Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 497 009 The Baltic Fleet is in a bad state

In the early 19th century, there was no need to worry about formaldehyde, and Solovyov's own mansion was so large that it had good heating and ventilation, so he didn't have to live in anxiety all day like people in later years.

Solovyov did have this thought when he was in his study, and always thought that this was the selling of anxiety by insurance sellers, and the size of the crowd was very large.

Moreover, while Russia now has banks and trust companies, it does not have more standardized insurance companies. If they appeared, it would have to be after the Napoleonic Wars.

Otherwise, if the property insurance was sold, the Moscow fire alone would be enough to force the insurance company to go bankrupt and restructure.

Then he put aside this ridiculous idea and turned his attention to the information given to him by Peter Volkonsky.

There had not yet been a war between Russia and Sweden, so even if Alexander was rejected again in November, he still had to make preparations for both scenarios.

But according to the schedule Solovyov had, it looked like a special military operation.

He planned to launch the attack in February, but it was too late. The ground was soft and there was almost no place to go except the road in front. The Swedish troops along the way would retreat into fortresses and various strongholds, or hide in the countryside controlled by the Finns.

He had thought of what the enemy was going to do, and now he started laughing.

Gerasimov turns out to be my own feeling, sometimes I can't be happy either.

He has a very good mentality, although he can be impatient sometimes, but his age is there, and sometimes a man in his thirties can also be more impulsive.

"master"

Hearing this title, Solovyov knew that he was married now and things were different from before. Moreover, the servants were all sent by his father-in-law's family and were considered part of little Katya's dowry.

"If you need anything, Valery, come to my study at this hour."

"What should I do if a guest comes to visit at this time?"

"Where are the guests from?" Solovyov had never formally entertained any guests, and the furnishings in his home were all brand new, except for the jewelry and items in Katya's dowry, which were relatively old, reflecting the status of the hostess's family and the host's rising trend as a new rich.

"He's someone you know. He said he was an old friend who fought together at Ghost Gate Bridge."

"That's Count Nikolai Kamensky. Please ask him to come in."

Although Count Kamensky the Younger had a stern personality and was unkind in commanding his troops, sounding very similar to his father and brother, he was willing to share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers. Therefore, he enjoyed prestige among the soldiers, was well-known among the officers, and was more valued.

In addition to his performance in the rearguard battle and the retreat from Danzig, he was recently promoted to lieutenant general and became the commander of the newly formed 17th Infantry Division.

"Nikolai Mikhailovich, why did you come to my house?"

Because they are not in a semi-mentor relationship like Bagration and their apprenticeship, and the age difference between them is not that big, they can be more relaxed in their actions. However, they cannot kiss or nibble, just a Russian bear hug.

"Why, who would you like the first guest to come to your house?"

"It's good that you're here. How is your health lately, Marshal?"

"My father, why do you still mention him? Mikhail Fedotovich's temper has been getting worse and worse recently. This is the only temper I have in common with him, but what can I say? My brother has returned to his estate, my brother-in-law has become the deputy governor of Ryazan, and I have joined the reserve army in Petersburg."

Obviously, both father and son had strong personalities, and the older man was becoming more confused and violent, which even the usually strong-willed Count Kamensky might not be able to handle.

"It seems that this sword is really rusty. I am a little presumptuous. Nikolai Mikhailovich, what do you think of the Swedes?"

"Are we going to fight? I have received an order from the Minister of War. Arakcheev did ask me to go to the 17th Division to reorganize the armaments. I'm not going to cross the border from Vyborg in winter to fight the Swedes, am I?"

"At this time, there could be some surprise in the battle. According to the current situation, the main force of the Swedish army is in its western territory. The foolish King Gustav rejected the emperor's request for mediation and said that the past alliance is not applicable now."

After hearing this, little Kamensky understood the situation even more clearly.

"But the 17th Division's combat readiness is not good. Only the Brest Regiment is an experienced infantry regiment. The rest of the regiments, as Malyutin left me, are not very good."

"That's better than the navy's situation. We're fighting in the Baltic Sea, and we'll need the Baltic Fleet. However, the entire fleet is in a very poor state, and we don't have many warships we can mobilize. This will limit the mobility of the army, and the enemy can use the fleet to attack our flanks or carry out harassment."

"Is it that serious? I remember you've been to Sweden and have some knowledge of their navy's combat readiness."

What Kamensky Jr. mentioned was what happened when Solovyov served as a military attaché in Sweden.

"But that was a few years ago, and the Swedish navy was in a very bad state at the time. But it is also possible that after the British captured Danish naval ships in Copenhagen, they took further action to help the Swedes. This possibility cannot be ruled out. We may encounter a group of cooked crayfish in Finland or Sweden."

"Ah, you said it very well, it's really vivid, even makes me a little hungry."

When young Kamensky said this, Solovyov immediately understood.

"Valeri, go prepare lunch. It would be best if there were some fresh ingredients, such as crayfish."

"Yes, sir. But do I have to call you Madam too?"

"Of course, my wife used to be your daughter, and the guests here are acquaintances from both families."

"Yes, sir."

While Valery ordered the kitchen to prepare lunch, Solovyov continued to talk about the possibility of British intervention.

"Nicholas, Sweden and Portugal are the only remaining allies of Britain on the European continent. If they are not taken care of here, they will not be able to stay on the continent in the future. Therefore, unless Gustav does something stupid, the British will definitely come. Even if there is no support from the army, there will be a squadron of the Royal Navy."

"Then isn't the navy even more needed at this time?"

"Yes, so I am also considering the issue of the Baltic Fleet and whether to include it in the combat plan. Of course, I don't know what the Admiralty thinks and whether they will join this joint operation."

Solovyov was indeed unable to coordinate matters on the navy side. Russia's geographical environment led to the geographical isolation of the Black Sea Fleet, the Baltic Fleet and the Caspian Fleet, and the Navy's affairs were basically separate from the War Ministry. Moreover, in the early 19th century, the fleets of all parties in the Baltic Sea were somewhat disorganized, which also led to the current embarrassing situation.

But if we really talk about the Baltic Fleet's strength on paper, even if the British sent a squadron to attack, there is no guarantee that they would be able to succeed.

More than ten years ago, the Royal Navy used to provide regular military training guidance to the Russian Navy every year, and sometimes even learned a few tricks from them.

For example, the tactics that Nelson often used were used by the Russian Navy earlier, but because they were facing the Ottoman Empire's fleet, not the British four-boat fleet, and no one publicized it with great fanfare, so it was not so conspicuous.

Not to mention that in the minds of Europeans, Russia often means barbarism and backwardness.

Therefore, the Russian Navy had some abilities that others were unaware of. Nelson was quite impressed by the tactical level of Admiral Ushakov. When patrolling in the Mediterranean, he was quite respectful to the old admiral both as a junior and as a commander.

Of course, having ability and having poor armaments do not conflict at all.

Senyavin is one of the few capable naval generals in active service, but he is in the Atlantic. Considering the current diplomatic note Russia has sent to Britain, we cannot expect Senyavin to come back. If that happens, it will sound no different from Rogerzhitvinsky, or even more stupid.

Among the Russian naval bases in the Baltic Sea, the largest warship currently owned is the 130-gun battleship "Grace", which was modeled after the big guy of the Holy Trinity. This battleship was completed after Paul was assassinated, and is considered to be in relatively good condition.

Among the rest of the Russian warships, most of the first-rate ships were in very poor condition at this time. Even many large ships of the Russian Navy were lucky to have been in use for more than ten years.

When little Kamensky came here, he enjoyed the crayfish dinner of his family. Little Katya also knew that little Kamensky's father, the somewhat abstract tyrant marshal, had served under her grandfather and was a colleague of her father, so she came out to greet him with a bulging belly.

"Just think of these lobsters as British. Our cooking method is a little different from other places. We use chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns imported from Mexico. You can try it."

After eating it, little Kamensky exclaimed that it was delicious, but he couldn't stand the spicy taste after a while. Russians prefer sweet peppers.

Because of his physical condition, Solovyov would not easily eat anything too spicy.

"Want some lemonade?"

"Quick, lemonade."

Seeing him like this, Katya also laughed.

"Mishka, it looks like not many people can enjoy your fiery lobster dinner."

"Katya, do you feel it on your tongue after you eat it?"

"Yeah, but I was prepared in advance, and I only tasted a little."

"It's always necessary to be prepared, isn't it, Nikolai Mikhailovich?"

"My father has a bad temper and always beats people. Your mentor has a weird temper and always says weird things, but when it comes to you, it becomes a joke."

"That doesn't count. You didn't conduct any reconnaissance beforehand, so you fell into the trap, just like what we just talked about."

"That's right. I really admire you. You use this method to remind me. Do you want me to make it clear to Buckholden that we must be fully prepared before the war?"

"It would be best if we could quickly deal with the Swedish army in Finland when the war breaks out. As for our navy, we will need to make additional plans and arrangements."

Given the current situation of the Russian Navy, it is indeed difficult to achieve this goal.

It is hard to say whether we have this capability or not. Many ships are even used as artillery ships and placed near naval bases for guard duties.

To be honest, the biggest enemy of the Russian Navy may be the masters of the Admiralty, who sent the only capable naval squadrons to the Mediterranean. Many of the battleships are unable to return because of the blockade of the Baltic Sea. Some of them were even handed over directly to the French, or intercepted by the British and taken to Portsmouth.

Finally, the squadron commanders and captains had to take the blame, which was very different from the situation in the War Department which was in charge of the army.

As for the army, they did lose the battle after all. If someone is to be held accountable, it will be the "punishment" for the defeat on the front line, but new appointments will be made soon.

The navy was in a different situation. Ushakov had said several times that although he was old, he was still capable at sea, but he was just living in his manor in Tambov. Other generals, did they have this ability?
Thinking about Count Bobulinski's complaints about the lack of self-discipline of his mentor, Admiral de Ribas, plus the dark history of those foreigners in the navy, it is somewhat of a headache.

Solovyov even wondered what he would become if he transferred to the navy.

There are role models in this regard. The son of General Hannibal once served as an army general and commander of the Black Sea Fleet.

It sounds strange that a black guy is the fleet commander in Russia, but it really happened in Russia.

Of course, this was just a momentary fantasy. His greatest contribution to the navy was probably the application of steamships, which allowed transport boats to sail even in calm or light wind conditions, but there was no way to make larger ships possible.

After sending away Kamensky the Younger, the problems of the 17th Division seemed unimportant. By adding the Ryazan Regiment and several infantry regiments, the combat readiness of the division could be completed. And this was Arakcheev's job.

But there are indeed some big problems on the navy side. If a war breaks out with Sweden in the coming New Year, the British will definitely get involved.

Without a strong naval squadron, if the admiral is as cowardly as Villeneuve, he won't be able to do his job.

But there is a solution. When Solovyov returned to the study to think, he saw Katya coming over with her hand on her stomach.

"Katya, after seeing off the guests, you should go back and rest. When you want to exercise, you should have someone accompany you. I'm thinking right now, as a soldier, this may be your fate sometimes."

"What are you thinking about? Although I don't understand military affairs, I am the granddaughter of the former commander-in-chief and the daughter of a retired general. If you are worried about the naval vessels you mentioned to Nikolay, why don't you ask Sister Natasha's husband?"

"Which Natalia are you talking about?"

"The one who married into the Goncharov family!"

Only then did Solovyov remember that there was such a person.

(End of this chapter)