Great Qing Dynasty talker

The Prussian soldiers at the front began to use bayonets and rifle butts to destroy the barbed wire. Soon, they found that the seemingly soft barbed wire was extremely difficult to deal with.

50 meters away,

The bullets kept coming.

The breech-loading carbine is perfectly suited for trench warfare.

A drainage ditch was dug at the bottom of the trench and wooden boards were laid on it, so the vassal soldiers could walk on the wooden boards without having to step their boots into the water.

In the lowest areas, steam pumps silently pump water.

Otherwise, the water in the trench would have been over the waist long ago.

……

The Prussians were also firing suppressively, half crouching and firing alternately, their bullets whizzing across the trenches.

Seeing that the enemy density in front of the barbed wire was large enough, Wu Jun's artillery decisively counterattacked.

Dozens of 75 short-barreled breech-loading infantry guns fired at the same time, and the first round of bombardment was very effective.

The power of the Wolfe picric acid shell was epoch-making. Yellow smoke billowed and flames flowed near the explosion point, and a large number of people were killed in one explosion.

After only four rounds of artillery fire, the barbed wire was filled with Prussian corpses, and more soldiers screamed and fled backwards.

The Wu army's artillery extended its bombardment for two rounds, but the range was out of reach.

"Onboard~"

In the trench, a group of short Fuso warriors cheered.

……

4 miles away, Prince Li Yuanzhen put down the telescope with a confused expression.

I couldn't help but ask:
"Father, the Prussians fought against our army in Warsaw and suffered a loss. Why are they still lining up in such an orderly manner today? Isn't this courting death?"

Li Yu sneered:

"Military tactics are not formed in a short time, nor can they be changed in a short time. How can the line infantry that European countries have trained for decades be changed in a short time?
"Besides, even if they want to change it, they don't know how to do it for a while."

"I think we can order the soldiers to disperse and attack, so as to avoid being killed by the flower bullets."

"It's a good idea, but Zhen'er, you don't understand the composition of the army."

"Please teach me, Father!"

……

Li Yu answers questions on the battlefield:

"Most soldiers in the armies of countries around the world are conscripted. They fear war and death. This is human instinct. They are just intimidated by the whips and sticks of officers, and mechanically and inertially follow the training subjects, move forward and shoot."

"If they are dispersed, some will be afraid to move forward. If they are allowed to lie down and shoot, many will pretend to be dead and never stand up again."

"So, the enemy chose the lesser of two evils. They would rather bite their teeth and endure the bombardment than make any changes."

"Father, the Holy Ming."

The father and son said no more and continued to observe.

In the lens,
The Prussians launched a second attack, which was also a disastrous defeat, leaving behind more bodies and destroyed artillery.

……

Suddenly, Li Yu turned around and asked:

"Zhen'er, if you were the Prussian commander at this moment, how would you respond?"

"I will order the soldiers to dig trenches all the way to our positions, and then launch a close-range hand-to-hand assault."

"Yeah, that's good. Who taught you that?"

"I have a copy of the latest edition of the Infantry Drill Manual in my account."

Li Yu laughed out loud~
From the moment the Allied forces crossed the Dnieper River, the outcome of the battle was no longer in suspense.

Stalemate, the coalition loses.

Attack, the coalition loses.

If they retreat, the coalition forces will still lose.

……

Starting from September 9st, the coalition forces attacked for more than ten days, suffered more than 1 casualties and made no progress.

With morale low, they had to retreat more than 10 miles and set up camp.

However, an even more terrifying news came: Kherson Fortress was attacked! Urgent help!
Franz II, who was closest to Kherson, quickly dispatched four divisions to the rescue.

……

On September 9rd.

35 Wu army steam warships suddenly arrived at the mouth of the Dnieper River and easily destroyed five small patrol boats of the coalition forces.

then,

Cover the landing of 8000 Ottoman infantry in sampans.

The next day,

Attack Kherson by land and sea.

Brigadier General Wellington commanded his soldiers to hold the city while calling for help.

He was not very nervous, because although the Kherson Bastion was not a first-class fortress, it was also a standard hexagonal bastion with a wide irrigation ditch around it and an internal gun platform.

……

Wellington looked out through the firing hole, somewhat confused.

“What are those Ottomans doing outside?”

"Dig the ground."

"What are you digging for?"

Even someone as smart as him couldn't figure out the significance of digging trenches. Was it a plan for a long-term siege?

that's it.

The Ottomans dug continuously during the day and continued digging over bonfires at night.

the next morning,

Wellington finally understood that the enemy was planning to rush directly to the wide water-filled trench in front of the bastion.

……

The bastion's guns and cannons roared, but the soldiers soon realized that the guns and cannons could not do anything to these groundhogs, and could only make the loose black soil fly everywhere.

Several Rakshasa officers suggested fighting outside the city, but were rejected by the cautious Wellington.

Not far away, several enemy artillery pieces were aimed at the fort gate. I was afraid that as soon as our troops rushed out, they would be hit by shrapnel.

Observer Wu Jun was covered in mud and soaked in the trench with a troubled expression on his face.

The waterlogging is too serious.

There is loose black soil under your feet, and it is located at the estuary.

The groundwater level is too high!
This was a huge problem. There was no other way but to rely on manpower to scoop out the water with wooden buckets.

……

The advantage is that the soil is soft and the digging speed is very fast.

Wu's warships unloaded 10 shipborne guns to provide fire support, aiming at the fort gate to ensure that the enemy could not launch a surprise attack.

The Ottomans dug three trenches and worked together to approach Kherson.

The trench is not straight, but curves left and right.

The purpose is to prevent artillery fire.

It is unlikely that a single shell would penetrate the entire trench.

……

Brigadier General Wellington felt very uncomfortable as he looked at the mud and water flying outside.

Fortunately, the bastion was strong, and even if this group of people showed up, they could put up ladders on the bastion and it would not fall.

The grenadiers were already in position, ready to inflict heavy damage on the Ottomans. They would blow up anyone who dared to put up a ladder, sending them fleeing in panic.

Out of caution,

He also deployed indirect-fire mortars inside the city walls, a second-line reserve, and a company of Rakshasa infantry skilled in bayonet combat, stationed behind the fort gates ready to attack at any time.

Looking at the trenches getting closer and closer, Wellington racked his brains but couldn't figure out how the Ottomans were going to break into the city.

In the distance, at the seaside.

The Wu army's warships patrolled back and forth, not daring to enter the estuary.

Because our stone wall artillery was aimed at the water surface, we could sink any ship that came, and this section of the river entering the estuary was not wide.

……

in the afternoon.

Everyone became nervous.

The Ottoman trenches were dug only 40 meters from the fortress wall. If they were closer, their grenadiers would be able to throw bombs in.

At the end of the trench, water was constantly poured.

The groundwater level was too high, everyone was speechless, and Observer Wu Jun only regretted not bringing a steam pump.

The Ottoman soldiers kept taking turns to throw water, each of them was exhausted, all for victory.

The Sultan promised:

As long as you cooperate with friendly forces to capture Kherson, everyone will receive a reward of no less than 20 taels of gold, be promoted to a higher level, and be given a beautiful woman in the house.

The reward sounds high.

But considering that Kherson was a key battle that determined whether the Ottoman Empire could be restored, this reward was nothing.

……

In the trench.

Wu's artillerymen came with iron barrels. The Ottomans gave way, wondering what kind of new weapon this was.

Its shape resembles a wooden barrel, but it is made of iron.

Equally thick from top to bottom!

The artillery officer shouted:

"Build a retaining wall at each end of the preset gun position. Make it thick and higher than the knee."

"From now on, everyone will scoop out water non-stop to quickly clear the water in the middle."

……

The iron barrel was placed in the mud and water, with nearly one-third of it buried in the mud and at a slightly tilted angle.

"Get out of the way."

Several gunners carried powder bags and went around the trench to reach the iron barrel.

Everyone suddenly realized, this is a cannon? This is a cannon with a caliber that can fit a strong man?

Isn't that outrageous?
A propellant bag filled with black powder, a thick wooden partition, and a bag of explosives that looked to weigh at least forty or fifty kilograms.

The fuse of the explosive pack is very long.

The fuse of the propellant charge is very short.

The two gunners fired their guns at the same time, then ran back in a panic.

The gun positions are set very scientifically.

Going 2 meters back is a turn, which can avoid the direct shock wave.

Thunder rumbles in the trench~
In an instant, mud and water splashed, soldiers fell down, and everyone's ears were ringing.

……

A 50-pound picric acid explosive pack was thrown into the fortress.

2 seconds later~
The thunder suddenly appeared out of nowhere with incredible power.

One of the explosive packs exploded in the air before it hit the ground, and the vertical landing point was within 10 meters of the center of the ground, killing all the people on board.

Wellington fell under the fort wall, had tinnitus, severe dizziness, vomited blood, and couldn't get up.

Compared to the injury from the fall, the most fatal injury was that his internal organs were shattered by the air wave, and his life span was limited.
Thunder roared overhead again.

A section of the sturdy fortress wall collapsed.

……

Li Yu reproduced the conscienceless cannon!
No one can withstand such a violent explosion. Even if you squat in a solid stone wall, you cannot escape the harvest of death.

The sound is like thunder and the air wave is like a knife.

The Kherson Redoubt was hit by 13 explosive packs, and the morale of the entire army collapsed.

The soldiers either surrendered or fled.

The nearby shore artillery also collapsed, and the artillerymen ignited the gunpowder before fleeing, as a gesture of loyalty to the Tsar.

……

Amid the series of violent explosions from the shore artillery, Kherson was declared lost.

On the sea, Wu army warships went upstream.

The Battle of the Dnieper River, in which millions of people participated, opened a new chapter. Wu's army grasped the throat of the coalition forces and pushed them into a corner.

The next afternoon,

The four infantry divisions that came to reinforce were unable to cross the river, and Wu’s warships bombarded and blocked the river.

Everyone was shocked.

……

All parties are racing against time!
The navy strictly ordered all Ottoman soldiers to work day and night to repair the Kherson Redoubt.

At the same time, they sent ships to ask the Emperor Wu for reinforcements and to transfer elite troops from the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov to Kherson. At the same time, they asked Sultan Selim to provide Kherson with logistical supplies, mainly military rations and coal, from the sea.

The coalition forces were also dumbfounded.

This time, the three young kings reached an agreement immediately.

30 troops should be dispatched from Dnepropetrovsk to cross the river and attack Kherson from the west bank. Kherson must be recaptured.

……

Eastern coast of the Sea of ​​Azov.

Countless people were busy cutting down trees and dragging them to the seaside to build boats.

Just focus on quantity, not quality, as long as it floats!
If it can last for one month without sinking, it's ten times more than the Titanic! If it can last for two months, it's Noah's Ark!

Because of the promise of giving the Caucasus region, the Mongols were more motivated than ever before. They drove the locals to cut down trees like crazy, without sleep or rest, and would knock down their wheels if they didn't obey.
The military craftsmen were at the seaside directing those half-baked workers what to do.

Steamboats towed barges, trailing black smoke, through the Kerch Strait, into the Black Sea, and into the Dnieper River, unloading soldiers and supplies.

Wu Jun's dispatching ability is unique.

Use local materials and mix them locally.

Thank nature for its gifts: coal, timber, slave labor.

The fleet bypassed the Crimean Peninsula defenders in the middle and had no time to deal with them for the time being. After the sea and land blockade, the peninsula became a huge graveyard for the defenders.

……

After all, sea transportation is faster.

Half a month later, Wu's army deployed 2 troops to the Khelsong defense line, and the coalition forces finally arrived.

No way~
The roads are bad in summer and the ground is muddy.

If the coalition forces want to capture Kherson, they must bring enough cannons of sufficient caliber. There is no point in a light infantry charge. How can you attack a city without cannons?
When the time enters October.

The situation on the battlefield took a sharp turn for the worse.

Wu's steam warships began to move upstream, destroying all pontoon bridges in the Dnepropetrovsk section of the River, cutting off communication between the two banks.

Then, they continued to move north along the river and blew up the pontoon bridge near Ji*.

……

Europe was shocked.

A reporter who witnessed the battle on the spot bought a horse for three gold coins and flew back to Berlin.

The next morning,

The newspaper rushed to print the front page: Breaking news! Millions of soldiers trapped on the east bank of the Dnieper River!
In the afternoon, Berlin authorities closed down the newspaper.

The entire newspaper office was arrested, and the reporter who had returned from the front was declared a common traitor and sentenced to death by hanging.

The next day,

All newspapers re-report:
Millions of coalition soldiers are fighting on the front lines. The situation is stable and they may return before Christmas!

……

Everything is still peaceful and prosperous.

In Vienna, Berlin and London, life was still peaceful and orderly, but many men had gone to the battlefield, and the towns seemed a little deserted.

The streets are filled with women, children and the elderly.

Just a few days later, the latest recruitment report was posted again.

This time, the lower age limit was relaxed to 13 years old and the upper age limit was raised to 60 years old.

……

The monarchs of various countries were frightened by the military news and ordered a strict blockade of the news. At the same time, they urgently recruited soldiers and borrowed large amounts of money.

Bankers once again became guests of honor in courts of various countries.

However, these guys with a keen sense of smell suddenly tightened their purse strings, became stingy, and repeatedly bargained over the terms of the mortgage.

Downing Street in London is under tight security.

Two officers who had just returned from the front were secretly sent here to be questioned by the cabinet.

Prime Minister North no longer had the elegance of the past and roared:
"What's going on with Commodore Wellington and Kherson?"

The major wrapped in gauze straightened his back and replied:
"Your Excellency, the Prime Minister, the Wu Army has developed a new type of weapon. It is a shell that explodes after landing. It is not the kind of shrapnel shells that the coalition forces have encountered before. It is at least 10 times more powerful!"

Another old captain corrected:

"No, 30 times."

……

There was dead silence in the house.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the two officers who had returned from the Kherson front, wondering whether they should go to a mental hospital?

The old captain raised his right hand sadly:

"I swear to God in the name of all my family members, I am telling the truth! The enemy's heavy mortar fired a special shell, and the explosion effect was like the explosion of a company-owned arsenal."

"So, Brigadier General Wellington was killed by this weapon?"

"Yes."

After a while, the chief military surgeon came and handed over the autopsy report.

"The Commodore died from the blast, and his internal organs were shattered."

……

Prime Minister North's head suddenly went blank and he fell to the ground.

The scene was in chaos. Only Viscount Staunton, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, was the calmest. He walked up to the captain and asked in a low voice:
"Thank you for your bravery, sir. I will now ask you a question, and please answer it truthfully."

"As ordered."

"Do you think the coalition forces still have a chance to turn the tables?"

[There are probably 7 to 9 chapters left to complete the book, mainly about shaping a new order after the war.] (End of this chapter)