Wild North America 1846

Chapter 168 Epilogue
Red Rock Valley
The remnants of the US Second Corps consisted of more than 8000 people (including more than 1700 wounded). Seeing that the general situation was over, Major General Schneider did not dare to delay, so he launched a breakout at night.

that evening

The two cavalry regiments dispatched by King Li Cha had just arrived and joined the Army Chief of Staff Major General Cai Changfu to form a cavalry regiment with a total strength of about 5000 troops to blockade the US army's advancing camp.

With such a small force, encirclement is impossible.

Therefore, the cavalry corps of the Kingdom of Tang set up temporary camp on the Gobi Desert about 4 kilometers east of the U.S. advance camp, blocking the way for the U.S. troops to escape to the Hugo Oasis.

And additional cavalry patrols were sent to implement a blockade to prevent the remnants of the US military from escaping at night.Once any movement of the US military is discovered, it can respond quickly.

Of the more than 180 artillery pieces of the US Second Corps captured in the battle that day, more than 140 of them were dragged into the Hongyan Valley, and the remaining 40 or so were assigned to Major General Cai Changfu, and were planned to be used to break the US Army's advancing camp. Complete annihilation of the enemy.

Since it was evening and the sky was already dark, the battle to encircle and annihilate the American advance camp had to be postponed until the early morning of the second day.

Major General Schneider, the commander of the Second Corps of the US Army, was also a decisive person. He knew that he was in a deadly situation, and that he would face the danger of annihilation of the entire army after dawn, so he planned to break out that night.

1:00 a.m.

The night on the Gobi Desert could not be seen, and a horse convoy drove out from the US military camp, carrying more than 1700 wounded, and was protected by more than 2000 infantry, heading east, hoping to break through the Tang Dynasty under the cover of night The camp of the Kingdom Cavalry Corps.

There is only one road on the desolate Gobi Desert, and there are roads everywhere.

As long as he bypassed the main road heading east, theoretically speaking, it was indeed possible to break through the interception of the cavalry corps of the Tang Kingdom and escape.

But this possibility only exists in theory. The horse convoy that the U.S. military set off at night had just left the advancing camp when it was spotted by the cavalry of the Tang Kingdom on patrol. They immediately lit a bonfire and fired warning shots.

The crisp gunshots echoed on the Gobi Desert and spread far away.

Soon it was like poking a hornet's nest, with weapons on their heads, the cavalrymen of the Tang Kingdom who were lying in their clothes immediately got up, mounted their horses, and rushed over with torches in their hands.

From afar
The torches in the hands of the cavalrymen of the Tang Dynasty were like a winding fire dragon, quickly gathered and surrounded all the remnants of the US troops.

All these U.S. troops knew that they were abandoned sons, and they did not make too much resistance at the moment, and obediently raised their hands and surrendered.

"Report to the general, another U.S. cavalry went south at night, and now it has escaped into the desert. Do you want to pursue it, please instruct?"

"It's a good trick for a strong man to cut his wrists. That's all. It doesn't matter if there are fewer people going. It's more dangerous if there are more people. It's the Kansas desert with an area of ​​tens of thousands of square kilometers. After entering, not only the logistics are not guaranteed, but it may be trapped in it and cause serious damage. Downsizing is not worth the candle."

Major General Dai Changfu shook his head regretfully. The Tang Kingdom is not the US military facing a desperate situation. It is not in a desperate situation. There is no need to take risks easily.

Going into the desert to pursue is not just going in.

The cavalry who entered the desert had to dismount and walk, leading the horse for a difficult trek all the way, and the concentrate, water, and food were all carried by the war horse, which must be prepared in advance.

Leading the army to chase in as soon as the brain is hot, it is courting death.

The escaped U.S. troops were the Second Corps, with more than 2500 cavalry and more than 1500 elite musketeers, a total of about 4000 people. Some other supplementary soldiers, logistics soldiers and wounded were abandoned as abandoned children.

After a night of tossing
Among the more than 1700 seriously wounded in the US military, more than 430 of them had their wounds re-opened and swallowed their last breath aggrieved, especially when they were tossing violently in the Gobi Desert in the middle of the night.

The condition of the other wounded was also very bad. The water carts in the US military camp emptied their buckets and mostly used them to house the sick and wounded.

To be honest, a wagon without shock absorption measures is very painful in itself, and even healthy people can't bear such tossing, let alone seriously injured people?
When the cavalry of the Tang Kingdom surrounded them, it was no wonder that the abandoned troops obediently raised their hands and surrendered.

It is too wicked and inhumane for the US military commander to use this force to attract the attention of the cavalry of the Tang Kingdom. It is the direct culprit for the deaths of hundreds of US wounded soldiers.

Comparing their hearts to their hearts, these American soldiers' hatred for Major General Schneider is far stronger than that of the enemy Datang Kingdom.

So far, the Kingdom of Tang Dynasty has won a complete victory in the Battle of the Red Rock Valley after occupying the US Army's forward camp.

phoenix castle
"So, the Yankees still left us a lot of food and supplies! That's great."

Li Cha couldn't help laughing when he heard the report, and nodded in satisfaction.

The food in the US military camp is piled up like mountains, as well as various weapons and equipment, tents and clothing. Even black beans have thousands of tons, which can meet the needs of 3 troops for several months.

Li Cha dared to be surprised that so many supplies were seized, and it made sense after thinking about it.

The Northern Cavalry Corps made a lot of trouble in the Great Lakes area. It raided the warehouses around Kansas several times and burned a lot of supplies.

The Americans are constantly transporting supplies to the front line by train. The military supplies that were originally hoarded in Kansas City, after several months of continuous transport, are mostly stored in the Hugo Oasis and the US Army’s forward camp. Instead, the supplies in Kansas City are left behind. not much.

Lieutenant General Arthur Temple, the commander-in-chief of the US West Expedition, had a steady and steady idea. He had no plans for a quick battle, and it was reasonable to hoard more supplies.

Who ever thought

The US Second Corps was defeated like a mountain. Not only was most of its troops wiped out, but even its old nest was not kept. It was really unexpected.

Major General Dai Changfu also reported on the remnants of more than 4000 U.S. troops fleeing into the desert. Li Cha gave him a strange look and didn't say much.

It is no secret at all that the U.S. troops trekked through the desert and where they are located, which can be clearly seen by the sharp eagle eyes of the bald eagles soaring in the sky.

Li Cha has no intention of sending troops to pursue them. It is too risky to fight a chase in the desert. Maybe a sandstorm will sweep over, and more soldiers will die in the wind and sand than in the battle.

All the military operations of the Datang Kingdom follow the principle of reducing casualties. The military of the Datang Kingdom never touches the major cities and transportation hubs that the U.S. military focuses on defense, but only picks soft persimmons to pinch.

The US military fortress of the Tang Kingdom did not attack, just like the gradually fortified Hugo Oasis, where the US military hoarded a large number of troops, Li Cha did not even want to attack.

The offensive and defensive momentum is easy to shift, so how many soldiers' lives must be sacrificed to defeat it?
1 or 2?
Li Cha has never felt that the Tang Kingdom's army is invincible all over the world, and it is completely unrealistic to force it.

The Tang Kingdom's army was able to achieve great results with a small number of casualties, firstly by relying on fortress defense, secondly by relying on sharp weapons, and thirdly by relying on correct command, not recklessly.

Hugo Oasis is home to more than 4 U.S. heavy troops, and they are building strong fortresses with reinforced concrete for long-term garrison.

At some point at the end of July, the railway line from Kansas City all the way west through Burlington and finally to Hugo Oasis was completed, and the Yankees solved the problem of logistical material transportation and were able to stay in Hugo Oasis for a long time.

There is a Hugo River on the Hugo Oasis. The water of the river comes from the high mountains of the Rocky Mountains in the northwest. When spring comes, the ice and snow melt, and the water volume of the Hugo River increases greatly. The width of the river is more than 30 meters, and the waves are very spectacular.

after summer
The amount of water in the upper reaches of the Hugo River is gradually decreasing, and it can only maintain a river surface of seven or eight meters wide. It will dry up in autumn, until the next spring, when the ice and snow melt, a large amount of water will flow from the upper reaches, and so on.

Therefore, the Hugo River is a seasonal river, and it is precisely because of the nourishment of the river that the Hugo Oasis has lush vegetation and fertile land.

Now the U.S. military is building a large-scale construction project on the Hugo Oasis, and has built two reservoirs, one large and one small. The large reservoir is called Wudaowan Reservoir, and the small reservoir is called Beaver Reservoir. Currently, the construction of reservoir dams is in full swing.

Its purpose is to store the water of the Hugo River to solve the problem of drinking water for the US troops and livestock in autumn and winter.

"Sun Tzu's Art of War" has a cloud;
Therefore, the law of using troops is to encircle it if it is ten, attack it if it is five, divide it if it is doubled, fight it if it is small, escape from it if it is small, and evade it if it is not enough.

How many troops are needed to encircle and annihilate the 4.5 heavy troops hoarded on the Hugo Oasis by the Western-American conscripts?
I am afraid that all the troops of the Tang Kingdom added up are not enough.

"How is the repair of the defense line of the Red Rock Valley?"

"His Majesty, the defense line of the valley is being intensively built. On the facade of the enemy side, we have used thicker, thicker and denser steel mesh, supplemented by concrete, and the defense capacity has more than doubled compared to before. In addition, about 1.8 kilometers apart, we built a second parapet defense line in the Red Rock Valley, and added artillery emplacements and heavy machine gun shooting positions. If the Yankees dare to invade again, they will be punished Bleeding."

"Well, the Americans are unable to launch an offensive again in a short period of time. Now the focus has to be shifted to fully ensure the summer harvest. It happens that the more than 13000 American captives can help to capture and solve the problem of labor shortage, but the frontline defense cannot be relaxed. .”

"Wei Chen understands that he must always be vigilant."

"New recruits will arrive one after another next month, and the work of related retired veterans can be deployed in advance. Remember to maintain an orderly handover. Combat readiness and training cannot be relaxed, let alone combat effectiveness."

"His Majesty, the relevant work of the Army Staff Headquarters has already started. In line with the principle of the second line first and the first line later, the recruitment of recruits and the retirement of veterans will be carried out in an orderly manner, and we will never dare to affect the current war preparations."

"That's good. Soldiers with iron-clad camps and flowing water. Now most of the veterans on the plateau are the heads of their families, especially the officers and soldiers of the cavalry. There are not a few concubines and three wives and four concubines in the family. They have too much influence on the battlefield. Big, it’s better to replace it and live with peace of mind.”

"Your Majesty is merciful, we are far behind."

"No one likes to fight all the time. Anyway, these veterans have made a lot of money, and they have some family background. In addition, the rewards are enough to live on. If you have to retire, you can retreat and let the young people go to the top."

"Wei Chen understands that the arrangement must be properly made according to the holy will."

(End of this chapter)