Eighth year of Chongzhen

Chapter 365 Landmines
When the forward of the Dutch army heard the news and rushed to the battlefield a quarter of an hour later, they saw only five headless corpses lying on the road in disorder. Two spears, three matchlock guns and ammunition were all seized and taken away by the Ming army.

Fan in the position of the Chinese army.Dyke also came to the scene of the incident less than half an hour after the battle.

After checking the scene with a gloomy face, Fan.After a brief discussion with the two major battalion commanders and combat staff officer Fantoff, Dyke decided to change the marching method, cancel the vanguard squad, use a company as the forward, and continue to advance in a skirmish formation.

The distance between the central army and the rear team has also been shortened correspondingly, so that once similar situations are encountered again, they can respond quickly.

As a vanguard company, as long as it encounters a dense forest again, it will order arquebus shooters to line up and shoot into the forest in order to confirm the existence of the Wuming Army in the forest.

After changing the marching method, the Dutch army stopped and stopped, and the marching speed slowed down significantly.

Just as the sky was getting dark, the Ming army's camp in the open area beside the road had already appeared in the vision of the forward of the Dutch army, and the distance was about five miles.

Suddenly, several rumbling explosions accompanied by screams resounded all over the field, several puffs of gunpowder smoke and dust filled the air, and the sand and stones aroused by the explosion splashed around, a dozen people walked in front The Dutch army either fell to the ground or rolled all over the ground while clutching their wounds. The soldiers behind stood still in panic, and some soldiers were preparing to retreat.

"It's a mine! Everyone back off!"

Following the shout of the company commander of the Dutch army, the soldiers of the Dutch army slowly retreated dozens of steps away with Maoduan guns.

The front team of the Dutch army triggered the landmines that Wu Qun had ordered to plant long ago. The explosion of four landmines caused eleven Dutch army casualties.

The original landmines appeared as early as the Southern Song Dynasty, and they were greatly improved in the early Ming Dynasty, and their power was further improved in the Wanli period.

In the eighth year of Wanli, when Qi Jiguang was guarding Jizhou, he made a steel wheel flint detonating device-steel wheel fire.

It is to install a set of transmission mechanism in the casing. When the enemy steps on the engine cable, the falling stone in the casing will fall, driving the steel wheel to rotate, rubbing against the flint sharply to ignite, and detonating the mine.This device improves the accuracy and reliability of the timing of the mine's firing.

During the reign of Chongzhen, there were more types of landmines.

According to records such as "Cu Hai Tu Bian", "Military Training Records Miscellaneous", "Wu Bei Zhi" and other books, there are more than ten kinds of landmines used by the Ming army, which are distinguished by detonation methods, such as burning, pulling, tripping, machine hair etc.

In addition to the single mine, there are also group mines that use a fuze to control the explosion, and a mother mine explodes to detonate several child mines.

And according to operational needs, landmines can also be set on vehicles, in buildings, or animals can be used to carry landmines into the formation.

What the Dutch army triggered just now was a mother-of-steel mine that ignited from a steel wheel. Although limited by the explosive power of black powder, the killing effect this time was still very amazing under the burst of iron fragments loaded in the mine.

"Junker, take a few people back to report to the colonel! The ambulances are going to rescue the wounded, and the others line up!"

"Tsk tsk, the red-haired ghost fruit is strong! It's not chaotic at all after continuous setbacks. Looking at this posture, the one with the chicken feathers on the hat should be a boss. The firecracker in this guy's hand looks much bigger than other blunderbusses. Wow!"

In the camp of the Ming army five miles away, Wu Qun stood on the watchtower holding a binocular with both hands, watching the reaction of the Dutch army after the attack, and muttering to himself.

Chen Dashuan on the side looked at the telescope in his hand eagerly, wishing he could grab it and play with it to his heart's content.

This telescope was purchased by Sihai Trading Company from Flang Jiren in Haojing (Macau) with a lot of money, and then it was transferred to the island and handed over to Wu Qun last month.

People from the firm repeatedly told Wu Qun: This mirror is extremely difficult to make, and the price is very expensive, you need to be careful when using it, don't drop it and damage it, and don't give this kind of military weapon to irrelevant people.

After Wu Qun knew the magical function of the telescope, he naturally regarded it as a treasure and refused to show it to others easily. However, Sun Rengui and Chen Dashuan, who were extremely curious about this new thing, clamored for him to take it several times. Come out and let everyone see it.

With his ears almost calloused by these people's noise, Wu Qun had no choice but to take it out and let each of them try it out for dozens of breaths.

"General, show me if it's okay? I don't know what the red-haired ghost looks like! Why is there chicken feathers in the hat? Could it be that his family raises chickens?"

Chen Dashuan held back for a long time and finally couldn't bear it any longer, and begged Wu Qun with a playful smile in a flattering tone.

"Fart! Could it be that those heads just now were not red-haired ghosts? Anyway, red-haired ghosts all look ordinary, and there is nothing to look at!"

Wu Qun mercilessly rejected Chen Dashuan's request.

He knew that the rammer was hairy and feet on weekdays. The high tower of the tower. If the goods were unstable, the telescope suddenly fell down and fell seventy -eight. You just hit him twenty for the twenty army sticks.

"If you don't show it to me, I won't look at it! What's so great! I've heard that this telescope is a must-have item for the red-haired ghosts to march and fight. Wait until I, Lao Chen, go to the red-haired ghosts to snatch one in person. Use it yourself, and then I won’t give it to anyone!”

Chen Dashuan murmured, turned around and went down the stairs to the watchtower.

"Old Wu, how many troops from Hongyi have come this time? Today, they fought two battles in a row, and their morale must have been greatly depressed, while our army's morale is now greatly boosted. This battle should have one more chance of victory. If Hongyi can be defeated, this battle will definitely reach Shengting! Old Wu, the future is promising!"

It was Lin Rong who spoke. This time he did not return to the Taichung County Government Office to sit in charge, but stayed in the camp. He said that he wanted to imitate the style of the famous officials in ancient times and personally beat drums to help the army.

Of course Wu Qun knew that Lin Rong was doing it for the purpose of gaining military merit and accumulating capital for promotion, but he didn't expose this matter because of the close relationship between the two.

"I don't know the number of Hongyi's troops. It is estimated that it is about the same as my previous guess. The number does not exceed one thousand. Looking at its formation, the soldiers are very capable and orderly, and they are indeed the best soldiers in the world. As for their army Wu's formation, after watching it tomorrow, we can think of a way to deal with it, if there is no accident, our army is sure to win this time!"

As night fell, the Dutch army set up tents in company units to rest and eat on the flat ground five miles away from the Ming army camp, while the [-] aborigines lit torches and went to the dense forest not far away. During the period, trees were cut down and wooden fences were built to prevent possible night raids by the Ming army.

After all the tossing until it was around Haishi, after the camp fence was built, several large fires were ignited, and the sentries were assigned, the camp of the Dutch army was considered quiet.

Wu Qun, who had been observing the movement of the Dutch army, saw several piles of fires burning in front of the Dutch army camp, and then he died of the desire to send someone to attack at night. After telling the soldiers on duty to cheer up, he yawned and returned to himself. camp tent.

Halfway through the second hour, the camp of the Dutch army became lively. The aborigines who had eaten were selected 50 people, and they walked out of the camp fence carrying short and thick logs weighing dozens of catties, and lined up in a barely The formed small phalanx, under the order of the Dutch army, moved towards the explosion point not far away, and a group of Dutch troops holding spears were behind them to hold the formation.

When walking to several shallow pits after yesterday's explosion, a second lieutenant of the Dutch Army gave some instructions to the interpreter beside him, and then as the interpreter yelled loudly, the people in the front row threw the logs in their hands and immediately went back. run.

Some of the thrown logs continued to roll forward, and some rolled a few times and triggered the landmines laid by the Ming army. With the sound of the explosion, the logs that triggered the landmines were shattered under the impact of the air waves. Sawdust was flying everywhere.

After the explosion passed, the aborigines carrying the logs moved forward tremblingly under the orders of the Dutch army. After hearing the password, they threw the logs and turned around and ran away.

In the same way, more than a dozen trigger mines planted by the Ming army on the road were cleared one after another.

"This red-haired ghost is really good at recruiting! Damn it! Send the order to Chen Dashuan to prepare to meet the enemy!"

After seeing the methods adopted by the Dutch army through the binoculars, Wu Qun cursed and issued military orders.

(End of this chapter)