When the banner symbolizing the great tomorrow appeared on the front line, the morale of the Ming soldiers on the front line was bursting as if it were about to explode.

Two artillery brigades, seventy-two four-inch howitzers, and twenty-four twelve-mounted rocket launchers roared almost at the same time.

Shells and rockets whizzed towards the positions of the Qing troops in front.

In the twinkling of an eye.

In the middle of the Qing army's forward position, the flames were shining, and the explosion raised a column of smoke.

Meanwhile.

In charge of commanding the first wave of attacks was Zhou Jitang, the commander of the 3rd Infantry Brigade of the Guards Corps.

This is also an old brother who participated in the Battle of Batam and the Battle of Lan Fang.

He was behind a breastwork at this moment, and the telescope in his hand shook when he heard the sound of cannons.

Soldiers and officers behind the breastwork also poked their heads out from behind the breastwork, looking forward to the effects of the shelling.

The middle of the Qing army front was the main area where artillery fire was concentrated.

The grenades fired by the seventy-two large-caliber howitzers landed in this area.

The violent explosion made all the Eight Banners soldiers lie on the trench and dare not raise their heads, and occasionally the shells that fall in the trench can take the lives of several Eight Banner soldiers in an instant.

For the Qing army.

How to dodge shelling is a life-saving skill.

Therefore, the Qing army also developed the ability of "soil work".

Digging trenches, avoiding bomb craters, etc., on the issue of saving lives, even the most authentic Eight Banners soldiers dare not be half-hearted.

But the Ming army fired more than just shells.

Rockets whistling.

This time, what landed on the Qing army's position was a smoke bomb with billowing smoke.

Moment.

The entire front of the battlefield is nothing to be seen.

At this time, the British Ocean Advisory Group, which had arrived closer to the front line, held up their binoculars and looked at it.

"Explosive bombs, smoke bombs, and the next thing should be a soldier assault!"

George. Staunton thought.

He looked at it very seriously, after all. The Britons should learn too.

If you don't learn, you will fall behind.

At this time, Zhou Jitang saw that the Qing army's position was already covered in thick smoke, so he waved his hand suddenly: "Grenadier!" Above! ”

With his command.

The sharp suona sound remembered.

After the shrill trumpet.

Five hundred Ming grenadiers turned out of the back rice of the breastwork.

The grenadiers were all armed with rifled guns and grenades.

The grenadiers were actually only called grenadiers by name - the exact name should be the infantry brigade assault.

Because the original Ming grenadiers wanted to throw grenades as far as possible, they chose tall and strong men.

And the grenadiers after throwing grenades.

Usually immediately launches a white-knuckle assault.

As a result, grenadier battalions and companies are usually made up of elite soldiers within a brigade.

However, now with the advancement of explosives technology in the Ming army, the smaller wooden handle cable grenade has replaced the original large grenade, and the power is actually not less, so now the grenadier battalion only retains the original number name, but the actual role has changed - to be used as a brigade knife.

Now these elite Ming soldiers are not lined up in dense horizontal lines.

It's after the dodge.

Carrying a gun, the cat bent forward, and after advancing some distance, he lay down on the ground under the orders of the officers.

The shelling is not over yet, and they certainly won't rush in now.

But under the cover of artillery.

They also tried to keep their distance away from the enemy as short as possible so that they could launch a surprise attack at the first opportunity.

And right now.

The artillery of the Qing army also fired.

The Qing court was unable to produce such "high-tech equipment" as long-barreled howitzers,

So now it is a large-caliber mortar that is in force.

It is used to throw large black powder flowering shells.

The range of this mortar is so-so.

It's also very powerful - after all, the charge is here.

But the quasi-head is really not flattering.

The artillery battle between the two sides lasted more than half an hour.

Zhou Jitang looked at the pocket watch, pinching the watch and calculating the time.

When the number of the pocket watch jumps to "12".

He immediately gave the order: "First formation! Out of the line! The whole team!! ”

With the sound of the trumpet.

The infantry of all three battalions of the 3rd Infantry Brigade jumped out of the breastwork.

"Great Tomorrow Soldiers! I'm invincible! ”

Accompanied by bursts of slogans.

Three battalions of infantry were lined up in six columns that were convenient for marching.

Accompanied by the rhythmic beat of drums, they quickly pounced on the positions of the Qing army, which had just been subjected to heavy shelling.

Not a horizontal column, but a column.

The marching teams had completed a distance of more than three miles at once, and the smoke of gunpowder had almost dispersed on the Qing army's position, and the six columns of the Ming army were almost in front of them.

And before the shell bombardment.

The obstacles in front of the Qing army's position have been almost destroyed.

But unexpectedly.

The Eight Banners who were huddled in the fortifications that were disheveled by artillery bombardment were not yet dead.

It's not just that it's not dead.

He can still rely on the remnants of some of the chest walls to launch a counterattack!

One by one, the muskets were set up and aimed at the Ming soldiers who were rapidly advancing in columns in front.

However, they had suffered heavy losses from artillery before, so their vitality was not intensive.

And he didn't dare to put the Ming army in and fight again, and opened fire at a distance of dozens of steps.

When a dense burst of gunfire rang out.

George. Staunton and several of the British military advisers had some scalp tingling.

"I have to admit that these soldiers of the Qing Empire are very brave. Survive such heavy shelling and launch a counterattack! ”

A British army colonel sighed.

They looked at each other.

They all feel that the world they have seen on the battlefield in the East is really big.

The Qing Empire's army could not defeat the Ming army in the east.

But if they are placed in Europe.

That's really a first-class strong army - these Eight Banners soldiers have not only learned the tactics of dodging explosive shells very skillfully, but also can carry out certain counterattacks without having an advantage in firepower.

If it were the Western army in the face of such bombardment, I am afraid that the line infantry who had only been trained for a few weeks and then rushed to the battlefield would have dispersed in a hurry.

The armies of the West in this era lagged behind, because the Easterners were the first to enter the era of "blasting shells".

And in the constant pull and confrontation between the two armies of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

New tactics, new weapons are emerging all the time.

The armies of the East are just too powerful!

And just when the foreign advisers of the Qing army sighed.

George. Staunton's telescope swept across the forward battlefield, only to see that the Ming army's column did not return fire.

And because it was a column, the number of people who were hit head-on was not large.

The Qing army passed by with rows of guns.

Only two or three soldiers in the eight columns were shot.

George. Staunton was thoughtful.

"In the age of blasting bombs, the side-by-side tactics may no longer be appropriate." George. Staunton thought.

The days of horizontal lines with incomparably wide fronts approaching each other at a slow pace to hit the walls of the queue may be over.

For no horizontal column could withstand such a dense artillery fire in the course of such a slow advance.

Under such intensive artillery fire.

The first principle of engagement of the infantry is to avoid being bombarded by enemy artillery for a long time without the protection of fortifications.

George Staunton was on a low hill on higher ground, and he could see the Ming army self-grenadiers lying on their stomachs at the front of the Qing army's position.

He couldn't help but think thoughtfully.

It seems that this is the means by which the Ming army counterattacked.

Those Ming soldiers lying on the ground, covered in mud, didn't care about the dignity of the samurai, the honor of the soldiers, or anything like that.

They lay on the ground, waiting for the order to do it.

And the signal is the sound of the Qing army's platoon of guns.

When the first platoon of guns was fired.

Battlefield Frontier.

The 500 Ming grenadiers who had approached the Qing army's position under the cover of artillery fire and smoke bombs suddenly got up from the ground.

Then the right arm wheel was rounded and he threw himself forward, and his body suddenly fell to the ground again, and the grenade in his hand had already flown forward.

The first wave of grenades formed a dense "rain of grenades" in the air.

And the first wave of grenades has not even landed.

The second wave has already been thrown.

Then came the third wave, the fourth wave, the fifth wave

Of course, the Eight Banners of the Qing Army, who were guarding the bombed fortifications and trenches, knew what was falling from the sky.

That's not a stone.

It's a grenade that kills people!

When did the grenadiers of the Ming army get under their noses?

Too little about martial arts.

Too unreasonable.

It's too insidious and cunning!

"It's a grenade! Run! ”

I don't know who shouted first.

But the Eight Flags are not stupid.

Of course, they knew what they would suffer under such a dense grenade attack.

Now this is the case.

Holding it up is waiting to be blown up by a dense raindrop of grenades.

Guarding this section are three Eight Banner Leaders, a total of 6,000 people.

After almost an hour of bombardment.

I was killed a lot, I ran a lot, and I was injured.

Finally, there are some clever ones who are fainting in the trenches.

So now there are less than 3,000 people left who can move.

And the Ming army on the opposite side came directly with a brigade of 5,000 people.

There is such a disparity in power.

actually didn't honestly line up to be shot.

And send grenadiers to sneak attack.

It's so shameful.

How can this be fought?

Can't fight.

Can't fight!

So the Eight Banners of the Qing Army in this section finally collapsed - they can only collapse until now, which is almost more powerful than the Eight Banners of any period after the Qing Army entered the customs.

Eight Flags is indeed cheering up!

(End of chapter)