Chapter 107: Death Battle

“Execute consecutive explosions!”
At this command, the Hanhai Battalion immediately changed its tactics. Their mortars no longer aimed to suppress the enemy’s artillery but instead focused on the firepower from the bunker ahead. Remington and Spencer rifles were aimed at the forty to fifty Annamese puppet soldiers in the bunker—aiming not to cause casualties but to prevent them from showing themselves.

Two of the most experienced bombers were already leaping forward with explosive packs, with a second wave of bombers ready to act behind them. These bombers weren’t carrying the small explosive packs commonly used by the Xiliu Battalion but rather large packs weighing fifteen kilograms each. As such, they carried no other weapons besides the explosives.

Meanwhile, the entire Black Flag Army’s artillery force, including the mortars of the Xiliu Infantry Regiment, launched sustained suppressive fire. They even abandoned efforts to completely suppress the French artillery, aiming to break through as quickly as possible.

The French artillery began to respond in full force. Captain Bissel’s expression improved significantly. If it weren’t for those strange cannons firing shells with curved trajectories, their own artillery could have easily suppressed the Black Flag Army’s guns. After all, they were equipped with the main artillery of the French navy, capable of easily overpowering the Black Flag Army’s cast-iron smoothbore guns. He simply asked, “Could our bunker be in trouble?”

“Absolutely not!” the artillery lieutenant assured him. “They don’t have large-caliber guns. Even if they fired ten shots directly at our bunker, our fortifications would still remain intact!”

Captain Bissel grew even more confident: “Even with a hundred thousand Black Flag soldiers, we can hold our ground using these fortifications!”

As if in response to his words, a deafening explosion suddenly erupted from one of the front-line bunkers. After the blast, the entire area was covered in thick smoke and dust. Bricks and wood from the explosion flew in all directions. Captain Bissel felt as though his ears would be deafened.

“Good heavens…”
He wasn’t inexperienced, but he had seen such massive explosions before. The problem was—he had never imagined encountering such a devastating attack.

“Kill them!”
It was the infantry of the Hanhai Battalion charging forward. But Captain Bissel couldn’t hear such cries of battle. He couldn’t fathom such devastation, such artillery fire directed at their own side.

As the smoke gradually cleared, the bunker, which had once been several meters tall, was now reduced to ruins. Especially in the center of the explosion, it was hard to believe it had once been a bunker.

The Hanhai Battalion’s infantry had rushed forward and engaged the remaining indigenous soldiers inside. The indigenous troops, already wounded or killed by the explosions, numbered only thirty to forty. They were no match for the Hanhai Battalion. As soon as the fighting started, more than a dozen of them were killed or wounded, and they quickly turned and fled.

Yet Captain Bissel still didn’t react. He was still reflecting on that thunderous explosion!

What caliber of gun was that? These naval officers were quite experienced, having seen many large-caliber guns. So even at the moment of the explosion, all the naval officers could conclude with certainty that it couldn’t have been caused by a gun under 100 millimeters in caliber.

What caliber of artillery did the Black Flag Army possess? Captain Bissel first thought of 140-millimeter naval guns, but he quickly dismissed this idea. 140-millimeter naval guns were extremely powerful, but such a devastating blast seemed too far-fetched. Could it be 160-millimeter guns? Unlikely! He soon shifted his suspicion to 190-millimeter and 240-millimeter main guns, which were only found on French cruisers and ironclads—capable of destroying a bunker with a single shot.

On the other side, the Black Flag Army officers also watched in astonishment. Huang Shouzhong widened his eyes and asked, “Is that their explosive charge? It’s absurd! Even 200 pounds of black powder wouldn’t have such power!”

At the same time, Deng Shichang’s vanguard, led by Deng Shao, rushed forward to a bunker after the explosion. They fired at it while preparing to attack from within.

The Black Flag Army officers, observing the battle, began criticizing Cai Yunnan: “Why waste so much on large explosive charges? Smaller ones would be enough!”

After these explosions, everyone gained a clearer understanding of the fortifications in the concession. These fortifications weren’t the round structures people imagined but more like brick-and-stone watchtowers—tall and large, making them ideal targets for demolition.

Slightly different from the Japanese gun towers, these square fortifications were built with blue bricks. While they could resist some small artillery fire, they were easily destroyed by heavy artillery, just like paper.

The People’s Liberation Army had experience in demolition during the Liberation War. They had blown up countless fortifications and even large city walls. They concluded that brick-and-wood walls, no matter how high or deep, were relatively easy to destroy, while earthen walls, with their solid foundations, were extremely difficult to breach.

These fortifications were hastily built using blue bricks, and now the Black Flag Army was already criticizing Cai Yunnan: “Use more small explosive charges and carry out sequential demolitions—it’s more convenient!”

The explosive charges used by the Xiliu Camp were filled with picric acid. There were large charges weighing 15 kilograms, regular charges weighing 8 kilograms, and small charges weighing 4 kilograms. It was widely agreed that the 4-kilogram small charges were the most practical—usable for demolition, combined to form larger charges, or used as oversized grenades.

Although large charges contained more explosives, each battalion carried only a few. The most commonly used were still the 4-kilogram small charges. Now, the officers unanimously agreed that their power was sufficient.

After all, the small charges also contained picric acid, equivalent to dozens of kilograms of black powder. Yet Liu Yu snapped, “What’s there to worry about? What’s the harm in using two large charges?”

Picric acid was indeed powerful, but it was highly corrosive and not easy to store for long. So Liu Yu was decisive: “It’s better to use more explosives than to fail!”

At the front line, the Hanhai Battalion also encountered a counterattack from the French forces. This time, it was a platoon of Annamese indigenous infantry who, under artillery cover, charged at the still-unstable Hanhai Battalion with fierce cries. Meanwhile, the remnants who had lost their fortifications also rushed back under the leadership of French officers.

These fortifications were quite substantial—each could accommodate a platoon of troops. However, due to a shortage of core forces, Bisel only deployed a squad of Annamese indigenous infantry, commanded by a French non-commissioned officer, along with another squad of Tonkinese indigenous infantry. Additionally, there were about a dozen armed parishioners, who served both to keep an eye on each other and to preserve the strength of the core forces as much as possible.

Yet this counterattack didn’t last long. Those dozens of Vietnamese soldiers were dealt a heavy blow by the Hanhai Battalion, suffering many casualties; they even failed to even reach the fortifications. With rifles, grenades, and explosive charges used in succession, these Annamese indigenous infantry had no experience dealing with such attacks, leaving behind over twenty dead bodies.

But before Cai Yunan could stabilize his position, someone came from the front line: “Sentry Deng wants to borrow a few first-aid kits from your battalion!”

Sentry Deng Shichang was one of the closest allies to the Xiliu Battalion and had a good relationship with Cai Yunan. So without hesitation, Cai Yunan said, “I’ll lend you two demolition experts!”

Meanwhile, Deng Shichang’s group was engaged in fierce combat below the fortification. Although the defenders consisted of just one platoon and the fortification didn’t have gun emplacements, the Black Flag Army fought back from the top and bottom of the watchtower. Yet the Black Flag Army’s ladders couldn’t reach up.

But when two explosive charges were linked together and detonated, the fortification was blown apart like tofu cut by a knife, with a section of it destroyed outright. Deng Shichang ordered his soldiers to charge upward: “Forget about your guns—get rid of them first!”

Learning from the failure of their initial counterattack, the French did not send troops in counterattack but instead launched a barrage of artillery fire, causing significant casualties among the advancing troops. Soon, every battalion head was asking to borrow explosive charges—even just one.

Learning on the battlefield was fast. Soon, each battalion head knew how to detonate explosive charges. But it had to be admitted that the French had built their fortifications at a very high standard. After a fierce assault throughout the afternoon, only four fortification positions were captured, half of which belonged to the Hanhai Battalion.

The Black Flag Army suffered nearly a hundred casualties in total, half of which came from the Hanhai Battalion. Yet everyone remained confident and prepared to continue the attack the next day.

For the Black Flag Army, however, this progress was unsatisfactory. Moreover, from interrogating prisoners, they received even worse news: “The French have sent in 300 reinforcements, including 100 true French soldiers and 200 indigenous infantry from Cochinchina!”

Liu Chengliang immediately exclaimed, “No wonder it’s so tough to take!”

Huang Shouzhong and Wu Fengdian also felt it was difficult to fight. Nearly a hundred men had been killed in just one afternoon. Although more French soldiers died, upon closer inspection, it turned out that most of the dead were Vietnamese puppet soldiers. Even among them, only half were capable Annamese indigenous infantry; many were Catholic armed parishioners. In essence, they had spent an entire afternoon eliminating mere cannon fodder.

And they had to admit that without the incredibly powerful explosive charges of the Xiliu Camp, their side might have only been able to capture one bunker at most, but at least they could claim to have driven a nail into the concession.
“It has been determined that the enemy defenders consist of about 900 regular troops and 500 to 600 armed believers. Among the regular troops, there are 400 Frenchmen, 300 indigenous infantry from Annam, and 200 indigenous infantry from Tonkin.”
These numbers were enough to make everyone think carefully before acting. The reason why the Black Flag Army was determined to attack Hanoi was precisely because the enemy had insufficient defenders—Hanoi likely had no more than 500 French troops. Yet in actual combat, there were over a thousand of them. Liu Yongfu’s eyes grew solemn; “Fight! We still must fight!”
He knew that given the current situation, even if he exhausted all his resources, capturing Hanoi would still be worth it. He turned to Liu Yu and asked, “Commander Liu, how many more explosive charges do you have?”
The Black Flag Army had seen firsthand the power of the Xiliu Camp’s explosive charges. They never expected the camp to possess such formidable tactics. Liu Yu replied straightforwardly, “Apart from the explosive charges carried by each battalion, I’ve brought another 20 with me. Share them among everyone!”
“No problem!”
In history, the Black Flag Army was also experienced in blasting, though they used black powder with much weaker power, so they could only use it in ambush battles. To blow up bunkers in assault battles, hundreds of pounds of gunpowder would likely be needed. They never imagined the Xiliu Camp would have such powerful explosives.
Yet despite the joy, Wu Fengdian sighed slightly: “Tomorrow’s battle will be tough!”
After fighting all afternoon, capturing four strongholds was indeed a joyous achievement. But among the enemy’s casualties, there were very few real Frenchmen—almost all were Vietnamese. After the Battle of Paper Bridge, Wu Fengdian knew well that the combat effectiveness of the French troops was far beyond that of the indigenous infantry.
The bigger problem was that brick-and-wood bunkers were easy to blow up—two explosive charges could destroy them outright. But tomorrow, when they entered the heart of the concession, those French-built structures were made of granite, making blasting much more difficult.
It was for this reason that Wu Fengdian said, “Tomorrow, we still need the Hanhai Battalion to break through!”
The atmosphere in the Hanoi concession also turned gloomy. The French officers who advocated military democracy now insisted on handing full control to Captain Bissell, on the condition that he could hold the area.
Four strongholds had been captured in just one afternoon, with 200 casualties. Although many real Frenchmen were killed or wounded aside from the artillery troops, everyone had to admit that the concession was now in the most dangerous situation.
“Damn it! They dare to use nitroglycerin explosives. Aren’t they afraid of blowing their own troops to pieces?”
After the initial shock, they finally understood that the Xiliu Camp wasn’t using steel cannons over 200 millimeters in caliber for bombardment but rather explosive charges for blasting—a tactic they had also used before.
Whether in Nanning or Hanoi, the French had relied on artillery suppression, followed by blasting and ladder assaults to capture positions. But the French hadn’t gone so far as to use nitroglycerin explosives—they were well aware of its danger, as it could easily blow an entire company to pieces.

They used some relatively safe mining explosives. Although they contained nitroglycerin as well, they didn’t use it as recklessly as the Xiliuying Regiment—at most, they used ten kilograms of less powerful mining explosives. Yet in the afternoon battles, the Xiliuying Regiment used nitroglycerin explosives freely, with even ordinary infantry throwing nitroglycerin-packed bombs at their opponents. Such enemies were nothing but madmen! The officers all echoed Captain Bissel’s cry: “They’re truly madmen! If reinforcements don’t arrive, we’re in great danger!” “Retreat the lines!” Captain Bissel made a painful decision. “And… Frenchmen, bring out the 100 kilograms of explosives we have prepared—we have the same courage!” The battle on May 21st was doomed to be brutal from the start, with that brutality beginning even the previous night. Both sides continuously launched small nighttime raids in an attempt to disrupt the other’s attack plans, while their artillery units reorganized their positions in the darkness. As dawn broke, the Black Flag Army took the initiative. Instead of using single squads as their main force, they, like the Hanhai Regiment, formed groups of six to seven or even more than ten people, carrying explosives and grenades to penetrate the enemy lines, which somewhat reduced casualties. But this didn’t mean the battle wouldn’t be bloody. Although Vietnamese conscripts still made up the majority on the battlefield that day, there were many more French soldiers. Fights often turned into close-quarters combat—the Black Flag Army threw grenades in, only for French officers to throw them back. At times, the battle even escalated into hand-to-hand fighting. Though the Black Flag Army was fighting frantically, the French had nowhere to retreat either. After two hours of fighting, the Hanhai Regiment finally managed to establish control over a bunker. They didn’t even have time to celebrate before French artillery fire hit them. More than half of the twenty-some people who rushed into the bunker were killed or wounded, and the more the Black Flag Army advanced, the fiercer the resistance they faced. “The Hanhai Regiment isn’t strong enough! Let’s go in!” Sima Tai volunteered, “If our regiment goes in, the battle will be much easier to resolve!” Ye Chenglin beside him added, “After all, it’s a new regiment with less experience. Commander, our regiment’s casualties are really minimal!” But Liu Yu remained silent. “Let them face some tough challenges—strength is forged through battle!” This round of attacks reached its climax in the afternoon. The French lost almost all their outer positions and now relied on several key buildings in the concession as their main strongholds. They even mounted 40-mm mountain guns on balconies to fire at the advancing Black Flag Army. The Black Flag Army breathed a sigh of relief, but the French didn’t think so. For the first time, they deployed pure French infantry squads in counterattacks, along with a large number of Vietnamese soldiers, bringing the total force to nearly a company. The rear unit of the Liu Cheng Regiment didn’t expect the French to dare to counterattack so boldly. Just as they dodged the artillery fire, French bayonets charged at them, forcing them to retreat in panic. Reinforced by Wu Fengdian’s left unit, who personally led troops to stabilize the lines, and then by Captain Deng’s front unit, who attacked from the flank, they were soon pushed back again.

Now the French are using the same tactics as the Black Flag Army, only they employ 10-kilogram explosive packs. Thus, although the Black Flag Army only threw two small explosive packs, it caused heavy casualties. At critical moments, it still came down to the Hanhai Battalion. Cai Yunnan was fighting frantically, shouting, “Eliminate them!” Since the French dared to launch a counterattack with a force the size of an infantry company, he personally ordered a full infantry company to charge through the artillery fire. Soon, both sides engaged in close combat, using everything from rifles and explosive packs to bayonets, entrenching tools, and even hand-to-hand fighting. There was nothing left unused. Fierce battles erupted in the ruined bunker fortifications, and even the accompanying 60-mm mortars stopped firing. The French forces were pushed back step by step. Captain Bissel had already given the order, “Artillery! Fire at full speed!” The artillery lieutenant was in tears: “Captain, those are Frenchmen!” One-third of the soldiers on both sides were French. The lieutenant pleaded, “Let the French withdraw first!” “Order! Fire!” With the French soldiers retreating steadily, Captain Bissel had only this one command. “Boom!” The 40-mm mountain guns mounted on the balconies began indiscriminate shelling. The first shot knocked down nearly a dozen people. In the ensuing close combat, these were not accidental hits—the French artillery was berserk; they even fired at their own troops. The exposed infantry on both sides suffered heavy losses in this round of shelling. The accompanying 60-mm mortars immediately shifted their fire, barely suppressing the French artillery. Then the Hanhai Battalion launched a fierce offensive. The French forces, whose morale had already collapsed, were almost completely wiped out, and the abandoned bunker finally changed hands once again. But Cai Yunnan felt like crying—casualties were too high. Over one-third of the infantry company that charged suffered casualties, nearly half of them from the French’s indiscriminate shelling. Of the three infantry companies he now had, two had over one-third of their troops killed or wounded, and the remaining one was still intact but also suffered significant losses. “Battalion commander, our battalion actually has less than 500 men left, and 150 of them are already killed or wounded—over one-third. Should we request reinforcements from the regiment commander?” Cai Yunnan glanced at the Hanoi Concession ahead. “I am the Hanoi Battalion! Tell the regiment commander I don’t need reinforcements, but I request 200 grenades, 10 small explosive packs, 2 large explosive packs, and 50 mortar shells!” He knew well that the front line had already shrunk significantly. Even if fresh troops were sent, they might not be as adapted to this kind of combat. “Remember, we are the Hanoi Battalion!” Liu Yu felt only one thing: this new unit had proven itself. As long as this fighting spirit persisted, even with heavy casualties, it could still become a highly combat-effective new battalion after replenishing with new recruits. “We are the Hanoi Battalion!” With such slogans, the Hanhai Battalion fought like mad. They broke through one defense line after another. Whether it was real French troops, Annamese indigenous infantry, or Tonkinese indigenous infantry, none could stop their advance. As for the Catholic believers, they were not even worth mentioning.

Liu Yu was also glad he hadn’t withdrawn the Hanhai Battalion; even though the French army launched several counterattacks with mixed infantry units at the company level, they were still driven back by the Hanhai Battalion. The other battalions of the Black Flag Army also performed quite well, but compared to the Hanhai Battalion, they were nothing but extras, forced to watch Cai Yunnan’s performance. Deep inside the concession, the Hanhai Battalion used every possible tactic—breaking through walls, climbing onto rooftops, entering sewers—even the 40-mm mountain guns on the balconies were hit by a grenade, forcing them to hastily relocate. The French army faced increasing pressure, and everyone turned to Captain Bissell and said, “Sir! Deploy the reserve forces!” Liu Yu and Liu Yongfu, on the other hand, seemed much more relaxed. Watching the battle progress, Liu Yongfu made an optimistic estimate: “We should be able to take Hanoi by tomorrow!” Liu Yu wasn’t so optimistic, but he felt the French army had suffered heavy losses: “The French have lost quite a number of men; our army can achieve a complete victory within two or three days!” Just as he said this, the telephone rang. Liu Yu picked it up casually: “What? French warships carrying reinforcements have returned?”