Chapter 211: Approach

"My lord, with Lu Chuanzong on the shore, you can simply command the overall situation from the ship..." Ba Zi spotted the Gushan Ezhen banner on the distant hilltop and cautiously tried to dissuade Chen Xin.

Chen Xin was donning his armor. This time he wore a suit of chain mail, which in June was far lighter than that set of mountain-pattern armor. Hearing Ba Zi's words, he replied nonchalantly, "How can that be? The Jianzhou bandits have already entered a death trap. Both sides are fighting with their backs to the water — what matters is who is more ruthless. If I do not go ashore, the whole army's fighting spirit will ultimately lack that little bit. After all the combat troops have landed, let the foot-boats confuse the Jianzhou bandits according to the original plan. Once battle begins, they are to pull far from the shore. Unless the central army banner signals, they are not permitted to approach."

Having spoken, Chen Xin climbed down along the netting ropes at the ship's side. Hai Gouzi hurriedly followed. A foot-boat below pulled the lower end of the netting rope and brought its hull alongside. Two sailors helped Chen Xin descend into the foot-boat. The boat rocked for a moment. Chen Xin found a place to sit on his own and surveyed his surroundings. Other ships also had foot-boats alongside, continuously receiving personnel.

This foot-boat carried twelve men, exactly the number of one squad, plus two oarsmen. Chen Xin had devised this netting rope based on war films he had watched, and it was indeed somewhat faster than the original transfer method. However, the problems encountered during the landing were no fewer. The nearby hydrographic and terrain intelligence was very rough, causing considerable delays when reaching shore. The peasant-soldier company's four-pounder cannon had still not come ashore even now. The appearance of Ming troops on the northern shore and the bombardment had bought Chen Xin two quarter-hours, but Wendeng Camp still had not fully landed.

A creaking sound came from diagonally above. The barrel of a four-pounder cannon appeared at the ship's side, accompanied by the sailors' work chants from the deck. The cannon barrel, rolling on a pulley block, began to descend slowly onto another foot-boat. Chen Xin's boat was filled with personnel first. The two sailors pushed off from the Fujian junk with their oars, and the foot-boat slowly pulled away, rowing toward the shore.

The foot-boat carefully avoided some reefs near the shore and slowly approached the coastline. Chen Xin spotted two damaged foot-boats. One was wedged between two submerged reefs; the soldiers aboard were straining to brace their weapons against the reefs, trying to work the boat free. An empty boat returning was alongside, assisting them.

Chen Xin shook his head. Amphibious operations in this era were relatively simple, and the troop composition and logistical requirements were not high. As far as storming the beach went, it was far less brutal than in later ages. The difficulty lay in the organization before and after landing. Wendeng Camp had conducted several drills and was somewhat more professional than ordinary armies.

There were several sailors on the shore assisting with the landing. Once the boats drew near, they ran into the water and pulled the foot-boats forward. After they stopped, Chen Xin stood up, jumped from the boat, and waded ashore. Two military police soldiers saluted him, then pointed out the location of the central army headquarters.

Chen Xin led this squad of central army personnel past the shoreline and hurried toward the Wendeng Camp battle line. The shore was covered with large rocks. Ahead, a group of soldiers were carrying a four-pounder cannon barrel forward, while another group struggled to move the gun carriage.

Chen Xin had no time to attend to them. He headed straight for a hillock, where the terrain became flat. Lu Chuanzong's position was also there. Four battalions and one peasant-soldier company had now assembled. Two battalions were forming ranks, and a steady stream of personnel coming ashore was merging into the formations.

A roar came from the sea. Two iron cannonballs flew high overhead from the flank and slammed into the hill opposite, throwing up two clumps of black earth, a full hundred paces from the Later Jin army's formation. At this distance, Chen Xin did not expect any accuracy from those homemade six-pounder iron cannons, but they were better than nothing. He took the telescope handed to him by a staff officer and began observing the Later Jin army opposite.

In the telescope, the Jianzhou bandits' iron armor glittered. There were a full seven to eight hundred armored soldiers, dotted with several dozen silver-white Bayara, concentrated under the Gushan banner at the center. The entire formation was still somewhat disordered, with squads constantly maneuvering within it. The Later Jin army's position was higher than Wendeng Camp's, at the top of a long, gentle slope. Behind them lay the highest mountain range on Shenmi Island, forming a green backdrop in the telescope.

Lu Chuanzong, who had arrived earlier, ran over and reported to Chen Xin, "My lord, the special operations team concealed on the island sent two men over. The Jianzhou bandits number about twelve hundred true Jurchen, eight hundred armored soldiers, four hundred auxiliaries, plus roughly three hundred bondservants and six hundred Koreans. Some scattered during the bombardment. The enemy still has about seven hundred armored soldiers opposite us."

"How many combat soldiers do we have in position?"

"Four battalions, one peasant-soldier company, one four-pounder cannon." Lu Chuanzong pointed to a cannon being assembled in front of the central army. To transport the peasant-soldier company this time, one battalion of the First Thousand-Household Command had been left behind in Weihai. In total there were eight battalions and one peasant-soldier company, a total force of over eleven hundred men, plus Chen Xin's twenty-man central army guard.

Chen Xin surveyed the surrounding terrain. The southern side was a field of jagged rocks impassable for movement; the northern side consisted of several undulating small hills. He pointed north and said to Lu Chuanzong, "Dispatch one combat battalion to reinforce the far left flank and seize the high ground on the left. If the Jianzhou bandits collapse, the right flank must not press too far forward. Leave the Jianzhou bandits a passage southward and let them flee that way."

Lu Chuanzong acknowledged the order. He understood that they needed to give the Jianzhou bandits a retreat route, lest they fight like cornered beasts. In this island battle, neither side had cavalry. Wendeng Camp had decided on an offensive strategy. As long as they routed the Jianzhou bandits, that would suffice. The enemy could not regroup on the island, nor could they build ships in a suitable place, so Wendeng Camp could encircle and annihilate them one by one.

Chen Xin also wanted to test the effectiveness of the peasant-soldier company, hoping to refine peasant-soldier tactics through actual combat. For this reason, he had even reduced the combat soldiers by one battalion and specially transported this group of peasant soldiers here. Officers from other peasant-soldier companies had also come to observe. This Weihai No. 1 Fort peasant-soldier company was the first to begin training last year. Many of its peasant soldiers had participated in the experimental unit. Its junior officers mostly came from Wendeng Camp's combat soldiers, and their equipment was the best in the peasant-soldier system. All firearms soldiers used flintlock muskets. The fifty-man detachment used flintlock muskets with bayonets. Ordinary peasant soldiers only had the first two ranks armored, but this time iron armor had been transferred from other combat soldiers to fully equip these one hundred pikemen.

After receiving the order, Lu Chuanzong began adjusting the deployment. The Later Jin army opposite was also adjusting. Small groups of Jianzhou bandits kept converging, and the number of armored soldiers increased to around eight hundred.

About a quarter-hour later, Wendeng Camp's last battalion boarded the foot-boats. The other foot-boats continued shuttling back and forth at sea. The landing site was chosen behind a patch of reefs hidden from the Jianzhou bandits' view. The boats were all carrying sailors, solely to create the illusion for the Jianzhou bandits that Ming troops were still continuously coming ashore.

The three six-pounder naval guns on Wendeng Camp's warships fired sporadically. Because the distance was too great, all shots went wildly off target. The Later Jin troops had by now grown somewhat accustomed to the shelling, and their formation showed no disorder.

The Later Jin soldiers could not estimate how many troops were actually on the Ming ships. After they finished adjusting, their great drums sounded, and the formation began to advance. Once they crossed the ridgeline, they densely covered the slope. Chen Xin, at the foot of the hill, could clearly see their formation. It had now been adjusted to be quite orderly, with banners of various colors fluttering above their heads. Judging by the troop strength, the Later Jin right wing was the thickest.

Wendeng Camp's formation had also finished adjusting. The peasant-soldier company was thrust forward at the very front of the formation. In the center front rank was the peasant-soldier company's firearms detachment. Behind them were six ranks of ninety-six pikemen, sixteen per rank, spaced three chi apart. On each flank were forty-eight flintlock musketeers, also deployed in six ranks. Their ranks were very tight. There was a three-pace gap between the flintlock musketeers and the pike formation, to allow the front-rank flintlock detachment to withdraw to the rear. In front of the left-side gap was the peasant-soldier company's four-pounder cannon.

Two battalions were deployed on the flanks and slightly to the rear of the peasant soldiers, to cover the musketeers on both sides of the peasant soldiers. Each of the two battalions deployed its three companies according to combat regulations. Three firearms banner teams stood in three ranks, spread out at the very front. One assault banner team deployed four assault squad columns abreast. A second assault banner team deployed in the same manner in the second rank. The third banner team was split in two, positioned on the flanks of the two forward banner teams as left and right flanking troops.

At the very rear of the formation was one company from the First Battalion, Third Regiment, serving as the reserve. The Third Regiment's other company began advancing toward the hills on the left flank, attempting to threaten the Jianzhou flank.

Although they were in Liaodong, the June weather was still somewhat sweltering. Soldiers in full armor could not endure for long. Both sides were brimming with confidence. After the Later Jin army began its advance, Wendeng Camp's central army also fired a signal cannon. The First Thousand-Household Command's blue banner pointed forward. The cadenced drumming began. The entire army shouted a unified "Hu!" and then, stepping to the drumbeat, advanced directly toward the Jianzhou bandits' front.

Chen Xin closed his eyes and prayed to all the gods and Buddhas in heaven. This was Wendeng Camp's first true field battle. Although he had seized the initiative and a slight numerical advantage, his heart was still deeply anxious.

。。。。。

Mandarhan was on the right wing of the battle line, advancing slowly to the central army's drumbeat. Sweat continuously beaded on his forehead, but not from fear or nervousness — simply because the heavy armor was unbearably hot.

He had already recovered from his initial panic. The familiar sensation of marching on land returned to him. The afternoon sun shone into his eyes, making the banners of the Ming army opposite impossible to discern. Mandarhan lowered his head. Shielding his eyes from the sunlight, he scrutinized the Ming army formation. It appeared extremely orderly. The front ranks were all in red uniforms; the rear ranks were black-armored soldiers. They were slowly advancing, orderly rows of weapons bobbing above their heads. The formation's shape curved with the undulations of the terrain. There seemed to be several small cannons in front of their formation — one in the center, two on the outer flanks — each pushed by five or six soldiers, advancing simultaneously.

Although this Ming army was not small in number, Mandarhan did not feel any difficulty. No matter where the Ming army came from, it would not alarm him. The once-famous Du Song, Liu Ting, Man Gui, Zhao Lujiao... regional commanders alone numbered around twenty. No matter how great their former renown, all had perished under the Later Jin army's blades. Moreover, the Ming army was attacking uphill, while his own side held the advantageous terrain. Though the enemy was well-equipped, in his eyes that only meant more spoils of war. He merely found it strange that this Ming army was not afraid of the famed Later Jin warriors and was actually coming forward to seek death.

A mounted Bayara rode past before his eyes. About sixty-odd men from two niru on the right wing detached from the main formation and headed for the hills on the right flank to meet that Ming skirmishing force.

Mandarhan had no mind to concern himself with the flank. He narrowed his eyes and shouted. Several skilled archers among the armored soldiers in his niru drew their bows and quickened their pace to the front. The other niru on both flanks did the same. In total, seventy to eighty Later Jin archers accelerated their steps, forming a dispersed line ahead of the main formation. Their front was spread very wide, advancing in an arc toward the Ming army. They walked faster and faster, soon pulling fifty paces ahead of the main force. This was their customary tactic: first harass with skirmishing cavalry, using arrows to shake the enemy formation, then break through with the main force. Though they had no horses now, they employed the same method.

The two armies were one li apart. Mandarhan heard a gong sound from the Ming army opposite. That army shouted in unison, then came to a thunderous halt. The artillerymen at the front began loading ammunition. Several other Ming soldiers ran to the front and began setting up a type of small cannon. Mandarhan recognized them as the Ming army's crouching-tiger cannons. The Later Jin army had captured many before, but no one had been willing to use them.

Mandarhan narrowed his eyes. This Ming army obeyed orders and halted with precision — absolutely not something the Dongjiang Garrison could produce. It reminded him of that Wendeng Camp from last year. This Ming army had already gained considerable notoriety among the Later Jin. The battle at Luanzhou had involved tens of thousands of Ming troops, so everyone felt that didn't count for much. The main thing was the severe mauling of the Mongol left and right wings at Gu'an. That battle was fought by Wendeng Camp alone, and it left the Mongol wings so badly damaged that they had not even sent troops this time.

Though Mandarhan was worried, the Later Jin army's drumbeat did not stop, so he could only continue walking slowly toward the enemy.

。。。。。

Chen Ying's assault squad stood in the first rank of the close-combat troops, positioned on the left flank of the peasant-soldier company. His assault squad was divided left and right into two files, but not fully aligned. The two saber-and-shield men were slightly forward, while the two trident-and-hook men were slightly behind to provide support, giving greater weapon density this way. Chen Ying himself stood on the outer side of the right saber-and-shield soldier. His view was completely blocked by the three banner teams of musketeers in front; only occasionally could he glimpse a bit of the scene opposite through the gaps between them.

He had fought the Jianzhou bandits several times and was not afraid at all psychologically. Their company had been the first to land. Because of the Dengzhou navy's diversion, there were very few Jianzhou bandits on this side. They had encountered only weak resistance when landing. Only two men in the entire company had been wounded. Chen Ying had wounded one Jianzhou bandit with his bow.

He was full of confidence in defeating those few Jianzhou bandits opposite. He was only somewhat worried about the peasant-soldier company in the center. If they could not hold, the losses might be very heavy. The central army staff officers, however, seemed full of confidence. They also had contingency plans. Besides the one combat-soldier reserve company kept back, the peasant soldiers' firearms detachment was entirely equipped with flintlock muskets with bayonets. At the start of battle, they would be in the first rank. Before close combat began, they would withdraw to the rear to serve as the central army's reserve.

Thinking of this, Chen Ying could not help glancing to the right at the peasant-soldier formation — a dense forest of upright pike shafts. Their pike shafts were made of lightweight hardwood, with a total length of one zhang and four chi. The pike heads were solid triangular steel points with protective sheaths, very sturdy and not easily broken. This length had been set by the Staff Department based on the Jianzhou bandits' one-zhang-two-chi long spears.

These peasant soldiers were all tenant households from Weihai. Chen Ying had heard Zhong Laosi talk about the management of the peasant soldiers. Besides the constraints of military law, their combat evaluations directly affected their land and property, including the fate of their families. For these people who had once been utterly destitute, they actually had no more retreat than the combat soldiers. There was only death, or defeating the enemy before them.

Loud commands came from the artillerymen up front. Chen Ying opened his mouth, waiting for them to light the big firecrackers.

"Boom!" The three four-pounder cannons roared simultaneously. Three iron balls flew from the barrels, tracing three arcs as they hurtled toward the Later Jin army three hundred paces away.