We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 866: The First Artillery Battle in History

After several days of reconnaissance by scouts, Li Che finally chose a place called Wolf Tail Beach.

This place is only about five miles away from Shouzhou City. The river suddenly converges here, and it is the narrowest shallows within dozens of miles upstream and downstream.

Moreover, the water flow is relatively gentle and there are fewer underwater reefs, making it an ideal location for building a floating bridge.

Of course, since this place is so important, the defenders on the south bank will naturally not ignore it.

The commander-in-chief guarding Shouzhou was named Liu Renzhan, who was well-known in the Southern Army for his steadiness and fighting ability.

This person is not like Dugu Hong who has obvious shortcomings, nor is he like Zheng Mao who is only good at talking big.

Instead, he was a general who was promoted based on his military merits and had rich combat experience.

He had already built a series of camps and dozens of watchtowers on the high ground on the south bank opposite Wolf Tail Beach.

Sentinels were posted day and night to monitor the river, and obstacles such as deer antlers and caltrops were set up on the riverside.

It is nothing but a foolish dream to think that you can cross the river safely under Liu Renzhan's nose.

After thinking about it, Li Che made a decision. Since smuggling failed, he would attack by force!

He appointed Wang Sanchun as the vanguard of the river crossing, leading 30,000 elite infantrymen, carrying a large number of auxiliary troops and bridge-building materials, and stationed on the north bank of Langwei Beach.

Subsequently, the Fengtian Army began to cut down trees, level the land, and build camps.

Sure enough, the Fengtian Army’s movements on the north bank were immediately discovered by the sentries on the south bank, and the report was reported to Shouzhou City at a rapid pace.

Upon hearing the news, Liu Renzhan immediately led 20,000 main forces and mobilized a large number of civilians to quickly reinforce the positions on the south bank.

For a moment, flags were waving on both sides of the Huai River, and drums and horns were heard. The armies of both sides began to confront each other across the river which was more than a mile wide.

There are two methods for building floating bridges in ancient times:

One is to "connect boats to form a bridge", which is to connect a large number of boats side by side, lay wooden boards on them, and build a simple floating bridge.

The second method is the "floating bridge construction method", which uses wooden rafts to carry stone slabs. When the tide is low, the stones are transported to the bridge piers. When the tide is high, the rafts lift the stone slabs and adjust them into place.

Regardless of the method, it requires long hours of operation on the river surface.

With the enemy on high alert, this was an almost impossible task.

Wang Sanchun used a small group of troops on rafts to explore the south bank several times, but was forced back by the dense rain of arrows.

Li Che was not surprised when he received Wang Sanchun's report in the central military tent.

He looked at Qiu Bai, who was standing beside him, and said in a deep voice, "Order Li Sheng and Zhang Neng. The fleet will clear the enemy fortifications on the south bank, suppress their long-range firepower, and cover our troops in building the bridge!"

. . . . . .

The next day, early morning.

A light morning mist hung over the river, covering both banks like a veil.

As usual, the rebel sentries on the south bank stared at the foggy river surface.

Suddenly, a sentry looked towards the river and then froze.

He blinked hard and pointed in horror at the depths of the fog: "What...what is that?!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw huge black shadows slowly emerging in the mist.

They grew taller and larger, until they finally connected into one, like a group of giant beasts rising from the bottom of the water.

"Enemy attack! It's a ship! A Fengtian Army ship!!!"

The shrill sound of the police whistle instantly broke the tranquility of the early morning.

The officers roared at the top of their lungs, and the soldiers grabbed their weapons in panic and rushed to the defensive positions.

The crossbowmen quickly lined up on the shore, and the tense sound of bowstrings being pulled could be heard one after another.

The guns hidden everywhere also took off their gun covers, and the gunners began to load them in a hurry.

At this time, the Feng State fleet had broken through the last mist and appeared clearly in front of the defenders on the south bank.

More than twenty slender clipper ships with masts and sails cut through the calm river water, and the military flags with the word "Feng" on the top of the masts fluttered in the morning breeze.

On the bridge of the flagship 'Zhenhai', Fleet Governor Li Sheng put down the telescope in his hand, with no expression on his face.

He looked at the sky, estimated the distance to the south bank, and decisively gave the order:

"All ships, listen up! Take up your designated bombardment positions!"

"Target: enemy fortifications, artillery batteries, and troop concentration areas on the south bank."

"Load the shells, fire three rapid rounds, start!"

The flag signals were sent out quickly, and the response flags of each ship were raised simultaneously.

The next moment, on the side of the Fengtian Army fleet approaching the south bank, densely packed gun ports were pushed open, and one cold gun barrel after another popped out.

"Fire!"

Following Li Sheng's order, the flagship Zhenhai roared first.

Immediately afterwards, more than twenty clipper ships fired their broadsides one after another, and the surface of the river was instantly covered with white smoke.

boom! Boom boom boom!

The sound of cannons was continuous, as if the sky was falling and the earth was splitting apart.

Countless black shadows streaked across the sky, making sharp sounds as they smashed into the south bank positions like hail.

The accuracy of the first round of salvos was still a little off, and many shells fell into the river, stirring up columns of water.

But a considerable number of shells still landed accurately on the rebel camp.

Violent explosions rang out one after another on the south bank, with flames bursting out and thick smoke billowing.

Fences and watchtowers were blown to pieces, and human remains and debris were thrown into the air.

The rebel soldiers had never seen such fierce artillery fire. Many of them were so frightened by the horrific scene that they stood still until they were blown into the air by the shock wave.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Liu Renzhan rushed out of the main tent, trying to stabilize the troops' morale. "Where are our artillery? Fire back!"

Daqing also has artillery.

However, the research progress of Daqing's Gunpowder Bureau was too slow. They had not yet fully understood the musket, let alone the cannon.

Most of the artillery they used was old and outdated, with short range, poor accuracy and slow reloading.

The artillery was even worse. This was their first time using artillery on the battlefield. Everyone was participating in the war for the first time, so naturally they were unfamiliar with the techniques.

Under Liu Renzhan's order, the hidden artillery positions on the south bank also began to roar sporadically.

More than a dozen solid iron balls flew crookedly towards the Fengtian Army fleet in the river and all fell into the water.

Li Sheng did not expect that the enemy also had artillery, but he did not panic. Instead, he ordered a counterattack and asked the fleet to disperse its formation.

The clipper boat used its maneuverability to constantly fine-tune its position on the river surface, keeping its broadside facing the enemy and conducting continuous bombardment.

Compared with the rebel gunners, the Fengtian Army's gunners were well-trained, and their loading and firing movements were smooth and quick.

boom!

A clipper was hit in the side by a solid bullet, and wood chips flew everywhere.

Although the hull was damaged, the sturdy hull structure and compartment design ensured that it did not suffer fatal damage.

In comparison, the situation on the South Bank is much worse.

The Fengtian Army's artillery fire was like plowing the land, repeatedly cultivating the rebel positions on the south bank.

The watchtowers and platforms that Liu Renzhan had spent a lot of effort to build collapsed one after another under the intensive artillery fire of the Fengtian Army.

The beach fortifications were blown to pieces, and the archers suffered heavy casualties, making it impossible to organize an effective counterattack.

The entire south bank camp has become a sea of ​​fire, with thick smoke covering the sky and the sun, like hell.

Liu Renzhan watched helplessly as his own defense line collapsed, feeling powerless.

At this moment, a shell exploded not far from him, and the blast knocked him to the ground, killing and injuring several of his personal soldiers.

"General, we can't hold on any longer! Let's retreat!" The deputy general, his face covered in smoke and dust, helped Liu Renzhan up.

Liu Renzhan looked up at the river and saw the Fengtian Army warships like mobile fortresses, indestructible.

He closed his eyes in pain, took a deep breath, and felt the smell of gunpowder and blood in his cavity.

The next second, he said in a hoarse voice: "Pass my order...Retreat to Shouzhou City!"

The commander ordered a retreat, and the defenders on the south bank, who were already on the verge of collapse, fled towards Shouzhou City like a flood that had broken through a dam.

On the north bank, Wang Sanchun had a panoramic view of the battle situation on the south bank through a telescope.

Seeing the rebel army begin to retreat, he immediately put down the telescope and said: "The time has come!"

"Auxiliary troops build a bridge, and all infantry battalions prepare to cross the river!"

The Fengtian Army auxiliary soldiers, who had been prepared for a long time, immediately pushed the pre-made rafts, buoys and cables and rushed to the river.

With the help of small boats, they connected the rafts together, fixed the cables, and laid the planks.

Since the threat on the south bank had been eliminated by the naval fleet, the bridge-building operation went exceptionally smoothly.

Subsequently, the first batch of elite Fengtian troops, led by Wang Sanchun, began to force a crossing of the Huai River.

On the river, the Fengtian Army fleet was still carrying out the fire extension mission, using artillery fire to disperse the fleeing enemy troops and provide cover for the troops crossing the river.

When Wang Sanchun was the first to step onto Langwei Beach on the south bank, the scorched earth under his feet was still warm.

The battle lasted only two hours from start to end.

The scale of this battle may not be unprecedented, but its significance is profound.

This was the first time that the two armies used artillery to attack each other.

When later historians recorded this period of history, they all recorded this battle as "the first artillery battle in Chinese history."