Chapter 3544
Chapter 3544
Chapter 3544
By noon, the spectators on Mount Adachi had lost their patience. They had climbed the mountain early in the morning, fully expecting the two sides to start fighting once they had formed their battle formations, but after waiting for so long, they only saw the two sides constantly testing each other.
However, this small-scale conflict with mutual saber-rattling obviously failed to arouse the guests' interest in watching the game.
Many people were asking Shi Diwen whether the battle could start today. Would the two sides just continue to confront each other and then withdraw their troops back to the camp when dark?
There were even people who asked Shi Diwen to urge the warring parties and put pressure on them to stop delaying time.
Shi Diwen did not know whether to laugh or cry at such a request. Although this war was created by him and he could exert a certain influence on both warring parties, he was not yet able to command the armies of both sides.
He also hoped that the decisive battle would start earlier. After all, the funding for the entire investigation was borne by the finances of the East China Sea region, and the daily consumption of food and fodder for humans and horses was not a small amount.
The inspection has lasted for a month now, and many guests are already very tired both physically and mentally. A big battle must be launched at the right time to ensure that the publicity effect of this inspection is not compromised.
However, Shi Diwen was unwilling to change the established tactics of the Kyushu coalition for the sake of international impression. Otherwise, with the coalition's existing forces, it would definitely not be able to defeat the shogunate army if it took the initiative. Once the coalition was defeated, all the support for the Kyushu vassal states over the years would be in vain.
Fortunately, this time the shogunate army did not disappoint the high expectations of the spectators. After deploying the artillery units, it quickly launched an offensive against the positions of the Kyushu coalition forces.
The shogunate army launched the attack with artillery bombardment, but what they did not expect was that this time the Kyushu coalition did not remain silent, but immediately launched a counterattack.
The main target of the counterattack was the dozens of artillery pieces that the shogunate army had just pushed to the front line.
Most of the artillery in the shogunate army was field artillery for easy mobility. The caliber and barrel length of the artillery were limited, which directly restricted its lethality and range.
This type of artillery is certainly more than enough to deal with ordinary infantry and cavalry, but it is difficult to have an immediate effect when it comes to blasting open the positions and fortifications of the Kyushu coalition forces.
Facing the artillery bombardment of the Kyushu coalition forces, the shogunate army on the plain had almost no shelter. The consequences of using their bodies to fight against the artillery shells can be imagined.
In just a short moment, the number of artillery pieces firing from both sides totaled more than a hundred. The rumbling sound of artillery pieces crossed the plain, and the battle entered its most intense stage right from the start.
The spectators on the mountain were so excited that they stood up and focused on watching this rare battle scene.
It was rare to see so many artillery pieces being deployed by both sides in this era. Especially for countries that had purchased and equipped Hai Han artillery pieces, they hoped to use this actual battle to verify the combat effectiveness of this advanced weapon.
Before the war started, Hai Han officers introduced the various types of artillery used by both sides in this battle so that foreign guests could judge which artillery was more suitable for their own army.
On the battlefield, the Kyushu coalition forces had already relied on their firepower advantage to launch a devastating attack on the artillery units of the shogunate army.
Almost every gun position of the shogunate army was attacked by concentrated fire from three to four enemy artillery pieces. In just a few moments, nearly one-third of the gun positions were hit and lost the ability to continue fighting.
As for the Kyushu coalition's position, only the outer fortifications made of sand and earth were slightly destroyed. Such a one-sided situation was probably something that neither side had expected before the war.
While the Shogunate army was still scrambling to evacuate the injured artillerymen, the Kyushu coalition forces, under the urging of military advisers, had already used more powerful coastal defense artillery to bombard targets at a greater distance.
These huge coastal defense guns were originally used to arm coastal artillery forts to deal with warships attacking from the sea. Their barrels were much longer than ordinary artillery, and their effective range was much longer, so it was no problem to hit targets three or four miles away.
Due to its huge size and heavy weight, it is not easy to transport it here. Once it is deployed at the gun position, it will basically not move.
These coastal defense guns probably only have one chance to fire. Once they open fire and expose their position, the enemy will no longer be able to actively step into their attack range.
Therefore, the target of the coastal defense artillery is not as simple as destroying ordinary soldiers. The direction in which its muzzle is aimed is exactly the area where the flags in the enemy formation are most concentrated.
According to the shogunate's combat habits, the commanders of all the troops had to gather in one place to facilitate coordinated operations. The location of this headquarters was not difficult to find with a little attention.
The shogunate army was not completely defenseless against long-range firepower attacks. The headquarters was at least a mile away from the battle zone, out of the range of ordinary artillery. But no matter how much they planned, they probably could not have expected that there was a coastal artillery with an amazing range hidden in the mountains and forests opposite.
After completing the loading and aiming, the artillerymen removed the bush cover blocking the coastal defense gun, revealing the muzzle with a five-inch diameter.
But at this time, the two armies were still in a chaotic artillery battle, and no one in the shogunate army seemed to notice these subtle changes in the mountains and forests opposite.
As a sharp whistle sounded, several coastal defense guns opened fire at the same time, and several shells immediately hit the shogunate army's position.
One of the bullets landed only two or three feet away from the headquarters. After bouncing off the ground, it knocked down several guards, and rushed into the headquarters with a pile of flesh and blood. The flags immediately fell down.
"It's hit, it's hit!"
"These shots are really accurate!"
“It’s amazing that we can hit it from such a distance!”
There was a cry of surprise from the observation deck on Mount Adachi. Many people noticed the bombardment through telescopes. Because the densely populated area of the shells was too far from the battle zone, it was particularly conspicuous. Looking at the densely populated flags in that area, even people who didn't know much about military affairs could think that it should be the core area of the shogunate army.
However, this successful bombardment did not immediately cause chaos in the shogunate army. The troops on the front line of the battle were still executing the established combat plan and continued to bombard the positions of the Kyushu coalition forces, unaware that their rear had been hit by a long-range attack.
The Kyushu coalition's coastal defense artillery did not stop after the successful attack, but continued to load ammunition and attack distant targets. However, the loading speed of the coastal defense artillery was extremely slow, and the interval between two rounds of artillery fire was enough for the shogunate army to adjust the affected area.
The shogunate army did not receive orders from the rear to order its artillery units to withdraw from the battlefield until more than half of its artillery on the front line had been lost.
The reason for issuing this order was not because the artillery unit suffered heavy losses, but because many generals were killed or injured, making it impossible for the command system to function normally and it had to leave the battlefield and be readjusted.