Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 238 Western Battlefield
"boom!"

A shell landed behind the position with a deafening explosion, sending up chunks of dirt and wood. The debris was propelled high into the air by the shockwave before settling in various places, many landing on the heads of Ottoman soldiers taking cover in the trenches.

Such scenes were common on the front lines, where Iranian artillery units from the 8th Division were constantly bombarding the positions. They were firing shells at the defenders, putting immense pressure on the Ottoman troops defending the area.

Of course, the Ottoman army, which was on the defensive, was not to be underestimated. Its artillery positions launched continuous counterattacks, which also prevented the Iranian artillery from bombarding the defenders' positions with full force.

The two sides appeared to be evenly matched, with both sides trading blows, but the artillery commanders had differing opinions.

According to reports, Iran has moved a large number of artillery pieces to their positions; it's unlikely they only have these. They must be waiting for an opportunity to suppress the enemy with firepower.

"Order the artillery units to be alert for possible enemy artillery suppression." He had just given the order to the messenger when he immediately heard a series of different shell whistles.

An explosion was heard behind the position, and judging from the location, it was one of our own artillery positions. The officer immediately ordered the artillery to move.

Meanwhile, at the defending artillery positions, after being suppressed by enemy artillery fire, chaos erupted as large numbers of Ottoman soldiers scrambled to load their cannons onto wagons and flee. But the Iranian artillery wouldn't let them get away with it; using this cannon barrage as a signal, tens of thousands of shells rained down on the retreating Ottoman army.

"Cover! Cover! Don't panic!"

The officer shouted, but the soldiers were already torn to pieces by the shelling. Some soldiers survived under the protection of the trenches, but the Iranian shelling was not over. The enemy clearly intended to wipe them off the face of the earth.

However, no matter how much damage they did, some remnants would remain, which is when the infantry came in to clear them out. So, a regiment of infantry, under the cover of artillery fire, launched an attack on the enemy positions.

Faced with the Iranian offensive, the Ottoman army, on the defensive, naturally wouldn't let the enemy succeed so easily. The remaining soldiers, led by their officers, opened fire on the attacking enemy with their rifles.

Several Iranian soldiers charged toward the trenches, but instead of firing their guns, they pulled out several glass bottles filled with liquid from their sides, lit the cloth covering the bottle openings, and threw them toward the Ottoman positions.

boom!
Several bottles shattered, spilling their liquid, which quickly ignited upon contact with flames. Some Ottoman soldiers, their clothes contaminated, tried to pat themselves dry, but to no avail. Iranian soldiers seized the opportunity and swiftly dispatched any who dared to peek out.

This is a cheap weapon newly developed by the Baku oil refinery. It involves filling a glass bottle with flammable liquid, sealing it with a cork, wrapping it with a cloth, igniting the outer cloth when needed, and then throwing it at the enemy. The glass bottle will shatter and start a fire.

A fire broke out in the trench, and the soldiers fled in panic. The fire continued until it reached the ammunition storage area…

boom! ! ! !

A huge plume of smoke rose from the enemy positions, followed by silence. Iranian soldiers seized the opportunity to charge, and sure enough, the enemy was completely annihilated. Iran uses this tactic on almost every front, and it's surprisingly effective. Large quantities of Molotov cocktails are used on the front lines, but they are most effective in cities, though the post-battle losses are also considerable.

In Trabisún, however, the situation was quite different. The area was inhabited not only by Armenians and Ottomans, but also by a significant number of Greeks. These three groups were locked in internal conflict. The Greeks wanted to hold onto the city, but not through war. They believed that the war between the two nations was entirely a mistake by the Ottoman leadership, and why should they bear the consequences of such a flawed decision?

But the Ottomans thought the Greeks were incredibly cunning. What if a situation like the Greek War of Independence happened again? Would they even survive?

Thus began a massive expulsion of Greeks in Eastern Anatolia. The Ottomans had no intention of letting them live; their property was confiscated, and they were driven westward. No one knew where they were headed; all that was known was that they would be passed around between the two sides until their lives were exhausted.

“They are expelling you at this time, which clearly shows they don’t consider you human beings.”

Lieutenant General Sarwar, commander of the Iranian Caucasus Army Group, looked at the group of kneeling Greeks and was incredulous at what they were saying. "Even if we're going to expel them, this isn't the time. Aren't you just exploiting their weakness?"

"My lord, you don't know, they've gone berserk. If it weren't for the fear of causing a plague, we'd probably be dead too. You must do us justice!"

This is the first time I've heard of Orthodox Christians seeking help from Shiites. But then again, there's a saying: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. In that case, helping them get revenge shouldn't be a problem, right?

To convince them, the leader also told Savar a secret: although Trebizond was defended by the coast, there were several routes left by smugglers around it. Although difficult to travel, these routes could bypass the heavily fortified Trebizond positions and lead directly into the city.

"Are you telling the truth?" Saval asked.

"Of course they're real adults, I'll take you there!"

Several Greeks volunteered to act as guides, as they also knew these locations. The Ottomans should have blocked the area immediately, but they didn't. This was because smuggling wasn't a one-off operation, but a complete supply chain. Not only local merchants, but even members of the army were involved. Therefore, to continue their business, they maintained the smuggling routes.

Even with merchant ships transporting supplies, there's still plenty to smuggle. Grain and daily necessities can be resold for several times the profit. Iranian troops, disguised as smugglers and with the help of guides, began scouting these routes. Without exception, they were all difficult to traverse, rendering Iran's artillery useless.

However, due to the terrain, this area was also a weak point in the Ottoman defenses. Once a breach was breached, the Iranians could penetrate deep into the city.

In the following days, Iranian soldiers refined their maps and scouted several defensive positions within the city. Those inside were optimistic, believing that if they held out for two months, the Iranian army would retreat. They reasoned that the Ottoman army to the south was elite and would surely come to their rescue.

This is the current situation in the city. After the map was completed, Savar ordered the soldiers to begin implementation and prepared the artillery to cover their advance.

(End of this chapter)