Chapter 208: Determination (Part 2)
At the mention of Wu Dacheng’s name, Liu Yu instinctively adopted a fierce demeanor, as if wielding a sword to pierce through nine heavens. However, the generals of the Black Flag Army did not share this view. In particular, Pan Dingxin immediately stood up and said, “Commander, we must not underestimate Wu Dacheng!”
Wu Dacheng could be considered one of the rare rising stars in the Qing Dynasty in recent years. He was highly skilled in military affairs, especially in the use of modern rifles and artillery. He had previously followed Zuo Zongtang on military campaigns in the west and later trained four armies in Jilin—Gong and Sui armies—comprising 15 battalions of 5,000 elite soldiers each.
When the Sino-French war broke out, Wu Dacheng was transferred to Tianjin to oversee northern military affairs. Accompanying him were his well-trained Sui and Gong armies, which had now followed him south to Hunan.
According to Pan Dingxin, the Sui and Gong armies in Hunan possessed powerful firearms. They were among the few Qing forces equipped entirely with breech-loading weapons, along with various types of Western-style cannons. Their military strength was second only to that of Li Hefei’s Huai Army. With Wu Dacheng’s expertise in military strategy, this would undoubtedly be a formidable opponent.
Moreover, if they truly intended to reach the Yangtze River, Liu Yu’s 32 regiments would likely have to defeat numerous enemy forces one after another, annihilating Qing troops in Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Jiangxi before they could even reach the river. Not to mention the possibility that the Huai Army might be sent south at any time.
Pan Dingxin couldn’t help but say, “This is far too reckless, Commander. Wu Dacheng is highly skilled in military affairs—we must not underestimate him. You’re leading only 20 combat regiments, which is a vastly unequal fight. The chances of success are slim!”
“Exactly!” Sima Tai added, “There’s no reason for us to bear all the risks. There are far more rebels in Hunan and Hubei than in Guangdong and Fujian. You must be careful!”
“Yes, our Crow Camp can also take on tough battles!” Ye Chenglin said bluntly. “If we really have to use such a small force to attack Hunan and Hubei, let me take charge instead!”
Everyone knew that Liu Yu’s 32 regiments, totaling only 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers, included just 16 infantry regiments—half of the total. Using such a small force to attack Hunan and Hubei carried enormous risks.
Although Hunan and Hubei had regular armies of 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers, when combined with various Bannermen, Green Standard Army troops, local militias, and rural fighters, the total might exceed 100,000. With so many scattered fighters, it could repeat the situation from the Taiping Rebellion’s northern campaigns.
“Commander, back in the day, the Taiping Rebellion forces, with 20,000 elite soldiers, marched tens of thousands of miles, undefeated in battle. Yet in the end, they were exhausted and defeated, with the entire army destroyed…” Pan Dingxin continued to urge caution.
“I’ve made up my mind!” Liu Yu smiled. “Besides, the Jing Shi Yi detachment will soon be stationed at Nan Pass. That’s a force equivalent to an entire regiment, sufficient to serve as a reserve!”
“I’ll handle the situation in Hunan and Hubei. As for the southern provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, I rely on you generals!” He then took Pan Dingxin’s hand. “As for the western province, I’ll leave it to Governor Pan!”
The Black Flag Army’s offensive began from Yunnan. Within just three days, they overcame geographical disadvantages and launched four attacks, annihilating six battalions of the Yunnan army and routing seven more.
These second-rate units of the Black Flag Army, though inferior in equipment and combat capability to the main forces of the Black Flag Army in Guangxi, had an advantage in numbers. Both in terms of equipment and training, they were far superior to the third-rate Qing forces like the Yunnan Army. Thus, once battle began, they advanced with unstoppable momentum.
The Yunnan Army was already notorious for its poor equipment and inadequate training. Not to mention that it had been completely annihilated by the Black Flag Army in the Baosheng Campaign, forcing its entire force to retreat to Kunming. It wasn’t until 2,000 Sichuan troops arrived to reinforce their defenses that they managed to stabilize their position.
However, the Black Flag Army pursued them all the way to the outskirts of Kunming. But for Empress Dowager Cixi and the Manchu nobles, the nightmare had only just begun.
Although the Zhiqiao Battalion advanced into Guizhou as just an enhanced infantry battalion, its feint attack carried great momentum. Any high-ranking official in the military council would assume that the Black Flag Army intended to advance from both east and west before launching a full-scale assault on Sichuan.
The governor of Guizhou reported clearly: “The rebel bandits are advancing northward with a force of 100,000. Though our troops fought bravely, they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies and their advanced firearms. With just two battalions, we tried to hold off 100,000 elite rebels… Commander Meng led his troops in a fierce battle without retreating, despite the overwhelming enemy force… The enemy suffered over 10,000 casualties, while our entire supply of gunpowder was exhausted. We also engaged them in close combat… Commander Meng and his men all died for their country. Their loyalty was truly moving heaven and earth. The enemy also lost at least 8,000 to 9,000 men…”
In any case, the Guizhou army managed to retreat over a hundred miles, losing only 1,000 men to the Black Flag Army and preserving most of its main force. The Zhiqiao Battalion also failed to annihilate the main Qing forces in a single battle and seize Guiyang as planned.
Since their main goals weren’t achieved, the Zhiqiao Battalion adopted its established tactics: using infantry companies as the main force to repeatedly seek battles with the Qing main forces, while also seizing several counties rich in resources and food supplies to expand their army using local manpower and materials.
It should be noted that the Zhiqiao Battalion brought an entire regiment of full complement of officers, quickly expanding their forces into four large battalions. They also transported large amounts of weapons and equipment from Guangxi.
Although there were few breech-loading guns among these weapons—mostly front-loading guns—they were still seen as utterly advanced firearms by the Green Standard Army soldiers in Guizhou. As a result, during this period of army building, the Qing forces not only failed to launch a counterattack but also lost three quite profitable counties.
These two offensives also led the Qing central government to make misjudgments. Most of the troops sent from the north to the south were intended to go through Shaanxi and Gansu to prevent the loss of Sichuan.
As the main force of the offensive, Liu Yu also led his troops in feints, and in the end, his forces were larger than he had initially planned. The number of infantry companies was no longer 16. All the generals of the Black Flag Army insisted that Liu Yu’s command post must be accompanied by two guard companies, plus an additional full infantry battalion of four companies. Thus, Liu Yu had 22 infantry companies, plus non-infantry units, totaling 40 companies.
Furthermore, after arriving in Guangxi, the Jingshi Yi detachment immediately headed north and joined the Hunan battlefield. The troops reduced as a result of these changes were those voluntarily withdrawn from the eastern advance force. Although the eastern advance force still consisted of four brigades, each brigade now had only two regiments under its command. Yet the officers were highly determined: “The commander is using forty regiments to attack Hunan, while there are still a hundred regiments in Guangdong. If we lose again, it will be a shame for ourselves!” The feints by the northern advance force began with the remaining Qing troops along the Hunan-Guangxi border.