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Chapter 1187 Mountain War 6
The fierce battle lasted from early morning until noon when it subsided slightly, mainly because the Ming army stopped the attack, occupied the cleaned-up soldier cave nearby, and had lunch inside.

Smoke was rising from the Ming army camp at the foot of the mountain. The remaining troops were happier than their colleagues on the front line. They no longer had to guard enemy corpses or eat biscuits while smelling blood. Instead, they could eat hot meals.

"Your Majesty, the Ottomans have dug many holes and artillery bunkers on both sides of the mountain road and hid many soldiers. If we continue to fight at the current speed, it will probably take half a month before we can reach the city of Damascus." Lei Lao Hu took the opportunity to report on the battle situation and approached the emperor's dining cart with an empty lunch box.

"Let's sit down and eat together...Are there many casualties?" Although Hong Tao was not as particular about pomp and circumstance as traditional emperors, and did not require a certain number of dishes for each meal, he still had his own dining car and imperial chef.

This was not to satisfy their appetite, but for safety reasons. In this way, the food would definitely be better than that of officers and soldiers, which also attracted people who came to eat for free, and it was not surprising.

"The Ottomans' muskets are extremely inaccurate at long range, but the casualties caused by artillery and stone fragments are greater, but not yet beyond expectations. I would like to send a few more centurions this afternoon to increase the speed of attack, as the army's supplies are not enough for a protracted war."

In fact, there was no need for the emperor to stop them. As long as they were not driven away, it was the consensus of the officers to sit down and eat. Lei Laohu forked up a piece of braised mutton and took a big bite. He chewed and talked, not even looking at the annoyed expression on Wang Chengen's face.

Going on an expedition with the emperor was a nightmare for the officers of the empire. Even if the emperor did not ask them to do so, they had to behave properly. It was okay to pretend for a while, but it was inevitable to neglect it over time.

The emperor was relatively easy to deal with and generally did not make too many demands in this regard. Sometimes he would even take the lead in violating military secrets, such as not going to bed after lights-out and dragging the soldiers to play cards and mahjong.

But as the saying goes, the King of Hell is belligerent and the little devils are difficult to deal with. Once any overly rude behavior is discovered by the guards around the emperor, they may be reported to the gendarmerie and punished for no reason.

"Don't be impatient. If we can't even hold it for half a day, it's too inconsistent with the military strength of the Ottoman Empire. As for how long it will take to pass through this mountainous area, I want to be more optimistic.

It was impossible for the Ottomans to build fortifications on both sides of the mountain road. They did not have enough manpower and time. At most, they could choose a few key defenses where the terrain was more complex. As long as these key points were taken down, they would have nothing to rely on, and the resistance they encountered would become weaker and weaker.

But we must also be vigilant against cornered forces, and tell the commanders on the front lines not to take risks, to provide mutual cover, and to bypass any difficult areas and leave them to follow-up troops and artillery to handle.”

Hong Tao thinks that there is no need to worry about Lei Lao Hu. The process of any battle will not be linearly distributed. It may be difficult at the beginning, or it may encounter the main force in the middle.

It is still unknown whether the Ottoman army has any backup plan. So don't bet on it easily. It is safest to remain unchanged in the face of change. Even if they are really delayed here and cannot capture Damascus in a short time, it is not the end of the world.

When the army left Samawah, they sent people to Baghdad to inform Du Wenhuan to dispatch a guard force to the south. The supplies would arrive in about half a month. As long as the Ottoman reinforcements dared to go south, Du Wenhuan would set out from Baghdad to intercept them. There should be enough time.

"I am worried about the Europeans... Commander Setel specifically mentioned this when we set out from Ramadi. He believed that the Europeans' gathering of troops in Cyprus was not their purpose, and they might use this island as a springboard to land on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. Along the way, I specifically asked the guide for relevant information. They said that it would only take a day to cross the mountains west of Damascus to reach the nearest port of Sidon. If the Europeans land here, they will be able to reach Damascus soon, so we must be on guard."

Lei Lao Hu didn't just come here to eat for free. He had a doubt in his heart for the past few days and he couldn't get rid of it until he got it out. Today, after the fight between the two sides, his doubts became even more serious.

The Ottomans could not carry too much baggage when they retreated all the way from the port of Faw, and the cities along the way proved this point, but the number of artillery they set up in the mountains was a bit excessive.

The possibility that there are a large number of artillery in Damascus cannot be ruled out, but one must also be prepared for the possibility that it is not the case. Apart from Damascus, there seems to be only one way to provide the Ottomans with a large number of artillery: the Venetians, or the Europeans.

"Well, it's not easy to think of this, you deserve a reward! Here, this plate of fried pork with cumin is yours, don't waste it!" Hong Tao praised Lei Lao Hu for his concern. Of course, the emperor could not be a peddler, so he had to give some rewards. So a plate of dish was put into the lunch box.

Why this dish? It's a bit heartbreaking to say, Hong Tao doesn't like it. He taught the chef how to make fried pork with cumin, but he didn't know whether he didn't explain it clearly or he didn't practice it enough. The chef, who came from the Cuju team, didn't control the heat well and the mutton was a bit tough.

"Then..." Lei Lao Hu didn't think that the meat was unpalatable, or rather, his mind was not entirely on eating, but was still concerned about the Europeans' problems.

"I not only asked the guide, but also had a detailed discussion with the officer of the Guards Corps who surrendered in Faw Port. According to him, there is no Guards Corps stationed in Damascus, only a very small number of Sipahi cavalry as Pasha guards, and the rest are all provincial armed forces, numbering about 3000, with more than 30 artillery pieces of various types.

Tabar Pasha had a total of 3000 guards, 10000 Sipahi cavalry, and 10000 provincial militia. After the two battles of Faw Port and Basra City, the guards lost more than a thousand, and the Sipahi cavalry and militia were reduced by at least %.

According to the secret reports sent by the Ministry of Rites and the Royal Advisory Office, the number of troops assembled by the Europeans in Venice does not exceed 30000. I assume that they have all landed at the port of Sidon, and the total number of troops in Damascus is about 35000 to .

According to your estimation, if Tabal Pasha wants to withstand the full force of the army on this mountain road that is dozens of miles long, how many troops should he deploy to garrison it?"

Hong Tao not only thought about this question, but also made more in-depth calculations based on more information. Since Lei Lao Hu asked, he no longer hid his true thoughts. But as usual, the answer would not be given directly, and he had to listen to the class and answer the questions.

"If I were to be the commander, I would need about 7,000 to 8,000 guards. The mountain roads here are very rugged, sometimes on the mountainside and sometimes at the bottom of the valley. The terrain is very complex and not everywhere is suitable for ambushes. If we want to form superior firepower at each preset position, we won't have enough troops."

When studying the method of repelling the enemy, it is a tradition in the Ming army to put oneself in the shoes of the enemy commander. Lei Lao Hu is no exception. He did not feel abrupt about this question and quickly gave a more specific answer.

(End of this chapter)