Early the next morning, the three divisions of the Shao Zongbu Cavalry were divided into three armies, the front, the middle and the rear, and embarked on the road of the westward expedition one after another. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

Zhang Cheng led the cavalry division as the vanguard army, the political commissar and Li Yunlong led the first division and the troops directly under the column as the middle route troops, and Zhang Fengming and Zhou Weiguo led the third brigade and the baggage and artillery units in the rear.

"Boom ......"

On the morning of 7 April, when the 6,000-strong army of the cavalry division was galloping on the endless Gobi Desert in Huating, it was found that the land in the distance was also shaking violently.

The scout came to report: "Report to the commander, there is a large force of cavalry rushing towards us ahead, numbering about four thousand. ”

Although Zhang Cheng had never commanded a large cavalry unit to fight, he still knew a lot about cavalry operations in the later generations of the information explosion, and he immediately made a decision and immediately issued an order: "Order all officers and men to stop advancing, organize a charge formation, the divisional artillery company immediately set up a mortar position, the heavy fire company to build a machine gun position, and two cavalry brigades to protect the blocking position and stand by at any time." ”

"The whole army immediately stopped advancing, and the artillery company and heavy fire company built a blocking position!"

"The cavalry brigade is divided into left and right flanks, forming a charging formation and providing protection for the blocking positions!"

As the heralds continued to give command, the cavalry division quickly moved into action, building positions, assembling troops, organizing formations, and everything was carried out in an orderly manner.

"Heavy machine guns are deployed outside, mortar positions are included, and machine gunners remember to fire quickly when the cavalry rushes within 300 meters!"

As the order was conveyed to the heavy fire company and the artillery company, the soldiers, under the strong command of the two company commanders, began to quickly set up defensive positions, fifty light and heavy machine guns were carried out from the carriage one by one, reasonably arranged at the forefront of the position, thirty mortars were also arranged behind the position, and the artillerymen began to adjust the muzzles and face the front.

Although the cavalry division had just been formed, most of the officers and men had been staying in the cavalry unit, except for a little rush at the beginning because of the unfamiliar cooperation, everyone quickly became tacit after they were busy, and all the work was carried out in an orderly manner, and there was no too chaotic scene.

At the same time, the reconnaissance cavalry began to get closer to the cavalry in front, such a large force of cavalry, it was certainly not the Red Army, it was friend or foe, but it was not clear which of the three horses this cavalry belonged to.

As the sound of horses' hooves became louder and louder, this wave of cavalry also got closer and closer, and a large number of galloping cavalry rolled up puffs of smoke and dust, which was quite obscuring the sky and the sun. Zhang Cheng saw the cavalry of the brigade through the binoculars, wearing military uniforms belonging to the Ma Jiajun and gradually appeared in sight.

Obviously, they also saw the Red Army, and when they saw the Red Army units meeting each other, they grabbed the reins one after another, and all of them stopped, facing the Red Army at a distance.

The reconnaissance cavalry rushed to report: "Report to the commander, we have captured a lone cavalry of the other side, and after interrogation, these cavalrymen are all cavalry brigades of Ma Hongbin of Gan Province, and this cavalry brigade has more than 4,000 people. ”

Zhang Cheng nodded to show that he understood, he was also thinking in his heart that he was marching from Qingyang to the northwest, and the first to bear the brunt was Ma Hongbin, the current chairman of Gan Province, and he was not surprised at all that he encountered Ma Hongbin's cavalry troops so quickly.

At this time, the atmosphere of the battlefield on the Gobi was solidified, and the two large cavalry forces were facing each other, and the slightest spark could ignite a violent war. In the vast Gobi, everyone was holding their breath, and even the war horses felt the scorching atmosphere, snorting uneasily, wandering back and forth.

Lu Zhongliang suggested: "Commander, I think the other side has found that there are more of us than them, so they don't dare to attack for a while, it is better for us to strike first and attack with mortars first, so as to provoke them and force them to charge us."

Lu Zhongliang was born in the Ma family army and worked as a cavalryman for half his life, and Zhang Cheng still attached great importance to his suggestion, and after thinking about it for a few seconds, he agreed to his suggestion, and ordered the mortars to adjust the Zhuyuan and fire shells at the opponent's cavalry team.

"Boom!" A cannonball fell forty meters in front of the Ganma cavalry, and when the Ganma cavalry saw that the cannonball was so far away from them, the originally stagnant atmosphere suddenly dissipated, and they laughed uncontrollably.

As everyone knows, this shell was only a test firing of the Red Army artillery, and it was used to correct the bearing. After the test firing was completed, the artillerymen immediately corrected Zhu Yuan, and when Zhu Yuan was adjusted, all the artillerymen looked coldly at the 4,000 cavalry who were laughing in the distance, and said in their hearts, you should continue to laugh, and we will see if you can laugh later.

The commander of the artillery company issued a call to the commander and shouted: "Attention all mortars, the cavalry team in front of the target, fire three rounds of artillery fire!" ”

"Boom ......"

As soon as the firing order was given, the mortar soldiers could not wait to load the shells into the muzzles, and then immediately fired the shells, and in the thunderous sound of the cannons, thirty mortar shells accurately hit the opponent's cavalry ranks, and suddenly exploded these Ganma cavalrymen who had been laughing at the Red Army artillery before turned on their backs, and the screams came one after another.

"Brigade seat, the enemy's artillery fire is very accurate, what should we do?" An officer in Ganma said to the brigade commander Ma Yulin.

"What else can I do? The Red Bandits want to grab our territory, and we can only fight with them. However, the Red Bandits have always had no cavalry, and now this cavalry unit should have just been formed, and its combat effectiveness is far inferior to ours, as long as we rush into their positions, victory will be within reach. Ma Yulan shouted loudly to his subordinates.

Seeing that his subordinates still looked listless, Ma Yulan continued to shout: "According to the order of the Standing Chairman, if you kill a Red Army, you will be rewarded with five oceans, and the official will start with a hundred oceans, and I promise you that the rewards issued by the Standing Chairman will be given to you without taking a penny." ”

As the order to kill the Red Army was spread, the Ganma cavalry became excited, shouting loudly one by one, Ma Yulin rode on the big white horse proudly, looking at the Red Army opposite from a distance, and a cruel smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"It is said that the red bandits annihilated the main force of Qingning's two horse cavalry in Qingyang, and the world shook!" His face was full of excitement: "If I can defeat this red bandit, I think I will be famous all over the world." ”

"It's a pity that there are only six or seven thousand red bandits, if I can kill tens of thousands of red bandits, the standing chairman of Nanjing City will definitely reward me heavily!"

As for the rumored statement that the Red Army used machine gun arrays to eliminate the cavalry of the Ma Jiajun, Ma Yulin did not believe it at all, as long as the cavalry was allowed to attack, he believed that no matter what kind of iron wall it was, it would be destroyed by him.

"Our army charges forward and destroys all the Red Bandits!" Ma Yulan shouted loudly: "As long as this red bandit is eliminated, we will take Qingyang and attack the red bandit's lair, and the fame, wealth, and beauty ...... are all yours!" ”

In Ma Yulan's view, this cavalry of more than 6,000 people should be a patchwork of red bandits, as long as this red bandit cavalry is defeated head-on on the battlefield, the red bandits will have no cavalry available, no cavalry, and the so-called western expedition is a joke.

After destroying this cavalry, the base of the red bandits will be open in front of them, and they will lead their troops to tear up their defenses, storm their cities, slaughter their people, rob their property, and humiliate their women, and everything that the red bandits have will be conquered by themselves, and they will also be famous all over the world, and they will receive the commendation of the Standing Committee, and it is still unknown to replace Ma Hongbin to rule Gan Province in the future.

If Zhang Cheng knew Ma Yuscale's thoughts, he would definitely spit on his face, it was right to be ambitious, but if he was too ambitious and did not have the corresponding strength, it would be unrealistic delusion, and the Red Army would soon teach him how to be a man.