Chapter 27 Section 20 Firearms Theorist Jiao Xu and His Monograph "Fire Attacks"

Jiao Xu was a well-known firearms theorist in the late Ming Dynasty. His book "Fire Attack" had an important influence on the manufacture of firearms in the late Ming and Qing dynasties. Jiao Xu, a native of Ningguo (now Guichi, Anhui).Birth and death dates and deeds are unknown.He was mainly active in the turmoil at the end of the Ming Dynasty. He witnessed the corruption of the government, the slack in military equipment, and the disasters of war suffered by the people. The advantages and disadvantages of the opportunity, the change of the current situation" ("Fire Attack: Preface"), repeatedly studied the advanced Western artillery manufacturing technology, thinking that it can be used to save the time.He was a German missionary Johann Adam Schall Von Bell (1591-1666 A.D., who came to China in early 1622, learned Chinese in Beijing, and then went to Xi'an to preach. He returned to Beijing in 1630 to participate in the revision of the calendar and compiled the "Chongzhen Almanac". Employed to preside over the manufacture of Western artillery), on the basis of dictation of artillery-making technology, "the main points of famous books, the secret biography of teachers and friends, and the occasional hard work, simplifying the complicated, deleting the superficial and picking the truth, explaining the secrets and explaining", compiled into a book. "Fire Attack".

"Huo Gong Qi Yao" was completed in the 16th year of Chongzhen (AD 1643). The original book is divided into two volumes, the upper and lower volumes, and the volume "Huo Gong Mi Yao" is attached. The Qing manuscript of the original publication is now in the Beijing Library.During the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, Ding Gongchen, a military technician, corrected the omissions in the book.Shortly thereafter, when Pan Shicheng, a military technician, edited the "Haishan Xianguan Series", he included two books in it. About 40,000 characters, with 27 drawings.In addition, there are Qing Wang Yusi published editions, "Series Collection Collection First Edition" and so on.The whole book mainly introduces gunpowder, Western artillery and various firearms manufacturing and usage methods, and involves metal smelting, machinery manufacturing, and mathematical, physical and chemical knowledge. It is a sign that ancient Chinese firearms have entered a new stage of development.

"Fire Attack and Outbreak" reflects Jiao Xu's thoughts on making and using utensils.First of all, Jiao Xu believes that although firearms are sharp weapons for destroying the enemy, they must be manufactured properly and used properly in order to be truly effective; Enemy Consideration Device").For this reason, he requires making utensils and using utensils to be better than the enemy, or using the big to win the small, or using the long to win the short, or using the many to win the few, or using the fine to beat the rough, or using it well to win the bad use.Secondly, Jiao Xu believes that it is not enough for the army to have advanced artillery. It must also have good generals, who have the strategy to win, manage the army well, command well, treat their subordinates with kindness and power, and clearly reward and punish them. Skilled skill can use artillery to defeat the enemy.Third, Jiao Xu believes that when using firearms, one must grasp the timing and the distance between the enemy and the enemy. If the enemy fires when the enemy is far away from the range of the artillery, there will be consequences of empty fire or even when the enemy approaches and the shells have been fired.Therefore, he asked that the artillery should not be fired lightly, but must be fired within the effective range, that is, the artillery that can shoot three or four hundred paces should be fired when the enemy approaches fifty or sixty paces; the firearm that can shoot one hundred paces should be fired when the enemy approaches Release it at 20 or 30 steps, so as to fully kill the enemy.Fourth, Jiao Xu believes that although firearms are powerful, they should not be exclusively used, but should be used in conjunction with various weapons, so that "long and short weapons can help each other from far and near, and protect each other", and "strike and defense can be used at the same time." ("Preparation for Rescue"), only in this way can the enemy be defeated.It can be seen that the discussion of the use of firearms in "Fire Attack" is a step ahead of "Bing Lu".