Chapter 192 Star River Shadow Shakes the Three Armies 20
[192] Xingheying shakes the three armies (20)
Yao Fan did not answer and stood silently in front of the map. Seeing this, a guard immediately lit a candle and came over to illuminate Yao Fan.
"Where is the first division now?" Yao Fan asked decisively.
"Chairman, according to the report issued before Xiao Chukai, they chose a highland to be stationed in the southwest of Cangzhou and south of Xian County." Li Jundao.
"Order them to gather immediately and intersperse to the north of Botou Town. Be sure to cut off the connection between Botou Town and Cangzhou before dawn, and encircle the Qing army of Botou Town from the northwest."
Li Hainiu interrupted: "Chairman, the first division has gone for a day, and I don't know if my physical strength can be guaranteed."
Yao Fan took a cigarette handed over by Niu Hu, opened a pack, clicked one, and took a sip. After thinking about it, he said, "Cui Guangwen, I won't send a report for the time being."
"Yes, Chairman."
Yao Fan started in Dongguang County. After walking around, he said to Li Hainiu, "The more than 20,000 Qing army dare to go out to fight in the field with us. This is either fearless or there is a large amount of support.
If it is the first case, the enemy should have a trick that he thinks he can win. If it is the second case, there is still a new force in Cangzhou to come.
Li Hainiu nodded and agreed. Li Jun listened attentively, and Zhou's fourth tiger fell into meditation.
"For a long time, our style of play has been one two-sided, fighting head-on. This tactic is effective and practical, but it requires extremely high troops. Generally speaking, it requires several times the enemy's strength and about five times more, but we always fight more with less.
In the past, the main reason why we were able to win was that our firepower density was much stronger than our opponents, and we could effectively make up for the disadvantage of our troops. But once we meet an enemy who can compete with our army in terms of firepower, our army's combat effectiveness will be severely tested.
Li Hainiu said, "Chairman Ming, we have always fought less and more, all relying on strong firepower. If we all use the Qing army*, it is really difficult to resist such a small force head-on."
Yao Fan said, "I personally think we should give full play to our military's firepower advantages, open the attack surface and the width of the battlefield.
In today's battle, I think Xiao Chu's first division can boldly plug in and let him press him from west to east. Hu Guangting's third division began to form a platoon system and directly launch a deep impact from south to north. Liu Jinbao's second division, as a reserve team, carried out enveloping from the east and is ready to attack and pursue at any time.
Li Hainiu scratched his head, took a pack of cigarette strips from the cigarette strips placed in the middle table of the command room by Yao Fan, and opened one from Yao Fan: "Chairman, this foreign cigarette is quite easy to smoke, better than dry smoke."
"I don't bring many cigarettes. Everyone smokes this cigarette."
When Li Jun and Zhou Fourth heard the words, they came up curiously and took a bag each and learned to smoke.
Li Hainiu smoked and said, "Chairman, in this way, our army is the main attack of the third division led by Hu, Zhang and Yang. I think we must wait for a division to come up and complete the flank encirclement of the West Road before we can fight. The first division completed the insertion in one night, and it was already exhausted at dawn. I think there may be something wrong with the fight.
Zhou Si said: "He Shicheng's previous telegram said that the military grain enough for a month of the whole army could be transported to Dongguang County at noon tomorrow. Chairman, we used to go on the road lightly. The military food carried by the second division and third division now is only enough to eat for three days, and Xiao Chu's military grain for five days. If the fight starts early tomorrow morning and catches up all the way to Cangzhou after victory, I'm afraid it will be too late to hand over military food with He Shicheng in Dongguang. I suggest waiting until the military grain is handed over.
Yao Fan frowned and said, "Cui Guangwen, I said, you record it."
"Yes, Chairman."
"Hu and Zhang sued Yang.
I. You scouted as soon as you found the enemy, which is very good. I hope you can continue to investigate, find out the detailed deployment of the enemy's camps near Botou Town, and find out the roads and terrain.
2. Your division's artillery battalion should use some mortars to use a hidden position after dark, under the cover of infantry companies, and use the night vision scope on the mortar to carry out a tentative fire attack in front of the enemy to observe the enemy's reaction and troop mobilization, and at the same time deter the enemy.
3. According to the infantry tactical norms, all departments immediately build trench fortifications and forward outposts in all directions at night, and are always ready to welcome the enemy's night attack and robbery camp. The headquarters judged that the enemy chose to encounter our army in the evening, which was a premeditated and planned action, and it was very likely to launch a night attack on our army. The enemy intended to use the night to offset the backwardness of weapons.
A military finger."
After Yao Fan finished speaking, he asked Li Hainiu, "Do you think it's okay to say this?"
Li Hainiu took a sip of cigarette and nodded, "Hu Guangting fought bravely. Zhang Erbao is a clever ghost. Yang Weiyi is honest and willing to work. Their three divisions can fight very well.
I agree with you, Chairman. The Qing army did not meet early and did not meet late. At this time, this location encountered our army, which is likely to be a battlefield set by them in advance after careful planning. The terrain of Botou Town is complex and there are many small rivers, so the speed of our attack will inevitably be affected. And our army's positions south of Botou are all plain fields, which is conducive to the Qing army's attack. Once the Qing army came out of Botou Town to attack our army, it was very convenient.
These two thousand Qing troops dare to go out of the city to fight against us head-on. It must be Li Hongzhang sent the main force from Tianjin. It is estimated that there are also the Ming army in the north, and maybe there are Mongolian cavalry. If they can be defeated in one battle, there will be no resistance to attack Tianjin next.
Li Jun nodded and said, "But how can Li Hongzhang be willing to take out his last old book to fight in the field? I think this is a little strange. As the chairman said, they premeditated to choose this place as the battlefield.
Zhou Fourth smoked and said, "There is no problem with the telegram. Let's send it first."
Yao Fan nodded, and Cui Guangwen saw Yao Fan's nod and immediately issued a report.
Li Hainiu said, "The first division will ask them to go east all night according to the chairman's wishes, and then transfer them back to Dongguang to pick up the grain tomorrow. The third division is on strict alert tonight to prevent night attacks. It will launch an attack early tomorrow morning. In addition to the third regiment and the base camp, the second division will stay in Dongguang tonight. The first regiment and second regiment will immediately leave the city and carry out a campaign to the east side of the third division.
Yao Fan nodded and verbally planned to telegraph again. Cui Guangwen immediately issued a report.
............
In the camp where the Qing army was stationed in Botou, the main commander was Liu Mingchuan.
In the chaos in the northwest, because Cao Kezhong's army's mutiny in Shaanxi and Gansu, Liu Mingchuan was accused of being inhuman and dismissed. After living in seclusion for a few years, Shandong was in chaos. Li Hongzhang had the strength to kill Zhou Shengchuan, so he remembered him again and immediately recalled him to Beijing and entrusted him again.
As the founder of Mingjun, Liu Mingchuan was extremely shocked after hearing about the defeats in Shandong and northern Jiangsu. He suffered from ignorance of Yao Fan's army and did not want to take over this task.
However, the order of the imperial court could not be disobeyed. Liu Mingchuan had to re-enter the battle, bringing more than 6,000 of the 12 infantry battalions of the Ming army by sea, plus 13 infantry battalions, 2 cavalry battalions, 8,000 people, and Li Hongzhang's three foreign artillery battalions in Tianjin 18 00 people, 4,000 people from 16 250-man Mongolian light cavalry battalions, 4,000 people from eight garrison green battalions from all over Hebei, with a total strength of more than 24,000 stationed in Botou, 15 miles from west to east, blocking the way to Cangzhou in the north. I plan to fight to the death with Yao Fan here.
Liu Mingchuan's tactics are still "to form a hard fortress and fight a stupid war", but Liu Mingchuan is very smart. He chose the Botou Town area, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack on the terrain, as a battlefield, hoping to make up for the weapon disadvantage with night attacks.
General, the glue thief sent people to harass our military camp in a row and shot and killed nearly 100 people in our army from afar! Our army fired back, but the gun is not far away. In addition, the movement of the glue thief's troops is strange, and the formation is extremely scattered. It always can't hit the glue thief!" Chen Jinyu, the commander of the Ming barracks, reported anxiously.
"What about the cavalry?"
"The two sentry cavalry rushed, and as a result, they were ambushed with machine guns in the hidden place of the glue thief, which was killed and injured, and the rest fled back!"
Liu Mingchuan's face was even worse. He looked worried and kept twisting the tip of his beard with his right hand: "I ordered each battalion to fire to deter deter! Whether you hit it or not, shoot occasionally! Fight until it's completely dark! As soon as it's dark, the glue thief can't shoot a cold gun. In any case, it can't affect tonight's night attack.
"Tearmark it!"
After Liu Ming's legend, he said to the Mongolian general in the account, "General Garu, tonight our army will attack the rubber thieves at night, and 4,000 cavalry from the Mongolian heroes of Lai Gui will take the lead!"
With a big beard on her face, he hugged his fists and said, "General Liu, don't worry, it's incumbent on him to work for the royal family!"
Liu Mingchuan nodded slowly, walked out of the tent, climbed high and looked far away. At this time, the sky was dark and could not be far away. At this time, before the moon rose, the earth was darker than in the middle of the night.
Because of his instruction, the cannon in the distance suddenly sounded and roared randomly.
Liu Mingchuan frowned and said to himself, "If you win or lose this battle, the firearms are sharp. If you don't fight at night, you will win more. I'm afraid that Wang Zhengqi and Zhou Shengchuan will make mistakes in the daytime!"
These words seemed to embolden him. After saying that, Liu Mingchuan nodded to himself and recognized his idea again.
............
After receiving the telegram, Hu Guangting immediately ordered the third division to speed up the construction of fortifications. Political commissar Zhang Erpao then said, "Guangting, I think it's a little passive to fight like this?"
Hu Guangting was stunned when he heard the words, his eyes lit up, and nodded: "I also feel a little passive. I agree with the judgment of the headquarters. The Qing army refused to sit in Cangzhou City and wait for death, but it was repeatedly defeated in the field. This time, the sudden army went out to fight must have come prepared. As the headquarters judged, it was probably to treat me. The army launched a night attack. The Qing army wants to take advantage of the night to offset the firepower advantage of our army, rely on the advantage of military strength, fight with our army, and win in chaos.
Deputy division commander Yang Weiyi said, "It's already dark and the moon hasn't risen yet. If the Qing army wants to attack, it must be the cavalry first, and when the moon hangs in the sky, it will attack through the moonlight."
Hu Guangting looked at the map on the table and meditated with candles.
Zhang Erpao came over and looked at the map together and said, "The chairman has always told us to take the initiative in the battle. Guangting, you are the best at attacking, and our three divisions should promote their strengths and avoid their weaknesses."
Hu Guangting took out the infantry company tactics he had been carrying with him from his trouser pocket, turned the wrinkled book directly to the night battle rules, and pointed to the book: "In the tactics issued by the chairman, there is a special discussion about the infantry company's night defense enemy attack, but we have never fought overnight before. To be honest, I have been holding back. Many questions, I want to fight a night war and see if I can find the answer.
Yang Weiyi was a little worried and said, "You two don't change the instructions of your superiors without authorization. Since the headquarters wants us to build a position, we still listen to the headquarters."