The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

The Russian skirmish line continued to advance, but the field army had received orders that the entire army must remain calm and make sure to fight the Russian army at close range. Taking advantage of the Russian army's carelessness, they must completely annihilate this enemy force and eliminate as much of the Russian army's vitality as possible.

Watching the approaching Russian troops and listening to the minimal casualties reported from the front, Zhang Feng's confidence in holding Kulun increased. Zhang Feng knew that the Kulun Fortress's defense system was personally proposed and designed by Chairman Zhang Yinghao. He remembered hearing Chairman Zhang's lectures on fortress defense during his military academy training. Seeing the current situation, memories of those lectures resurfaced uncontrollably.

"If we march into Mongolia, we must establish a fortified city as a stronghold, otherwise we risk failure. Defense isn't simply a few fortresses, but an entire system. I haven't studied fortress defense warfare, so I can only share a few scattered insights. As a reminder of history, fortress defense in the past relied on standing high and seeing far. However, with the advancement of the times, artillery technology is advancing rapidly, and shells can easily reach ten kilometers or even further. With such a tall watchtower, the enemy can enter a blind spot, or even fire from beyond your line of sight. A single barrage can destroy the fortress. Furthermore, the advent of airships and airplanes has enabled aerial reconnaissance and strikes. It's safe to say that due to the advent of aircraft, 90% of the old fortresses have lost their original function..."

Therefore, the most important thing for future fortresses is the word "low" and concealment. I put a pile of turtle shells on the ground. If the reinforced concrete is one meter thick or even thicker, we will not open fire unless the enemy is within the range where we can definitely kill them. Think about how to break through such turtle shells. Moreover, such turtle shells echo each other and support each other to form a system. As long as a heavy machine gun is swung, it will be like a single man blocking the pass of ten thousand men. Even dozens of times the number of troops will be useless. Of course, this requires us to know how to scientifically arrange our firepower points. These firepower points must be distributed in echelons. The more concealed, the better, just like what is said in "The Art of War": Hidden under the nine earths, moving above the nine heavens..."

It can be said that Zhang Feng devoted most of his energy to the construction of this war fortress after arriving in Kulun. He had already been considering how to build the fortress since his arrival. Although Chairman Zhang Yinghao had provided blueprints and materials, everything depended on the actual conditions of Kulun. Therefore, Zhang Feng defined the Kulun Fortress as a "low" fortress, as Zhang Yinghao required. After a long period of construction, tens of thousands of troops worked tirelessly to dig tunnels, utilizing the limited iron plates they had on hand to build sturdy firing points and command posts. Tunnels connected the various positions, forming anti-artillery holes and hiding places, one after another. Now, they just had to wait for continuous feedback from the front line, and then adjust the layout of trenches and firing points during the intervals between battles. The ultimate requirement was that the field army must master the construction of fortresses.

Zhang Feng suddenly thought of what Chairman Zhang Yinghao had said about how to fight. He still remembered what Zhang Yinghao had said on the podium: "Small battles rely on tactics, while large battles require the correct strategy. Then, knowing both ourselves and the enemy is crucial. Just as important as knowing both ourselves and the enemy is seeking truth from facts. For those who don't understand seeking truth from facts, even if they attend military academies for a hundred years and analyze and study countless outstanding case studies, it will be useless. When we, the People's Liberation Army, fight, we don't focus on anything else except analyzing the enemy and our own struggle, analyzing the specific circumstances, and solving problems in a realistic way. That's all..."

Chapter 668:

Zhang Feng regained consciousness and looked around. Russian artillery fire had indeed destroyed many buildings, leaving them in ruins. However, these structures were merely targets left by the field army to confuse the Russians. The usable wood, bricks, and other materials within them had long been stripped clean. Furthermore, the Russian artillery couldn't completely cover Kulun, otherwise it would have been a real problem.

The Russian artillery fire had just ceased, and the smoke slowly dissipated. The Russian skirmish lines continued to advance cautiously. Soldiers observing the enemy immediately gave the signal, and those hiding in the anti-artillery holes immediately emerged, loaded their guns, and prepared for battle. Meanwhile, medical personnel quickly carried casualties from the Russian artillery fire to the rear on stretchers.

Everything was accomplished silently, and the battlefield was a rare scene of tranquility. The Russian attacking soldiers advanced, rifles drawn, firing at suspected enemy positions. Initially cautious, fearing bullets from the enemy, they approached the first trench more than 30 meters away. Surprisingly, the enemy remained silent, and the Russians finally relaxed. Remembering the terrifying bombardment, they all thought the enemy might have been completely destroyed, and that they had already abandoned the first trench. The Russians were ready to march across it with a swagger, declaring victory in their first battle.

The soldiers hiding in the trenches were motionless, not showing their heads at all, and just quietly felt the Russian army getting closer and closer to them. The Russian army was 100 meters away from the trench, and the soldiers did not receive the order to shoot; 50 meters away, no order; 40 meters away, still no order;

Until they were thirty meters away, there was still no order to shoot. However, at this moment, a gunshot was heard, and a Russian officer on the opposite side was shot in the head and fell down.

Zhang Feng happened to be looking in that direction and immediately knew the shot was from a sniper. He sighed inwardly, wishing the enemy had been brought a little closer. However, Zhang Feng didn't intend to blame the comrade. After all, he wasn't on the front lines and didn't have the same pressures the frontline soldiers faced.

The enemy was only thirty meters away from the trench. If the Russian army charged quickly, it would only take four seconds to reach the position. So at this time, thirty meters was a very close distance for the field army. It was a very dangerous distance. At such a close distance, even a woman could throw a grenade into the enemy's line.

"shooting!"

In fact, the sound of gunfire was an order. After receiving the order, the soldiers immediately aimed their guns and moved their fingers to the trigger. Then, the three points formed a straight line, put the Russian army in the crosshairs, and pulled the trigger.

Although the Russians were well-trained, and the sight of one of their own men falling caused all nearby Russian troops to drop to the ground, it was still too late. At a distance of thirty meters, the vast majority of Russian troops were cut down by a single gunshot before they could even fall. The snipers and sharpshooters in particular were particularly effective, their results being truly spectacular, as they mowed down every heavy machine gunner and officer within range. The field army then launched another round of fire, and without their officers to command, the Russians were completely routed. The remaining Russians immediately fled, and the result was self-evident: they were all annihilated by the field army. Perhaps a few Russians feigned death, but this exploratory attack effectively wiped out the Russian army.

People are so strange. If the Russians had immediately charged after the field army opened fire, they would surely have been able to break into the trenches and engage in bayonet fighting. However, the reality was that after the field army opened fire, the Russians' first reaction was not to attack, but to lie down and engage the field army. This was a wrong choice, and the Russian attack was doomed to failure. Of course, even if the Russians had suddenly rushed into the trenches and engaged the field army in a bayonet fight, no matter how large and strong the Russians were or how good their bayonet fighting was, they would still be beaten to death by the field army. There was no other outcome, unless the Russians were clever enough to surrender in time. However, there was only one chance to lure the Russians into such close range before firing, and there might not be many more chances to kill them like target practice.

After quickly dealing with the attacking Russians, the soldiers, before they had time to clean up the battlefield, retreated to their artillery holes again under the orders of the frontline commanders. The soldiers knew that the Russian officers, seeing their own soldiers being slaughtered, would be filled with disbelief and anger, and would undoubtedly launch another retaliatory artillery attack on the field army positions. If they didn't hide immediately, they would become cannon fodder.

As expected, the Russian officers, seeing the results of the battle, were furious and immediately ordered the artillery to open fire again. The intensity of the artillery fire even exceeded the previous bombardment. In fact, this was just a subconscious reaction of the Russian officers. If the first bombardment had no effect, then would the second bombardment be effective? Of course, everyone knows that as long as the shells are large enough, there is no fortress that cannot be broken. However, the Russian army attacking Kulun obviously did not have such conditions.

There's a key issue with artillery fire during offensive and defensive battles: the difference between firing first and firing later, or even firing first and firing later. Sun Tzu's Art of War states: "Once a long-hidden artillery or heavy machine gun fire point is exposed, the enemy will inevitably find ways to eliminate it. Ultimately, the best outcome is to fire first at the enemy's fire point." On the battlefield, if the enemy's artillery position is known, it's natural to fire first, taking out the enemy's artillery before the enemy does, minimizing losses while maximizing losses for the enemy.

If both sides are unsure of the specific position of the enemy's artillery, then whoever fires first will expose the position of their own artillery, and whoever fires later will have the advantage of aiming first. Because as long as the enemy fires first, the position of the artillery will be exposed. After the enemy calculates the position of the enemy's artillery, they can directly launch an artillery attack to blow up the enemy's artillery position. By the time the enemy calculates the position of their own artillery through artillery shells, it may be too late. Artillerymen and heavy machine gunners are not soldiers, but technical soldiers. Without the corresponding training and culture, they are not qualified to take on the task. Once they are lost, there is no way to replenish them in the short term. If the enemy's artillery is blown up or the artillery is eliminated, then the war is half won.

So, just as the Russian artillery bombardment ended and the infantry attacked, the field army's artillery also began to show its strength. Zhang Feng also knew that this opportunity would only come once, so all the artillery and cannons in Kulun were concentrated and used together. As soon as the Russian artillery bombardment ended, the artillerymen immediately took up their positions and prepared to fire. Artillery scouts estimated the coordinates of the Russian artillery based on the trajectory of the Russian artillery fire and the smoke data obtained by the observers.

After finding the approximate coordinates of the Russian artillery position, the artillerymen immediately adjusted the artillery parameters. At a command, two shells were fired and the shells left the barrel and flew towards the Russian artillery position.

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”

When the sharp whistling sound appeared overhead, the Russian artillerymen's faces turned pale and they all wanted to run away. At this time, the Russian artillerymen looked down on the Chinese artillerymen and were even more careless. The artillery positions were piled high with shells and propellant. If they were bombarded at this time, the consequences could be imagined.

“Boom! Boom!”

Two shells landed in quick succession on the Russian artillery position. Luckily, one shell only knocked out a few Russian artillerymen and overturned a 76.2mm field gun. The other shell landed among a pile of shells, causing them to explode. The simultaneous detonation of dozens of shells was no small matter, and it directly caused the entire artillery position to be overturned.

When the smoke cleared, the entire artillery position was a shambles, with torn bodies strewn everywhere. A massive crater sat in the center. As for the cannon, it was completely destroyed, its barrel twisted into a knot in the explosion.

After the two rounds of test firing were completed, and the impact point was in the predicted position, the artillery commander had no more time to waste and immediately gave the order to fire again. In an instant, hundreds of artillery pieces roared in unison, and the shells streaked through the air towards the Russian positions. In an instant, the Russian artillery positions were filled with noise, and the bombing was immediately horrific.

"Damn it! Let our artillery suppress those yellow monkeys' cannons!" Lieutenant General Ivanovich's face turned pale at the sight of the Kulun artillery's patience. He had originally assumed that such a backward army as the Qing wouldn't have artillery, or only had a few, and that the Russian bombardment would have destroyed the city's artillery long ago. Then, the Russians would use their powerful artillery to directly blast through the field army's defenses. However, from the very beginning, the field army's artillery displayed extreme forbearance and formidable strength, which made Lieutenant General Ivanovich realize that the course of the battle seemed to have completely deviated from his expectations.

"General, our army is calculating the parameters of the enemy's artillery positions. Moreover, the enemy's artillery is extremely powerful, and our artillery has suffered heavy losses." The artillery commander said with a bitter face.

The field army's artillery now used a new type of nitroglycerin/cotton smokeless powder developed in-house, which greatly improved the range and power of its shells, surpassing the range and power of Russian shells. Of course, the field army's artillery positions were only limited by Kulun at this time. Otherwise, if they were engaged in a field battle, the field army's artillery would be out of range of the Russian artillery, leaving the Russian artillery helpless! That would be truly despair!

"Damn it! No matter what, organize an artillery counterattack immediately."

Lieutenant General Ivanovich couldn't help but curse inwardly.

However, the Field Army had no intention of taking advantage of the situation. It was an indisputable fact that the overall quality of the Field Army's artillery was not as good as that of the Russian Army. Therefore, after gaining the upper hand, the artillery immediately evacuated the artillery and moved the positions before the Russian artillery locked onto their positions, leaving only empty artillery positions. Then, the artillery began to engage in guerrilla warfare with the Russian artillery.

However, the Russians didn't stop bombarding for long before immediately relocating their artillery positions. It wasn't that Lieutenant General Ivanovich didn't want to continue, but rather that the enormous losses and logistical pressure were too much for him to bear! Even in this short period of bombardment by the field army, the Russians had already lost over seventy artillery pieces, and the loss of shells was incalculable. If this continued, it wouldn't be long before their artillery was completely depleted. How could they continue the battle then?

After the bombardment, the Russian infantry, already prepared, launched another offensive. The 8th Russian Division under Lieutenant General Ivanovich attacked the field army's positions. Tens of thousands of Russian troops surged toward the field army's positions like a gray tide.

At this point, the Russians were focused on a breakthrough, perhaps also testing the field army's firepower. Therefore, they didn't launch a full-scale, decisive attack on the field army. The Russians' offensive was simple, brutal, and fearless. Soldiers died like animals on the battlefield, like crops—harvested and ready to grow again the next year—without any fear.

“Artillery fire!”

Seeing the massive Russian attack, the field army's field artillery opened fire. A barrage of shells whistled down upon the Russians. The offensive and defensive battle between the two sides had now officially entered a fierce stage. The earlier tricks of manipulating people's hearts had largely lost their effectiveness. Now, the two armies officially entered a head-on confrontation of blood and fire, of flesh and will. Gun to gun, artillery to artillery, the battle officially began!

"Artillery fire! Get down!"

A Russian officer shouted loudly, and was the first to drop to the ground. But many of the remaining Russian soldiers stared around in bewilderment. The Russian army's numerous infantrymen generally came from the lower middle classes, many even being former serfs. Before joining the army, they had received virtually no education. Even after joining, they received little formal military training compared to Western European armies. Their marksmanship training was poor, and their overall quality was uneven; many had only learned how to fire a gun.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

Shells rained down from the sky, plunging into the crowd. Their immense power tore through the Russian soldiers, leaving gaps in the dense mass. Humanity seemed so fragile at that moment, easily ripped apart. The towering Russian soldiers now looked like fallen leaves in the autumn wind, effortlessly swept through the sky.

"Oh my God! Why are the bombardments of those yellow monkeys so fierce? What is going on?" Lieutenant General Ivanovich's face looked extremely ugly. The infantry division under his command had suffered heavy losses after being bombarded by hundreds of artillery pieces. It was obvious whether it could break through the field army's defense line.

"Damn it! Those yellow monkeys have at least three to four hundred cannons!" Lieutenant General Ivanovich said with certainty. He made this assumption because the field army's 75mm field guns had a much faster rate of fire, much faster than the Russian 76.2mm field guns. Therefore, he assumed the field army was equipped with a lot of cannons. Of course, the rate of fire of these shells was still no match for the rate of fire of mortars!

"Attack, run faster. Damn it, run faster!" the Russian officers urged.

When they encountered the fierce artillery bombardment of the field army, they could only attack desperately, only in this way could they quickly break out of the field army's artillery range. The field army's field artillery did not bombard for long before slowly stopping and immediately moving their positions. Otherwise, if they were locked in by the Russian artillery, they would be destroyed and killed immediately.

When the Russian army finally broke out of what they thought was the artillery range, the infantry division paid the price of at least a thousand people. This was because their attacking formation was relatively sparse, otherwise, the price they paid would be even greater.

“Mortars, fire!”

Before the Russians could even breathe a sigh of relief, the various mortars deployed on the battlefield opened fire. An infantry regiment was equipped with only a few dozen mortars of various calibers. The mortars had a slow firing rate, and they were aimed at the areas where the Russians were concentrated. This was done to conserve ammunition and to train the artillery.

Although these mortars were not as powerful as field artillery, they were maneuverable and flexible, and if necessary, their rate of fire was faster than that of field artillery, which allowed many Russian soldiers to experience what it meant to be raining bullets.

Chapter 669:

The field artillery did not mind the trouble at all. Of course, it was also fortunate that the field artillery was easy to march. The artillery could fire two or three shots in one place and then immediately move to another position.

The Russian artillery immediately opened fire to suppress the field army's artillery fire. Firing too many rounds in one place is very dangerous. Now is not the time for a decisive battle, and the artillery can only fight guerrilla warfare with the Russian army.

The Russians were indeed fierce. Under fire, they finally closed in at a distance of 400 meters. To conserve ammunition, the field army allowed the Russians to continue their advance. Soon, the Russians were only 200 meters away from their positions. At this point, the pressure on the soldiers intensified, and casualties mounted. The field army's sharpshooters and snipers could no longer remain silent, emerging from their shelters and slowly opening fire.

At this point, while the field army still prioritized killing officers, they didn't deliberately shoot them. They knew that if the Russians discovered their positions, they would inevitably be bombarded. A shooter's flesh and blood couldn't withstand the powerful artillery fire. Therefore, like the artillerymen, the shooters had to change their positions immediately after firing a few shots before being targeted by the Russians.

However, at this time, the hidden firepower points have not yet opened fire, and the heavy machine guns are just quietly waiting for orders. The firing of these firepower points must be done at a good distance. If they are too close, they will easily be destroyed by the enemy, and if they are too far away, the effect will be poor.

The Russian army felt that the firepower of the opposite field army stopped instantly. They thought that the field army was ready to abandon the first line of resistance. The Tsar's gray beasts let out a deafening roar.

“Hurrah! Hurrah!”

The Russian army drew closer, finally reaching the barbed wire. They looked down on this thin wire. How could anyone believe it could stop a large army? They had no tools to cut the wire. Bayonets were useless. An engineer's shovel might work, but with eight or nine wires, what good would it do to cut just one? They also refused to bother cutting or pushing down the wooden stakes. The stakes were large and deep, so shaking them with hands or kicking them was useless. Bayonets simply couldn't cut through them quickly.

The Russians were blocked by the barbed wire, unable to quickly resolve it. The Russians behind them pushed them forward, leaving them with no other options but to swarm in through the gaps in the fence. Some were even squeezed against the barbed wire, with the wire digging into their flesh. The other soldiers continued to squeeze them, causing them to scream in agony.

The Russians pushed and drilled in the gaps in the barbed wire, crowding each other, and the command system was completely chaotic. Many Russians also realized the seriousness of the situation and tried to flee immediately, but the crowd could only continue to move forward according to the flow of people.

The Russian army rushed towards the position with rifles in hand. Looking at the approaching Russian army, the officers and soldiers in the unscathed front-line command post gave orders with binoculars in hand.

"Heavy firepower on the front lines can open fire at the appropriate time. Be careful to seize the opportunity and conserve ammunition!"

Seeing the Russian troops only a few dozen meters away, the thatch covering the firing point was removed. At a distance of a few dozen meters, it was like watching those Russian troops coming to block the gun hole. The soldier who was about to shoot suddenly showed a twisted smile on his face, and then he saw him release the safety and pull the trigger.

Facing the huddled enemy, the slaughter began. A bullet, blasted out of the muzzle with immense kinetic energy, effortlessly pierced through the human body, severing blood vessels and shattering bones. Then, the bullet, exiting one Russian soldier's body, flew into another. Blood splattered, mutilated limbs, and white brain matter covered the ground.

Facing the Russian attack, the Russian army was greeted by the non-stop shooting of heavy machine guns in the firing points. The ordinary soldiers of the field army in the anti-artillery caves immediately rushed to the somewhat broken positions and fired at the Russian army with five-round magazine rifles. When the Russian army was closer, grenades were immediately used.

The Russian army could indeed, even if it suffered an unexpected head-on blow, the Tsar

The gray animals did not collapse, or rather, they did not have the conditions to collapse, because they were trapped in the barbed wire, and the Russian army behind them continued to attack forward.

Barbed wire fences on both sides prevented them from escaping. Some Russian soldiers had no choice but to follow the instincts honed by brutal training: they lay down, reloaded, and fired. Their bravery was truly commendable, but their bravery in such an exposed location was a bit foolish.

Through the telescope, Zhang Feng watched as the Russians were being cut down one by one. Those lucky enough to still be lying on the battlefield lay alone in the pile of dead and wounded, even weeping as they continued to fire until their own bullets sent them to their doom. Even more tragic were the Russians who, attempting to escape, became entangled in the barbed wire, their screams piercing the air. Zhang Feng's skin crawled as he thought of the barbed wire. Just imagining how painful it must have been!

For an adult, a distance of tens or even hundreds of meters would only take a dozen or even a few seconds to cover. However, on the battlefield, this distance would be unattainable. The Russian soldiers were simply not used to the field army's fighting style. They fell to the ground in rows, like wheat being cut, and for the time being, they could not threaten the field army's position at all.

The crossfire from the powerful heavy machine guns of the field army was like the straw that broke the camel's back, completely crippling the attacking Russian infantry division. Even the most elite troops couldn't withstand the heavy losses, let alone this ordinary Russian infantry division.

The Russian offensive didn't last long, and the Russians behind them quickly reacted and began a frantic retreat. Aside from some Russians hanging like sausages on the wire or collapsing, the rest of the Russians immediately fled through the gaps in the wire. However, with heavy machine guns having an effective range of 1,000 meters, where could they flee? The field army's firepower simply followed the fleeing Russians and kept them in their positions, firing relentlessly.

The Russian troops on the position felt like mice trapped in a bamboo tube, or like they were completely exposed to the sun. There was no shadow to hide. They could only despair and run around like headless flies in a net, but they could never escape. In the end, they could only be killed in despair by the field army.

The massacre lasted less than half an hour, but the results were remarkable. Except for a few Russian soldiers at the back who escaped, almost no Russian soldiers who rushed into the barbed wire could escape this net of death. The battlefield was littered with dead and wounded, and most of them were corpses with their heads facing outward and their backs facing up.

Just as the staff were overjoyed, Zhang Feng put down his binoculars and said calmly, "Immediately withdraw the troops from the position and relocate the exposed heavy firepower points immediately. I'm afraid the Russians will bombard again!"

Zhang Feng's guess was correct, or perhaps it was a fact that the soldiers on the front lines could all predict. Just as the excited soldiers retreated to their shelters, the Russian artillery resumed its fierce barrage. This time, the Russians no longer considered engaging the rogue artillery of the field army, but instead bombarded the field army's first line of defense. The Russians particularly targeted previously exposed firing points. Several bunkers, already lacking reinforced concrete, collapsed under the Russian artillery fire.

However, Zhang Feng didn't know if it was his illusion. The war had only been going on for less than a day. This round of artillery fire not only did not make him feel explosions everywhere like the previous round, but instead made him feel the hysteria of the Russian front-line commander opposite.

Chapter 670: First update!

Modern warfare is brutal. In such a large-scale charge, the Russian army suffered heavy casualties. Ivanovich was petrified and numb.

Facts had proven that on such a large battlefield, it was absolutely possible for a large-scale attack to result in the loss of an entire brigade or even more. The battlefield had proven this to be true, but he couldn't accept it in his heart. Even if the enemy's position was impregnable, logically speaking, with so many people attacking together, a single blow from each soldier could flatten it!

At this moment, Ivanovich could only hopelessly look at the field army's position through his telescope. However, from beginning to end, apart from the firing points and the occasional crowd of people, he didn't even see any field army soldiers completely exposed in his telescope. How cunning!

According to postwar Russian statistics, over 896 officers and 6,500 soldiers were killed or wounded during the offensive, representing 70% of the total attacking force. Furthermore, during the battle between the two sides, the Russian army was unable to adequately transport the wounded, resulting in a total loss of over 5,400 officers and soldiers. The field army, on the other hand, reported only 228 killed and 574 wounded. Furthermore, the field army's well-equipped military hospitals ensured that almost all injuries and illnesses could be treated. Therefore, while the 800 casualties did have a minor impact on the soldiers in Kulun, it was far from completely crippling the army's combat effectiveness.

An entire infantry division was crippled in a short period of time. This rate of loss far exceeded the Russian officers' expectations. The Russian offensive lasted less than two hours in total. Yet, an infantry division of over ten thousand men was crippled in those two hours. Over half the division's officers and soldiers were killed or wounded, and the remaining soldiers were in shock. Reinstating them to combat in the short term would be impossible. Clearly, this exploratory offensive launched by the Russian army had completely failed.

Ivanovich pretended to be calm and said, "It seems that those yellow monkeys are much more difficult to deal with than we expected. At least, their firepower is really as strong as my colleagues in the Far East Governor-General's District said..."

Never fight a battle without preparation. Ivanovich and his men had naturally learned from the Russian troops of the Far East Governorate that the field army was extremely powerful, especially its artillery and machine gun firepower, which was very powerful and flexible. At first, Lieutenant General Ivanovich had not taken this seriously, but now, he really dared not underestimate it anymore.

"This bone in front of us is not easy to chew, but we have no other choice now. We have finally arrived in Kulun. If we don't take Kulun, all our efforts will be in vain. Therefore, no matter how great the casualties are, we must take Kulun." said Lieutenant General Ivanovich.

The Russian casualties were indeed shocking to him. However, no matter how strong the field army was, no matter how heavy the Russian casualties were, he had no way out. Russia had to win this battle, and the Russian army had to capture Kulun. Otherwise, they would lose.

"An hour later, launch another attack! This time, not only from the front, but also from three other directions simultaneously. Our forces have an absolute advantage, and we can launch an all-out attack, striving to break through the field army's defenses in one fell swoop!"

Lieutenant General Ivanovich felt that since the field army was fully prepared, the Russian Empire's army would no longer make a single breakthrough, but would launch a full-scale siege. He did not believe that Kulun could not be captured in this way.

He still had over 200,000 Russian troops behind him, while the city of Kulun had only a few tens of thousands of troops. The Russians held a clear advantage in terms of manpower. As long as they attacked from all sides, he believed he couldn't find a loophole in the field army. Once they found one, the capture of Kulun would be just around the corner. He believed that if the Russians could penetrate the enemy's position, the enemy forces would collapse like dominoes.

“Yes, General!”

The generals all received the order, and then filed out one after another, organizing their troops and preparing for another attack.

After the "tons, tons, tons" bombardment ended, the Russian army launched another attack. The second attack was just a replica of the first attack. The only difference was that the Russian army was more tenacious this time and persisted longer. Of course, the losses were also more severe.

After repelling the Russians for another half hour, the Russians launched another offensive. First, they launched a barrage of artillery fire. However, under the suppression of the field army's firepower, the Russian artillery bombardment did not achieve much success, but instead lost a lot of artillery and artillery.

The Russian artillery bombardment had barely ended when over 20,000 Russian troops launched an assault on Kulun from four directions. Even with insufficient artillery fire from the other three directions, the Russian attack remained fierce, a relentless fight. However, the Russian attack remained ineffective. Facing the field army's circular fortifications centered on Kulun, no matter which direction they attacked, they were met with fierce firepower.

“Da-da-da!”

A heavy machine gun fire point suddenly opened fire, and under the machine gun's barrage, more than a dozen Russian soldiers fell to the ground. However, the heavy machine gun bullets had to be conserved, so they stopped firing after just a few moments.

The Russian army, which had been suppressed, took advantage of this gap and launched another attack. However, just a dozen seconds later, the heavy machine gunner pulled the trigger again and began to fire again. The Russian army was suppressed again and was forced to lie on the ground, unable to advance or retreat.

"boom!"

A crisp gunshot rang out, and a thumb-sized bullet hole appeared on the forehead of a Russian second lieutenant, who collapsed to the ground. Three hundred meters away, a field army sniper was already searching for his next target.

The value of the field army's snipers on the battlefield was fully demonstrated at this moment. Working in teams of two or three, they were like the Grim Reaper wielding his scythe, furiously reaping the unsuspecting Russian officers. Like ghosts, they also caught the enemy off guard. To avoid exposing themselves, they rarely attacked ordinary soldiers directly. Their targets were often more valuable targets like low-ranking enemy officers or heavy machine gunners. As for the ordinary soldiers, they were better left to the ordinary soldiers.

“Da da da!”

Dense bullets hit the field army's trench bunkers, and several soldiers who were firing at the Russian army with their rifles quickly lowered their heads.

"The Russians' heavy machine gun, requesting mortar support, destroy this heavy machine gun!" shouted a sergeant squad leader.

Less than 400 meters away from the field army's position, a Russian heavy machine gun that had been moved up with great difficulty was firing frantically from behind the bunker. With the suppression of the heavy machine gun's firepower, the Russian soldiers were crouching and charging forward.

The platoon's 60mm light mortar immediately adjusted and aimed at the heavy machine gun.

"Two rapid shots, fire!"

"Bang, bang!" Two loud explosions were heard one after another, and two shells flew out of the muzzle at high speed, whistling towards the location of the heavy machine gun. By this time, the gunner had gained a lot of experience. Combining theory and practice, he could hit whatever he pointed at.

“Boom! Boom!”

Two explosions were heard. The first shell missed its target, missing slightly. However, the scattered shrapnel killed the Russian heavy machine gunner. The second shell hit the target, shattering the heavy machine gun into pieces. Without the heavy machine gun's cover, the field army soldiers could easily slaughter the charging Russian soldiers.

The Russians launched a fierce offensive to capture Kulun as quickly as possible, pushing the Battle of Kulun to a climax from the outset. The Russians attacked from all sides of Kulun, forcing the field army to deploy troops on all sides. Fortunately, the field army's previously constructed fortifications proved extremely effective. Simply deploying a single regiment in one direction, with the help of those fortifications, was enough to effectively withstand the Russian attack. Although the Russians' attacking force outnumbered the field army several times, they were still severely damaged by the field army's sturdy fortifications and ample firepower.

However, the Russian army also made full use of its superior force. Since the attack began in the morning, the Russian army's offensive has basically not stopped. They have enough troops to rotate, so the officers and soldiers of the field army have to keep fighting.

Both sides were adjusting their pace, especially the field army. To help the soldiers adapt to the battlefield as quickly as possible and reduce casualties, Zhang Feng had now opened up the supply of ammunition, but at this time, it was even more important to conserve ammunition. After all, even if the stockpile was large, it could not be wasted, but rather it must be used to its maximum effect.