I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 715: Does it hurt? Please do it again!
Pharmacist Song led two infantry regiments to a place five miles away from the Kobdo camp and began to build a defense line.

This is a continuous stretch of hills, behind which leads directly to the Kobdo camp.

The plain in front is flat with few ups and downs. It is more than 20 miles wide from north to south and more than 60 miles long. It is one of the rare flat lands within hundreds of miles and was named Sunset River by the General Staff Office.

The hill occupied by Song Yaoshi's troops blocked the front of the Sunset River. After passing this hill, the Kobdo camp would no longer have any strategic location to defend.

It was selected as a first-class defense line by the General Staff Office early on, and defense preparations were made here a few days ago.

The terrain was carefully surveyed and the defense layout was drawn up early.

A great number of trees were cut down and a great number of wooden fences, planks and stakes were made, which were laid upside down on the ground and covered with grass and leaves.

Now the vans had brought in a large number of tools and equipment, and the officers and soldiers of the infantry regiment who had arrived picked up shovels, hoes and pickaxes and started working hard.

Dig deep trenches, bury the wooden fences in them, fill them with soil and tamp them firmly, then erect a wooden wall. A tripod will be built every five or six meters to support the wooden fences and prevent them from falling forward or backward.

Then he swung the sledgehammer and hammered one wooden stake after another deep into the ground. He placed them in front of the wooden fence, one stake every three meters, forming a line, for a total of five or six lines.

Each wooden stake is supported by three or four slightly thinner wooden strips to ensure that it has sufficient supporting strength.

Then start laying out the barbed wire from the outside to the inside.

This thing is currently widely used.

Simple and easy to use!

The spikes on the barbed wire are the most effective weapons for cattle, horses and sheep. After experiencing the pain of being stung a few times, they never dare to get close again.

It is not only a good tool for herders to keep cattle, horses and sheep, but also a powerful weapon to hinder cavalry attacks. If the charging cavalry rushes straight here, they will be trapped in a spider web.

This net would leave men and horses covered in wounds and in great pain, while rendering them immobile, and making them sitting ducks for muskets and shot.

Five or six wire meshes were stretched out, and the sharp spikes gleamed coldly in the sun, just like the rippling waves of Arakbo.

The officers and soldiers then fastened the wooden boards over the gaps in the wooden fence.

When the battle starts later, the soldiers will fire outwards from the gap. This will become the focus of the Wala cavalry archers and must have sufficient cover.

More than 6,000 officers and soldiers were busy on the 15-mile-long defense line, and a hot air balloon slowly rose behind them.

Dozens of soldiers below used four ropes to pull it through piles and pulleys, just like flying a kite. The balloon rose higher and higher, and in less than half an hour, it rose to nearly 300 meters in the air.

There were six non-commissioned officers on the balloon basket.

Four observers and two signalmen. The four observers worked in pairs. One group held two telescopes mounted on a hanging basket and observed the situation near and far. The other group corresponded one by one and recorded the observation data reported by the observers.

The shift changes every two hours. Observation changes to recording, and recording changes to observation.

The signalmen also took shifts, one controlled the hot air balloon and monitored its condition, while the other used a signal light to transmit information to the ground.

Standing on the balloon, the first thing you see is the Sunset River defense line set up by Song Yaoshi’s troops.

Standing on a high place, you can clearly see that the Sunset River defense line is not one or two long straight lines, but a star-shaped defense line that is more than ten miles long and two or three miles deep.

In front of us were more than a dozen irregular square camps made up of wooden fences and barbed wire, with a radius of four to five hundred meters and firepower available from all sides.

There was a gap of about 100 meters between each camp. The open space was filled with pits dug in a mess, and a large number of sharp wooden stakes were inserted into the pits.

The open space around the pit was filled with chevaux de frise and wooden deer, which were pierced with sharp spears.

Not to mention the cavalry, even the infantry had to move carefully around in order to avoid these deep pits and wooden chevaux deer.

But the muskets in the camps on both sides would not allow them to move freely between them.

The sergeant in the hanging basket took a look and knew that this line of defense was the Ming army's latest anti-cavalry formation.

It is said that the effect is very good, and today I can see the actual effect for the first time.

The sergeant on the basket adjusted the telescope and looked into the distance.

It can be seen that the Wala coalition cavalry has all left the camp. They are divided into three major groups.

The largest number of people came from the northwest, where about 50,000 cavalrymen slowly entered the Sunset River in a semi-loose formation. This place led directly to the Kobdo camp, and there was no obstacle except for the low hills.

It seems that the Wala coalition forces regard this place as the main attack direction for the Kobdo camp.

From the messy flags, the observing officers could judge that two-thirds of the 50,000 main attacking cavalry came from the Khoshut and Dzungar tribes, and the rest came from the Huite and part of the Durbert tribe.

The cavalry of the Junggar and Huite tribes were in the front, and the cavalry of the Khoshut and Dörburte tribes were behind.

According to the intelligence obtained by the Ming army, among the four major tribes of the Oirat, the Dzungar tribe was the most brave and warlike, and was now pushed to the front. It seemed that they were determined to grab the first credit.

The Heshuo tribe was the headquarters of Wala Dargahani Noyan Honggor. Now he proudly called himself the Khan of Oirat and showed off his father's title of Great Khan.

Judging from his momentum in sending out all his elite troops without hesitation, it seems that he is preparing to use the Ming army as a sacrifice so that the name of the Khan of Oirats will resound throughout the grassland.

In the southeast direction, 20,000 soldiers of the Torghut tribe formed a separate force, separated from the Sunset River by a mountain range and a forest nearly ten miles wide, and attacked toward the northeast of the Kobdo camp along the Buyantu River.

However, this place is located between mountains and rivers, and the terrain is narrow, so it is impossible to deploy the entire force. It can only be used as a flank attack direction to support Luorichuan's main attack.

The Torghut tribe originated from the Kereyid tribe and was the master of the Jinshan area before the rise of Genghis Khan.

Later, the Mongols in the northern desert and the "people of the mountains and forests" in the Yimaer River (Ob River), Qian River (Yenisei River) and other areas moved south and squeezed the Torghut tribe into the current grazing area.

The Torghut tribe had always been resentful of these outsiders and was not willing to interact with them, being "arrogant and aloof".

Judging from the offensive layout of the Oirat tribe observed so far, it is consistent with the General Staff's judgment on the Torghut tribe. They would rather be responsible for the attack in one direction alone than mix with the Khoshut and Dzungar tribes.

Further away, about 10,000 cavalrymen crossed the Buyantu River and encircled the rear wing of the Kobdo camp along the west bank of the Kobdo River.

Judging from the flags, they should be cavalry from the Durbert tribe.

The observation sergeant wrote down the results and handed them to the signalman.

The signalman lit the signal light.

The signal light is an oil lamp with a thick wick and the flame is very bright.

The key is that behind the wick is a hemispherical cover, made of metal and coated with a layer of silver. It shines brightly, just like a glass mirror, gathering the light of the oil lamp and reflecting it outwards like a searchlight.

Even in the daytime, you can still see its bright light from a thousand meters away.

If there is thick fog, there will be a yellow glass cover, and the light emitted will turn yellow, which can penetrate the thick fog and reach two or three hundred meters away.

There is a frame at the mouth of the signal light. By turning the handle next to it, the shutters in the frame can be opened and closed. The signalman turns the handle to make the light brighter and darker, sending a signal to the ground. After the ground receives the signal, it will use the same signal light to send a confirmation signal. Only when it is verified that it is correct, the communication is considered complete.

The intelligence was quickly sent to the combat command center in the Kobdo camp.

After reading it, Qi Jiguang put it down gently.

Hu Zongmei said at the side: "Qi Shuai, the observations of balloon No. 1 are consistent with those of balloon No. 2, and can corroborate some of the observations of balloon No. 3."

Qi Jiguang nodded and walked to a huge circle of ground.

This sand table is four meters long and three meters wide. It depicts the area of ​​500 miles with Kobdo Camp as the center according to the proportion. Mountains, hills, forests, grasslands, rivers and lakes are densely drawn.

There were small flags everywhere, the red ones represented the Ming army, and the white ones represented the Oirat coalition forces.

Judging from the distribution of the red and white flags, the white flags formed a large circle more than 60 miles long, surrounding the Kobdo camp.

Most of the small red flags were concentrated near the Kobdo camp, and only a few were placed among the distant mountains and forests.

Qi Jiguang held the table with both hands and looked at the sand table.

"The key to the battle now lies in Sunset River and the 50,000 main forces of the Dzungar, Tehui, and Khoshut tribes led by Waladarga Haninoyan Honggor."

The news kept coming in.

At eleven o'clock, a messenger ran into the war room and shouted: "Five thousand Junggar vanguards crossed the Luori River and stayed in front of the Luori River defense line for half an hour. Now they have begun to launch a tentative attack and are exchanging fire with our troops."

The twenty or so busy staff officers paused their work and looked up at Qi Jiguang when they heard the voice.

"What does Deputy Commander Xiao have to offer in return?"

Deputy Commander-in-Chief Xiao Wenkui is the commander of the front line, commanding three frontal defense lines including the Luorichuan defense line. The front-line command headquarters is located behind the Luorichuan defense line.

"Deputy Commander Xiao reports that everything is going according to plan."

"it is good!"

Qi Jiguang nodded, said nothing more, and continued looking at the map.

The staff officers also lowered their heads and went about their own business.

In the No. 1 hot air balloon, which was the hot air balloon behind Luorichuan, observers clearly saw about 5,000 cavalrymen, arranged in a loose formation, starting to attack the Ming army's defense line from Luorichuan.

They ran faster and faster, and in less than five minutes they reached a distance of less than a hundred meters.

At the front of the first six square camp positions, puffs of green smoke suddenly spurted out. A dull roar seemed to tear everything apart and reached the hot air balloon, causing the six people in the hanging basket to squat down at the same time and reach out to hold the edge of the basket.

Squatting in the basket, the non-commissioned officers looked at each other, and the experienced ones immediately figured out what was going on.

The infantry regiment does not have so few artillery pieces, and the commanders below are "holding back" them for firing.

You are so brave. There are 50,000 cavalrymen in front of you, a boundless black mass, pouring into Sunset River like a tide, and they can overwhelm your defense line in a minute. How dare you hold back?
The only sergeant who did not squat shouted, "Get up, everyone, the war has begun, we need to pay close attention to the changes on the battlefield."

Everyone in the hanging basket stood up and continued their work.

In the first round of artillery fire on the Luorichuan defense line, hundreds of Junggar cavalrymen were killed or injured by the cannonballs. The mounts of other cavalrymen were frightened by the huge cannon sound and screamed repeatedly, kicking their horses' hooves wildly, and dozens of cavalrymen were thrown to the ground by their mounts; some mounts were so scared that they turned around and ran around like headless flies. If they were not careful, they would collide with the panicked mounts nearby.

The five thousand Dzungar cavalry were thrown to the ground in panic.

Before this, the Oirat coalition forces had only experienced the Ming army's smoothbore muskets and submachine guns. This was the first time they had tasted the shotgun shells of the 95 and 105 field guns, which made them unforgettable for life.

Pharmacist Song saw the chaos of the Junggar cavalry vanguard through the telescope and couldn't help cursing, "Damn it, I collected half of the artillery, but I still overestimated them.

Immediately issue an order that only the Type 95 field guns are allowed to fire from the front of each camp, and they must be equipped with single-shot shells, not shotgun shells.

The situation was quickly transmitted to the enemy's front command behind the defense line.

After hearing the report, Xiao Wenkui smiled bitterly and said to the staff officer beside him: "Song Yaoshi has already held back, but it is still beyond our expectations. I wonder if the Junggar tribe has been frightened."

The staff officer consoled him, "Deputy Commander, the Junggars are the most valiant and combat-savvy of the Oirat tribes. They have a strong fighting consciousness and will not be frightened by the first round of bombardment."

Soon, the latest report from Pharmacist Song came again. After a brief reorganization, the vanguard of the Junggar tribe continued its attack.

Song Yaoshi ordered that artillery with a caliber above 105mm was not allowed to fire, and artillery with a caliber of 95mm was only allowed to fire single shells. After paying a certain price, the vanguard of the Junggar tribe finally broke into the defense line and slowly moved between the positions of the six square camps.

Xiao Wenkui couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and the other staff officers also breathed a sigh of relief.

Alas, it is really difficult for us.

They had to withstand the attack of the Oirat coalition forces, but they could not fight with all their might, for fear that they would scare the Oirat coalition forces away if they fought too hard.

Song Yaoshi placed more than 4,000 Junggar vanguard cavalry into the deep area and ordered them to only use smoothbore muskets and submachine guns for firing.

Artillery, including the 75mm field gun, is not allowed to be used.

Even so, the firing of thousands of smoothbore muskets and the bombardment of submachine guns still made the Dzungars, who were struggling to move through the middle of the phalanx, become living targets and suffered heavy casualties.

The sub-cannon was an improvement on the Portuguese sub-cannon of the Ming army, and was officially named the 60-barreled cannon. It had a caliber of 60 mm and a 55 mm caliber "sub-cannon shell" was loaded into the barrel from the side.

The bullet is pre-loaded with propellant and shotgun bag, and the rear cover needs to be unscrewed before loading.

Load the gun into the barrel, push on the sleeve cover, pour the primer into the side rear primer pool, pull the rear bolt, open the flint hammer. Two people carried the gun wooden frame, stretched to the gap in the wooden fence, aimed at the Junggar cavalry outside and pulled the trigger.

The spring inside the bolt pushes out a pin, piercing the rear oil paper at the bottom of the "sub-shell". Then the flint hammer hits down, igniting the primer pool. Fire flashes, and the burning of the primer pool spreads to the inside of the barrel, igniting the propellant inside the "sub-shell" through the punctured hole. The shotgun bag is shot out of the "sub-shell", slides less than one meter in the barrel, and flies out of the muzzle.

Without the restraint of the barrel, shotgun shells of different masses had different flying speeds. The shotgun shell bag disintegrated in the air, and more than a dozen shotgun shells flew out like flowers from the sky, creating a bloody storm.

At the same time, two gunners lifted the sub-gun, one of them pulled the bolt, the sleeve opened, and the hot empty "sub-shell" fell out of the smoking barrel. The other one had already unscrewed the back cover of the "sub-shell" and loaded it into the empty barrel.

It is easy to operate, flexible and maneuverable, and has considerable lethality, and is especially popular among the Wing Guard cavalry.

They improved the gun carriage for the sixty short-barreled guns and installed them on saddles or camel backs, with two people in a team.

One person leads the horse or camel to stabilize the gun carriage, while the other person loads the shells, and then rushes to the enemy and fires at them!
There were gunshots and smoke all over the defense line.

In just over twenty minutes, more than a thousand of the four thousand cavalrymen fell. The rest of the cavalrymen, who had just entered the square camp, saw that the situation was not good and quickly turned around and ran away.

Pharmacist Song felt uneasy as he watched the more than 2,000 Junggar cavalry vanguards running away.

Did I hurt you?
Don't run!
As long as you come back, I can call you grandpa!

The tense atmosphere spread from the defense line to the front-line headquarters. Everyone was nervously guessing whether the Wala coalition would continue the attack or withdraw.
Hundreds of telescopes were looking towards Sunset River, waiting with bated breath.

(End of this chapter)