Wild North America 1846

Chapter 227 The Damn Snowstorm

Since the beginning of winter
There have been several snowfalls in the mountains. In mid-February 1855, the climate in the Crimea mountains was extremely cold, with cloudy clouds for many consecutive days, and it seemed that a big snowstorm was brewing.

on the rough road in the mountains

The Ottoman slaves in sheepskin jackets were laying the road, and the pickaxe hit the ground hard. The ground was frozen and hard, and only a small mud pit could be dug out.

Lieutenant Colonel Fan Pengfei, commander of the Fifth Division of the Expeditionary Army, was wearing a cotton cap covering his ears and was fully equipped with cotton clothes. With a revolver stuck in his waist belt, he was leading the advance team to trek forward among the mountains.

He panted heavily, and stretched out his hand to signal for a short rest.

looking back
On the steep mountain road that passed, only a few Ottoman convicts worked hard in the cold weather.They felled the big trees that blocked the advance, and placed the branches cut off with axes in the narrow places of the mountain road, and then covered them with cinders and snow, so that the army could pass through them after they were solid.

Where should the marks left by the advance team be widened?Where to pad, the mark is quite clear.

The 6700 Ottoman laborers are obviously not enough. After going deep into the mountainous area for more than 20 kilometers, it is basically difficult to see these coolies, and they are all stranded in the rear to work.

Lieutenant Colonel Fan Pengfei frowned;
Now that the military situation is urgent, there is no more time to delay. From the port of Alushta to the west through the 71 kilometers of high mountains, you can reach the western side of the weak defense of the Sevastopol fortress.

But that is the straight-line distance on the map. After entering the mountainous area, open a road along the towering mountains, and the distance more than doubles.

Seven mules and horses in the advance team fell into the cliff, and Fan Pengfei himself almost fell down several times. As a last resort, he had to take safety rope measures.

That is to say, use a rope to connect 4 to 5 soldiers together. Once there is a danger of falling off the cliff, the other soldiers will crawl on the spot, which plays an extremely important preventive role.

have to say
This clever idea has saved many lives, but it is a pity that it cannot be used on large animals such as mules and horses. Once these large animals slip off the cliff, no amount of people can hold them back.

After careful consideration

Lieutenant Colonel Fan Pengfei gave orders with a serious expression;

"Record the order; Fan Pengfei, the advance team of the fifth division, reported to the military headquarters. After field surveys, the rugged road about 20 kilometers deep into the mountainous area was barely passable after simple repairs. It is urgent to transfer all the local coolies to the front for construction. In the depths of the mountainous area, the mountain roads are steeper and more steep. I believe that we should immediately raise axes, iron picks, knives and other materials and assign them to the advance troops, and build dangerous cliff roads along the way to ensure the smooth passage of the follow-up army. Only rely on the local The coolies may not be enough, and the fighter plane may be missed. This order should be sent back to the military headquarters immediately, and there must be no mistakes."

"As ordered, sir."

The communications soldiers of the advance team immediately saluted solemnly, then turned around and left after receiving the order.

Fan Pengfei raised his head and looked at the gloomy sky, frowning. The order issued by the coalition forces was unquestionable, and it was scheduled to launch a full-line attack on February 2.

Today is already February 2th, less than a week before the full-scale attack.

It takes the local shepherds three to four days to cross this mountainous area in autumn when the climate is fine, because they live here all year round and are familiar with the mountainous terrain.

If you relax a bit, taking into account the harsh winter weather, it will take at least 5 days for the whole army to cross the mountainous area.

The Fifth Division was the advance team of the whole army. Commander Fan Pengfei personally led the 107th Infantry Regiment as the vanguard of the whole division.

Lieutenant Colonel Fan Pengfei knew that if he continued to climb over more than ten kilometers of mountain roads, a large valley would appear, about five or six kilometers long, and there would be a rushing stream along the bottom of the valley, which could be used as a short-term station for the entire army advance base.

go further
It is necessary to climb over the steepest Mount Akamonde, which is called "Pilgrim's Mountain" by the locals. It is a steep mountain with an altitude of more than 1770 meters, and it is also the most dangerous natural obstacle on the entire journey.

This is a part of the Crimea mountainous area with a width of more than 50 kilometers and a length of more than 150 kilometers. The barrier has been inaccessible since ancient times, and the steep cliffs are a paradise for wild animals.

When the British troops crossed the Archamond Mountain, they suddenly encountered heavy rain and flash floods, which caused a large number of personnel and equipment to be swallowed up by the flash floods. They suffered heavy losses and had to return without success.

Now, this precipitous mountain lies in front of us, and the expeditionary army from the Tang Kingdom has to level the mountain no matter what, climb over the dangerous peak, overcome many difficulties to reach the designated starting area for the attack, and cooperate with the allies to defeat the stubborn Tsarist Russian defenders.

Thought of here
Lieutenant Colonel Fan Pengfei showed a look of determination in his eyes, and he raised his arms and shouted to the long line behind him, "Brothers, put in more effort, climb over the mountain in front and descend to the valley, and everyone can take a breath without any difficulties." The 5th Division that can stop us from moving forward, the 5th Division is mighty."

"The fifth division is mighty!"

"There is no retreat, use me for the first battle."

Encouraged by the division commander, the officers and soldiers of the 107th regiment shouted excitedly in unison, passing in front of the division commander Fan Pengfei one by one, and embarked on the rugged path.

on a steep road
The officers and soldiers of the 107th regiment drilled holes, felled trees, built bridges and crossed streams, and quickly opened a road over the mountains, extending deep into the mountains...

three days later

Port of Alushta

The second batch of expeditionary troops that arrived here filled the wharf densely. Due to the urgent military situation on the front line and time constraints, the soldiers who had just disembarked took a short rest and marched into the depths of the mountain.

From the pier to the town, there was a long row of hundreds of steaming large iron pots on the side of the road. Next to the big iron pots were piles of dough cakes piled up like hills for the soldiers to use.

Beef and mutton soup was boiled in the big rolling iron pot, and the aroma permeating it made people salivate. Soldiers who had just disembarked could have a mouthful of hot soup and eat it with pancakes.

to the front
Each soldier can receive a cloth bag, which contains 14 pieces of bread and a small amount of salted meat and salted fish. This is the soldiers' rations for the next week, and they can only get food supplies after crossing the mountains.

Some soldiers were very experienced and carried a few extra pieces of bread in their bosoms. Other soldiers followed suit and brought as much food as possible.

The officers turned a blind eye to this. Since Alushta is located in the coastal port area, the supply of supplies is very convenient, and it is not as difficult to supply as those in the enemy's own positions in the Sevastopol theater, so the soldiers can take it openly.

As long as you can move your back, everything is not a problem.

Major General Duan Debiao, the commander of the Corps, stood on the hill outside the city with a serious face, watching the marching army holding high the flag and marching into the depths of the mountain.

From time to time, he looked up at the cloudy sky, with a look of worry all over his face.

What are you really afraid of? Why are you here?
Today is already February 2th, and more than 15 forward troops are crossing the Archamond Mountain. The news from the front is not optimistic.

until yesterday

During the crossing process, more than 300 mules and horses and more than 140 soldiers fell into the deep cliff, which made it more difficult for the forward troops to advance and seriously hindered the speed of the entire army.

Seeing that the ghostly weather has been gloomy for many days, according to the description of the locals, the mountainous area may usher in a rare snowstorm, which is no less than a blow to the expeditionary force.

Major General Duan Debiao could only pray in his heart that this blizzard would come later!

Even if it is two or three days late, if most of the expeditionary force can successfully cross Mount Archimonde, then thank God.

The 5th Division of the vanguard army at the forefront has been in the mountains for three days. Today, most of them should have crossed the Arkamonde Mountains and entered the western mountains where the Russian army is weakly defended.

tomorrow evening
There are more than 1.8 forwards including the fifth and sixth divisions of the second division. According to the plan, they should break through Mount Akamond and spend the most difficult time.

The later the blizzard came, the better it would be for the expeditionary force to fight.

"Report to the commander, the three most experienced elders in the town have brought them here. According to them, this blizzard should fall in these two days. The specific time depends on the wind along the coast."

A military officer brought three local old men with white beard and hair to the front, raised their hands to salute the army and reported.

His report made Major General Duan Debiao's heart sink, and he looked solemnly at Major General James Kahn beside him. Both of them had ugly faces.

If the locals are right, then the expeditionary force is in big trouble.

The Russian army in the Sevastopol fortress is not just two or three big and small hairs, but an army of more than 13 people. Based on the steep mountain, the fortress bastion and city walls confronted the coalition forces.

The battle that was originally planned for 6 weeks has now dragged on for 9 months, with more than 50 casualties on both sides.

Today, the coalition forces have been suppressing the Russian army in frontal confrontation with the advantages of artillery and Mini rifles, at the cost of consuming millions of shells and countless bullets.

But the Russian army is not a vegetarian. The Russian army launched overwhelming hand-to-hand combat in a dense formation, repelling the attacks of the British and French allied forces time and time again.

As long as there is a piece of black bread, the serf soldiers from Tsarist Russia are like tough animals, enduring huge casualties and sticking to the trenches, like nails without taking a step back.

With only 1.8 troops of the forward army, it is difficult to tear apart the Russian positions like cowhide paste.

Once the Russian army reacts, the Russian army fighting on the inside can quickly concentrate its forces to counterattack fiercely. The 1.8 troops invested in the front line are likely to be deeply encircled, and eventually run out of ammunition and food, and the entire army is wiped out.

This damn blizzard came at an inopportune time. Once the blizzard raged, it blocked the input of follow-up troops of the expeditionary force, and the 1.8 troops invested in the front line became a lone army.

The problem is that the Supreme Command of the Allied Forces plans to launch a full-line offensive on the Crimean battlefield on February 2. It has been communicated to all coalition forces. Hundreds of thousands of troops are waiting for the battle, and it is impossible to delay it due to weather factors.

The expeditionary force is facing a severe test, and it has reached the point of life and death.

(End of this chapter)