I want to be emperor

Chapter 136 Surprise attack on Xiangyang ([-])

Looking at the battalion commander's more than a dozen bald men, dressed in slim military uniforms that were very similar to modern times, and also wearing collar badges and epaulets, Luo Zhixue felt somewhat delusional.

At first glance, I thought I was fighting with a group of modern generals.

But in fact, these people were serious Ming Dynasty people, and they fought battles without even queuing up to be shot.

In the actual battle, these people can't be seen wearing these beautiful military uniforms, but all of them are wearing armor.

After everyone arrived one after another, Luo Zhixue looked around and said: "Everyone is here, let's hurry up and have a meeting. It's been a day of walking, and everyone is tired. Make a plan early and go to bed early."

After all, Luo Zhixue glanced at Huang Guangmao, who immediately stood up and said: "According to the general's instructions, my staff office has formulated a detailed battle plan for Xiangyang City."

"Before telling the detailed combat plan, I will first tell the general and colleagues about the deployment of the enemy's and our troops."

Immediately afterwards, he got up and took two steps with a small wooden stick, and walked to a large map attached to a large wooden shelf beside him, pointing at the map with the small wooden stick, and said: "According to the information obtained by various spies, We have already ascertained the approximate strength of the Ming army in various surrounding areas."

"Currently, there are about 6000 enemy troops in Xiangyang City, and about [-] artillery pieces of various sizes are deployed at the top of the city. However, there are no long-barreled heavy artillery. They are all short-barreled artillery or Franc machine artillery."

"The above-mentioned Ming army guarding the city belongs to four divisions, large and small. There are Lu Xiangsheng, the governor of Yunyang, and the troops sent by the governor of Huguang to assist in the defense. At the same time, there are also local guards in Xiangyang Prefecture."

"We don't know the specific number of soldiers in the battalion posts and guards. According to calculations, it should be about 1000 people."

"And across the Han River from Xiangyang, Fancheng is located on the north bank of the Han River. It is estimated that there are 2000 enemy troops, about [-] soldiers, and about ten light artillery pieces on the top of the city."

"The above two cities have a total of 8000 enemy troops, and the total number of soldiers is about 500. This is about the same as our previous estimate."

"Besides Xiangyang City and Fancheng, Gucheng in the northwest area of ​​Xiangyang City has about a thousand enemy troops, and Guanghua has about a thousand enemy troops. They are all local guards, and there are not too many soldiers."

"We don't have much information about Nanzhang and Yicheng in the south of Xiangyang City, but the local troops are not expected to be too many, and only some local guards are stationed."

"Zaoyang and Suizhou in the east of Xiangyang City have slightly more troops. Zaoyang is estimated to have about 2000 soldiers, and Suizhou has about [-] soldiers."

"It is worth noting that, according to the summary of various sources, the main forces of Lu Xiangsheng's troops are stationed in Yunyang and Junzhou. The combined strength of the two places is at least [-]. .”

"If there is no accident, Lu Xiangsheng's department will be our biggest opponent this time going south."

"The places mentioned above are the enemies we may encounter in the near future!"

"The main force of our army going south is the 500st Infantry Brigade, Cavalry Brigade, Artillery Brigade, Supplies Battalion, and Personal Battalion, totaling [-] people."

"In addition, there are two transport battalions attached to the logistics department with 1000 and [-] people."

"In our rear, there are more than 3000 people in the transportation battalion under the logistics department, who continue to transport food, grass and ammunition for our army to the south."

"However, the transport battalion mainly composed of civilians does not have combat effectiveness, so they cannot be included in the combat plan."

"Three thousand and five hundred people, this is all the troops we can use to attack Xiangyang City in the south!"

"It will be very difficult to storm Xiangyang City with this force. After all, the moat of Xiangyang City is too large. The widest part can reach eighty or ninety feet, and the narrowest part is also forty to fifty feet. It will be very difficult to cross the moat. "

"Therefore, the battle plan we formulated focuses on surprise attacks!"

"The army went south quickly all the way, and arrived at the city of Xiangyang before the surrounding cities, especially Lu Xiangsheng of Yunyang, reacted, and made a surprise attack on Xiangyang city with the cooperation of our army sneaking into the city of Xiangyang in advance."

"In order to achieve an unexpected effect, our staff office believes that the main force should bypass Fancheng, choose to cross the Han River about tens of miles northwest of Xiangyang City, go straight to Xiangyang City, and attack directly before the enemy forces in the city are fully mobilized. the city."

"Under the circumstances that there is an internal response to cooperate to seize the city gate, our army's plan to surprise Xiangyang City is at least [-]% sure."

"After taking Xiangyang City by surprise attack, we will collect ships to cross the river and capture Fancheng again."

"In the follow-up, we will take the initiative to attack according to the enemy's movements, and use our soldiers' full physical strength and better mobility to beat the time difference, and use our army's stronger field firepower to annihilate the enemy troops who attacked Xiangyang one by one."

At this time, Huang Guangmao paused and said after the meeting: "If the surprise attack does not go well, and we fail to seize the city gate and enter the city immediately, then our army will retreat quickly, cross the river again and return to the north bank to attack Fancheng, and then use mobile operations to eliminate possible enemies. The enemy forces laid the foundation for the subsequent storming of Xiangyang City."

After introducing the situation, Huang Guangmao said: "The detailed battle plan will be sent to all departments for reference later."

At this time, Huang Dingquan stood up and said, "If we don't attack Fancheng, we will directly attack Xiangyang? If our surprise attack fails, will the enemy cut off our retreat?"

At this time, Xu Zhixian, deputy director of the staff office, said: "When our army goes south, the personal barracks and the artillery brigade will stay on the north bank to guard against the enemy forces in Fancheng on the north bank and protect the ferry on the north bank."

"The ferry on the south bank will also leave a heavy battalion stationed there to guard against possible enemies in Gucheng and Nanzhang."

"With the Artillery Brigade, the Personal Battalion, and the Supply Battalion, the [-]st Infantry Brigade has no worries about retreating!"

Huang Dingquan sat down again: "Then I have no objection."

Zhang Malin said, "If my artillery brigade stays on the north bank, the first infantry brigade and cavalry brigade that surprise Xiangyang City will not have artillery support."

Xu Zhixian answered again: "Seizing Xiangyang City is to attack it by surprise. What is needed is to seize the city gate with the cooperation of the internal response at the first time. The lack of long-range artillery will not affect too much. After entering the city, we will deal with some recalcitrant enemy troops. A light infantry gun would suffice."

"In addition, our army's field artillery is too heavy to be transported across the river with emergency boats and rafts, and it may take at least two days to wait for the pontoon bridge to be built."

At this time, Huang Dingquan also said: "As long as we can snatch the city gate as soon as possible, with the strength of our [-]st Infantry Brigade, we won't have much trouble sweeping the stubborn enemies in the city."

Blind Wang also spoke up: "As long as the internal forces cooperate properly, I can lead the cavalry to charge directly to seize the city gate."

Huang Dingquan, the commander of the First Infantry Brigade who was in charge of the surprise attack on Xiangyang City, and Wang Xiazi, the commander of the Cavalry Brigade who was in charge of capturing the city gate, both said so, and the others naturally had no opinion.

Seeing that everyone was discussing one after another, and there were no new problems, Luo Zhixue said: "Since there are no problems, then follow this plan. We will continue to march at a high speed tomorrow, and we will arrive at Hanshui the day after tomorrow. Cross the river."

"It is necessary to send people in advance to prepare the boats, rafts and other objects used to cross the river. While crossing the river with rafts and other objects, the crossing troops must also build pontoon bridges for subsequent transportation of materials and even rapid retreat."

This battle plan was not proposed on the first day. In fact, they have been discussing how to formulate a battle plan for the past two days.

The tone of the surprise attack has been set long ago, but how to surprise the attack, where to cross the river, how to do it after crossing the river, how to protect the logistics line and the way of retreat, these all need to be gradually improved, and more detailed information is also needed as a support.

In the past two days, they collected comprehensive information and finally formulated the plan. Before the formal meeting, Luo Zhixue had discussed repeatedly with Huang Guangmao and Xu Zhixian from the staff office to finalize the plan.

The meeting tonight was said to be a discussion, but it was actually just announcing the battle plan and issuing tasks.

After the meeting, Luo Zhixue still didn't sleep, but continued to discuss with Huang Guangmao and Xu Zhixian, but what they discussed was not the combat plan, but the formation plan of the fifth mixed brigade and even the sixth mixed brigade.

After being busy until midnight, Luo Zhixue finished all the work for the day and fell asleep.

On the second day, more than 3000 people from the Xiangbao Army went south and continued to march at high speed until the evening, and finally reached the bank of the Han River about [-] miles northwest of Xiangyang City.

Looking at the wide river opposite, Luo Zhixue did not sigh, but directly ordered the craftsmen of the engineering office to start building a large number of simple rafts overnight with the help of many soldiers.

At the same time, Wang Xiazi was ordered to lead the cavalry out, not only to guard the surroundings, but also to prevent enemy sentries from approaching, in order to block the news as much as possible.

They went south quickly all the way. If there is no accident, the Ming army in Xiangyang City probably didn't know that the Xiangxiang Army had already killed the Han River.

At the same time, the pro-barracks blocked the waterway, intercepted, detained, and requisitioned all ships passing through the area.

This is also to block the news, and incidentally requisition some ships for crossing the river.

After one evening and one night of urgently making rafts and other simple tools for crossing the river, the [-]st Infantry Brigade took the lead in crossing the river the next morning.

Then the cavalry brigade also crossed the river on a group of large simple rafts and temporarily requisitioned boats.

When the troops crossed the river in large numbers, Luo Zhixue summoned Xiazi Wang, Huang Dingquan, and Xu Zhixian in the simple headquarters tent.

"This time the surprise attack on Xiangyang City is led by you, the blind man, assisted by Ding Quan, and planned by Zhixian. You must cooperate to successfully capture Xiangyang City."

"You don't have to worry about internal response. Yesterday I received news from the intelligence department that Li Dongshao had successfully infiltrated Xiangyang City with people. The 70 people Li Dongshao led were the most elite soldiers in the pro-barracks. With 30 people helping each other, at that time there will be a hundred people who should cooperate with you to seize the city gate."

"What you have to do is, with the cooperation of the internal response, attack the city as soon as possible, and don't give the defenders in the city any time to react."

Speaking of this, Luo Zhixue glanced at the three of them again, and said earnestly: "If something cannot be done, then there is no need to be obsessed with fighting. As long as you fail to seize the city gate in the first place, then you must retreat decisively and return to this place."

(End of this chapter)