1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3906

The straight-line distance between Desheng Gate in the north of Nanchang and Zhangjiang Gate in the west is only about two li, and the length of the city wall between the two gates is only about three li. Before the Haihan Army attacked Nanchang, the defending troops in the city practiced defensive tactics, and they also practiced using flag signals and light signals to transmit information at these two gate towers in order to support each other.

However, the gate towers of both city gates were destroyed by artillery fire, and the means of transmitting information over long distances was gone. Now, the only way to communicate the battle situation was by fast horses running back and forth in the city.

After the fall of Zhangjiang Gate, the defending troops quickly set up new defensive fortifications on the nearby city walls to prevent the Haihan army from launching an attack along the city walls towards Desheng Gate and the adjacent Guangrun Gate to the south.

The city walls were already piled with a large number of rolling stones and logs, intended for use by the Haihan army when they used ladders to attack the city. Now, these materials have come in a new use. They are also suitable for building temporary fortifications. While the vanguard of the Haihan army was still fighting fiercely at Zhangjiang Gate, their passage was blocked by these temporary fortifications on the city walls not far from them.

When Shi Chengwu ordered an attack on Deshengmen along the city wall to the north, the defending troops had already set up at least three lines of defense on the section of the city wall between Zhangjiangmen and Deshengmen, all using the original watchtowers as strongholds. There were already thousands of people stationed on and off the city wall, so it would not be easy to break through to Deshengmen quickly along the city wall.

The good news is that with more and more weapons and equipment arriving at Zhangjiang Gate, the available tactical options have become more diverse, and infantry no longer need to physically confront the temporary fortifications on the city wall.

Mortars, which are easy to move and deploy in confined spaces, once again proved invaluable at this time.

The target was within visual range, and the enemy was hidden behind temporary fortifications, their location also very clear, making mortars the perfect weapon to deal with them.

In the afternoon, the Haihan army launched a new offensive against the Ming army's defenses on the city wall.

After a brief calibration, the two mortars began shelling the nearest city wall beacon tower to Zhangjiang Gate. Facing this clearly positioned, fixed target, the mortar shells landed precisely on the heads of the Ming soldiers behind the temporary fortifications. The Ming soldiers, unable to mount any counterattack against an attack from beyond their own range, were immediately put on the defensive.

After several rounds of artillery fire on the beacon tower, the infantry finally took to the field and rushed swiftly along the city wall passage toward the defending troops' positions.

At this point, although a few survivors remained on the watchtower, they could only launch sporadic attacks and could hardly stop the rapidly approaching Haihan infantry.

After a brief engagement, the Haihan army captured the watchtower with only four wounded soldiers, thus opening up a quarter of the route to Deshengmen.

The defending troops realized the Haihan army's intentions and immediately reinforced the remaining two watchtowers on the city wall. However, the space on the city wall was limited and could not accommodate a large number of troops. Moreover, the denser the troops were, the easier it would be for them to be exposed and thus become targets of Haihan army artillery fire.

Ding Baoguo responded to this situation by gathering hundreds of musketeers and archers in the west of the city. They went to high ground in the city and fired at the Haihan army on the city walls to slow down their offensive.

This tactic quickly proved effective. The Haihan army, having captured the first watchtower, was forced to divert some of its forces to deal with attacks from within the city.

Moreover, the Ming troops inside the city had a much larger area to roam than the Ming troops on the city walls, while the Haihan army found itself in a situation where its space for movement was limited.

Ming archers appeared on the rooftops of various buildings, firing a shot and an arrow before moving on to a new spot, constantly roaming around, making it not so easy for the Haihan army to kill them.

The offensive, launched from the ground along the city wall to the north, also encountered fierce resistance from the defenders. The makeshift roadblocks along this route were many times more numerous than those on the city walls themselves. From high vantage points on the wall, one could see large numbers of laborers continuously transporting earth, stones, and massive timbers to block the road below the wall, constructing one barricade after another.

These barricades are certainly easy to attack from above the city walls, but the problem is that the offensive on the city walls is also slowing down, making it difficult to cover the advance of the Haihan army below the walls.

Upon hearing the battle report, Shi Chengwu was also greatly troubled. If he wanted to advance quickly, he would inevitably suffer considerable casualties. Even if he could quickly take Nanchang, it would certainly not be a brilliant victory.

Victories achieved at the cost of heavy casualties are never something to boast about in the military circles of Haihan.

Shi Chengwu had no choice but to abandon the idea of ​​rapidly advancing the front line and order the front-line troops to maintain a steady and methodical approach, without rushing ahead in pursuit of speed.

As dusk approached, the Haihan army was still locked in fierce fighting with the defenders at the second watchtower, but it seemed unlikely that they could capture Deshengmen in the north of the city today.

At this point in the battle, both armies realized that they could not defeat the other in a short time, so they tacitly slowed down their offensives and planned to stabilize the current battle line before nightfall.

Shi Chengwu had already set foot on the territory of Nanchang City to inspect the situation of the front-line troops.

To reward the frontline troops who had fought hard today, Shi Chengwu brought them several slaughtered pigs, cattle, and sheep. At this time, the cooks had already set up stoves outside Zhangjiang Gate, cooking meat in separate pots to prepare dinner. The aroma of the food filled the air, which also diluted the bloody smell near Zhangjiang Gate.

Shi Chengwu did not rush to have a meal with his soldiers, but instead went to check on the casualties of those who had been injured or killed in the battle that day.

Although the Haihan army had the advantage in strength, it still suffered some casualties during the siege, despite the defenders having the advantage of terrain.

According to current statistics, 27 people were killed and over 200 were wounded to varying degrees in today's attack on Zhangjiang Gate and subsequent battles. This number is quite high compared to the earlier battles against other prefectures in Jiangxi.

Among those killed in action was one of the vanguard commanders who distinguished themselves in the "first assault" today, a captain.

Shi Chengwu recognized the company commander, as the man had served as his father's personal bodyguard for ten years, making him a trusted confidant. He had only been transferred to Nanjing last year to work under Shi Chengwu. This arrangement was made by Shi Diwen out of consideration for his years of hard work and out of a desire to cultivate him.

Before the attack on Nanchang, this man volunteered to take on the task of leading the vanguard from Shi Chengwu. According to normal procedure, after capturing Nanchang, he would be able to be promoted in rank and position based on his military achievements.

This man's company was the first to storm Zhangjiang Gate, but in the ensuing battle, he was unfortunately struck in the chest by a stray arrow and died instantly from his wounds. Among those who tragically died today, he was the highest-ranking officer.

Seeing someone he knew die on the battlefield, Shi Chengwu was naturally very saddened. Moreover, he knew that his father, who was far away in Hangzhou, would probably also be saddened by the departure of this subordinate when he heard the news.