Chapter 1158: Attack from both sides
The 31st Infantry Corps of the Imperial Army had more than 35,000 men at full strength. Even after many battles, there were still more than 31,000 people left in the army. The artillery battalion attached to the army and some units directly under the military headquarters remained on the east bank of the Volga River, and there were still more than 20,000 troops crossing the river. The 31st Infantry Corps of the Imperial Army, supported by strong artillery fire, had established a solid beachhead on the west bank of the Volga River.
In the face of the fierce attack of the Russian army, the officers and men of the 31st Infantry Corps of the Imperial Army, despite the hardship, still resisted the attack of the Russian army. Overall, if the Russian army wants to drive the 31st Infantry Corps of the Imperial Army down the river, it will be more difficult than ascending to the sky.
"Boom! Rumble! Rumble! "The sound of rapid mortar shelling resounded on the battlefield, and in the case of field artillery and other heavy weapons that could not cross the river, mortars had become the main support fire of the 31st Infantry Corps of the Imperial Army. The Imperial Army was armed with three caliber mortars, which were 60-mm mortars, 80-mm mortars and 120-mm heavy mortars. Of these, 120-mm heavy mortars, which are available only in the battalion headquarters. The infantry platoons and infantry companies were mainly armed with 60-mm mortars and 80-mm mortars.
With the use of mortars in various battlefields of the Imperial Army, this kind of light artillery, which is not very technical but has great practical value, has been spread all over the battlefield. Each country has made its own mortars, but these mortars are similar to the mortars used by the Imperial Army, and they are completely copies of the Mortars of the Imperial Army.
Among the Russian army, it is also equipped with a lot of mortars. In the case that the heavy artillery could not be compared with the Imperial Army, the Russian army could only equip Guò with more mortars to improve the firepower of the troops. But. The overall firepower of the Russian army is still not comparable to that of the Imperial Army. Defeat after defeat. As a result, the Russian army not only lost a large number of troops, but also lost a large amount of equipment.
Though. After a frantic expansion, the Russian army has once again pulled up a huge team. However, they do not have enough weapons to arm these troops. So much so that on the battlefield, the Russian army often needs to rely on its superiority in strength to be able to resist the attack of the Chinese Army.
"General, the firepower of the Chinese is too strong, General Salkov asks for support!" A staff officer to Ivan. Admiral Zarbakansky preached. In order to contain the offensive of the Chinese Army and complete the goal of driving the Chinese Army down the Volga, the Russian army mobilized a large number of troops to besiege the landed Chinese Army. However, every Russian offensive was repulsed. Instead, they left corpses on the battlefield. In the absence of artillery superiority, the Russian army can often only use flesh and blood to resist the powerful firepower of the Chinese army, and can only fill it with human lives.
Ivan. Admiral Zarbakansky frowned, an infantry division could not hold up after only a few hours of going up, how could this be? If this continues, how long will they be able to hold out? You know, after learning that the Chinese Army chose Volgograd as the breakthrough point, the commander of the Volga defense line of the Russian army, Mikhail . Marshal Vorontsov has already paid attention to this. Mikhail. Marshal Vorontsov asked Ivan. Admiral Zarbakansky, Volgograd must be held. And find a way to inflict maximum damage on the Chinese.
For this, Mikhail. Vorontsov also sent reinforcements from two infantry corps, which were moving south from the upper Volga in order to be able to support the Russian army in the battle in Volgograd. Of course. It will take some time for reinforcements to arrive. Now, Ivan. Admiral Zarbakansky was able to rely only on his own strength.
"Sue sù Salkov. I don't have reinforcements for him! He must continue to attack if all the soldiers are dead. Then, it was up to him to make the charge. Until all the divisions are killed! "Ivan. Admiral Zarbakansky indifferently ordered.
"Yes, General!" The staff officer nodded, he knew what this order meant for the troops at the front.
In order to drive the Chinese army down the river, the Russian army launched numerous attacks, but all in vain and suffered heavy losses. At the same time, the attention of the Russian army was firmly attracted to the west bank of the Volga River by the Imperial Army. More than 80 percent of the Russian army's troops are concentrated here.
At this time, west of Volgograd, the Don River was flowing quietly. However, the warships that went against the current broke the tranquility here. The Ottoman Turkish Army, which had arrived from the west, had reached the west bank of the Don River.
"Your Excellency Pasha, a telegram has been sent from the Chinese side. Now, the attack of the Chinese Army in Volgograd has attracted the attention of the Russian army. They want us to cross the Don at once and launch an offensive on Volgograd! "A staff officer asked Omar. Lutfipasha reported.
"Tell the Chinese, our troops are ready and will be able to attack tomorrow morning!" Omar. Lutfipasha didn't lift his head, and looked intently at the map.
This section of the Don River is not wide, only more than 100 meters. On the other side of the river is a small city - Karachi on the Don River, from which you will attack to the east, and Volgograd will be 40 kilometers away.
"Yes, Lord Pasha!" The staff officer saluted and walked away quickly.
Subsequently, Omar. Lutfipasha gave the Otman generals the order and battle plan for the attack. This time, he led 300,000 Ottoman Imperial Army to arrive, and the advance of 100,000 men had already reached the Don River, and the next 200,000 were behind, and it was expected that they would be able to arrive in a day at most.
They were to quickly cross the Don River under the cover of several destroyers of the Chinese Navy, and build enough pontoon bridges over the Don River so that the Ottoman Turkish troops could cross the river and then launch an attack on Volgograd. Although the combat effectiveness of the Ottoman Turkish Imperial Army is more problematic, it should be no problem for them to attack from behind the Russian army when the main force of the Russian army has been dragged down by the Imperial Army. After all, the Ottoman Turkish Empire had also been fighting with the Russians for so many years that even the Russians could not defeat it.
When he learned that the Ottoman Imperial Army had arrived, General Sun Hao, commander of the Eastern European Theater of the Chinese Army, also gave the order to launch an all-out attack tomorrow. The other 4 infantry corps under the 7th Army will launch a river-crossing operation on a 50-kilometer-long defensive line, so that the Russian army will not be able to take care of the beginning and the end. In this way, the possibility of the Imperial Army breaking through the defense line of the Russian army will increase a lot. At the same time, casualties will come down.
On the morning of April 25, 1855, eight destroyers of the Imperial Navy, which had entered the Don River, launched a heavy artillery bombardment of Karachi-on-Don. Although the firepower of the destroyer is not strong, it is not something that the army can deal with. What's more, the Russian army was defenseless against the warships that suddenly killed the Imperial Navy.
At the same time, the Ottoman Imperial Turkish Army also mobilized hundreds of artillery pieces to launch an artillery bombardment, and for a time, Karachi on the Don River was plunged into a sea of fire.
The Russian army did not garrison many troops at all in Karachi-on-Don, and was caught off guard and suffered heavy losses. The army of the Ottoman Turkish Empire took the opportunity to launch a river crossing operation. The Russian army had the intention to stop it, but in the face of the artillery fire of the Imperial Navy, as well as the artillery of the Ottoman Turkish Imperial Army, they simply could not resist.
After half a day of fierce fighting, the Ottoman Imperial Army captured Karachi on the Don River, and the Ottoman Turkish sappers quickly built several pontoon bridges over the Don River, and a large number of troops were able to cross the Crossing River.
A large number of Ottoman Turkish troops appeared behind the Russian army, which made Ivan . Admiral Zarbakansky was shocked. Because today, the Chinese army also launched a fierce offensive, and the defense line of the Russian army was broken through several times. Zarbakansky had to mobilize the main forces of the Russian army for defense. However, the army of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, which suddenly appeared, was like a sharp knife, piercing the back of the Russian army and giving the Russian army a fatal blow.
"Damn! Are all those intelligence officers blind? Why are there so many transfers of the Ottoman Imperial Turkish Army, and they do not give a warning at all? "Ivan. Admiral Zarbakansky burst into flames. The sudden appearance of hundreds of thousands of Ottoman Imperial Turkish Army dealt him a fatal blow. If they still resist the Chinese army crossing the river with all their might, they will be copied back by the Ottoman Turkish army. In the end, they will be surrounded and annihilated by the Chinese Army and the Ottoman Imperial Turkish Army.
Ivan. Admiral Zarbakansky had no choice but to give Mikhail on the one hand. Marshal Vorontsov sent a telegram requesting more reinforcements. At the same time, from the Volga defense line, troops were drawn to block the Ottoman Imperial Army. He could not have left the Imperial Ottoman Army alone, in which case the Russian army would have paid a heavy price.
However, after the transfer of troops from the front line, the already porous defense line of the Russian army has become even weaker. In the face of the fierce attack of the Chinese army, it was difficult for the Russian army to resist. The insistence of the Russian army in Volgograd seems to have become a trapped beast.
Far away in the middle reaches of the Volga command Mikhail . Marshal Vorontsov was also taken aback when he learned that a large number of Imperial Ottoman Turkish troops were storming Volgograd. Of course he knew what the consequences would be?
Mikhail. Marshal Vorontsov ordered Ivan on the side. Admiral Zarbakansky managed to hold out, and on the other hand, sent more reinforcements to Volgograd. After all, if Volgograd falls, it means that the Volga defense line has been broken through by the Chinese Army. (To be continued......)
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