Chapter 1827 Successive setbacks
For the Qing army, the combat effectiveness of the North Korean navy was actually just that. If it had not been so severely suppressed by the Haihan fleet in the previous two years, the naval forces brought to Liaodong by the Ming Dynasty would have been enough to defeat the Koreans. Have a drink. But now, even the small warships of the Korean navy, which are no more than five feet long, can make the Qing army, which only has a few rafts, sigh when looking at the river.
Due to the limited number of vehicles crossing the river and limited transportation capacity, the three islands of Lingluo, Yangjiao and Toulao near Pyongyang naturally became the springboard for crossing the river in the eyes of the Qing army. Taking advantage of the low visibility at night to transport troops to the island, they stayed on the island during the day to make rafts for the second step of the river-crossing operation. After the troops had reached a certain scale, they took action after dark and tried to land on the south bank of the Datong River. .
Of course, this arrangement is only a unilateral combat plan of the Qing army. As for whether it can be achieved, we can only tell after trying it first. But after this trend was monitored by Haihan early, the Qing troops who landed on the island essentially became a group of cannon fodder that never returned.
Two days after the Qing army implemented this tactic, dozens of warships suddenly appeared on the river, blocking the river between the three islands and the north bank, blocking the retreat of the Qing army on the islands. Then the troop carrier carrying the Haihan Marine Corps began to deliver troops to the island, and the infantry landed on the island to complete the task of clearing out the enemy forces.
The operation had only started for two days, and the troops the Qing army could send to the island were extremely limited, and they were basically infantry using cold weapons. Toulao Island, where the Qing army invested the most troops, still had less than a thousand Qing troops on the island, and because of transportation efficiency, basically no heavy weapons were transported to the island. This made it difficult for the Qing troops on the island to have any effective counterattack in the face of sudden attacks, and they quickly lost their resistance under the intensive fire of muskets. After the allied fleet blocked the river, the Qing army could only watch helplessly on the north bank of the Datong River as the enemy troops landed on the island and annihilated those companions hiding on the island.
Under the cover of warship firepower, Sun Bing led a company of marines to successfully land on Yangjiao Island, and then launched a clearing operation against the enemy forces on the island. On this small island with a terrain as narrow as a sheep's horn, the Qing army had nowhere to hide, but it was difficult to break through the firepower net of the Haihan army in a head-on confrontation. After receiving two rounds of gunfire, it gave up the charge and could only Huddled in the woods on the island, waiting for an opportunity to launch a counterattack.
But how could Sun Bing leave any chance to the Qing army? He immediately ordered the forest to be set on fire. When the Haihan Army went to North Korea this time, they also specially brought a batch of incendiary bombs produced by Taiwan's Chushuangkeng Oil Refinery. This thing was just a trial product made at the request of the military, but it was really powerful. After using a simple thrower to smash it into the woods from dozens of meters away, the incendiary bomb using crude gasoline as an accelerant immediately ignited the forest. .
Crude gasoline is a product of simple distillation of petroleum. It is extremely flammable and difficult to extinguish with water. After the woods on the island burned, Qing troops who had no way to retreat soon rushed out of the woods and tried to fight to the death. However, What awaited them was the ruthless volley of shots from their opponents a hundred steps away.
Such a battle naturally turned into a one-sided killing. The Qing soldiers who rushed out of the forest basically didn't even see the face of the enemy before they were shot and fell to the ground. The mission that Sun Bing received did not require arresting people alive, so he implemented this attitude in his command and ordered his soldiers not to hold back. Any Qing army that rushes out of the woods with weapons in hand will be treated as stubbornly resisting.
The thick smoke rising from the island quickly attracted the attention of both sides of the Datong River, but the emotions of the two sides watching the fire from the other side were naturally completely opposite. The coalition forces were very excited about this action that could frustrate the Qing army's vigor. Especially the Korean army, which had been losing consecutive battles before, seemed to have seen the hope of victory.
Of course, the Qing army was not happy about this situation. Huang Taiji and others looked at the billowing smoke rising from Jiangxin Island with livid faces, knowing that the troops landing on the island who lacked rescue were definitely in danger. The loss of this few men and horses is a small matter, but after this action plan is discovered by the opponent, it will be impossible to cross the river in this way.
This fire burned far more Qing troops to death than those who rushed out and were shot dead by the Marines. Sun Bing had received relevant training in the use of incendiary bomb tactics before, and he also knew that many people might not be burned to death directly, but in Those who were choked to death by the thick smoke or suffocated to death in the fire scene had no time to rush out and escape. But no matter what, if the Qing army on the island can be wiped out cleanly, the mission has been successfully completed.
Not long after, a fire also broke out on Lingluo Island. The Haihan Marines who suppressed the area used the same method to deal with the Qing troops on the island. A fire burned the woods on the island and the hundreds of Qing troops hiding inside. Got it all clean.
Toulao Island, which is located downstream, is a little more troublesome. This island is about the size of three Yanggak Islands. For this reason, Wang Tom sent all the remaining marines there, and also asked Simang to mobilize 300 Portuguese musketeers. Troops landed on the island to help in the war. In order to complete the cleaning of the island in the shortest possible time.
Although the Qing troops on Toulao Island also tried to resist, they had no effect under the intensive rifle fire. The shields and armor equipped by the Qing army can only provide a certain degree of defense against the oldest matchlock guns, but the rifles used by the Marines are beyond their defensive capabilities. It is almost impossible to fight in a battle with similar troops. There was no chance of winning. After a few rounds of volleys, they were already dead.
The coalition forces spent most of the day cleaning up the three larger islands on the river near Pyongyang. In the process, the Qing army failed to take any effective rescue measures, and could not even attack the Haihan troops who landed on the islands. interference. The fires that were set off on several islands could be seen miles away by anyone who was not blind, which also dealt a big blow to the morale of the Qing army.
Of course Huang Taiji didn't understand what "asymmetric warfare" meant, but he knew that his own disadvantage in water warfare was fully exploited by his opponents. If he still couldn't find a way to rebalance the combat power of both sides, then this southern expedition would The Korean War will probably end on the banks of the Datong River.
Naturally, Huang Taiji would not be satisfied with this outcome. When he set out in Shenyang, he announced to his ministers that he would conquer North Korea in one battle and make the country dependent on the Qing Dynasty and no longer obey the orders of the Ming Dynasty. But he really didn't expect that North Korea would change its gates faster than he expected. It's just that the strength of the mercenaries invited was too strong, which restricted the Qing army everywhere in North Korea and added a lot of material consumption and personnel in vain. casualties.
Of course Huang Taiji would not be happy if he just retreated to the country in such despair. Even if he didn't say anything, the civil and military ministers would not be willing to stop here. You must know that the Qing army has not even been able to recover its capital until this war has started. How can the Eight Banners owners and domestic dignitaries be willing to waste the many resources they invested in this war. The senior officials of the Qing Dynasty had very good calculations before going out to the war. They strived to end the war within three months. Not only could they capture a large number of Korean people to enrich the labor force in the areas under their rule, but they would also have to ask for a large sum of money from the Korean royal family for the war. Compensation, no matter how you think about it, is a business that can make a lot of money. But the reality is that the further south you advance, the greater the resistance. Most of the time is spent in the water basins controlled by the Haihan coalition forces. The domestic offshore areas are frequently attacked by Haihan, and almost as many people are kidnapped by them. That’s the amount snatched back from North Korea this time.
This expedition of the Qing army is called a hundred thousand troops. Although this number is a slightly exaggerated result after adding tens of thousands of civilians, the daily consumption of so many people actually requires sufficient supplies of supplies. Just for every day The rations consumed by both men and horses were a considerable amount. Nowadays, the supply line from the territory of the Qing Dynasty to the banks of the Datong River has been hundreds of miles long, and it has to cross several rivers. Beware of sneak attacks launched by North Korean local armed forces on the way. The transportation pressure is enough to make the quartermasters suffer from mental breakdown at all times. edge.
Every day the war is delayed means that tens of thousands of people's survival supplies will be wasted on that day. Starting from Anzhou, the Qing army can no longer obtain large amounts of supplies from the local area, and the supplies they brought with them during the expedition have long been consumed. After that, we can only rely on logistical supplies transported from the country to the front line. This is not a method that can be sustained in the long term. If this war drags on for another month without major changes, then even if Huang Taiji is able to fight Haihan, Huang Taiji will have to withdraw voluntarily due to supply problems.
Ironically, the Datong River is rich in fish resources, but due to the lack of ships, the Qing army could not even fish from the river to supply food. Huang Taiji had to send some troops to hunt wild animals in the mountains north of Pyongyang to reduce the pressure on the logistics department.
"There is not much time left for the Qing army." Qian Tiandun picked up a piece of cut beef from the sizzling iron plate, dipped the seasoning in the porcelain plate in front of him, and then put it in his mouth. Chewing: "Such beef, the Qing army in Pyongyang City must not be able to enjoy it... Mr. Jin, you are welcome, let's eat together!"
After Azig retreated from the Datong River base a few days ago, the area has returned to a peaceful situation. Thousands of workers have returned to the defense line construction site in the north to continue building forts and fortresses, while Qian Tiandun has plenty of room to build. We had a banquet and enjoyed the sizzling steak freshly prepared by the chef. Of course, the beef that can be eaten here is naturally provided by North Korea. As a reward for repelling the Qing army a few days ago, Kim Sang-heon ordered a group of cattle and sheep to be sent from Anyue on the south bank of the Datong River. Now it is This is the delicacy in Qian Tiandun’s mouth.
Although Jin Sangxian also liked to enjoy delicious food, he was more concerned about the progress of the war at the moment. He took the initiative to fill the wine glass for Qian Tiandun, and then asked tentatively: "I heard that the Qing army has gathered heavy troops in Pyongyang City. Nearby, I wonder if Huang Taiji plans to forcefully cross the Datong River from there. Does General Qian have any news? "
Qian Tiandun took a sip and said: "Master Jin, the rice wine of your country is still a bit weak. Next time the Haihan merchant ship arrives in North Korea, I will have someone send you a few jars of Sanya special wine produced in our country. I guarantee that You will have a different feeling after drinking it!”
Jin Sangxian was a little dumbfounded when he heard Qian Tiandun's erroneous answer. However, he had dealt with Qian Tiandun a lot recently, and he also knew that General Haihan liked to deliberately change the topic, and then go around in a circle. When he came back, he didn't rush him immediately and quietly waited for his next words.
"Since the Qing army invaded North Korea, they have never lost a battle against your army. Huang Taiji is in a state of drunkenness now. We have to help him clear his mind." Qian Tiandun put down his glass and said: "The coalition fleet is now Seventy percent of the warships are concentrated on the river near Pyongyang City. If the Qing army must choose to cross the river there, they may have to be mentally prepared to drown tens of thousands of people in the Datong River. "
Qian Tiandun's description made Jin Sangxian feel a little more relaxed. Of course, the Qing army could not pay such a huge price to forcefully cross the river, but they certainly would not directly give up their plan to continue to advance south. As long as the Qing army tried After crossing the river, the Hai-Han coalition forces would have the opportunity to inflict heavy damage on them.
The reason why Qian Tiandun is so relaxed is that the current war situation is basically in line with expectations. When the Qing army has suffered enough upstream and knows that there is no hope of forcibly crossing the river, it will place its last hope on breaking through the Datong River base. In this way, Haihan was forced to withdraw from this area. When the independent regiment sits here to face the exhausted Qing army, it will naturally be another massacre.
As for the mentality of the North Koreans, Qian Tiandun had already anticipated this. When he and Wang Tom agreed to withdraw from the Yalu River, they intended to use the Qing army's fierce offensive to suppress North Korea. When the North Koreans lost consecutive battles, they thought it would be difficult for them to do so. When supporting the war situation, Haihan stepped forward to block the Qing army and complete the comeback, thus establishing an invincible and tall image in the hearts of the Korean people.
Although Kim Sang-hyun also knew that Haehan's repeated attitude during the war was to obtain more conditions from North Korea, he never expected that Haehan would have so many winding intestines in his belly. In his opinion, as long as they try their best to meet Haihan's demands, the other party will try their best to fulfill their promises and expel the Qing army from North Korea. As for Haihan's long-term plans for the Korean Peninsula in the future, even if Qian Tiandun is willing to tell the truth, he may not tell the truth. Can understand completely.
After the battle on the islands near Pyongyang City, after a rough inventory, the Haihan Army wiped out nearly 2,000 enemy troops on the three islands. Although some of them were North Korean prisoners who were forced to land on the island to work as lumberjacks and became unjust victims in the battle between the two armies, even the North Korean authorities would not mention such disappointing things when they achieved a great victory. Flying letters to Seoul to report the victory, and taking some credit for yourself in the battle report is the right thing to do.
(End of chapter)