Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 650 Crossing the Danube (Part 1)
The Iranian side won both initial battles, which made the allies uneasy. Of course, the most important factor was that Russia had still not crossed the Danube, and Serbian telegrams were no longer being sent daily, but hourly.

Even the experienced Grand Prince Nikolai Nikolaevich, the Russian commander-in-chief stationed in Bucharest, could no longer hold back. The Tsar repeatedly urged him to cross the Danube River, as once he crossed, he could join forces with the local Bulgarian insurgents.

However, the Ottomans had already made all the necessary preparations on the ground, constructing defensive lines and disrupting their deployments and supplies. Furthermore, the Dobroga region had not yet been occupied; everything was still under consideration.

At this time, the Russian Vanguard Army had 350,000 men and 760 artillery pieces. It included two Guards infantry divisions and one cavalry division, making it the best-equipped force.

The corps consisted of three divisions of grenadiers, renowned for their tenacity and proficiency in assaults. Fifteen divisions of line infantry formed the core of the corps, varying in training level but numerous in number. In addition, there were over forty thousand Cossack cavalry.

The Ottoman Danube Corps comprised 270,000 men and 540 artillery pieces. Fifteen of its divisions had received German training and were equipped with standardized Iranian-made breech-loading rifles, forming the backbone of the defense.

The regular forces consist of about 10 divisions, which are reserve forces with slightly inferior equipment and training, but are familiar with the terrain and are used to hold secondary positions and serve as reserves.

The remaining troops included Bashbozuk and volunteers from Bosnia, Albania, and other regions, who were skilled in mountain warfare and guerrilla tactics.

Since all troops had to be deployed along the Danube River, these advantages were not particularly significant. Furthermore, nearly 4 Romanian troops were stationed in Dobroca, and their supplies were transported from Constantinople.

The Grand Duke listened with a grim expression as his staff read aloud the latest telegrams from St. Petersburg. Each telegram was more stern than the last, almost questioning him directly about why he had remained inactive, watching his Serbian ally fall into trouble, and the defeat of Senica was like a whip lashing at the proud face of Russia.

"Enough!" The Grand Duke slammed his hand on the table, making the wargaming model on the map jump. "His Majesty Alexander and Gorchakov only know how to look at maps in the Winter Palace. Do they know how many fortifications the Turks on the other side have built? Do they know how much trouble the swamps and guerrillas in the Dobroga region are causing us on our flanks?"

Chief of Staff Andrei Plasibevich cautiously began, “Your Highness, we are indeed under great pressure. The defeat of Schenica has boosted the morale of the Turkish army, and the Serbs are practically begging. Moreover… it seems that there are also some reservations about our progress in Paris.”

To support Russia's fight, France transferred 4000 million francs through BNP Paribas and St. Petersburg Bank. It also facilitated the purchase of £1650 million in Russian government bonds; everyone knew Russia's economy was weak, even weaker than Iran's. Naturally, France needed to help.

Grand Duke Nicholas scoffed, "McMahon just wants us to bleed dry quickly to capture Jerusalem for him! But we can't be blind! The Danube isn't a stream, and Nasser al-Din on the other side isn't that fool Abdulaziz! We must choose the best crossing point, concentrate overwhelming force and artillery fire, and strike decisively!" The Grand Duke's words were based on information he knew. France, under the pretext of the anti-Christian incident, was sending troops to the Far East, attempting to seize a territory as a colony. Therefore, it had little interest in intervening in Iran, instead preparing for an expedition to the East. Thus, the only option now was to advance; Russia had no intention of retreating.

"Silistra, Ruse, Turcha... these are the places where the Turkish defenses are most fortified. We must use a feint! Pass down the order: starting tomorrow, the artillery group will launch a sustained and intense bombardment of the Silistra direction, creating the illusion of a main attack! At the same time, the engineering corps will secretly assemble overnight in the Zlatica and Sveshtov areas to prepare for the construction of pontoon bridges! I want the Guards and grenadiers as the first wave of assault forces!"

Unlike the restlessness on the north bank, the atmosphere in the Ottoman Danube Legion was more somber and oppressive. Legion Commander Osman Nuripasha was carefully examining the latest intelligence reports from scouts and the signs of Russian troop movements marked on the maps.

“Nuripasha,” his intelligence officer pointed to the map, “the Russian forces on the north bank have recently reinforced their artillery to the area opposite Silistra with a large number of artillery pieces, and the intensity of the shelling has increased significantly. But our spies have reported that a large number of Russian engineers and prefabricated bridge components have been spotted in the woods opposite Zlatica and Sveshtov, and they are unusually active at night.”

Judging from the current situation, the Ottoman army could hold its ground by virtue of the Danube River. The entire legion was in high spirits, with ample supplies, and a hastily constructed railway was delivering supplies to the legion's base via Burgas and Varna. The Ottoman Pasha had also received full authority from the Sultan, allowing him to retreat if necessary.

Pasha was now free to act, and he began to consider the current situation. "The Russians are trying to use a feint attack. Silistra is a strategically important location, and we have deployed a large force there; a direct assault would be too costly for them. Zlatitsa has a relatively calm current, and the opposite bank of Sveshtov is open, which is conducive to the deployment of a large force. It is indeed an ideal crossing point."

Pasha looked up at his generals: "Order the garrison at Silistra to be on high alert and withstand the artillery fire, but the reserves to remain stationary. All units in the Zlatitsa and Sveshtov directions to be on high alert! Artillerymen, calculate your firing data, machine gun positions, and tell every soldier that the Russians are coming! We'll make them fish food in the Danube!"

A young German-style trainer couldn't help but ask, "Pasha, can we hold them off? There are just too many of them."

Nuri Pasha glanced at him, his gaze deep: "My child, remember, we are not fighting for the Sultan alone, but for the millions of families behind us, for this land we have lived on for generations. The Russians have many cannons, but we have God's protection and the determination to defend our homeland! The Danube is our grave; either they step over our corpses, or they leave their own bodies in the river! Carry out the order!"

On March 20th, just as Grand Prince Nicholas had planned, the most intense artillery barrage since the start of the war erupted in the direction of Silistra. Hundreds of Russian heavy artillery pieces roared deafeningly, pouring steel and fire onto the Ottoman positions, as if trying to wipe the entire city off the map. Smoke and dust blotted out the sun.

(End of this chapter)