Chapter 493: Arrangements

Everyone gathered around, all clicking their tongues in admiration.

Though each person was right here on the ground, with the surrounding terrain fully in view, condensing it onto a sand table gave a sense of holding the entire landscape in one's grasp. Moreover, on the sand table one could more directly understand and control the military dispositions of both our own and the enemy's formations.

After all, in cold-weapon warfare, battle formations often stretched out for multiple li once deployed, and grasping the situation of every formation in time was no simple matter. Especially now, when many Ming generals could not even keep their banners, pennants, and signal drums straight. Relying on fast couriers to relay messages, the military situation often shifted before word could spread.

But admiration alone was useless; this small sand table, simple as it seemed, was extremely difficult to produce. Intelligence gathering and terrain surveying both required large numbers of specialized personnel. If the terrain survey was inaccurate, the resulting sand table was worthless — perhaps even harmful.

In the Great Ming today, apart from the Jingbian Army, who else possessed such a wealth of talent in this area? Even the Ming Ministry of War and Ministry of Works had none; they could only look on with envy.

The arrangement of the various battle formations was, without dispute, presided over by Wang Dou; even Wu Sangui raised no objection.

Pointing at the sand table, Wang Dou said, "Our strategy for this battle is primarily defensive. We shall position ourselves southeast of the central grand formation to prevent the slave rebels from striking at General Yang's forces directly in front of Huangtuling from the flank, and to seize the opportunity to sever the link between Huangtuling and Songshanling!"

Wang Dou set the tone, then continued: "On our army's left flank lies the hilly ridge southeast of Huangtuling, with many low hills and undulating ground. That terrain is unfavorable for large-scale cavalry operations, so it is my intention to deploy infantry there, where they can advantageously intercept and strike the enemy!"

The Jingbian Army officers — Han Chao, Zhong Xiancai, Li Guangheng, Zhao Xuan, Zhong Diaoyang, Chi Dacheng, and several staff advisors — all gathered close around Wang Dou, listening intently. Only Wen Daxing was absent; he had already led the night scouts out in all directions to reconnoiter the Jinzhou area.

Also present were Army Supervisor Zhang Ruo, Wu Sangui, Fu Yingchong, Guo Yingxian, Wang Zheng, Li Yunshu, and others, all listening with equal concentration.

Hearing Wang Dou's words, the men studied the sand table, then looked at the several hills where the Jingbian Army cavalry was currently positioned. Indeed, the terrain on the army's left was favorable for infantry defense.

Wu Sangui's eyes flickered. He said, "May I ask the Loyal and Courageous Count: should my wagon corps also be deployed on the left?"

Wang Dou replied, "No need. General Wu's infantry wagon corps shall remain in place. In this way, our grand army will have one wing on the left and one on the right, covering a broader front. Moreover, the two wings can support each other. Wherever the slave rebels attack, we can, depending on the situation, render mutual aid and strike them from both sides!"

After letting the group digest his intent, Wang Dou said, "Of course, where there is defense, there must also be offense. The terrain on the infantry's right — that is, the ground beneath our feet — from the Jingbian Army on the left all the way to the Ningyuan Army wagon corps on the right, is mostly gentle and open, suitable for massing large cavalry forces. Therefore, our Jingbian Army's three thousand cavalry, along with General Wu's Ningyuan cavalry, shall concentrate here!"

The men thought it over carefully. In this arrangement, their own battle formation would take the shape of infantry wagon corps on both the left and right wings, with cavalry in the center.

Everyone had confidence in the wagon corps' defensive strength, but as for the cavalry...

Wang Zheng was a cousin of Datong Regional Commander Wang Pu. Just past thirty, he was, like Wang Pu, flamboyantly dressed, his armor gleaming, his expression shrewd and amiable — clearly the role of a social butterfly.

His eyes darted constantly. Then, his face wreathed in smiles, he bobbed and bowed to Wang Dou: "Loyal and Courageous Count, your subordinate has a question to ask. With this arrangement, what if the Tatars do not attack our infantry wings but concentrate their assault on our cavalry in the center?"

Wang Dou praised him: "General Wang asks an excellent question!"

He said, "That is precisely why I have decided to deploy the Shenji Battalion's twenty-five Shenwei Grand General cannons, along with our Jingbian Army's seventy red-barbarian cannons, all behind the cavalry — that is, on the hilly high ground not far behind us!"

Everyone turned to look. Less than a li behind them, there was indeed a ridge of hills running left to right, its elevation uneven and undulating.

The hills were not high, but relative to the flat plain before them, they counted as a line of high ground. At that moment, the Shenji Battalion's artillery and Zhao Xuan's artillery battalion were busy setting up their cannons atop the hills.

Less than a li behind the hills, there was also a deep trench running front to back. It had been dug between Huangtuling and Songshanling by the civilian laborers who had accompanied Bai Guangen and Wu Sangui. Because Bai Guangen had been defeated so quickly, the trench had not been dug very long.

Wang Dou said, "If they attack our cavalry, the near-hundred red-barbarian cannons bombarding them without pause will surely scatter them midway. Even if they do not scatter, they will be in no formation. Our cavalry, disciplined and in tight order, will strike a scattered foe in overwhelming numbers and win a great victory!"

Everyone's spirits lifted. According to Wang Dou's reasoning, the cavalry would indeed be secure. Moreover, with the infantry defending and the cavalry attacking, the head count taken would likely be considerable.

And with the cavalry providing cover, the artillery could operate with even greater composure, delivering continuous, uninterrupted bombardment.

Fu Yingchong, Vice General of the Shenji Battalion's Forward Camp, was the first to voice his approval. What he had feared most was Wang Dou placing his artillery in front of the infantry or cavalry. Now, hiding behind the main army and firing from the rear — that was the Shenji Battalion's specialty.

But Wang Dou added, "Of course, our army also possesses a large number of rocket carts — that is, the Shenji Battalion's divine-machine arrows. We can position a portion of the rocket carts in front of the cavalry. Against a large mass of slave cavalry charging at us, rockets are even more lethal than cannons!"

Fu Yingchong's tall, thin frame immediately sagged. Place his rocket carts at the very front of the cavalry? Wouldn't the Tatars' elite cavalry strike his rocket carts first? When the enemy riders came rolling in, how would his rocket handlers withstand them?

He opened his mouth, revealing two enormous canine teeth, but before he could speak, he heard Wang Dou continue: "Also, at that hilly area up ahead — deploy rocket carts in front of the hills, and on the hills themselves, deploy a large number of mortar cannons firing explosive shells to bombard the slave cavalry without pause!"

In truth, that patch of ground not far ahead barely qualified as hills; it was merely slightly undulating compared to the flat plain.

Still, it was broad enough to deploy a large number of mortars.

Wang Dou certainly did not dare to place mortars behind the cavalry. The bursting shells they fired sometimes flew far, sometimes fell short.

If one accidentally burst above the cavalry, the smoke would blanket down — what then, if it enveloped their own cavalry formation? So they could only be placed in front of the cavalry.

Noting Fu Yingchong's expression, Wang Dou understood his concern. He smiled and said, "Brother Big Teeth need not be alarmed. Behind and on both flanks of the rocket carts will be our Jingbian Army cavalry. Before the slave riders come within two hundred paces, our cavalry will charge out. The Shenji Battalion's men will be perfectly safe!"

Fu Yingchong thought it over and realized it made sense. Besides, if one wanted military merit, how could one avoid taking some risk? He gritted his teeth and agreed.

Watching Wang Dou speak with ease and assurance, planting small flags representing their own battle formations one by one onto the sand table — it was utterly clear to every man, far more lucid than the strategies laid out by superior officers in the past.

This gave everyone a complete overall layout in their minds, and they all inwardly marveled: this sand table of the Jingbian Army was truly a treasure.

Wu Sangui in particular clenched his jaw, thinking that no matter how difficult it might be in the future, he must produce a detailed sand table of his own for his army.

At the same time, he remained intensely envious of the Jingbian Army's earlier head-count achievements. He had heard that among them were many of the Qing state's bayara — the elite of the elite — and with that captured bayara jala ejen, the gains were truly immense. Heads of that caliber, Wang Dou would certainly not part with.

No one raised any objection to Wang Dou's arrangements. They had all fought wars for so many years, and when previous superior officers — whether civil officials or military commanders — issued battle plans, there was always a sense of groping behind a veil, a muddled and confused feeling.

Only this time was the disposition so clear and explicit. Regardless of how the coming battle unfolded, at least for now, Wang Dou's arrangements were beyond reproach.

Wu Sangui had no objection, and Zhang Ruo, who knew nothing of military affairs, had even less to say. As he had said before, his sole function was to beat the drums and cheer the army on.

With the strategy set, the various forces rapidly deployed. The Jingbian Army cavalry that had earlier seized the hilly terrain on the left was entirely withdrawn and concentrated on the flat ground to the right. The Jingbian Army infantry battalions and a portion of the Shenji Battalion troops formed up on the hilly ground to the left.

The central command was concentrated on the hilly high ground not far to the rear, with the observation tower cart also raised high on a rise. Along this ridge of hills running left to right, with its uneven undulations, besides the central command and artillery, cavalry formations were also arrayed one after another in the gentler dips.

Behind the central command hills, a large number of civilian laborers were gathered. On their outer perimeter, cart after cart was arranged to enclose them. Inside, the Jingbian Army had pitched a great many tents. Logistics soldiers and medics prepared boiling water and drinking water inside the tents, along with large numbers of stretchers, ready at all times to tend to the wounded and carry out all manner of rear-echelon tasks.

Because Wang Dou had deployed a concave formation, the protruding points at the front would be the first to suffer the slave cavalry's assault — and the focal point of their attack. For these protruding small formations, Wang Dou decided to deploy his battle-hardened First-Class troops.

The two Jingbian Army infantry battalion commanders — Zhong Xiancai of the Right Battalion and Han Chao of the Rear Battalion — each had four company commanders and thirty-two squad commanders, with each battalion having two sections of First-Class troops and two of Second-Class troops. Thus, in Wang Dou's disposition, of the sixteen companies of First-Class troops, six companies were divided into six small formations, concentrated at the very front of the infantry line.

Each small formation contained two hundred combat troops per company, with two long-spear squads and two firelock squads. These six small formations were spaced one hundred fifty paces apart.

One hundred paces directly below the midpoint between two small formations, there was another small formation.

In the row below were a total of five small formations, likewise manned by First-Class troops. Together with the small formations above, they formed a series of inverted triangular battle arrays.

These eleven small formations garrisoned by the Jingbian Army's First-Class troops were all surrounded on four sides by war carts, interspersed with Frankish cannons.

One hundred fifty paces below the eleven First-Class small formations was a large rectangular Second-Class formation.

Of the sixteen companies of Second-Class troops, twelve companies were arrayed here, containing one thousand two hundred long-spear soldiers and one thousand two hundred firelock soldiers. The firelock soldiers were arranged in three ranks, four hundred men per rank.

The long-spear soldiers below were arranged in multiple ranks; they also, of course, had the task of protecting the firelock soldiers' flanks.

In this large Second-Class formation, a line of war carts was likewise deployed in front of the firelock soldiers.

On the left wing of these formations were two large formations formed by the Shenji Battalion troops.

Along the Jingbian Army's uppermost left formation, about a hundred paces beyond its lower left end, a large rectangular formation was drawn up. A portion of this formation, together with two Jingbian Army small formations to its front and right, formed a triangular array.

Of course, this Shenji Battalion formation was extremely long. Most of their light Frankish cannon carts were deployed here, constituting the entire left wing of the Jingbian Army. The ground where they formed up had several undulating hills, making their defensive terrain, all things considered, quite advantageous.

At the very bottom of the Divine Machine Battalion's large rectangular formation, because the terrain slanted upward along the left side and there was another raised hilly slope, a Divine Machine Battalion battle formation was also deployed here, with war wagons, cannons, and a portion of rocket carts.

Their two battle formations formed a large j-shape.

The Divine Machine Battalion soldiers were all in high spirits, rubbing their fists and eager for action, but of course Wang Dou would not feel at ease letting them defend alone.

Of the remaining five companies of Jingbian Army first-class troops and four companies of second-class troops, aside from some serving as reserves, a portion was also deployed within their main formation to fight together.

Although the left side of the main formation was unfavorable for large cavalry movements, to prevent Qing cavalry from possibly circling around the left hill, or charging straight down from the steeper southeastern slope of Huangtuling to strike the central army's main formation in the rear, Wang Dou also deployed most of the cavalry of Wang Zheng, Li Yunshu, and Guo Yingxian here.

Wang Dou estimated that not many Qing cavalry would circle around from this side; in this kind of terrain, horses could not build up speed, and if Ming infantry and cavalry enveloped them front and rear, plus Yang Guozhu might send cavalry to attack, it would be another encirclement battle. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to come to (.) to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)