Damascus was the core hinterland of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. 【Reading.com】

If you want to trace the history of Damascus, at least start with BC. Later generations of people who speak of Central Asia generally remember the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Among the four ancient civilizations, Babylon also occupies one of them. In fact, the history of Damascus is definitely not under Babylon. It's just not as famous as Babylon.

In the middle of the vast desert, Damascus is located in an oasis, a source of life. In Western Asia, there is a general shortage of water. As far as the eye can see, there are white flowers, gray deserts, or the Gobi Desert. However, Damascus is completely different. There are two rivers that converge in Damascus, providing an abundance of water. Throughout history, the area around Damascus has been one of the most densely populated areas in Western Asia.

In ancient times, people lived by water, and people from West Asia established towns here very early. The later Arab Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the Ottoman Empire all developed on the basis of Damascus. Suffice it to say that after Babylon, Damascus was the core of power in West Asia, the most critical support point for domination.

Before the conquest of Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, was also in Damascus. The place where Suleiman I ascended the throne was in Damascus. After the capital was moved to Istanbul, Damascus still had a well-established administrative structure, with a large number of officials remaining behind, a large number of religious clerics, and a large number of troops. This is similar to the situation when Zhu Di moved the capital to Yanjing.

In 1635, the white-clothed army marching westward from Iran and the Ottoman Turks fought fiercely near Baghdad. In this battle, the White Army dispatched nearly 100,000 men and used a large number of heavy weapons, including 155mm howitzers. The Ottoman Empire sent an elite regular army of more than 500,000 men, as well as more than 2 million religious fanatics. As a result, in the face of the powerful firearms of the white-coated army, the Ottoman [***] team suffered heavy losses. The 300,000 Sultan's own soldiers, who were the main force, were almost completely lost.

A large number of religious fanatics, under the blows of the white-clothed army, also suffered heavy losses. According to Xu Xingxia's instructions, the only solution for those incorrigible religious fanatics is to eliminate them from the top. The white-clothed army on the front line carried out Xu Xingxia's orders to the letter. In this process, the servant army from Yuben played a very dishonorable role. Eventually, the area around Baghdad was thousands of miles away, with ten rooms and nine empty spaces.

However, it doesn't matter. In this world, there may be a lack of everything, and the most important thing is definitely people. After the extermination of the local religious fanatics in West Asia, a large number of immigrants from other regions quickly filled the void. Among them, most of the immigrants are from Tianzhu, Nanyang Islands and other places. In order to reduce the confrontation forces in various parts of Tianzhu, Xu Xingxia decided to send a large number of Tianzhu religious people to West Asia.

There are only two kinds of people in the world who are most fanatical about religion. One is the Green Religion, which believes in the true God, and the other is the Buddhists, who believe in the Buddha. The aggressive surname of the former is very strong. The latter is very vigorous. Xu Xingxia put the two of them together, of course, he was uneasy and kind. The White Cloth Army has always supported Buddhists and suppressed Green Christians. With the introduction of Buddhism into West Asia, the influence of the Green Religion has greatly weakened.

After the defeat in the Battle of Baghdad, most of the Turkish army retreated to the vicinity of Damascus, preparing for a final awakening with the White Army. The authorities in Damascus, who recruited a large number of believers, claimed to have gathered an army of three million. In the appeal of the upper echelons of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, fanatics from all over the country, were rallying to Damascus. The White Army conservatively estimated that the number of fanatics who eventually gathered in Damascus would not be less than eight million.

At the same time, reinforcements from Istanbul were also on the march to Damascus. These reinforcements were basically equipped with all kinds of firearms given by the Europeans, as well as a considerable number of cannons. According to the incomplete information currently available, the reinforcements from Istanbul are estimated to be around 200,000 people. Among them, there were 100,000 newly formed Sultan's own soldiers.

In addition, there are a large number of mercenaries from various European countries. They all came to the Ottoman Empire voluntarily to fight against the White Coats. Among them, there were 50,000 mercenaries from the Kingdom of Sweden. The mercenaries from the Kingdom of Poland numbered as many as 30,000 people. There was also the European Templar Order, which consisted mainly of Germanic peoples, also with 10,000 men. Combined with the sporadic dispatch of mercenaries from other countries, the total number may exceed 130,000.

It can be said that the Battle of Damascus was no longer just a battle between the White Army and the Ottoman Turkish Empire, but a joint effort between the Europeans and the Turks against the White Army. In order to prevent the White Army from directly entering Europe, the European powers must find a way to block the White Army in West Asia. If the White Army conquers Istanbul, it will be difficult for the Europeans.

There is information that the Swedish king Gustav I, who had personally led his army to Istanbul, was ready to go directly to the front line to direct the battle. It is also reported that the Western powers have decided to send more regular armies to the West Asian region to help. Even the British, who were thousands of miles away, decided to send 10,000 troops to Istanbul to fight the war. The armies of France and Spain will also be dispatched. Of course, this is unconfirmed information.

The white-clothed army was near Baghdad, gathering the main force, hoarding military supplies, and sending personnel to reconnoiter the enemy's situation. For the white-clothed army, defeating the enemy is actually not a problem. The only problem is to ensure their own logistical supply. The guns of the white-clothed army are certainly powerful and unstoppable, but the consumption of ammunition is also quite amazing. After a battle, the ammunition consumed is often calculated in "tons".

After fighting the Ottoman Turkish Empire for more than ten years, the White Army has gradually summed up a set of rules that can effectively control the West Asian region. First of all, the local people must not be trusted. No matter what kind of face they show, they must not be accepted. The only way to deal with them is to purge them and completely exterminate them from the top of the world. This has been done by the White Army.

In addition, for the Ottoman [***] team, it is better to concentrate on annihilation and not let it disperse. The climate and environment in West Asia are too harsh, and if the enemy is scattered, it will increase the burden on the white-clothed army. Because the war horses of the white-clothed army are generally not adapted to the local climate, the white-clothed army that enters Baghdad is basically infantry. The Ottoman Turkish army, on the other hand, had part of the cavalry. Obviously, it is unscientific to use infantry against cavalry.

After conquering Baghdad, the White Army did not continue to advance, but allowed the Ottoman [***] army to assemble in Damascus in order to annihilate it in one fell swoop. For the White Army, the more the enemy assembles, the better. Anyway, at the time of the war, the White Coats used 155mm heavy guns, 105mm howitzers, 75mm mountain guns and 60mm mortars to carry out carpet bombing. No matter how many enemies there are, they are nothing more than a pile of corpses. The walls of Damascus simply could not stop the indiscriminate bombardment of 155-mm howitzers.

It was in this context that Xu Canhuai quietly appeared on the battlefield.

Xu Canhuai is the son of Xu Xingxia and Wuyunna. Xu Xingxia's eldest sons were all born to grassland beauties. Tessna, Uyuna, Namu Zhong and others are all the sons of the most gentlemen. He and Mrs. Zhu Yilan of the main palace are daughters. Zhu Yilan's son is now less than ten years old, and he is still reading and reading with He Fengsheng. However, several sisters are a little older, and the eldest can already consider getting married.

The children of the steppe peoples are generally more active and have a hard time sitting still. It also seems a bit dull when it comes to receiving cultural knowledge. Xu Canxu and Xu Canhuai are both like this. Their reading talent can only be described as average, and they can barely read and write. As for the talent for writing articles, that is absolutely none. Even He Fengsheng, who is known as the contemporary Confucian, couldn't help them and let them go. They are lively and active, and they all hope to go to the front line in person and pass through the iron and blood.

Since the children have such a will, Xu Xingxia naturally will not refuse. Since you don't have the talent to read, let's go to the battlefield and make a career. Perhaps, they can still create a little credit on the battlefield. So, after some secret arrangements, Xu Xingxia's older sons all went to the battlefield one after another.

Xu Canhuai arrived at the port of Basra by boat, and then followed the logistics unit on foot to the Baghdad military base to report for duty. Before that, he had only been trained for three months in the boot camp of the White Clothes Army. It can be said that in addition to the knowledge he heard from other people's mouths, his understanding of the battlefield was only the three-month basic subjects of the boot camp. Therefore, it is a little naïve to the south, and I always feel that the battlefield is fun.

As a result, as soon as he walked out of Basra, Xu Canhuai began to regret it. Obviously, the battlefield is not as fierce as imagined. More often than not, the battlefield is torment, pain, exhaustion, pain, and death. Objectively speaking, the first time I set foot on the battlefield, it was such a harsh environment in West Asia, which was indeed more testing. Not to mention fighting, just fighting against the local climate and environment is enough to struggle.

You don't see, Mao Thirteen and Gao Jie, who were responsible for leading the white-clothed army all the way to the west, are now all in black. More than ten years ago, they were all white boys. However, more than ten years have passed, and almost all of them have changed people. All of this is caused by the harsh environment in West Asia. Fortunately, the wives of the two are both goddesses of the Three Kingdoms of the Western Regions, and they can accept their changes.

Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong and others, who have accumulated merits, have also become battalion commanders, and they can be regarded as high-ranking officers. It's a pity that now they are also wrapped in robes and covered with black scarves. It is said that Li Zicheng once participated in a blind date meeting, but was despised by a group of girls. The reason is simple, he is too dark. As for Zhang Xianzhong, he didn't dare to participate in the blind date at all. Therefore, the two have not resolved the marriage matter until now.

Of course, they don't have to worry about their physiology at all. Some of them are beautiful women. There are all kinds of goods. The white-clothed army fought all the way, conquered the city, raided the house, and caught not too many beauties. As early as the fall of the Three Kingdoms in the Western Regions, many beautiful and elegant goddess officials were given to them to enjoy, but they never had the official title of wife. It is estimated that because of this, they simply didn't bother to officially get married.

…… When Xu Canhuai reported to Mao 13, Mao 13 was pondering a battle plan with Gao Jie.

In the course of the westward expedition, the white-clothed army has always implemented the leadership system of the two giants. Mao 13 and Gao Jie, rights and obligations are equal, and there is no mutual subordination relationship. The purpose of this is, of course, to make the two compete with each other and speed up the westward expedition. In fact, this kind of leadership system has really worked well. Mao 13 and Gao Jie are both unwilling to be left behind. As long as they have the opportunity, they will show twelve points of skill to create a battle feat.

This attack on Damascus is another invisible competition. Whether it is Mao Thirteen or Gao Jie, they all hope that their troops can be the first to enter. Along the way, they have captured too many famous cities. At present, there are only two famous cities left in West Asia. One is Damascus and the other is Istanbul. Of course, the two of them are going to compete in secret.

To the south of Damascus is the famous Golan Heights, with complex terrain and rugged mountain roads, which are not suitable for large army operations. If the white-clothed army attacks from this side, the forces will not be fully deployed at all, and it will be easy to suffer from ambushes. To the east of Damascus, on the other hand, was a swamp that could not be passed by even lightly armed troops, let alone heavy artillery units.

The best way to capture Damascus is, of course, to cover it all the way from the north.

To the north of Damascus, there is a relatively flat wilderness. The defenders are in this regard, and there is no danger to defend. As the attacking side, the white-clothed army can let go of its hands and feet, deploy all its forces, pull out all its heavy weapons, and advance mightily.

After some research, the eyes of the white-clothed army focused on a town called Aleppo. Aleppo is a large city with a long history, just north of Damascus. Its strategic location in the Ottoman Turkish Empire, second only to ancient cities such as Istanbul, Damascus, and Baghdad, is very important.

Judging from the information currently available, the Ottoman Turkish Empire, the defense forces in Aleppo, are also quite strong. In addition to the regular army of more than 100,000, there were at least half a million fanatics. It is said that tunnels were also dug in the city in preparation for a protracted battle with the white-clothed army. If the walls were breached by the whites, the defenders hid in the tunnels and continued the fight. Around Aleppo, fortified walls were also cleared to prevent the white-clothed army from receiving the slightest useful supplies.

At first glance, it seems that Aleppo's defense forces are not as strong as Damascus. A regular army of 100,000, a fanatic of 500,000, is no match for the white army at all. Not to mention that the offensive strength of the white-clothed army, as high as 100,000, even only 10,000 or 20,000 people, can clean up the defenders of Aleppo. However, if you think about it, you will feel that Aleppo is even more difficult to deal with than Damascus, and it needs to be seriously considered before acting.

Because, Damascus itself, is already basically a dead city, and there is not much room for movement. The defenders of Damascus could no longer escape the clutches of the white-clothed army. What awaits them is only the difference between early death and late death. Either way, they're going to die. Even if a true God had come, he would not have been able to save them.

The Ottoman [***] team, which had come from Istanbul to reinforce it, had to pass through Aleppo in order to reach Damascus. At the same time, if the troops of Damascus retreat, they will also pass through Aleppo. The control of Aleppo by the White Army was tantamount to completely separating Istanbul from Damascus. All the people of Damascus will become turtles in the urn.

However, the defenders of Aleppo are quite flexible, and they still have a chance to escape. Of course, the purpose of the White Army is not as simple as taking Aleppo, but the greater purpose is to destroy the enemy's living forces. If the defenders of Aleppo were allowed to run away, this would not have been achieved. It is necessary to find a way to wipe out the defenders of Aleppo. Of course, it would be even better if all the reinforcements from Istanbul could be wiped out.

…… In April 1636, the spring was cold, and the white-clothed army began to attack.

The first to act was the 1st Battalion of the Leopard Cavalry. In battle formation, they advanced north of Aleppo, with the goal of cutting off the link between Aleppo and Istanbul. The commander of the first battalion was none other than Li Zicheng. As soon as he received the order, he set out.

Under the Panthers, there were a total of five infantry battalions. The strength of each infantry battalion is between 8,000 and 10,000 people. Each infantry battalion was armed with a large number of mortars. Therefore, only one battalion of troops was needed to block reinforcements from Istanbul. Of course, if necessary, they will also be supported by artillery battalions. The artillery battalion was equipped with 75 mm and 105 mm howitzers, which were more powerful than mortars.

Xu Canhuai, as a clerk, naturally does not need to appear on the front line. Mao 13 also did not advise Xu Canhuai to go to the front line. After all, his identity is somewhat special and cannot be equated with ordinary people. However, if he wanted to go to the front and experience it for himself, no one would stop him. Xu Xingxia has already said that young people must always experience the bloody battlefield.

Xu Canhuai's courage was not born, and he didn't dare to rush to the front line and fight the enemy single-handedly. Therefore, he chose to follow the large force to act. The position that Mao 13 assigned to Xu Canhuai was the clerk of the legion, a position that was easier than that of a staff officer. Xu Xingxia's son, you can't really use him as a combatant. There are dangers on the battlefield, in case Xu Canhuai accidentally sacrifices, it is not good for him to give a bad deal to Xu Xingxia.

As a clerical instrument, Xu Canhuai's standard armament is a barge gun, three magazines, and a total of sixty rounds. For self-defense, enough. However, if it is to go to the front, it is not enough. Therefore, Xu Canhuai received another submachine gun and three magazines, for a total of ninety rounds. Later, he received four more grenades.

Xu Canhuai followed the first squadron of the first battalion of the leopard cavalry. The squad is an elite squad of the Leopard Cavalry, and it is all armed with submachine guns. For the transportation of ammunition and other military supplies, they were also equipped with five camels.

After the White Army took control of Baghdad, the logistical problem was greatly solved. The port of Basra, which turned out to have good unloading equipment. After the transformation of the White Army, the unloading capacity is stronger. As a result, truckloads of ammunition were unloaded at the port of Basra and sent by land to the base camp of the White Coats in Baghdad.

Of course, unlimited squandering is still forbidden. Hunting, exploding fish, and other acts of wasting ammunition are strictly prohibited. Every piece of ammunition must be used in battle. However, there is only the bare desert Gobi Desert in West Asia, and there is no prey, let alone fish. Therefore, there is basically no need to enforce this provision.

The group departed from Baghdad and arrived in Deir ez-Zor five days later. The land was already under the control of a battalion of the Mastiffs. Under the Mastiff Cavalry, there were also five battalions. Before the Leopard cavalry set out, they had already set off. They got ahead of the Panthers and captured Deir ez-Zor. So, Xu Canhuai and the others replenished water and food here and continued to move forward.

After Deir ez-Zor, it is a war zone, and there will be enemies at any time, so you must be careful. Lei Hu and others are very experienced in combat. Most of his squad are veterans. Only Xu Canhuai can be regarded as a new recruit. Therefore, Xu Canhuai's position is basically in the middle of the troops. Outside of him, all of them were veterans.

That afternoon, I don't know where I went, but it was bare and there was no vegetation around. In this environment, it is impossible to judge one's own orientation at all. They can only roughly estimate that it should be not far from Aleppo.

Walking and walking, he suddenly had an urgency to urinate, and Xu Canhuai stepped aside to relieve his hands. Halfway through the pee, suddenly, there was a rapid sound of horses' hooves in front, followed by a dozen cavalry. They spotted the white-clothed army and immediately brandished their scimitars and pounced on the white-clothed army. Xu Canhuai was full of excitement, he couldn't care about pulling up his pants, and subconsciously held the submachine gun in his hand. After three months of basic training, this movement is the most familiar.

"Sipahi cavalry! Be careful! Lei Hu shouted.

The so-called Sipahi cavalry was another elite of the Ottoman Empire. They are not paid and do not have a very regular establishment. They were attached to the landlord families one by one. In terms of surnames, they are a bit like the armed men of the Ming Empire. Their allegiance was to the landlords who supported them, not to the state.

The composition of the Sipahi cavalry was the private soldiers of the landlords, so their training and equipment were the responsibility of the various landlords and magnates. Those landlords and magnates, in order to expand their power, will try to improve their combat effectiveness as much as possible. Therefore, relatively speaking, the combat effectiveness of the Sipahi cavalry is still relatively strong.

However, it was precisely because of the complexity of the composition of the Sipahi cavalry that they were loyal only to their own masters and not to the state, so they were generally not easily used by the top brass of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. In the previous Battle of Baghdad, the Ottomans did not use them either. But, now, of course, it's a different story.

After the White Army entered the hinterland of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, its main opponent was the Sipahi cavalry. Because, the land owned by their master was robbed by the white-clothed army. No matter who it is, if their fundamental interests are snatched away, they will not give up. Therefore, from top to bottom, the Sipahi cavalry hated the white-clothed army to the core, and the hatred was as deep as the sea.

Along the way to the west, the white-clothed army no longer knows how many times they have fought with the Sipahi cavalry, and how many Sipahi cavalry have been killed. Almost every day, the Sipahi cavalry appeared in front of the whites and were then killed by the whites. However, the black costumes, wearing ugly masks, the Sipahi cavalry, still emerge in a steady stream.

"Da Da Da!"

"Da Da Da!"

Xu Canhuai hurriedly raised his submachine gun and fired wildly at the rushing Sipaxi cavalry. When one magazine is finished, another magazine is replaced until all three magazines are exhausted. He only stayed in the boot camp for three months, and basically did not train much in shooting. This time, I suddenly encountered the enemy, and I was a little flustered. In this strafing shot, even he didn't know where the bullet went.

Fortunately, the other white-clothed soldiers are very experienced in combat. After the appearance of the Sipahi cavalry, they quickly formed a circular firing formation, killing the enemy with short shots. Under their fire, those Sipahi cavalry, quickly fell. There were sixty people in a squad of the White Clothes Army, and there were only two dozen or so Sipahi cavalry, which was naturally not an opponent.

Xu Canhuai was secretly glad that when he went out, he brought an extra submachine gun, otherwise, most of them would be finished. The barge gun could only be used against the infantry, and it was too difficult to deal with the cavalry. Even, it's basically negligible. The best way to deal with cavalry is a submachine gun. On the cruel battlefield, no enemy will be soft because he is Xu Xingxia's son. The clatter of gunshots, even if it only serves as a guts, is good.

The only flaw of the submachine gun is that it consumes too many bullets. Because, when a person is in a tense situation, he shoots at the cavalry, and he must have pulled the trigger to the end. In a few moments, thirty rounds of bullets were fired. No, all three of his magazines were gone. It's a shame to think about it.

After experiencing a real battle, Xu Canhuai couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He finally felt exactly what war was like. It's no joke, and it's not at all as romantic and chic as others say.

Fighting, people die. Either you die or I die. If he was rushed in front by the Sipahi cavalry, the consequences could be imagined. The sharp scimitars of the Sipahi cavalry will definitely cut off his head easily.

(To be continued)