The Shimonoseki Strait, which separates Kyushu and Honshu islands, is only about 700 meters wide at its narrowest point, and it is famous for its dangerous navigation because of the strong currents and the huge difference between the ebb and flow tides.

However, as long as you are familiar with the time of the ebb and flow of the tide in the Shimonoseki Strait, and the direction of the current in the strait, then this strait is the most convenient passage between Kyushu and Honshu Island.

Among them, Moji Port on Kyushu Island - Shimonoseki Karado Port is the fastest route between the two places, and Karado Port has also become the fastest port city after the opening of the Choshu Domain because of its defense of the Seto gateway.

Not far to the west of Karado Port was the most important station of the Choshu Domain's shipwrights, which was also the base for the Choshu Domain's rebuilding navy. However, after the main force of the Choshu Domain's naval army was annihilated by the shogunate fleet, the old-fashioned Ataka ships in the Shimonoseki Naval Port never dared to leave the port again.

The Shogunate Fleet, which controlled the Shimonoseki Strait and the Bungo Waterway, soon launched an attack on the Shimonoseki area, and when the Hiroshima reinforcements reached the Hofu area about 200 miles west of Hiroshima, the commander Kumagai Gen reported directly that the shogunate forces had completely occupied the port of Shimonoseki.

Kumagai Motonao had no choice but to lead his troops back to Hofu Town, a town without a city wall, but because of its proximity to the seaside plain, the population and economy here are similar to that of a small city. Kumagai Motonao tried to rest here with his army, and then sent someone to find out where the shogunate army had already marched after taking Shimonoseki Port.

From Shimonoseki Port to Hofu, the area belongs to the two countries of Zhoufang and Nagato, that is, the westernmost section of Sanyo Province in Japan. This area, which stretches from east to west, can be roughly divided into three parts: the Seto Inland Sea coastal area, the inland mountainous area, and the Sea of Japan coastal area.

Most of the area is hilly and mountainous, with limited intermountain plains, some nearshore plains near the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, and karst terrain in the central mountains. As a result, most of the roads were built along the coastline, and it was less than 150 miles from Hofu to Shimonoseki Port.

Soon after Kumagai Motonao led his army back to Hofu Town, he received definite news that the vanguard of the shogunate army had crossed the Atsuto River, less than 70 li from Hofu Town, where they were located, that is, 2-3 days away.

What infuriated the Choshu feudal clan the most was that this vanguard was a unit under the banner of the Satsuma family, and the number should be no less than 1,500. As for the local lord, the Anado family, they were defeated five times in a row by the Satsuma army in two days, and now they simply ran to the mountains to the north, and they couldn't be contacted for a while.

Although Kumagai Motonao brought 2,800 reinforcements, the elders of the family discussed in Hiroshima Castle that the army of the Anado family was the main force, and their reinforcements were only to assist and cooperate. Therefore, among the 2,800 reinforcements, there were less than 600 samurai who really had combat experience, and the rest were Ashigaru requisitioned from the peasants and some warriors who respected the king.

As for the most elite Choshu Division and the Samurai Regiment, it is natural that the main task is now to defend Hiroshima Castle. If the other side is also like the samurai-peasant army under his command, Kumagai Motonao is naturally not afraid to face the other party for a while, so as to touch the details of the other party.

However, judging from the information sent back by these spies, it is obvious that the Satsuma family dispatched the Satsuma Division, which belongs to the standing army. Although Kumagai Motonao had never fought against the various standing divisions ordered by the shogunate, there was such an army in the domain, and he had always seen the daily training of this army.

The daily training of the standing armies was carried out in accordance with the regulations issued by the shogunate, so there was no difference in the content of the training except for the differences in weapons and equipment, so it was easy to judge the basic combat strength of these standing armies. At the very least, Kumagai Motonao knew that the improvised force under his command would be difficult to confront his family's standing army.

What's more, the intelligence also described that the Satsuma Standing Division, which only played as a striker, had extremely fierce firepower and carried many artillery pieces, so although the Cavana family built a fortress on the key pass, it was still unable to stop the attack of the Satsuma. According to a certain Anamuya samurai who experienced the battle, Satsuma's vanguard force was less than 2,000 men, but once on the battlefield, the guns and bullets on the opposite side rained down, as if they were fighting an army of more than 5,000.

After studying the information of the five defeated battles of the Anato family, Yoshikawa Hiroka concluded to Kumagai Motonao: "This is a typical Ming army's firearms tactics, first bombarding the enemy's position with artillery, then striding close to the enemy in a line formation to carry out platoon shooting, and then launching a white-knuckle charge, striving to break through one or two points of the enemy's army, and then rushing to the rear of the enemy line to shake the collapse of the entire defense line."

I think it should be the generals of the Ming army who directly intervened in the command of the Satsuma army. Otherwise, it was also a non-commissioned officer who studied in the Ming Army Military Academy commanded the operation, otherwise it would not have been so mechanical and monotonous, and it was completely the same as a textbook..."

Kumagai Mototo finally relieved himself after listening to Yoshikawa Hiroka's analysis, so he asked him hopefully, "Since you know this method of warfare so well, then you must know how to crack it?" ”

Yoshikawa Hiroka replied confidently: "Of course, I am also a top student who graduated from the Army Military Academy, how can I not know how to crack such a dull tactic." ”

Kumagai Motonao said happily: "Then tell me, how should I crack it?" ”

Yoshikawa Hiroka immediately said: "First, if the battlefield is located on the Great Plains, then the mobility of the cavalry should be used to kill the opponent's artillery position, or the cavalry should be outflanked and squeezed from both flanks, forcing the opponent's array to deform and unable to effectively exert the power of fire concentration, so as to create conditions for the attack of our infantry;

Second, if the battlefield is located in a narrow valley plain or hilly area, then we should use more and more fierce artillery to destroy the opponent's artillery positions and infantry arrays, and then use our orderly infantry arrays to attack the opponent's chaotic positions..."

Kumagai Motonao's face suddenly lengthened, and he looked at Yoshikawa Hiroka and said, "Do we use these cracking methods you said now?" ”

Yoshikawa Hiroka blinked and replied, "But what you just asked, isn't it how to crack it?" You didn't ask if we could deal with this Satsuma army now. ”

After thinking about it for a while, Kumagai finally softened his tone and said, "Okay, then I'll ask again, do we have a way to deal with this vanguard of the shogunate army now?" ”

Yoshikawa Hiroka replied very simply this time: "No." ”

Without waiting for Kumagai Motonao to ask, Yoshikawa Hiroka continued to explain: "The tactics that the army can use are based on the command ability of the officers and the daily training of the soldiers.

Sun Tzu's Art of War has a cloud: know each other and know yourself, and you will not be defeated in a hundred battles; Knowing oneself without knowing the other, one wins and one loses; I don't know who I am, I don't know myself, I will die in every battle.

An officer's command ability does not fall from the sky, but can only be achieved by studying various combat examples, understanding the limits of the abilities of the soldiers under him, and gaining the trust of the soldiers. For the various daily training of soldiers, for the tactical intelligence collection of the battlefield environment, etc., he is Sun Tzu's confidant. The collection of information on the personnel, weapon composition, logistical supply, and marching speed of the opposing forces is to know the other side.

In our current unit, how many samurai can you name in Kumagayaden? Do you know where these soldiers come from, and who governs them?

Since the Satsuma army on the opposite side was from a standing division, they at least became confidants. But our army knows neither the other nor ourselves. With such an army to face it head-on, plus the difference in weapons between the two sides, then the end of our army will be the second caveman. ”

Kumagai Motonao was silent for a long time before he said: "If we can't attack head-on, then it doesn't make much sense for us to defend the defense house, there are plains on all sides, and there is basically no danger to defend." Is it possible to retreat to the area of Zhounan-Tomita River, where the mountains are high and the forests are dense, and the plains along the coast are narrow, but it can be defended according to the terrain. ”

After thinking for a long time, Yoshikawa Hiroka said aloud: "Although the terrain in the area of Zhounan-Tomita River is complex and the mountains and rivers are advantageous, there are three problems at the moment that cannot prevent the shogunate army from continuing to break through this line of defense if they are not solved. ”

Kumagai Yuan hurriedly asked, "Which three problems?" ”

Yoshikawa Hiroka held up a finger and said: "The first problem is the problem of food and cold protection, although Zhounan-Tomita River has a favorable location, but it lacks output, we nearly 3,000 people moved here, it is not a matter of short-term, but after a long time, we will inevitably fall into the danger of running out of food." And no one in the surrounding area can afford to feed 3,000 people for a long time, except for the cave households.

In addition, the area near the Seto Inland Sea is warmer than the coastal area to the north, but when snow falls, the roads in the mountains are blocked by snow. If we are scattered in the mountains and forests and have no warm clothing, how can the soldiers hold on? ”

Kumagai thought for a while and said, "Then we can only transport the population and materials here one by one, so that we can not only replenish our army, but also make the shogunate army nowhere to raise food and requisition manpower." ”

Yoshikawa Hiroka was noncommittal about this idea, and then raised a second finger and said: "The Satsuma army is only the vanguard, and there is also the army of the shogunate behind it, just with a lone army like us, insufficient manpower, and weak weapons, if the Satsuma army is allowed to attack, our army will still be lost everywhere."

The so-called right match, win with odds. We also need a few strange soldiers to constantly harass the rear of the shogunate army, and even attack the logistics and transportation of the other side, so that the shogunate army cannot attack our defense line with all its might. ”

Kumagai Motozhi replied in a kind manner: "I can send someone to contact the Caveto family as soon as possible, and leave a few more squads of people and horses, so that the Caveto family can cooperate with them to harass and attack..."

Yoshikawa Hiroka's third finger was slow to stand up, and finally he withdrew his left hand and said, "The last problem, I don't think can be solved. The shogunate fleet controlled the Seto Inland Sea Channel, and as long as they used naval forces to penetrate into the rear of our army and divide and annihilate the coastal defenders from here to Hiroshima one by one, then it would not be us who held the line between Shunan and Tomita River, but they would have blocked us out of the Hiroshima battlefield, and Hiroshima would have become an isolated city. ”

Kumagai Motonao was also speechless, and after a long time he sighed and said, "Then we can only do our best to wait for the destiny of heaven, at least, we always do our best..."

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