In one morning, the Qing army charged three times and retreated 500 meters. In the afternoon, they charged three more times, still 500 meters back. At the time of the lunch and evening meals, the infantry of the Qing army did not move, but the artillery of the Qing State made Yue nervous for a day. During the time when the Qing army was not attacking, the artillery of the Qing army fell in Haicheng County at a rate of about one per minute. It's like the Qing army is practicing cannons. Although most of the shells did not cause casualties, some of the shells landed accurately in the barracks, causing heavy casualties to a squadron of Japanese soldiers who were eating.

For the endless shelling of the Qing army, Nozu Michikan did not think of counterattacking. However, the strength of the Qing army in Niuzhuang was more than 40,000 people, and at this moment, there were only less than 20,000 people in the third division in Haicheng, and they had to be distributed in some important places outside the city. To attack the Qing army with strong fortifications and an absolute superiority in numbers, with the Qing emperor himself in charge? He's not stupid enough to do this. Counterattack with artillery? Not to mention that as soon as the artillery in the city fired, it would be covered by dense artillery fire from the Qing army. What annoyed Nozu even more was that the Qing army's cannons were all surrounded by thick bags of sand, and the height of the bags was higher than that of people. Unless the shell is fired directly into the circle of the sand bag, it is useless.

This arrangement of the Qing army was an eye-opener for Michael. Firmly protected cannons, except for direct hits, are practically invulnerable to enemy artillery. The crooked trenches protect the soldiers well, and even if a shell hits the trench, the crooked trench wall can block most of the fragments. Even if the enemy rushes into the trenches, the curved trench walls can be a good way to organize troops for a counteroffensive, as well as the attacking skirmish line, infantry and artillery coordination...... All of this asked Michael to inquire carefully. He felt that he did not come to the Qing Kingdom to teach the Qing people to fight, but to come to the Qing Kingdom to learn new tactics.

After dinner, the Qing army launched another charge. Thinking that the Qing army would start to retreat at 500 meters, the Yue army did not react until the Qing army rushed to the city. Nozu Michikan was dumbfounded, he felt that he had been deceived by the Qing people. Immediately organize troops to enter the city wall and conduct white-knuckle battles to block the Qing army. On the position of the Qing army in the distance, Wang Shizhen and the others were also dumbfounded, and they wanted to let the troops get closer to test the reaction of the army, but they rushed directly to the white-knuckle battle. The problem is that Wang Shizhen originally intended this wave to be the last offensive drill today, and he did not prepare for the next wave of offensive troops. What to do? Organize troops to rush.

This was a sudden white-knives battle for both sides, and it was fought until the night was completely covered. It ended with the orderly retreat of the Qing army. Nozu Michikan wanted to launch another night attack, but he abandoned the idea after seeing a row of fires piled up 300 meters from the Qing army's position. And the sharpshooters of the Qing army caused heavy casualties to the Yue soldiers who tried to step forward to extinguish the fire. Nozu Michikan once again made a judgment that the Qing army was going to occupy Haicheng. Therefore, on the one hand, he asked the Fifth Division to move quickly towards Haicheng, and on the other hand, he began to withdraw troops from outside the city back to the city. And no one in the army found a few black figures quietly lurking in the city.

However, the Qing army saw that there was hope of recovering Haicheng, so they decided to find an opportunity to recover Haicheng the next day.

The genius was white, and the fierce artillery of the Qing army rang out everywhere in Haicheng. Barracks, warehouses, headquarters, even kitchens were accurately shelled. The violent explosion and skyrocketing fire caused by the detonation of the ammunition that hit the ammunition depot felt even Guangxu who was far away in the Grange. 30 minutes of artillery coverage, basically destroyed the main buildings in the city, except for the American factory.

After 30 minutes, the artillery fire of the assault shifted to the city walls. Yesterday's day's shelling brought the already collapsed walls under heavy artillery again. After another 15 minutes, the infantry of the Qing army rushed up, and there was a fighting on the city wall.

It has to be said that hand-to-hand combat still shows that the individual ability of the Yue army is far superior to that of the Qing army.

For two days, the Qing army ploughed all positions in Haicheng with artillery, except for the American factories. The generals and officers of the army, who could not find a safe place in the city, unanimously agreed to move the headquarters here.

"We can't be beaten like this passively. We have to find a way to destroy those Qing artillery. Katsura Taro shook his fist in anger: "These cannons have caused serious casualties to the emperor's [***] people. ”

Nozu Michikan frowned, it wasn't that he didn't want to, but he couldn't find a way. During the day, the Yue army not only felt very difficult in the face of the Qing army's attack, but also the Qing army's every move could be clearly seen by the Qing army. At night, rows of fires and precise snipers became the biggest obstacles.

"Nozu-kun, it's worth sacrificing a squadron to extinguish those fires." Katsura Taro kept persuading: "These cannons are too dangerous, if they continue like this, the entire First Army will be shattered in Haicheng." ”

Under the persuasion of all the staff officers, Nozu Michikani finally nodded. After deliberation, a wing was divided into three directions and attacked at the same time.

After nightfall, a row of bonfires was lit again 300 meters in front of the Qing army's position. Where the fire did not reach, black shadows were slowly crawling towards the fire. A crisp gunshot rang out, and an exposed soldier was killed.

"Kill give-". The sound of the guns was the order, and the decided-dead soldiers rushed towards the fire. The Qing army's position lit up with large red dots, which were the flash of fire the moment the bullet flew away from the muzzle. One by one, the Yue army was knocked down, but they could not withstand the attack of the Yue army in turn. The soldiers who rushed to the fire threw the dirt bags on their backs one by one on the fire. Finally a fire was extinguished.

"Onboard, kill to give-". With the charge of the army, two, three...... Many fires were extinguished one after another.

Shoushan locked onto the figures in the darkness with his binoculars, watching them get closer and closer. 200 meters, 150 meters. Wait. It's 100 meters away.

"Shoot." Shoushan gave an order to the blockers around him.

Each sniper fired five shots at the intended target. Finally, the hidden oil that had been set in advance 200 meters in front of the position was ignited. After a dense burst of gunfire, more hidden oil was ignited. The light of the burning fire of the oil exposed the attacking army.

Knock knock knock...... The machine guns on the Qing army's position opened fire, and the crossfire formed knocked down the Japanese army one by one. It is like harvesting wheat, which falls down in pieces. The hidden oil was ignited, which at the same time was the signal for artillery shelling. The troops in front of the position were handed over to machine guns and infantry, and the muzzles of the guns were all shelled at the position of the city wall.

"Yaga. Despicable Shina pig. Katsura Taro, who was hiding in a hidden position, looked at the fallen emperor [***] and gritted his teeth in hatred. He never thought that the Qing people also set up a hidden fire.

After giving the order to retreat, Katsura Taro returned to the headquarters disappointed. He knew that the attack had failed completely.

The American factory, which has never dropped a shell for two days, is brightly lit. The sound of telegrams and the voices of the staff officers were so noisy. In my opinion, it is because it is the property of Americans. If the Qing army took the initiative to destroy this place, it would cause protests from the Americans, which would be a disadvantageous situation for the Qing diplomacy in the midst of war. At the time of the war, the Empire made it clear that it should not take the initiative to destroy American factories. But they forgot that what they said when they deported the Americans was that all the property here had been confiscated.

When the Americans returned to Jinzhou, they passed by Tianzhuangtai and told Guangxu about it. Guangxu said: Since it was confiscated by himself, it is not American's. Didn't you think the factories of the Americans were safe? That's easy, just let it be safe for two days, and then blow it up when the army moves the headquarters inside. In one fell swoop, the army headquarters was eliminated.

As a result, in the early morning of the third day, the artillery fire of the Qing army completely destroyed the American factory. The generals and staff officers of the army suffered numerous casualties, and Katsura Taro was seriously injured and evacuated to the rear hospital, but Nozu Michiguani, who was also injured, insisted on staying. Because he wants to command the troops.

The Qing army's increasingly fierce attacks greatly increased the pressure on the Yue army. The intermittent logistical supply kept the entire army in a state of starvation. By the fifth day, the supplies brought by the 5th Division had bottomed out, and the soldiers were hungry because they did not have enough food, and the guns were also hungry due to insufficient ammunition. Fortunately, the imperial warriors still had incomparable courage and did not let the Qing army occupy Haicheng from beginning to end.

Nozu Michikani never thought of giving up Haicheng because he couldn't give up. Once the Qing people recover Haicheng, the morale of the Qing people will be greatly boosted. And the fortifications of the Qing people also frightened him. Haicheng must be occupied and cannot be abandoned, otherwise attacking Haicheng again will pay a higher price than defending it. In these five days, the Third Division was finished, and all the combatable forces added up to one brigade, while the Fifth Division originally had only one brigade to come. The lack of troops is what Nozu Michiguan is most worried about.

On the sixth day, the Qing army, which had just rushed into the city, suddenly retreated, because the second army of the Yue army launched an offensive against Yingkou on this day. What the entire Qing army staff drew up before the war was a tactic of defensive attrition. Now that Yingkou was attacked, he directly gave up the plan to recover Haicheng.

At the same time as the Qing army retreated from Haicheng, Nozu Michikani made a risky decision. He ordered the troops in Haicheng to follow the Qing army to launch a counter-charge, and this sudden change made the Qing army, which was fighting smoothly, at a loss, and the old Beiyang troops such as the Feng army and the Ming army once again retreated, and the new officers and soldiers could no longer prevent this rout and retreat. When the army was beaten all the way to the main position in front of Niuzhuang, it was stopped by the machine gun fired by the guard company of Wang Shizhen's staff. In order to recapture the lost artillery on the front line, Wang Shizhen then organized a counterattack force with the Fifth Regiment as the main force, and it was only after recapturing 19 cannons, and the rest were either destroyed by the Yue army or blown up by the Qing army itself. Fortunately, none of them fell into the hands of the army.

Guangxu came to Niuzhuang again, looking at the only 19 cannons left in front of him, and he was furious. Before the war, all the mobile artillery deployed in the Grange lost two-thirds at once, which suddenly turned the original artillery advantage over the Japanese army into a disadvantage. Song Qing, Liu Shengxiu, Wei Guangtao, Li Guangjiu, Wu Dacheng and other generals stood on both sides in shock. And Changshun, who took the lead in escaping, was pressed and knelt in front of him by the five flowers.

"Is there a roster of all the soldiers who escaped and were killed?" Guangxu said with a gloomy face.

"Back to the emperor, it's all sorted out." Zhang Zuolin replied.

"The emperor is incompetent, the situation is sudden, and he has failed to coordinate the retreat order of the various ministries. So much so that he was defeated, and asked the emperor to surrender his guilt. Wang Shizhen knelt honestly.

"Not being well coordinated is the reason for a rout? So what do you generals want to do? Guangxu put down the teacup in his hand heavily: "The battlefield is changing rapidly, and as a leading general, you must be able to respond to sudden changes at any time." Moving step by step is not a war, it is playing a game of housework. ”

"Come on, pull Changshun to Yuanmen and behead him. Hang the head at the gate to show the public. The Changshun Institute was all reorganized. ”

"Your Majesty, although Changshun's sin is unforgivable, he will not die." Song Qing came forward to intercede: "In the past few days, Changshun led his troops to attack Haicheng, and the fight was also impressive. Please also ask the emperor to open up on the Internet. While speaking, Liu Shengxiu, Wei Guangtao and others also pleaded for mercy.

"You intercede for him? I haven't condemned you, and you dare to intercede for him. Guangxu stood up violently: "Changshun's department is defeated, and you will follow him all the way to defeat." What were you all doing? Why not fight back with the whole army? If Wang Shizhen hadn't led the guard company to shoot, would you have been defeated all the way to Jinzhou like in the Yalu River? Let me guard the Grange alone? ”

"How many people are there in the guard company? 150 people can block 4,000 people, and they can also attack and organize troops to launch counterattacks. What about you? More than 40,000 troops, chased by 4,000 soldiers, like dogs, are embarrassed to intercede for others. ”

"A rout and a rout of the whole army, saying that I am so terrible? If you think so, then you will all roll with the troops, and I have never been afraid if I dare to come. ”

"Weichen is incompetent, please ask the emperor to calm his anger."

"Anger? Can Anger be exchanged for a lost cannon? Come on, drag Changshun out and behead him. Wang Shizhen, Zhang Zuolin, and Song Qing were the highest commanders, and each of them had five dozen military sticks, and the others had ten military sticks as punishment. ”

After the crackling sticks, the generals returned to the camp. Guangxu, who was originally angry, looked at the map quietly, losing the advantage of artillery, which could only rely on more people.

Zhang Zuolin, contact Lin Qizhao immediately. Let him get the German arms as soon as possible to replenish the troops at any cost. Without artillery superiority, this battle is very difficult to fight. Guangxu's words were as calm as water at the moment.

The war was fought to see who could hold out until the last five minutes, and he said that he had persevered, but the Qing army did not. The conservative tactics of defensive attrition deprived the Qing army of the last chance to recover Haicheng during the war. Once again, the army had a chance to breathe.

Many years later, when the attack on Haicheng was mentioned again, everyone regretted that Haicheng's two counterattacks were not complete. Many ifs and assumptions have been put forward, but the facts do not stand up to assumptions. Until someone publicly commented: an emperor who did not understand military affairs and a chief of staff who had just taken command of the whole army, the tactical performance of the two fledgling rookies in the battle of Haicheng was wonderful, but the two who had not been trained in the war made major mistakes in strategy. I have to say that the performance of the emperor and the chief of staff at this time can only be regarded as tactical geniuses, but they are strategic fools.

Hearing this discussion, Guangxu and Wang Shizhen just looked at each other and smiled. Yes, they could have done better back then. (To be continued.) )