The heavy lead bullets flew over a distance of dozens of meters in an instant, splashing clouds of blood mist among the Jiannu cavalry who were sweeping across the formation. The screams, wails and neighing of war horses resounded across the wilderness.
The lead bullets fired from the heavy matchlock could knock down anyone, whether human or horse, with one shot, and could even penetrate two people or knock down two horses.
Moreover, although the Jiannu cavalry wore armor, it was not double or triple layered, as that would be too heavy and would affect the speed of the horses.
Therefore, the power of the heavy matchlock gun was even more ferocious. Amidst the bloody rain, the Jiannu cavalry fell to the ground in chaos.
The comrades in front put away their guns and stepped aside. Zhang Xiaoxi stepped forward, placed the Eagle Gun steadily on the fork, clamped the fuse, and aimed at his shoulder.
The trigger was pulled, and with a roar, the butt of the rifle pushed him back against his shoulder. Even with the recoil device, the recoil was much greater than that of the Rummitt rifle.
Zhang Xiaoxi had already adapted to this force. He only moved one side of his body to relieve most of the force, and the thick shoulder pads also played a good protective role.
Did he hit the target? It seemed so, because the target he was aiming at fell off his horse with a cloud of blood and flesh flying.
Zhang Xiaoxi didn't have time to think about it, so he put away his gun and returned to his position. Another comrade stepped forward and stood in his place.
The dead and wounded horses and riders fell to the ground, causing the Jiannu cavalry behind them to trample and fall. Three rounds of heavy musket fire left a bloody mess on the battlefield that stretched for nearly a hundred meters.
The Ming army stopped firing, the rising white smoke gradually dissipated, the musketeers were loading ammunition nervously and quickly, and the officers in the formation successively raised flags indicating that they were ready.
The drums' rhythm changed, and the officers noticed the change in the general's flag. "Tiger!" All the spearmen stood with their spears drawn, letting out a deep roar.
Tiger, tiger, tiger!
Step by step, the spearmen advanced with their spears raised, shouting in a rhythmic manner as they took firm steps forward.
Sahalian saw it clearly, and his heart sank. Failing to lure the enemy into firing was, at best, disappointment. But being killed by enemy fire was a sense of self-defeating frustration.
As the infantry formation was activated, the chariot camp on the road also advanced forward at a slightly faster speed, forming a small protrusion.
The so-called chariot camp was not the regular type being manufactured by the Ordnance and Gunpowder Bureau.
To put it simply, it was a simple wooden boxcar, a square box on wheels. It was somewhat similar to the Jiannu's shield cart, but slightly longer, capable of carrying light artillery, with a roof and a box, and could also carry some ammunition.
But if it can be used, it's a good thing. Ever since defeating Amin at Port Arthur, Zhang Pan has started mobilizing the people to manufacture them. Many trees have been cut down, and many carts have been built. Some of the carriages are made of whole logs, even the bark is still there.
Moreover, this wooden carriage can not only carry artillery and other supplies, but also several pistols can be inserted into the movable baffle in the front to ram and stab the enemy, or used as a barrier.
Despite its many functions, this wooden cart did not require much technical expertise and was simple and easy to manufacture. This very characteristic was precisely why the remote Dongjiang Army was able to equip it in large numbers.
Another weapon that the Dongjiang Army was equipped with in large quantities was the grenade launcher, which was also low-cost and easy to manufacture, and did not need to wait for the court to mobilize it.
It was these two weapons, which they could manufacture independently, that gave the Dongjiang Army the confidence to fight the Jiannu head-on. Relying on their superiority in manpower and firearms, they defeated Sahalian and left him somewhat helpless.
The Ming army was advancing calmly from a wide front. Although the terrain was relatively open, it still did not allow enough space for the Jiannu cavalry to launch a flanking assault.
After quick thinking, Sahalian decided to try again and launch a frontal attack on the easternmost formation of the Ming army.
If this small square formation was defeated, the entire Ming army's front line would be destroyed, and they would stop advancing for fear that cavalry would rush in through the gap and go around behind them.
Moreover, after defeating the Ming army's phalanx, space was created for a flank attack.
Sahalian could see clearly that the Ming army's phalanx only had spearmen in the front, but there seemed to be no troops or weapons on the sides that could stop the cavalry's charge.
The horns continued to sound, and Sahalian issued orders one after another. The Jiannu soldiers from the three Niulu quickly gathered and suddenly rushed towards the easternmost battalion of the Ming army.
"When the bandits and slaves fight, the dead soldiers are in front, and the elite soldiers are in the back. The dead soldiers are wearing heavy armor and will not retreat even if they die. Then they are followed by soldiers with light armor and good marksmen. Finally, there are the elite cavalry of the bandits, both men and horses are heavily armored. When our guns and cannons fire, they will rush out quickly."
"They are particularly adept at striking from either side, never stopping until they see an advantage. Whether far or near, numerous or few, gathering or dispersing, appearing or disappearing, their movements and stillness are extremely unpredictable, making them extremely difficult to defend against..."
The Jiannu's tactics were clearly described in Ming Dynasty records, but despite this, there was no effective countermeasure in history, or rather, there were countermeasures that were ineffective.
The problem lies with the generals and soldiers. According to the moral character of the Liaodong military leaders in history and the lack of pay and food for the Ming army, no matter how good the tactics are, they are just empty talk.
Five or six hundred heavily armored soldiers were in front. When they galloped to a distance of about a hundred meters, they jumped off their horses, waving their weapons and charging forward with wild shouts.
Behind the dead soldiers were lightly armored archers charging on horseback, ready to take advantage of the dead soldiers fighting with the enemy to use a rain of arrows to help disrupt the enemy's battle formation.
At the rear were nearly a thousand elite cavalrymen who had not advanced too closely, nor had they joined the battle. They were the decisive force, waiting until the enemy's battle formation was in disarray before suddenly charging in and defeating them in one fell swoop.
There were also nearly a thousand cavalrymen shouting and galloping in front of other phalanxes of the Ming army, keeping a certain distance and playing a diversionary role.
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