I will posting more articles soon...
Extracted from "The Wiles of War", Foreign Languages Press, 1991, Page 307-310, quoting from the classical history work "Xu Zhi Zi Tong Jian" Chapter 114...
In the tenth month of 1134, the Jin prince Wuzhu launched a major southward incursion. As a Song governor fled south without fighting, the men of Jin marched across the Huai River valley encountering little resistance and quickly pushed to the Yangtze River. Han Shizhong, then a pacification commissioner of the Huai River area, was compelled to abandon his position and fell back to defend the city of Yangzhou by the Yangtze River.
Just as Han Shizhong was busily organizing the troops into a defensive position, the Song court solicitously sent two envoys, Wei Liangchen and Wang Hui, to sue for peace with the Jin army. They set out with a few followers and reached Yangzhou at the end of the month.
Now a seasoned general, Han Shizhong had no illusions about such peace negotiations. He knew all too well that a peace offer would lead nowhere unless it was accompanied by effective resistance on the battleground. He did not trust Wei Liangchen, Vice Minister of Personnel, who had a reputation of getting along well with the men of Jin. Therefore, when he was informed that the imperial envoys were coming, he secretly arranged for a few trusted guards to put the envoys under surveillance. In the meantime he laid out a plan to make use of Wei Liangchen's disloyalty.
On reaching the eastern gate of Yangzhou, Wei Liangchen saw the vanguard of the Song army leaving the city. He inquired where they were heading and learned that they were dispatched by Han Shizhong to defend the passage at the river mouth. Upon entering Yangzhou, Wei was received by Han Shizhong at the observation tower of the city. A short while later, board after board of imperial edicts turned up. Han Shizhong deliberately let Wei look at the boards, which ordered Han to withdraw the army to defend the river mouth.
Wei Liangchen, Wang Hui, and their attendants left Yangzhou and spent the night at the town of Dayi. The next morning, after riding for a few li, they ran into over a hundred mounted archers of Jin. Wei Liangchen ordered his men to dismount and then shouted, "Don't shoot! We have come to make peace!" The Jin soldiers then escorted Wei and his followers to the city of Tianchang.
"Where is the emperor?" asked the Jin soldiers.
"At Hangzhou," replied Wei.
"Where is General Han? How many men and horses does he have?"
"He was at Yangzhou. When we took leave he was heading for Zhenjiang," replied Wang Hui.
"Maybe he is playing a trick and will return to attack?"
"Who knows?" Wang Hui said defensively. "We are not supposed to know anything about warfare."
They met a Jin general on the way and entered Tianchang together. After exchanging a few words about peacemaking, the Jin general asked, "Where is General Han's army?"
"Before I left, I saw them go out through the eastern gate and head for Guazhou."
After Wei and his followers had taken leave of Dayi, Han Shizhong mounted his horse and summoned the troops. "Advance in the direction of my whip!" he ordered. They proceeded to Dayi, which lay between Yangzhou and Tianchang, and dispersed into five battle formations comprising more than twenty ambush rings. Han admonished the officers and men, "Rise and beat the enemy when you hear the drums!"
The Jin general took Wei Liangchen at his word and sent him off to meet Prince Wuzhu, commander of the Jin expedition. Then he led his men toward Yangzhou, which he believed to be poorly guarded. His officer Tuobujia led a band of cavalrymen and marched by way of Dayi, where he was challenged by a small band of the Song army led by Han Shizhong himself. Tuobujia repulsed the unexpected attack and pushed forth with his superior force right into the ambush rings of the Song army. At the sounding of battle drums, the Song soldiers suddenly rose out of hiding in every direction and cut the Jin troops into small sections.
In the tangled fight that ensued, the Jin horsemen found little use for their bows, arrows, and long swords. They became easy prey to the Song infantrymen, who wielded big axes to break first the horse legs and then the ribs of the fallen Jin horsemen. The band of Jin cavalry was completely wiped out, and Tuobujia was captured alive.
The Jin general returned to Tianchang, swearing fiercely against Wei Liangchen. He sent a report of his defeat to Wuzhu, who immediately locked up Liangchen and his attendants.
pics...
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.ph...&threadid=50085
Full Version: I am back with a vengance...
Welcome back 
Could you give us a rough estimate as to how long the shaft would be on these poleaxes?
QUOTE(Thomas Chen @ Sep 7 2005, 09:38 AM)
I will posting more articles soon...
Extracted from "The Wiles of War", Foreign Languages Press, 1991, Page 307-310, quoting from the classical history work "Xu Zhi Zi Tong Jian" Chapter 114...
In the tangled fight that ensued, the Jin horsemen found little use for their bows, arrows, and long swords. They became easy prey to the Song infantrymen, who wielded big axes to break first the horse legs and then the ribs of the fallen Jin horsemen. The band of Jin cavalry was completely wiped out, and Tuobujia was captured alive.
pics...
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.ph...&threadid=50085
Extracted from "The Wiles of War", Foreign Languages Press, 1991, Page 307-310, quoting from the classical history work "Xu Zhi Zi Tong Jian" Chapter 114...
In the tangled fight that ensued, the Jin horsemen found little use for their bows, arrows, and long swords. They became easy prey to the Song infantrymen, who wielded big axes to break first the horse legs and then the ribs of the fallen Jin horsemen. The band of Jin cavalry was completely wiped out, and Tuobujia was captured alive.
pics...
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.ph...&threadid=50085
[snapback]4756655[/snapback]
Nice pictures.
I don't seem to hear/read much about the da fu (halberd) & guan dao during the Song, yet I know it was used. Are there any accounts of either being used in battles?
Cheers
chris
QUOTE
In the tangled fight that ensued, the Jin horsemen found little use for their bows, arrows, and long swords. They became easy prey to the Song infantrymen, who wielded big axes to break first the horse legs and then the ribs of the fallen Jin horsemen. The band of Jin cavalry was completely wiped out, and Tuobujia was captured alive.
It's one of the best case of infantry tactic against cavalry, when Song lacked much horses to form cavalry.
QUOTE(Conan the destroyer @ Sep 8 2005, 03:30 PM)
Could you give us a rough estimate as to how long the shaft would be on these poleaxes?
[snapback]4757052[/snapback]
I dunno... I estimate maybe 1.3 to 1.5 meters....
QUOTE(Thomas Chen @ Sep 7 2005, 08:38 AM)
I will posting more articles soon...
Extracted from "The Wiles of War", Foreign Languages Press, 1991, Page 307-310, quoting from the classical history work "Xu Zhi Zi Tong Jian" Chapter 114...
In the tenth month of 1134, the Jin prince Wuzhu launched a major southward incursion. As a Song governor fled south without fighting, the men of Jin marched across the Huai River valley encountering little resistance and quickly pushed to the Yangtze River. Han Shizhong, then a pacification commissioner of the Huai River area, was compelled to abandon his position and fell back to defend the city of Yangzhou by the Yangtze River.
Just as Han Shizhong was busily organizing the troops into a defensive position, the Song court solicitously sent two envoys, Wei Liangchen and Wang Hui, to sue for peace with the Jin army. They set out with a few followers and reached Yangzhou at the end of the month.
Now a seasoned general, Han Shizhong had no illusions about such peace negotiations. He knew all too well that a peace offer would lead nowhere unless it was accompanied by effective resistance on the battleground. He did not trust Wei Liangchen, Vice Minister of Personnel, who had a reputation of getting along well with the men of Jin. Therefore, when he was informed that the imperial envoys were coming, he secretly arranged for a few trusted guards to put the envoys under surveillance. In the meantime he laid out a plan to make use of Wei Liangchen's disloyalty.
On reaching the eastern gate of Yangzhou, Wei Liangchen saw the vanguard of the Song army leaving the city. He inquired where they were heading and learned that they were dispatched by Han Shizhong to defend the passage at the river mouth. Upon entering Yangzhou, Wei was received by Han Shizhong at the observation tower of the city. A short while later, board after board of imperial edicts turned up. Han Shizhong deliberately let Wei look at the boards, which ordered Han to withdraw the army to defend the river mouth.
Wei Liangchen, Wang Hui, and their attendants left Yangzhou and spent the night at the town of Dayi. The next morning, after riding for a few li, they ran into over a hundred mounted archers of Jin. Wei Liangchen ordered his men to dismount and then shouted, "Don't shoot! We have come to make peace!" The Jin soldiers then escorted Wei and his followers to the city of Tianchang.
"Where is the emperor?" asked the Jin soldiers.
"At Hangzhou," replied Wei.
"Where is General Han? How many men and horses does he have?"
"He was at Yangzhou. When we took leave he was heading for Zhenjiang," replied Wang Hui.
"Maybe he is playing a trick and will return to attack?"
"Who knows?" Wang Hui said defensively. "We are not supposed to know anything about warfare."
They met a Jin general on the way and entered Tianchang together. After exchanging a few words about peacemaking, the Jin general asked, "Where is General Han's army?"
"Before I left, I saw them go out through the eastern gate and head for Guazhou."
After Wei and his followers had taken leave of Dayi, Han Shizhong mounted his horse and summoned the troops. "Advance in the direction of my whip!" he ordered. They proceeded to Dayi, which lay between Yangzhou and Tianchang, and dispersed into five battle formations comprising more than twenty ambush rings. Han admonished the officers and men, "Rise and beat the enemy when you hear the drums!"
The Jin general took Wei Liangchen at his word and sent him off to meet Prince Wuzhu, commander of the Jin expedition. Then he led his men toward Yangzhou, which he believed to be poorly guarded. His officer Tuobujia led a band of cavalrymen and marched by way of Dayi, where he was challenged by a small band of the Song army led by Han Shizhong himself. Tuobujia repulsed the unexpected attack and pushed forth with his superior force right into the ambush rings of the Song army. At the sounding of battle drums, the Song soldiers suddenly rose out of hiding in every direction and cut the Jin troops into small sections.
In the tangled fight that ensued, the Jin horsemen found little use for their bows, arrows, and long swords. They became easy prey to the Song infantrymen, who wielded big axes to break first the horse legs and then the ribs of the fallen Jin horsemen. The band of Jin cavalry was completely wiped out, and Tuobujia was captured alive.
The Jin general returned to Tianchang, swearing fiercely against Wei Liangchen. He sent a report of his defeat to Wuzhu, who immediately locked up Liangchen and his attendants.
pics...
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.ph...&threadid=50085
Extracted from "The Wiles of War", Foreign Languages Press, 1991, Page 307-310, quoting from the classical history work "Xu Zhi Zi Tong Jian" Chapter 114...
In the tenth month of 1134, the Jin prince Wuzhu launched a major southward incursion. As a Song governor fled south without fighting, the men of Jin marched across the Huai River valley encountering little resistance and quickly pushed to the Yangtze River. Han Shizhong, then a pacification commissioner of the Huai River area, was compelled to abandon his position and fell back to defend the city of Yangzhou by the Yangtze River.
Just as Han Shizhong was busily organizing the troops into a defensive position, the Song court solicitously sent two envoys, Wei Liangchen and Wang Hui, to sue for peace with the Jin army. They set out with a few followers and reached Yangzhou at the end of the month.
Now a seasoned general, Han Shizhong had no illusions about such peace negotiations. He knew all too well that a peace offer would lead nowhere unless it was accompanied by effective resistance on the battleground. He did not trust Wei Liangchen, Vice Minister of Personnel, who had a reputation of getting along well with the men of Jin. Therefore, when he was informed that the imperial envoys were coming, he secretly arranged for a few trusted guards to put the envoys under surveillance. In the meantime he laid out a plan to make use of Wei Liangchen's disloyalty.
On reaching the eastern gate of Yangzhou, Wei Liangchen saw the vanguard of the Song army leaving the city. He inquired where they were heading and learned that they were dispatched by Han Shizhong to defend the passage at the river mouth. Upon entering Yangzhou, Wei was received by Han Shizhong at the observation tower of the city. A short while later, board after board of imperial edicts turned up. Han Shizhong deliberately let Wei look at the boards, which ordered Han to withdraw the army to defend the river mouth.
Wei Liangchen, Wang Hui, and their attendants left Yangzhou and spent the night at the town of Dayi. The next morning, after riding for a few li, they ran into over a hundred mounted archers of Jin. Wei Liangchen ordered his men to dismount and then shouted, "Don't shoot! We have come to make peace!" The Jin soldiers then escorted Wei and his followers to the city of Tianchang.
"Where is the emperor?" asked the Jin soldiers.
"At Hangzhou," replied Wei.
"Where is General Han? How many men and horses does he have?"
"He was at Yangzhou. When we took leave he was heading for Zhenjiang," replied Wang Hui.
"Maybe he is playing a trick and will return to attack?"
"Who knows?" Wang Hui said defensively. "We are not supposed to know anything about warfare."
They met a Jin general on the way and entered Tianchang together. After exchanging a few words about peacemaking, the Jin general asked, "Where is General Han's army?"
"Before I left, I saw them go out through the eastern gate and head for Guazhou."
After Wei and his followers had taken leave of Dayi, Han Shizhong mounted his horse and summoned the troops. "Advance in the direction of my whip!" he ordered. They proceeded to Dayi, which lay between Yangzhou and Tianchang, and dispersed into five battle formations comprising more than twenty ambush rings. Han admonished the officers and men, "Rise and beat the enemy when you hear the drums!"
The Jin general took Wei Liangchen at his word and sent him off to meet Prince Wuzhu, commander of the Jin expedition. Then he led his men toward Yangzhou, which he believed to be poorly guarded. His officer Tuobujia led a band of cavalrymen and marched by way of Dayi, where he was challenged by a small band of the Song army led by Han Shizhong himself. Tuobujia repulsed the unexpected attack and pushed forth with his superior force right into the ambush rings of the Song army. At the sounding of battle drums, the Song soldiers suddenly rose out of hiding in every direction and cut the Jin troops into small sections.
In the tangled fight that ensued, the Jin horsemen found little use for their bows, arrows, and long swords. They became easy prey to the Song infantrymen, who wielded big axes to break first the horse legs and then the ribs of the fallen Jin horsemen. The band of Jin cavalry was completely wiped out, and Tuobujia was captured alive.
The Jin general returned to Tianchang, swearing fiercely against Wei Liangchen. He sent a report of his defeat to Wuzhu, who immediately locked up Liangchen and his attendants.
pics...
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.ph...&threadid=50085
[snapback]4756655[/snapback]
Good stuff.
There seem to be depictions or pictures of statues of Song infantry carrying the fu/ko (axe) or the zhanmadao but I haven't seen any carrying the da fu (halberd). Are there any?
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.