Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3483 Accidental Omission

"Have you found where Cao Hong and Cao Zilian are?"

After listening to the report from the messenger, Pang Tong ordered the guards to come forward with torches and mark Cao Hong's location on the map.

Zhu Ling and Ma Yue’s intention was very clear, which was to let Pang Tong continue to send more troops and then defeat Cao Hong in one fell swoop.

Pang Tong stared at the map for a long time without saying a word.

The connection channel between Cao Hong and Cao Cao is a plateau, at the end of which is a small hill. Cao Hong is stationed on the hill. If Ma Yue and Zhu Ling want to attack the flank of Cao's army, they naturally need to defeat Cao Hong. The question now is whether to send more troops to the flank to attack Cao Hong.

Indeed, if Cao Hong could be defeated, the flank of Cao's army would inevitably be defeated, which would lead to instability in the overall battle line of Cao's army, and then cause the overall collapse of Cao's army.

The prerequisite is to be able to defeat Cao Hong.

If not...

After fighting for several consecutive days, almost all the troops have taken turns to go into battle. The troops who are now resting in the back are actually the ones who suffered the most casualties in the past two days. The newly recruited troops from Guanzhong cannot be replenished so quickly, so if they really want to fight Cao Hong, it means that these damaged soldiers will have to be sent to the battlefield again.

If these exhausted soldiers go into battle again, the chance of casualties will undoubtedly be much greater than that of soldiers who are full of energy and strength.

Pang Tong thought about it again and again, then shook his head, "Let's send out the navy first... Wenyuan, what do you think?"

Zhang Liao also thought for a long time, "If the navy... fails to break the deadlock..."

Pang Tong took a picture of the map and said, "Let's withdraw and rest!"

Zhang Liao asked: "Where should we retreat to?"

Pang Tong said: "Yanxiang!"

"But the place of Yanxiang..." Zhang Liao said halfway, and then seemed to think of something, "I understand..."

……

……

Ma Jun commanded the Guanzhong navy fleet. After receiving the order, he immediately went downstream along the south bank of the river.

Facing the direction of Cao's army, the ships inside the parapet had specially erected side signs, like raising a layer of battlements to defend against the long-range firepower of Cao's army.

The soldiers of the Cavalry Army stood behind the side shields, ready with bows and crossbows, as well as fire prevention measures.

In the cabin, some hussars were waiting quietly.

They will attack Cao Cao's location under the cover of the tower ships.

If Cao Cao was unable to resist the attack of the navy's "marine corps", then his front line would naturally collapse and his entire army would be disbanded. If Cao Cao mobilized soldiers from other fronts to defend against the navy's raid, it would inevitably lead to a lack of defensive strength among the soldiers on other fronts, making them unable to resist the frontal and flank attacks of the cavalry.

Therefore, these warships are both virtual and real.

If Cao's army wanted to block the attack, they would be a feint to attract firepower. If Cao's army failed to block the attack and allowed them to break through Cao Cao's center, then they would be a real tactic. They could go ashore, set up a formation behind Cao Cao's center, and even transport more soldiers back and forth to launch a siege attack.

On the battlefield, the most difficult thing to deal with is this kind of fake and real tactics, which makes people have to guard against it, but it is difficult to make up their minds to defend against it.

Ma Jun stood on the deck, looking at the cannon on the bow and frowned.

The gun on the bow of the ship does have a certain power, but in actual use, it is not so ideal.

Ma Jun got a lot of inspiration from the drawings sent from Sichuan, but during the actual battle scenes, Ma Jun always felt a little awkward.

The reason for the awkwardness is actually very simple.

Sichuan and Shu are fighting against the Jiangdong navy, which is on the river, so both the bow and the side of the ship have the opportunity to face the enemy. But now Ma Jun is on the river, and Cao's army is more often on land, so the artillery on the bow of the ship is very awkward.

Or turn the ship sideways with the bow facing the land?

However, in this case, the lateral force of the water flow on the ship would be too great, making it difficult to maintain its position.

If the ship is directed along the direction of the water flow, the impact of the water flow will be smaller, but the bow of the ship often cannot match the position of Cao's army...

So when the cannons were hoisted onto the ship, they did not exert the power that Ma Jun had originally imagined.

The key point is that now we need to transport soldiers ashore to form a battle array for a surprise attack. Of course, the ship cannot point its bow towards the land. It must be docked sideways. In this way, wouldn't the cannon on the bow become a decoration?

Ma Jun frowned deeper and deeper, then called a few craftsmen over, "I say, do you think it is possible to move this thing to the side?"

"The side?" Several craftsmen turned around to look at the cannon, "But where is the place to put it on the side?"

The side of the ship is the cabin, and the outer wall of the cabin is surrounded by a deck, so the space is not very large.

"Tear it down!" Ma Jun waved his hand and said it without any conclusion.

Perhaps the craftsmen were already used to Ma Jun's way of speaking, or perhaps they understood what Ma Jun meant. After thinking for a moment, they looked at each other and said, "Then... let's try it?"

"Let's try!" Ma Jun nodded, "We still have some way to go, let's try to dismantle one first!"

……

……

The tower ship drifted downstream. Although it might not be visible in the dark, the soldiers of Cao's army who were on guard on the shore could see the movement of fire on the water and hurriedly reported it to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao let out a long sigh.

"It's finally here."

He had been waiting for these tower ships and this team of Guanzhong navy for a long time.

There were always some strange and eccentric things about the Cavalry Corps that made Cao Cao feel uncomfortable, but after feeling uncomfortable, he was also very surprised.

The reason it's awkward is that it's like having a thorn on your back. Although it may not be fatal, no one knows when this thorn will turn into a knife hanging over your head!

The Hussars have done this more than once...

When Fei Qian went to the northern part of Bingzhou, many people laughed at him and thought he was stupid.

But now?
Before, when the Cavalry General started to promote knowledge in the army and taught the soldiers to read and write, weren't there many people who ridiculed them, saying that it was a group of soldiers pretending to be civilized.
and then?
Later on, there were things like tea leaves, fans, silver-threaded clothes, gold-painted fans, etc. Didn't some people also laugh at the Cavalry for not doing their job and dealing with these messy things?
Now, gunpowder, artillery...

And this building ship.

At the beginning, Cao's army did not expect that there was a navy in Guanzhong.

Because in the traditional Han concept, even if the navy is not a specialty of Jiangdong, it is a product of the south. The north is all land, and even if ships are needed, they are mostly used for ferrying. Even when Cao Cao and the two Yuan brothers were fighting for the Central Plains, there were big rivers such as the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers, but there were not many places where ships were really used.

After learning that the Cavalry Army had navy, Cao Cao felt something was not right.

Because this is not just about a few ships, what’s more important is that Cao Cao discovered that this navy is actually a perfect killing weapon!
There were naval forces in Jingxiang, but they were separated from the Central Plains by the Yangtze River and could not be transported to the Yellow River.

In fact, if you really need to transport it, there are ways to do it, but whether it is sailing on land or going back along the coastline from the estuary, it requires a lot of material and manpower, and there is simply not enough time.

If the Guanzhong navy is left alone, once the Guandong navy passes the dangerous Three Gorges, invades the Central Plains and controls the river, Cao Cao's side will be cut into two parts, north and south, and Jizhou and Yuzhou will be separated!

Jizhou was not originally very loyal to Cao Cao. After Cao Cao occupied Jizhou, he had to stay in Yecheng for a long time. If the Hussars cut through the middle, and Zhao Yun, who was in the north of Jizhou, went south...

Cao Cao shuddered at the thought of this. He knew very well that even if there were not many naval forces in the situation now, it was hard to say how many would appear in the future!
If the overall strategic layout of the cavalry is really formed, what kind of psychological impact and substantial damage will it cause to the people in the Central Plains of Shandong!

There were no decent warships in the Central Plains of Shandong, and even many of the ships used to transport supplies were requisitioned civilian fishing boats. Trying to use these fishing boats to fight against the warships of the Guanzhong navy was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot or an ant trying to shake a tree.

After receiving the news, Cao Cao began to make preparations on how to deal with these warships.

Now, it remains to be seen whether these measures can be effective.

……

……

Through the night sky, Cao Cao could vaguely see the outline of the Guanzhong navy coming with the water, and his heart gradually became heavier.

Defeating the Guanzhong navy is a key point!

Cao Cao guessed the tactics Fei Qian might adopt next, but guessing it doesn’t mean he can defend against it!
If there is no way to crack the opponent's tactics, the danger will still exist, without any reduction. Cao Cao is very clear about the importance of this navy that can be used either as a surprise or a real force.

If the enemy was allowed to flow downstream and set up camp behind Cao's army in Heluo, not only would Cao's army in Zhongtiao Mountain be cut off, but reinforcements, supplies, and baggage from Heluo would also be blocked. Cao's army might be stuck here and attacked from both sides. Such a situation would greatly affect morale and lead to the collapse of the front line...

No matter what the reason, this navy must be defeated to eliminate future troubles.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

How to deal with them? So far, he has thought of some ways, but unfortunately, Cao Cao is not very sure whether these methods will work.

Cao Cao felt more and more that he was getting old...

It's only been a few years?
When Cao Cao was still in Heluo, he could stay up all night, thinking about the plan over and over again, going on field investigations, and rehearsing every step in his mind again and again, without feeling any fatigue. But now it is no longer possible. When he thinks too much, not only does his head swell and ache, but the aches in his body also affect his thinking.

Cao Cao felt that he was old-fashioned.

Old methods, old thinking.

Just like now, when he is targeting the Guanzhong navy of the Hussars, he can still only use catapults and crossbows.

Old methods do not mean they are bad and cannot be used. Just like there are artillery, but swords and guns are still the mainstream on the battlefield. The tower ships of this era are still wooden flat-bottomed boats. Whether it is a catapult or a crossbow cart, it will cause certain damage to these wooden ships.

Mainly the hit rate...

Cao Cao turned around and looked at a slope in the distance.

On the slope, facing the river, some simple camouflage was done using tents.

Behind the tent, a group of Cao's soldiers and craftsmen were busy working.

The long arm of the catapult protruded from the top of the tent.

Some laborers were hurriedly carrying stones and crossbows to the slope.

No matter how difficult the frontal battle was, Cao Cao did not use these catapults and crossbows.

Even though the Cavalry Army launched another attack from the front and flank, Cao Cao still did not expose these catapults and crossbow carts.

And the most crucial thing is that Cao Cao must stand here and hold the line still, otherwise once the line moves, the position of the Guanzhong navy close to the shore may change.

Cao Cao paid a lot for this.

Now, it’s time for the final round…

Tighten your breath.

Grapes.

The war drums roared loudly. The soldiers who were already drenched in sweat threw off their armor, bare-chested, and beat the drums with their last bit of strength.

The sound of war drums startled Ma Jun who was moving on the water. He was directing the movement of artillery in the cabin.

Ma Jun and the craftsmen dismantled a wooden wall of the cabin, then placed the cannon on logs and pushed it into the cabin.

In this way, although there was a big hole in the cabin, the muzzle of the artillery changed from facing the front of the ship to facing the side. Although this change made it convenient for the warship to fire sideways, it also caused the weight of the ship to be somewhat uneven. However, Ma Jun did not think this was a big problem.

Hearing the sudden intensification of the war drums of Cao's army, Ma Jun ran out of the cabin to the side of the ship to take a look, "What does this mean? Is Cao Cao afraid that we don't know his position?"

The military school student looked on and asked, "Then we should stop over there?"

Ma Jun snorted disdainfully, "The old thieves are lining up over there, they must have seen us coming! They knocked so loudly, did they really think we would land over there too? Go around! Ling Jun said, we should land behind the enemy lines!"

The military school student laughed and went downstairs to pass on the order.

Although Ma Jun was originally a craftsman, he has gradually gained some experience after commanding several naval battles. Although he still occasionally does the work of a craftsman on a whim, at least he has gained the respect of some soldiers in the military academy, and they will not look down on him simply because they think he is ignorant of military affairs.

Ma Jun remembered that before setting off, Pang Tong sent a message to tell Ma Jun that the Guanzhong navy was a good move and could cooperate with the troops on land to deploy troops and replenish supplies on the river. Of course, due to the difficulty of passing through the dangerous sections of the river and the size of the fleet, it could only be a small-scale fleet, so it was necessary to be more cautious and not allow mistakes.

Therefore, Ma Jun planned to bypass the main front line of Cao's army and choose to land at the rear of Cao's army. As long as there was a relatively flat mudflat on the river bank, he could try a landing operation.

Ma Jun looked back at the cannons that had been placed horizontally in the cabin and chuckled.

In this way, even if Cao's army saw Ma Jun and his men wanted to land and sent troops to fight, they would be warmly welcomed by the ships' artillery and crossbows. In addition, there were archers deployed on the side of the ship, so even if Cao's army wanted to attack them halfway across the river, they might not be able to defeat them!

Even if Cao's army sent a detachment to keep a close eye on them on the river bank, Ma Jun would not be afraid.

Because Ma Jun and his men were on the boat, and Cao's army could only run after them. After running back and forth twice, they might not be exhausted to death!

The best way for Cao's army to deal with this is to set up beacon towers along the coast, and then deploy troops at certain key points along the river at intervals. Once the landing of the cavalry navy is confirmed, they will rush in immediately. However, this will not be enough for Cao's army on the front battlefield. Now Cao's army is no longer as aggressive as when it marched into Guanzhong with 800,000 troops...

"As expected..."

Cao Cao saw that the cavalry navy did not stop at the side of him, but continued to move downstream. He smiled, raised his hand, gestured, and issued an order to attack.

Whether it was Cao's army or the Hussars, in fact, in the present Han Dynasty, they still had some common points, such as using gongs and drums to pass orders, and using fire to guide, etc. Therefore, as soon as Cao's army's order was conveyed, the Hussars on the water naturally noticed it.

Because Ma Jun and others were prepared to land at any time, they did not sail in the waters far away from the south bank, but instead sailed towards the side of Cao's army on the south bank of the river.

On the tower ship, the soldiers facing the south bank raised their shields, ready to meet the arrow and crossbow attacks from Cao's army.

They had no interest in even fighting back. Even if the rain of arrows shot by Cao's army along the coast was dense, what could they do?
Apart from the clanging sounds, how much actual harm can it cause?
But soon, the cavalry soldiers on the ship noticed something was wrong...

Because the whistling sound coming from the air was a little different!
Soon, the hussars on the ship reacted and someone shouted, "Be careful of the stones!"

The stone bullet came whizzing and hit the river with a splash, splashing water all over the sky!

Although the stone bullets failed to hit the ship, they still scared the hussars on the ship!
Before the Hussars could react, stone bullets fell from the sky one after another!

"Turn rudder!" someone shouted.

Ma Jun shouted the next moment, "Don't turn! Speed ​​up! Full speed! Go forward!"

The craftsman beside Ma Jun was still a little confused, but he quickly understood what Ma Jun was pointing at and shouted, "Speed ​​up! Speed ​​up! Go over there! Go over there!"

Originally it was intended to give the artillery an opportunity to fire from the side, but now it has become a hindrance!
Because the center of gravity of the ship has changed, and the building ship is still generally a flat-bottomed boat, if it makes a sharp turn with an unstable center of gravity, the building ship, which already has a high center of gravity, is at risk of capsizing!
Moreover, the belly exposed during a sharp turn would obviously be more fragile than the deck!
"Go! Go!"

Ma Jun shouted.

Now it’s just a race against death!
Ma Jun knew that no matter whether it was a catapult or a crossbow, the shooting angle was limited to a certain extent, so as long as it was out of the angle covered by Cao's catapult and crossbow, even if Cao's army wanted to adjust, it would be too late!
Ma Jun's decision was undoubtedly correct, but unfortunately Ma Jun missed one thing...