Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 465 The Local War Between Russia and Iran (Part Four)
On the open, exposed plains, fallen Russian soldiers were everywhere, their bodies and weapons scattered about. Squads of Russian prisoners, hands raised in protest, were led dejectedly by Iranian soldiers toward Nogesky at the rear.

On the other side of the battlefield, soldiers who had finished their battle were also resting in twos and threes, smoking and chatting.

They could rest, but the officers naturally couldn't. Distributing ammunition and rations, and directing engineers in road repairs were also among their tasks.

By this time, the Russian army had abandoned the area bordering Iran and was focusing all its efforts on defending Krasnodar and Rostov. The general command had also retreated to Tsaritsyn.

"These staff officers are blinded by the current results and actually think they can take Krasnodar with their current army?"

One soldier couldn't help but complain, "Krasnodar isn't like Nogesky. They say it's well-equipped and well-supplied; they can't take it."

"Maybe. Look at those Russians, their fighting ability is too poor. Maybe we can take it easily."

"It still won't work. Although their combat strength is poor, they outnumber us. It probably won't be easy to defeat them."

The soldiers chattered amongst themselves, but to their superiors, Iran's offensive in the Caucasus was extremely audacious. The Russian navy was harassing Sukhumi; despite having coastal defense artillery, they were like rats—kill one, and many more would emerge.

"Is it really feasible to attack Krasnodar directly?"

"This will probably result in a total annihilation, right?"

The staff officers of the 7th through 11th Armies discussed the situation but decided to follow orders. If Krasnodar were captured, their situation would improve.

However, the recent heavy rains have made the roads difficult to travel, and both Russian and Iraqi troops are moving extremely slowly, only able to pick up speed once the ground dries.

Krasnodar was bustling with activity in the lead-up to a major battle. Sandbag fortifications were erected at many street corners, and soldiers were busy digging trenches. Outside the city, the scene was even more chaotic. Fortresses, exuding the fresh scent of earth, stood tall at various key points.

These were the results of two days and two nights of work by all the local residents. Under the forced mobilization of the Russian army, men, women, and children all came to the front lines to build fortifications.

Major General Constantine and Major General George, who were commanders of the 19th and 24th Legions respectively, went to the command post to learn about the specific situation after being received by Clement, the commander of the city's defense.

"It's a good thing you came. Without your support, I wouldn't know how to fight when the Iranians came to our doorstep."

Where is the enemy now?

Major General Georgy was the most anxious, and he immediately asked about the military situation.

"According to intelligence, the enemy's vanguard has already appeared in Mineral Water City. At this rate, we have one week to prepare for defense."

Hearing that there was still a week left, the two breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's enough. We just need to finish building this place."

After their discussion, the 19th Army Corps was assigned to defend the south of the city. Major General Constantine sent men to familiarize them with the terrain. The 24th Army Corps would defend the east, also sending men to familiarize them with the terrain. The armed militia would be responsible for the north, the area furthest from the enemy. There was no concern about entrusting the north to the militia; after all, these men were locals, and with their experience in defending their homeland from Iranian invasion, their defensive capabilities were reliable.

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Meanwhile, on the other side, the battle for Akmechet Fortress was intensifying.

Colonel Andreas led the Russian forces in two offensives, both of which were repelled by the Iranian defenders. He was now ordering a third offensive.

On the Russian army's initial position, Colonel Andreas observed the attack's effects through binoculars. He saw the Russian army launch its attack, while the Iranian army counterattacked from their trenches. In the fierce Iranian counterattack, the Russian army also suffered heavy casualties.

Perhaps due to the observation from behind, the Russian army commander did not order a retreat, but instead sent another wave of troops to reinforce the position. With the combined efforts of the two waves of Russian troops, they finally broke into the enemy's position, and a fierce hand-to-hand battle ensued.

Colonel Andreas, upon seeing this, praised, "Well done."

Just then, Iranian reinforcements arrived, and the Russian troops, caught off guard, were driven out of their positions.

This attack by the Russian army resulted in the loss of 476 Iranian soldiers, but the Russian army did not fare any better, suffering even greater losses of 1453.

This forced Andreas to request more support, and the strategy of launching an initial attack was seriously flawed because the army lacked adequate training, and his own officers lacked the ability to lead troops and organize and execute a successful offensive. This was already evident in today's battle. Ultimately, it was a matter of money; he couldn't do anything about the insufficient military funding.

On the battlefield, Russian soldiers continued to fight Iranian soldiers, and in each battle, many lives were lost. The fighting continued until nightfall with little progress for the Russian army, forcing them to resume the battle the next day.

The next morning, after breakfast, the Russian army began preparing for the attack, with artillery firing first as usual. For a time, the two sides exchanged fierce fire. This caused Andreas to feel a slight unease.

During the artillery exchange, Russian troops launched an attack on Iranian positions. Smoke billowed in front of the Iranian lines as soldiers from both sides clashed. Many Russian officers were surprised to find that Iran's defenses had become significantly stronger and their counterattacks were becoming more frequent.

Even after increasing its troop deployment, the Iranian army's counterattack continued, which made Andreas realize that things were going badly. At this point, the Iranian artillery, relying on more cannons and superior technology, completely suppressed the Russian artillery.

At this point, the Iranian army launched a counterattack, catching the Russian troops off guard and forcing them to retreat to their initial positions. However, the Iranian troops showed no sign of stopping and launched a fierce offensive against the Russian forces. The Russian positions were in dire straits.

"Let the reserve militia take over."

Andreas intended to reinforce the frontline positions to weather the attack, but this turned out to be the worst decision he made in the campaign. These militiamen were poorly trained and easily panicked, which would only undermine the morale of the Russian troops.

As expected, with the reinforcement of these militiamen, the Russian army's positions were breached in several places. Seeing this, Andreas knew that the situation was hopeless and that he could only retreat for the time being.

"The Iranians are different now!" These were his words before issuing the retreat order.

(End of this chapter)