Chapter 1145
Dilemma
Chapter 1145 Dilemma
The soldiers of the Ming army couldn't really see what was going on in Haihan's camp from a long distance. Seeing several gaps in the wall, they thought that the opponent was going to fight.
The Haihan Artillery had already calibrated their shooting range two days before the start of the battle, and made a number of concealed distance marks outside the position. There is no need to make observation calculations before the battle, just wait for the opponent to step into the pre-calculated fire strike range That's it.
Holding up the binoculars, Chen Yixin confirmed that the infantrymen of the Ming army had entered the area where the artillery was previewed, and then decisively gave the order to fire.Although the artillery deployed by the military to the mining area this time is all small-caliber guns, after being equipped with grape shells specially designed to deal with dense formations, this small gun is equivalent to a large-caliber shotgun. The lethality is no less than the shooting of dozens of muskets.
With every sound of cannon on Haihan's position, entire rows of Ming troops fell to the ground with screams.The copper-covered wooden shields in their hands can be used to block ordinary bows and arrows, but the grape bullets fired by the artillery are absolutely irresistible. Soybean-sized projectiles fly over the sky and cover the sky, destroying the shields and the Ming army hiding behind them. The soldiers fought like a hornet's nest.
Naturally, the infantry on Haihan's side were not idle. After the artillery started firing, the soldiers immediately fired at the Ming army who had lost their shield protection.Under the combined firepower of guns and artillery, the Ming army was dealt a heavy blow in a very short period of time.Of course, this inevitably exposed Haihan's true strength to the Ming army, making the opponents realize how terrifying the enemy they faced this time.
Guo Xingning's eyes popped out of the gunfire just now. Although he knew that the Haihan people would be very difficult, he did not expect that the other party would actually deploy several artillery pieces on the ground.The Ming army was caught off guard, and the casualties caused by this bombardment were also quite heavy.Even with a conservative estimate, Guo Xingning believes that the casualties should have reached triple digits.
Although the Ming army also had a few Frang cannons in the formation, the infantry in front had already been routed before they could be transported to the line of fire to set up artillery positions.The artillery who lacked cover naturally did not dare to go forward to fight on their own, and could only follow the rout and drag the artillery back into the formation.
Guo Xingning's current situation is a bit embarrassing. In less than half a day, the attacks have been frustrated one after another. The combatable soldiers under his command have been lost by more than [-]%. The fortifications around the perimeter have not even touched the hair of the Haihan people.Of course Guo Xingning could urge his subordinates to continue attacking the Haihan position, but he has no better way to counter the Haihan people now. If they attack forcefully, the result is very likely to be even more serious casualties.
Guo Xingning also couldn't figure it out. He was equipped with infantry and cavalry, and artillery to assist him. They were all veterans who had experienced battles. Logically speaking, it should be easy to deal with a group of armed merchants. Before he came, he had even thought about how to accept it. The Haihan people surrendered, and then let them get out of Fushan County, but they didn't expect to encounter bloody head and blood in the first battle in this wilderness.Guo Xingning was caught in a dilemma whether to continue fighting or retreat to preserve his strength.
At this moment, the cavalry he sent out to mop up the back road hurried back to return, but the number of them was nearly one-third less.This team of cavalry fought with the Haihan people outside Guxian Town, but the result was obvious. They did not take advantage of it, but became the target of the opponent. After being shot down by the Haihan soldiers, they panicked. Withdrew back in a panic.As for the task of opening up the back road, it can only be left behind for the time being.
After witnessing the battle between his subordinates and the Haihan people just now, Guo Xingning was not so surprised by what happened to this cavalry.With the fighting style of the Haihan people, it is indeed easy for this team to be caught off guard by the opponent without vigilance.What he cares more about now is how many troops the Haihan people have deployed in his rear, and whether they can smoothly retreat back to Dengzhou City along the official road.
But the feedback from his subordinates was another basin of cold water poured on Guo Xingning's head. Obviously, the Haihan people had calculated the Ming army's movements beforehand, and the actions they made in the back road were not harassment at all, but real actions. It is necessary to cut off the retreat route of the Ming army.According to what my subordinates saw, there were at least two or three hundred Haihan soldiers in the local area, and they occupied a favorable terrain. There were even a few armed sailboats of Haihan on the seashore as water cover. I'm afraid it will take a fierce battle.
Fortunately, Guo Xingning was still cautious. He carefully studied the map before setting off, and the preparations were solid. Although the official road along the coastline was cut off by the Haihan people, he still remembered at least two of them crossing the mountainous area and returning to Dengzhou. The route to the city, but the terrain is rugged, and it will take more than twice the marching time to return to the base camp.Of course, the premise of this plan is that the Haihan people will not attack from their strongholds, otherwise it is hard to judge how the situation will develop. After all, the Haihan people still have an unknown number of cavalry on hand. If they seize the opportunity to chase after them, yes For the Ming army, it will be a difficult trouble to get rid of.And where this cavalry is now, Guo Xingning has no idea about it.
At this time, Guo Xingning had realized that the opponent's pre-war preparations were far more adequate than his own, and he had just set up a trap and waited for his team to attack. Obviously, the Han people did not intend to stick to the mining area, but wanted to fight a war of annihilation, trying to wipe out their own Ming army in Fushan County.
At this time, the casualties have been roughly counted. More than 130 people failed to withdraw from the battle just now, most of them died on the spot, and a few wounded who lost their mobility could not be rescued from the battlefield.Coupled with the lost heads in the rear, the current casualty situation is still within an acceptable range, but after consecutive setbacks, morale has become unsustainable.
And this is not the most terrible thing. Guo Xingning found that the battle has been fought until now. Apart from knowing that the enemy has cavalry and is equipped with guns, he seems to have no other valuable information. Even the strength of the opponent, how to deploy it, and by whom? The commander didn't know anything about it, but the other party started to approach and reconnaissance shortly after he left Dengzhou City, and he had a clear idea of his own troops' strength and movements.Under such a situation of information asymmetry, it is not surprising that the Ming army suffered setbacks one after another.
His own strength and movement were exposed early, while the opponent was always hiding in the mist, making it impossible for Guo Xingning to figure out his strength. This passive situation was already very dangerous.This Guo Xingning has now put away all his flukes and contempt, and began to think about how to get out of this mess.
At this time, the atmosphere in Haihan's position is relatively more relaxed. The few waves of offensives by the Ming army just now have not really threatened Haihan's defense line at all. The price Haihan has paid so far is only some ammunition. , There have been no casualties in terms of personnel, and the degree of damage to the position is still tolerable.According to Chen Yixin's estimate, even if the cavalry of the Ming army came out in full force, there would probably be no way to clean up the fortifications around the Haihan position.That is to say, it is basically impossible for this Ming army to break through Haihan's position from the front.
"It's okay, it's easier than expected." Morgan finally sat down to rest at this time, and took a sip of the hot tea he had just brewed.The last battle he commanded was against the local indigenous tribe in Miaoli, Taiwan. The strength of the opponent was far inferior to that of the regular army of Ming Dynasty in Shandong this time. Never sat down.
"You see, it's worthwhile to stop work for three days to repair the fortifications, otherwise these bastards would probably rush up and kick the door!" Tian Yeyou said quite proudly.
Due to the limited labor force in the mining area, the military originally did not intend to build such a large three-dimensional fortification, but Tian Yeyou believed that since it was necessary to build it, it should be built in one step. Stopped and spent three days dedicated to building the line of defense.Now it seems that this decision is obviously very wise. The Ming army's offensive was completely blocked from the line of defense, and at the same time, it also left enough space for the firearms attack that the Haihan army was good at.
This Chen Yixin has also withdrawn from the first line of defense to join them and discuss the next action plan.
"I don't think the Ming army is in the mood to attack anymore. It's time for us to take the initiative." Chen Yixin suggested: "There are still our infantry and cavalry to the north of the enemy army. It's just a matter of giving them a north-south attack!"
Haihan deployed troops ahead of time to cut off the Ming army's retreat, of course it was not for show. Since this time they were going to fight, Haihan's army was determined to eat this Ming army at ease. After gaining the upper hand, Chen Yixin had already held back a little bit. Can't stop.
The only more troublesome thing is that in order to make the defense line solid, the fortifications built in the north of the mining area did not reserve a passage for attack in advance, so the Haihan army had to go around from the east if they wanted to attack, and it took about two miles more The ground can only go around to the frontal battlefield in the north.
It is precisely because of this that the Ming army has found a glimmer of life.While the Haihan commanders were still discussing whether they should take the initiative to attack immediately, Guo Xingning had already made a decision first.
Due to the war in Dengzhou, strong men have become a scarce resource at present, and the people have a serious lack of trust in the officers and soldiers. It is difficult for foreign generals like Guo Xingning to replenish their troops from the local area. If they fight too hard here, their strength will be greatly reduced. Well, when the time comes, his status as a general may become like Shangguan Ye's, a nominal position with no soldiers available.
The experience of fighting the Haihan people this time is very important information for the Ming army. Guo Xingning believes that it is necessary to let the Dengzhou government and even the Shandong capital understand the real situation of Haihan, otherwise they will send troops to deal with Haihan next time. Most of them will still suffer a lot due to lack of sufficient information.
Regardless of whether it was for the sake of the overall situation or for the protection of his future status, Guo Xingning believed that he had to evacuate this place immediately.As for the Fushan Copper Mine, Guo Xingning can't take care of it now. Zheng Fan wanted this place so much, so he asked him to bring someone to grab it.
Guo Xingning knew that he was in a state of being attacked from the front and back, and if he delayed too much time, his army might be stuck here and couldn't get out.Before the Haihan people took the initiative to launch an attack, of course the 36 strategy is the best now.
Guo Xingning did not choose to go back the same way to confront the Haihan army head-on. Instead, he ordered the army to turn to the west and enter the mountains directly.He planned to go all the way west through the mountains, and then turn to Dengzhou City in the northwest to avoid the Haihan army waiting to block him in the north.This marching route is nearly half longer than the time when we came, and most of them are marching in the mountains. The return journey will undoubtedly be much more difficult than when we came.However, this is the only way to get rid of the opponent's pursuit as soon as possible.
There was nothing wrong with Guo Xingning's plan, and the timing of the retreat was well grasped, but what he never expected was that the Haihan people actually deployed a small group of elite troops in the mountainous area west of the mining area.Although this elite team has less than [-] soldiers, they are led by Gao Qiaonan, the commander of the Special War Battalion, a general in the Haihan Army.
Chen Yixin asked Gao Qiaonan to lead a team of people to ambush outside the mining area. The original purpose was to interfere with the Ming army's attack when necessary, and to coordinate with the mining area's stronghold.However, the attack strength and effect of the Ming army were very limited. Gao Qiaonan did not receive an order to attack, and witnessed the successive setbacks of the Ming army in the forest.
When he saw the Ming army suddenly pulling out of camp and marching towards the west, Gao Qiaonan immediately gave combat orders to his soldiers as if he had taken a stimulant.Although the strength of the opponent is four or five times that of the troops led by Takahashi Nan, Takahashi Nan is full of confidence. After all, the terrain around here is the mountainous jungle environment that the Special Operations Battalion is best at. In this kind of field combat, The combat power of the Special Operations Battalion will have the effect of environmental bonuses.
Guo Xingning's sudden withdrawal really caught the Haihan Army off guard. After observing this movement through the telescope, Chen Yixin could only helplessly shake his head and sigh: "It's still a step too late!"
Hearing what he said, Tian Yeyou quickly stepped forward and picked up the binoculars to look around. He sneered and said, "These guys have a very keen sense of smell! It depends on whether they are lucky enough to escape!"
Morgan made a cross on his chest with his hand, and said sincerely: "Gao Qiaonan will greet them well, we just need to send someone to follow behind to collect the corpse."
Guo Xingning, who was on horseback in the distance, suddenly shuddered, looked up at the sky, and saw grains of snowflakes slowly falling from the sky.The first snow on Jiaodong Peninsula in the seventh year of Chongzhen came just so quietly.
(End of this chapter)
The soldiers of the Ming army couldn't really see what was going on in Haihan's camp from a long distance. Seeing several gaps in the wall, they thought that the opponent was going to fight.
The Haihan Artillery had already calibrated their shooting range two days before the start of the battle, and made a number of concealed distance marks outside the position. There is no need to make observation calculations before the battle, just wait for the opponent to step into the pre-calculated fire strike range That's it.
Holding up the binoculars, Chen Yixin confirmed that the infantrymen of the Ming army had entered the area where the artillery was previewed, and then decisively gave the order to fire.Although the artillery deployed by the military to the mining area this time is all small-caliber guns, after being equipped with grape shells specially designed to deal with dense formations, this small gun is equivalent to a large-caliber shotgun. The lethality is no less than the shooting of dozens of muskets.
With every sound of cannon on Haihan's position, entire rows of Ming troops fell to the ground with screams.The copper-covered wooden shields in their hands can be used to block ordinary bows and arrows, but the grape bullets fired by the artillery are absolutely irresistible. Soybean-sized projectiles fly over the sky and cover the sky, destroying the shields and the Ming army hiding behind them. The soldiers fought like a hornet's nest.
Naturally, the infantry on Haihan's side were not idle. After the artillery started firing, the soldiers immediately fired at the Ming army who had lost their shield protection.Under the combined firepower of guns and artillery, the Ming army was dealt a heavy blow in a very short period of time.Of course, this inevitably exposed Haihan's true strength to the Ming army, making the opponents realize how terrifying the enemy they faced this time.
Guo Xingning's eyes popped out of the gunfire just now. Although he knew that the Haihan people would be very difficult, he did not expect that the other party would actually deploy several artillery pieces on the ground.The Ming army was caught off guard, and the casualties caused by this bombardment were also quite heavy.Even with a conservative estimate, Guo Xingning believes that the casualties should have reached triple digits.
Although the Ming army also had a few Frang cannons in the formation, the infantry in front had already been routed before they could be transported to the line of fire to set up artillery positions.The artillery who lacked cover naturally did not dare to go forward to fight on their own, and could only follow the rout and drag the artillery back into the formation.
Guo Xingning's current situation is a bit embarrassing. In less than half a day, the attacks have been frustrated one after another. The combatable soldiers under his command have been lost by more than [-]%. The fortifications around the perimeter have not even touched the hair of the Haihan people.Of course Guo Xingning could urge his subordinates to continue attacking the Haihan position, but he has no better way to counter the Haihan people now. If they attack forcefully, the result is very likely to be even more serious casualties.
Guo Xingning also couldn't figure it out. He was equipped with infantry and cavalry, and artillery to assist him. They were all veterans who had experienced battles. Logically speaking, it should be easy to deal with a group of armed merchants. Before he came, he had even thought about how to accept it. The Haihan people surrendered, and then let them get out of Fushan County, but they didn't expect to encounter bloody head and blood in the first battle in this wilderness.Guo Xingning was caught in a dilemma whether to continue fighting or retreat to preserve his strength.
At this moment, the cavalry he sent out to mop up the back road hurried back to return, but the number of them was nearly one-third less.This team of cavalry fought with the Haihan people outside Guxian Town, but the result was obvious. They did not take advantage of it, but became the target of the opponent. After being shot down by the Haihan soldiers, they panicked. Withdrew back in a panic.As for the task of opening up the back road, it can only be left behind for the time being.
After witnessing the battle between his subordinates and the Haihan people just now, Guo Xingning was not so surprised by what happened to this cavalry.With the fighting style of the Haihan people, it is indeed easy for this team to be caught off guard by the opponent without vigilance.What he cares more about now is how many troops the Haihan people have deployed in his rear, and whether they can smoothly retreat back to Dengzhou City along the official road.
But the feedback from his subordinates was another basin of cold water poured on Guo Xingning's head. Obviously, the Haihan people had calculated the Ming army's movements beforehand, and the actions they made in the back road were not harassment at all, but real actions. It is necessary to cut off the retreat route of the Ming army.According to what my subordinates saw, there were at least two or three hundred Haihan soldiers in the local area, and they occupied a favorable terrain. There were even a few armed sailboats of Haihan on the seashore as water cover. I'm afraid it will take a fierce battle.
Fortunately, Guo Xingning was still cautious. He carefully studied the map before setting off, and the preparations were solid. Although the official road along the coastline was cut off by the Haihan people, he still remembered at least two of them crossing the mountainous area and returning to Dengzhou. The route to the city, but the terrain is rugged, and it will take more than twice the marching time to return to the base camp.Of course, the premise of this plan is that the Haihan people will not attack from their strongholds, otherwise it is hard to judge how the situation will develop. After all, the Haihan people still have an unknown number of cavalry on hand. If they seize the opportunity to chase after them, yes For the Ming army, it will be a difficult trouble to get rid of.And where this cavalry is now, Guo Xingning has no idea about it.
At this time, Guo Xingning had realized that the opponent's pre-war preparations were far more adequate than his own, and he had just set up a trap and waited for his team to attack. Obviously, the Han people did not intend to stick to the mining area, but wanted to fight a war of annihilation, trying to wipe out their own Ming army in Fushan County.
At this time, the casualties have been roughly counted. More than 130 people failed to withdraw from the battle just now, most of them died on the spot, and a few wounded who lost their mobility could not be rescued from the battlefield.Coupled with the lost heads in the rear, the current casualty situation is still within an acceptable range, but after consecutive setbacks, morale has become unsustainable.
And this is not the most terrible thing. Guo Xingning found that the battle has been fought until now. Apart from knowing that the enemy has cavalry and is equipped with guns, he seems to have no other valuable information. Even the strength of the opponent, how to deploy it, and by whom? The commander didn't know anything about it, but the other party started to approach and reconnaissance shortly after he left Dengzhou City, and he had a clear idea of his own troops' strength and movements.Under such a situation of information asymmetry, it is not surprising that the Ming army suffered setbacks one after another.
His own strength and movement were exposed early, while the opponent was always hiding in the mist, making it impossible for Guo Xingning to figure out his strength. This passive situation was already very dangerous.This Guo Xingning has now put away all his flukes and contempt, and began to think about how to get out of this mess.
At this time, the atmosphere in Haihan's position is relatively more relaxed. The few waves of offensives by the Ming army just now have not really threatened Haihan's defense line at all. The price Haihan has paid so far is only some ammunition. , There have been no casualties in terms of personnel, and the degree of damage to the position is still tolerable.According to Chen Yixin's estimate, even if the cavalry of the Ming army came out in full force, there would probably be no way to clean up the fortifications around the Haihan position.That is to say, it is basically impossible for this Ming army to break through Haihan's position from the front.
"It's okay, it's easier than expected." Morgan finally sat down to rest at this time, and took a sip of the hot tea he had just brewed.The last battle he commanded was against the local indigenous tribe in Miaoli, Taiwan. The strength of the opponent was far inferior to that of the regular army of Ming Dynasty in Shandong this time. Never sat down.
"You see, it's worthwhile to stop work for three days to repair the fortifications, otherwise these bastards would probably rush up and kick the door!" Tian Yeyou said quite proudly.
Due to the limited labor force in the mining area, the military originally did not intend to build such a large three-dimensional fortification, but Tian Yeyou believed that since it was necessary to build it, it should be built in one step. Stopped and spent three days dedicated to building the line of defense.Now it seems that this decision is obviously very wise. The Ming army's offensive was completely blocked from the line of defense, and at the same time, it also left enough space for the firearms attack that the Haihan army was good at.
This Chen Yixin has also withdrawn from the first line of defense to join them and discuss the next action plan.
"I don't think the Ming army is in the mood to attack anymore. It's time for us to take the initiative." Chen Yixin suggested: "There are still our infantry and cavalry to the north of the enemy army. It's just a matter of giving them a north-south attack!"
Haihan deployed troops ahead of time to cut off the Ming army's retreat, of course it was not for show. Since this time they were going to fight, Haihan's army was determined to eat this Ming army at ease. After gaining the upper hand, Chen Yixin had already held back a little bit. Can't stop.
The only more troublesome thing is that in order to make the defense line solid, the fortifications built in the north of the mining area did not reserve a passage for attack in advance, so the Haihan army had to go around from the east if they wanted to attack, and it took about two miles more The ground can only go around to the frontal battlefield in the north.
It is precisely because of this that the Ming army has found a glimmer of life.While the Haihan commanders were still discussing whether they should take the initiative to attack immediately, Guo Xingning had already made a decision first.
Due to the war in Dengzhou, strong men have become a scarce resource at present, and the people have a serious lack of trust in the officers and soldiers. It is difficult for foreign generals like Guo Xingning to replenish their troops from the local area. If they fight too hard here, their strength will be greatly reduced. Well, when the time comes, his status as a general may become like Shangguan Ye's, a nominal position with no soldiers available.
The experience of fighting the Haihan people this time is very important information for the Ming army. Guo Xingning believes that it is necessary to let the Dengzhou government and even the Shandong capital understand the real situation of Haihan, otherwise they will send troops to deal with Haihan next time. Most of them will still suffer a lot due to lack of sufficient information.
Regardless of whether it was for the sake of the overall situation or for the protection of his future status, Guo Xingning believed that he had to evacuate this place immediately.As for the Fushan Copper Mine, Guo Xingning can't take care of it now. Zheng Fan wanted this place so much, so he asked him to bring someone to grab it.
Guo Xingning knew that he was in a state of being attacked from the front and back, and if he delayed too much time, his army might be stuck here and couldn't get out.Before the Haihan people took the initiative to launch an attack, of course the 36 strategy is the best now.
Guo Xingning did not choose to go back the same way to confront the Haihan army head-on. Instead, he ordered the army to turn to the west and enter the mountains directly.He planned to go all the way west through the mountains, and then turn to Dengzhou City in the northwest to avoid the Haihan army waiting to block him in the north.This marching route is nearly half longer than the time when we came, and most of them are marching in the mountains. The return journey will undoubtedly be much more difficult than when we came.However, this is the only way to get rid of the opponent's pursuit as soon as possible.
There was nothing wrong with Guo Xingning's plan, and the timing of the retreat was well grasped, but what he never expected was that the Haihan people actually deployed a small group of elite troops in the mountainous area west of the mining area.Although this elite team has less than [-] soldiers, they are led by Gao Qiaonan, the commander of the Special War Battalion, a general in the Haihan Army.
Chen Yixin asked Gao Qiaonan to lead a team of people to ambush outside the mining area. The original purpose was to interfere with the Ming army's attack when necessary, and to coordinate with the mining area's stronghold.However, the attack strength and effect of the Ming army were very limited. Gao Qiaonan did not receive an order to attack, and witnessed the successive setbacks of the Ming army in the forest.
When he saw the Ming army suddenly pulling out of camp and marching towards the west, Gao Qiaonan immediately gave combat orders to his soldiers as if he had taken a stimulant.Although the strength of the opponent is four or five times that of the troops led by Takahashi Nan, Takahashi Nan is full of confidence. After all, the terrain around here is the mountainous jungle environment that the Special Operations Battalion is best at. In this kind of field combat, The combat power of the Special Operations Battalion will have the effect of environmental bonuses.
Guo Xingning's sudden withdrawal really caught the Haihan Army off guard. After observing this movement through the telescope, Chen Yixin could only helplessly shake his head and sigh: "It's still a step too late!"
Hearing what he said, Tian Yeyou quickly stepped forward and picked up the binoculars to look around. He sneered and said, "These guys have a very keen sense of smell! It depends on whether they are lucky enough to escape!"
Morgan made a cross on his chest with his hand, and said sincerely: "Gao Qiaonan will greet them well, we just need to send someone to follow behind to collect the corpse."
Guo Xingning, who was on horseback in the distance, suddenly shuddered, looked up at the sky, and saw grains of snowflakes slowly falling from the sky.The first snow on Jiaodong Peninsula in the seventh year of Chongzhen came just so quietly.
(End of this chapter)