Chapter 44: Artillery Battle (Part 2)
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Sun Daoren's artillery battalion immediately formed a line on the official road.
The 10th Division of the Fuzhou-based temporary land army was reorganized from the Hunan Army stationed in Fujian. The artillery team of the 10th Division actually only had a mountain gun battalion, with only a few new Krupp mountain guns, and the rest were imitations made by the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau.
"Sir, we don't know where their artillery positions are?" The artillery battalion personnel ran over to report to Sun Daoren. Sun Daoren pointed in the direction of Dayang Mountain, "They should be there."
However, Sun Dao-ren only pointed out the direction, but the specific location of the security team's artillery position was completely unknown. The artillery company of the Security Regiment had already arrived at a hidden location in Dayangshan after choosing Dayangshan as the artillery position.
About four thousand meters away from the battlefield, at such a distance, the Qing army could only distinguish the direction according to the trajectory of the shells, but not necessarily calculate the distance.
Sun Daoren pointed out a general direction and then ignored it. The artillery theory of this era, hiding and not concealing is a controversial topic.
The artillery battalion of the 10th Regiment, under the command of Sun Dao-ren, pulled the mountain guns to the riverbank below the official road with a big swing. About five minutes later, after judging the position of the Pa'an Brigade's artillery company from the trajectory of the shells, they fired in the direction of Dayang Mountain.
……
Taiyangshan Artillery Position!
The Qing army's artillery opened fire, and the platoon leader of the artillery company picked up the intercom (walkie-talkie level during World War II, which can communicate within 20 kilometers).
"Reporting to the commander, I have been shelled by the Qing army twice and haven't been hit."
"Have you found the Qing army's artillery position?" Xia Jun asked.
"Found on riverbanks, extremely scattered."
"Alright, cease fire immediately, give you 30 seconds to aim at the Qing army's artillery, after 30 seconds, carry out firepower coverage..." Xia Jun ordered after hearing the report in the command center.
Infantry decides the outcome of the battle, but artillery is the main actor before the battle.
"Yes, I understand."
……
The Qing army artillery fired two rounds in the direction of Dayang Mountain, and after the cannons were repositioned twice, the shelling on Dayang Mountain suddenly stopped.
The Qing army's artillery camp on the riverbank was overjoyed, thinking they had hit their target.
"Is that a hit?" Sun Daoren looked up at the direction of Dayang Mountain and muttered, then grinned: "A group of mud-legged people dare to play artillery with Grandpa, heh!"
Just as Sun Daoren finished speaking, a sharp whistling sound suddenly rang out, and a shell landed right next to him.
Boom!
A loud bang!
Sun Daoren heard the whistling sound and had already fallen to the ground like a dog eating shit. After the shell exploded, Sun Daoren crawled up from the ground with a dusty face.
"It's a correction shot!" Sun Daoren was choked by the smoke and dust, coughing violently twice, then shouted loudly, "Counterattack, counterattack, give me a counterattack."
The Qing army's artillery position sounded again with cannon fire.
However, after just over a dozen seconds, the security team's artillery on Dayu Mountain launched a thunderous counterattack, with shells pouring down on the Qing army's artillery positions like raindrops.
One after another!
The 75mm rapid-fire cannon showed unparalleled firepower at this moment, with one gun pouring out 13-14 shells per minute, and some individual gunners even achieving a standard speed of 15 rounds.
In contrast, the Qing army's artillery positions fired one shot and then had to reposition, which was too slow. The security team's quick-firing guns were retractable, no need to reposition after firing.
The battle had just begun, and the Qing army's artillery was overwhelmed by the cannonballs fired from Dayuan Mountain. The firepower of 18 guns was far inferior to that of the Baoshan Artillery Battalion's six guns.
Six quick-firing guns poured fire onto the riverbank, delivering a fierce covering strike against the Qing army's artillery positions. The covering fire lasted nearly three minutes.
Just a minute ago, the Qing army's artillery camp dared to bombard, but in the next two minutes, the Qing army's artillery position was bombed and people and horses were overturned. What's more disastrous is that the shells on the position exploded, and the blood and flesh of men and horses were splashed everywhere.
The Qing army artillerymen who were not blown to death hugged their heads and ran away, running all over the riverbank, let alone counterattacking.
Three minutes later, the artillery positions at the foot of Taiping Mountain gradually ceased their bombardment.
Sun Daoren stared blankly at the devastated riverbank, feeling a pang of suffocation in his heart. His artillery camp had been destroyed by a group of muddy-legged cannons.
After Sun Dao-ren had the place cleaned up, he found that only 6 of the 18 cannons were still usable. This artillery battle had destroyed two-thirds of the cannons and many men and horses were killed or wounded. The entire artillery battalion was crippled and its commander, Xiao Qi-bin, was also killed in the artillery battle.
At this time, a scout report came, and the defensive position of the security team was found in front. Sun Daoren hastily ordered to stop advancing, although he felt that the previous artillery battle lost very badly, losing is losing, it's not suitable to attack now.
First get rid of these muddy-legged cannons.
"Sir, the Governor has come to ask what's going on here."
"Tell him it's nothing here, let him set up camp on the riverbank and attack tomorrow." Sun Daoren impatiently waved his hand, thinking that the governor was also annoying, not knowing how to fight but still coming to interfere, a hindrance.
"Wang Cheng." Sun Daoren shouted loudly.
"What are your orders, sir?" A team leader hastily stepped forward and asked on his knees.
"Bring your troops, go and destroy those muddy-legged cannons for me. The location should be just behind that mountain." Sun Dao-ren pointed to the distant Da Yang Mountain, which was towering above, and said to Wang Cheng: "It's best if you can capture all their cannons, they should be good stuff."
"Yes, sir."
"You are the most daring and capable one in our newly formed 10th Regiment, don't let me down."
"Bear in mind the teachings of one's elders."
"Go!" Sun Daoren waved his hand and Wang Cheng retreated.
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