The tail island of the northern line is the first of the seven Shazhou in the Taijiang Inland Sea, the Luermen Waterway in the north and the Dayuan Waterway in the south, a long and narrow Shazhou.

At this time, this is still a small island in Shazhou on the sea, there are no mountains or dense forests on the island, only low shrubs and grasses, sand dunes and soil slopes.

On the Four Grass Sea Fort in the middle of the island, Dahn looked nervously down. The castle, which is not too big, has been completely surrounded by the Ming people. The soldiers on the castle looked at each other, at a loss. They were mercenaries from all over the world, from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the East Indies, and they were brave and fierce for their lives.

They have also been through many battles in the past, fighting against the natives in the East Indies, fighting pirates at sea, and after they came to Dayuan, they also fought against the natives of Taiwan. Each time, they forged ahead, sometimes not fearing ten or twenty times more natives.

But now, the siege of the castle was hundreds of times greater than the number of defenders in their fort.

The whole island was full of Ming troops, and these people were not natives with rudimentary weapons. These men were neatly dressed in cotton armor studded with brass nails, and wore steel helmets, and their weapons were by no means rudimentary, such as firearms, bows and arrows, spears, and even many light cannons and cannons.

Looking at these Ming soldiers who methodically unfolded the siege and prepared to attack, Dahn from the Netherlands felt his throat dry.

"At least five thousand." Lucas from Germany said in despair. With such a number of elite soldiers, even if they have a fortress to rely on, they can't hold it.

Dahn was still carefully surveying the Ming army's arrangement, and then he noticed a new team emerging from behind the Ming army. It seemed to be an artillery force, and among them there were quite a few Caucasians with red and yellow hair, who were Spaniards.

"Siege artillery!" Dahn also pointed out the short artillery paths in despair.

Europe has not only developed by leaps and bounds in battleships, but also entered a new era of artillery. As early as a hundred years ago, the British began to use blast furnace cast iron cannons, and after casting, they also used machinery to drive the drill bit to draw holes, so that the bore caliber was consistent and smooth, and improved the firing ability.

By the end of the 16th century, Britain, France, Spain and other countries began to carry out artillery reforms, standardizing the types of artillery. For example, the British artillery reform was classified according to use, and the British artillery was divided into sixteen types. After the reform. British artillery will be issued into three categories: field artillery, siege artillery, and coastal defense fortress artillery.

To this day, the field artillery of the British is mainly 3 pounds, 6 pounds, 9 pounds, 12 pounds, 18 pounds, and 32 pounds.

The field artillery is also known as the snake artillery, weighing 1.75 tons, firing 15-pound shells, with a flat firing range of 400 meters and a maximum firing range of 2,600 meters. Medium field artillery is called a half-snake cannon and fires 9-pound shells, and a light field gun is also called a duck cannon. Fires 0.75 to 5-pound shells and weighs about half a ton to a ton.

The siege artillery was called the Royal Plus Peasant Cannon, Cannon, and Semi-Cannon, with a larger caliber. The weight is greater, and the shells are larger.

The French artillery was also reformed, in which the field artillery was mainly four-pound, eight-pound, and twelve-pound, while Sweden formed a unique system of three-pound, twelve-pound, and twenty-four-pound.

The Spaniard Diego Ufano was more systematically established at 48 pounds. The 24-pounder, 12-pounder and 6-pounder artillery system is composed.

Artillery reform in Western countries, especially in recent years. This makes their army's field guns lighter in weight and more convenient to move, which greatly increases the combat capability of the army. And their warships had longer barrels of naval guns, and the common use of 9-pound, 18-pound, 24-pound, and 32-pound long guns was amazingly powerful.

Compared with these Western countries, which have not only improved and increased their artillery, China's artillery has long lagged behind. Although the Portuguese cannon casting technology was later obtained, it was an outdated technology. Different from the division of Western countries, China's artillery at this time was mainly divided into front and rear loading and gun weight.

For example, the rear-loading cannon is generally called the Franc machine, and the front-loading cannon is generally called the Hongyi cannon, and then the weight of the cannon body is divided into 300 catties, 500 catties, 1,000 catties, 3,000 catties, etc. China's artillery casting was already on the wrong path at this time.

Liu Jun's nine-headed bird turned out to be basically a small cannon such as a tiger squat cannon and a Franco machine, and a captivity cannon, mainly to launch scattered shots and melee combat. The Shenwei cannon designed and manufactured by the nine-headed bird itself is actually only a mortar cannon, which is somewhat similar to the siege artillery of the West.

In the past, it was naturally very sharp to use these cannons to deal with bandits who lacked long-range firepower, but if they dealt with the Hongyi and even the Qing army with long-range or even heavy firepower, they would definitely suffer a loss.

The last time he occupied the chicken coop, and then won the Battle of Penghu, Liu Jun not only got many Western gunners, but also many Western army field artillery.

Liu Jun used those Western gunners and European artillery to supplement a group of Nine-headed Bird gunners, imitating the Western artillery establishment and establishing a new artillery unit.

The artillery was organized as a regiment with six artillery batteries under it.

Each company had four four-pounder guns, four siege guns and four other lightweight Franc cannons. Each field gun and siege gun were equipped with a carriage and a coachman. Each company also had several ammunition trucks.

Each company had 300 men, including some infantry to guard the artillery, and the regiment had 2,000 men. However, the six artillery companies under this artillery regiment are generally subordinate to each unit to assist in the operation.

In this attack on the northern line of the tail island, Liu Jun pulled out a new artillery company to assist in the attack on the fortress.

At this time, Dahn saw a Western-style artillery unit, and the cannons they pushed out made Dahn full of despair. For he recognized that among the guns towed by the artillery, there were several cannons that were clearly more than twenty-four pounds.

According to the division of artillery in Western countries at this time, guns under twenty-four pounds are field guns, because beyond this level, the guns are too heavy and not suitable for field battles.

"That's obviously a thirty-two-pound cannon, and it was taken down from a battleship!" Lucas Road.

"And the mortar, that's at least twenty-four pounds. It's over, we can't keep it. ”

Under the city, Wang Qian led a group of officers to look at this artillery company that combined Chinese and Western. Compared with the original Nine-headed Bird's baggage battalion vehicle-mounted guns, the firepower of this artillery company is powerful and staggering.

Four four-pounder field guns, two eight-pounder field guns, one twelve-pounder siege gun. There were also four twenty-four-pounder mortars, and nine thousand-pound Franc machines, a full twenty guns, and all of them cannons.

Wang Qian looked at these cannons and sighed, "It's all good things, but it's a pity that they are heavier, otherwise who is the opponent when dragging these cannons during the war?" ”

"It's better to have our Shenwei Cannon, look at our improved Shenwei Cannon. In the words of the red-haired people, we are loaded with twenty-four-pound shells, the same as their twenty-four pound siege guns, but the body of our Shenwei cannon is less than 200 catties, which is the focus of the wooden base, but it can be hauled separately. ”

The commander of the artillery company from Sweden retorted, "I admit that this Shenwei gun of yours is very good, but its range is too short, and the accuracy of this gun is poor. Our twenty-four-pounder siege guns had an extremely long range. And the accuracy is relatively high. ”

"But your cannons are flat-fired, and our mortars are curved fire, which can directly bombard the enemy inside the city walls, and can also bombard the head of the city. You can only fight the walls. ”

"Your guns are too poor."

Wang Qian listened to the dispute between the Chinese and Western gunners, and waved his hand, "Just talk about not practicing mouth skills, you can compare directly." In front of this is the fortress of the Dutch. Now you will compete together to see who can hit the right and the hardest. ”

Swedish artillery company Anderson hurriedly said, "It's not fair. They have four mortars, we have only one siege gun. ”

"But you still have a thirty-two-pounder cannon." Lu Fang, deputy commander of the artillery company, retorted that in addition to the standard 12-pounder guns, these Hongyi also dragged a ship-borne 32-pounder cannon over.

Wang Qian stopped the two of them, "In this way, this Anderson, you bring a thirty-two-pound siege cannon plus one of your twelve-pounder, two eight-pounder, and four four-pounder field guns, and Lu Fang, you bring four twenty-four-pounder mortar cannons, plus nine Franc machines, it's all right." One of you will fight the southern fort and the other will fight the northern fort. ”

"It's better than that, if I win, I'll be the commander of this artillery company."

The translator told Anderson what Lu Fang said, and Anderson lifted the hat on his head and shouted, "Okay, if you lose, you will be my deputy company commander honestly in the future." ”

"It's a deal."

Wang Qian watched the two artillery company commanders compete, and he didn't speak, just laughed.

After the two of them went down separately and greeted their gunners, the officer beside Wang Qian asked, "My lord, wouldn't it be better to let the artillery bombard one place?" ”

"It's okay, just try the power of these cannons, besides, there are only a hundred people in the city, let's go to both sides, they have to defend on both sides. I look at this kind of fortress, I always have a feeling that I have nowhere to put my mouth, let the artillery fight for a while, let's find another opportunity, don't rush to get on first. ”

Lu Fang strode back to the artillery company, and immediately beckoned his men to pull up the four mortar cannons and nine Franc machines, and followed him to the south outside the castle.

"These red-haired fans, what are they proud of, this time we want to let them see the power of our divine cannon."

Lu Fang was originally an officer in the baggage battalion, and he was a gunner with good experience. Now that the artillery regiment artillery company has been newly established and transferred him, the commander of the artillery company is equivalent to a general, but he is still quite happy, and he has been promoted to another level. After the result came, he found out that he was just a deputy company, not to mention the deputy company, the boss was still a red-haired and red-bearded Hongyi, and he was unhappy now.

The newly formed artillery batteries were all cannons, and the lightest artillery was a four-pounder field gun, which was less than 600 pounds, and could be pulled and run by only two horses. And the nine Franc machines are all jack Franc machines, which are mainly used to fire shotshots and protect artillery positions. The barrel of the eight-pounder gun was nearly 1,200 catties, and as for the 32-pounder naval gun that was temporarily pulled, it was more than 7,000 catties.

However, Lu Fang still felt that his cannon was good, and those Hongyi cannons that could not move thousands of catties at every turn were too bulky. If it weren't for the fact that this place was on the seashore, this cannon wouldn't have been able to pull it at all.

Rumble!

Lu Fang had just pulled the cannon in front of the southern fort when he heard a loud bang from the other side.

Anderson moved much faster than Lu Fang, he was not ready, the people had quickly completed the pre-launch preparations, and then the eight cannons spewed fireworks at the same time, and several huge iron bullets whistled out of the chamber, smashing the fortress of the city wall, smashing down brick crumbs.

With this attack, even Wang Qian felt the vibration under his feet.

Immediately after a round of gunning, Anderson began to observe the point of impact of the shell, and then remeasured the angle and distance. Wang Qian saw that this Hongyi took out several very novel tools and measured them.

"Ready to shoot!" Anderson commanded again.

The gunners quickly got busy, compared to the four-pounder gun, which could be operated by only two gunners, this 32-gun cannon moved from the battleship not only had a longer barrel than an ordinary field gun, but also needed more gunners, a 32-pounder gun, a full 17 gunners needed tacit cooperation.

Shout!

The thirty-two-pounder cannon roared again, and the large iron ball of nearly twenty-eight pounds roared like a meteorite, and slammed into the castle wall again.

Dahn crouched on the battlements of the fortress, feeling the shaking under his feet, his face ugly.

"It's really a thirty-two cannon cannon, or a long-barreled cannon, at most one day, our castle will have to be blown down." Lucas Dann shouted.

At this time, Lu Fang under the castle in the south was also in a hurry, and the red hair on the opposite side had two cannons, and he didn't fire a single shot, wouldn't he have fallen behind.

"Quick, fire!"

Gunner Zhao Donghan had just finished checking whether the fire door at the end of the gun was unobstructed with an iron needle, and the other gunners also adjusted the barrel of the gun in place, and then fixed the barrel with a wooden wedge.

Hearing the order to open fire, a gunner hurriedly loaded the silk-wrapped propellant into the tube, and then used the push rod to slightly compact the pack.

After checking that the fuse was not damaged, another gunner judged the length of the fuse according to the gunner's requirements, loaded the shell, and then sent the shell to the gunner. He hooked the cannonball with an iron pincer and slowly loaded it into the barrel, and after the gun was loaded, the gunner checked the gun again. Finally, a long awl is used to pierce through the fire door, pierce the powder pack, and then insert a long fire rope into the fire door.

When everything was ready, the fire rope was lit.

With a loud bang, a twenty-four-pound bomb flew high into the sky, then flew into the castle and fell.

As the cannonball fell in the air, the flaming fuse spewed outward, making the cannonball resemble a meteor with a tail flame.

This shell was even seen clearly by Anderson and the others on the other side.

"The mortar cannon is loaded with explosive bombs, these people have a lot of appetite, but the explosion time of the explosive bomb is the most difficult to master, this shell is amazing, but it is definitely impossible to explode at the right time, either fireworks are set off in the air, or it is directly smashed on the ground like a big iron ball."

As soon as Anderson finished speaking, the bomb had already sunk into the castle, and then, a violent explosion was heard, interspersed with many screams.

The screams were accompanied by the sound of explosions.

The castle was ablaze.

Anderson looked incredulous.

A German mercenary next to him asked, "The Ming people actually invented such a powerful explosive bomb, oh my God!" ”

Anderson looked at him like an idiot, "Idiot, how can there be such a powerful explosive bomb in the world, it was just the shit luck of the Ming people, and the bomb just hit the powder keg in the city." (To be continued......)

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