At the beginning of June, the temperature in the southern region of Eastern Siberia has risen to more than 10 degrees Celsius, and it has begun to slowly enter summer. It's just that the high latitudes are far less hot than the lower latitudes.

The surface of Lake Baikal is calm, the water is clear, like a sapphire set in the earth. There was a rumbling sound, and a patrol boat with a displacement of only thirty tons rowed across the lake at high speed, leaving a long mark of water. This kind of patrol boat, originally equipped by the police department, is used to combat smuggling in coastal waters and inland waterways, and has a small tonnage but high speed, and is named the 'Swordfish-class' patrol boat. Equipped with a 7mm rapid-fire gun and four heavy machine guns, the firepower is very ferocious. After the Reich regained customs, smuggling was very rampant for the first period of time, but under the crackdown of the Imperial Border Police, it was well contained. And in this, this 'Swordfish-class' patrol boat plays a very big role.

Now, the Baikal waterway has become an important supply line for the northern theater. The attack of the Russian army on the supply lines of the Imperial Army forced the northern theater of operations to postpone the offensive on Irkutsk. It was at this time that the Swordfish-class patrol boats were deployed to Lake Baikal. A total of 20 Swordfish-class patrol boats were loaded directly from the Tianjin shipyard and transported by guò train to the city of Maimai, from where they entered the Selenga River and went straight down the river into Lake Baikal to begin the task of protecting the logistics supply line.

The cargo ships of the Russian army are all old-fashioned wooden-hulled cargo ships, with a displacement of only a few dozen or hundreds of tons, and a speed of less than ten knots. And armament is nothing more than small-caliber artillery and heavy machine guns installed at home. After the Chinese patrol boat entered Lake Baikal, the Russian armed cargo ships that were killed at once had no power to fight back. Within a few days, most of the armed cargo ships of the Russian army were destroyed. The rest of the cats did not dare to leave the port in Baikal. The whole of Lake Baikal is under the control of China.

To be on the safe side, several patrol boats are cruising outside the Russian-controlled port of Baikal at all times, and if they find a Russian ship leaving the port, whether it is a cargo ship or a fishing boat. Sink them all. At this time, the problem of the logistical supply line that plagued the northern battlefield was solved in one fell swoop. A large amount of supplies was able to be transported from the trading city to Baikalsk, the decisive battle of Irkutsk. It is also able to prepare quickly.

From the end of April to the end of May. The Fourth Army in the Northern Theater had already advanced from Baikalsk to Kurtuk on the shores of Lake Baikal. It is less than eighty kilometers from Irkutsk. The command of the Northern Theater was also established directly in Baikalsk. An army group and a cavalry corps in the northern city. It's all in place.

On June 5, Army Minister and Commander of the Northern Theater, Army General Cai Yun, convened an operational conference in Baikalsk for the Battle of Irkutsk. This time, the commanders and chiefs of staff of the three armies, the commanders and deputy commanders of the 3rd Cavalry Army. They all participated in the meeting. The topic of the entire meeting revolved around the Battle of Irkutsk.

"Ladies and gentlemen, according to the latest figures we have received, the number of Russian troops in Irkutsk has risen to 550,000. In addition, the Russian army has 200,000 troops in Central Asia to confront the Fifth Army and the First Cavalry Army. This battle is very important for the Empire. If these enemies are eliminated, the number of Russian troops will drop to more than a million. When the time comes. Russia will no longer have the strength to confront the Empire. The Battle of Irkutsk will become the decisive battle on the land battlefield in this war! We must win this battle! Cai Yun looked at everyone and said in a deep voice. In order to be able to solve the Russian enemy once and for all, he deliberately built a decisive battle in Irkutsk. More than a month. There was no large-scale fighting in the northern theater of war, in order to give the Russian army enough time to mobilize troops. And now, the Russian army in Irkutsk has almost gathered, and it is time to collect it. After all. The three group armies in the northern battlefield plus one cavalry corps were only more than 500,000 people. If there are more Russian troops, I'm afraid they will be a little unbearable!

All of them are also stern, and everyone knows the importance of this big war. If this war is won, then there will be no doubt about the land war, and China will defeat Russia by an overwhelming margin and become the hegemon of the Far East and Asia. All the territories occupied by Russia will also be recovered, with interest.

"The battle starts tomorrow. The deployment of the Russian army in Irkutsk, of which 12 divisions are deployed on the south bank of the Angara River, and the rest of the more than 300,000 people are deployed on the north bank of the Angara River to directly defend Irkutsk. One of the most important aspects of this campaign was the crossing of the Angara River. Now all the bridges on the Angara River have been charged by the Russian army, and explosives have been planted. As soon as the battle in the south does not go well, they will blow up the bridge directly. The Angara River is wide and fast, and it is not so easy to cross the river. Therefore, we have to snatch the bridge in our hands. The bridges near Irkutsk are all key defense objects of the Russian army, and it is very difficult for us to get them. So, you have to start somewhere else. The task of the 3rd Cavalry Corps was to seize the bridge for the whole army. In Megat, twenty kilometers west of Irkutsk, there is a bridge across the Angola River, and this is our only chance. The 3rd Cavalry Corps, set out tonight, launch an attack on Megot tomorrow morning, and take the Megget Bridge! Then, hold the bridge and resist the counterattack of the Russian army. The 1st Army would be dispatched tomorrow morning and arrive in Megot two days later to take over the defense of the bridge and at the same time attack Irkutsk from the west. Cai Yun ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Lieutenant General Yang Guoxing, commander of the First Group Army, Major General Wu Yanfa, chief of staff, Major General Bashar, commander of the Third Cavalry Corps, and Major General Li Zhuo, deputy commander of the Third Cavalry Army, immediately received the order. There is no doubt that in the battle of Irkutsk, they took a detour and attacked the Baikal army from the flank, and the responsibility was heavy!

"The Third Army and the Fourth Army, starting from Kurtuk tomorrow, before attacking Irkutsk, first eliminate the army south of the Angara River and encircle and annihilate as much as possible! Then, attack on Irkutsk. It would be best if the bridge over the Angara River could be snatched. If not, the Russian army will be forced to blow up the bridge. Then the whole army crossed the river from Meghut, besieged Irkutsk, and annihilated all the Russian troops here in one fell swoop! Because the Russian army can get a steady stream of reinforcements through the Trans-Siberian Railway, in order to reduce our pressure, the Fifth Army and the First Cavalry Army will try their best to crush the Russian army in Central Asia, and then go north to cut off the Trans-Siberian Railway. At the same time, it also requires us to end the fighting as soon as possible. Otherwise, the pressure on the Fifth Army and the First Cavalry Army will be very great! Cai Yun said. Once the Trans-Siberian Railway is cut off, the Russian army will definitely send troops to Eastern Siberia like crazy. The 5th Army and the 1st Cavalry Army, which cut off the Trans-Siberian Railway, will become the key targets of the Russian army.

"Yes, sir!" Lieutenant General Chen Anguo, commander of the Third Group Army, and Major General Liu Dingyi, chief of staff, and Lieutenant General Chen Wenjun, commander of the Fourth Group Army, and Major General Guo Mingxu, chief of staff, immediately received the order.

"Alright, let's go back and get ready!" Cai Yun said. The importance of this war, even he did not dare to be careless. Although he was now the Minister of War of the Empire, it was the first time he had commanded so many troops.

"Yes, sir!" After everyone saluted, they all took off.

At this moment, the atmosphere in Irkutsk is also very depressing, as if a black cloud is overwhelming. Nearly a million people from both sides gathered in Irkutsk and nearby areas, which also put a lot of pressure on the Russian army. Whether it is the commander of the Russian army, Grand Duke Nikolai, or the governor of Eastern Siberia, Anuchin, they all know that the current Russia has reached the most critical juncture. If this war is lost again, then Russia will be completely defeated in this war.

Archduke Nicholas, after a month of adjustment, regained his confidence and was no longer the wolf bèi and decadence that he had when he fled from Ulan-Ude. The reason for this was Tsar Nicholas II's support for him, which re-established his confidence. Tsar Nicholas II, who can now be said to have unconditional support for Grand Duke Nicholas, was emboldened by the trains coming and going on the Trans-Siberian Railway, almost non-stop, and a large number of soldiers and supplies were transported to Irkutsk.

"Humph! Cunning Chinese, you want to defeat the great Russia in Irkutsk in one fell swoop, you think I don't know, right? Now, there are more than 500,000 people in Irkutsk, and the number is increasing by 10,000 every Friday. Grand Duke Nikolai thought with some pride. The situation in Irkutsk is much better now than it was in Ulan-Ude. He believed that in this battle, he would not be defeated like Ulan-Ude, and finally had to abandon so many soldiers and run away.

"Your Excellency, the generals have arrived, and His Excellency the Governor has arrived. The meeting is ready to begin! "The adjutant of the Grand Duke Nicholas, came in and reported to him. Now, the situation in Irkutsk is becoming more and more tense, and Grand Duke Nikolai is keenly aware that the great war is about to begin. Before the war begins, he must be well deployed so that this time he can withstand the attack of the squadron!

"Okay, I'll go right away!" Grand Duke Nikolai said. Then, he straightened his uniform and walked briskly to the conference room. (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Biquge www.biquge.info to vote for recommendations and monthly passes, your support is my biggest motivation. )

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