The impregnable Dagu Fort was lost to the onslaught of foreign warships in one day! What is particularly puzzling is that such an important news was not immediately reported to the imperial court.

How could the Dagu Fort be lost?

From the map of China, the coast near Tianjin is the most important strategic area for national defense, because it is only 150 kilometers away from Beijing in a straight line. It was a desolate stretch of coast, and a river called Haihe River entered the sea from here, and the mouth of the Haihe River was called Dagukou.

The defense facilities of Dagukou began to be built since the Ming Dynasty, to this year, there are already four permanent forts here of the defense system, the forts are equipped with more than 170 guns of various calibers of "Krupp", "Armstrong" and domestic imitations, the shells are sufficient, as long as the enemy ships enter the field of vision of the coastal artillery, the shells fired on each fort are enough to weave a fire net, so that the invading warships are wiped out.

In fact, it was not only the coastal artillery that defended the Dagukou fortress, but also the Beiyang Fleet.

Wasn't the Beiyang Fleet sunk in the Yellow Sea? No, in 1900, the Imperial Navy still had a little bit of maritime power, and the rebuilt Beiyang Fleet, led by the cruiser Hairong, destroyers, torpedo gunboats, cruising on the Bohai Sea all year round.

On June 10, 1900, the navies of the Great Powers lost contact with the embassy in Beijing (the telegraph line was cut by the Boxers), and on June 14, the Seymour coalition lost contact. The consulate in Tianjin and the navies of the great powers floating on the sea were studying the question at the same time: whether to seize the Dagukou fortress immediately? Open the passage for reinforcements by land? Do you want to send troops to occupy Beijing?

The discussion was divided into two factions: rapid and slow. The reason for the slow-moving faction was that as soon as the navy opened fire on the Dagu battery (they did not take the Beiyang Fleet in their eyes at all). That is, the death penalty for all foreigners in Chinese mainland! The Rapid Progressives, on the other hand, believed that the Boxers had already begun to massacre expatriates from various countries on a large scale, and that it would be a real tragedy if they did not immediately take the Dagu Pass and establish contact with the Seymour coalition forces.

The Allied naval commanders quickly reached an agreement: immediately send someone to contact the commander of the defenders of Dagukou and demand that the fort be handed over for the use of the Allied forces, and the deadline for this was 2 a.m. on 17 June.

Luo Rongguang, the sixty-six-year-old commander of the garrison, refused the request of the allied courier, saying that he would never allow foreign warships to enter Dagu without a clear order from the imperial court!

As the allied warships fired at the battery, the Qing coastal artillery, which had long been ready for battle, began to return fire. The battle began as scheduled. In artillery battles. Heavy artillery fire from the defenders damaged several Allied warships, and the USS Monokasi of the US Navy and the USS Korechi of the Russian Navy were severely damaged shortly after the battle began. The situation was favorable to the Qing army, because the results of the battle were reaped. The morale of the defenders of the battery is getting higher and higher.

The artillery battle began. Naturally, the Beiyang Fleet was alarmed. asked whether to attack, and Ye Zuqi, the commander of the Beiyang Naval Division, actually issued an inexplicable order: no return fire, no cannons! This is another inexplicable order. In 1900, there were too many laughing stocks left by the Qing court, and as a descendant of Yan and Huang, he really couldn't laugh.

If the Beiyang Fleet had gone into battle at this time, the Allied Navy, which had been busy dealing with the intensive artillery fire from the batteries, would probably have suffered a major defeat.

Ye Zuqi's order made the Qing Navy soldiers furious, since the commander was not allowed to open fire, then shoot. So the sailors concentrated on the side facing the foreign warship and fired with rifles. This was completely an emotional venting, and it didn't help, but it attracted the artillery fire of foreign warships, Ye Zuqi was afraid that the warship would be damaged, so he hurriedly ordered a retreat, but the two British warships each dragged a small boat full of sailors and came up, and all the four torpedo boats bought from Germany were captured, and the "Hairong", which was not inferior to the British ships in terms of tonnage and firepower, was also occupied, and Ye Zuqi himself was also taken prisoner.

The strange event that a warship was captured by the enemy at sea happened in the legendary year 1900, and it may not be strange. If we carefully study this incident recorded in the history books, there are indeed many incomprehensible points: the officers and men of the Beiyang Naval Division are equipped with self-defense weapons, and how many allied sailors can be carried by two small boats that are approaching? Since the officers and men of the Beiyang Naval Division dared to fire at the allied warships with rifles, did they not dare to shoot at the boats carrying the sailors? It was not an easy task for the Allied sailors to board the torpedo boats, even if there was no fire to stop them, how could they easily capture four torpedo boats made in Germany? Moreover, even the flagships and commanders of the Beiyang Naval Division were captured? What other explanation can be given to getting rid of the officers and soldiers of the Beiyang Naval Division who opened the door and opened the door?

Readers, don't think that Admiral Ye Zuqi, who has become a mystery and a joke, is born greedy for life and afraid of death. In the First Sino-Japanese Naval Battle six years ago, this person was the commander-in-chief of the Chinese army of the Beiyang Navy and the "Jingyuan" pipe band. Subsequently, due to the fall of the base Weihaiwei, the Jingyuan was sunk, and he was dismissed from his post, and he fell for several years, and was not reinstated until last year. At this time, he must have thought of the great battle six years ago and the conclusion he had drawn from it: the war is futile, and the defeat is not faulty. However, he did not expect that, by doing so, he would nail himself to the pillar of shame in history.

The Beiyang Naval Division was finished again, but the resistance of the shore defense artillery of the battery continued. But their already high morale was dampened by the inexplicable defeat of the Navy. However, because of the supervision of Commander Luo Rongguang, who firmly resisted, the battle was still ongoing. In the fierce battle before dawn, the Russian ships "Korean" and "Killoch" and the German ship "Irtis" were wounded one after another.

Shore defense artillery did not fall behind in the battle against the coalition fleet.

At dawn, the coalition marines landed and began to approach the batteries from land. This is the meaning of land warfare, any naval battle, the final result is still reflected in the control of land (islands), and the duel between fleets is just a means.

The allied marines, numbering about 800 men, were spotted when they advanced to about 500 meters from the battery, and were immediately stopped by artillery fire, and casualties began to appear in large numbers.

At this moment, the unthinkable happened, a huge fireball rose from the Qing army's battery, accompanied by a deafening roar, suppressing all the noise on the battlefield. A shell from a French warship. Accidentally hit the open ammunition depot behind the battery.

Still a mystery. Didn't the Qing army understand the importance of ammunition depots? If you can afford to build a battery, can't you add a top cover to the ammunition depot?

This cannonball, which was extremely fortunate for the coalition forces but tragic for the Qing army, changed the tide of the war. At about half past five in the morning, the sky was already bright, and the coalition forces finally captured the Dagu Fort. Luo Rongguang and the thousands of artillery soldiers under his command were all martyred.

Luo Rongguang, a native of Hunan, participated in the battle between the Hunan army of Zeng State and the Taiping army, and was repeatedly promoted for his bravery, and later joined the Huai army system, and took the lead in attacking Changzhou when he landed in the city, and was promoted to deputy general after the war. And then later. followed Zeng Guofan's encirclement and suppression of the army. Promoted to Registered Admiral. In 1881, on the order of Li Hongzhang, a mine battalion was set up in Dagu, and he was promoted to the chief soldier of Tianjin Town for his merits. In the early hours of June 17, 1900. This "executioner", who had suppressed the peasant army, committed suicide and martyrdom at his post.

During the entire course of the heroic resistance of the shore defense artillery to the aggressor. The infantry units of the Qing army in Tianjin were not reinforced by a single soldier. Although Luo Rongguang sent several groups of messengers asking for help.

Yulu, the governor of Zhili stationed in Tianjin, slept very peacefully on this night of blood and fire, and he refused Luo Rongguang's request for help. And for good reason. Retain heavy troops and guard Beijing and Tianjin.

The Dagu Fort was the gateway to Tianjin, and no one would do this to abandon the gate and guard the inner chamber to get rid of the madmen and idiots, but the governor of Zhili, the head of the frontier ministers, did just that. Such an incomprehensible thing was only the beginning in 1900, and there will be many more. Yulu consciousness did not realize what the loss of Dagukou would mean, and no one knew if he got rid of himself.

The imperial court was not alarmed by the loss of Dagukou. Because on the second day of the loss of the Dagu Fort, the Qing army achieved a "great victory" in Langfang.

The Seymour coalition army, which repelled the brave attack of the Boxers, stopped in Langfang due to the destruction of the railway, and was in a dilemma. After nightfall, cold guns are constantly shooting around, and there are endless dangers hidden in the dark surroundings. Seymour, the vice admiral's mind was already confused, and he couldn't think of a reasonable way out of the situation. At this time, a Chinese appeared in his train car, a Christian who had escaped from Beijing to deliver a letter to Seymour's troops, completely devoid of the concept of a state and a nation - in 1900, there were not many such traitors. He brought with him a message from the ministers in Peking, that the embassy district had received the heaviest attack, and demanded immediate reinforcements from Seymour.

What reinforcements to take? The railroad was damaged, and even more seriously, the Seymour troops were already running out of ammunition and, moreover, they ran out of food.

After daybreak, General Seymour decided to return to Tianjin by the same route.

At this time, Seymour did not know that the Dagu Fort had been destroyed. Just as Seymour was preparing to retreat, Langfang Station was attacked by the regular Qing army, and they were 3,000 men and horses of the Gan army who had just been transferred from Beijing, and joined the Boxer brigade besieging the coalition army, and launched a brave attack on the coalition army together.

It's a pity that the shooting skills of the Qing army, which was equipped with Mauser rifles, were too poor. Perhaps they were accustomed to using bows and arrows, and they always raised the muzzle too high when they shot with their rifles. The casualty ratio of this battle was staggering, the Boxers and the Qing army lost more than 500 people, and the coalition army only 6 dead!

But Seymour was frightened, and he decided to withdraw from Langfang and withdraw to Tianjin as quickly as possible to make another plan. Seymour could no longer care about his compatriots in Beijing, who were being attacked day and night by the Qing army and the Boxers. When it was discovered that the retreating railroad had also been damaged, Seymour abandoned the train and retreated along the banks of the canal. The greatest danger was not the Boxers who kept harassing them, but starvation. They have to find food as much as they can, raw or cooked, to fill their stomachs. The horses were killed one by one, and the baggage was discarded. The daily march did not exceed ten kilometers, and he was killed by cold shots, and more than one hundred and fifty coalition soldiers died of illness.

This is the so-called Langfang victory! Isn't it? The Qing army blocked the foreign soldiers and repelled them, wasn't it a great victory? Completely different from the loss of the Dagu Fort, this news was sent to the imperial court as quickly as possible.

It is an old tradition to report good news and not bad news, and it was used very skillfully before the fall of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. However, this news would seriously mislead the already extremely mentally retarded Manchu court.

However, when Seymour's retreating troops were approaching Tianjin, they were blocked by a military fortress, which was the Xigu arsenal.

Guarding the arsenal were the Boxers. The Boxers, who had occupied the Xigu arsenal, blocked it.

It remains a mystery why the Boxers occupied important military strongholds. During that time, there were always things that I couldn't figure out. Reflecting this is insignificant.

The coalition was held back by the Boxers, which was terrible. There was a regular army of the Qing army in the back, and the way was blocked in front again. In desperation, Seymour had no choice but to organize an attack to capture the arsenal, just as their ammunition was about to run out. The Coalition soldiers, ready for a great sacrifice, easily blew down a corner of the wall of the arsenal and stormed the arsenal. A large number of Boxers were killed, and it was a pity that these peasants, who thought they were invulnerable, guarded their arsenals empty, but they would not use these foreigners' gadgets, or perhaps they would not use them at all. As a result, the desperate Seymour forces were replenished and strongholds. There were not only a large number of weapons in it, but also much-needed rice and medicines, which were literally prepared for them.

Seymour decided not to leave, so he stuck to it and waited for reinforcements.

After Seymour's troops occupied the arsenal, a large number of Qing troops surrounded the area. There were tens of thousands of people, and they were the former army of Wuwei under the command of Nie Shicheng. Some time ago, the Wuwei Qianjun, who was still ordered to kill the Boxers, received an official order from the imperial court and finally aimed their guns at the invading army.

What did you do earlier? If the former army of Wuwei guards the Xigu weapons depot, Seymour's troops are estimated to not be able to take this important stronghold. Further back, the imperial court's order to use the regular army to wage war against the foreigners had been issued earlier, and Seymour's troops might have been finished long ago. However, this is the way it happened, waiting for the foreign soldiers to occupy the arsenal, the large forces of the Qing army appeared.

Nie Shicheng's troops began to attack, and after a brave and heavy casualty process, the Wuwei Front Army occupied the outer positions of the arsenal, and Seymour's troops retreated to the core position. At such a time, it has reached a life-and-death juncture, and any military commander with common sense will insist on "five minutes after the last minute" regardless of casualties, how can he retreat?

The coalition forces were overjoyed. Seymour told the officers that the Qing army was a bunch of stupid pigs, and the Chinese were stupid pigs! When we join forces with reinforcements, we'll kill all these stupid pigs!

He had reason to laugh at the weak and incompetent Qing army. However, they laughed too soon. Soon they will encounter a Chinese army completely different from what they perceive, and they will suffer unprecedented losses, as well as lifelong shame and fear. (To be continued......)