The air whistled one after another, and one after another sparkling cannonballs fell into the ranks of the Qing army, jumping and rolling on the hard ground, and then exploded in a scream of horror.

Compared with the weight of the Hongyi cannon, the range of the Tianwei cannon is almost the same, the weight is lighter, the mobility is stronger, and the power of the explosive bomb is also surpassed; The disadvantage is the lack of accuracy.

The weight of the Hongyi cannon was too cumbersome for the Ming army, which lacked mules and horses, only a six-pounder cannon, including the cannon body, and the full weight of the cannon had exceeded 1,000 catties, making it difficult to travel long distances.

And the artillery of the Ming army, under the training of the lecture hall or the hired British and French instructors, was already very proficient. Under the command of the artillery officer, they calmly opened their guns and loaded their ammunition. It is undeniable that they are now a few elite men in the Ming army.

The gunner next to each gun constantly used the parallax method to estimate the distance, and at the sound of their number, the other gunner constantly adjusted the muzzle with a crank and screw. Under their aimed fire, the Qing soldiers in the array continued to fly flesh and blood.

The fierce artillery fire of the Ming army caused a commotion in the camp of the Qing army. However, under the pressure of the bullets of the generals at all levels, they still braved the artillery fire and kept coming.

At present, the quality of the Hongyi cannon still has an insurmountable limitation, that is, the cooling problem of the barrel. At this time, the artillery casting process was far from being good compared to later generations, and the cannon had to stop firing and dissipate heat after a few rounds of firing, and clean the gun chamber, otherwise, the filled gunpowder was very easy to spontaneously combust.

In particular, the Hongyi cannon is often not fired more than three times in a row, which has too high requirements for all aspects of operation, and it is very easy to cause an explosion accident.

"Fire! Artillery ......"

Small red flags fell in the hoarse sound of passwords, and puffs of smoke rose from the military formation. The Sky Bombardment Cannon fired cannonballs one after another, and some of the large cannonballs scattered in the air. It turned into several or a dozen small shells and fell into the array of the Qing army. The sound of explosions came and went, and occasionally there were deafening loud noises accompanied by dazzling white light, and pieces of Qing troops fell, wailing and screaming.

The military formations of both sides are still advancing. From more than 1,000 meters to two or three hundred meters, the Qing army was attacking, and the Ming army was also attacking, but the Ming army's firepower was more fierce and the order was stronger.

One hundred and fifty meters, the baffle in front of the Ming army's formation, which resembled a Wuhan Iron and Steel vehicle, was suddenly removed, revealing the muzzle of a black hole, and the Franco-machine artillery opened fire together, spraying out dead projectiles.

A large stream of gunpowder smoke rises. The power of the volley of the Franco's artillery was amazing, and in the deafening cannon sound, the shield car of the Qing army was knocked to the ground, and the remaining shells swept away the bloody road.

Both sides are dead and wounded, both are bleeding, but the proportions are different. The firepower of the Ming army was fiercer and more hierarchical. The infantry was tougher, in the sound of neat footsteps. The military formations of the two sides finally approached the firing distance of the muskets, while the Qing army's array was more chaotic and incomplete than the Ming army.

A swan sounded, and the front of the hollow phalanx facing the Qing army suddenly erupted in a volley of firearms, bright spots flashed, white smoke rose, and countless lead bullets shot towards the Qing soldiers.

Advance. Shoot; Forward, shoot...... Several hollow phalanxes of the Ming army hit the Qing army in a sharp cone shape, and the fierce battle was the frontmost phalanx in the middle, spitting white smoke and flames on three sides, and lead bullets rained down on the enemy. The artillery in the phalanx was still firing. Shells exploded in the enemy crowd, flying with shrapnel of death.

In the middle of the hollow phalanx of the Ming army at the forefront, the ambulance soldiers shuttled back and forth, dragging the wounded soldiers back to a safe position in the center, and the prominent regimental phalanx of more than 3,000 people stood still like a rock standing in the waves, spitting flames in all directions, and with every shot, there were Qing soldiers screaming and falling.

Firepower, firepower, firepower! When conditions permitted, Zhu Yongxing has been increasing equipment and training for the Ming army, and using collective wisdom and actual combat experience to constantly improve the tactics of the Ming army.

This battle in the outskirts of Jinan gave the Qing army in the north a complete shock and strangeness. There is nothing rushing into battle, just the perfect operation of a killing machine. Three hollow phalanxes, followed by three, the Ming army with two divisions and more than 36,000 Qing troops launched the first major battle after the Northern Expedition.

Relatively speaking, the generals on the front line knew the combat strength of their headquarters better than Zhu Yongxing. Therefore, if it is Zhu Yongxing's command, he is likely to be exhausted. However, Wei Junzhong left a division behind, because he believed that with the combat strength of his headquarters, it was completely possible to win with one enemy and two enemies.

The development of the war is also as Wei Junzhong predicted, and the proportion of casualties between the enemy and us is very large. This is not to say that the Qing army is not fighting hard, but under the super firepower of the Ming army, the tactics of the past are no longer suitable for the times and the tactics of the current Ming army.

The improved flintlock pistol is already about the same range as the bow and arrow, but more powerful and sustainable. How many times can a man in the prime of life draw a full bow? How many shots can a trained musketeer shoot in a row? Not to mention the explosive shells commonly used in the army, a large number of Fran cannons with a fast rate of fire.

If the Qing army wants to fight in close combat, how many layers of obstacles do they have to break through? Flying shrapnel, projectiles sprayed out like raindrops, round after round of musket fire, the longer the time, the greater the advantage of the Ming army. And once there is a revolutionary breakthrough in tactics and equipment, the gap in force will skyrocket. Just like the machine guns of later generations, how did thousands of Zulu warriors fall to the guns of hundreds of colonists?

With the outbreak of all-firearms, the Ming army was even more powerful than when it was fighting in the south. Although the Qing army in the north also somewhat understood the operational characteristics of the Ming army and made some corresponding preparations, it was far from enough.

The artillery was bulky and small, making it impossible to provide effective fire support with the team; Shotguns are arquebuses that fire slowly, and are inferior to flintlock muskets in range and power, and even flaming sticks in close combat.

On the high ground, Zu Zepu, the governor of Shandong, had a grim face. The current situation of the battle is unfavorable, the Ming army is constantly advancing, in the sound of gunfire, the Qing army, which has been killed and wounded in large numbers, can not withstand the pressure of muskets and bayonets, and is constantly retreating. If it continues, the defeat will turn into a rout, and the situation will be out of control.

"My lord—" The Commander of the Governor gritted his teeth and stepped forward and said, "Order the cavalry to assault!" If the defeat cannot be stopped, these tens of thousands of troops will be out of control once they retreat. ”

The Qing army that came with reinforcements from the company governor, Zu Zepu had 5,000 cavalry in his hands, which was his last reliance, and he would not use it. But is it time to take the plunge? (To be continued......)