Chapter 540: Artillery Duel Across the River (Part 2, Section 1)

Hong Chengchou, seasoned in warfare, quickly assigned the various regional commanders to battle.

In Hong Chengchou's arrangement, the troops of Li Fuming and Zuo Guangxian were to attack Twin Peaks. Each had over ten thousand infantry and cavalry under their command, with numerous war wagons in their camps, while the Twin Peaks garrison numbered only a few thousand, with even fewer armored soldiers — such a force was already superior.

Moreover, the mortars and large rocket arrows from Fu Yingchong's Divine Machine Battalion were mostly allocated to support these two regional commanders. The accompanying army also had many mountain assault devices. Hong Chengchou himself led the Viceroy's Personal Battalion, with local Liaodong troops and soldiers from Ji Garrison providing continuous support from the rear.

Although Qing troops kept arriving, the Twin Peaks area was only so large — more reinforcements could not be deployed. Overall, in the Battle of Twin Peaks, the Ming army was using superior numbers to strike a smaller force, giving them an overwhelming chance of victory.

In the Battle of Twin Peaks, Regional Commander of Reinforcement and Suppression Zuo Guangxian actively sought combat. Since the arrival of reinforcements from various garrisons and the start of the Song-Jin Campaign, his troops had not fought a single major battle — something the valiant and battle-hungry Zuo Guangxian could not tolerate.

The soldiers in his camp were also holding their breath, wanting to prove themselves in this great battle and show that the Qin army were also good men capable of fighting major engagements.

The Ji Garrison troops, who claimed to be battle-ready and daring, now had to serve as the reserve force.

Since Regional Commander Bai Guangen died in battle, many officers were punished, and numerous elite soldiers were drawn away to replenish other garrisons, over ten thousand troops still remained in the garrison. But the officers and men of each battalion had lost all spirit and could only follow behind the main army to pick up scraps.

The most critical point of this battle was to block Qing reinforcements from crossing the river, especially the stronghold on the north bank, which must not be lost — this was a major matter affecting the next strategic move. Looking around, the only one Hong Chengchou could trust was none other than Wang Dou's Border Garrison Army; even Yang Guozhu's new army could not set his mind at ease.

At this moment, Qing troops on the north bank were growing more numerous, and defending the opposite mountain ridge carried great danger.

Yet Wang Dou, without a second word, accepted the order and left, catching Hong Chengchou off guard — he had already mentally prepared himself for difficult persuasion — and leaving him with a more complicated feeling in his heart.

At this critical juncture of battle, even Zuo Guangxian, whom he had personally brought from Shaanxi, had made more or less many demands; only Wang Dou was utterly straightforward. Such a display of loyal courage left no one able to say anything, and the more it was so, the more Hong Chengchou sighed inwardly.

For the sake of prudence, Hong Chengchou also deployed the troops of Yang Guozhu and Wang Pu along the south bank to block any Qing soldiers who might cross the river, and to support Wang Dou's Border Garrison Army as circumstances dictated.

The Divine Machine Battalion's Divine Might Grand General cannons and large numbers of rocket wagons were likewise positioned on the south bank to support the Border Garrison Army's artillery formation.

The Qing army's heavy cannons had killing power at nearly three li. Although the Border Garrison Army's artillery battalion was formidable, their heaviest cannons could only reach just over two li — astonishing as that was, in an artillery duel, they still fell short of the Qing heavy cannons in range.

By now, the Ming army had more or less discerned a pattern: apart from attacking cities, each battalion's red-barbarian cannons displayed greater power when deployed on open flatland. The mortars in Fu Yingchong's camp, after the Qing army used many hemp sacks and earth baskets, were still effective for bombarding mountain ridges — and of course, they were also sharp weapons when both sides formed battle lines.

At this moment, however, the Divine Machine Battalion's large number of mortars were supporting the Battle of Twin Peaks. To deliver the greatest blow to the Qing army, these mortars would be deployed in an arc along the base of Twin Peaks, bombarding the ridge from the south, west, and southeast sides as much as possible.

The Divine Machine Battalion's large rocket arrows, such as the Divine Fire Flying Crows, apart from setting the mountain ridge ablaze, could also, depending on wind direction, fly toward the Qing reinforcements massing behind the mountain.

At Fu Yingchong's strong insistence, Li Fuming and Zuo Guangxian, who were assaulting the mountain, both guaranteed they would look after the safety of the Divine Machine Battalion's officers and men.

The military situation was urgent. Having received their orders, the two regional commanders immediately launched their offensive against Twin Peaks.

As their army's great drums sounded, the infantry of the two garrisons pushed their light breech-loading cannons and hundred-shot guns with all their might, shouting as they charged toward the mountain ridge.

At this time, the mountain ridge had no cannons, so the Ming troops assaulting it did not use earth wagons to accompany them. However, because multiple deep ramparts and trenches had been dug on the ridge, some civilian laborers still followed, pushing trench wagons and other assault devices.

Twin Peaks was not large, consisting of two undulating hilltops — the left slightly larger, the right slightly smaller. In Hong Chengchou's deployment, Li Fuming attacked the right hilltop, and Zuo Guangxian attacked the left ridge.

At first glance, Hong Chengchou seemed to be favoring Li Fuming, but in reality, from the flatland below the mountain all the way to the official road, and further to the nipple-shaped ridge to the northeast, dense Qing cavalry now filled the area. Attacking the right hilltop, Li Fuming's army would face fierce attacks from Qing forces on the flank.

In contrast, although the left hilltop was slightly harder to assault, with massive mortar support, even if Qing troops might flank from the flatland between the left mountain and the river, Zuo Guangxian's Qin army could receive support from Yang Guozhu and Wang Pu arrayed behind the riverbank.

It must be said, from this deployment, one could see Hong Chengchou's selfishness in favoring his own direct subordinates.

However, Regional Commander Li said nothing, merely accepting his orders in silence and departing.

As the Ming infantry shouted and charged toward the mountain ridge, the Qing cavalry on the plains on both flanks of Twin Peaks also surged forward like the tide. The cavalry of the Jin army and Qin army charged without hesitation, using their own flesh and blood to entangle them in close combat, both sides fighting with raging intensity.

The cavalry battle was fierce and brutal. After all, the Jin and Qin armies were even inferior to the Qing army in combat strength, and at this moment they held no great advantage in numbers. Amid the rousing war drums, Li Fuming and Zuo Guangxian roared: "Kill the slaves!"

They continuously sent their garrison cavalry into the fray, even leading their main battalion retainers and cavalry to personally engage the Qing horsemen in close combat, and led repeated charges over a dozen times. Hong Chengchou in the rear also kept sending reinforcements according to the battle situation, even transferring some cavalry from Yang Guozhu and Wang Pu.

They held back the attacks of the Qing cavalry on both flanks with their lives. Under the cavalry's cover, the infantry of the two garrisons seized the chance to rush to the very base of Twin Peaks, while the Divine Machine Battalion's artillerymen set up mortars just one li from the mountain.

By this time, Twin Peaks had been reinforced with many Korean troops, but they had no cannons. Under the fearful gazes of garrison commander Weng'edai and the arriving reinforcement commander Fiyanggu, the Divine Machine Battalion's artillerymen finally finished setting up their mortars and at least a hundred Divine Fire Flying Crow large rocket arrows.

After a sharp swan-call signal, a series of mortar blasts erupted from the Divine Machine Battalion's artillery position. From the southeast to the northwest below the mountain, dense smoke billowed from the arc-shaped artillery formation, and a rain of shells blanketed both hilltops of Twin Peaks.

Accompanied by deafening explosions, great clouds of eerie green smoke and hazy white mist spread across every part of the mountain ridge.

Whoosh!

Not far south of Twin Peaks, the Divine Machine Battalion had also set up a grand formation of Divine Fire Flying Crows.

One after another, enormous rockets resembling crows were mounted on tall war wagons, and their firing angles and elevations could also be adjusted.

As the fuses of the several-chi-long launch rockets were ignited, one after another, the giant Divine Fire Flying Crow rockets spewed dense gunpowder smoke from their tails, accompanied by brilliant flames, and shot into the sky in rapid succession.

These rockets also emitted sharp shrieks in flight — their presence was overwhelming!

These flying crows were actually heavy in body. Although the crow bodies were all framed with bamboo and wood and pasted over with cotton paper, because a considerable amount of gunpowder was bundled inside the crow bodies, they did not fly very far. With strong wind, they could fly just over two li; with light wind, their range was less than two li.

In general, the more launch rockets propelling them from below, the farther they flew.

Perhaps some rockets had been stored too long and the gunpowder had problems — some flying crows exploded in midair, stirring up great bursts of flame.

Or perhaps the wings of some flying crows had defects, causing them to fly crookedly and deviate considerably from their targets.

Yet for the Divine Machine Battalion, the entire ridge of Twin Peaks was still a large target, especially since the defending troops on the mountain were densely packed at this moment. And so —

Boom! Boom!

One rocket after another shot fiercely onto the mountain. The burning fuses ignited the gunpowder packed inside, and with one thunderous explosion after another, great bursts of flame erupted across the mountain ridge.

Stones and earth flew. Some Qing soldiers near the exploding rockets were blown to pieces. When the amount of black powder was large, its power was not to be underestimated.

Inside the Divine Fire Flying Crows, besides a large amount of gunpowder, there were also many iron caltrops, stone fragments, and other objects. Even Qing soldiers outside the blast radius were struck by the numerous sharp flying projectiles, their flesh torn and bloody.

Some Qing soldiers, their whole bodies aflame, ran wildly across the mountain ridge like headless flies, all the while emitting earth-shattering screams of agony.

The primary function of the Divine Fire Flying Crows was incendiary, so they contained large quantities of materials like heavy oil — one could call them the prototype of napalm bombs.

Some unlucky Qing soldiers were even burned alive into charred corpses.

Boom! Boom!

Whoosh!

The Divine Machine Battalion's mortars fired continuously. Because mortar barrels were short and extremely sturdy, there was no risk of bursting. As long as shells were plentiful, they could fire ten or twenty rounds without pause. Even as the mortars fired, one Divine Fire Flying Crow after another also howled away.

Looking out, the entire Twin Peaks was already blanketed in dense smoke, and great bursts of flame kept rising continuously.

Not only that, the Divine Machine Battalion's mortars and large rockets also howled toward the rear of the mountain.

At this moment, behind Twin Peaks, a large number of Qing infantry and laborers had gathered — mostly Korean troops, troops of the Manchu Plain Blue Banner and Mongol Plain Blue Banner, and streams of reinforcements from other banners, continuously arriving on the flatland behind the ridge.

They assembled at the mountain base, some sitting, some standing, awaiting their orders to join battle. They never expected calamity to fall from the sky. Under their terrified gazes, a great number of mortar shells and many large rockets came flying continuously toward them from the other side of the mountain...

While the Divine Machine Battalion's artillery bombarded the rear, the infantry of the Jin and Qin armies pushed their war wagons and charged toward the mountain ridge with all their might.

Such tactics, though they might cause some accidental injury to their own side, were considered worthwhile by most, including Hong Chengchou.

If they charged after the bombardment, the Qing troops might evade some of the cannon fire, then come out to meet them in battle, and in the end the casualties would be even greater.

Very quickly, the soldiers of the two garrisons charged up the mountain ridge and engaged the Qing troops in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

……

Watching the battle at Twin Peaks, Huang Taiji, who had already reached the western side of Ru Peak, was burning with anxiety. A large part of the defending troops on the mountain were soldiers under his son Hooge; even the loss of a single niru pained him beyond measure.

In particular, the mountain was also defended by some Eight Banner Mongol troops. During the Song-Jin campaign, because this was not a raid into the interior, the resolve of the various Mongols was not as firm as in former days. If the losses after battle were too great, the Eight Banner Mongols might develop disloyal thoughts, something Huang Taiji could not afford.

The reason the Manchus and Mongols were one body was that after the Manchus rose, victory followed victory, and when the Mongols joined them in battle, their losses were few but their gains were great.

After all, those Mongols were not people of loyalty and fidelity; they would not do business at a loss.

He looked toward the several pontoon bridges spanning the river. Of the original seven pontoon bridges, only four could now be crossed — one large pontoon bridge and three small ones. Among them, the large pontoon bridge and one small pontoon bridge were firmly held in Ming hands.

When the great battle at Twin Peaks began, some Qing riders attempted to cross the pontoon bridges to provide aid, but after coming under artillery fire from the Jingbian Army and others, they immediately retreated and instead crossed the river from the northern section of Ru Peak.

It was just that after the main army massed behind Twin Peaks, the disposition of their own forces in front of Ru Peak could not be deployed.

The long and narrow Twin Peaks lay stretched between Nüer River and Ru Peak. If they wished to do battle with the Ming army, they could only rush out from the flatlands on the two flanks, yet the terrain favored the Ming army.

If they charged down from the front of the mountain, they would have to face the Ming infantry formations. The defending commander Fiyanggū had once sent troops on a desperate charge, but when they rushed down from the mountain, they met the dense and merciless fire of Ming breech-loading cannons and hundred-shot guns; beneath the brilliant flames, they fell in despair, row after row.

Dorgon had already advised Huang Taiji that it would be better to abandon Twin Peaks and fight the Ming army on the northern bank.

Even Jirgalang believed that under the present circumstances, abandoning Twin Peaks was the only course. It was easy for the Ming army to take Twin Peaks, but to take Ru Peak would be many times more difficult. The Ming army might not attack the mountain further and instead turn to attack the northern bank, which would be advantageous for the Great Qing’s iron cavalry.

Huang Taiji understood the thoughts of these banner lords. Ever since the Ming army’s raid and the great battle at Nüer River began, the losses under their banners had been considerable. Although apportioned among the banners, each banner’s casualties numbered only a few hundred, yet to these Manchu banner lords who regarded their banner men as their very lives, complaints were already incessant, and they declared this was meaningless death.

“Short-sighted fools!”

Huang Taiji was furious in his heart, but he dared not press them too hard, lest he provoke a collective rebellion among the banner lords.

The urgent matter at hand was simply to wait for the Han Banner artillery to arrive, hoping to turn the game around.

“Even if we lose Twin Peaks, we must seize Yangxing Ridge!”

Huang Taiji thought bitterly, looking toward that mountain ridge on the northern bank occupied by the Jingbian Army.

The ridge got its name because there was a Yangxing Village several li away.

At this moment, on the front face of the ridge, more and more Han Eight Banner armored soldiers were gathering not far away. Within their formation, there were also some shielded carts and earth carts — equipment that the Qing army had urgently hauled from the main camp south of Jinzhou or from places like Jinchangbao.

Not far from the two flanks of the ridge, although there were also some Han Eight Banner troops, they were not many. After all, as soon as these troops appeared, they would be bombarded by the Jingbian Army’s artillery positions on the southern bank.

They did not know what secret method the enemy used; their cannons fired both fast and fierce, stirring worry in Huang Taiji’s heart. Did the Ujen Cooha artillery camp really have a chance of victory against the Jingbian Army’s artillery camp?

Seeing that it was already noon and Twin Peaks was about to fall, yet the Ujen Cooha artillery camp was still nowhere in sight, Huang Taiji stared fixedly at Ubai, the Gabsihiyan Gala Amban before him: “Has Kong Youde’s artillery camp still not arrived?”

Ubai was drenched in sweat and hesitated, not knowing how to answer. Just then, a Gabsihiyan scout rider came galloping urgently. Ubai’s eyes lit up, and he thought: “It must be Prince Gongshun’s artillery camp arriving.”

Sure enough, the scout brought the welcome news that the Ujen Cooha artillery camp had reached the northern bank of Nüer River. Huang Taiji was overjoyed, and indeed through his telescope, he could faintly make out somewhere on the northern bank a great herd of oxen and horses desperately dragging an artillery group into position.

Huang Taiji looked at Twin Peaks and issued an order: “Transmit Our decree: Prince Gongshun’s Ujen Cooha artillery camp is to advance immediately and join the battle. The various red-barbarian small cannons and Heaven-Blessed Might-Strengthening Great Generals are to bombard Wang Dou’s troops on Yangxing Ridge. The remaining hundred Divine Might Great General cannons are to bombard the Jingbian Army artillery camp on the opposite bank. The Jingbian Army’s artillery fire on the two flanks of the ridge must be suppressed!”

For the Han Banner troops attacking the Jingbian Army on Yangxing Ridge, it was obvious that a frontal assault alone would not suffice; they also needed to envelop from both flanks.

Huang Taiji also remained fixated on crossing to the southern bank via the pontoon bridges to join the aid operation for Twin Peaks. Therefore, besides bombarding Yangxing Ridge, it was also necessary for the Ujen Cooha artillery camp to bombard the Ming troops on the opposite bank.

The Han Eight Banner troops numbered over thirty thousand, a more than ample source of cannon fodder. No matter how many of them died, the banner lords would have no objections. Using them to aid the opposite bank was truly a brilliant move; at most, some Manchu and Mongol Eight Banner troops would follow behind them.

Moreover, in Huang Taiji’s view, ten cannons firing eight-jin shot and fifty red-barbarian small cannons firing three-, five-, six-, and seven-jin shot were already sufficient to bombard the Jingbian Army on Yangxing Ridge.

The Jingbian Army on Yangxing Ridge had only some small breech-loading cannons with a range of less than one li. Their own sixty red-barbarian cannons would bombard from over one li away; the Jingbian Army there could only take the beating without being able to strike back.

Huang Taiji also knew that the Jingbian Army artillery positions on the opposite bank had some slightly larger cannons that could fire over two li, but their numbers were not great. As for the Divine Might Great General cannons of the Divine Machine Battalion, Huang Taiji admitted they posed a certain threat, but to say he feared them — that was impossible.

The remaining ninety Divine Might Great General cannons on their side were sufficient to suppress the Ming artillery fire on the opposite bank, preventing their reinforcements from crossing the river, and even striking the Ming army formations on the opposite bank. If they retreated, then the Great Qing troops could cross the river in an endless stream.

……

When Kong Youde’s Ujen Cooha artillery camp reached the northern bank of Nüer River, the soldiers in the camp were all covered in dust and utterly exhausted.

Kong Youde’s voice was likewise hoarse. Along the entire journey, he had expended untold effort urging the artillery camp forward, even dismounting to push the cannons alongside the soldiers.

In order to hurry, over half of the sturdy oxen in the camp had already dropped dead from exhaustion, and even some of the bondservants conscripted to push the cannons had coughed up blood from overwork.

He rode wearily on his horse, surrounded by some personal guards — now renamed goshiha. The former retainers in the camp had also become ordinary soldiers. After all, in the Qing state at this time, officers were not permitted to recruit personal retainers, and even the number of personal guards was strictly regulated.

Beside him, Eduardo, dressed in a Portuguese military uniform, was also full of fatigue, his beard and hair covered in dust, though he still strove to maintain what he considered the image and bearing of nobility.

Looking at the endless stream of relief troops ahead, with men shouting and horses neighing, he said to Kong Youde in stiff Chinese, flattering him: “Your Excellency, for the artillery camp to reach its destination so swiftly, you have created a miracle.”

Being flattered like this by Eduardo put Kong Youde in an excellent mood. He thought to himself that this red barbarian did know how to conduct himself; given the chance, he would certainly promote him.

He rubbed his rough face to ease his fatigue and said to Eduardo with a smile: “Aide Jiala, work hard, and a day of boundless future prospects awaits you.”

Eduardo was inwardly furious: “Donkey’s balls, calling me ‘Shorty’ again!”

This phrase “donkey’s balls” was something he had picked up from a Han artilleryman in the camp. At the time, he had found it quite interesting and had unconsciously remembered it.

In foreign cultures, it is always the curse words that are learned the fastest.

Though displeased, he still gave a slight bow from horseback: “I am grateful for your auspicious words.”

The farther the artillery camp advanced, the more they heard the continuous roar of cannons from the opposite bank and the sky-shaking cries of slaughter; it seemed fierce fighting was underway over there. Scout riders from the various banners galloped back and forth around them. Ahead, the army formations stretched on and on, all Eight Banner troops, and one could also see the gold-threaded dragon banners of the banner lords and gūsa ejens.

Like swarms of ants, bondservants and laborers were desperately digging trenches several li from the bank, though they had at least left a passage for the artillery camp to pass through.

Kong Youde saw that the Han Banner troops were at the very front and was urging the artillery camp to head that way when he spotted Gabsihiyan Janggin Lao Sa leading some Gabsihiyan cavalry galloping urgently toward them… (To be continued.)