Chapter 270 The defensive methods of the North Vietnamese Army
After avoiding several consecutive rounds of bow and arrow strikes from overhead, South Vietnamese infantrymen finally approached the defense line carrying wooden shields. But facing the village wall that was more than a foot high, the small group of infantrymen holding a shield in one hand and a weapon in the other did not have a good way to attack. They could only huddle up behind the wooden shield as much as possible, hoping that the people carrying the ladder behind would hurry up. Come up.
The North Vietnamese Army erected tall log walls as a means of defense in areas that were vulnerable to attack, and in some areas they also built stepped defenses based on the terrain. Even if the opponent breached the first line of defense, they could retreat to a higher level. Continue to defend after level fortifications. The current section of the defense line under attack has built a three-tiered defense line. Thousands of defenders have gathered behind the defense line. It is not easy to conquer this place.
As more and more South Vietnamese infantry rushed under the wooden wall, the lethality of the North Vietnamese archers gradually decreased. A wooden ladder had already been put up on the wall from below, and infantry ants immediately attached themselves to it. However, the first South Vietnamese soldier who leaned his body to the top of the wall was directly pierced by several spears. From the ladder, Fell down. At this time, the archers on both sides also adjusted their strategies and began to launch projectile attacks from a longer distance to avoid accidentally injuring their own people who were already at war.
The casualties of this kind of close combat were far greater than the previous long-range strikes. Mu and Feng saw that the South Vietnamese soldiers who climbed up the wall were constantly poked off the wall by the array of spears behind the wall. But there are quite a lot of people who are not afraid of death. Some people even climbed to the top of the wall and flew directly into the spear formation behind the wall with their wooden shields. As long as they could overwhelm the spearmen in front by a small piece, the ones who came up behind would Your companion will have a little more time to react.
"How cruel!" Feng Annan held up the camera and sighed: "The South Vietnamese who are fighting in the front line are farmers and soldiers, and they can actually fight like this. It seems that our previous idea that farmers and soldiers have no fighting capacity is a bit extreme!"
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"There is a supervisory team following behind. These peasants and soldiers cannot retreat and have no choice but to fight." Mu Xiabai saw the reasons for this situation more thoroughly: "But these soldiers in Annan are indeed ruthless. No wonder this The country has been fighting for hundreds of years and has never been truly conquered! When we come here to fight, we must be more cautious and not underestimate these monkey soldiers.”
"I think we can consider absorbing more soldiers from Annan in the future." Feng Annan said: "It can be seen from the students we met in the training camp that these monkey soldiers are not afraid of fighting at all, and they also take life and death very lightly. . This kind of soldier can only fight with all his strength on the battlefield!"
"The Executive Committee probably won't agree with your idea." Mu Xiabai had a different view on this: "The Executive Committee just wants to turn Annan's army into an auxiliary army, but it has no intention of incorporating them into the directly affiliated army. In my opinion, it would be good to recruit some soldiers from North Vietnamese immigrants like Qian Tiandun.”
While the two were talking, more and more wooden ladders had been put up on the wall, and the number of places to attack the wall quickly expanded from the first one or two to four or five. South Vietnamese infantry had already climbed over the wall and began to fight the North Vietnamese army head-on. The North Vietnamese Army, which previously had some advantages, has now begun to suffer casualties in the melee.
"The North Vietnamese Army can't hold on!" Feng Annan couldn't help but feel worried when he saw that the North Vietnamese defenders had begun to gradually retreat to the higher-level second-layer defense line. Less than half an hour has passed since South Vietnam launched its attack. The North Vietnamese Army is already feeling a little unable to hold on. There are still several waves of attacking forces behind the South Vietnamese Army that have not yet entered the battlefield. Can such an attack really hold the position?
"I don't think so. The North Vietnamese Army is retreating consciously." Mu Xiabai said: "The North Vietnamese Army is very particular about building this kind of stepped defense fortifications. The platform between the first and second layers of defense is It is very small, and the number of soldiers it can accommodate is also extremely limited. If the South Vietnamese army wants to use it as a platform to attack upward, it will not be as easy as attacking the first floor."
When Mu Xiabai explained this, Feng Annan also noticed this fact: "They deliberately gave up the first layer of defense to reduce the pressure on themselves... This Zheng Bai really has two skills!"
"Without two brushes, Zheng would not have been entrusted with the important task of commanding this army." Perhaps because the battle in front of him was too fierce, Mu Xiabai never put down his telescope for a moment: "Before coming, I was a little worried about the North Vietnamese. The master will be mediocre, but it seems that my worries are a bit unnecessary.”
Sure enough, after the North Vietnamese Army slowly withdrew from the first line of defense, the South Vietnamese Army's offensive speed slowed down a lot - the second wave of infantry had already arrived under the first wall, but due to the gap between the first and second lines of defense, The space between them is very small, so the number of soldiers who can enter this platform to attack the second line of defense is also extremely limited. A large number of South Vietnamese infantry can only wait under the first wall. Only when the companions above make progress in their attack, or if the casualties retreat, can the soldiers under the wall have room to replenish their ranks.
The focus of the North Vietnamese Army's defense is obviously the second line of defense. Those deployed on this line of defense are obviously regular North Vietnamese troops. Most of them are wearing iron armor or have equipment to protect their vitals. Compared with the South Vietnamese peasants who attack from the bottom up. The combat effectiveness of the soldiers is much stronger. As a result, this line of defense immediately became a meat grinder for the South Vietnamese Army. Although infantrymen from the rear were constantly being replenished, after fighting for half an hour, they still could not make any progress. Instead, they were on the platform between the first and second lines of defense. Hundreds of bodies were left behind.
The progress of the South Vietnamese attack on the other road was not much better than here. Due to the steeper terrain, the South Vietnamese army suffered greater casualties when attacking the first line of defense. At this time, it was also falling into the step of the stepped defenses. There is no way to extricate yourself from the trap.
"The South Vietnamese Army can't defeat it." Mu Xiabai finally put down his telescope and made a judgment on the trend of the battle: "The North Vietnamese Army's defenses have indeed made full use of the terrain advantages. The South Vietnamese Army has a strength advantage in the air, but it can invest The combat area of the force is too small to reflect this advantage. Although this mountain defense line is ten miles long, there are only a few strategic points suitable for large forces to attack from the front. This line of defense can only be filled with human lives!”
"If you were asked to command the troops to attack this mountain position, what would you do?" Feng Annan asked with interest.
Mu Xiabai was silent for a while before replying: "If it is just a cold weapon combat method, it will be difficult to open a gap on the frontal battlefield. Some unconventional means will have to be used, such as night attacks and fire attacks. But with Considering the quality of the soldiers of the South Vietnamese Army, these combat methods may not be effective, and they may actually trap themselves. In my opinion, the best way is to directly bypass this line of defense.”
"That's difficult. All the ships we saw along the way south were small boats carrying only a dozen people. The situation in South Vietnam is probably not much better. We need to use this kind of ship to transport tens of thousands of troops to bypass this line of defense. , It would take thousands of ships." Feng Annan sighed.
Mu Xiabai said: "I heard from students in the training camp that there were some large-scale ships in Annan in the past, but they were almost used up in the previous civil wars. Moreover, the construction and maintenance costs of sea-based ships are too high, and the cost-effectiveness is not as good as cheap ones." With the peasants and soldiers, both sides gradually stopped thinking about building new ships to join the war. Therefore, the ships currently transporting food south to this army are all small ships with a tonnage of no more than 20 tons and have no combat capabilities at all. , This is very consistent with the prediction of the base camp.”
"At least when we fight, we don't have to worry about being stolen from the sea." Feng Annan said with a smile: "It seems that the South Vietnamese army can no longer fight and is about to withdraw."
After hundreds of corpses were dropped in the small space in front of the second line of defense, there were fewer and fewer places for the attacking South Vietnamese troops to stay. The infantry had to fight on piles of corpses, which was even more difficult than When he climbed up the ladder from the bottom of the steep slope to attack before. If we continue to attack forcefully in this situation, it will only increase casualties.
Sure enough, soon the gongs of the South Vietnamese army sounded in the rear, and the surviving infantrymen withdrew from the front as quickly as possible. Then under the cover of the archers, they returned to the dense forest on the hillside. The North Vietnamese Army gave out a burst of cheers to celebrate the victory of this battle. Mu Xiabai raised his hand and looked at his watch. The entire battle took a little over three hours from the time the South Vietnamese troops dispatched troops to the time they retreated. However, as a witness, he felt that only a moment had passed.
"Let's go over and take a look." Feng Annan suggested.
After explaining the situation to the officers who stayed at the stronghold of Zheng Bai, a small group of North Vietnamese troops escorted Mu and Feng to the section of the defense line where the battle was the fiercest. Here they met Zheng, who had just personally commanded the battle. Cypress.
"Thank you for your hard work, General Zheng!" Mu Xiabai now has a new view of Zheng Bai, and his attitude is more cautious than before. This has nothing to do with the country or position he is in, but respect for the military quality he just showed in his combat command. "What do you think of watching our army fight?" Zheng Bai asked Mu and Feng after taking a sip of water.
"Your army's defensive operations are very good, impeccable, and its tactics are very mature." Mu Xiabai praised sincerely.
"If the stalemate continues like this, I think it will be impossible for the rebels in the south to break through this line of defense even if the fighting continues for a few more months." Feng Annan also spoke highly of the performance of the North Vietnamese army.
Although the basis for the Executive Committee and the Military and Police Department to formulate this military intervention plan is to "take advantage of people's danger," Mu and Feng also have to admit that the North Vietnamese army's war situation here does not seem to have deteriorated to the point of danger as imagined. At least now, he still looks like he can fight well. If the war situation continues to develop as it is, then South Vietnam, which has a numerical advantage in the army, may lose its advantage bit by bit in this flesh-and-blood millstone by the North Vietnamese Army.
"We can't fight Ruan Ni for a few more months." After receiving praise from Mu and Feng, Zheng Bai didn't show any joy on his face. Instead, he looked very tired: "Ruan Ni has the Champa Kingdom to provide him." We have some material and financial support, but we don’t have it. We have conscripted a large number of peasants and soldiers for this war. If we fight for a few more months, it will directly lead to a comprehensive reduction in food production. In addition, it will also require a lot of effort to maintain such a large-scale army. Even if we win the battle, we will not be able to go south to attack Ruan Ni. You both saw how bravely our soldiers fought, but if they cannot get the promised military pay and silver reward for a long time, The morale and combat effectiveness will still decline quickly.”
Zheng Bai raised his hand and pointed to the south and said: "Ruan Ni knew that he could not attack this line of defense, but he still insisted on attacking every day. They just want to compete with us. Not only soldiers, but also financial resources and materials. The distance here has risen. Long Mansion is eight hundred miles away, but it is less than three hundred miles away from Guangzhi controlled by Ruan Ni. Whether it is transporting food or troops, we will have to spend more than double the longer this battle lasts. , the advantage over Ruan Ni will be more obvious!”
Mu and Feng exchanged glances, both thinking that Zheng Bai could actually have such an understanding and analysis of the battle situation. It seemed that he was more than just a warrior. Thang Long Palace was determined to continue the long-term confrontation with the south, but the commanders at the front of the North Vietnamese Army obviously did not think that long-term confrontation was a good solution.
At this time, some soldiers came over and whispered a few words in Zheng Bai's ear. Zheng Bai nodded and said to Mu and Feng: "Would you two come with me to watch in front of the battle?"
"Then please ask General Zheng to lead the way."
Although Mu Xiabai and Feng Anan both had military backgrounds and strong minds before traveling through time, and had just observed the entire battle from a distance, when they saw the piles of corpses on the battlefield, they still found it difficult to suppress them. Bear the impact on your heart.
The strong smell of blood in the air showed the brutality of the battle. In some low-lying and uneven places, large amounts of blood had begun to coagulate. Groups of auxiliary soldiers and civilian husbands entered the battlefield and carried the bodies of their own soldiers to the rear for disposal. However, those South Vietnamese soldiers who died here were not so lucky. After dark, the civilian laborers would throw all their bodies away. Go to the edge of the dense forest at the foot of the hillside and let it fend for itself. When the South Vietnamese army launches another attack tomorrow, the bodies of their fallen comrades will become the first weapon to attack their psychology.
Only then did Mu and Feng understand why the smell of blood here was mixed with a strong smell of corpses. It seemed that there were many corpses of South Vietnamese soldiers in the dense forest dozens of meters away. These South Vietnamese soldiers were still able to muster the courage to attack after stepping over the rotting corpses, which shows their strength - from another perspective, it can also be called barbaric.
Zheng Bai took Mu and Feng to inspect the battlefield while introducing the results of the battle. The South Vietnamese army left a total of more than 1,100 corpses on the two battlefields, the highest number of casualties in the past ten days. The North Vietnamese army, which had a slight advantage, could not avoid casualties. More than 300 people were killed directly in battle. There were also hundreds of wounded soldiers who would lose their ability to fight for a period of time due to their injuries.
In the area where the corpses were emptied, craftsmen immediately entered and began to repair the damaged walls and defenses. Some of the wooden walls that had been torn down or cut down by the South Vietnamese army would be re-erected in the shortest possible time. In addition, some farmers came in carrying loads of sand and soil to cover up the conspicuous blood pits. The reason for this is not only to protect the soldiers stationed there from the smell of blood, but more importantly, to avoid the breeding of mosquitoes on the defense line, which could lead to diseases. Various aftermath work is being carried out in an orderly manner, and it seems that the North Vietnamese Army has gained experience in defending here.
"General Zheng just let the craftsmen and civilians enter the field with such confidence and boldness. If the opponent seizes this opportunity to launch another attack, wouldn't it be a mess?" Although Feng Annan admired North Vietnam's arrangements for the aftermath, he still raised his own doubts.
Zheng Bai gave a rare smile and said: "Ruan Ni has indeed done this, but after suffering a few losses, they will never be fooled again. Now they have sent real craftsmen and civilians to clean the battlefield, Ruan Ni But I don’t dare to act rashly anymore.”
Feng Annan suddenly realized: "So General Zheng used this as a trick to defeat their ambush?"
Zheng Bai said: "It's just a small trick, you two are laughing at it!"
After saying that, he looked up at the sky, and then said: "It's a bit late today. It seems that there won't be a second attack. You two can go down the mountain and return to camp to rest."
The two were escorted back to the Chinese army camp by Zheng Bai's personal soldiers, and that night they began to sort out what they had learned from today's battle. In terms of the overall direction of development, Annan's civil war situation was basically in line with the judgment of the base camp, but the specific battle situation was quite beyond the expectations of the Military and Police Department. Whether it is the brutality of the battle or the unique tactical offense and defense of both sides, there are many points that deserve the attention of the Military and Police Department. Otherwise, if the Haihan Militia Group sets foot on this battlefield a few days later, there may be mistakes in the tactical arrangements. causing undue losses.
Another thing that attracted the attention of the two men was Zheng Bai, the commander of the North Vietnamese Army. Not only did he understand military strategy, but he also seemed to have a good view of the overall situation. He also showed no objection to Haihan's assistance. If North Vietnam can make a good comeback after this, then Zheng Bai's status in the North Vietnamese military may further rise in the future. For the Crossing Group, this should be a person worth making and maintaining relationships with.
The reports compiled by the two men were sent to the Tushan Peninsula and Victory Port respectively by radio that night for reference by the operation planners in the rear. In addition, they also had to prepare the content of the meeting with Zheng Bai the next day and make requests to the other party for the personnel, materials and combat strategy support needed by the Haihan Militia. The first thing to bear the brunt was to have North Vietnam send civilian workers to build a dock and logistics base in Yong'an Port in the north in advance.
(End of chapter)