Wild North America 1846

red rock valley

The remnants of the U.S. Second Corps totaled more than 8,000 people (including more than 1,700 wounded). Seeing that the situation was over, Major General Schneider did not dare to delay, so he launched a breakout at night.

That evening

Two cavalry regiments dispatched by King Richard had just arrived and joined the army chief of staff, Major General Cai Changfu, to form a cavalry regiment with a total strength of about 5,000 to block the advancing U.S. military camp.

With such a small force, encirclement is impossible.

Therefore, the Cavalry Corps of the Tang Kingdom temporarily set up camp on the Gobi Desert about 4 kilometers east of the U.S. Army's advancing camp, blocking the U.S. Army's escape route to the Hugo Oasis.

Additional cavalry patrols were also dispatched to implement the blockade to prevent the remaining US troops from escaping at night. Once any movements of the US military are discovered, a rapid response can be made.

Of the more than 180 artillery pieces of the U.S. Second Corps captured in the battle that day, more than 140 of them were dragged into the Red Rock Valley. The remaining 40 or so were assigned to Major General Cai Changfu and were planned to be used to defeat the U.S. advance camp.

Implement total annihilation of the enemy.

Since it was late in the evening and the sky was already dark, the battle to encircle and annihilate the advancing U.S. military camp had to be postponed until the early morning of the next day.

Major General Schneider, the commander of the U.S. Second Corps, was also a decisive person. He knew that he was trapped in a deadly situation and faced the danger of annihilation of the entire army after dawn, so he planned a breakout that night.

About 1:00 in the morning

In the dark night on the Gobi Desert, a convoy of horse-drawn carriages drove out from the US military camp, carrying more than 1,700 wounded soldiers, protected by more than 2,000 infantrymen, and headed east, hoping to break through the Tang Dynasty under the cover of night.

The camp of the Kingdom's Cavalry Corps.

There is only one road in the desolate Gobi Desert, and there are roads everywhere.

As long as we bypass the main road heading east, theoretically speaking, it is indeed possible to break through the interception of the Tang Kingdom's cavalry regiment and escape.

But this possibility only exists in theory. As soon as the US military's horse-drawn convoy leaving the advance camp at night was discovered by the patrolling cavalry of the Tang Kingdom, a bonfire was immediately lit and warning shots were fired.

The crisp sound of gunfire echoed in the Gobi Desert and spread far and wide.

Soon it was like poking a hornet's nest. The cavalrymen of the Tang Kingdom, who were lying in plain clothes with their heads resting on their weapons, immediately stood up, mounted their horses, and rushed over with torches in their hands.

Looking from a distance

The torches in the hands of the cavalry of the Tang Kingdom were like a winding fire dragon, which quickly gathered and surrounded all the remaining American troops.

All these American troops knew that they were abandoned and did not put up much resistance at the moment. They obediently raised their hands and surrendered.

"Reporting to the general, another US cavalry went south during the night and has now escaped into the desert. Do you want to pursue it? Please give me your instructions."

"It's just a trick to cut off a strong man's wrist, that's all. It's not enough to go with a small number of people, but it's more dangerous to go with more people. It's the Kansas desert with a radius of tens of thousands of square kilometers. Not only will the logistics not be guaranteed after entering, but you might get trapped in it and cause serious consequences."

Reducing the number of employees will outweigh the gains and losses.”

Major General Dai Changfu shook his head regretfully. The Tang Kingdom was not a U.S. military facing a desperate situation. It was not in a desperate situation and there was no need to take risks easily.

Going into the desert to pursue is not just about going in.

The cavalry who entered the desert had to dismount and walk, leading the horse for a difficult trek. The fine materials, water, and food were all carried by the war horse. This must be prepared in advance.

If you rush in with your troops in a hurry, you are seeking death.

The American troops that escaped were the Second Corps, more than 2,500 cavalry and more than 1,500 elite musketeers, totaling about 4,000 people. Some other supplementary troops, logistics troops and wounded were abandoned as abandoned children.

After a night of tossing

Among the more than 1,700 seriously wounded soldiers of the US military, more than 430 seriously wounded soldiers had their wounds reopened and they breathed their last in frustration, especially during the violent bumps in the Gobi Desert late at night.

The condition of the other wounded was also very bad. The water trucks in the US military camp emptied their buckets, which were mostly used to place the sick and injured. After leaving the camp at night, they drove off the road and ran all the way across the rubble-strewn Gobi Desert.

To be honest, a cargo carriage without shock-absorbing measures is very uncomfortable. Even healthy people cannot bear such a torment, let alone the seriously injured.

When the cavalry of the Tang Kingdom surrounded them, it was no wonder that this abandoned army obediently raised their hands and surrendered.

The US military commander used this unit to attract the attention of the cavalry of the Tang Dynasty. It was extremely unethical and inhumane. It was the direct culprit for the death of hundreds of US wounded soldiers.

Comparing their feelings, these American soldiers' hatred for Major General Schneider was far stronger than that of their enemy, the Tang Dynasty.

At this point, the Tang Kingdom achieved a complete victory in the Battle of Hongyan Valley after occupying the US Army's forward camp.

Phoenix Castle

"So, the Americans still left us a lot of food and supplies and equipment! It's really good."

Richard couldn't help but smile when he heard the report and nodded with satisfaction.

There are mountains of food in the US military camp, as well as various weapons and equipment, tents and clothing, and even thousands of tons of black beans, which can meet the needs of 30,000 troops for several months.

Richard was quite surprised to seize so many materials, but it makes sense after thinking about it.

The Northern Cavalry Corps made a huge splash in the Great Lakes region, raiding warehouses around Kansas several times and burning a lot of supplies.

Americans continued to transport supplies to the front line by train. The military supplies originally stored in Kansas City were mostly stored in the Hugo Oasis and the US Army's forward camp after several months of continuous transportation. Instead, the supplies in Kansas City were left.

not much.

Lieutenant General Arthur Temple, the commander-in-chief of the U.S. Western Expedition, had an idea of ​​a steady attack. He had no plans for a quick victory, and it was reasonable to stockpile more supplies.

who would have thought

The U.S. Second Corps suffered a devastating defeat. Not only were most of its troops wiped out, but their base was not even saved. It was really unexpected.

Major General Dai Changfu also reported on the situation of the remnants of more than 4,000 US troops escaping into the desert. Richard looked at him strangely and said nothing more.

The scene of the U.S. military trudging through the desert, its location visible to the sharp eagle eyes of the soaring bald eagles in the sky, is no secret at all.

Richard had no intention of sending troops to pursue him. A chase battle in the desert was too risky. A sandstorm might sweep over and more soldiers would die in the sand than in the battle.

All military operations of the Kingdom of the Tang Dynasty follow the principle of reducing casualties. The armies of the Kingdom of the Datang Kingdom never touch the major cities and transportation hubs that the US military focuses on defending, but only pick out the weak ones.

The U.S. military fortress of the Tang Kingdom did not attack, such as the Hugo Oasis, which was gradually becoming a fortress. The U.S. military had heavily stockpiled troops here, and Richard had no intention of attacking it at all.

The offensive and defensive momentum can easily shift, so how many soldiers' lives must be sacrificed to defeat it?

10,000, 20,000 or 30,000?

Richard had never thought that the army of the Tang Dynasty could defeat all the invincible enemies in the world. It was totally unrealistic to force them to do anything.

The army of the Tang Dynasty was able to achieve huge results with a small number of casualties. Firstly, it relied on fortress defense, secondly, it relied on sharp weapons, and thirdly, it relied on correct command and never acted recklessly.

There are more than 40,000 U.S. troops gathered on the Hugo Oasis, and they are building a strong fortress with reinforced concrete in preparation for long-term garrisoning.

By the time the railway from Kansas City all the way west through Burlington to Hugo Oasis is completed at some point in late July, the Americans will have solved the problem of logistical material transportation and will be able to stay at Hugo Oasis for a long time.

There is a Hugo River on the Hugo Oasis. The water of the river comes from the high mountains of the Rocky Mountains in the northwest. When the spring comes, the ice and snow melt, and the water volume of the Hugo River increases greatly. The river is more than 30 meters wide, and the waves are very spectacular.

after summer

The amount of water in the upper reaches of the Hugo River gradually decreases, and it can only maintain a river surface of seven or eight meters wide. It will dry up after autumn. Until the beginning of spring of the second year, a large amount of water flows upstream after the ice and snow melt, and the cycle repeats.

Therefore, the Hugo River is a seasonal river, and it is precisely because of the moisture of the river that the Hugo Oasis has lush vegetation and fertile land.

Nowadays, the US military is carrying out extensive construction work on the Hugo Oasis, and has built two reservoirs, one large and one small. The large reservoir is called Wudaowan Reservoir, and the small reservoir is called Beaver Reservoir. Reservoir dams are currently being constructed in full swing.

Its purpose is to impound water from the Hugo River to solve the problem of drinking water for U.S. troops and livestock stationed in the U.S. in autumn and winter.

"Sun Tzu's Art of War" says;

Therefore, the method of using troops is to encircle the enemy ten times, attack it five times, divide it when the enemy is doubled, fight the enemy if they are few, flee from them if they are few, and avoid them if they are weak.

With the 45,000 troops hoarded by the U.S. Western Expeditionary Force on the Hugo Oasis, how many troops are needed to surround and annihilate it?

I'm afraid that if all the troops in the Tang Kingdom were added up, they wouldn't be enough.

"How is the repair of the Red Rock Valley defensive line going?"

"Your Majesty, the valley defense line is under construction in full swing. On the facade facing the enemy, we have used a thickened and dense steel mesh, supplemented by concrete. The defensive power has more than doubled than before.

In addition, we built a second parapet defense line in the Red Rock Valley about 1.8 kilometers apart, and added forts and heavy machine gun shooting positions. If the Americans dare to invade again, they will be punished.

Broken blood flow."

"Well, the Americans will not be able to launch another attack in a short period of time. The focus now has to shift to ensuring the summer harvest with all their strength. It just so happens that these more than 13,000 US military prisoners can help with the harvest and solve the problem of labor shortage, but the frontline defense cannot be relaxed.

."

"Wei Chen understands and must always be vigilant."

"New recruits will arrive one after another next month, and work related to retired veterans can be deployed in advance. Remember to maintain an orderly handover. Combat readiness and training cannot be relaxed, and combat effectiveness cannot be reduced."

"Your Majesty, the relevant work of the Army Staff Headquarters has been started. In line with the principle of first the second line and then the front line, the recruitment of new recruits and the retirement of veterans will be carried out in an orderly manner, and will not affect the current war preparations."

"That's good, you are a soldier with an iron-clad camp. Now most of the veterans on the plateau are heads of families, especially the officers and soldiers of the cavalry. There are many aunts and wives and four concubines at home. The impact on the battlefield is too great.

It’s big, it’s better to live peacefully with it instead.”

"Your Majesty is so merciful that we are nowhere near as kind as you."

"No one likes to fight all day long. Anyway, these veterans have made a lot of money and have some financial background. In addition, the merit fields with rewards are enough to make a living. If it's time to retreat, just retreat and let the young people take over."

"Wei Chen understands that we must make appropriate arrangements in accordance with the Holy Will."