1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 369 Attacking Ancient State ([-])
"Bang! Bang! Bang!..." Seeing more than a dozen people coming out of Gubang City, trying to drag away the logs erected on the trench, the Hanzhou township soldiers in the distance raised their guns and shot at them.

"Ah! Ah!" Two Ming men were shot and fell to the ground, and the rest were terrified and all lay on the ground.

The Dutch yelled loudly from the top of the city, making them get up immediately and continue to drag the logs on the trench.

"Boom! Boom!" Two cannons rang out, shooting at the Hanzhou township soldiers who were firing in the distance.

Li Dazhu had a bitter face, this situation was too embarrassing.The Dutch at the head of the city forced them to dismantle the wooden bridge at the ditch with muskets, and the Hanzhou soldiers on the opposite side also shot them mercilessly.Damn, it would be too embarrassing to be beaten to death by one of your own people.

"The people coming from the opposite side seem to be Ming people like us." A village soldier said to his companion.

"Well, I saw it." Another village soldier said, "It's probably Min Zhuang who was forcibly conscripted by the Dutch red-haired ghosts, and they got them here."

"Then shall we continue to beat them?"

"You are stupid!" said the village soldier, "Although they were recruited by force, they are helping the Dutch red-haired ghosts to beat us now. If we want to spare them, we have to talk about it after breaking the city!"

"Hey, why do you think these people dare not turn their heads to kill the Dutch red-haired ghost, but risk being shot by us to demolish the wooden bridge on the ditch! Anyway, we..."

"Boom! Boom!" With the sound of the cannon, two projectiles flew straight towards them.One of them hit the village soldier who spoke just now, and opened a huge blood hole in his chest. The huge kinetic energy of the projectile sent him flying several meters away.

The dozen or so local soldiers around were terrified, and immediately lay down on the ground with their heads in their hands, praying that the shells would not fall on them.For a moment, everyone was wondering whether they had fled back to the camp like those natives just now.

"Bring the people back." Niu Hu looked at the cannonballs fired from time to time from the top of the Kubang city. Although they didn't hit many Hanzhou soldiers, they wouldn't let them serve as targets for the Dutch to practice artillery shooting.Wait until night, quietly lurk to the trench, and pass quickly.Then relying on the advantage of numbers, they besieged from all sides. I don't believe that the Dutch can defend themselves.

However, that night, after a Ming man who ran out of Kupang City informed Niu Hu and other Hanzhou officers of the news, all attack plans were abolished and redeployed.

"We don't need to besiege on all sides at night. We gather all the troops. After passing through the trench, some of them set up wooden ladders for a feint attack. The rest of the troops gather at the city gate, wait for the gate to be opened, and then rush in quickly. Clear the resistance at the top of the city first. , and then occupy various key points near the city wall, and wait for dawn before clearing out the remnants of the Dutch armed forces in the city." Niu Hu looked at the Marine Corps officer and village soldier captain in the camp, and said in a deep voice: "The most important thing in this battle is to capture the city gate, so The troops in the feigned attack on the city wall will suffer a lot of pressure and casualties."

"Battalion Commander, based on the words of a wise man from Kupang City, would it be a bit risky for us to put the whole army on top? In case, this is a trick of the Dutch to lure the enemy, we will definitely lose a lot by going here. "Li Fade said with doubts.

He knew that Niu Hu received news of the attacking fleet in the afternoon, saying that he had intercepted a Dutch merchant ship in the western waters of the Kupang Offshore Sea, but the faster professional warship "Yang Ming" in Hanzhou did not We can stop it before dark, rely on the cover of night, and escape to the west.

This made everyone feel a little impatient. If the city could not be broken in a short period of time, then Hanzhou's attack on Gubang might end without a problem.If the fleeing Dutch merchant ship made a circle, fled back to Oecussi not far from here, and then recruited the Dutch fleet that blocked the city of Dili, the Han people could only choose to retreat.Calculating the time, Hanzhou people can stay in Kupang City for up to four days.

"The existence of the black guards may still be a secret in the Netherlands, and they probably don't know about it." Niu Hu said: "Besides, the Dutch can't make up He Qing and Li Dazhu. But I just know these two people It was they who made most of the damage to the Batavia shipyard. Therefore, the destruction of Kubang City fell on their heads."

Li Fade heard the words, stopped talking, and nodded in approval of Niu Hu's arrangement.Since most of the soldiers in the newly formed First and Second Marine Corps were newly recruited last year, supplemented by the original non-commissioned officers and veterans, the combat effectiveness is still in a state of adjustment. He is just worried that if the losses in the First World War are too large, it may affect them. The improvement of their combat power has brought down their once great reputation.

"In addition, explain to all the soldiers and township soldiers that the Ming people with white cloth belts on their left arms are all our own people, so don't kill them by mistake." Niu Hu said: "As for the ancient state city, any enemy who resists will be killed. !"

In Kupang City in the night, there is silence. Whether it is a colonial official or an ordinary resident, the doors of their homes are closed, and they pray to God devoutly.I hope that the Almighty Lord can drive away the vicious enemies outside the city, and hope that the brave mercenaries can defend this colonial city.

However, as the governor of Kupang, Knell Rawlins did not pin all his hopes on God. He took the sheriff, Lieutenant Vinod Ellison, to patrol the defenses on the city wall dutifully.He greeted all the loyal mercenary soldiers cordially, and promised that if they successfully repelled the attack of the Hanzhou people, each of them would be rewarded with thirty Dutch guilders.Even if he was injured, the colonial authorities would try their best to heal him.As for those who died in battle, he also swore in the name of God that he would bring the generous pensions of the deceased back to Europe and hand them over to the families of the deceased.

Although the morale of the mercenaries improved slightly, Governor Quennel Rollins saw a trace of worry in their eyes.Because, according to the historical records of the battles of the Hanzhou people, it seems that all the targets they want to attack have been conquered.From the earliest cooperation with the Dutch to capture Aceh's Jishuiwan City (now Simawei City, Indonesia), to attacking several Spanish strongholds in the Philippines, and even capturing Ambon twice in the past year.

The luck of the Hanzhou people seems to have always been good, and the land they attack will definitely be destroyed.So, is Kupang no exception?In addition, there were only fifty or sixty mercenaries in the city, and more than a hundred Ming and native servants dispatched from Batavia were only equipped with swords and spears for reasons of distrust.If you really face the attack of Hanzhou soldiers who are not afraid of death, and then fight hand to hand, you don't know how long you can resist Hanzhou.

"At night, the Hanzhou people may launch the night raids they are good at." Lieutenant Vinod Ellison looked at the dark outside the city, and said worriedly: "I am going to rank those Ming people and natives first." The front line of the city wall is to deal with the Hanzhou people’s sneak attack. On the city wall, we need to place more torches and braziers for lighting, and mercenaries are stationed in several bastions on the city wall, holding muskets to cover the servants to kill the Hanzhou people who climbed into the city.”

"Are you confident in repelling the night attack of the Hanzhou people?" Governor Quesnel Rawlins asked.

"We demolished the wooden bridges built by the Hanzhou people outside the city in the afternoon, and made some simple horses with wood, and hung many wind chimes on them. As long as the Hanzhou people approach the trenches and the city wall, we will first It was discovered in a short time. In this way, we will be able to counterattack quickly." Lieutenant Vinod Ellison said: "As long as we don't make any major omissions, we should be able to rely on the complete fortifications of the city wall to kill the Hanzhou people. Stay out of the city."

"That's good!" Governor Quennel Rollins breathed a sigh of relief, and said in a low voice: "As long as we persist for five or six days, Oecussi and Dili Port will definitely send ships to support us. If If we can injure the Hanzhou people under Kubang City, then we will be the most dazzling contributors to the entire East India Company."

Lieutenant Vinod Ellison just smiled.Once upon a time, the Dutch East India Company would feel extremely honored to defeat a local power in the Far East.This Hanzhou has risen rapidly in just four years, and has become a formidable opponent like Zheng Zhilong.

The Hanzhou people's night attack was launched at four o'clock in the morning. When the Hanzhou people tried to cross the trench secretly, they touched the wind chimes that refused to ride. Immediately, more than a dozen torches were thrown from the top of the city, crushing the black The Hanzhou army was exposed to the flames.

Suddenly, the artillery and muskets at the top of the city rang out, and seven or eight Hanzhou soldiers were shot immediately, and fell down near the trench.

But more Hanzhou soldiers were silent and ignored them. They just lowered their heads and stepped on the wooden ladder just set up, quickly passed the trench, and then rushed towards the city wall.The few soldiers who were separated desperately stomped out the torches on the ground one by one, regardless of the musket fire from the top of the city.

The Dutch mercenaries at the top of the city ordered the Ming people and native servants at the top of the city to continue throwing torches down the city in order to confirm the shooting target.

But for some reason, only a few torches were thrown down this time, and at the same time there were several screams, as if someone was "squeezed" off the top of the wall.

The artillery at the top of the city has been replaced with grape bullets. Relying on the figures of Hanzhou soldiers who appeared in the fire just now, the Dutch gunners adjusted the muzzle slightly and quickly ignited the fuze of the gun door.

"Boom!" A cannon rang, and there seemed to be screams from below the city.

"Don't stop, keep firing." A Dutch artillery commander shouted loudly holding his rapier: "Almost all soldiers from Hanzhou under the city, speed up and blast them all to pieces. Let them know..."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back. In the flickering firelight, the artillery commander seemed to see the tip of a knife passing through his chest. As the short knife was pulled away from his body, he felt himself His life was also pulled out of his body, and his eyes fell into darkness.

Li Dazhu stabbed the Dutch artillery commander to death, then pushed him away, and then attacked the gunner over there with several Ming armed forces.

Lieutenant Vinod Ellison, who was directing the mercenaries to shoot guns down the city from the watchtower of the bastion, found that there had been no torches thrown down the city for a long time, and he didn't know whether the Hanzhou soldiers had already rushed under the city wall.So, a little annoyed, he took a mercenary to a nearby section of the city wall to see what happened.Could it be that those Ming servants were afraid to fight, and all of them cowered against the city wall in fright?

"Oh, God!" Lieutenant Vinod Ellison didn't go far, and through the occasional firelight, he was horrified to see a group of servants of the Ming Dynasty wielding their swords, slashing and killing the people who were with them. servant.There are also some Ming people, standing on the top of the city, shouting something towards the city.

Ming servants rioted!They are going to support the siege of Hanzhou!

"Quick, take some people to the city gate!" Lieutenant Vinod Ellison ran back while shouting loudly to his subordinates in the watchtower of the bastion.

The moment he ran into the watchtower, he looked back subconsciously, and saw the figures of Hanzhou soldiers on the city wall behind him. They deftly climbed over the wall stacks and boarded the city wall.

With a sound of "Boom!", there was a sudden explosion under the city wall, followed by several more explosions, but it seemed that it was not the sound of artillery bombardment.When I was looking at each other with several Dutch officers, there was a burst of cheers and harsh shouts from the city.

Kupang, the city is broken.

(End of this chapter)