Age of Rebirth

Chapter 810 Fierce battle against Arsenyev

The General Staff of the Soviet Army placed Timoshenko’s Second Far East Army in the Haishanwei and Ussuriysk areas. In terms of strategic layout, there may be some reason, and it played a role in deterring the Japanese Kwantung Army. On the contrary, it puts the Second Army in an extremely disadvantageous position.

The Japanese's covetousness for the territory of the Far East of the Soviet Union, their deep-seated aggression and expansion, and their greedy ambitions for territories other than their homeland have prompted the Japanese to take any risks. Tang Qiuli lit a fire on the Sino-Soviet border, It's just adding a handful of firewood to the already 99-degree boiling water.

The Japanese army began to attack on September [-], and by September [-], it had occupied most of the Far East of the Soviet Union, except for the Second Army occupying all of Sakhalin Island. When attacking the Kamchatka Peninsula, they encountered the newly formed Soviet army With the tenacious resistance of the First Kamchatka Army, the two sides fought fiercely on the Klengrey line in the south of the Kamchatka Peninsula, and the progress of the Third Army of the Kwantung Army was hindered.

The Third Army of the Kwantung Army was violently counterattacked by the Soviet army commanded by Timoshenko, and was repelled to the Paspan line west of Spassk Dalini, losing more than 4 people. Timoshenko's plan was to repel After attacking the Japanese army in the Arsenyev area from the direction of Ussuriysk, the Second Army immediately left the battlefield and marched northward. Before the first line of Khabarovsk was cut off by the Kwantung Army, the main force of the Army Group was withdrawn to the Kamchatka Peninsula. [

Then, integrate all the troops of the Far East Military Region, go south from the direction of Khabarovsk, and launch a large-scale counterattack against the Kwantung Army troops. Timoshenko's campaign layout is the best of all methods under the current situation in the Far East. It is also the only measure he can take, all in order to prevent the group army from falling into the encirclement of the Japanese army.

Timoshenko's tactical counterattack was unprecedentedly successful. The Third Army of the Kwantung Army was beaten back again and again, but his good luck ended here. Under the order of Guan Ueda Kenkichi, they pressed towards Timoshenko's troops from two directions.

Facing hundreds of thousands of Kwantung Army troops, Timoshenko was forced to shrink his troops to the Arsenyev area, use the original fortifications to fight tenaciously, and stand by for reinforcements. In fact, the current Second Far East Army has fallen into a trap. Surrounded by the Kwantung Army on three sides, behind him was the vast sea of ​​war. What awaited Timoshenko was a hopeless situation.

The Arsenyev area is a shallow hilly area. It is the only place in the Far East of the Soviet Union that can use natural terrain and landforms for military deployment. The fast-flowing Daobi River is a natural barrier in the area. The Soviet army, oppressed by the superior strength of the Kwantung Army, retreated here.

Timoshenko is worthy of being a master of the military. At the beginning of the formation of the Second Army, he set up the headquarters of the Army Group here. He took a fancy to the topographical conditions here. The troops built a large number of fortifications here.

After several weeks of improvement by Soviet soldiers, the Arsenyev area has become a densely populated fortress, field fortifications and fortifications, and a key defensive area connected by various traffic trenches. Two 10,000+ Soviet troops retreated Soldiers, they should be grateful to their commander, Comrade Timoshenko, otherwise, the current situation of the Second Army would be ruined.

On September 23, the Kwantung Army, with as many as [-] troops, had tightly surrounded about [-] troops of Timoshenko's Second Far East Army in the Arsenyev area. The siege is complete.

In the early morning of September 26, the Kwantung Army launched a fierce attack on the Soviet positions. The number of troops directly engaged by the two sides reached more than [-]. Among them, the Kwantung Army dispatched six divisions and three brigades, with a large number of The field artillery, inspired by the news of the great victory, the soldiers of the Kwantung Army, who were excited by the news, carried out uninterrupted attacks on the Soviet positions extremely bravely.

The defensive battle in the Arsenyev area of ​​the Far East broke out in an all-round way. After a day of fierce fighting, the attacking Kwantung Army troops paid the price of more than [-] people and injured more than [-] people, and all occupied the outskirts of Arsenyev. The Second Army suffered a total of more than [-] casualties, of whom more than [-] were killed. The fierce artillery fire did not stop until evening.The Soviet army was further compressed.

As night falls, the sea breeze blowing from the Pacific Ocean carries the chill of autumn, and the lingering gunpowder smoke blows everywhere. The embers of the war are still emitting wisps of black smoke and dark red flames. There are pits all over the place, soldiers on both sides The blood-stained corpses were intertwined, not telling the cruelty of the fierce battle during the day.

In the small town of Arsenyev, few intact houses could be found in the city. In one day, this small border town with less than 8 people has withstood the cruel test of purgatory. In the city, the residents have all entered the underground hiding place.

In the east corner of the city, in a relatively complete house, a few gas lamps, the small room is brightly lit, the doors without glass are tightly blocked, more than a dozen radio stations, intense work, staff officers coming in and out With a tense look on his face, the communications soldier, General Timoshenko, commander and political commissar of the Second Army of the Soviet Far East Military Region, was dictating a telegram.

"The General Staff Headquarters was transferred to Comrade Stalin. Throughout the day on September 17, the Kwantung Army invested more than [-] troops, equipped with a large number of artillery, and launched a large-scale attack on our positions. The battle was fierce. In all the positions outside Senyev, our troops suffered more than [-] casualties."

"In just one day, more than one-fifth of the troops were killed or injured. This is an unprecedented event in the Red Army's previous operations. From this, it can also be seen that the Japanese Kwantung Army is determined to destroy our army, and the battle will continue as it is. After more than ten days, the Arsenyev area will surely fall, and our department will be able to hold out for about a week, such as logistical supplies. Please ask the General Staff to truthfully report the situation of the Second Army in the Far East to Comrade Stalin."

This is a typical war of attrition. The key is that Timoshenko cannot afford to consume it. Whether it is in terms of military strength, medicine, supplies and supplies, it is not conducive to a long-term situation. Rescue troops from outside, lack of food and grass inside, and constant battle attrition , Timoshenko can't afford to fight such a battle.

Stalin, who received Timoshenko's telegram, stepped up the rescue of the Second Army. He couldn't afford to lose it anymore. He lost the Pacific Fleet. If Timoshenko was wiped out by the Japanese again, the Soviet Union returned to the Far East The days will be far away, and the nearest Kamchatka First Army is in a fierce battle with the Kwantung Army Second Army, and it will be impossible to get away for a while.

The only thing that can be counted on is the Transcaucasus Front Army. This is a huge force with nearly 35 troops. It is equipped with a large number of artillery regiments equipped with 900mm caliber howitzers, more than [-] tanks, and more than [-] aircraft. As long as the Transcaucasus Front Army Joining the Far East battlefield, the Far East Second Army can not only escape danger, but also beat the Kwantung Army back to the northeast.

Stalin’s telegram to the commander of the Transcaucasian Front, General Paulpilyusky, seemed extremely urgent: “Comrade Paulpilyusky, how many days does it take your front army to join the Far East battlefield at the earliest? At present, the second largest army in the Far East The group army is in a very disadvantageous situation, and only your troops can reinforce Comrade Timoshenko."

Admiral Paulpilyuski was also distressed. Even if his troops marched around the clock, it would take six to seven days at the fastest to reach Khabarovsk, not counting the delay of the Kwantung Army's blockade. If it is slower, there is no way to reach it in ten and a half days. [

He sent a telegram back to Stalin, "After 22 days, all the troops will reach the Far East." A few cold words: "No, the Transcaucasus Front Army must enter the battle within six days, that is, from now on, on September [-]."

There was no room for negotiation, and the date was fixed directly. Admiral Paulpiluski almost went crazy, but he didn't dare to bargain. From Stalin's telegram, he had already guessed that Timoshenko was in a very bad situation. He had no choice but to be ruthless and drive the troops to run. Fortunately, most of his front troops were motorized divisions. If they tapped their potential, they should be able to join the Far East battlefield within the time specified by the leader.

Otherwise, what is waiting for you is the court-martial, the troops of the Soviet Transcaucasus Front, who dared not delay along the way, rolled eastward all the way, and Stalin, after whipping Admiral Paulpilyuski, was a little relieved, this biggest bargaining chip was cast. Going in, the situation in the Far East will change immediately, and a telegram is sent to Timoshenko, asking him to stick to it for more than a week.

However, all the Soviet troops in the east of the Ural Mountains and the Asian part have been mobilized and put into the Far East battlefield. If a new war breaks out in other places, how should Stalin deal with it?

After playing the cards in his hand, Stalin was a little unwilling to compromise with Tang Qiuli again, and sent a telegram to Molotov who had already arrived in Minusinsk, asking him not to negotiate with Tang Qiuli for the time being, and waited for Moscow's decision. order, Stalin's wavering disease has occurred again.

Tang Qiuli, who is in the Uliasutai area in the western part of the Outlaws, keeps receiving information from Tang Qiuli in Haishanwei. So, Zhukov and the surrounding Soviet soldiers were extremely obedient, they didn't cause trouble at all, and behaved like a good student.

But no representative was sent to contact him again. Stalin deliberately wanted to hang himself here, and Tang Qiuli's anger increased little by little.

This morning, I received a telegram from Feng Jiwu, who had already established himself in the Lake Baikal area, and a large number of Soviet troops arrived from the direction of Transcaucasus, with a strength of about 12. At present, they have arrived in the west of Lake Baikal and are still Moving quickly to the eastern region, another variable appeared.

(To be continued)