vrcanaries Chapter 124: Fighting in Zhangjiawan Again
Chapter 124: Fighting in Zhangjiawan Again
Tan Qiliang replied, "I don't know the details, but I'm afraid the prince thinks the foreigners' artillery is too powerful and we can't defend it."
Liu Ye was speechless. He understood. Senggelinqin was planning to use his cavalry to engage the Anglo-French coalition in a decisive battle on the plains, fully utilizing the cavalry's mobility advantage. However, your cavalry must also be powerful enough! Not all armies are invincible to the Mongol cavalry that roams the world! At the very least, under the artillery, rifles, and rockets of the Anglo-French coalition, the cavalry had no chance of charging!
However, it is too late to say anything now. After all, the Qing army has withdrawn from Tianjin, and now the British and French forces are probably attacking northward from Tianjin!
Yes, the Anglo-French Allied Forces have indeed set out from Tianjin.
After the British and French allied forces occupied Tianjin, they rested for only more than a day before starting to move north along the Baihe River, passing through Kuo County and approaching Tong County.
At this time, Senggelinqin had already been on high alert. He mobilized 8,000 Mongolian cavalry and 2,000 Eight Banners cavalry, a total of more than 10,000 cavalry. At the same time, there were 4,000 people from Shengbao's Green Camp, 6,000 people from Ruilin's Beijing Camp, and 6,000 people from Zhili Province's Green Camp. Together with the troops coming from other places, the total number reached 30,000.
Such a strong military force also made Senggelinqin feel a little relieved. Putting aside other things, the gathering of tens of thousands of cavalry alone could put tremendous pressure on the foreigners. With tens of thousands of cavalry charging, it was unbelievable that the British and French forces could withstand it with just rifles and artillery!
In Senggelinqin's mind, the foreigners had probably never seen tens of thousands of cavalry charging into battle. These foreigners were just unsophisticated people who had never seen a large-scale battle. Today, let them see what cavalry was!
Senggelinqin implemented a rigorous military deployment in Tong County. He commanded cavalry and infantry, stationed along the line from Zhangjiawan to Baliqiao, securing the main road from Tongzhou to Guangqumen in the capital. He also ordered Deputy Governor-General Yulong to lead 4000 Mongolian cavalry to defend Baliqiao, and ordered General Namashan, the General of the Cavalry, to lead 1000 Chahar Mongolian cavalry to defend Caiyu, southeast of Majuqiao, to prevent the enemy from advancing westward from Matou and attacking the capital. Acting Zhili Governor-General Cheng Bao led 4000 Green Camp troops to defend Tongzhou County. Shengbao, the General Commander of the Eight Banners of the Han Army, led 5000 Green Camp troops of the Beijing Camp to garrison the area east of Qihuamen to Dingfuzhuang, serving as a reserve force to support Senggelinqin and protect the capital. These various units served as a supporting force, providing remote support.
However, the Qing army was strong enough, and the Anglo-French forces were also not weak.
The French commander Montalban personally led the vanguard of the Anglo-French coalition forces of 8,000 people, a French brigade and a cavalry regiment, to take advantage of the situation. The main force of the Anglo-French coalition forces of 15,000 people had also set out from Tianjin City and headed straight for Tongzhou.
Soon, the British and French allied forces arrived. The vanguard of the British and French allied forces attacked from the north of Tianjin. At noon that day, they approached Zhangjiawan from Hexi.
Senggelinqin held a monocular telescope and watched the British and French allied forces in the distance. The British and French allied forces were in neat formation and high morale, and the cannons behind them were even more terrifying.
Senggelinqin felt a chill in his heart. If he wanted to win, he had to strike first. Once the British and French forces were ready and their artillery was in full swing, he would be in a passive situation again.
Senggelinqin shouted, "Order, Lieutenant General E, lead 3,000 cavalry to launch a frontal charge against the foreigners. Lieutenant General Basasu will follow closely behind, leading 4,000 Green Camp infantry!"
Inspector E received the order and led 3,000 Mongolian cavalry to launch a direct attack on the British and French forces in the distance.
Three thousand cavalrymen charged fiercely towards the Anglo-French coalition forces like a hurricane!
At this time, the British and French artillery had not yet entered the position and could not be used. The infantry could only form a hollow formation and fire volleys in an attempt to suppress the crazy charge of the Mongolian cavalry!
However, once the cavalry charged, their speed was astonishing and their momentum was terrifying. It was difficult to suppress the cavalry's attack solely by relying on the power of muskets. Moreover, among the 3,000 cavalry, there was also a musket cavalry battalion with more than 300 people, shooting at the French army. There were also soldiers in the French army who were constantly hit, and the French positions began to become a little panicked.
Meng Daban saw it clearly and his heart tightened. He absolutely could not let the cavalry rush into the formation!
"Order the Royal Cavalry Regiment to move north. If the enemy cavalry approaches the front of the position, attack from the side and contain the Qing army's attack! Prepare rockets, three salvos!"
Meng Daban nervously issued the combat order.
The British and French forces were not like Senggelinqin thought, they had never experienced large-scale cavalry charges. During the Crimean War, the Cossack cavalry was so powerful that it was even stronger than the Mongolian cavalry. However, the British and French forces still found a way to restrain them. In addition to artillery, there was this kind of rocket - the Congreve rocket!
The Congreve rocket was a weapon developed by the British during the Anglo-French War. It had a range of over two kilometers and was filled with gunpowder. It could not only injure people with flames but also explode directly. It was incredibly powerful. Whether in the Napoleonic Wars or the Crimean War, it played a huge role and effectively curbed the group impact of the Tsarist Cossack cavalry!
This time, the British and French forces brought this weapon to China and used it on the Mongolian cavalry!
In the blink of an eye, hundreds of rockets flew into the sky and shot at the Mongolian cavalry. Hundreds of rockets may not seem like a lot, but when the rockets landed on the grass, they exploded quickly, igniting the grass and trees on the ground. Coupled with the violent explosion, they brought huge damage to the Mongolian cavalry. The frightened war horses kept neighing and screaming, fell into chaos in the fire, and began to turn around and rush backwards!
This was a tough time for Basasu's infantrymen behind. Thousands of Green Camp infantrymen were caught off guard by the cavalry's charge, and countless of them were trampled to the ground by the war horses. The unlucky ones were even trampled into meat paste!
The vanguard troops sent by Senggelinqin were thrown into chaos in an instant and began to trample on each other.
Ah!
Senggelinqin never expected that the Anglo-French Allied Forces had such a trick. Although he had just avoided the enemy's artillery bombardment, he did not expect that the enemy also had rockets. The damage caused by this weapon was no less than that of artillery!
The front army is in complete chaos. How can they fight?
Before Senggelinqin gave the order again, the Royal Knights on the Anglo-French allied position rushed towards the vanguard of the Qing army, and kept shooting at the Qing army with their carbines. In a short time, countless people were hit, and the entire front of the Qing army was beaten terribly. The Qing soldiers retreated madly.
Senggelinqin was horrified. If they were attacked by foreign cavalry at this time, it would be even more troublesome!
Senggelinqin was helpless and used his trump card, mobilizing all the musket teams, plus the firearms battalion and artillery battalion, to suppress the Royal Cavalry Regiment with powerful firepower!
At the critical moment, Western weapons were still useful. The crazy firepower suppressed the cavalry regiment's attack in one fell swoop, forcing them to retreat temporarily to avoid the sharp edge!