Beiyang 1917

The forced crossing of the Domashika River under the artillery fire of the coalition forces caused the cavalry brigade led by Budyonny to conduct roundabout operations. The cavalry brigade suffered heavy losses. The two regiments of the first cavalry brigade suffered one-third of the casualties. The [-]st Brigade, [-]st Regiment, and [-]st Battalion led by Xin Ge crossed the river almost unscathed. Nearly [-] cavalrymen crossed the river smoothly and escaped the shelling.

The second battalion and the third battalion each lost a cavalry company, the fourth battalion lost three companies, the four battalions of the second Rebalco regiment led by Budyonny suffered more casualties, and the fifth battalion lost a company. The Sixth and Seventh Battalions each lost two companies, and the Eighth Battalion had one company left.

Timoshenko's 1600st Cavalry Brigade didn't fire a single shot, but lost more than [-] cavalrymen just because they were crossing the river and were attacked by long-range artillery fire from Buzuluk town.

The only thing to be thankful for may be that Budyonny himself was unscathed, and the brigade leaders such as Timoshenko, Tyurenev, and Rybalko also escaped, but the battalion and company commanders below suffered a lot of casualties. General, the [-]st Brigade of the Special Cavalry Division was basically disabled, and the radio station carried by the division was also hit by coalition artillery fire and sank into the river during the forced crossing, temporarily losing contact with the Yegorov Army Command

"Comrade Budyonny, the radio station is gone! What will our brigade do next?" Timoshenko hissed, looking at the heads of his cavalry who were hit by the enemy's artillery fire without any power to fight back. Blood flowed, the young cavalry brigade commander's heart was bleeding, but after leaving the river bank and reaching a safe area to regroup, Timoshenko's eyes were burning with grief and hatred for the coalition forces!

The head of the regiment, Tyurenev and Rybalko, lost their political commissars at the same time, and they also looked sad and angry at the moment, riding a horse and looking at the division commander Budyonny who was not better than himself.

Budyonny's heart is also burning with raging anger. If you don't fire artillery when the doggy coalition forces and old cavalry are swaying in front of your position, are you afraid that we will run away and will not be able to fight?Just now, the cannon shot so accurately from such a long distance, is he really fucking clairvoyant?This grudge must be avenged!

"What should we do? The task of the Special Cavalry Division is to go back to the enemy's rear to attack them! Slap their asses! Now, even though we were bitten by the enemy artillery who pretended to be pigs and tigers, it's nothing. I'll pay for it." The enemies in Bluezuke Town have been recorded, and when the town is taken down, this revenge must be avenged!"

Budyonny gritted his teeth, raised the saber in his hand, and galloped back and forth in front of the cavalry team, shouting, with a resolute and courageous face, not at all like a Soviet Red Army commander who had just suffered a heavy blow. !

The remaining nearly 3000 cavalrymen of the Timoshenko Cavalry Brigade looked at Budyonny, the commander who was still extremely tough in front of them. The expressions on the faces of the cavalrymen gradually changed from pain and confusion to fanaticism and faith!

"Special Cavalry Division Ulla" This is the cry of the division commander Budyonny alone!

"Special Cavalry Division Ulla" This is the cry of brigade commander Timoshenko and regimental commanders Tyurenev and Rybalko!

"Ula" is the unison cry of the remaining 3000 cavalrymen of the first cavalry brigade, resounding through the sky. This roar and cry represent courage and strength!

"All the cavalry, look up to me and set off!" Budyonny turned his horse's head and galloped towards the southwest at the head of the horse. Behind him were 3000 Russian Red Army cavalry led by Timoshenko, Tyurenev, and Rybalko. Head south.

At the same time, Yegorov rushed to Inza's command position with several division commanders. The artillery attack of the coalition forces on the rear was obviously aimed at the Budyonny cavalry brigade crossing the river, but Yegorov did not report to Inza. Later, I went to inspect the river crossing site, but that would not change any situation.

The medical soldiers and stretcher carriages of the army field hospital were sent by Yegorov and the scout cavalry to the river beach 4 kilometers behind to clean up the battlefield, and the scout cavalry quickly brought back the news that the main force of the first brigade of the Budyonny cavalry division They have already crossed the river, and there are not many wounded on the river beach, most of them are cavalrymen who died in battle. The river is stained red, and there are many corpses floating in the river. It is estimated that more than 1500 people have been lost, and the medical team is still rescuing the wounded.

Immediately following the latest report from Budyonny brought by the messengers of the two cavalry divisions who came back from swimming again, he took the main force of Timoshenko's first brigade across the river and packed up the team. The enemy's battle plan in the town of Buzuluk.

Then the Political Commissar of the Special Cavalry Division Xia Tenke, who waded and swam across the Buzuluk River ten kilometers to the north, sent back a telegram. However, only a few dozen cavalry were lost due to being washed away by the water while crossing the river, and now they are continuing to implement the plan of circuitous flank operations.

"Comrades! The special cavalry division is a particularly capable and tenacious team. Comrade Budyonny's courage and wisdom will lead the cavalry division to complete their glorious mission. Casualties are always inevitable. Since the coalition forces have artillery The advantage is that this shell is not going to hit the cavalry, but also our infantry. Now that the cavalry division has successfully crossed the river for the first time, how is the infantry division doing?"

Yegorov’s voice was a little hoarse. When Budyonny proposed that the cavalry divisions cross the Domashika River and the Buzuluk River in two separate ways, Kniagnitsky, the political commissar of the army group, raised objections. Why did the cavalry If the division does not cross the river together, the troops should be divided into two groups?

Budyonny's answer at the time was that eggs cannot be put in one basket. If you only cross the Domahika River or the Buzuluk River, if you can't find a suitable place to cross the river downstream, then the plan of the roundabout battle will be lost. In vain, now that the cavalry division is divided into two, the chances are doubled, and the target is also reduced. If the weather improves, the coalition air force will appear, and it will be easier to hide and evacuate.

Yegorov agreed to Budyonny's two-way circuitous battle plan, which means that regardless of success or failure, he, the commander of the army, must protect Budyonny from the wind and rain. Of course, at this moment, the political commissar of the army Knia Gnitzki was sensible, and didn't jump out and sprinkle salt on the wound of the cavalry division to add insult to injury.

"Reporting to Comrade Commander, the trench digging went quite smoothly. We have dug a one-kilometer wide and chest-deep offensive starting position 1100 meters in front of the enemy's position. The heavy machine guns are moving from the heavy machine gun position at 1800 meters to the attacking starting position. Covert transfer, we are going to launch an attack after the heavy machine guns are in place!" Inza, the commander of the 15th Infantry Division, had a hint of pride in his tone.

Yegorov didn't speak, turned around, walked out of the tent and took a few steps up the hill. He could see clearly without binoculars. Inza's command position was only 300 meters behind the heavy machine gun position. Although the cobweb-like traffic trenches and trenches were simple, they were It was a huge and tax-inclusive project soaked in by the engineers of the Soviet Ninth Army and the soldiers of the Inza Infantry Division.

"The amount of work is not small, Comrade Inza, I hope that the sacrifices of the cavalry comrades and the ammunition consumed by the enemy have created enough conditions for you to attack. The offensive trench was only dug for one kilometer, isn't it a bit short? It is 4 kilometers wide!" Yegorov asked the commander of the 15th Infantry Division beside him while observing the battlefield with a telescope.

"Of course it's okay to continue digging, but I'm afraid that time will not be enough. I'm worried about digging holes under the enemy's guns, and I'm afraid that the enemy's air force planes will come to wreak havoc as soon as the weather clears up, and... and I suspect that the coalition forces just Let us dig trenches without intercepting fire, maybe . . . to tire us out on purpose!"

Inza answered cautiously. In fact, he was really entangled in his heart. The coalition forces defending the town of Buzuluk on the opposite side seemed quite calm. They were typical masters who either did not make a move or made a move. It was the first time The bombardment knocked out the Kulik artillery battery, and a second bombardment knocked out a tooth from the Budyonny cavalry crossing the river.

Based on the fact that no one has been shooting indiscriminately in the coalition positions since the morning, the Soviet Red Army infantrymen here feel a little shuddering in their hearts. Nima, what kind of enemy is on the other side? The same Russian Cossacks Cavalry, this group of illiterate and barbarian cavalry, once they join the coalition army, they look a little bit upscale and have seen the world.

"Tired you to death? The rest of the other infantry divisions are almost resting, and they can be replaced in turn. You have also seen the sharp artillery fire of the coalition army. Digging trenches is almost the best way to deal with it now. In my opinion, attack the starting position It’s not enough to just dig 1100 meters in front of the opponent’s position, it’s better to find a way to dig under the opponent’s nose!”

Yegorov was so heartbroken that he came up with such an idea all of a sudden!

Not only the political commissar Knyagnitsky was confused, but the division commanders Inza, Kikweize, Sami, Khatyev and Usti all looked at each other in blank dismay. Engineering digging trenches to the bottom?How big a project is this?

"Dig to the bottom of the opponent's nose? Comrade Yegorov, how far do you have to dig? 500 meters? Or 300 meters?" Usti, the commander of the 23rd Infantry Division, asked anxiously.

"It depends on the situation. If the coalition forces don't fire, we'll dig into their trenches!" Yegorov half-truthfully said.

"The year of the monkey? Comrade commander, are we still retreating or not? Every minute of time is precious. If the weather clears and the coalition air force arrives, the troops will suffer great losses!" Political commissar Kniagnitsky reluctantly Can't stop.

"I think it's okay, just as the commander said, as long as the coalition forces don't fire, we'll keep digging until the other side fires!" Inza, the commander of the 15th Infantry Division, understood Yegorov's plan and expressed his support for the commander. member's ideas.

"That's okay? Comrade Inza, do you think the coalition forces will just sit back and watch us dig the trenches under their noses? How is that possible? I think the coalition forces in the town are probably just delaying time. There is an idiom in the Chinese that is called soldiers are precious and fast." , the enemy is ignoring us now, I'm afraid it's a trap!" Usti muttered.

Inza frowned when he heard this, and couldn't help but sarcastically said, "Usti, are you afraid that the 23rd Division will be rotated up to dig mud and you won't be able to endure the hardship? Nima, sweating is better than bleeding right now? The coalition air force is here, is it better to have trenches to hide from bombs than lie on the ground doing push-ups?"

"How much shrapnel can a trench full of mud block? A trench without masonry and log reinforcement is almost like paper. It can resist a mortar shrapnel. Who said that my 23rd Division can't bear hardships? I I just feel that there is no need to do useless work to make the coalition forces in the town laugh at me!" Usti countered not to be outdone.

"Okay! Since I said that Inza was the front enemy's commander when the infantry attacked, it's up to him to decide. Don't fight anymore. If you think you can launch an attack now in Usti, that's fine. Your 23rd Division rests until It's almost the same now, you replace Inza's 15th Division, and your 23rd Division will attack!" Yegorov said angrily.

Now Usti was dumbfounded, so he had to bow his head obediently, "Hey, Comrade Commander, how can our 23rd Division and the 15th Division take credit for it? Anyway, this trench was dug out by the engineering battalion and the 15th Division's troops. , How can our 23rd Division win the beauty of others, the glorious task of leading the battle must of course have an ace like the 15th Division to resist, our 23rd Division can replace the 16th Division as a reserve team at any time!"

"Then don't talk nonsense, Comrade Inza, it is estimated that it will take another one and a half hours for the cavalry division to get back to the enemy's rear, cross the river, take a rest, and fight back. After one and a half hours, no matter what you dig in the trenches The whole army launched a general attack!"

Army Commander Yegorov left the stunned political commissars and division commanders and went back to his tent.