Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 893 Khabarov's Choice ([-])

On September 1651, 9, outside the city of Khabarovsk, gunpowder was filled with smoke and artillery fire.Several 19-pounders and 4-pounders fired from the top of the city non-stop, with fiery flames spraying from their barrels. The 8 officers and soldiers of the 1st company, the most elite army on the east bank, divided into several groups and fired their guns down the city calmly. On both sides of them, some Shandan hunters belonging to the Heilongjiang Security Regiment were carrying bows and arrows, using their skilled archery skills to leisurely shoot and kill the rushing Qing army.

Today is the fourth day since the Qing army stormed Khabarovsk.In the past four days, the fighting of the Qing army has been generally unfavorable-the Eight Banners are reluctant to be killed and injured, and the tribesmen are useless-at least nearly a thousand corpses have been left under the city (most of them are the auxiliary soldiers of the tribesmen), but there is no one. can make any progress.They didn't even climb the top of the city, which was only four meters high. Under the precise strikes of army soldiers and Shandan hunters, and the lethal shooting of cannons, these tribesmen who lacked battle experience only relied on a stream of blood. Yong, naturally cannot cross the invisible gap between the two sides.

And the battle has reached today, no matter how full of blood and courage it is, it should dissipate!Even the most savage, brawny Shandan tribesmen should have understood by now that this city was beyond their grasp.War has evolved to this era, and killing has become an art. The emergence of bastions, muskets, and cannons has made siege warfare a protracted military operation.Especially for the party with backward military technology, the installation of a large number of artillery and the small bastions with well-trained defenders is simply like a natural moat to them, and they can only sigh in awe.

The Qing army has a total of 6000 troops. They have fought under the city until today. Not only have they not made any progress, but they have lost about 300 troops. This battle seems to be impossible.What the Qing court is looking forward to now is that the Raksha man Khabarov can keep his promise and bring several cannons to the city of Khabarovsk to help the Qing army capture the city.What they don't know is that if the Russian artillery does not consider mobility, it is not as good as the large-caliber iron artillery they have worked so hard to transport from the south in terms of power.What's more, what's the use of having more cannons? Is it possible to compete with the people on the east coast in terms of the number, caliber, range and accuracy of cannons?This is no joke!

"The Qing army's momentum has fallen, and the offensive will not last long." Chang Kaisheng stood at the top of the city, watching the Qing army retreating in twos and threes, a feeling of deja vu came to his heart.Wasn't that the case in South Africa back then?Wave after wave of Xhosa blacks rushed into the improvised line of defense with carts and barbed wire. The equally loyal and brave East Coast Army fired artillery and guns behind them. Take out a Xhosa tribe with few casualties.Unless you were attacked by the Xhosa while marching in the wild, it would be difficult for the enemy to cause much casualties, not to mention that they are still standing on the city wall today, and those barbaric tribesmen can't shake them at all!

"The cavalry team of the Heilongjiang security regiment is on standby at any time. Once the Qing army shows signs of withdrawing, it is time for them to appear. Sarhuda gathered so many people to gather under the city of Khabarovsk, relying on his little grain and grass reserves and the appalling logistics and transportation conditions , there is no other way but to fight quickly, this is the death spot of the Qing army! On the other hand, the Qing army has never been able to stop us from receiving the supplies brought by the naval gunboats, which is doomed to their failure. There is no suspense in this battle , It is a matter of time before the Qing army withdraws, this time we must seize the opportunity and give them a long memory!" Chang Kaisheng happily said to Wang Shichuan, the temporary head of the security regiment who was following behind him.

"The general obeys orders." Wang Shichuan immediately replied loudly.He was born as a bandit and served as the county magistrate of the Dashun regime in Shandong. After studying at the Anti-Qing Military and Political University in Yantai for a while, he was transferred to the Amur River to take up local management work.In recent years, the operation of the East Bank in the Amur River Basin can be said to be one step at a time, and it is extremely stable. Wang Shichuan himself and his family have also become well-known local dignitaries. The natives, who resisted the Qing and resisted the Russians, were generally quite a reliable group of people.

For this expedition, Wang Shichuan recruited troops on a large scale in Temple Street and nearby areas. Frightened by the prestige of the people on the east coast, all the tribes also sent some outstanding children to join the army. Hundreds of elite soldiers were recruited within a few days.And when he gathered young men from Henggun Village, Jiangdong Village, Gonghe Village, and Boli Village, the Heilongjiang Security Corps has historically reached a establishment of 300 people.

These people have excellent riding skills, and some people (mainly the tribes living near Temple Street Port) have quite good personal combat skills after many times of training. fairly fast.They walked and trained all the way. When they arrived at Bolizhai in September, although there were still some problems in running-in, the basic combat effectiveness was still formed. There is no downturn in the hands.Even some savage Hezhe people got up to fight and used their usual bear hunting skills to repel those slightly weaker Eight Banners Yu Ding when they got off their horses and fought on foot.It was only when they encountered the onslaught of the Qing army taking advantage of their numbers that they had to retreat into the city for defense in order to temporarily avoid the Qing army's spirit.

The opportunity Chang Kaisheng mentioned finally came three days later. At this time, the Qing army suffered heavy casualties after repeated onslaughts, and the whole army was somewhat exhausted.Moreover, the food and grass in the camp were extremely lacking, and it could not last for a long time, and it was far away to rely on the rear for transshipment. Therefore, Sarhuda had the idea of ​​​​withdrawing the army-although the attack on the city of the bandits in yellow ended in failure again. The superior punished, but it was better than annihilated the whole army and confessed himself here, right?

Therefore, on September 9, after failing to drive a wave of tribal militia auxiliary soldiers and Korean bird musketeers to attack the city, Sharhuda decisively issued an order to withdraw the troops.Chang Kaisheng, who had been paying attention to the Qing army's every move on the top of the city, immediately ordered the Heilongjiang security regiment to prepare for the attack. The seven hundred riders on standby were fully armed and ready to go; The more than 23 Cossacks brought by the husband have also crossed a small tributary of the Amur River, and are about to speed up and rush to the vicinity of Bolizhai for military speculation.

On the night of September 9, the cavalry of the Heilongjiang Security Regiment attacked the troops of the North Korean bird musketeers more than ten miles south of Bolizhai.Because they couldn't see their fingers in the dark at that time, Wang Shichuan and others mistakenly thought that this was Sarhuda's central army, so they immediately got off their horses and fought fiercely with them.Sergeant Li Chao was weak and unbearable to fight, and was quickly scattered. Not many of the thousands of bird gunners were killed or injured on the spot, but many escaped in the dark, and more than 23 people were captured. The whole army was wiped out.

On the morning of the 24th, Wang Shichuan and others were disappointed when they found that Sharhuda and the main force of the Zhenglan Banner had retreated first. While sending people to report to Chang Kaisheng, they searched and pursued south along the Ussuri River.In the afternoon, they found a large number of small boats abandoned by the Qing army in a river branch. Some Daur people guarding the boats scattered when they saw people from the east bank chasing them.Coincidentally at this time, four shallow-water gunboats of the Navy also came from the downstream, so six or seven hundred cavalry from the Heilongjiang Security Regiment, accompanied by the gunboats, went all the way south along the Ussuri River to pursue the Qing army.At this time, in the west of Khabarov and others, Khabarov and others had also initially inquired about the news of the war. The Cossacks were a little ready to move, and seemed to want to follow the people on the east bank to take advantage of the fire to make a living.

On the 26th, the Heilongjiang Security Regiment intercepted a Qing Army rearguard force—this was a mixed infantry and cavalry force composed of tribesmen—after a fierce battle defeated this force that was not strong in fighting spirit and eager to return home, and beheaded More than fifty levels, hundreds of people were captured, and Jialazhang Jinghai Tower was killed.At this time, Khabarov and others had already fully understood the result of the battle, so they immediately changed their minds, and while sending people to "congratulate" the people on the east bank and reiterated "friendship and harmony", they organized a crossing of people. Going down Henan, intending to enter the hinterland of Manchuria to plunder.

On the 28th, the Heilongjiang security regiment defeated a group of Daur tribal soldiers who were said to have participated in the attack on Khabarovsk.These people fled back to the tribal settlements after hardships, but they never expected that the vicious yellow-clothed thieves would chase them along the way. The people organized hastily were killed and scattered, and more than [-] people, men, women, children, and children were all captured. It was so miserable. .At this time, Boli City also sent a fast horse messenger, and Chang Kaisheng asked the pursuing troops to stop as soon as they were good, and not to be ambushed by the enemy and turn victory into defeat.

Therefore, after Wang Shichuan and others took some more captives nearby, they escorted more than a thousand captured Daur tribesmen, and under the escort of naval gunboats, they retreated slowly northward along the Ussuri River on the 30th.At this time, the Khabarov gang had also looted several native tribes on the south bank of the Amur River, and gained a lot.

In the next two months of October and November, the people from the East Bank urgently recruited 10 soldiers (some retired The veterans had to go into battle again), and were urgently transported to Bolizhai by boat.Their unit was temporarily incorporated into the Heilongjiang Security Regiment. Afterwards, this small 11-man mixed infantry and cavalry unit was on both sides of the Amur River, coordinated by naval gunboats, to sweep back and forth and relocate the tribes that were originally under the control of the Qing army.

These natives were originally nomadic and nomadic. Influenced by the Bogd Khan of Manchuria, they not only provided horses and soldiers for the Eight Banners, but also provided food and arrows for the Eight Banners soldiers who went to the lower reaches of the Amur River to capture the Jurchen soldiers. Ting's military depots and grain depots operating in the north.Now, taking advantage of Sarhuda’s unfavorable attack and retreating, the people on the east bank simply rushed out and forcibly moved all the ruling foundations of the Qing court away. If the Qing army organizes a counterattack in the future, it will be even more difficult to sustain.

In Chang Kaisheng's view, this is the essence of the art of war, not focusing on the gains and losses of a city or a place, but focusing on attacking the enemy's vital forces and strengthening one's own strength—and winning over these tribes that were originally controlled by the Qing court is exactly the next step. The work focus of the people on the east coast for a period of time.But before that, he still has to beat the gang of Cossacks to let them stop, and quickly roll back to the west of Albazin when they have enough money. This is not where they should come. I believe Khabarov, a smart man, will make correct choice.

(End of this chapter)