Chapter 393 Attack and Defense in the City
As the attack order was issued, dozens of prepared wooden platoons were thrown into the moat by the engineering troops, and the simple pontoon bridge that had been broken by the collapse of the city wall was quickly reconnected, and the bridge deck was also widened a lot. People who knew the nature of water jumped in one after another, and more than a dozen people helped stabilize the raft. Fortunately, the flow rate of this inland river was extremely slow, and it could be maintained with human power. Another engineer rushed onto the bridge deck and quickly connected the wooden rafts together with double-headed nails.
The soldiers of the Black Earth Port Special Operations Battalion had already stepped onto the bridge deck before the pontoon bridge was erected. A dozen specially selected strong men were holding large shields with a height of more than two meters and a width of 1.3 meters to clear the way ahead. This kind of wooden shield, which is more than one inch thick, is also covered with a layer of iron. It weighs more than 60 kilograms and is strong enough to withstand arrow fire at close range. The matchlock gun used by the South Vietnamese army can be fired at fifty paces. At such a distance, the shield cannot be penetrated. When this kind of shield is erected, it becomes an insurmountable high wall, covering the people behind it tightly. When turned sideways, it can also be used as a parapet to cover the infantry's firing formation. The frontal protection capability is very powerful.
On such occasions when a desperate charge was needed, Takahashi Nan always rushed to the front regardless of his life, but this time under Qian Tiandun's strict order, he could only huddle behind the big shield and cooperate with other soldiers. Combat. Qian Tiandun made the purpose of the battle very clear to his officers before the war. This city-breaking battle was a rare opportunity to practice siege tactics. All participants must strictly implement the prepared tactical arrangements and must not Taking unauthorized actions in the name of killing the enemy. Qian Tiandun also specifically named Gao Qiaonan, who likes to advance aggressively, and asked him to "be more honest" in performing tasks and lead his company to control the target area he is responsible for.
The advance team quickly rushed across the pontoon bridge under the cover of a large shield and stepped onto the ruins of the city wall. Although the previous earth-shattering explosion wiped out the defenders on this section of the city wall, other troops quickly came to make up for it after the city wall collapsed. Arrows, lead bullets, and even hurled guns were thrown at them like raindrops. The advance team that had just rushed to the gap in the city wall. Although the shielding effect of the large shield was quite good, several militiamen still groaned and fell to the ground with injuries.
"Line up!"
The blocked advance team did not panic. Takahashi Minami immediately directed the remaining people to quickly form four rows behind the shield wall.
"Drop the shield!"
Takahashi Minami gave an order, and the strong man carrying the shield in the front row immediately turned the shield from vertical to horizontal and lowered it, revealing the platoon of guns behind him who had already raised their guns. The advance team, which had already practiced the gun formation to perfection, immediately fired forward and retreated. The people in the rear row took up positions and fired. In this cycle, in just more than ten seconds, the four rows of militiamen completed a round of rapid fire. As soon as the gunfire stopped, the large shields in the front row were immediately erected, allowing the militiamen to take a break to refill their bullets.
This tactic is very simple, and the main test is whether the advance team can bring their daily training level to bear on the battlefield. If you are a new recruit, you are likely to be flustered when faced with such a scene, and cannot keep up with the rhythm required by the gun formation, which may cause chaos in the formation. However, the group of people selected by Qian Tiandun were already veterans of Black Earth Port. They had participated in all the military operations conducted in the North Vietnam region last year. Their combat experience was quite rich among the militia troops, so they were quite comfortable in dealing with such battle scenes.
After three consecutive rounds of shooting, hundreds of South Vietnamese defenders who hurriedly rushed to the gap for reinforcements were knocked down by a dense volley of guns. The remaining lucky ones quickly withdrew from the firing range of this team. Compared with the long-range weapons used by the Haihan militia, these defenders now really feel that what they are holding is a fire stick, and they can't even use it to scratch their opponents' itch.
After occupying the gap in the city wall, the advance team did not advance rashly. Instead, they climbed onto the walls on both sides from the collapsed spot and set up a defensive line to confront the defenders coming from the city wall. The subsequent militia troops quickly entered the gap and used local materials to build defensive positions using the collapsed city walls.
It has to be said that the chaos caused by the previous blasting of the city wall in the city brought great convenience to the militia's siege. The defense forces in the city actually noticed this main attack direction and originally deployed several defenders near the battle area. But almost all of these troops fell out of control after the city wall collapsed. Not only were the soldiers in disarray like headless chickens, but many officers also lost their self-control and failed to organize teams to defend the fallen city wall immediately, leaving time for the Haihan militia to secure a breakthrough.
If the defenders in the city launch a counterattack in time, the simple pontoon bridge built by a vanguard of more than a hundred people and a few wooden platoons will not be enough to support the militia to form a large-scale breakthrough here. However, every step was slow, and the Haihan Militia took advantage of the chaos in the city's defenders to quickly establish a small position in the northeast corner and began to build a more stable and wider pontoon bridge on the nearby inner moat.
By the time the city's defenders organized a team of a thousand people to launch a counterattack, a full hour had passed since the city wall collapsed. Prior to this, although the defenders had launched several offensives from both sides of the city walls and inside the city, they were repulsed without exception by the sharp guns and artillery of the Haihan militia. Especially for the defenders who launched a counterattack from the city wall, due to the narrow terrain, rushing towards the Haihan militia's gun formation was almost equivalent to death. After several offensives, corpses had blocked the passage on the city wall.
As of two o'clock in the afternoon, thousands of combatants from the vanguard of the militia had entered the city, but they had not yet launched an offensive deep into the city. They were still gathering at the gaps in the city wall to organize defenses, waiting for a new wave of counterattacks from the defenders. A new pontoon bridge has been erected on the moat outside the city. Thigh-thick wooden piles are driven deeply into the river bottom, and wooden planks are fixed on top to build the bridge deck.
"The engineering troops are really well trained!" Qian Tiandun gave a rare compliment to the troops affiliated with the base camp.
"This is a team that Mr. Tao personally organized and trained. The quality is definitely guaranteed." Yan Chujie responded with a smile.
In terms of the capabilities of combat troops alone, the Black Tu Port Special Operations Battalion led by Qian Tiandun is undoubtedly the best. Especially in today's critical battles, the Special Operations Battalion is accustomed to close combat with its opponents. It is more suitable for the base camp troops controlled at the edge of the shooting range, so they were selected as the advance team for the siege. As the founder of the Black Earth Port Force, Qian Tiandun is also very proud of his own team and rarely praises other teams in public. However, the performance of the engineering force today is indeed remarkable, and it can be regarded as a milestone during the siege. Great work. Although the siege troops have only occupied a corner of Hue City, with the defensive capabilities of the Hai Han militia, it may be difficult for the defenders to pull out this nail driven into the city.
From that afternoon to dark, the South Vietnamese defenders dispatched about 4,000 people to besiege the Hai Han militia that entered the city, but they did not achieve the results they expected. The defenders even unloaded several cannons from the city wall and pushed them nearby, hoping to engage in a close-range artillery battle with the militia. However, after only firing two rounds, they were exposed to the militia's artillery fire. In an instant, He was sent into the sky by a wave of artillery shells, and several barrels of gunpowder detonated nearby also took away the lives of more than 30 defenders.
After nightfall, the defenders also organized two groups of death squads to launch an attack. However, the troops entering the city demolished the surrounding houses and lit many fires outside the position, making it impossible for the invading enemies to hide their whereabouts, leaving nearly a hundred people behind in vain. With a corpse.
The intensity of the fighting became very fierce the next day, and from dawn on, the defenders launched an attack at all costs. Nearly 10,000 defenders attacked this position in the northeast corner of Hue City like a tide. Even if the Hai Han Militia once again used its shotgun weapon, they could not completely repel the defenders' continuous offensive. At the most dangerous time, the defenders had even rushed to the militia's position and started a small-scale hand-to-hand battle with the militia soldiers who had finished firing their bullets and had no time to reload them. However, the strong militiamen did not suffer in close combat. After all, what they learned were standard bayonet fighting techniques that were summarized through actual combat in later generations. Their advantages in fighting were very obvious.
At the critical moment, the sniper team led by Old Morgan arrived in time for reinforcements and shot more than a dozen South Vietnamese officers from their sniper positions on the city wall, causing chaos in the command of the attacking troops, and thus the war situation was saved.
This day's battle continued until the sky was getting dark. Even the soldiers of the Black Earth Port Special Operations Battalion, which was known for its powerful combat effectiveness, mostly fell to the ground from exhaustion at this time. If there were not replaceable troops outside the city, the headquarters would probably have no choice but to order a retreat.
After nightfall, when the soldiers went into shift rest, the senior leaders of the command headquarters had to seize the time to hold a meeting to summarize today's battle situation and discuss the next tactics.
"In today's battle, a total of twenty-seven people were killed, and one hundred and seventy-three people were seriously injured and needed to be removed from the firing line for treatment. In addition, fifty-seven rifles had problems and needed to be replaced. Three artillery had reached the design life and could not be used. Let’s continue using it.” Yan Chujie first reported today’s battle damage to the officers present. "The casualties are still within an acceptable range. What I am more concerned about now is whether our ammunition supply can keep up?" Qian Tiandun had no expression on his face. For him, the results of the battle are far more important than these numbers. Achieving the established combat goals is the only thing he cares about.
"There is no problem with the logistics supply." Wang Tom responded: "I am personally watching this matter. You can rest assured to fight. If the ammunition cannot keep up, I will bear the blame!"
After conquering Hue City, the naval general Wang Tom basically had no combat missions. Of course he hopes to continue fighting side by side with the siege troops, but the headquarters has given him the task of logistics and transportation - now combat supplies are transported from the sea to the front line through the Xiangjiang River, which happens to be his area of expertise. Regardless of whether he is willing or not, he can only shoulder this responsibility.
"Let's talk about the opponent's situation. According to our rough statistics, as of the end of today's battle, we should have killed more than 4,000 enemy troops after breaking the city. Although this number is still far from the 30,000 defenders we estimated. It's a very big distance, but judging from the enemy's offensive today, I think they have a last-ditch effort." Qian Tiandun took the initiative to bring the topic to today's results.
"It would be good if it was a last-ditch effort, but if not, with today's combat intensity, it would be difficult for our troops to hold on. I estimate that in two days at most, our troops will not be able to hold on." Yan Chujie said about the battle situation. His views were not as optimistic as Qian Tiandun's, but instead he was a little worried.
Although the Haihan Militia's combat effectiveness is quite strong, its shortcomings are also very obvious. The combat method relies heavily on weapons, and the number of troops is too small. In a high-intensity combat environment, weapons wear out very quickly, and insufficient troops will put the mental and physical strength of the combatants to a great test. Although the combat level of the South Vietnamese defenders could not be compared with that of the militia, they were better at fighting at home. They were familiar with the environment and had a strength advantage. Moreover, in a situation with no way to retreat, the combat effectiveness they unleashed was also amazing. If this intensity of attrition war continues, it is really a question whether the Haihan militia can hold on to the final victory.
"Should we bring in the North Vietnamese guards to coordinate operations?" Qiao Zhiya suggested.
"This is not appropriate. It is best not to use the North Vietnamese army unless it is absolutely necessary. This will have a negative impact on our plan to control Hue City after the war." Yan Chujie rejected Qiao Zhiya's proposal, but did not say too much. Straightforward.
North Vietnam still has more than 4,000 new troops in Han Dynasty. If necessary, Haihan can indeed ask North Vietnam to send this army into the city to assist in the battle. But when the Military Commission formulated the battle plan, it had no intention of giving the North Vietnamese army a chance to take a share of the pie when the city was broken. Moreover, the North Vietnamese Army needs to tie up pockets on the west side of Hue City to prevent the South Vietnamese forces in the city from escaping westward. Without the New Army to guard the city, the combat effectiveness of the remaining tens of thousands of troops is really worrying. However, the vigilante group wants to rely entirely on its own strength to survive alone. Judging from the current war situation, it seems that it is somewhat unable to do so.
While several senior military officers were discussing the next battle plan, someone came in and reported that an envoy sent by North Vietnam had been captured. When the militiamen escorted the envoy to the tent of the headquarters, most of the officers present knew this person.
This envoy was none other than Nguyen Ching Kui, who went to Victory Port as an envoy on behalf of the South Vietnamese court last year to conduct peace talks with the Haihan side. Although he was already in a state of war, Ruan Jinggui did not look panicked. After greeting several officers he knew one by one, he sat down on the stool brought by the militiamen.
Yan Chujie asked with a hint of mockery: "Isn't it a little too late for Mr. Ruan to come to my camp to negotiate peace at this time? If I remember correctly, we had made our words very clear about five months ago, and you The small court also made its attitude very clear, so today's war happened. To be honest, I think it is too late to negotiate peace at this time."
Ruan Jinggui responded calmly: "General Yan's words are reasonable. Although I have tried my best to avoid this war, I am weak and unable to influence the government's affairs. I can only sit on the sidelines and watch. Now even if the emperor of this dynasty It’s probably not possible to personally request you to withdraw the troops, right?”
"It really doesn't work." Yan Chujie did not leave any room for change for the other party: "The small court in Hue will not be destroyed. Even if we agree, the court in the north will not agree. This battle will definitely be divided into winners and losers. , judging from the current war situation, I think your little court has no chance to make a comeback. I know you are a smart person. At this time, you should not work hard for something that is hopeless. You should think about how to survive in this situation. Survive the war!”
"Thank you for the compliment, General Yan. In fact, I also think that I am a smart man." Ruan Jinggui actually smiled and said: "I have the same view as General Yan. At this point in the war, the Hue court probably has no chance to turn around."
Yan Chujie is also a sensitive person. Hearing Ruan Jinggui's tone, he immediately reacted: "So Mr. Ruan is not here to negotiate peace today?"
"Yes, and no." Ruan Jinggui paused, and then continued to explain: "When your army came to the city, there were two factions in the court, the Lord and the Lord, arguing endlessly. The day before yesterday, your army broke into the city, and the Lord and the Lord The debate on the war has turned into three parties: surrender, escape, and war. As for the specific opinions of each party, I think General Yan can figure it out without further explanation."
"Of course you are not from the main fighting faction, so of the remaining two factions, which one do you belong to?" Yan Chujie asked.
"It depends on the purpose of your army." Ruan Jingui responded: "If your army just wants to capture the city of Hue, then someone is willing to buy a living road to the south for 50,000 taels of gold and 400,000 taels of silver."
Yan Chujie shook his head decisively and said: "This is impossible. The fate of the small court of South Vietnam has been exhausted. Even if it is released today, the killing will continue tomorrow. Besides, after capturing Hue City, all the gold and silver will be in the city. No matter It’s all taken by us, what kind of transaction is needed?”
After being rejected by Yan Chujie, Ruan Jinggui's expression remained unchanged and he continued: "Although your army is strong in combat, it comes across the sea after all, and its troops are limited. However, there are still tens of thousands of defenders in Hue City. They started to divide the troops in the city yesterday. Build fortifications in different sections. Even if the war is unfavorable, there is still an imperial city that can be defended. I wonder if your army will be able to hold on and attack these fortresses one by one. "
Yan Chujie did not answer his question, but asked: "Then what do you want to say?"
Ruan Jinggui responded in a deep voice: "If General Yan can make a promise to treat my Ruan family well after the war, then there will be someone in the city who can help your army!"
(End of chapter)