Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 407: Russian reinforcements and siege (Part )

On the battlefield, soldiers from both sides surged forward like two tides, and then collided head-on.

The fight started immediately!

The Russians showed quite impressive fighting ability in close combat.

For a moment, they managed to block the fierce offensive of the British and French forces.

The fighting became intense the moment it started.

Soon, the defense line outside the Sevastopol Fortress was covered with corpses.

There were soldiers from Tsarist Russia and also from the British and French allied forces.

Corpses were piled up, blood was flowing freely, and pools of blood gathered in the craters created by the shells.

Ivanov used all his strength to stab the bayonet in the chest of the enemy opposite him.

The enemy's body fell limply to the ground. Just as he was about to withdraw, he felt a gust of evil wind coming from the side.

Ivanov dodged subconsciously, and the sharp bayonet passed through his waist, leaving a large cut nearly ten centimeters long on his waist and abdomen.

As the blood gushed out, the yellowish fat was exposed to the air.

If he had not dodged in time, the knife would have taken his life.

The next moment, a piercing pain came over him, but Ivanov did not fall down.

He uttered a loud cry and pulled out the bayonet that was stuck in the enemy's body.

But there was only a crisp sound, and I saw that the blade had broken into the enemy's body.

Ivanov simply held the muzzle of the gun in reverse, used the rifle in his hand as a stick, and smashed it towards the enemy's head on the side.

With a bang, the enemy on the side had his head smashed by him, blood mixed with brain matter, and red and white things splattered everywhere.

It splashed all over Ivanov's face!
Ivanov let out a loud roar and was ready to continue fighting.

But at this moment, a shell happened to fall beside him.

The shell hit the ground and exploded, and the shock wave instantly threw Ivanov out.

With a loud bang, he was thrown into the air and fell heavily into a pool of blood nearby.

The moment he landed, Ivanov's head was dizzy at first, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses.

When he crawled out of the blood pit covered in blood, he looked up and saw that the British and French soldiers had retreated quickly like the receding tide.

Seeing this scene, Ivanov finally relaxed the breath he had been holding.

Immediately, everything went black before his eyes and his body fell limply to the ground.

……

Baron Raglan, the commander-in-chief of the Anglo-French Allied Forces, looked at the Anglo-French soldiers retreating from the battlefield like a tide, his eyes full of unwillingness.

Because, just now, the British and French infantry had torn a hole in the Tsarist Russian army's defense line.

If he had not ordered the army to retreat, the British and French forces might have completely broken through the defense lines of the Tsarist Russian army and entered Sevastopol.

However, the reason why Raglan ordered the coalition forces to retreat was not that he intended to let the Russian troops in the Sevastopol fortress go, but it was a helpless move.

Because, just now, the British and French allied forces' outpost scouts reported that they had discovered the Tsarist Russian reinforcements led by Prince Menshikov not far from the outskirts of the battlefield.

At this time, the Tsarist Russian reinforcements had arrived in the northeast of the battlefield and were preparing to continue moving south to cut off the Vorontsov Avenue connecting Balaklava and Sevastopol.

This was used to isolate the British and French forces trapped at the gates of Sevastopol and to lift the siege of Sevastopol.

Faced with the aggressive Russian reinforcements, in order to ensure safety, Raglan had no choice but to order a withdrawal.

Turning his attention away from Sevastopol, Raglan ordered a meeting of the coalition's top leaders.

Soon, the French commander Carloporte and the commander of the Allied artillery force Sir Bognee came to Raglan one after another.

"Commander, swear to God, our coalition forces are about to make a breakthrough on the front line. Why are you ordering a withdrawal at this time?"

Carlopot asked angrily.

In the previous attack, the French army was the main force, and the British army was only assisting.

After suffering huge casualties, the French army finally made some progress, but Raglan ordered a withdrawal, and all the previous efforts and sacrifices of the French army were wasted.

Carlo Porter was naturally unwilling.

Just questioning, not scolding, can be regarded as Carlopot giving face to Raglan, the commander of the coalition forces. Upon hearing this, Raglan did not get angry, but spoke directly.

"According to our outpost scouts, reinforcements from Tsarist Russia have arrived."

"Prince Menshikov led his troops to attempt to cut off the Vorontsov Road and threaten Balaklava."

"I can only order a withdrawal!"

After hearing this, Carlopot's expression improved slightly, but he continued to ask.

"So what does your Excellency the Commander mean?"

Raglan paused for a moment, then spoke.

"Attack Menshikov first! Get rid of the Russian reinforcements!"

"After we get rid of the Russian reinforcements, we will attack Sevastopol..."

To put it in Chinese terms, Raglan's idea is to surround the point and attack the reinforcements.

Now that the reinforcements have arrived, let's first attack those reinforcements that have no fortifications and are easier to defeat.

After defeating the reinforcements, go and attack the fortress.

Otherwise, if we don't deal with the reinforcements, but instead focus on attacking the city.

If the enemy reinforcements take advantage of our fierce attack on the city and leave the rear empty to attack our rear wing, the situation would be dangerous.

In addition, the morale of the Tsarist Russian army in the Sevastopol fortress must have been greatly boosted when they learned that reinforcements had arrived.

Under such circumstances, if the British and French forces continued to attack the city, it would be difficult to achieve results.

But if the British and French forces could first defeat the Russian reinforcements and then attack the Sevastopol fortress.

By then, the Sevastopol Fortress will be much easier to attack because the reinforcements have been destroyed.

Upon hearing this, Carloporte and Bogné looked at each other and then expressed their agreement.

Several people quickly agreed on a battle plan, and then ordered the army to attack and quickly reinforce Balaklava.

On the other side, reinforcements from Tsarist Russia were also advancing towards Balaklava.

The Russian commander, Prince Menshikov, issued an order, ordering the Russian cavalry to attack Balaklava.

Cavalry galloped across the plains of the Crimean Peninsula.

Rushing towards Balaclava with a roar.

As the troops of both sides gathered towards Balaklava.

A fierce battle is about to break out!

……

At the same time, a large fleet crossed the Mediterranean, passed through the Turkish Straits, and arrived in Crimea via the Black Sea.

Above this fleet, the flags of Britain and France fluttered in the wind, indicating their identities to everyone.

The fleet's cabin was loaded with ammunition.

Arms from the Tang Dynasty!
It took less than half a year for the fleet transporting arms to reach Crimea from East Asia.

This is mainly because they did not take the long detour via the Cape of Good Hope, but instead took the Suez Canal.

Of course, not the Suez Canal.

The Suez Canal had not yet been opened at this time.

This batch of arms actually traveled by land.

The British and French fleets transporting arms first set out from Guangzhou, passed through the South China Sea, crossed the Strait of Malacca, arrived in the Indian Ocean, and then passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and turned from the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea.

The fleet then docked at Suez and unloaded its cargo in Suez.

The arms could then be transported overland from Suez to Port Said on the Mediterranean coast.

Well, the Suez Canal is actually the section from Suez to Port Said.

The straight-line distance is less than two hundred kilometers!

The weapons can then be loaded onto ships at Port Said, crossing the Mediterranean Sea, the Turkish Straits, the Black Sea, and arriving in Crimea.

(End of this chapter)