Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 298: When we meet on a narrow road, the brave wins, and we fight with bayonets on Poyang Lake.
Dong dong dong,
Li Xiaowu walked down the wooden platform slowly, his military boots making a bit of noise when stepping on the hollow steps.

He took the flintlock gun from a soldier, opened the hammer, and poured a few grains of gunpowder into the medicine pool~
Then the gun turned and was pointed at this rude man:

"Kneel down."

Annoyance appeared on the man's face, and then he said in a sincere tone:
"Little General, brother, I was in Jianghu back then... ah!"

The sound suddenly stopped and turned into a scream.

The tip of the bayonet was slightly sunk into his shoulder. Not deep, but bleeding.

The man's knees softened, he knelt down, and explained in a more humble tone:

"General, the villain is very good at wielding two swords. Give the villain a chance to kill the officers and soldiers."

There was no reaction on Li Xiaowu's face, thinking to himself, what about your unruly behavior just now? Pull out the bayonet, move the muzzle upward and aim it at the head. Bang, red and white splashed.

……

"The one at the head of the queue will be the captain and line up to receive swords and spears. Anyone who disobeys military orders will be killed directly by the captain."

……

"Don't dare, don't dare."

The prisoner endured the heat and did not dare to move.

Suddenly, he took a few steps inside.

Li Xiaowu handed the gun to the soldier and took out the gun from his waist.

"Did you laugh just now?"

As soon as Li Xiaowu shouted, everyone fell to their knees on the ground.

"Take it, take it."

"Then did you take it?"

"I, I didn't laugh."

The prisoner knelt down, rolled forward a few steps, wiped his boots clean with his sleeves, then breathed and continued to rub.

The man whom Li Xiaowu called Gang Leader Feng immediately bowed down in humility and raised his hands straight:

"General, wipe it clean."

……

"Gang Leader Feng, have you gathered all the people?"

A group of them were first consumed by hard labor, and then sent to the mountains of Huizhou to dig coal, where they died naturally.

"Thank you, General."

All the soldiers and civilians who participated in the defense of the city had blood on their hands. It is not an object that can be fought for, it is an object of elimination.

All the prisoners were frightened by this display of power.

"What did you do?"

The sound of gunfire echoed off the surrounding walls.

……

The Chengnan Gang is a local gangster. Normally, he makes a living by monopolizing the lime business in the city. He has one or two hundred people helping him and collecting some security fees.

"Kneel down."

"Take your brothers and point them out to me all the green soldiers who have hidden themselves among the people, and point out to me the young men who have participated in the defense of the city. If there is one, the whole family will catch them and dig trenches outside the city, trying to escape. Just kill them.”

The prisoner he targeted was different. Fat and white, with a short beard, a bit gentle and a bit official-looking.

"I don't dare. I'm going to kill the villain. The general has orders, and our south city gang doesn't dare to disobey."

Li Xiaowu pressed the hot muzzle of the gun against his cheek, sigh~
A smell of roasted meat!

He walked up to a thin prisoner next to him and broke open the hammer:

"Yes Yes."

"Yeah. You should be the captain."

When walking out of the crowd,
Li Xiaowu lowered his head and suddenly found a ball of white dirt on his boots. He frowned slightly and turned his attention to the prisoner next to him.

Li Xiaowu, holding a still smoking gun in his hands and with cold eyes, patrolled among the prisoners.

"The villain was originally a clerk in the household in Raozhou Prefecture. The elder said that I embezzled 2000 taels of official silver and took the villain to prison."

It wasn't until his leather boots were polished that he dared to raise his head with a flattering look:

There was another bloody storm inside and outside Raozhou City, and there were cries and cries everywhere.

Li Xiaowu took a fancy to their familiarity and ordered them to lead the way to arrest them.

bang~
The thin man staggered to the ground, his eyes widening. He wasn't sure whether he was smiling or not, but he would die with his eyes open anyway.

"It's good to answer honestly. I will serve you faithfully from now on and don't worry about the past. If I do it again~"

Li Xiaowu nodded:

Li Xiaowu only sent Soldier No. 20 to monitor outside the city, and ignored the rest.

The prisoners worked as coolies, the gentry provided money, and the common people worked as small laborers. The Chengnan gang members and prisoners carried knives to supervise the work, working day and night to rush for the construction deadline.

Except for the people who receive wages, which are changed every four hours, the rest are not allowed to stop.

War, let mercy go!

It won't be too long before the remnants of the Qing army in Hukou will withdraw south. At that time, the Raozhou Prefecture-Raohe defense line will face a brutal attack, and there is no need to worry about the number or depth of trenches.

Li Xiaowu received the teachings of his adoptive father and attached great importance to fortifications.

The trench was 3 feet deep and 5 feet wide.

The excavated soil was used to create a low wall behind the trench.

After that, there is another group of trenches and low walls separated by 20 feet.

It was not completely dug out, leaving two flat roads leading to the city wall. There were still trenches on both sides, which were wide enough for three Qing soldiers to rush all the way to the city wall side by side.

This is the wisdom of our ancestors:

Blocking is worse than opening up!
The water will automatically flow into the gap, and so will the crowd!
Two artillery pieces were placed on the city wall, aiming at the two straight roads respectively. At that time, many people can be taken away with one shot.

……

Liu Wu had no intention of going to Beihu District to find a decisive battle with the Yangtze River Navy.

He was tempted when he learned from the old man who "fished in his spare time and robbed in his busy time" that he could go back to the Gan River to bombard Nanchang City.

Decided to bombard the provincial capital.

If the Qing army is unprepared, let the infantry on board the ship come ashore to harass them again.

With such trouble, the Yangtze River Navy will definitely take the initiative to find a decisive battle on its own. No manager can tolerate an enemy army roaming around in his heartland, attacking everywhere.

As he thought,

The Yangtze River Navy has gone crazy, and all members have just sailed past Songmen Island.

Peng Wenbing was full of murderous intent and sat on the chair on the deck with a golden sword.

Agui has issued a death threat to him, and it's the whole family. This is no joke.

He could only curse:

"Jiangdong Rats."

Suddenly, the lookout sentry sounded a warning.

He suddenly became energetic and opened his telescope to take a look.

By coincidence, the two armies happened to meet. We met by chance on the vast Poyang Lake, which is thousands of miles away. Wu Jun marched from east to west, preparing to go to Nanchang. The Yangtze River Navy runs from north to south.

We got together without invitation or invitation.

Almost at the same time,

Both sides discovered each other and began to prepare for war like crazy.

……

Peng Wenbing took off his warm hat and flicked his braid.

Suddenly his blood boiled, he drew his knife and shouted:

"Set up the formation, with Yuezhou Town in front, and Duotou to intercept the Wu fleet."

"Hanyang Town encircled and blocked the Wu army's escape route."

"Hukou Town, attack the troop ships behind the Wu army."

"Small boats and town signs are on standby, depending on the battle situation."

A group of soldiers followed suit, taking off their warm hats and braiding their hair down to their necks. There is reason to suspect that this is a magic that can temporarily boost morale.

In short, the Yangtze Navy relied on its numerical advantage, and its tactics were rough and menacing.

Liu Wu, on the other hand, was extremely calm and kept giving orders while looking at the telescope:

"All Ji Kang classes are connected end to end in a circle battle formation."

"The transport ship is among them."

……

Ji Kang quickly began to adjust his position.

The circle composed of 9 Ji Kang-class ships is still too sparse. Therefore, Liu Wu ordered five more Susong-class ships to join in to complete the circle.

"The remaining Su Song-class ships formed a long snake formation and sailed northwest, wedged into the gap between the Qing fleet and disrupted their formation."

There is an obvious gap between Hanyang Town and Yuezhou Town.

"Commander-in-chief, Jiangnan level sent an inquiry?" "Stand by."

Looking up the mountain is a dead horse, and the same goes for sailing.

Less than half an hour later, the sound of cannons rang out from the lake.

The Susong-class 12-pounder long-barreled gun took the lead in firing. The Yuezhou Town fleet was bombarded from a long distance.

At a distance of 3 miles, the artillery shells had little accuracy.

One out of ten shots was a bit reluctant, and water columns rose from the lake.

Then the Qing warships couldn't restrain themselves and fired wildly. The Poyang Lake water battle started with full firepower.

Peng Wenbing gritted his teeth:
"Supervise the warships and follow our army to attack."

12 large sand ships moved forward in a Z-shaped shape.

……

Liu Wu looked at the chaotic lake in front of him, as well as the bursts of gunfire.

Order loudly:

"Jiangnan class, attack from the outside of the two wings, pick up the admiral's ship of the Yangtze River Navy, and attack the commander's ship."

The four Jiangnan-class battleships that had been waiting for a long time immediately changed their course and sailed to the outermost side. This made the Qing warships in Hanyang Town and Yuezhou Town wonder: Wu Jun is not trying to escape, right?
As a result, some warships yawed and went to the outside to contain the two Susong-class ships.

"Captain, that is the main warship."

"Come up, capture the thief first and capture the king."

The helmsman immediately slammed the rudder stock and the battleship turned.

The sailors on the deck also began to adjust the sail angle. Prepare to approach the stern of the Yuezhou Town commander's ship.

……

After equipping the flintlock carronade, officers repeatedly emphasized the correct method of bombardment-prioritize bombardment of the stern of enemy ships.

In this era, it was assumed that the cabins of senior officers were at the stern.

The Qing army was no exception.

The gunner looked through the side of the gun at the approaching Qing warships, silently thinking of Mazu's blessing.

They didn't believe it at first, but after the Laoye Temple water area was out of danger, everyone decided to believe it.

Mainly the spirit!

Xishan Gun Factory has already completed the artillery fusilier, but considering that the replacement cost is too high, the modification is too complicated. Therefore, only the latest carronade guns are equipped with flintlock engines.

The warships in Yuezhou Town opened fire one after another.

The area around this Jiangnan-class ship suddenly became extremely lively. More than a dozen water jets rose up and poured onto the sailors on the deck.

After two consecutive rounds of fire, only one hit. A sailor on the deck and his box were knocked into the lake, leaving a trail of blood.

The others remained silent and went about their duties.

Shooting at close range is a tactic that has been emphasized and trained many times. If you don't fight, half of the enemy ship's life will be taken away if you fight!

……

The distance is getting closer.

The Jiangnan class has already received 4 shells.

Two of them hit the side of the ship, causing no decent damage.

The old cannons of the Qing army, which dared not load full gunpowder, fired at the thick shipboard from a distance of several hundred meters, but could not penetrate. Only one solid bullet hit the bow, injuring three sailors.

Flying sawdust is the biggest factor in attrition in water battles.

The three people screamed and were pulled out of the cabin by their companions and thrown into the bottom warehouse. The bottom warehouse is usually where ballast stones are placed and where criminal sailors are imprisoned. It was used to house the wounded during wartime.

Until the battle is won, there is almost no treatment.

It depends on whether one's life is tough or not!

The companions threw down a roll of cotton and rushed onto the deck.

The sound of gunfire, gunpowder smoke, and water jets formed a chilling symphony.

This ship is being besieged by 8 warships from Yuezhou Town. There are various types of boats, including sand boats, fortune boats, rush boats, and even building boats.

……

The gunner stared intently at one of the largest ships.

On both sides of the watchtower of this ship are embroidered flags measuring one foot and eight feet long. According to experience, this should be the ship of the commander-in-chief of Yuezhou Town.

The rest of the artillery in the cabin roared one after another.

But he kept silent, holding a rope in his hand and waiting for the most suitable opportunity.

The distance is less than 50 feet.

Angle, wait for a bump in the wind and waves, and reasonably align the stern of the enemy ship.

Suddenly there is a surge and this is the moment!
He jerked the rope, and the caron shot out a puff of white smoke. The wooden four-wheeled gun carriage suddenly retreated on the sliding track.

The smoke has cleared,

The gunner was stunned, then laughed wildly.

"Keep loading."

The huge warship opposite had a very messy tail, like a piece of cake that had been scooped out.

The 36-pound solid bullet is simply a demolition weapon.

A hammer!
……

"Load the shotgun! Quick, quick."

The three gunners worked together to stuff powder bags, wooden boards, and finally 3 shotgun sacks into the barrel.

Quick push reset.

Set the flintlock to ready for firing.

The gunner held the rope, held his breath and looked at the crowd running around on the deck of the warship opposite. Some were walking with support, some were being dragged, and some were crying.

Like a worker bee whose hive was punctured, the nest exploded.

1 breath, 2 breaths, 3 breaths.

Sailors on deck adjusted the sails, creating an opening for the carronade.

Boom, hot flames erupted from the muzzle. 250 rounds of lead bullets wrapped in sacks swept across the deck of the Yuezhou warship 20 feet away.

Everyone gasped, it was so terrible.

There was no one left standing on the deck.

Sweep away!

Plasma dripped down the damaged side of the ship.

The water quality of Poyang Lake must be very poor today!
……

A thought came to the captain's mind:
"Carron cannon is so terrifyingly powerful!"

Then he was overjoyed and shouted:
"Hit, hit the building ship in front."

There are too many archers and gunners on the building ship, although the damage is limited even though they are separated by dozens of feet.

But for the sailors on the deck, the feeling was too disgusting. There are more than a dozen small holes in the sail. It was obviously shot with a shotgun, and there were a few arrows dangling on it.

The Jiangnan class slowly adjusted its direction and began to sail parallel to the building ship, so close that it almost collided with it.

The Qing troops on the building ship were scared to death.

They have witnessed the fate of the commander's ship and know that Wu Jun has a terrifyingly powerful artillery. Everyone was trying to find cover.

However, this time it was a 36-pound solid bullet.

From a distance of more than ten feet, the cannon was fired almost from the top of the cabin.

One shot!
With a loud noise of broken planks, the building ship began to rock.

Falling apart!
The entire ship broke into two pieces in the middle.

……

The Wu Army gunner's sight suddenly became clearer, and he even saw a Qing Army rushing ship behind him.

The shuttle boat was so frightened that it quickly evaded and abruptly stayed away from the battlefield.

Therefore, this Jiangnan-class ship can only attack a warship with the highest target value at present, because there are more flags hanging on the watchtower, and the flags are larger and more beautiful.

The two ships completed the action of leveling their sides almost at the same time.

"Fire!" the deputy general of Yuezhou Town roared with his veins showing.

"Fire!" On the Jiangnan-class gun deck, the vice-captain also ordered loudly.

Loud noises and thick white smoke enveloped everything.

The Jiangnan class has 1 cannon on the deck and 2 cannons on the artillery deck. A 24-pounder gun was damaged, two gunners were killed, and three others were wounded.

A solid bullet still emitting white smoke rolled down 1 foot next to the deputy captain.

There was also a slender wooden thorn stuck in his arm. After pulling it out with force, he temporarily covered it with his military cap to stop the bleeding.

The Qing army's 1000-gun ship was even worse. It was hit by 6 rounds, and the caliber of the shells was larger, causing greater damage!
The cabin seemed to have been ransacked by a typhoon. Five artillery pieces were twisted and overturned. Half of the gunners were dead or injured, and the rest were lying on their stomachs shivering.

The deputy general of Yuezhou Town was beaten into two pieces and could no longer die.

……

(End of this chapter)