lcionline Chapter 665 The Final Line of Executions
Chapter 665 The Final Line of Executions
After Quartz issued this bold order, the mid-level officers were all astonished and gaped.
The infantry manual clearly states that the Patriot rifle has an effective range of 70 paces and remains lethal within 100 paces; its optimal range is 50 paces. When defending against the enemy, the general tactic is to remain stationary, wait for the enemy to enter within 100 paces, prepare to fire, and open fire at 70 paces, using either volley fire or individual fire as needed.
When you advance to a position of thirty paces to fire, the distance is close enough to see the pockmarks on the other person's face, so accuracy is guaranteed. You can almost hit the other person with your eyes closed. However, the danger also increases exponentially. Although the overall performance of the shotgun is not as good as the Patriot rifle, it is not to be underestimated.
However, the Qionghai Army has extremely strict military discipline. Once an order is given, it will be carried out without fail. The mistakes of the commanders will naturally be investigated by the military law department after the war. For example, Zuo Wuwei's questioning of Shi Ying in the Battle of Changyi was just an isolated case. Moreover, Zuo Wuwei was only discussing the matter from the perspective of artillery professionals and did not disobey the order in the end.
Under the command of their officers, the soldiers of the First Battalion marched forward in unison, rifles at the ready. The two rows of soldiers were so neat that even their adversary, the Shenji Battalion, took notice.
One of the captains exclaimed, "It's quite remarkable that the arquebusiers can operate so skillfully and in such perfect unison."
Fu Ankang snorted, "It's all just for show. We're all musketeers, it's just a matter of exchanging fire. Charging straight in like this is just suicide. I was worried that the distance was too far, but now that they've delivered themselves to our doorstep, it's perfect. Tell the brothers to give it their all and send them on their way with a volley of gunfire!"
Liu Ye, standing behind, frowned and said to Liang Xiaoming beside him, "This Shi Ying always takes risks. Last time in Changyi, he used mountain guns to fire at a distance of only a few dozen meters, and this time he's playing with fire again. We have an advantage in rate of fire, so why use such tactics?"
Liang Xiaoming, however, held a completely opposite view. He praised, "No wonder you're a veteran forged in real combat. You've mastered it without a teacher; this is a tactic the British often use. You know, the British are used to taking risks. In naval battles, they advocate firing with their cannons pointed right at the enemy's head, but in reality, the distance is only about 100 meters. In firing squads, they often brave enemy fire to get within 30 or even 20 paces and crush the opponent with a volley. In the era of smoothbore muskets, where accuracy and range were not great, such tactics, though risky, were far more effective than long-range volleys with sufficient discipline and willpower!"
Liu Ye remained skeptical and said nothing more, carefully observing the battle situation ahead.
The two sides were originally a hundred paces apart, but after the First Battalion moved forward a distance, the distance was reduced to sixty paces. At this time, the more than one thousand arquebusiers of the Shenji Battalion had finished loading their arquebuses and raised their muzzles to aim at the enemy. Without a cavalry charge, these arquebusiers were able to face the enemy calmly, and before the order was given, not a single one fired indiscriminately. Perhaps in their minds, in terms of firearms alone, no army in the world could compare to the Shenji Battalion, and these bumpkins on the other side were already doing well if they could even fire their arquebuses; they were not worthy of being their opponents.
Seeing that his men were ready, Fu Ankang shouted, "Give them a good beating!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Gunshots rang out like popping beans, interspersed with strange "bangs"—some unlucky soldier's musket had exploded. Soldiers of the First Battalion were falling from the ground, suffering casualties before their opponents even entered the fray. This was the first time such a situation had occurred in the Qionghai Navy, which was known for its superior long-range firepower.
However, the 1st Battalion of the 1st Regiment, a veteran of countless battles, was not deterred by the casualties and continued to advance in silence. The officers did not issue any orders to return fire. Soldiers who fell were immediately replaced by those behind them, maintaining the integrity of the column.
The Shenji Battalion, hoping their opponents would crumble under a barrage of gunfire, were disappointed. Many muttered curses under their breath: "Damn it, are these idiots? Taking bullets without fighting back, are they holding sticks?"
Fu Ankang sensed something was amiss. Such tactics were either foolish or demonstrated absolute confidence in oneself; he preferred to believe the latter. He immediately ordered, "Don't just stand there! Fire a second shot!"
The officers yelled and kicked at the musketmen, ordering them to fire again. The musketmen then began frantically repeating the tedious loading process.
Cleaning the ignition hole and priming pot, pouring in the priming powder, adding the appropriate amount of gunpowder to the muzzle, loading the bullet, tamping it down with a cleaning rod, and then blowing on the match cord to ignite the priming powder... Such complicated steps can be done without error without interference. However, facing an expressionless opponent who is gradually approaching, the musket operators feel a little uneasy and inevitably make mistakes, such as pouring in too much or too little priming powder, or forgetting to load the lead bullet.
Fifty paces, forty paces, thirty paces. Upon reaching the designated position, at the officer's loud command, the First Battalion halted its advance and raised its rifles in unison.
Faced with the dark muzzle of a gun, the musket-wielders panicked completely. They were skilled with muskets themselves and knew the implications of firing at this distance; if the enemy opened fire, survival was virtually impossible. The officers shouted orders for them to raise their guns and fire, but the more they urged, the more chaotic things became. Some raised their muskets without even loading lead bullets, while others couldn't even light the matchlock or ignite the powder.
Amidst the chaos of the Shenji Battalion, a roar erupted from the opposite side: "All units, fire a volley! Open fire!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" A dense barrage of gunfire rang out, but this time it was the Qionghai Navy opening fire. At a distance of thirty paces, almost every shot hit its mark. The Shenji Battalion's line of fire collapsed like a wall blown down by a gale. Screams of agony rose and fell in waves as thousands of musketmen fell backward in a neat formation amidst the storm of lead bullets, none escaping with their lives.
Fu Ankang's mouth dropped open, he could hardly believe his eyes, and the knife in his hand clattered to the ground. These thousand-plus musketeers were the elite of the Divine Machine Battalion, whom he had trained with great effort, and they had all been wiped out like that?
Liang Xiaoming was captivated by this violent aesthetic, and said to Liu Ye with lingering enthusiasm, "Look, this is simply a perfect combination of discipline, courage, and skill. In this time and space, only our team can do it. If nothing unexpected happens, after defeating the two Shenji Battalions in the north and south, there will be no opponent in East Asia who can go toe-to-toe with us. This may be the last time we see a line of executions in our lifetime—among the remaining opponents, whether they are the Later Jin or bandits, they are all genuine cold weapon troops."
Relieved, Liu Ye laughed and scolded, "Would it kill you to be less humble? Wait until we wipe out the Tartars and bandits before you start advocating your violent aesthetics!"