Although the "Queyue Formation" is very famous, there are very few examples of its use in battle in history.
The main reason is that the conditions are relatively high, not only for the defending side, but also for the attacking side. What's the point of setting up a formation if no one pays attention?
Perhaps the "Queyue Formation" was deployed, and the enemy attacked as desired, but was unable to resist and suffered defeat. Such a result would not highlight the "Queyue Formation".
To put it bluntly, if Liu Yu's "Queyue Formation" had not defeated about 30,000 cavalry with only 2,000 elite infantrymen, creating an astonishing and astonishing record, the "Queyue Formation" would not have become famous.
Now, the Ming army also deployed the "Que Yue Formation". Whether it would win a great victory or suffer a defeat depended on the outcome of the bloody battle between the enemy and us.
Zhang Pan has already landed and taken over as the commander-in-chief, while Du Yueshan is in charge of the front-line command. More than a thousand Ming soldiers are holding cannons and guns, and are arranged in a strict formation to meet the attack of the enemy who is more aggressive and has more manpower.
The horses galloped, and the Jiannu's decoy became very realistic. If the Ming army did not open fire, the light cavalry captain Garhuji thought he could rush closer and greet them with arrows.
Although the flintlock rifle had a range of more than 100 meters, its effective range was only within 50 to 60 meters, similar to later pistols.
Of course, at a distance of 100 meters, the lead bullets of the flintlock rifle are still lethal to unprotected targets, and the hit rate can be improved through intensive volley fire.
However, the Ming army did not adopt this less efficient shooting method. Thanks to strict training and military law, no one dared to shoot without orders, which allowed them to bring the enemy closer.
In order to achieve this goal, the officers also came up with a solution, which is to separate the two postures of holding the gun ready and shooting.
In other words, without an order from an officer, soldiers held their guns with both hands, the muzzles tilted upwards, and their fingers off the triggers. Even if they were extremely nervous, there would be no accidental discharges.
Seventy meters, sixty meters...
"Hold your guns, get ready--" the officer's voice rang out, and the long flag tilted forward, pointing at the enemy.
The Jiannu had no intention of charging straight ahead, and Garhuji was only thinking about it. Once he was within range of the arrow, he spun diagonally and, with a beautiful pirouette, drew his bow and shot his arrow.
Boom... A row of musket roars broke out almost at the same time, like a muffled thunder.
Arrows flew through the air and lead bullets flew straight towards us. This was the first fire contact between the enemy and us.
People shouted and horses neighed. The Jiannu soldiers who were trying to pass in front of the Ming army were shot and fell off their horses one after another under a round of musket fire.
The arrows flying in the air did not cause much damage to the Ming army. They were fully equipped with armor and iron masks, so the protection was comprehensive and the quality of the armor was also quite good.
The sound of ding-dong-dong echoed through the Ming army, with only a few Ming soldiers suffering injuries. The second row had already moved forward to fill the gap, while the first row quickly retreated to the rear of the formation, where they nervously and orderly loaded their ammunition.
Before the Jiannu cavalrymen who had swept across the front of the battle formation could complete this maneuver, another volley of lead bullets came hurling towards them. Instantly, another wave of soldiers and horses were thrown to the ground.
At present, the Ming army's flintlock rifle equipment rate has reached 100%, and they have completely abandoned cold weapons such as spears, swords and shields.
Moreover, Ming army officers with actual combat experience also discovered that because the firing rate of flintlock rifles was greatly increased, the depth of the infantry formation could be compressed.
The result of depth compression is that more guns can fire from one front and exert firepower more effectively.
Of course, the transition from infantry phalanx to line formation will take some time, and not every officer or every unit realizes this.
In southern Liaoning, the two mixed brigades of Kong Youde and Zhang Pan, as well as the Qingshi mixed brigades which had been formed and were currently undergoing intensive training, were the first troops to undergo reforms and adopt new tactics.
Among the Ming army in western Liaoning, only Fan Hualong's dragoons were used once when fighting against Amin's troops.
The result of the change was obvious. The increase in instantaneous firepower output caused considerable casualties to the Jiannu who were luring the enemy.
The scene was somewhat similar, Amin had been cut into pieces, and the troops he led had suffered this great loss. Obviously, Yuetuo did not know how Amin was defeated.
The Jiannu cavalry passed through the Ming army's "Queyue Formation" at a distance of fifty or sixty meters, leaving behind nearly a hundred corpses, as well as wounded soldiers who were shot but not killed on the ground and neighing and struggling war horses.
The attack that Yue Tuo had arranged had already begun and would not be stopped because of this accident. Moreover, in Yue Tuo's view, the purpose of luring the enemy had been achieved, although the casualties were a bit heavy.
Dozens of shield carts appeared in front of the formation, which was all they had, covering the heavy armored soldiers charging behind them and the archers providing fire suppression.
While the Ming army's weaponry and tactics advanced rapidly, the Jiannu's tactics remained the same. The so-called shield chariots were merely defensive tools developed from the Ming army's chariot battalions.
The Ming army now also has chariots, which are placed in front of the formation. They are not only vehicles equipped with Portuguese cannons, but also movable barriers that can withstand and contain the impact of enemy cavalry.
Of course, flintlock rifles and bayonets could also be used to fight cavalry, but chariots were even safer.
"Solid ammunition loaded! Ready to fire!"
After receiving the order, the Ming army artillery moved quickly and replaced the shotgun with a single-shot cannon.
Buckshot was very effective against densely packed enemies, but it was difficult to destroy shield carts. Meanwhile, solid iron bullets weighing several kilograms had considerable destructive power against wooden shield carts.
In fact, the role and power of the shield cart have been exaggerated. The shield cart had neither cannons nor firing ports for muskets, and was purely a device to provide cover and protection.
Such defensive equipment alone certainly couldn't defeat the Ming army. Historically, the shield chariots simply provided cover, allowing the Jiannu to close in on the enemy at minimal cost. Ultimately, victory was almost entirely due to the Jiannu's close combat.
Therefore, even if the shield cart cannot be destroyed, victory or defeat will depend on the combat effectiveness and fighting will of both sides.
The battle on both wings of the "Queyue Formation" also began. Under the command of Tong Yangxing and Ma Guangyuan, the Han soldiers approached the Ming army's battle formation and took the lead in attacking with bird guns.
Boom, boom, boom... The Portuguese cannons spewed out flames, solid bullets were used in the middle, and shotgun shells were used on both wings. Facing the attack, the Ming army fought back fiercely without any hesitation.
Boom, boom, boom... The red cannon that had been silent for a long time roared again on the opposite bank, firing heavy shells diagonally into the enemy's ranks.
After the Jiannu army, which was attacking from the center, approached the Ming army's battle formation within sixty or seventy meters, more than a hundred Ming heavy guns issued even more passionate shouts.
A dense barrage of shells streaked through the air, a dark mass that dimmed even the sun. From a hundred meters in front of the battle line to three or four hundred meters, the entire area was covered by the shells.
Yue Tuo's pupils contracted. The Ming army still had hidden strength. The density of this volley bombardment was something he had never seen before.
The shells drew arcs, growing from small to large, and smashed into the attacking Jiannu troops in a mess.
A moment later, explosions rang out one after another, flames burst out, and black smoke rose. The sunlight became dim in the rising black smoke, and a heavy shadow was cast on Yue Tuo's heart.
……………….
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