Chapter 634 Drinking the Caspian Sea and confronting the Ural River
4342 (AD 1645), July 15th.
The commander of the 4th Cavalry Division, Zhong Liang, is leading the army to pursue the remaining Cossack cavalry in southern Central Asia.
In the Central Asian battlefield, after the Great China Empire achieved a glorious victory and eliminated the main force of the Russian army.
Yu Tianyou and other infantry generals and Zhang Wansi and other cavalry generals discussed the westward advance plan and reported it to Cai Gong Wu Jie for approval.
Central Asia is divided into two parts, the northern battlefield and the southern battlefield.
The 1st Cavalry Division and the 2nd Cavalry Division are responsible for the northern battlefield.
The 4th Cavalry Division and the 6th Cavalry Division are responsible for the southern battlefield.
Zhong Liang led the Fourth Cavalry Division, which was mainly responsible for attacking and clearing out the Russian troops left in Central Asia, as well as the indigenous tribes in Central Asia who were deeply bound to Russia.
The Sixth Cavalry Division is mainly responsible for maintaining security in the occupied areas. They have to protect long logistics supply lines.
The mission of the Fourth Army is to attack cities in Central Asia and garrison them at strategic locations.
They all know that there will be no opponents for the coming war.
As long as the security of the logistics supply line can be ensured and the army will not be cut off from food and ammunition, the small number of Russian troops in Central Asia will not be able to stop the Great China Empire and control the Central Asia region.
The development of the war situation was as they expected.
Commander Zhong Liang's exquisite military uniform was covered with blood and dust.
The Fourth Cavalry Division can only take a short rest at night this month.
During the day, they were in a state of rapid march, constantly chasing the fleeing enemy troops.
The Russian army's combat effectiveness is not strong, and its morale is extremely low.
But the Russian army is distributed across the vast Central Asian plains.
Zhong Liang still had to spend some effort to find them one by one and eliminate them completely.
He picked up the telescope and saw the Russian Cossack cavalry in front of him. The hair on the horse's body was wet with sweat.
Zhong Liang knew that the Russian Cossack cavalry was at the end of its strength.
He immediately issued an order: "Assault camp, change horses and prepare to charge."
Cavalry divisions always carry three horses. The three horses are of the same breed, but their positions are different.
There is a group specially responsible for carrying heavy loads and transporting personal belongings of the cavalry, such as ammunition, food, clothing, and tents.
In addition to marching long distances, the other two horses alternately ride the two horses in order to maintain their physical strength.
In a state of war, one horse is responsible for chasing the enemy for a long time. The speed will not be too fast, as long as it ensures that the enemy is not pursued.
Another war horse is used to replace the horse and launch a charge when the enemy shows signs of fatigue.
The cavalry is not very fast now, after hearing the order from the horse.
They immediately whistled or pulled the reins, causing the other horse running with them to run parallel to the horse they were riding.
The cavalrymen used their waists to push themselves up from their original war horses and jumped onto the back of another war horse.
The cavalry have been trained for a long time, and their slow movements are very smooth, and the whole battalion is uniform.
The cavalrymen changed their horses, pulled out the pistols from their waists, pulled the reins and charged towards the Russian Cossack cavalry in front.
If there is an airship patrol in the sky, you can clearly see the 4th Cavalry Division running in neat formation on the grassland.
The cavalry at the front seemed to be like an arrow, rushing directly out of the team.
The cavalry of the assault battalion shortened the distance with the Russian Cossack cavalry at an extremely fast speed.
The distance between the two armies was within pistol range, and the Dahua cavalry immediately pulled the trigger.
The Russian Cossack cavalry in front had a flash of blood on their backs, and they screamed and fell off their horses.
The Russian Cossack cavalry were brought up, and they immediately became panicked.
Due to the long period of failure during this period, the Russian Cossack cavalry moisture has completely disappeared.
They didn't draw their swords to resist, they just kept whipping their horses, trying to escape from the battlefield faster.
The endurance of the Russian Cossack cavalry horses has been exhausted. They try hard for speed, but there is no way they can beat the Dahua cavalry who have just changed their horses.
Commander Zhong Liang was not surprised at all when he saw the performance of these Russian Cossack cavalry.
The assault battalion held back the Russian Cossack cavalry, and the large forces of the 4th Cavalry Division quickly surrounded the Cossack cavalry.
The 4th Cavalry Division used the method of division and encirclement to annihilate the Russian Cossack cavalry who wanted to resist to the end.
Zhu Peng, chief of staff of the Fourth Cavalry Division, sighed: "The traditional cavalry has completely declined.
But with the current level of muskets and artillery in the empire, the cavalry can only be eliminated on the battlefield.
These Russian cavalry without firearms modifications were quickly eliminated from the battlefield.
As the victorious party, I can't see the next direction of the cavalry.
We can now crush the Russian Cossack cavalry.
When we encounter cavalry who are also equipped with powerful firearms, we have no confidence to crush the enemy like infantry."
Commander Zhong Liang consoled him: "This battle is about to end.
Ahead is the Caspian Sea, this famous large lake.
If you go further west, you will have to trek through mountains and rivers, which is not necessary.
Our generation is blessed to be able to command such a powerful cavalry.
The future of the cavalry will be left to the younger generations to develop.
For thousands of years, navies have used wooden ships.
With the development of industry, monsters like ironclads appeared.
I think there will be arms that will replace the cavalry in the future.
I believe that the decline of cavalry is not that cavalry can no longer survive on the battlefield, but that it is replaced by units that have the same function as cavalry and are more suitable for the battlefield."
Chief of Staff Zhu Peng felt that Master Zhong Liang was too optimistic.
He saw the cavalry's depressed future, and Zhong Liang saw the cavalry's rebirth.
They ignored the topic and continued walking west.
The grass ahead has become moist, and some stronger grass is growing on the ground.
But along the shores of the Great Lakes, few plants can survive.
The big lake in front is a saltwater lake.
If it is a freshwater lake, this area must be an extremely important strategic location, and a city that can accommodate hundreds of thousands of people can be built.
Around the saltwater lake, if there are no special products, only a small town with a population of 10,000 people can be built.
Chief of Staff Zhu Peng looked at the scenery in the lake and said with some confusion: "This is obviously a big lake, why is it called the Caspian Sea."
Teacher Zhong Liang guessed: “Maybe it’s the local indigenous people who don’t know the vastness of the sea.
They have never seen the sea and can only imagine this big lake as the sea."
Master Zhong Liang took out a pot of wine. He took a sip of the wine and poured the rest into Caspian Sea.
"In ancient times, there was Huo Qubing who sealed the wolf's place in Xu, but now I, Zhong Liang, drink from the Mali Sea.
This life is worth it!"
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4342 (AD 1645), July 19th.
Zhang Wansi, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, led his troops to the east bank of the Ural River.
He saw the Urals and the east bank, where Russian troops were encamped and guarding the river.
The size of the Russian army on the shore is at least 30,000.
Zhang Wansi led his troops to pursue the remaining Russian soldiers, with only 5,000 cavalry at his side.
He did not have the confidence to lead 5,000 men and directly attack the well-defended 30,000-man camp.
Thirty thousand people are only the number of people in the Urals and the east bank. There are tents everywhere on the west bank of the Ural River. Who knows how many Russian troops are in the tents?
If Zhang Wansi led the charge, the whole army would probably be wiped out.
They are light cavalry, not heavy cavalry that need to charge into battle.
From the telescope, Zhang Wansi saw that the Russian army had laid many traps such as horse pits and horse traps to defend against cavalry attacks on the camp.
After analysis, he chose to lead his troops and retreat three miles away, keeping a close eye on the Russian army's movements.
Zhang Wansi sighed with emotion: "Before our army started the war, we even boasted about Haikou and prepared to fight to the Black Sea.
It's a nice idea, but traveling through the Caucasus mountains is not the strength of the cavalry.
But I plan to fight somewhere closer to Moscow.
I really didn’t expect the Russian army to react so quickly and have already set up camps along the Ural River.”
Zhang Wansi serves as the commander-in-chief of the Central Asian region of the Great China Army.
He knew that the Royal Army of the Great China Empire, being able to reach the shores of the Ural River, was already the limit of the army.
Now the soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division are full of energy, but due to long-term fighting, their physical strength is not as good as before.
The most critical point is that the logistics supply line is too long.
The Great China Empire also needed to clean up and pacify the indigenous tribes in Central Asia.
Otherwise, after their interests are violated, these indigenous tribes will cooperate with the Russian army's actions and cause trouble behind the frontline troops.
This will also cause problems with long logistical supply lines.
The frontline army was unable to resupply, leading to the complete destruction of the army.
The empire of Great China has always expanded outwards in a steady and steady manner.
Occupy an area, digest and absorb all of it, and turn it into the ruling area of the Great China Empire.
Let this area become a support for the expansion of the Great China Empire instead of becoming a resistance.
Zhang Wansi already has ideas for the next battle.
He was prepared to wait for the troops in the rear to gather and teach the army in front of him a lesson.
It is not far from Moscow, the capital of Russia.
Similar to the Great China Empire, the army suffered a disastrous defeat in Nanyang, and the people may be indifferent.
But a disastrous defeat in Jiangsu and Zhejiang will definitely lead to an uproar in the world.
The Sino-Russian War has almost reached the limit of the Royal Army of China, and His Majesty the Emperor has decided that enough is enough.
Zhang Wansi believed that this war would be the last of the Sino-Russian wars, a war that would prompt Russia to sue for peace.
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In the Russian camp, the Russian general Viscount Luikol Tymoshenko put down his telescope and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He led a Russian army of less than ten thousand people and was responsible for defending an important military storage camp of the eastward advancing army.
A large amount of food, ammunition and other military supplies are stored in the camp.
This is a very leisurely position. As a son of a great nobleman, Luikol Tymoshenko accepted this task just for the sake of gold plating.
When Luikol Tymoshenko was drinking leisurely, he suddenly heard the bad news.
Count Vladimir Sergeyev commanded more than 100,000 troops, but he fell into a trap and was surrounded by the Chinese army. His life or death was uncertain.
When Luikol Tymoshenko got the news, he immediately reported to Moscow and at the same time sent scouting horses to understand the situation on the front line.
Shortly after, the news was confirmed.
The Russian army on the front line suffered a disastrous defeat and could basically be said to have been completely annihilated by the Chinese army.
There were only a few Russian troops left, and they escaped because they were not surrounded by the Chinese army.
The news brought by these deserters made Luikol Tymoshenko realize that war was not far away from him.
He wrote a more detailed report and sent it to Moscow while preparing to lead his troops to evacuate.
However, Luikol Tymoshenko received orders from his superiors and reinforcements were about to arrive.
He must hold the shores of the Ural River until reinforcements arrive.
Luikol Tymoshenko knew that if he escaped, his end would be extremely miserable.
The Dahua army has reached the banks of the Ural River, which is not far from Moscow. This is an extremely disastrous failure, and someone must bear the responsibility.
Deserters in this war, even relatives of the Tsar, will be killed without fail.
The army under the command of Luikol Tymoshenko is short of manpower, but he is responsible for guarding military warehouses.
He could only pitch a large number of tents along the Ural River and pretend to have a large army.
All ships along the Ural River were destroyed, and all bridges were blown apart except near the camp.
Luikol Tymoshenko is ready.
If the Dahua army launched an attack, he would lead his troops to evacuate to the other side of the river and blow up the bridge.
He has deployed a large number of artillery on the west bank of the Ural River and will never let the Chinese army cross the river.
Luikol Tymoshenko's bluffing tactics worked, and the vanguard of the Dahua army did not attempt to attack.
If he waits a few more days, reinforcements will arrive.
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Teacher Zhang Wansi was both happy and frustrated.
Fortunately, reinforcements from the 1st Cavalry Division have arrived.
In addition to the cavalry of the 1st Cavalry Division, there were also two regiments of the Fourth Army.
What frustrated him was that he did not realize that the reinforcements on the opposite side were empty and that the Russian army was too well disguised.
The Royal Army of Great China is waiting for reinforcements, and the Russian army on the opposite side is also waiting for reinforcements.
At this point, he could only test the strength of the Russian army.
Zhang Wansi did not conduct a test, but chose to attack with the entire army.
He wanted to completely defeat the Russian army in the Urals and the east coast with a crushing attitude.
Only in this way can the Tsar in Moscow feel the crisis.
The artillery of the Great China Empire did not rush to the battlefield. The main weapons of this war were firearms and grenades.
However, the Dahua Empire's firearms fired continuously and had a very long range. The morale of the soldiers was high and their military quality was extremely strong.
Most of the Russian troops opposite them were serf soldiers who had never been on the battlefield.
As soon as the two armies came into contact, the Russian army showed signs of defeat and the battle line retreated steadily.
Viscount Luikol Tymoshenko held the Ural River defense line in time.
He was appreciated by the leaders and was responsible for commanding the Russian army in the Urals and the east coast.
He didn't even know if this was the leader's appreciation.
Luikol Tymoshenko had previously looked down upon Count Vladimir Sergeyev because he was a complete loser.
When he really faced the attack of the Dahua army, he realized that he was also useless and had no way to stop the Dahua army.
The reinforcements he led could only retreat step by step, and the defense line was compressed to the river.
When Luikol Tymoshenko saw the situation on the battlefield, he immediately understood that the east bank of the Ural River could no longer be defended.
He left the bridge first and at the same time notified his trusted troops to evacuate the east bank, leaving only the cannon fodder troops to defend.
Luikol Tymoshenko saw that the cannon fodder troops were in danger, and some of them were scrambling to escape from the bridge.
He immediately ordered to ignite the gunpowder placed on the bridges and completely blow up all the bridges over the Ural River.
There are no bridges or ships on the Ural River, and the west bank is defended by a large number of artillery.
The Russian army could no longer attack the east bank, but if the Chinese army wanted to cross the river, they would have to pay an extremely heavy price.
This is Luikol Tymoshenko’s idea of preventing the Dahua army.
The effect of his fighting method is extremely obvious.
The Dahua army's attempt to cross the river failed, so they stopped trying to cross the river and instead set up camp on the east bank of the Ural River and built fortifications.
They are preparing for a long-term confrontation with the Russian army here.