Chapter 391 The Allies Arrive
Since the first use of shotgun shells in the Battle of Lijiazhuang in May last year, the huge lethality of this new artillery shell at close range has made it widely welcomed by the army. Since the Executive Committee's review of military expenditures has always been strict, the Military Commission also insists on taking the elite force route. The Haihan Militia is often at a significant disadvantage in terms of military strength during combat, so it must rely more on weapon performance and tactical formulation. Execution advantage to win. In addition to the new breech-loading rifles, shotgun shells that can be fired from the Army's existing artillery are also weapons that the Army relies heavily on.
"The Second Battalion and the First Company retreated to rest, and the Second Battalion and the Second Company entered the combat position!"
Following the order from the messenger, the combat companies that had held their position all morning began to retreat in an orderly manner, and other companies took their positions. The withdrawing troops must first check their firearms, clean the chambers of the guns, count and replenish ammunition, then eat immediately to replenish energy, and seize the time to rest and recuperate.
The personnel on the artillery position were always in short supply and could not be replaced. At this time, they took advantage of the break in the fighting to stop and rest for a while. However, their treatment is much better than that of ordinary infantry. The hot meals have been packed and carried directly to the artillery position by civilians on poles for them to eat. In order to ensure that the nearly 3,000 frontline combatants can eat hot food on time, Heitu Port began to stockpile coal in Yongan Port as early as the end of last year, and then arranged two cargo ships after the war to transport coal from Yongan Port to the battle area use.
Although this logistics supply method seems troublesome and expensive, it has a very practical effect on ensuring the combat effectiveness of combat troops. To feed such thousands of people, the amount of fuel that needs to be consumed every day is not a small amount. If there is no stable logistics support, there will be big trouble. What's more, the South Vietnamese Army had already cut down all the trees within ten miles outside the city, so it was impossible to find fuel locally.
More than a hundred artillery trainees who accompanied the team on this expedition took advantage of the truce to start cleaning and scrubbing the gun barrels and counting and replenishing ammunition. Although they were doing rough work, these trainees were not treated as ordinary migrant workers. use. Each of them is an outstanding person selected from the newly recruited soldiers at the end of last year. They are flexible and courageous. Their professional skills training was also taken over by Portuguese military consultants hired from Macau last year. Due to the increase in the number of instructors, the artillery training speed has doubled compared with before. For this expedition to South Vietnam, the Military Commission also included them in the battle list. On the one hand, they can see the real battlefield, and on the other hand, they can be added to the regular army when necessary. Although the sighting skills of these students may not be too strong, it is no longer a problem to use them as loaders.
In the afternoon of the same day, the South Vietnamese army launched two more offensives, but under the long-range firepower of the Hai Han militia, they still could only return without success, only causing hundreds of casualties. Before nightfall, the South Vietnamese army finally gave up on the riverside position they had been fighting for for two days, because this place was completely within the firing range of the Hai Han militia, and there was no longer any shelter for the troops stationed on this position. The enemy's shooting field of view was as defenseless as meat on a chopping board.
However, although the offensive of the Haihan Militia was relatively smooth, not everything was under control, and uncontrollable factors still existed objectively. At the combat meeting at the frontline headquarters that night, the atmosphere was very solemn.
"There may be massive rainfall in two days? Is this thing 50% reliable?" Qiao Zhiya frowned at the latest report in his hand and asked in a questioning tone.
"If we talk about scientific evidence, I'm afraid no one can provide it now. After all, there are no meteorological satellites in the sky. This is just an inference based on comprehensive information from all aspects and can only provide a reference." Qian Tiandun seemed unhurried. Wait, it seems that he has already understood the contents of the report.
This weather forecast comes from the logistics department, and its information sources are also diverse. There are speculations made by weather enthusiasts in the military based on changes in clouds and air pressure, reference information provided by Annan soldiers who are familiar with the weather in Indochina based on physical sensations, and even confessions from captured prisoners - in Hue Province in early March of previous years There are always heavy rains lasting for several days in nearby areas. These inferences that lack data support are naturally not very scientific, but no one can deny that the possibility of such weather changes exists objectively.
For the Haihan Militia, which installs firearms on a large scale, rainy weather is undoubtedly the objective factor that most restricts combat effectiveness. Although the muskets used by militia groups now use breech loading and flash cap firing, there is still a high possibility that the gunpowder will become damp and unable to fire in rainy weather. Not to mention artillery filled with gunpowder packages. If the rain is too heavy and water enters the barrel, it will be impossible to fire. And if we want to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, then the Haihan Militia is really not enough.
"It's better to believe in something than something that doesn't exist. We don't fight an unprepared battle. No matter whether it rains or not, being fully prepared is the foundation for our invincibility." Yan Chujie quickly gave this The matter is finalized: "The staff department also has a combat plan to deal with weather changes before departure. Just adjust the tactics according to the plan. The relevant materials will be arranged for shipment overnight and will be transported to the frontline positions early tomorrow morning. It is necessary to ensure the safety of the frontline troops. Combat strength is not affected by weather! ”
Although the rainy season in Indochina is from May to November and has not yet entered the real rainy season, when formulating the operational plan, the staff still took the uncertain factor of weather changes into consideration and formulated a plan. Corresponding combat plan. Although the muskets and artillery currently installed do not have the performance to be used in the rain, relevant departments can still ensure the use environment of the weapons through some simple technical means.
To put it bluntly, this so-called technical method is actually nothing mysterious. It is nothing more than building a rainproof shelter on the position to block the rain falling from the sky as much as possible. The logistics department prepared a large number of tarpaulin awnings and cloaks in the combat supplies when setting off, for emergencies when the weather changes. After more than ten days of fighting, these things finally came into use.
The next morning, the South Vietnamese troops observing the enemy's situation on the city tower suddenly discovered that the Haihan people had no intention of continuing the offensive today. Instead, they started construction on their own positions, digging trenches and burying piles. I don't know what happened. What reason.
The confused South Vietnamese army couldn't understand, but everyone in the Haihan Militia already knew why they were doing these things. Qiao Zhiya, who was an engineer major when he joined the army, personally guided the civilians and engineers to dig drainage ditches on the positions to ensure that several major firepower output points would not be flooded by water on the ground on rainy days. Needless to say, the wooden piles buried on the ground are used to build an awning.
Soon, pieces of tarpaulin awnings were erected above the fire output point. At this time, the South Vietnamese army, who had been in the fog on the tower, finally figured out that the Haihan people were building rainproof facilities. The South Vietnamese army, which also noticed signs of weather changes, chose to stay dormant on this day and quietly watched the Haihan people continuously expand the coverage of the canopy on the position. The South Vietnamese army does not have so many firearms, and the impact of rainy days on combat effectiveness will definitely be less than that of the opponent. Instead of launching an attack now, it is better to wait until it rains. Maybe the firearms that the Haihan people are famous for will lose their effect, and then they can easily Got it.
By the time the sun went down, a canopy of oilcloth awnings had appeared outside the Haihan position, covering all fire output points. As for the camp surrounding it, there haven't been many changes, because the military marching tents were originally made of waterproof tarpaulin, and it was enough to dig deep drainage ditches outside the tents.
At noon on March 10, the sky suddenly became gloomy, thick dark clouds shrouded the sky over Hue City, and the wind gradually became stronger. Seeing the heavy rain approaching, the Haihan position was busy making final preparations for the upcoming weather change.
"Take another rope to reinforce one here!" Qiao Zhiya pointed to an awning and ordered the foreman behind him. As the person in charge of the construction of rainproof facilities, Qiao Zhiya is still checking for leaks and filling gaps in the battlefield, striving to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
In addition to the wooden stake supports for the awning on the position, the tarpaulins were also tied with ropes to large iron nails driven one foot into the ground to prevent the tarpaulins from being easily blown away by strong winds. All kinds of combat supplies, especially guns and ammunition, were all wrapped in tarpaulin and stored under the awning to prevent them from getting wet and affected by moisture. At two o'clock in the afternoon, after a burst of thunder that echoed across the sky, raindrops as big as soybeans finally fell from the sky and crackled on the awning. Almost all the officers looked up to the sky, as if they wanted to see with their naked eyes the weight of the rain above their heads.
However, even after everyone's necks were sore, the rain did not decrease at all, but continued to increase. If the drainage ditch on the position had not been widened and deepened in advance, the country would have been completely wiped out by now. But even so, this kind of heavy rain has made the warring parties lose the possibility of starting a war at this time. The only thing Haihan is thankful for is that this heavy rain did not come with strong winds at the same time. Otherwise, the ropes reinforced the positions. It’s hard to say whether the awning will stand the test.
Until dark, because the rain did not decrease, the South Vietnamese army did not choose to attack, so it was delayed for another day.
By noon on the 11th, the rain finally slowed down, and the South Vietnamese army seized this opportunity and launched another attack on the Hai Han position. But what made the South Vietnamese army feel desperate was that the weapons used by the Hai Han militia were not greatly affected by the sudden heavy rain. The artillery and artillery were still successfully fired as expected, and the South Vietnamese army that launched the attack in the rain was The fight was so intense that they retreated almost as soon as the militia opened fire. After only one round of attack, it was terminated. Since the surrounding terrain had become very muddy, the militiamen were in no hurry to continue advancing on the front, so the day's fighting came to an end.
Fortunately, the heavy rain came to an end after this night, and the officers of the militia finally did not have to worry that the rain would continue to delay the progress of the war. On the morning of the 12th, the militia infantry launched a new round of attacks on the mud and continued to advance along the banks of the Xiangjiang River towards the wall of Hue City. The South Vietnamese army of about 2,000 people who tried to stop the militia had to give way under the collective fire of muskets.
However, the command of the South Vietnamese Army did not think of anything. Taking advantage of the two-day truce, several cannons were transported from the city walls in other non-combatant directions and set up on the northeast corner fort that had been destroyed by concentrated fire. Go up and fight back against the militia infantry outside the city. It must be said that this move was slightly beyond the expectations of the militia commanders. After several artillery shells flew into the militia's infantry array and knocked over several soldiers, the officer quickly ordered the infantry team to retreat to a safe distance. , and then mobilized artillery to fight.
Due to the muddy ground, it took a lot of effort for the heavy artillery to be pushed to the front line. Although the distance was only a few hundred meters, it took a full two hours for more than a dozen artillery pieces to be in place, and then to the northeast corner. The fort carried out concentrated strikes. The artillery on the city wall suffered from a disadvantage due to its range. It was unable to fire at the Haihan artillery outside the city, so it could only be passively beaten in a depressed manner.
It is worth mentioning that the 48-pound siege mortar that had just arrived at the front line before the heavy rain finally made its debut in this battle, and soon directly destroyed an artillery on the city wall turret with a precise hit. and seven gunners. Before dark, intensive artillery strikes had completely silenced the northeast corner fort again, but the offensive that Haihan tried to launch did not make actual progress because of this.
But just one day later, the situation changed again. The North Vietnamese Army, which was pursuing all the way from the north, directly skipped Guangzhi City without fighting, and marched to a place less than 20 miles west of Hue City. connect.
The total strength of the North Vietnamese army that crossed Dong Hoi and pursued southward this time exceeded 40,000. Although it was inevitable that there were a considerable number of peasant soldiers with low combat effectiveness, there were also 4,000 soldiers. The guard was completely modeled on the Haihan combat system. ****Elite. About 10,000 of this army stayed in the north to surround Guangzhi City. The rest of the troops, led by North Vietnamese general Zheng Bai, went all the way south and rushed outside Hue City.
Zheng Bai led his army south in such a hurry, and even skipped the siege of Guangzhi City without attacking it. On the one hand, it was because the credit of attacking Hue City was not to be missed, and on the other hand, he was a little afraid that the Han people were attacking Hue City. Then loot it all, just like they did in Hoi An.
This kind of thing is not impossible. With the way the Haihan people do things, they would probably be happy to put all the wealth in Hue city on ships and transport it back to Qiongzhou Island. And now that the North Vietnamese court has regarded the South Vietnam region as its own, it naturally does not want to let the Haihan people eat alone in Hue City - every tael of silver in this city will become the property of the North Vietnamese court from now on!
Zheng Bai sent people to contact the Haihan Militia. First, he wanted to inform his allies that our army has arrived. Please stop messing around. Secondly, he also wanted to ask for some supplies from Haihan. The North Vietnamese Army was eager to come and participate in the battle to attack Hue City. They moved their troops south too fast. It took only two days to reach the 120-mile distance, so that all the logistical supplies were left far behind. . The rations they carry now are only enough for three days, and the ammunition reserves are also quite limited. If they want to fight a high-intensity battle, they may not be enough.
In response to the allies' request, the frontline headquarters still generously agreed to help and was willing to temporarily provide some military rations and combat supplies. Of course, this kind of front-line assistance is not free. The value of every grain of rice and every bullet will be included in the military expenditure settlement of both sides after the war. In addition, the transportation capacity of materials must be solved by the North Vietnamese side. The Hai Han Militia will not use limited manpower to wipe the butt of the North Vietnamese army.
However, due to the unexpected arrival of the North Vietnamese Army, the command's previously formulated lone combat plan also needed to be slightly adjusted. Although it is not difficult to capture the city of Hue on one's own, since the allies' troops have arrived nearby and have shown a strong willingness to participate in the war, it is not easy for Hai Han to make his appearance too ugly. As for how to gain benefits after the city is broken, it seems that we can only take one step at a time. However, even if the North Vietnamese Army participated in the siege, the headquarters was convinced that they would not be able to break through the city defenses before the Hai Han militia. Some things must be done quickly. Whoever takes the first step in the city will gain more benefits.
On March 15, the military chiefs of North Vietnam and Haihan met in a small village fifteen miles north of Hue. This area had long been cleared by the Haihan militia, so neither side brought many armed entourages. Yan Chujie only brought Qian Tiandun and a guard beside him.
After the two sides met, they exchanged brief greetings and then informed each other of their experiences and results since the war began. The Hai Han militia successfully advanced the front line outside Hue City to less than 300 meters from the city wall, and killed more than 4,000 South Vietnamese troops in a battle that lasted more than 20 days.
The achievements of the North Vietnamese army are also worth flaunting. They defeated the 8,000 South Vietnamese troops who stayed in the local area during the cross-river battle in Dong Hoi, and pursued the defeated troops all the way to Quang Tri City, and finally escaped into Guang Tri City. The defeated troops probably numbered less than a thousand, and the rest were either killed in battle or became prisoners of the North Vietnamese Army. Although Guangzhi City has not yet been captured, there are less than 3,000 defenders in the city, and there is no actual threat. Zheng Bai planned to take Hue and then send some of his troops back to attack Quang Zhi. It should be a sure thing.
(End of chapter)