Great Qing Dynasty talker

Zhao Erhu asked in a low voice:
"what happened?"

The artillery lieutenant was embarrassed and answered truthfully:
"The enemy's bastion is low, with thick walls and sharp angles. Our artillery fire may not hit one out of three, and the damage is very poor."

"How long will it take to completely destroy the enemy's hiding place in Yaxsa Castle?"

"I'll try my best."

"to be frank!"

"Commander, even if we use up all the shells we carry with us, it will still be difficult to achieve the desired effect. We may need to wait for the logistics fleet to resupply."

……

On the side, Dai Liang knelt on one knee:

"I am willing to be the first to take Yaksa for His Majesty the Emperor."

Zhao Erhu pondered for a moment:
"Pass the order, the flag soldiers go first, the musketeers provide cover, and the artillery soldiers move forward."

"We will defeat Yaksa today."

The order was passed down and the entire army immediately deployed and launched an attack from three sides simultaneously.

The flag bearer holding a shield took the lead, bending over and rushing forward quickly.

Behind him are 2 rows of archers.
Behind them were the auxiliary soldiers carrying ladders.

Finally, there are the Wu army musketeers.

……

Zhao Erhu glanced at the laborers in the distance.

Whispered:

"Let those flag bearers pull the baggage carts to the foot of the city and use them as shield carts."

Soon, the offensive and defensive battle reached its climax. Both sides no longer held back and opened fire at full force.

The Cossacks, who had been killing people all their lives, aimed and shot calmly.

After the gunshot, the flag bearer fell to the ground.

There are few omissions.

The flag bearers began to shrink back and the charge slowed down.

Dai Liang brandished his sword and shouted:

“No retreat.”

"Charge, charge forward. The assistant commanders, lieutenants and assistant commanders will lead the charge."

How can we not pay enough tribute? Even the bandits have to pay when they go up the mountain, let alone the remnants of the previous dynasty~
……

"Kill, kill the Rakshasa ghost."

The flag bearers once again mustered up their courage and charged forward.

The Cossacks were the eternal enemies of the Eight Banners stationed in Heilongjiang. The two sides had been fighting for more than a hundred years, and the hatred was enough.

The city wall of Yaxica.

A bearded Cossack leader put down his telescope and turned a cannon beside him to aim at Dai Liang.

Kill the king first to kill the enemy.

Boom~
The flag bearers, who had recovered from their shock, exclaimed:

"The general is dead. General Dailiang is dead."

……

Seeing the commotion ahead, Zhao Erhu was also stunned.

He didn't expect Dai Liang to die in this way, and for a moment he couldn't even hate him anymore.

Just urge the artillery:

"Push closer, quick."

The city of Yaxica was filled with smoke.

People kept getting shot and falling to the ground.

Several ladders were placed on the fortress wall one after another, and the flagmen in cotton armor climbed up with their heads lowered.

The 400 Cossacks guarding the first fort wall fired desperately. They were also panicked. Every time they showed their heads to shoot, they would attract bullets or even artillery shells from the Wu army.

People kept getting shot and falling.

……

The flag soldiers gathered their strength and, under the cover of the Wu army, climbed the ladders and rushed to the first city wall.

Hand-to-hand combat~
Waist knife versus long axe.

Tiger spear versus horse sword.

The Cossacks fought to the death, and the bannermen had no way to retreat.

For a moment, blood splattered on the city wall, broken limbs were scattered all over the ground, and it was extremely bloody.

Fortunately, the Wu army infantry caught up in time, and after a round of shooting, they finally took control of the first fort wall.

but,

I immediately fell into an awkward situation.

There is at least 25 meters of open space between the first and second walls of the Yaksa Castle.

The open area is also filled with stakes and chevaux de frise.

A flag bearer with blood all over his face staggered over and knelt on one knee:

"Sir, I can't get through."

The lieutenant looked solemnly at the obviously higher second fort wall and the trench below the wall, his expression gloomy.

Gritting his teeth, he shouted:

"shooting."

……

The Wu army controlled the outer wall of the fort, and the Rakshasa army controlled the inner wall of the fort, and the two sides fired at each other from a distance.

The battle fell into an awkward situation.

Can't rush in, can't take it down.

The bullets whizzed against the earthenware walls of the fort, making people's teeth ache. From time to time, unlucky people were shot and then dragged down by their companions.

The city commander, Alyosha, crouched down, patrolled along the inner wall, and shouted:

"Warriors, don't panic."

"They couldn't take Yaksa 100 years ago, and they still couldn't take Yaksa 100 years later. As long as we have food and ammunition, we can defend it until the end of time."

The Cossacks shouted in unison:

"Uh~uh."

For a moment, it drowned out the sound of gunfire on the battlefield.

……

Zhao Erhu was a little panicked.

He still lacks battlefield experience, and in recent years he has become accustomed to using the strong to defeat the weak and to winning by using firepower to bully rookies.

Suddenly I encountered a hard problem and I was at a loss as to what to do.

A staff officer whispered:
"Commander, why don't we withdraw first, surround Yaksa, and wait for reinforcements."

"~Okay."

The staff officer left in a hurry and called 200 light cavalry to stand by to cover the retreat.

Withdraw the artillery first, then the infantry.

The retreat was busy but not chaotic, with infantry, artillery and cavalry providing cover alternately, so as to avoid an enemy counterattack from behind, which would turn the retreat into a rout.

Wu Jun set a fire and burned down all the wooden structures of the first fort wall.

Arson is key.

It not only consolidated the results, but also blocked the enemy's possible counterattack.

Alyosha, the commander of the Russian army, also realized that this Wu army had rich combat experience and would be difficult to deal with.

……

For several days.

Wu Jun's steamboat towed a string of small boats back and forth on the Heilongjiang River, evacuating the wounded and transporting supplies and ammunition.

Zhao Erhu ordered the deployment of several lookout posts.

Seeing the Russian soldiers coming out to repair the outer fort wall, they pulled out the cannons and bombarded them from a distance to hinder their repair process.

The staff and officers were in intense discussions and debates.

"The Yaksa Castle is professionally designed with scientific angles. If you want to break into the city, you can either use human lives or cannonballs to fill it up. There is no other way."

"Then send the flag soldiers to fill the hole."

"Wait a little longer, wait for a batch of rockets."

Zhao Erhu has ordered the last 200 rockets in the Aihui City stockpile to be transported to Yaksa.

It’s a pity that there are only 200 pieces.

If you have 1000 of them, your chances of winning are percent.

……

Wu's army was accustomed to the Qing army, which was backward in both weapons and tactics, and was somewhat unable to adapt when they suddenly encountered a different army.

Flintlock, solid bullet.

Both sides have it, so there is no absolute advantage.

Not to mention the damn bastion.

The staff realized that the way of fighting in the future would change.

Although the bastion designed in combination with geographical advantages occupies a small area, it is more difficult to capture than the traditional Chinese square city.

It can be said to be the crystallization of geometry, architecture, and ballistics.

The exaggerated thickness, tricky angles and low fort walls made their own artillery, which they were so proud of, very embarrassed.

……

at this time,

An officer suddenly said:
"It would be nice if there were some shrapnel."

Everyone was stunned and began to think about this issue seriously.

Bloom bombs are no secret.

The key lies in the design of the sabot and fuze.

People at the Military Industry Department have been developing shrapnel bombs and conducting repeated tests. They have made considerable progress, but have not been able to completely resolve the issue of launch safety.

It is said that there is a one in ten chance of bursting the barrel.

However, because the war had been going smoothly, the army was not equipped for a long time.

Now it seems that even if it is not mature, we have to report and take the initiative to ask for it. Yaksa is a civil bastion. If we encounter a full stone bastion, how terrible it would be.

"Report to the Army Department and the General Staff Headquarters and request for shrapnel."

……

5 days later.

The Wu army launched a larger-scale attack.

Predict that the person coming is not good~
Early in the morning, Lieutenant Colonel Alyosha ordered the slaughter of 20 livestock and gave each of his 2 warriors two bowls of wine as a reward.

In fact, there is no need to mobilize, everyone will fight to the death. There is no need to rely on reinforcements in the war in the Far East.

You can only rely on yourself.

The Cossacks who fought from the Don River to the Heilongjiang River understood the rules of survival in Siberia.

The strong survive.

The weak will die.

Alyosha drew his sword and shouted:
"Ulla."

The Cossacks shouted in unison:
"Uh~uh."

The Wu army outside the city was equally powerful.

200 shield vehicles led the way, 3500 flag soldiers served as pioneers. In addition, there was a secret weapon - rockets.

……

The moment the rocket took off into the air, Alyosha's pupils shrank to the extreme.

Shouting:

"Quick, hide the powder keg."

"Prepare to put out the fire."

He is right.

The biggest threat posed to the city of Yaksa by the continuous falling rockets was not the explosion, but the fire and the resulting chain reaction.

Outside the city, Zhao Erhu shouted:

"attack."

"Today we must conquer Yaksa and destroy the Rakshasa demons. Each head will be worth 10 taels of silver. The first one to reach the top will receive a generous reward."

The sword points,

The second group of flag bearers, who were ready to go, began the charge.

A row of shells flew over their heads and hit the bastion.

On the surface of the Heilongjiang River, steam gunboats also tried to get as close to the river bank as possible and set up guns to fire across, with the sound of cannons rumbling.

……

There are many forests in Siberia, and the Rakshasas built their strongholds using local materials, cutting down trees to build their strongholds.

I saw many wooden houses in the city on fire.

Alyosha could only send troops to put out the fire.

Even if the city defense firepower weakened, there was nothing that could be done.

The bastion is too small and the buildings are densely packed.

What was even more terrifying was that the granary in the city was about to catch fire, and the gunpowder depot was also in danger. Losing either the grain or the gunpowder meant the fall of Yaksa.

An Orthodox priest in a black robe stood in a prominent position on the city wall, with a solemn expression and muttering to himself.

He wants to inject positive energy into the Warriors.

Next moment~
A rocket fell.

He was blown down by the fierce gust of air and was almost dead.

In fact, he may have overlooked a problem: this is the Far East, beyond God's service area. God is not effective in Yaksa~
……

The flagmen howled as they crossed the first broken fort wall.

Rush into the deathly open zone between the two fort walls!

On the second fort wall, guns and cannons roared, hitting the flag soldiers who were hacking at the deer barricades and moving the barricades, causing blood to splatter everywhere.

The firepower in the fort remained intense.

The Cossacks have excellent psychological qualities and excellent archery skills.

Wherever the gunner saw a crowd gathering, he would fire a cannon.

Due to the barrier of the first fortress wall, the Wu army could not provide support with cannons, and the flag soldiers could only resist with their flesh and blood. Fortunately, at this time, the Wu army's gun-carrying group that occupied the first fortress wall provided timely fire support.

It’s good to raise the gun.

Raising your gun never goes out of style.

Wherever artillery can't reach, guns can.

……

A captain raised his shield and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Brothers, listen carefully."

"The first three people to reach the summit will be rewarded, and the rewards will be generous. Those who raise the flag and carry the Han, the warrant officer, will be rewarded with a house and silver."

"Don't retreat, charge forward."

"Go ahead."

Perhaps his voice was too loud and attracted the attention of the enemy.

Yaksa City Head
A Cossack operated a one-pound city defense gun mounted on a tripod pulley, aimed it, and fired in one go.

The 1-pound lead bullet penetrated the shield and the captain was dismembered in an instant.

The scene was extremely shocking.

……

The city defense gun, a weapon between a gun and a cannon, is particularly suitable for defending a city.

The Cossack who stuck his head out to observe the effect of the shooting was captured in time by the Wu army on the outer wall of the fort. He was shot by the Wu army with a gun and fell to the ground.

His face was covered with iron sand and blood was oozing from between his fingers.

He covered his face and rolled on the city wall, struggling and wailing in pain.

A comrade next to him pulled out a sharp knife, held him down, and chopped him down with the knife.

puff~
Freed.

A man's love is straightforward and passionate.

……

400 flagmen fell in the open field.

But their deaths in battle were meaningful. They removed obstacles and cleared a passage 2 meters wide.

The Wu army that controlled the first fort wall also concentrated all its firepower to suppress it frantically.

The front row shoots and the back row reloads.

He carried a gun and became the backbone.

The two walls shot at each other for a quarter of an hour, with Wu's army suffering heavy casualties, and the Cossacks were not much better off.

Finally~
Ladders were set up on the fort walls.

The climbing flag bearers were constantly being shot down by bullets.

Climb again, shoot down again.

The cruelty of the battle is heartbreaking.

Some flag soldiers used their unique skills. 50 archers pulled the bowstrings frantically, firing at least 500 light arrows in the shortest time.

……

A heavily armored flag bearer finally stepped onto the fort wall.

Facing two Cossacks who were as strong as blind bears, he raised his left hand and threw a small bag of lime powder.

The two Cossacks screamed, they really became blind.

The blade enters the body.

The screams got louder.

The first soldier to reach the summit brutally ripped open the enemy's stomach, picked out his intestines, and threw them far away.

On the first fort wall,

A lieutenant silently thought:
"One, two, three~five!"

"it is good."

Witness with your own eyes a steady stream of heavily armed flagmen climbing up the bastion via ladders.

The lieutenant stood up suddenly:

"Brothers, bayonets."

"Attack Yaxha."

All artillery fire was stopped for fear of accidentally injuring their own people.

……

"Surrender without killing."

The Cossacks fought to the death, perhaps because of the language barrier, or perhaps because they guessed that even if they surrendered they would not have a good ending.

Seeing that the enemy was so stubborn, Wu Jun gave up the idea of ​​persuading them to surrender.

kill!

The problem was solved with bullets and bayonets, especially the newly equipped 1-jin chain ball bomb, which could kill a large area with one blast.

Half an hour later~
The battle is over.

There were corpses everywhere in and around Yaksa, some wearing fur coats, some wearing cotton armor, and some wearing overcoats. Clouds of black smoke rose up and were then blown away by the cold wind over the wasteland.

……

This battle!

The 2000 defenders of Yalu River were completely wiped out at the cost of more than 300 casualties among the Wu army and 2200 casualties among the bannermen.

Such results shocked the officers.

The staff officers were even more focused and silent.

They wrote in their report:

"To deal with the combination of Western bastions and Cossacks, more advanced weapons and tactics are needed. At present, sufficient rocket bombs are an effective way~"

After 3 days of rest.

Reinforcements arrived.

The army continued to advance along the Heilongjiang River, with its target - Nerchinsk.

Nerchinsk was the most important town in the East Siberian Governor-General's Defense Zone, with the most sufficient manpower, weapons and supplies.

Having learned from the experience of the Battle of Yalu River, the Wu army surrounded the city of Nerchinsk without attacking and imposed heavy blockades.

The river was blocked with steam gunboats, the wilderness was blocked with cavalry, and the surrounding areas were blocked with a combination of caltrops and barbed wire.

……

After receiving the military order,
Fushun Heavy Industry immediately put down all the work at hand and concentrated all its manpower and material resources to quickly produce the weapons that had always been "exclusively supplied by Ma'anshan Heavy Industry" - rockets.

Although it is the first production, there may be defects.

But it doesn't matter.

You can use it.

Two officers from the 6th Corps were stationed in the factory to supervise production. All the rockets that came off the production line were first shipped by sea, then transferred to steamships in Miaotun, and finally arrived at the front line along the Heilongjiang River.

Therefore, the attack on Nerchinsk took place at least three or four months later.

The hunter is patient.

The prey is also very patient. (End of this chapter)