webnovelfull Chapter 1191 Baptism of Fire
Chapter 1191 Baptism of Fire
Enemy positions in the city of Blagoveshchensk.
When the first round of artillery fire fell, the whole city seemed to be hit by an earthquake. The shells of the 105MM howitzer accurately hit the enemy assembly point in the industrial zone. The huge explosion instantly overturned a three-story building, and the ammunition depot inside was detonated. The chain explosion destroyed all the surrounding buildings.
"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" a Tsarist Russian officer shouted in the ruins, but his voice was quickly drowned out by a new round of explosions.
In the central square, the Nebelwerfer rockets fired in salvos like the end of the world. 1080 rockets covered the entire area in just a few minutes, completely destroying the enemy troops assembled in the square. Armored vehicles were blown to pieces, soldiers were blown away in the explosion, and screams and cries for help were heard one after another.
"We have lost contact with the Third Battalion!" the signalman shouted desperately, "The entire square has been flattened!"
At this moment, a 150MM heavy artillery shell whizzed down near the enemy's command center. The huge explosion shook the three-story building to the point of collapse, huge cracks appeared on the walls, and all the glass shattered. Colonel Konovalov and Major General Smirnov were knocked to the ground by the shock wave of the explosion, and the equipment and documents in the command room were scattered everywhere.
"Damn it!" Konovalov got up from the ground, "We must move the command post immediately!"
But it was too late. A second heavy artillery shell followed, this time hitting the building next to the command center. The fragments from the explosion tore through the wall like a sharp blade, and the entire building began to tilt and was about to collapse.
"Retreat!" Smirnov shouted. "Everyone evacuate immediately!"
In the eastern part of the city, the assault artillery battalion's precise strikes destroyed the enemy's fortifications one by one. The 75MM mountain artillery bombarded every suspicious high point, clearing out the snipers and machine gunners hiding on the rooftops. The streets were littered with the wreckage of destroyed armored vehicles and broken roadblocks.
"Our defense line has been breached!" a Tsarist Russian officer shouted desperately on the radio, but his voice was soon lost in the electronic interference.
In this devastating artillery attack, the enemy's resistance was completely destroyed. Their command system was paralyzed, communications were interrupted, the troops were divided and surrounded, and morale completely collapsed. The entire city of Blagoveshchensk turned into a sea of fire, with thick smoke and explosions.
The artillery fire of the Northern Division not only destroyed the enemy's material strength, but also destroyed their spiritual defenses.
Enemy positions in the city of Blagoveshchensk.
Under the fierce artillery fire of the Northern Division, Colonel Konovalov quickly made a decision: "All troops, retreat to underground fortifications immediately!"
As electronic interference caused communication interruptions, the Russian army had to use the most primitive means of communication. Messengers ran through the streets under artillery fire, delivering orders using whistles, flags and gestures. Some officers even had to personally carry orders between positions.
"Use the bell to pass the order!" Major General Smirnov ordered. Soon, the church bells echoed over the city, which was the signal to retreat. After hearing the bells, the Tsarist Russian troops in various blocks immediately understood the command's intention.
The underground fortifications were the last refuge of Blagoveshchensk. It was a huge underground network, including air-raid shelters, underground warehouses and secret passages. The Tsarist Russian army reinforced and renovated these facilities long before the war.
"Quick, send the wounded down first!" A military doctor shouted in the ruins, and the medical soldiers carried the stretcher and quickly went into the entrance of the underground passage.
In the city center, a Russian troop was moving to underground fortifications. They used lanterns and torches to illuminate and advance through the dim underground passages. The soldiers carried ammunition boxes and supplies, moving important equipment to a safe area.
"Pass the message!" an officer whispered, "Use relay." Soon, a human chain was formed in the underground passage, and the soldiers whispered the order to the next person to ensure that the message could be delivered accurately.
On the ground, the remaining covering forces used smoke bombs and decoys to try to cover the main force's retreat. They set up a large number of false targets between buildings in an attempt to confuse the Northern Division's artillery fire.
"Mark the walls with chalk," a Tsarist officer ordered, "to mark safe retreat routes." Soldiers painted simple symbols on the walls of buildings to indicate the direction of retreat for follow-up troops.
Inside the underground fortifications, Konovalov was redeploying the defense line. They concentrated their limited forces at several key points, preparing for the final resistance. Soldiers used carts to transport ammunition, used oil lamps and candles for lighting, and built a new defense line in the damp underground passage.
"Use knocking on the pipe to send the alarm," an engineer suggested, "three short and one long means the enemy is attacking, two long and one short means support is needed." This primitive but effective communication method was quickly established in the underground fortifications.
In this city shrouded in artillery fire, the Tsarist Russian army had to rely on the most primitive methods to maintain the operation of the command system. Bells, whistles, knocks and gestures became their last means of communication, and underground fortifications became their last refuge.
Blagoveshchensk, underground command post.
In the dim underground command post, Colonel Konovalov and Major General Smirnov sat at a simple wooden table with battle damage reports spread out in front of them. The dim light of the oil lamp cast shadows on their faces, and the atmosphere was solemn and depressing.
"The 34th Infantry Regiment has lost more than half of its troops," Konovalov whispered, "and the armored vehicle damage rate has reached 34%."
Smirnov covered his forehead with his hands and sighed tiredly: "Our armored forces were almost wiped out, and the remaining vehicles could no longer be put into battle."
"The artillery regiment is in a worse situation," Konovalov continued. "Most of the guns were destroyed, and the ammunition depots were completely destroyed in the explosion."
Smirnov's face became increasingly gloomy. He clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. "We no longer have enough manpower to maintain a complete defense line. We can only rely on these underground fortifications for the final resistance."
"The communications system is completely down," Konovalov added, "and we can only rely on runners and primitive signals to convey orders."
The two looked at each other, and they could see deep helplessness and despair in each other's eyes. The cruelty of the battle and the strength of the enemy were beyond their expectations, and the current situation was precarious.
"How many more troops do we have available?" Smirnov asked, with a barely perceptible tremor in his voice.
"Less than a third," Konovalov replied, "and most of them are wounded and new recruits, so their combat effectiveness is worrying."
Smirnov was silent for a moment, and finally said helplessly: "We must come up with a solution as soon as possible, otherwise the entire Blagoveshchensk will fall."
Konovalov nodded, but he knew in his heart that the current situation was hopeless. All they could do was to delay the enemy's attack as much as possible to buy time for retreat.