nucmednet Chapter 755 Water Escape
Chapter 755 Water Escape
The roar of cannons and rifles continued, and the cavalrymen of Zhenglan Banner found themselves in an unprecedented predicament: the front was engulfed in artillery fire, and every step forward would cost dozens of lives; the ground beneath their feet was difficult to traverse, and the soft sand became the biggest obstacle for their warhorses.
Faced with such powerful firepower, some Qing soldiers considered retreating, but the inertia of strict military discipline prevented them from retreating without authorization, so they could only charge forward blindly.
In fact, Hauge had already planned to call a retreat, but amidst the deafening roar of artillery fire, no orders could be transmitted, and he could only watch helplessly as thousands of armored soldiers charged headlong into the barrage of shells.
The dense barrage of lead bullets ripped open the heads of Qing soldiers and pierced through their hard armor. The enormous cannonballs passed through the bodies of knights or warhorses without any hindrance, exploding into clouds of blood mist. Qing soldiers fell from their horses in droves, turning into mutilated corpses on the ground.
After paying a heavy price, the Qing army's vanguard had closed to within two hundred paces.
On board the "Shandong," Li Fei sighed. Such intense artillery fire would have collapsed the Ming army or the bandits long ago, but it hadn't broken the Qing army's will. He had to admit that this was a formidable opponent. He gave the order to the messenger: "Order all artillery units to cease fire." The enemy's vanguard had already closed to within two hundred paces. Firing any further could result in friendly fire on Boerhu and his men. The rest of the battle would depend on the marines themselves.
On the shore, Borchu sighed and gave the order: "All troops, fire a volley, then fix bayonets!" At a distance of two or three hundred paces, with the range and rate of fire of rifled guns, if they were facing infantry, three volleys would be enough to make them question their existence. But against cavalry, they had at most one shot left.
Taktan was also among the charging troops. He was lucky; including the attack on the beach and the attack on the outer perimeter of Jinjiatun, this was the third time in one day that he had faced the Qionghai Navy, yet he had survived the intense firepower each time. In contrast, Dartu, who was known as the number one Baturu of the banner, was killed in a single encounter.
People are more likely to unleash their potential in desperate situations. Taktan was filled with fear and resentment. He excitedly raised his knife and shouted, "If you want to live, dismount and charge forward!" He was the first to jump off his horse and rush forward, shouting and yelling. He was the first person in the entire army to charge forward.
Through several encounters, he gradually grasped the key to fighting such fully armed troops: spread out your formation, avoid being too concentrated, reduce the enemy's bullet accuracy, and then close in as quickly as possible to launch a melee. Although the opponent's close combat ability was also not weak, this was his only possible chance to win.
The remaining Qing soldiers were all experienced veterans. Seeing Taktan dismount, they quickly understood his meaning: the closer they got to the coast, the softer the sand became, and the horses' hooves would sink into it. The speed advantage brought by the warhorses would no longer exist; instead, they would become a hindrance. Several warhorses had already become unable to pull their hooves out, collapsing to their knees and throwing their riders off.
So the Qing soldiers dismounted, brandishing their weapons, and charged forward amidst a hail of bullets. After all, they were mounted infantry, and foot combat was their forte.
After firing a shot, the Marines abandoned their fire and raised their bayonets to meet the enemy. Just then, the enemy approached, and the two sides collided with a loud crash, beginning a fierce hand-to-hand battle.
From the moment the Marines launched their attack to the arrival of the Zhenglan Banner army, the battle raged on for a time, until late afternoon when the sun was already setting. Amidst the deafening shouts of battle, the last rays of the setting sun shone on the soldiers of both sides, as if they were painted with a layer of golden oil, adding a touch of tragic grandeur to the fierce fighting.
Haug, unable to contain himself any longer, roared, broke free from his men, and charged forward like a whirlwind. Those around him were shocked and quickly followed.
After repeated bombardments by artillery and bullets, the cavalry suffered casualties of up to 30%. Although their numbers were still several times that of the enemy, their morale and spirit were showing signs of exhaustion. Under the neat bayonet thrusts of the marines, they did not gain much advantage. The crushing advantage they used to have against the Ming army, which was like cutting melons and vegetables, had vanished.
At the critical moment, Hauge led his personal guards into the battlefield, and the blue flag with a golden dragon of the Zhenglan Banner fluttered in the sky above the battlefield.
The commander-in-chief led from the front, personally appearing on the battlefield, which greatly encouraged the Qing army, and their previously low morale suddenly surged. The Qing soldiers seemed to have regained their strength, and their previously somewhat weak and powerless attacks became wild, with fluctuations appearing in their orderly bayonet formations.
Hauge dismounted, strode through the crowd, drew his heavy saber, and roared as he swung it down at his opponent. His saber, meticulously crafted by Han Chinese artisans in Shengjing, was thicker and heavier than ordinary swords, making it difficult for most ordinary weapons to block. A young marine raised his rifle to parry, the wooden stock of his rifle was severed, leaving only a bent and deformed wrought iron barrel, but it still couldn't withstand the blow, which struck him squarely on the forehead, leaving him bloodied and collapsing to the ground.
Borchu spotted Hauge in the distance and felt the pressure of his opponent's surging fighting spirit. After slashing down a Qing soldier with his command sword, he looked around and saw that the Marines were struggling against the Qing army, which outnumbered them several times over. They were gradually retreating, and some soldiers' thighs were already submerged in the seawater, making them unsteady on their feet.
It's a pity we couldn't achieve greater results, Borchu thought regretfully. However, with a mere two thousand men, inflicting such casualties on the Zhenglan Banner army was already more than enough to fulfill their mission. After all, the marines' objective was to tie down the main force of the Qing army heading south in southern Liaoning and coordinate with the Qionghai Navy's operations in northern Zhili, not to engage in a direct confrontation with the enemy.
Borchu stepped back a few paces, and under the cover of the other soldiers, took out the pistol issued to him by his officer, loaded it with a lead bullet, and aimed it at Hauge in the distance.
With a crisp "bang," a lead bullet rang out, piercing through the crowd and striking Hauge in the shoulder. A hole was blasted in his exquisite mountain armor, and blood spurted out. Hauge groaned and collapsed to the ground.
The commander-in-chief was shot, and many Qing soldiers saw it, causing chaos in the army.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Borchu shouted an order: "Everyone retreat! Run back and swim back to the boat!"
Upon hearing the order, the Marines turned and ran into the sea, some even diving headfirst into the water. The Qing soldiers instinctively tried to give chase, but slipped and fell into the sea. Although it wasn't very deep, they struggled for a while, swallowing mouthfuls of salty, astringent seawater, before daring not to pursue any further, fearing they would drown.
Seeing their opponents swimming as nimbly as fish, the Qing soldiers dared not pursue, cursing loudly. Some quick-thinking soldiers drew their bows and arrows and fired them into the water. Most arrows fell into the sea, splashing up waves before disappearing. Some arrows hit their targets, and the wounded soldiers sank into the water, bubbling up blood. But most of them managed to dodge the arrows and swim out of range.