Dominate the Country

March of the fourteenth year of Chengtian, North Sea - Lake Baikal area.

After Baron Faraleyev was beheaded, Admiral Nikolai Vasilyevich Repnin, who had made outstanding military achievements, came to the far east and succeeded as the governor of the Governor's District along the Amur River.

At this moment, he and the commander-in-chief of the remaining Qing army, the first-class super-brave Duke Lancha, stood side by side in front of the huge map hanging on the north wall of the Chita Office, each holding a candlestick to illuminate it.

This is a detailed map of the area east of Lake Baikal. The rivers, lakes, mountains and forests marked on it are all permeated with the hard work of the Russians. It is the result of their exploration for more than 200 years.

Admiral Repnin is a well-known and outstanding general in the Russian army. Since joining the army, he has experienced the Seven Years' War, the partition of Poland, the suppression of the Polish noble uprising, and two wars against the Ottoman Empire. He is one of the best commanders in Russia now.

More importantly, he was also an excellent diplomat, having served as Russian ambassador to Berlin, Warsaw and Istanbul. He weighed the pros and cons more clearly than Faraleyev, and his tactics were more gentle, so after he took office, he changed Faraleyev's previous approach and tried his best to repair the relationship between the Russian army and the remnant Qing Dynasty, and treated Yongcheng with great respect.

With his efforts, although the conflict between the remnant Qing armed forces and the Russian army could not be eliminated in a short period of time, the relationship did ease a lot.

It seemed that the death of Fukangan and the death of Faraleyev had not happened.

However, their opponents, Chen Kaishan, the commander-in-chief of the Northern Xinjiang War Zone, and Huang Jie, the governor of the Northeast Military Region, did not expect it to be bad. When the Russo-Turkish War broke out, when China and Sweden successively declared war on Russia, Austria, and an unexpected Denmark, and Austria and Denmark also successively declared war on the Ottoman Empire, Sweden and China, most of the energy and attention of the Russians and the remnant Qing forces in Siberia were only focused on the Amur River area.

Chen Ming really didn't think of Denmark before the war. Although Denmark and Sweden are traditional enemies and allies of Russia to contain Sweden, Denmark is really no longer within his consideration.

Chen Ming never thought that Denmark would be so crazy to contain Sweden and directly declare war on the Ottoman Empire and China.

China did not declare war on Austria and Denmark at the beginning because the distance between the two sides was too far. Verbal declarations of war are meaningless and will affect each other's interests. But Austria and Denmark took the lead in declaring war on China. How could Nanjing not fight?

In theory, this is still the disaster of Gustav III. He once instigated Russia to help him seize Norway from Denmark. After being rejected by Catherine II, this king, who took back the royal power in just six months after ascending the throne and had a supreme position in Sweden, offended Denmark and Russia in one fell swoop.

Why did Gustav III seek help from Russia, the traditional empire of Sweden? It was because of his blood relationship with Catherine II. He was the nephew of Frederick II, King of Prussia, and the cousin of Catherine II, Empress of Russia. But obviously in the mind of Catherine II, family affection was not as important as interests.

Anyway, the war is no longer a war of five countries, but a war of six countries, with three on each side.

At the same time as China began to attack the Governor's District along the Amur River, it also launched an attack on the Russian Governor's District of Orenburg in the northwest. However, in this era, the East and the West were thousands of miles apart, and it was really impossible to form a strong cooperation, so they could only fight on their own.

The vanguard troops commanded by Zheng Hongyu, the left deputy governor of the Northwest Military Region, had completely crossed the Irtysh River, and the enemy and us in the northern border were all unaware of this news.

Under the light of two candles, the names of the Russian-Qing coalition forces on the map gathered at the strategic point of Yablonov Mountain in the west of Chita, showing a resolute defensive posture.

Unfortunately, the Yablonov Mountains are not a very advantageous place. The terrain here is not suitable for a defensive war to keep the enemy out.

As a mountain range eroded by glaciers, the Yablonov Mountains are low and narrow. The narrowest part is only forty miles, but it stretches for 3,000 miles from northeast to southwest.

There are two or three hundred large and small streams here, which are the source of the main rivers of Lake Baikal. Although there are many cliffs on the top of the mountain, the altitude is generally not very high - only about 1,500 meters.

There are too many places that can be penetrated in the entire mountain range. Therefore, neither Lepnin nor Hailancha placed their hopes on this mountain range.

On the contrary, Chita is surrounded by mountains, but there are broad mountain valley plains in the central and southeastern parts. Defense in the mountains around Chita is far stronger than that in the Yablonov Mountains.

But after the war started, it was impossible to open the gate without firing a single shot. Therefore, the Yabnozhov Mountains had to be fought.

Hailancha was once very sorry, but now it is an era dominated by guns and cannons. If it were a hundred years ago, he would have dared to let the enemy attack Chita first, and use a small force to take advantage of the familiarity with the geography to cut off and harass the logistics supply of the Han army, and wait until the enemy army had been stationed under the city for a long time, the soldiers were tired and lacked food, and the military force had become blunt, and then counterattacked in one fell swoop.

That might not have been a great victory.

But the times are different now. No matter how strong Chita's city defense is, it can't stop the heavy artillery and rockets of the Han army! According to the report of the spies, the Beihai Han army has been transporting military guns and artillery from the rear in recent years, and they are all heavy artillery of eight pounds, ten pounds, and ten pounds+! Coupled with the powerful and fast-firing rockets, the city defense of Chita will definitely not be able to withstand such bombardment.

The Han army only needs to transport the heavy artillery and rockets to the foot of Chita, and it will only take some time to capture Chita.

So Chita cannot be defended to the death, so the battlefield must be placed outside Chita.

"General Lepnin, look here." Hailancha pointed to a large area 180 miles west of Chita, "... The battlefield for our decisive battle with the Han army is here, how about it?"

The area is very large, but it includes the surrounding lakes. In the series of mountain valleys on the west side of Chita, it stretches for more than 100 miles and has more than a dozen lakes of different sizes, including six large ones. The area Hailancha chose is the widest passage between the six lakes, which is nearly ten miles wide. Although it is not very large, it is already a relatively open terrain in terms of the terrain west of Chita. In particular, there are lakes on both sides of the passage, and there are many hills and mountains in the back, which not only avoids being surrounded by the enemy, but also avoids the situation where they can't clean up after a complete defeat. As long as they arrange a support army in the mountains east of the lake area in advance.

In Hailancha's eyes, the small piece of flat land sandwiched between the two lakes can be used as a battlefield for the decisive battle between the two armies.

"Here... close to Kachin Lake and Chagda Lake?" Lepnin frowned.

"The battlefield is more than ten miles away from the mountainous area. As long as we send a part of the troops to stay here, even if the battle fails, it will not be a big defeat."

The Lianhu area is the flattest area west of Chita. There are many cavalry in the Russian-Qing coalition army. If you want to play the role of cavalry, you must put the battlefield on flat ground.

"We can't withdraw from the Yablonov Mountains." Hailancha said in a serious tone.

This is a question of morale. The war has just begun, and we can't soften our posture immediately. As for the defeat that Hailancha considered before, although it shows his lack of confidence from one side, Lepnin's own confidence is not sufficient. Otherwise, he would have launched an attack first.

...

"General, Dong Wei's second mixed brigade has been dispatched. It left Ulan-Ude this afternoon. Twelve thousand people went to the mountains."

Ulan-Ude is a brand new city. It has just been established for less than ten years. It is a strategic support point for Chen Han in the Beihai area. In the war, it became a fortress.

The city of Irkutsk has now been renamed "Su Wu". In the Northern Xinjiang Corps headquarters under the night, the office of Chen Kaishan, the commander-in-chief of the Northern Xinjiang War Zone, was brightly lit. The adjutant was holding a stack of the latest military reports and reading them to Chen Kaishan one by one.

"Has the specific combat plan been finalized?" Chen Kaishan asked calmly, his eyes fixed on the map.

"It has been finalized. The Second Mixed Brigade will enter the mountain along Channel No. 7 and will encounter three Russian sniper positions No. 3, No. 4, and No. 8 along the way. The Second Mixed Brigade will decide whether to besiege or conquer the opponent depending on the situation.

The army advances to the plain between Lake Kachin and Lake Chagda. If the Russian army does not stop it, the Second Mixed Brigade will immediately set up a defensive position there as a previous base for the troops to attack Chita. Then wait for the action of the First Mixed Brigade to cooperate in the attack on Chita."

The Northern Xinjiang Corps has a total of two mixed brigades, two infantry regiments, two cavalry regiments, and logistics troops. This time, the main force was used in the offensive battle in Chita.

There are hundreds of passages of various sizes in the Yablonov Mountains, and a total of 14 passages are marked in the jurisdiction of the Northern Xinjiang Corps, all of which are suitable for large troop movements. There are also countless unmarked trails that can cross the mountains.

The passages along which the First and Second Mixed Brigade are most suitable for large troop movements are farther away, but even if the Russians deploy them, there can only be two or three sniper positions at each location. There is no way, there are too many passages and too many loopholes here, so the Russians have to disperse their forces and defend everywhere.

Therefore, the two marching routes not only encounter few sniper positions, but also have limited forces.

"Let Dong Wei be careful. They marched two days earlier than the First Mixed Brigade. Especially in this lake area." Chen Kaishan did not think that the mixed brigade of more than 10,000 people would be eaten by the Russians, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

"General, do you think the Russians and the remnants of the pseudo-Qing Dynasty will choose the lake area for a decisive battle?" The adjutant shook his head in disbelief, "If I were Lepnin, I would retreat eastward now." Give up Chita.

Chen Kaishan laughed and looked at the adjutant and said, "Lepnin dare not abandon Chita without a fight. If he abandons Chita, the war zone will directly burn into the Amur River Basin!"

"What if the Northeast Military Region attacks Nerchinsk?" The adjutant asked in confusion, "The Russians and the remnants of the pseudo-Qing Dynasty have limited strength. The large forces are all used in Chita. Don't they want Nerchinsk?" The adjutant felt that if the Northeast Military Region attacked Nerchinsk at this time, Lepnin would definitely withdraw and go east...

"Old Xie. What do you think?" Chen Kaishan looked at Xie Yongji with a smile. Although this general had not made any great achievements, he relied on his seniority to become the deputy commander-in-chief of the Northern Xinjiang Army. He stroked his beard and said with a smile: "The battle situation in Northern Xinjiang is transparent to each other. What we think of, they also All you can think of. Therefore, the second mixed brigade is not only likely to encounter the Russian army in the lake area, I think the possibility is very high. "It would be better to cut off one of their ten fingers. The Russians also see clearly that they are weak in numbers. And Chen Han has many soldiers and generals. Therefore, it might not be a smart choice to concentrate the troops first and eat one of Chen Han's attacking troops.

Therefore, Xie Yongji not only did not think that the march of the mixed second brigade would go smoothly, on the contrary, he also believed that the Russian army was likely to take action in the lake area.

He paused and then said to Chen Kaishan: "Commander-in-Chief, I don’t think there is anything to worry about the mixed Second Brigade. In this battle, we have a large number of people. The two armies are a real iron fist. The Russians are so rotten." The frame we have put up is unbearable.”

Although there have been many miracles of the weak defeating the strong in wars from ancient times to the present, it is always the most satisfying to overwhelm the enemy with majestic force.

Moreover, there was also a gap in the quality of the soldiers on both sides, as well as in logistical supplies. Chen Han had the upper hand in all aspects. What is there to worry about in this battle?

When the army reaches Chita, the war is won.

"As long as we make our own preparations and bring out the combat effectiveness of the troops." Xie Yongji is full of confidence in the battle.

The adjutant gave a military salute and turned to leave. Only Chen Kaishan and Xie Yongji were left in the room. They were looking at the map, their eyes shining with extraordinary light.

…

The temperature in the Yablonov Mountains in March is still very cold.

One day after the second mixed brigade set off, snowflakes started to fall in the sky, and the wind became stronger and stronger.

However, the Second Mixed Brigade did not stop, and did not think that the falling snow in March was any surprise. Here, it still snows heavily in April.

Everyone put on a poncho. The thick oil canvas not only blocked the snowflakes, but also kept them as warm as a thick coat.

The soldiers also carry special dried meat in their pockets. The main ingredient is beef and mutton, combined with super chili peppers shipped from India and Mexico. The taste makes people drool just thinking about it, and it is so spicy that it can make people spray their mouths. Fire. If you are feeling cold all over, you don’t need to take out a piece of dried meat to eat it. You only need to bite off a little bit, which is enough to make you blush instantly, neck thick, and sweat all over your body.

Other than that, it’s just frozen, hard military dry food, and you just drink boiled water.

The Yablonov Mountains are different from the densely populated plains. The water here is all pollution-free ice and snow melt water, and it will not cause diarrhea even if you drink it directly. Just don’t drink too much at once!

After the snow had been floating in the sky for a long time, the flying snow turned into sleet, and then turned into a dripping moderate rain. The raindrops fell down, covering a large area of ​​​​the mountainous area. The world seemed to be wrapped in a layer of rain, making it so chaotic that nothing could be seen clearly.

The Russian soldiers guarding sniper position No. 3 cursed the weather. They hated this kind of weather the most. It would be better if it snowed directly. The rain here was wet, cold and cold, and none of them had a raincoat. Everyone hid in the tents to take shelter from the rain. The officers were so frightened that they sent a group of willing soldiers out to stand guard. But they themselves drank enough sweet potato fever and went to sleep in a drowsy manner. Although Repnin repeatedly ordered the Russian troops who wanted the ball to defend No. 3 sniper position to be careful, the quality of the Russian troops was worrying and their discipline was very poor.

And now, Jiang Kui, who was lurking in a low-lying land at the foot of the Russian sniper position No. 3, has led his vanguard battalion to a very dangerous position - they are only five to six hundred meters + one straight line away from the Russian army. Four to five hundred meters up.

——The main Russian position is halfway up the mountain, and there is a police position at the foot of the mountain.

It was raining again in the dark night. Of course, the Russian troops on the police position could not see the traces of the vanguard battalion, but after dawn, it was difficult for the vanguard battalion to be invisible at a distance of five to six hundred meters. Not to mention the observation post on the top of the mountain, there is also a watchtower halfway up the mountain.

Behind him, several hunched forward battalion officers leaned forward and reported to Jiang Kui in a low voice: "The security in front of Lao Maozi's No. 3 sniper position is the strongest. We found ten fixed posts, five or six If you move the sentinel, there may be a hidden sentinel."

"The defense in the north is relatively loose, but the terrain is steep and difficult to climb." It's raining now, making climbing even more difficult. The reconnaissance platoon leader reported to Jiang Kui.

Jiang Kui nodded solemnly. The Russian troops on sniper position No. 3 were pretty much what he expected. The front was relatively strong, but the back was soft, relying more on the terrain.

"Are you sure you can go up there?" Jiang Kui asked not the reconnaissance platoon, but the mountain infantry team officer beside him. The vanguard battalion he led was a pieced together battalion, which contained a mountain infantry team. From officers to soldiers, they all come from the Yimeng Mountains of Qilu and the Dabie Mountains of the Central Plains.

"There is no mountain that we can't climb. Jiang, just watch it."

The formation of the mountain infantry team is relatively small. It is a two-row team, carrying only muskets, grenades and a few small rockets. The seventy-man mountain infantry team left the depression quietly like a snake. . Under the guidance of the reconnaissance platoon, head to the north of sniper position No. 3.

Jiang Kui took out his pocket watch and looked at it. The glow of the fluorite was strong enough for him to see the hands clearly. It's just before 1am. He still has time!

"The reconnaissance platoon will take a rest first, and move to the foot of the mountain in an hour. When the mountain infantry team starts fighting, you will quickly attack the Russians' police and military positions at the foot of the mountain."

"Don't even think about shooting. Use knives! Put on bayonets! Do you understand?"

Even in the well-trained Chen Han National Defense Army, there are soldiers who are "stabbed to death" by bayonets in the annual large-scale exercises for putting on air packs.

In this kind of night raid, paper bullets are really like paper, and bayonets are the real reliable ones.