The roar of the muskets was deafening, and the flintlock rifles showed an astonishing firing rate with round after round of volleys.
Ajige frowned. This was beyond his expectation. It was not like this before.
Of course, he didn't know that a flintlock rifle with a bayonet could not satisfy the emperor, and the introduction of fixed paper shell ammunition was the ultimate state of the muzzle-loading flintlock rifle.
Fixed-loaded paper shell ammunition is not a high-tech invention and can also be used with matchlock guns.
The specific method is to load a certain amount of gunpowder and bullets into a waterproof paper cartridge. When loading, bite the paper cartridge open with your teeth, pour part of the gunpowder into the ignition pool, and then use a cleaning rod to stuff the remaining gunpowder and bullets into the barrel.
Using fixed paper shell bullets, well-trained musketeers could achieve a firing rate of two to three rounds per minute, or even higher.
A fast rate of fire means that musketeers can fire a denser rain of bullets in the same amount of time, greatly increasing their lethality to the enemy.
Moreover, the fixed-load paper shell bullets only simplified the loading process and did not bring about any fundamental changes. Flintlock soldiers did not need much training time to adapt.
Arrows streaked through the air, bullets blazed through the sky, and within a hundred meters, a battle of firepower began. In terms of lethality, the Ming army clearly had the advantage.
An even louder roar was heard, and the heavy muskets that had been reloaded roared.
The heavy musketeers had retreated to the rear of the formation and stood on the ruined foundation of the fort. They took advantage of their range and fired at the Jiannu from a high position.
Blood and flesh splattered, blood mist rose, and the attacking team of the Jiannu fell to the ground, leaving behind a pile of bloody corpses and broken limbs.
A group of black artillery shells flew over the heads of the troops and smashed towards the Jiannu.
A moment later, explosions broke out one after another among the Jiannu crowd, with clouds of black smoke rising, shrapnel flying, and screams and wails filling the air.
The distance between the enemy and us was already very close. As soon as the explosions stopped, two rows of flintlock soldiers fired their bullets, shouted amidst shrill whistles, and took advantage of the weakening momentum of the enemy's attack to counterattack with bayonets.
Under the continuous attacks, the attacking Jiannu troops fell into disarray and their numbers thinned out. Before the smoke of gunfire had cleared, the Ming army, bayonets at attention, had already approached, engaging in close combat with their superior numbers.
Puff, puff, puff... The Ming army soldiers stabbed fiercely with their bayonets, making a series of terrifying sounds of bayonets entering flesh.
Block, thrust! The Ming army's bayonet technique was simple, abandoning all fancy moves. It was clean, neat, and full of courage.
Cavalry Captain Sobodo's forehead was scratched by shrapnel, and hot blood kept flowing down, obstructing his vision and making the things he saw seem a little red and blurry.
Raising his arm to wipe across his face, Sobodo felt much clearer. But this was not enough, as his calf was also injured, greatly affecting his mobility.
The explosion was not far from his feet, and Sobodo was actually quite lucky as he only suffered two non-fatal injuries.
In the gray and choking smoke, he saw the Ming soldiers charging towards him, and watched them fiercely draw their bayonets and stabbed the Jurchen soldiers mercilessly.
Swinging his sword with all his might, Sobodo roared and stepped forward, knocking down a Ming soldier before the bayonet could stab him.
Another bayonet came from the left. Sobodo blocked it with his knife and instinctively turned around to chop, but the severe pain in his leg made his movements deformed and slow.
Boom! A gunshot rang out close, white smoke billowing into the air. Sobodo stumbled, the lead bullet hitting him squarely in the chest. Even with his heavy armor, the immense impact caused him to spit blood from the mouth.
Puff! A bayonet suddenly pierced his abdomen; Puff! Another bayonet pierced his left rib at an angle.
As the bayonet was pulled out, blood gushed out and Sobodo collapsed to the ground, his strength being quickly drained away. He stared with wide eyes, watching several pairs of big feet stepping over him, unable even to lift his hands.
Coward, despicable... Suobodo didn't know which Ming army soldier shot him. Otherwise, even if he was injured, he could have shot several more.
His thoughts were rapidly becoming confused and dissipating. Sobodo, a veteran Jiannu officer who had risen from a soldier to the rank of cavalry captain, finally swallowed his last breath of resentment.
The grenade launchers threw out bombs at a rapid speed, creating a gap in the middle of the Jiannu attack team.
The Ming army, which counterattacked, outnumbered the Jiannu troops and killed or wounded the ones in the front. Then, at the sound of gongs, they stopped and retreated quickly.
The distance between the enemy and us, which was very close, was widened again. At about forty meters, the Ming army once again resorted to musket fire, mercilessly firing rounds of bullets at the enemy.
Corpses were scattered everywhere, some were Jiannu, some were Ming soldiers who died in the counterattack. No matter which side they were from, they became an obstacle for the Jiannu who were attacking from behind, preventing them from charging smoothly.
Boom! The heavy muskets roared again from the heights, and the indestructible heavy lead bullets caused casualties among the Jiannu, like a row of wheat fields suddenly blown down by the wind.
The flintlock rifles also fired one after another, launching a fierce attack on the Jiannu.
After a fierce counterattack, the situation between the two sides returned to its original state. If the Jiannu fought in close combat, they would have to endure a barrage of lead bullets. In a long-range confrontation, bows and arrows were less lethal than muskets, resulting in disproportionate casualties.
Ajige watched the battle, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter.
Although the Ming army was at a disadvantage in terms of manpower, its defense after retreating was very tenacious, and the firing rate and power of the muskets also caused heavy casualties to the Later Jin soldiers.
Only by charging into the Ming army and engaging in a melee could the Later Jin army not only take advantage of their strengths in close combat but also their superiority in manpower. But now, the actual situation of the battle was not what Ajige expected.
Should we use the entire army to attack from all sides without any feints?
Ajige was a little hesitant. Before he could make a decision, rumbling cannon fire was heard in the distance, sounding like muffled thunder coming from the sky.
It was Zhuona and Damubu's troops who started fighting with the Ming army. Their forces were equal in strength, so it should be no problem to stop the enemy, right?
He was originally full of confidence in the arrangement, but when he heard the incessant rumbling of artillery fire, Ajige became a little worried again.
In fact, Ajige's worries were indeed correct. Zuoling Zhuona and Beiyu Damubu, leading 3,000 troops, were under fierce attack and the situation was quite unfavorable.
The three thousand Ming troops carried a large number of vehicles and supplies, disguised as a rear guard escorting supplies, but it was just a facade to deceive the Jiannu.
The 2,000 Ming army vanguards were equipped with almost all the heavy muskets in the army, while the 3,000 Ming army behind them were equipped with all the artillery in the army, as well as the artillery reinforcements mobilized by Mao Wenlong.
The two armies deliberately kept a distance from each other, which was also a layout to lure the Jiannu into battle.
The Ming army launched a fierce attack on the Jiannu who were blocking the way along the main road, using chariots and cannons first, followed by muskets, and supplemented by a large number of artillery.
The aggressive Jiannu suffered a head-on blow, which shocked and surprised the commander Zhuona and the defender Damubu.
The two sides had equal strength. In the face of the brave Jianzhou warriors, shouldn't the Ming army have been on the defensive in a hurry?
Boom, boom, boom... Dozens of shells fell on the ground, stretching for nearly a hundred meters, blowing the Jiannu soldiers and horses on the road to the ground, and also waking up Zhuona and Damubu.
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