The infantry of the Hubei New Army always believed that war was all about artillery bombardment and firing at each other. They have been trained to a considerable extent in this regard, both strategically and tactically, all of which revolve entirely around this line of warfare. The battles they are accustomed to are at least fought by more than 100 units at the same time.

The vanguard of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army had a completely different mode of fighting, with the first two companies engaged in harassing ambushes relying on the positions that had been prepared for a long time. Except for the side of the river, where there were no ambush positions, the troops fired in squads and platoons on other positions that relied on individual bunkers and temporary communication trenches to communicate. Each shooting was directly commanded by the squad leader, and although the density of bullets was not large, the gunfire never stopped, sometimes in the south, sometimes in the north, and there were gunshots everywhere.

Faced with the enemy hiding in the shadows on all sides, the Hubei New Army took the road as the core and discharged a formation similar to the hollow phalanx of the early musket era, with artillery and baggage in the center, and infantry queues on all sides. The commanders were in the center of a secure queue, directing the infantry to shoot in formation. The soldiers of the New Army squatted in the front row, stood in the back, and the rows of rifles looked quite neat. It must be said that the training of the Hubei New Army is good, and with the order of the commander, the soldiers began to shoot in columns. There is a lot of legality.

Every time a volley of guns with a scale of at least 100 people is fired, the power is naturally needless to say. The reeds at the point of concentration of fire were broken by the waist, and the ground was dusted. Since they set out to exterminate the "bandits," the army of the Hubei New Army has not had a chance to appear on the battlefield at all, and now that it is finally their turn to fight with real swords and guns, the faces of the soldiers of the New Army have appeared with the excited look of being on the battlefield for the first time. Although they had trained many times, they were still a little scrambling, reloading bullets, and their hands were shaking a little when they were shooting. Listening to the sound of the comrades-in-arms firing in columns, the fierce gunfire made the blood of these young soldiers boil. Before you know it, shooting has become a knee-jerk action. Reload, aim in the direction where the enemy seems to be hidden, and pull the trigger.

The result of this confrontation was obvious: although the group shooting of the Hubei New Army was extremely vigorous, their horizontal shooting was too rigid, and each horizontal column occupied too wide a frontal area, and although the number of people was large, the real attack point was very few. No more than 8 concentrated attack points were required for each round of shooting. The Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army numbered no more than 400 men in two companies, but 32 squads of these two companies were engaged in battle. The firing surface covered almost the entire array of the Forces nouvelles, and there were at least 32 concentrated firing points. In addition, one side shoots in a queue while the other side hides in a bunker and shoots, and both sides use Hanyang-seok to shoot at a distance of 200 meters.

Liu Xiushan was a platoon commander of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army who participated in the offensive, and his platoon was actually responsible for a front nearly 100 meters wide. According to the education of the military academy, Liu Xiushan arranged his four classes into a concave shape. The two most well-trained classes are prominently positioned, and the other two are arranged in the back. The Army of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army attaches the most importance to three links, the first is the charge with bayonets and grenades, the second is to dig trenches, and the third is the basic skills of shooting. On weekdays, the soldiers have to do water conservancy projects, and they are skilled in civil engineering. The various rifle positions are practiced for several hours, and the weight of the training model gun used in the early stage is much heavier than the real gun. All kinds of actions are strict and strict, and they can't be out of shape at all.

On weekdays, Liu Xiushan always pointed to the big banner on the training ground and shouted to the soldiers: "Sweat more in peacetime, and bleed less in wartime!" "The Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army is the most systematic and quantitative thing, and Liu Xiushan, as a platoon commander, never knew that there were so many training contents, and all kinds of assessments were never interrupted. At first, he was busy and dizzy, but when he got used to it, he had to think about how to complete the training content of the platoon. All kinds of cultural and scientific knowledge are constantly being trained.

In the past, the intensity of the battle was not too strong, and targeted training was enough. Now he finally feels the impact of so much training on weekdays. Although Liu Xiushan knew that the thickened part in front of the individual bunker could block bullets, after the bullets of the Hubei New Army splashed like water, some of the not too thin bunkers were drilled through by bullets. The density of bullets fired at the firing points in the ranks of the Forces nouvelles was simply too high. Two rounds of fire came, and the soldiers around him, who were not well concealed, were killed and wounded four people on the spot. Everyone hid in the bunker with their rifles, and they didn't dare to lift their heads when they were hit by the bullets of the Hubei New Army.

Liu Xiushan can be elected platoon commander, this courage is not small. His heart was also pounding with fright from the dense gunfire. But as soon as he heard the gunshots, he turned in other directions, and at this time, he heard the deputy platoon commander in charge of observing the enemy situation shouting: "Platoon commander, the enemy has turned." Liu Xiushan hurriedly raised his head to look out, only to see that people in the queue of the Hubei New Army fell from time to time, and the New Army had already turned its guns and shot in other directions.

Liu Xiushan looked at the new army column that was completely leaked within the firing range, and shouted loudly: "Fight! ”

Some of the fighters immediately obeyed the order and started shooting, but some of the fighters were obviously frightened, and they looked at Liu Xiushan hesitantly. Without saying a word, Liu Xiushan dragged these fighters by the necks and collars and pulled them up, ordering the soldiers to continue shooting. Looking at the other positions, there were already casualties on the other positions, and the squad leaders also dragged the fighters who did not dare to take the lead and began to shoot.

"The medical team, go along the traffic trench to carry the wounded down." Liu Xiushan shouted. The so-called communication trench is a shallow trench built according to the terrain. If you are crawling and walking, most of your body can be covered. The medical team hurriedly dispatched. They move to the position with skillful movements. The bodies of the unfortunate soldiers who died were brought back first, and those who were wounded were treated briefly, the lightly wounded soldiers continued to stay and fight, and the medical team withdrew the seriously injured soldiers first. Liu Xiushan's platoon four squads, plus the platoon commander, deputy platoon commander, and communications corps, totaled more than 50 people, and completely lost 12 comrades in less than 10 minutes of fighting. The People's Party attacked the Hubei New Army with nearly 500 troops in two companies, and the difference in firepower was really too large.

After Liu Xiushan's platoon went into firing, the Hubei New Army quickly transferred the target back. This time, Liu Xiushan didn't dare to resist anymore, looking at the direction of the muzzle and turning to his side, Liu Xiushan shouted loudly, "All hidden." ”

When the soldiers heard this, they immediately sat down with their guns in their hands and leaning against the trenches. A moment later, with the dense sound of gunfire, the impact of bursts of bullets concentrating on the bunker was heard on the ground. Due to the effective command, only one soldier of Liu Xiushan's platoon was wounded in this round of firefighting.

The casualties of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army were not small, while the casualties of the Hubei New Army were even greater. At the beginning, the Hubei New Army still had the courage to shoot at the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army. However, after the comrades-in-arms in front and left were defeated one after another, the remaining soldiers of the New Army immediately became terrified in their hearts. Moreover, the ratio of casualties in rifle fire is probably three to one or even five to one. Few were killed and many were injured. In the military discipline of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army, it was emphasized not to shout after being wounded. Because shouting is the most morale-influencing thing. Since the fighters can't be screamed, it's naturally impossible for the fighters to wait after they're injured. In addition to the deputy squad leader who was also responsible for temporary treatment, the medical team of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army had to immediately start the rescue work.

The Hubei New Army did not consider this at all, and the soldiers could only lie down after being wounded. Although the new army in Hubei is highly hierarchical, the wounded and sick are people after all, especially those who have been seriously injured, and they feel that the wound is in severe pain after the injury, and the blood is flowing outward, and they hold the wound with their hands, and after a while, their palms are like soaking in blood. They feel like they're dead, and they care so much. Those who wailed, those who asked for help, and those who hugged their uninjured comrades-in-arms and asked for help. All these behaviors have greatly weakened the will of the Hubei New Army to fight. And it greatly affected the firing efficiency of the Hubei New Army. Looking at the piles of injuries on the ground, the soldiers of the New Army naturally wanted to think about whether they would become these wounded.

But the battlefield is not a training ground, and after the battle begins, everyone doesn't have time to think about it so much, and fights completely according to training. The new army's standing firing was already easy to be shot, and the horizontal formation of the hollow phalanx prevented the firepower from being fully utilized. The 5,000 New Army actually put into battle no more than 2,000 firepower, and the casualties of the front-line troops far exceeded those of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army. The Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army suffered more than 70 casualties, and the loss of combat effectiveness exceeded 10%. The casualties of the Forces nouvelles have reached more than 400, and the casualties on the front line have reached 20%. Coupled with the wavering of the morale of the army, the density of firepower immediately weakened. The firepower of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army did not diminish in the slightest. As long as the officers and soldiers who can fight, they all fire fiercely. As a result, the casualties of the Forces nouvelles increased even more.

In this case, the Forces nouvelles can generally choose the mode of queue substitution. However, it is the units that can carry out this tactic that are well-trained and have been tested by the fire. Troops were carried out under the fierce design of the enemy, and the troops of the first line had to bear great damage, and the troops of the second line were not able to immediately adapt to the enemy's fire at first. In China's history, only the PLA has been able to carry out this kind of tactical command on paper, but the PLA has never chosen such a tactic.

It was impossible for the Hubei New Army to have such military qualities, and their hollow phalanx immediately began to be chaotic. Li Yuanhong showed his due command ability at this time, "Shelling!" Li Yuanhong ordered loudly.

"Lord Co-ordinator, where are you shelling?" The artillery pipe band immediately asked.

When Li Yuanhong heard this question, he almost pulled out his hand and shot this unqualified artillery team pipe. However, he also knew that it was not right for him to fire at the gun team. The hollow phalanx is capable of effective artillery bombardment when facing the hollow phalanx. And the shelling was supposed to have started before the start of the fighting. However, in this battle, these "Yan Chen bandits" on the opposite side were so treacherous that they set up ambush positions in advance, and the bandits hid in the trenches and fired their guns, and the artillery team did not find a specific location at all.

Looking at the overwhelmed artillery team pipe, Li Yuanhong shouted: "Shell in the general direction, and correct while shelling." ”

With the rumbling of artillery, the artillery of the Hubei New Army finally began to shoot indiscriminately.

Liu Xiushan heard the rumbling sound of the cannonball, and then finally felt the violent vibration after the explosion of the cannonball. Compared with the momentum of the shelling, the bullet fire as dense as a locust was almost like a light rain.

"Retreat." Liu Xiushan gave an order without thinking about it.

The Military Commission did not believe that a desperate onslaught would completely wipe out the Hubei New Army. Chen Ke agrees with this conclusion, but Chen Ke does not agree with everyone's thinking. Most comrades believed that the Hubei New Army could fight, and it was too likely to defeat Li Yuanhong with the same strength of the two sides. Chen Ke believes that the morale of the new army in Hubei is okay and the ammunition is sufficient. In the event of a decisive battle, the casualties of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army would inevitably be relatively large. It is impossible for a new army like Li Yuanhong to become more and more courageous, so the 16-character decisive battle method is adopted to first weaken the combat effectiveness of the Hubei New Army to the greatest extent, and the last annihilation is the best way.

Therefore, the battle plan for the first engagement emphasized that as soon as the Hubei New Army began shelling, as long as there was no melee, the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army would begin to retreat. Of course, it is impossible for the Hubei New Army to indiscriminately fire at the enemy and us who are fighting together.

As soon as Liu Xiushan gave the order, the troops immediately began to retreat according to the training pattern. Ambulance teams have removed the wounded and the bodies of some of the fallen soldiers. According to the rule that the front-line troops retreat first, each squad at the forefront withdrew with the remains of the soldiers, and the troops retreated in echelons.

The Hubei New Army was already in chaos at this time, and after the shelling began, the various units began to shrink their arrays in order to rectify discipline. In addition, the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army was very cooperative in stopping the shooting and began to retreat. In an almost complete state of "tacit understanding", the battle ended.

The actual battle of this fierce and short encounter lasted less than half an hour, plus the previous battle between the New Army Scouts and the reconnaissance units of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army. According to the statistics after the end of the entire Anhui campaign, the revolutionary army had lost nearly 100 people so far. The casualties of the Hubei New Army were close to 900.

The staff officers and officers no longer dared to mention the topic of continuing to attack Hefei, and the weapons and equipment, the will to fight, and the battle mode of ambushing displayed by the "Yan Chen bandits" in this battle were far beyond their imagination. Moreover, they were not familiar with Anhui in the first place, and after losing almost all of their horses, they no longer had the strength to remotely inquire about the news.

Looking at these depressed subordinates, listening to the screams and wails of the wounded soldiers not far away, Li Yuanhong decisively ordered, "The troops began to occupy various key points to defend, and quickly sent people to open the passage back to the place where they went ashore." ”

It didn't take long for the sun to reach the western sky, and the red setting sun stained the battlefield blood-red. The cavalry unit that temporarily served as a horse scout sent people back to report to Li Yuanhong, but was ambushed by the "bandit army" five miles away. There is no need to prove it anymore, the dense gunfire in the distance can already prove that Li Yuanhong's retreat has been completely cut off.

"Did the bandits have artillery?" Li Yuanhong's face was red from the sun, and the sweat that slipped down his face was also shining red.

"The bandits have a mine, and the mine is very powerful. A single mine can kill ten brothers. The cavalry said this, and there was already a cry in his voice, "We didn't dare to line up so densely again, and as a result, the brothers who explored the road were killed a lot by the bandit army who were ambushed, and they couldn't advance at all." ”

Li Yuanhong looked at the staff officers and officers who were surrounded by him with "red light" on their faces, and said in a slightly trembling voice, "The whole army attacks the bandit army behind it, and we must annihilate all the bandit troops." ”

At about the same moment, Chen Ke received news from carrier pigeons, "The task force of the water detachment has completely blocked the exit of the Nanqi River by sinking the ship. ”