his body.
These ordinary riders don't have the capital to be like him. Equipped with good Ming army armor, they can't resist the opponent's approaching shots with their physical bodies.Even though the bumps on the horse's back greatly reduced the hit rate of pistol shooting, after shooting as many as dozens of guns, more than half of the 20 or so riders of the Wanjia Army were shot, and there were seven or eight on the spot. The man fell off the horse.
Although the armor on Gan Qiang's body saved his life, the mount under his crotch was not so lucky, and he happened to be at the front of the entire queue, and several of the stray bullets flying around hit him. on the horse he was riding.After suffering the pain, the horse lost Gan Qiang's direct control, and ran straight away from the battle formation and ran in another direction. After running a hundred feet, it slowly fell down from exhaustion and lay down in a bush.Fortunately, Gan Qiang was able to roll down to the ground steadily, avoiding the end of breaking his hands and feet.
Gan Qiang groaned and propped up his upper body, and looked down at the place that had been hit hard before, and saw that the armor on his chest had sunk deeply to form a pit, and there was a lead bullet the size of a soybean embedded in the bottom of the pit.Although it didn't penetrate the armor, Gan Qiang could clearly feel the pain coming from his chest. Presumably, the impact should have caused some damage to the bones and organs.
Gan Qiang saw that his horse could no longer stand up, so he endured the pain on his body and stood up slowly with his hands propped up.He didn't know where the spear fell just now, and now he only had a short knife on his body that could be used as a self-defense weapon.But when he saw the situation on the battlefield clearly, this willingness to continue fighting disappeared immediately.
The cavalry team he led had been destroyed by more than half of the opponent's firecrackers, and the few remaining cavalry who had survived had also been scattered and fled in all directions, unable to fight the opponent head-on.The situation of the infantry was even worse. When Gan Qiang led the troops to rush out, the infantry was on the verge of collapse. The cavalry collapsed at the touch of each other, and the infantry lost their only cover.These stragglers are not professional soldiers, and they don't have much will to fight at all. It's okay to fight against the wind. When encountering such a situation, they are the first to save their lives. They gave up resistance and started to run back.
However, how could a two-legged man outrun a four-legged horse? These people were chased from behind by the returning Haihan cavalry within a hundred paces.Once the infantry is dispersed, it is completely irresistible to the cavalry, and it only needs to be harvested one by one with a saber.However, the Haihan cavalry didn't act ruthlessly. After cutting down the fastest runners, the rest didn't dare to try to escape any more, and could only beg for mercy.
Seeing this, Gan Qiang also knew that the situation was over. Seeing that the opponent had not sent troops to arrest him, he quickly removed the armor on his body, endured the pain in his chest and escaped into the nearby forest.
From the start of the troops dispatched by the two sides to the engagement, and then to the end of the battle, the whole process took only ten minutes.Except for the Haihan side who had already been sure of their opponents before the battle, the other two sides who fought in Fushan County were shocked by the process and results of the battle. They did not expect the gap in strength between the two sides to be so large.Of course, what shocked them the most was the unusual fighting style of the Haihan cavalry.
"Master Huang, if I hadn't been dazzled, then the Haihan people would have defeated the Wanjia Army by firing firecrackers on horseback?" Although the distance was far away, the flames and smoke from the firecrackers were still visible, but this The matter was so unbelievable that Zhang Pucheng had to ask Huang Qu, who had watched the battle together, to verify.
Huang Qu was no less shocked than Zhang Pucheng. As an officer, he naturally knew how difficult it was to shoot with a firecracker on horseback.This is all second, the key is that the team of Haihan riders was able to shoot multiple times in a row on horseback, abruptly defeating the superior Wanjia army, how did it do it?
"Master Zhang, these Haihan people... I'm afraid they are more powerful than we expected. In my opinion, it is not appropriate to confront them head-on. With this level of combat power, even if the Qishan Qianhu sent reinforcements over, they would still be able to defeat them." But theirs." After pondering for a moment, Huang Qu still gave an answer that sounded rather timid.
Zhang Pucheng still had some disbelief: "My Daming officers and soldiers are well-trained, if the strength is equal, how can we not defeat this foreign militia?"
Huang Qu said gloomyly: "Master Zhang, have you ever seen a militia armed with so many firearms and war horses that can easily deal with field battles? I have lived for more than 40 years and have been in the army for more than 20 years. I have never seen any militia." To be able to have this kind of strength! To be honest, I have never seen this kind of continuous fire guns they are equipped with before."
Zhang Pucheng was also taken aback by Huang Qu's tone: "Master Huang, what do you mean by that?"
"This is not a militia!" Huang Qu shook his head slowly but firmly and said: "This is an army! An army with rich combat experience and complete equipment! The Wanjia Army wants to trouble them, it is simply hitting a stone with an egg. Mr. Zhang, we'd better not interfere with this matter, so as not to get into trouble!"
Zhang Pucheng was dubious about Huang Qu's judgment. Although he didn't believe that Hai Han's strength was as strong as Huang Qu described, but the opponent had indeed defeated the Wanjia Army under his nose, and Huang Qu was an expert in military affairs. Regardless of whether there is selfishness or not, his judgment must be much more reliable than that of a civil servant.But considering his position, Zhang Pucheng still has to say a few words: "But if this group of people has evil intentions against the local people, or attacks the county, then I don't care what their origins are, and I will fight to the death! "
Huang Qu can fight with his heart, but he has more heart but not enough strength. If he is not strong enough, he can't beat him at all. If he fights to the death, he will just give away his head in the end.The example of the Wanjia army is right in front of us. Although the Ming army is stronger than the bandit armed forces, it is still not strong enough. Huang Qu can't think of any effective countermeasures for the Haihan rider's horseback salvo. .
If the officials of the Ming Dynasty on the top of the city were shocked by this, then the Wanjia army watching the battle under the city was even more shocked.When Wan Meng dispatched his troops, he was quite optimistic about the outcome of the battle. He thought that even if he couldn't completely annihilate the opponent's riders, as long as he defeated the opponent, dispersed the people waiting by the river, and prevented the opponent from implementing the immigration plan here, the battle would be regarded as a victory. It's working.
However, the reality gave him a big slap in the face. The more than 20 cavalry led by Gan Qiang were defeated almost in an instant, and the infantry formed was useless at all. nothing.As for the undercover personnel sent to the riverside earlier, I don't know if they have been activated there. Anyway, they didn't see any results at all. Obviously, this arrangement also failed.
(End of this chapter)