On October 6, 1788, in the southern part of Zhili, the 7th Infantry Division of the Beiyang Army no longer remained in the Lu Province for defense, but moved north to join the 1st Infantry Division.
Despite launching several attacks, the Qing army had failed to break through the 1st Infantry Division's defenses in previous battles, suffering heavy losses.
Even though the Qing army constantly deployed troops to reinforce the front line, resulting in an increasing number of troops assembled there,
It was still useless.
Even the Qing commanders seemed to have lost confidence and became complacent.
The 4th and 5th Infantry Divisions of the Beiyang Army also departed from their stations to reinforce the northern front.
This brought the number of troops assembled by the Beiyang Army on the northern front to four infantry divisions, over 70,000 soldiers.
Although their numbers were far from comparable to the Qing army,
In terms of combat strength, the two sides were simply incomparable.
The Qing army could not even break through the defenses of a single Beiyang Army infantry division, let alone the four divisions that the Beiyang Army had assembled this time.
The western and southern fronts also saw the Beiyang Army gathering their forces.
The Beiyang Army had prepared to counterattack the Qing army.
Early on the morning of October 8, the main forces of the Beiyang Army's 1st and 7th Infantry Divisions launched a fierce attack on the Qing army from Dongguang.
At the same time, an infantry regiment from the Beiyang Army's 1st Infantry Division, along with the 4th Infantry Division, attacked northward from Fucheng, aiming to cut off the Qing army's retreat.
Another infantry regiment of the Beiyang Army's 1st Infantry Division, together with the 5th Infantry Division, launched an attack northward from Nanpi.
For a time, the Beiyang Army launched a large-scale counterattack on the northern front.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
The Beiyang Army's 105mm light howitzers and 75mm field guns fired furiously.
Hundreds of cannons roared with intense fire, with dense shells raining down on the Qing army's defenses.
These Qing soldiers had never seen such a sight before.
Many seasoned veterans, even when fighting the Taiping Rebellion or the Nian Rebellion, had not encountered such a situation!
Shells detonated constantly, sending shrapnel flying everywhere.
Numerous Qing soldiers were blown to pieces or shredded.
Many Qing soldiers were stunned on the spot.
Then, Major General Wang Shizhen, commander of the Beiyang Army's 1st Infantry Division, ordered his troops to launch an attack.
A large number of Beiyang soldiers, forming skirmish lines, attacked the Qing positions.
Maxim heavy machine guns and mortars also accompanied each company and platoon in action.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The soldiers’ 88-style commission rifles fired continuously.
“Da-da-da!”
The Maxim heavy machine guns in the rear swept wildly, suppressing the Qing army.
Each mortar fired at the maximum rate, launching shells at the Qing army.
Although the Qing army also possessed a certain number of 75mm field guns and other caliber artillery or rapid-fire guns,
They were completely outmatched by the Beiyang Army in terms of artillery numbers.
At the same time, the Qing army's defenses were simply makeshift.
There weren't even any decent trenches.
Moreover, their tactics were still stuck in the age of dense firing line formations.
Facing the concentrated machine-gun fire of the Beiyang Army, this was akin to suicide!
Countless Qing soldiers were shot dead or blown to pieces on the battlefield.
This dealt a heavy blow to the fighting spirit of the other Qing soldiers.
It must be noted that the fighting spirit of these Qing soldiers was already extremely weak. Many of them had joined the army for money. Others had been forced into military service.
Faced with such a brutal battle and surrounded by a scene akin to hell, how could they possibly have the courage to continue fighting?
In an instant, a large number of Qing soldiers began to flee.
As for the orders of their officers and commanders, no one paid any attention anymore.
Everyone was desperately trying to escape from this terrifying battlefield, to save their own lives.
Even the officers and commanders soon joined the panicked flight.
The Qing army's collapse was inevitable.
Large numbers of Qing troops began to flee.
The Beiyang Army units pursued the retreating Qing army.
Not only were the Beiyang Army officers and soldiers far superior in combat effectiveness, but their physical fitness was also generally better than the thin and scrawny Qing soldiers.
This meant that many Qing soldiers couldn't even escape.
Many Qing units were overtaken by the Beiyang Army and surrounded.
And these surrounded Qing soldiers couldn't expect them to fight to the death.
These Qing soldiers simply threw away their weapons and surrendered to the Beiyang Army.
For these Qing soldiers, things like military honor were insignificant. Saving their own lives was undoubtedly the most important thing.
As a result, the various Beiyang Army units easily captured large numbers of Qing soldiers on the battlefield.
The Beiyang Army units also advanced very quickly.
One prefecture after another quickly fell under the control of the Beiyang Army.
The Beiyang Army not only achieved a resounding victory on the northern front, but on the western and southern fronts, the Qing army was also no match for the Beiyang Army.
The Beiyang Army's counterattack had already achieved great results.