SFS Chapter 624 Suicide Charge
Chapter 624 Suicide Charge
Chapter 624 Suicide Charge
The Dutch defeated the youth team with two volleys of shots.
It's not that the students were afraid of death; if they were truly afraid, they wouldn't have foolishly launched a reckless charge.
Throughout history, no matter how ancient or modern, once the casualty rate reaches a certain percentage, even the most elite troops will be unable to continue fighting.
In the era of cold weapons, such as the Ming Dynasty, an army with a casualty rate exceeding 10% would essentially lose its combat effectiveness.
Even during World War II, the incredibly fierce Japanese army, with a casualty rate reaching 30%, was essentially rendered ineffective. Of course, there were exceptions. In the Battle of Iwo Jima, of the more than 22,000 Japanese soldiers defending the island, only a little over 1,000 were captured; the rest were all killed in action. Soldiers who had become mentally unstable cannot be understood through the lens of normal human thinking.
The students of the Youth Army were certainly not insane. A single volley from the Dutch killed or wounded hundreds of them, and more than a thousand students immediately suffered a mental breakdown, so their rout was understandable.
"Sigh..." Wu Sanying sighed. It's not the god-like opponents you should fear, but the pig-like teammates. Although the youth army suffered few casualties, more than 800 of them escaped back in no time.
But these men had lost their earlier courage; they were all trembling with fear, their hands gripping their swords shaking uncontrollably. They only had two hundred guards left who could fight. If the Dutch attacked later, how would they cope?
At that moment, Wang Wenzhou also led his fleet in a daring charge.
Unlike the youth army, Wang Wenzhou, as the commander-in-chief, tied himself to the mast of the "Little Lanlan". Everyone in the fleet could see the small red dot on the mast when they looked up.
A general's incompetence can lead to the downfall of an entire army; similarly, if the commander-in-chief leads from the front, the soldiers will fight without fear. There's a huge difference between "Brothers, follow me!" and "You little brats, charge for me!"
People aren't stupid. If officers are afraid of death, why should soldiers be expected to fight desperately? It's understandable that some units with officers who are afraid of death, numbering 20,000, can't defeat 500 enemies.
Now, Wang Wenzhou, with a death wish, leads the charge and charges ahead.
Liu Xiang and Zheng Zhilong dared not shirk their responsibilities! Their own families, as well as the families of their subordinates, were all in Fujian.
Wang Wenzhou declared that if he died, none of their family members would survive. Liu Xiang and Zheng Zhilong didn't want to be left all alone either.
What was Wang Wenzhou's status? He was the heir of the Earl of Xinjian, and his sons were both Dukes of Loyalty and Righteousness, as well as trusted high-ranking officials favored by the Emperor. And what about these two? They were former pirates who had surrendered and become Ming army generals. Their backgrounds were already questionable, and even Ming army generals with impeccable backgrounds wouldn't dare let Wang Wenzhou die in battle; if they did, he wouldn't have a good life after the war.
Of course, neither of them knew that Zhu Youjian actually quite hoped Wang Wenzhou would die on the battlefield. Zhu Youjian was also very conflicted. On the one hand, he admired Wang Wenzhou's talent and wanted to use him; on the other hand, he was afraid of Wang Wenzhou's talent and feared that Wang Wenzhou would become too powerful and declare himself king.
Facing the oncoming Ming warships, Van der Sie calmly commanded, ordering, "All cannons of the fleet shall fire freely, fight and retreat, and do not let the Ming warships get close."
Upon Van der Si's order, the Dutch fleet began firing.
Wang Wenzhou's main fleet, even its smallest warships were third-rate battleships. Although the Dutch cannons had a longer range, their firepower was limited, making it difficult to destroy them. Even so, the "Little Lanlan," at the forefront, suffered heavy losses under the Dutch fire. Men were constantly killed or wounded by shells.
Wang Wenzhou was actually safer standing on the mast, since he was at a height of over 80 meters, where artillery shells couldn't reach him.
However, there was also danger. The base of the mast was made of a round log more than a person's thickness. Such a large area was easily hit by artillery shells. At first, the mast might not be broken, but over time, even the strongest wood would be smashed by the iron balls.
Wang Wenzhou is truly going all out for his two babies on the island. He has no choice; his babies are so beautiful, if they fall into the hands of the Dutch, they'll be taken advantage of! His babies are his own, and he has to sleep with them himself!
"The Chinese nation is at its most perilous moment, and everyone is forced to utter their final roar. Arise! Arise! Arise! We are united as one, braving the enemy's gunfire, forward! Forward! Forward, forward!" Wang Wenzhou was terrified, and to bolster his spirits, he could only sing the March of the Volunteers.
Liu Xiang and Zheng Zhilong were truly fighting desperately. They had no choice; Lord Wang had gone mad, and they dared not let Wang Wenzhou die first. If they died before him, perhaps he would remember their loyalty and help take care of their families.
If they had died after Wang Wenzhou, it would have been disastrous. Not only would they not have been martyrs, but their entire families would have been executed for their defeat.
Zheng Zhihu, shirtless, stood at the bow of the boat and shouted, "Brothers! Our future happiness depends on this battle. If we win, I'll reward each of you with 20 taels of silver. If we lose, not only will I die, but you won't live either!"
"Bang bang bang..."
Dutch cannonballs landed beside the warships, stirring up waves.
Zheng Zhihu showed no fear, letting the waves crash against him. He shouted, "Speed up! Paddle harder! Charge forward and wipe out these barbarians!"
Van der Si frowned deeply. He really couldn't understand whether the Ming army's commander had gone mad!
The Dutch fleet fought and retreated, with Ming warships being destroyed by artillery fire. However, the Ming army, as if unafraid of death, launched suicidal charges, charging forward without hesitation.
Layton suddenly said, "Commander, is there an important Ming figure on Penghu Island? Otherwise, the Ming army wouldn't be so frantic."
Van der Si nodded and said, "That's very likely, but we're also running out of ammunition. Although the Ming army has suffered heavy casualties, we're almost out of ammunition. Moreover, Penghu Bay is small, and if the Ming army charges in, we'll be trapped inside and won't be able to escape."
Layton understood that Van der Ce wanted to retreat in order to preserve the fleet, but there were still 500 people on the island.
Layton quickly said, "Your Excellency, let's hold out a little longer. Once the soldiers who land on the island occupy it and capture the important figures, the Ming army will naturally stop their suicidal attacks."
Van der Si shook his head and said with a wry smile, "We can't take this risk. If things go wrong, the Second Fleet will be completely wiped out, and then Taiwan will be out of control!"
"Pass on my order! All warships, follow the flagship and rush out of the port!" Van der Sie commanded.
"Yes!" the messenger immediately relayed the order.
On board the "Little Lanlan," Wang Wenzhou finally breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the Dutch begin to retreat. In the previous fierce attack, he had lost over 500 of his 1,800-plus warships. Even his main fleet had suffered heavy losses. If the fighting continued like this, they might be completely annihilated.
Seeing the Dutch retreat, Wang Wenzhou did not order a pursuit, but immediately ordered an attack on the island. There are still Dutch soldiers on the island! The babies can't be captured!