Chapter 141: Blade Charge

September 1, 1883.

The soldiers on both sides had breakfast in the light rain—the French troops drank black tea, while the Black Flag Army consumed bowls of ginger soup. Though from different camps, there was the same silence among them. All soldiers knew that these brave warriors would still charge forward heroically even if a hundred cannonballs were fired at them.

Geographically, Danfeng was a typical large-arc fortress. The left wing was the Great Buddha Temple, with a riverbank running parallel to the village entrance in the middle. To the left lay paddy fields, but only the passage between the riverbank and the Great Buddha Temple led into the village. Here was stationed the Black Flag Army’s once most formidable vanguard.

Huang Shouzhong personally led two battalions to defend this area. The main battalion was deployed on the main road, while the auxiliary battalion was tasked with defending the Great Buddha Temple surrounded by bamboo forests, covering the flank of the main battalion. Behind them were eight infantry battalions of the Black Flag Army. Yet Huang Shouzhong was well aware that four of these six battalions were newly formed, and the Wuwei Battalion had suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Huaide.

In other words, his two infantry battalions would be the backbone of the forces in battle. It was the first time since the Black Flag Army’s resurgence that he had such an honor.

“Lao Deng! How’s things on your end?” Standing beside him was Deng Shichang, the officer in charge of his battalion. Unlike in history, he would serve as the commander at the main entrance, thanks to his good relationship with the Black Flag Army.

“Our vanguard is always the first to fight,” said Deng Shichang. A typical Black Flag Army officer, he had cut off his queue and got along well with the officers of the Xiliu Battalion, but his heart still belonged to the vanguard. “Commander Liu said I could join him if I wanted, but our vanguard will always be the First Battalion of the Black Flag Army.”

The First Battalion of the Black Flag Army? Huang Shouzhong hadn’t heard that title in a long time, but he firmly believed he deserved such honor.

Amid the light rain, with his feet sunk in the mud, Deng Shichang addressed his soldiers, “Brothers of the vanguard, this is the moment to prove ourselves.”

To take control of the provinces in northern Tonkin and plan for the next steps, three infantry battalions of the Black Flag Army were moved to the rear— the Menghu Battalion, the Zhiqiao Battalion, and Liu Chengliang’s rear battalion. Meanwhile, due to a classified mission, the Liuyu Yun detachment and the Hanhai Battalion were once again detached from the front lines, allowing the vanguard to be placed at the forefront today.

He was well aware of the current situation. Liu Yongfu could rely on mostly the Left Battalion and the Wulei Battalion. As for the Wuwei Battalion and the Imperial Guard Battalion, they were too new. Although they had participated in the battle of Huaide Prefecture, the Wuwei Battalion had suffered heavy losses and could only serve as a reserve force.

The situation with the Xiliu Battalion was slightly better, but they also had two newly formed battalions, likely lacking combat strength. The Xiliu Battalion and the Wuya Battalion, though the core of the Xiliu Battalion’s strength, had suffered heavy casualties in their fierce attack on the French in Huaide Prefecture and had been replenished with many new recruits.

Not to mention the Xiliu Battalion—which battalion didn’t have new recruits these days? Unlike in the past, when the officers were in their thirties or forties, many young men in their twenties had been added, and even volunteers from Guangdong and Guangxi had come to join them. Even the vanguard itself had been reinforced with many new recruits.

Yet Deng Yingguan had absolute confidence in the combat strength of his vanguard unit. In several battles, the vanguard had suffered few casualties while achieving great results, especially in the Battle of Huaide, where there were almost no losses. That’s why this unit was tasked with playing the role of pioneers. He jumped into a ditch filled with water and shouted, “Our vanguard shall lead the way!”
…
At 8:30, the French forces had reached the front line of the positions. A Tokyo-native infantry company serving as the vanguard immediately engaged the Black Flag Army’s scouts at the dam crossing. The entire marching column stopped and deployed itself, ready to face this bloody battle.
Bo Hua learned from the lessons of the battle at Huaide Prefecture and calmly arranged the battle strategy: “Trust our commander; he will do an excellent job.”
The vanguard consisted of two older Tokyo-native infantry companies, one French infantry company, along with an engineering platoon, an artillery platoon, and a medical platoon. The native infantry and engineering platoon were at the front, while the French infantry and artillery were at the back. They immediately opened fire on the Black Flag Army.
Korona, the chief of staff beside Bo Hua, carefully observed the Vietnamese village ahead. He was unaware that behind the dam, ten battalions of 4,000 Black Flag Army soldiers were waiting in ambush. But given the experience at Huaide Prefecture, deadly bullets and shells could emerge at any moment from behind those mud walls and bamboo piles. One careless mistake could turn this seemingly peaceful field into a hell on earth.
After brief consideration, he issued orders: “The French company shall advance to support the native infantry. The artillery platoon shall deploy immediately and fire at the dam. The two main artillery units shall fire at the crossing. One French company shall go to the woods on the left to join forces with the Black Flag Army and prepare to attack the enemy’s right flank.”
The fighting at the front line continued. The exchange of fire didn’t seem intense, but everyone knew it was a facade—the real battle was about to begin.
“Heavy rain!”
The French officers hated this kind of heavy rain. It was the floods in Huaide that had cost them so many soldiers. Now, the same storm was sweeping over both sides of the battlefield.
“It’s so cold!” The soldiers of the Black Flag Army suffered more than the French troops in the open. They were soaked in mudwater—not only was the ground muddy, but the water in the trenches also rose to above their calves. Their grass-green uniforms were soaked to the point of clinging tightly to their bodies.
It was midsummer, yet the rain felt icy and piercing. But Deng Yingguan seemed oblivious. He just stared intently at those moving figures.
“The French are coming up!”
Everyone forgot about the cold. All they saw were the enemies—those enemies advancing.
The two native infantry companies drove back the Black Flag Army’s scouts while advancing, quickly approaching the Great Buddha Temple. There, Deng Shichang had already shouted, “Fire!”
Although he couldn’t command the warships to fire, at that moment he was as passionate as the famous naval general of the same name.
The auxiliary battalion on the left wing and the main battalion in the center fired simultaneously, creating a crossfire that covered the entire dam. Dense bullets were fired from all directions, preventing the French forces from advancing.
They crouched down, firing one or two shots from time to time, then shouted, “Artillery!”

The two sides fighting in the mud soon forgot everything, pouring all their passion into the battle. Corona, who was directing operations from the front, sent an additional French company to assist the native infantry in fighting against the Black Flag Army, while the frontline commander led two companies to flank rightward, swiftly capturing the Great Buddha Temple with firm courage so as to attack the dam from the side and seize the crossing point: “As long as we control the dam and the Great Buddha Temple, we will surely win today’s battle…”
Fighting at the front line continued. Faced with two battalions of the Black Flag Army’s infantry, the two Tokyo native infantry companies found it difficult to make a dent, even though they had a French engineering platoon as their core fighting force—they were completely stuck in their current positions.
After several battles, veteran units like the front battalion had mostly been upgraded to use breech-loading guns. These guns fired like bolts of lightning through the rain, causing heavy casualties among the native infantry. But soon, the fierce assault by the two French companies began.
Ten cannons opened fire simultaneously, and the two infantry companies charged screaming forward. The sounds of battle were deafening, with gunfire echoing through the valleys.
Yet ahead of the French forces were two battalions of the Black Flag Army’s infantry. Nearly a thousand of them were equipped with breech-loading guns, and there were also two 60-mm cannons in their ranks. Although the gunners were not very skilled, the continuous bombardment still inflicted heavy casualties on the French forces.
Four companies and one engineering platoon attacked almost at the same time, but they faced an intense firestorm worse than any previous battle. Bullets flew everywhere, cutting through the rain like streaks of light and tearing apart the French formations.
Although the French forces scattered into a skirmish line, many still avoided being hit by bullets in the rain. The deadly force of the metal bullets tore through their bodies, causing intense pain that made them groan repeatedly. Some soldiers fired while crouching low, trying to move forward as fast as possible, but the constant hail of bullets brought them closer to the flames emitted from the Black Flag Army’s guns.
Deng Shichang bore the greatest pressure. Although he had built strong defensive positions, they were merely earthworks. The area was constantly bombarded with deafening explosions, and shells fell at every moment. Even those that missed their targets turned the huts and houses behind into sea of fire.
Around him, casualties mounted. Generals who had followed him for years would suddenly collapse into the mud and never rise again, while the French forces kept closing in.
The fighting grew more intense, with more and more French soldiers appearing in the sight of the Black Flag Army. Since the crossing point was located at the bend of the dam, only the enemy forces who passed around the bend could be seen by the defenders there. The battle between the two sides became almost savage.
They fired wildly, loading bullets at lightning speed at close range, aiming straight at each other’s chests, then repeating the process until they were knocked down.
The Black Flag Army suffered increasing casualties, but the French forces no longer launched repeated charges like they had at Zhiqiao and Huaidefu. Instead, they made full use of their overwhelming firepower, avoiding unnecessary drain on their morale and stamina.

They advanced in a scattered line, firing volleys, taking a few steps forward, then stopping again to fire more volleys, attempting to gradually squeeze the Black Flag Army’s positions. The two artillery pieces at the forefront followed closely behind the infantry to provide maximum support, while the remaining eight artillery pieces offered long-range support. Progress was slow, but they maintained constant pressure on the Black Flag Army. However, their enemy was equally tenacious. The French forces numbered only about five hundred men, and their opponents also used volley after volley to suppress them, despite being better equipped for combat. They saw soldiers falling one after another into the mud, and the Black Flag Army’s flanking fire posed a great threat. The crossfire from the two battalions forced the French to pay a heavy price time and again. The mortars, now at their minimum range, fired frantically, not inferior to the French artillery. Even though many shells missed, the French were often forced back to their defensive positions. As commander, Deng Shichang took up a Snider rifle and fired as an ordinary soldier, shouting, “We are the vanguard!” They were the honored vanguard—among the Black Flag Army, the vanguard always played a leading role. But if the vanguard ceased to lead, the battalion’s existence would be meaningless. With this understanding, the soldiers of the vanguard fought like mad, feeling nothing in the mud. The French artillery performed excellently but failed to shake their fighting spirit. The two native infantry companies at the forefront suffered heavy losses under the rain of fire, yet they could not retreat and had to engage in exchange fire with the Black Flag Army. The bravery of the two French companies also led to a stalemate. Indeed, their tactics had improved significantly compared to Huai De and Zhi Qiao, but capturing the Dafomo Temple position held by a thousand soldiers with only half the force was a difficult and impossible task. General Bohua looked grim as he said to Major Bissell, “The vanguard still hasn’t broken through!” “Send two native infantry companies forward!” Major Bissell knew well the course of the battle. “If even French companies can’t resolve the situation, it will greatly demoralize the troops.” “Tokyo natives or Annam natives?” Major Bohua expressed his full trust in the major. “I think it’s better to preserve some combat strength!” Two companies of Tokyo natives were sent forward, but this didn’t significantly change the situation. Although the Black Flag Army suffered continuous losses, the French still couldn’t overcome their opponents. After another twenty minutes, with the Black Flag Army’s positions severely damaged and casualties mounting, Colonel Bissell suggested to General Bohua, “General, it’s time to send in the troops.” General Bohua agreed. He clearly saw that the defenders of Dafomo Temple had suffered heavy losses, and the artillery had destroyed many positions. He ordered loudly, “Two French companies! One native battalion!”

Although a large number of troops were deployed, all of them were sent in slowly in a skirmish line, wave after wave pressing against the Black Flag Army’s positions. He and Gu Bao adopted the same tactic of small infantry groups as in Shunhua. Though lacking the grandeur of before, the pressure on the front line grew increasingly intense. Their rifle shooting skills were not as good as those of the Xiliu Camp, so they were at a disadvantage in such exchanges. Moreover, they didn’t have many repeating rifles; instead, they relied on single-shot rifles like the Snider and Remington. The French firearms, based on the 1878 and 1874 models, were far superior to these single-shot rifles. Coupled with the disparity in artillery and shooting skills, several battles ended in close combat. Amid such heavy rain, the two sides had nothing but courage. Deng Shichang fulfilled his duty as a battalion officer: “We will hold our ground here.” But after the French sent in three more companies, the front line finally became unsustainable. They were driven off the main road, and the French seized the Great Buddha Temple. Yet even though they occupied this forward position, they felt no sense of triumph, as even tougher battles lay ahead. “Crows Camp!” “Bad news!” They immediately spotted that battle flag—representing one of the Black Flag Army’s strongest units. According to rumors among the French, seeing that flag meant one had to pray to God. But they didn’t even have that much time. As the Crows Camp entered the battlefield, Liu Yongfu also sent his elite troops forward. If the French had had a slight advantage in firepower earlier, the situation now was extremely difficult. Twelve companies were engaged in battle, but all the regiments and attached artillery units were heavily depleted. Like the Black Flag Army, they also had little ammunition left. The front line cheered loudly: “Black Flag Army!” “Crows Camp!” “Xiliu Camp!” Generals Liu Yongfu and Liu Yu personally led their troops into battle, concentrating hundreds of rifles to fire relentlessly at the enemy. Though they were arranged in a skirmish line and even held the important stronghold of the Great Buddha Temple, they still suffered heavy losses. After five hours of fierce fighting, the morale of the front line remained high. They fired from cover everywhere, and apart from breaking into the Great Buddha Temple, the French achieved nothing. The rain stopped, and the sun grew scorching. The weather in Tonkin was highly unpredictable, but more than the sun, the French feared the sound of mortar shells. Unlike other battalions of the Black Flag Army, the Crows Camp now had mortars at the company level, plus battalion-level mortar companies, so shells kept flying nonstop. Though not very accurate, within a few minutes, dozens of French soldiers were killed or wounded. Apart from holding firm to the Great Buddha Temple as their forward position, they could do nothing else.

The Yellow Flag Army also launched their attack. They crossed the paddy fields and headed for the bamboo forests outside Danfeng. However, the water in the paddy fields was almost up to their armpits, forcing them to lift their guns to prevent the bolts from jamming. They then encountered ambushes set up there as well as in the front camp. As the senior commander of the Black Flag Army, they had enough rifles and took the opportunity to open fire, knocking dozens of Yellow Flag soldiers into the water without them even getting a chance to shoot back.

The battle continued. General Boshua, feeling unwell due to the heat, made up his mind: “The ammunition at the front line is about to run out. I decide to withdraw temporarily to fight another day, and I’ll send people to Balan Village and Hanoi to fetch more ammunition!”

But soon, someone replied to him, “The front-line commander, Major Beijie, believes he is only 100 meters away from the village. With support, he can capture it.”

“If there’s not enough ammunition, he will lead his twelve regiments in a determined bayonet charge.”

“If sufficient support is provided, he will still launch such an attack.”

Boshua let out a long sigh.

A bayonet charge by twelve or even more regiments?

“I’ll send reinforcements to him.”