Zhu Jinglun arrived in Zhaoqing and immediately took over the command, Zhu Jinglun has no experience in fighting, but he has a professional staff to help him formulate military plans, and he did not interfere before, because he believes that the rear definitely does not know more about the situation in front than the people on the front line, and the battlefield is a rapidly changing place, so Zhu Jinglun believes that the rear side will give major policies at most, and it is best not to interfere in the specific implementation. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Now his staff department has also gone to the front line, and the officers in this staff department also have quite rich combat experience in the past, because of their high level of education, they generally have received formal private school education, and there are even three talents, but these are just one of the reasons why they were singled out, the most important thing is that their abilities have been recognized by Swedish consultants, and the Swedes recommended Zhu Jinglun.

They were not pulling the strings during this time, although they also read the battle report, but they were always on the outside, and now they understand the situation, especially after discovering the prevarication between the Xin'an Army and the Wukeng Army, they also found the problem of insufficient troops.

Before, everyone was very optimistic, believing that the 20,000 main forces could completely defeat the Xiang army, even the Xiang army was 20,000, and even the Swedes swore that they believed that Zhu Jinglun's army armed with rifles and artillery could defeat any army of the Chinese, as long as the opponent's number was not more than five times their own.

But Xiangjun slapped these people in the face, and also slapped Zhu Jinglun's face, because when the Swedes made this evaluation, not only did he not feel wrong, but he was a little complacent.

If there are not enough troops, we have to transfer troops, but where can we transfer them?

The main forces are here, 20,000 new troops have invaded Nanshao Liandao, have captured Yingde, and are marching to Shaozhou Mansion, and they can't be transferred back for a while, and the 20,000 Tuke Baoxiang Regiment are only equipped with cold weapons, and they have not yet undergone formal training, so that they can attack the fortress controlled by the Hunan army, which is equivalent to death.

"Concentrate your forces and change two roads into one road!"

Suddenly, a staff officer suggested it.

This is a talent counselor, a native of Dongguan Nanshe, called Xie Qi, is a show talent, but not a serious show talent, but a martial show talent.

Although Wu Xiucai also has the name of Xiucai, but the civil and military Shu Path, in fact, let the civil officials look down on it at all, there is a story about the civil and military Xiucai is widely circulated, saying that a Wu Xiucai and the people won the lawsuit and did not give up, to let the people kowtow, the county official said that the court has a fixed kowtow, let him kowtow a hundred, and then asked Xiucai Wen Xiucai or Wu Xiucai, Xiucai said that it was Wu Xiucai, the county official said that the rule was that Wu Xiucai could only receive fifty heads, and asked him to kowtow back to the people fifty.

Fifty heads, one hundred heads is a small matter, and the story of the Chinese official teasing Wu Xiucai illustrates an emotion that literati generally look down on Wu Xiucai's identity.

Xie Qi's family is a wealthy family, and there are 300 acres of mulberry fish ponds at home, which can supply their children to study and practice martial arts, but he does not read very well, and the martial arts are practiced well.

Xie Qi became an officer so smoothly, without missing every battle, and was later selected as a staff officer, a staff officer of any rank in the General Staff, with the rank of brigade commander.

"Change two roads to one road? Tell me about it. ”

Zhu Jinglun thought about it, and concentrating troops was equivalent to increasing troops.

Then Xie Qi said his thoughts again in 1510, now the two armies are divided into two roads, all the way to attack Guding Mountain, all the way to Dading Mountain, and the other party is also two ways to arm, if it continues to fight like this, the pros and cons of both sides are the same, but if they can combine the two roads into one road and let the other side divide the troops, it is equivalent to weakening the strength of the Hunan army.

"The Hunan army controls the choke waterway, and can come and go to support, how can there be a reason to divide the troops?"

Another staff officer said, his name is Huang Huanqing when he was 20 years old, he is 26 years old this year, he is a native of Gaozhou, when Chen Jinyu fought Gaozhou, he trained the regimental courage at home, built an earthen fort defense, and always persevered, and later Zhu Jinglun incorporated all the regimental warriors in that area, and he was also recruited, studied in the military academy for 1 year, and after graduation, he was selected to serve in the General Staff, but he was only the lowest third-class staff officer.

He spoke boldly in front of Zhu Jinglun, which aroused Xie Qi's eyes, and the General Staff Department, like the yamen in Guangdong, was contaminated with a strong atmosphere of seniority.

Xie Qi retorted: "It depends on the water division, the water division must ensure that the water route is cut off no matter what, and before the infantry captures a mountain, no matter how strong the artillery fire is, they cannot retreat." ”

Huang Huanqing was determined to show it: "How is this possible, the other party controls the two mountains, hundreds of cannons and shells are fired in unison, and the sailor is caught in the middle to block the waterway, isn't it death?" ”

Zhu Jinglun waved his hand: "Discuss with the sailor, and then draw up a plan and report it!" ”

He doesn't have time to talk to these people here, he is a decision-maker, he doesn't have to do everything himself, and he doesn't have professional military literacy, and his ideas are blind commands.

The sailor agreed very happily, they always felt that the battle was like this because they failed to eliminate the Hunan army sailor in advance, and as a result, they gave the other party the opportunity to capture the two mountains, although the army did not think so, the army thought that the two mountains were lost in the hands of their defenders, and the other party planted explosives to blow up the position, and then captured them, but the sailor still felt that if they could eliminate the Hunan army and the sailor in advance, the Hunan army would have no point in capturing the two mountains, just falling two lonely peaks, waiting for the fate of being surrounded.

At present, the atmosphere of daring to be responsible in the army is still good, and the sailors promised to be willing to make sacrifices, so they can make bold plans here, and through reconnaissance, they think that it is easier to attack Guding Mountain, which is closer to Zhaoqing City, and the danger is higher.

Therefore, it was agreed that the Wukeng Army would withdraw from the south bank to the north bank, and together with the Xin'an army, would attack Guding Mountain.

Attacking from both sides, this mountain must be taken in one day, and the sooner it is laid, the sooner the sailors can evacuate, and the smaller the losses.

Zhu Jinglun read the military plan and felt that there was no other good way at present, so he immediately issued an order that the infantry must take the fortress of the Hunan army within one day, which is a death order, either take the position or all die on the position.

The most arduous battle began, before dawn, the Xin'an army took the lead in launching an attack, Hou Jin ordered the troops, must be in front of the Wukeng army, hit the Guding Mountain, everyone only advanced and did not retreat, one team died on the other, one post died on the next, that is, the battalion died, and there was the next one, until the whole army was annihilated, either win or die.

But he still lost, he launched an attack in advance before dawn, and the Wukeng Army set off in the middle of the night last night.

The Hakka people who are good at climbing the mountain found a hidden mountain road yesterday, which may not be walked out by people, it is a beast path that the beast waded out, hidden between the wild grass, and the road is very steep, but the advantage is that the Hunan army is not very prepared, and it leads directly to a small mountain cliff, although the cliff is not connected with the Hunan army's position, but artillery can be erected here to cover the belly and back of the entire Hunan army, covering the main force to attack from the front.

The Wukeng Army touched the cliff in the middle of the night, and sent a hundred cannons in one night, and then after dawn, when the main force attacked, their artillery began to provide cover, which was such a small advantage, so that they spent three hours to attack the main peak position before the Xin'an army.

All the 3,000 Hunan troops defending the position were killed.

Zhu Jinglun's side also suffered heavy casualties, Hou Jin's men lost more than 500 people, and only fought for that hour, with an average of more than 100 casualties per hour. There were so many casualties on the black dog's side, and his attack was even more fierce, although there was artillery cover, but it also allowed the Hunan army to aim its main firepower in his direction, so there were so many casualties, and the two sides combined lost thousands of soldiers.

Compared with the army, the losses of the naval division were even heavier, a total of thirty gunboats all participated in the battle, ten ships in a group, divided into three groups, taking turns to blockade the Dading Gorge, because they could not let the opponent's ship drive over to support, so they had to stay close between the two mountains at all times, and even the most urgent time, directly in the river with the two mountain batteries to bombard.

Although the artillery of the Qing army is small, it still has a great advantage in firepower, and the power is enough to tear the hull of the ship, and the fleet of the Anglo-French alliance was blown up and sunk by Seng Lingqin with the cannon equipped by the Qing army at the mouth of Dagu, if it were not for the Qing army to break and flee, it would not be so easy for the British and French forces to capture the Dagu fort, if the Hunan army was guarding there, maybe they would not be able to capture it at all.

Therefore, the price paid by the sailors was extremely tragic, 30 gunboats, at first they could be blockaded in groups, and then all entered the Dading Gorge, because in the end there were only ten ships that could move, ten ships were directly sunk by the artillery of the battery, ten ships were heavily damaged, compared with the warships, the loss of personnel was more distressing, more than 2,000 sailors were killed, one of which was a gunboat, more than 200 officers and soldiers were all killed, and even the American adviser died.

However, they finally won, in the final analysis, they still did not have enough combat experience, if they could see through the plot of the Hunan army at the beginning, the Hunan army was attacking the two mountains at that time, the army did not know, but they did not notify the water division, and the water division could not make a judgment, which led to the loss of the two mountains and made the situation passive.

There is also the fact that the sailors are really not strong enough, the gunboats against the sailing ships of the Hunan army can't break through the Dading Gorge in a day, if they can kill it at that time, the Hunan army that has not captured the two mountains can only retreat, and it will not be of much significance without the sailors and the two mountains, they must first protect their retreat.

Dading Gorge is a lock, and the next mountain will open this lock, not to mention anything else, after obtaining this high ground, this battle will be over, because the artillery can mount the heavy artillery up and bombard the Dading Mountain on the opposite bank, and if the artillery clashes head-on, Zhu Jinglun is confident that the Hunan army will be crushed to slag.

The Hunan army fought rigidly, but it was not brainless, and after they ate a few cannons, they retreated themselves. (To be continued.) )