coobybook Chapter 1137 The Battle for National Destiny (3)
Chapter 1137 The Battle for National Destiny (3)
The Qing army's artillery mostly used solid shot, with a small portion consisting of explosive and detonating shells.
Mortars, on the other hand, have a shorter range, which means they cannot use solid shot, but they are loaded with more high-quality gunpowder and fragmentation.
Moreover, mortar shells have a faster rate of fire and a denser impact point, making it a comprehensive storm of steel and a baptism of fire.
Each shell that landed was a rapidly expanding fireball, followed by an explosion, with scorching air currents carrying countless deadly fragments that sprayed wildly in all directions.
The flames merged into one, and thick smoke billowed up, completely engulfing the slave soldiers charging ahead.
Screams were drowned out by the sound of the explosion, and the shockwave sent limbs flying everywhere.
The already chaotic charging formation of the Tibetan slave soldiers was completely reduced to dust under such dense firepower.
The slave soldiers, who were already cannon fodder, were turned into true 'cannon fodder' one by one under such an offensive!
The new recruit from Sichuan stared wide-eyed at what he was seeing.
The power of the artillery had already terrified him, but the even more ferocious barrage was completely beyond his imagination.
The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder, and all you could hear was the roar of explosions and a constant buzzing.
His hand, which was holding the spear, had stopped trembling at some point, but it had begun to go numb.
So... wars can be fought like this?
Before the enemy even reached within two hundred paces of the front line, they were already routed by two different levels of firepower.
Little did they know, this was the complete tactic of the Qing army.
The Qing army is indeed capable of fighting, but battle-hardened soldiers are extremely valuable, and Li Che simply cannot bear to let them engage in close combat with the enemy.
Wouldn't artillery barrage be better?
All that's paid is money and military expenses. If that thing is gone, it's gone. We can just rob it from neighboring countries or take it from powerful families!
Also shocked were Gar Tongtsen Yulsung and his generals under the Tibetan banner.
The power of the artillery barrage had already turned their faces pale, and the subsequent mortar barrage sent everyone's hearts sinking to the bottom.
They knew the Qing army's firearms were powerful, but they didn't expect them to be this powerful!
This was completely beyond their understanding of traditional warfare; the texts in the old battle reports could not describe the shock, and even Lu Dongzan made a misjudgment.
The slave soldiers' futile charge seemed laughable in the face of the Qing army's firepower, like moths drawn to a flame or waves crashing against rocks.
Aside from being pulverized to pieces, it leaves no trace.
The cold sweat on Zannie's forehead had formed streams that flowed down his temples, but he didn't bother to wipe it away.
He rushed to Lu Dongzan and said urgently, "Great Master, this can't go on any longer!"
"The slave soldiers have suffered too many casualties and their morale has completely collapsed. I'm afraid the supervisory team will soon be unable to control them."
"Continuing to fill in like this will only waste lives and may even shake the morale of the entire army."
Lu Dongzan pursed his lips tightly, his face so gloomy it could drip water.
The area ahead, shrouded in smoke, was like a ferocious maw, relentlessly devouring his troops and his already fragile confidence.
Even without Zan Nie saying it, he knew he couldn't keep dragging this on.
"Pass on the order!" Lu Dongzan decisively commanded, "The slave soldiers' formations should disperse and try to avoid being hit by artillery fire!"
Then, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
Like a snow leopard hunting on the plateau, it kept its eyes fixed on the artillery positions behind the Qing army, which were constantly spewing fire.
"Order 3,000 Cha cavalry on the left wing and 3,000 Cha cavalry on the right wing to attack immediately!"
"Ignore the Qing army's forward infantry formation, and flank them from both sides to take their artillery positions!"
"At all costs, we must wipe out those artillery pieces!"
Cavalry charge, outflanking maneuvers, and destruction of enemy long-range firepower.
Faced with this unprecedented barrage of firepower, this was the most effective counterattack Lu Dongzan could think of.
The impact of the plateau cavalry was the sharpest blade in his hand at that moment.
It must be said that Lu Dongzan was indeed quite capable; this was truly the optimal solution in the face of artillery fire.
but.
Sometimes, even if you find the optimal solution, it may not solve the problem.
Because some tactics are simply unsolvable in this era!
The horn sounded again, this time with a more rapid rhythm and full of offensive force.
Dust billowed on both flanks of the Tibetan army, and the Tibetan cavalry, who had been preparing for a long time, began to urge their horses on, first at a trot, and then at a speed.
Finally, two surging torrents of iron formed, bypassing the dead zone in front and drawing two huge arcs.
The horses' hooves thundered as they charged forward towards the rear flanks of the Qing army's lines!
The Tibetan cavalry's charge carried the unique ferocity of the plateau people.
They were generally covered in fine chainmail, which, although not as thick as the armor of the Qing army, covered the vital parts.
The weapons they carried varied: scimitars were suitable for slashing, spears were good for charging, and some riders had short bows hanging beside their saddles.
Although the warhorses ridden by the cavalrymen were not tall, they were strong and had excellent endurance, especially adapted to the oxygen-deficient environment of the plateau.
Urged on by their riders, they galloped off like two brown whirlwinds sweeping across the ground, fiercely attacking the flanks of the Qing army.
The sound of horses' hooves was like a dense drumbeat, striking the frozen earth and also striking the hearts of the Qing army infantrymen responsible for flank protection.
Faced with such a large-scale cavalry charge, some of the newly recruited soldiers inevitably became restless.
The formation began to waver slightly. Some people instinctively tightened their grip on their shields, the angles of their spears stiffened, and some even couldn't help but want to turn around to look at the command flag in the center.
Just then, a group of political commissars dressed in standard armor calmly joined the ranks.
"Hold your ground! Spearmen, butts of your spears, forty-five-degree angle!"
"Swordsmen and shield bearers, check the shield latches! Remember what we've practiced: stab the horse's belly, cut its legs!"
"Rookie, look ahead! Don't look to the sides!"
"What's the old soldier over there doing? Keep a close eye on him, or I'll kick anyone who moves!"
"Listen up, all of you! The Duke is watching! After this battle, those who survive will be rewarded with plenty of gold and silver, and their drinks will be plentiful! Those who die will receive double the compensation, and their sons and daughters will be raised by the court until they reach adulthood! Those who chicken out, think about whether you're even worthy of being soldiers of Daqing!"
The political commissars' stern rebukes, concise instructions, and promises of rewards and punishments gradually soothed the hearts of the soldiers.
The new recruits forced themselves to look away from the terrifying cavalry torrent and towards the front, towards the rock-solid veterans beside them.
A dark-skinned political commissar also appeared beside the veteran and recruit who had been talking earlier.
He patted the recruit's tense shoulder, said nothing, but gave the veteran a wink.
The veteran grinned and nodded to the political commissar.
As the two cavalry waves drew ever closer, the dust kicked up by their hooves almost hitting his face, the new recruit felt his throat go dry and his heart pounding in his throat.
He swallowed hard and asked the veteran beside him in a hoarse voice, "Brother... are we really just going to ignore them? Just watch them?"
The old soldier had somehow pulled out his flat wine flask again, took a leisurely sip, and squinted as he surveyed the surging Tibetan cavalry.
His gaze swept over the short, stocky warhorses beneath them, and he scoffed, "We don't need them. Look at those horses, short-legged and thick-bodied, clearly mountain horses... Use them for charging? Heh heh! Someone else will take care of them!"
As soon as he finished speaking...
The rear guard of the Qing army, the area consisting of supply wagons, suddenly changed.
The vehicles were quickly moved aside, and a moment later, warhorses poked their heads out, exhaling white breath, and trotted out.
One by one, the cavalrymen stepped out from the edge of the battle line, their heavy armor reflecting a cold light.
Immediately afterwards, a magnificent, pure white warhorse, carrying a general, strode out.
The general was wearing a set of white armor and stared straight ahead.
He held a bright silver spear in his hand, its shaft straight and its tip gleaming, casually resting it to the side of the saddle.
It was Yueyun!
Yue Yun's gaze swept calmly over the Tibetan cavalry that were flanking them, a flash of disdain in his eyes.
Immediately, his sharp eyes narrowed, and his clear voice rang out:
"All soldiers—"
Behind them, the three thousand cavalrymen, who had been standing in silent formation, all raised their heads in unison.
Yueyun pointed his silver spear at the Tibetan cavalry, his voice like a dragon's roar: "Look at the enemy army ahead, how do they compare to the wolf cavalry of the northern grasslands and the iron hawks of Liaodong?!"
"Weak—weak—weak—"
The three thousand iron cavalry roared in unison, their answer crisp and decisive.
These cavalrymen were all elites who had been tempered in the crucible of war and bloodshed by Yue Yun.
Every soldier was clad in full armor, and their warhorses were also protected by iron armor. They were the sharpest spearhead of the Qing army—heavy armored cavalry!
Yue Yun raised his arm, holding the bright silver spear high above his head.
Under the sunlight, the tip of the gun burst forth with dazzling, cold light.
"These weak bandits dare to act so arrogantly and defy our imperial authority! Follow me and slay them!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
His response was an even more ferocious roar.
The cavalrymen let out low growls and slowly lowered their face armor.
Amidst the clanging of metal, cold, steel faces concealed all emotions.
They tucked their extended and heavier cavalry lances under their arms, the tips drooping slightly, pointing forward.
Yue Yun said no more, but simply swung his silver spear forward, making a simple slashing motion.
The next moment, the divine steed beneath him let out a long, impassioned neigh, and with a sudden burst of power from its four hooves, it leaped out of the formation like a white lightning bolt!
"kill--"
Behind them, three thousand heavily armored cavalrymen roared into action like a torrent of steel bursting its banks!
At first, the acceleration was slow, and the horses' hooves made a dull thud as they trod on the frozen ground.
As the distance closed, the speed increased, the horses' hooves flew, splashing up large amounts of snow and mud.
Three thousand men and three thousand horses drew two even thicker tracks across the snow-covered plain, fearlessly facing the two groups of Tibetan cavalry that were trying to encircle them.
Charge! Charge!
The leading Tibetan cavalry commander, who was looking at the Qing army's infantry line and calculating how to break through, heard the familiar sound of horses' hooves.
But then a heavy cavalry force suddenly appeared from the side and rear, their men and horses clad in heavy armor, charging forward with unstoppable momentum.
The rider's pupils suddenly contracted, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.