Chapter 511 Ah, the great powers! But, they seem too strong! (Please subscribe, please vote)

The rainy night in Avacha Bay was as dark as ink. The raindrops were carried by the strong wind from the Pacific Ocean and hit the ground like shotguns. The ground, which was already in the muddy stage, became muddy under the soaking of rain. Zuo Zongtang’s cowhide boots made a “gurgling” sound every time he pulled them up. He stood on the newly built observation tower and watched his soldiers laying bamboo fences shipped from Japan in the mud – this was Zuo Zongtang’s own ingenious method to deal with the mud. As long as a few more layers were laid, his soldiers could walk briskly in the mud.

“General, the Russian cavalry is less than 15 miles away!” The scout’s voice was chilled by the spring chill of Siberia. “There are about 300 to 400 cavalrymen, with their horseshoes wrapped in felt. There are also many infantrymen behind them, but it’s hard to see clearly. They are coming in the rain without torches!”

Yu Wanqing drew out the revolver from his waist and said, “Do you want me to bring the cavalry battalion to catch them off guard first, and then lure them into a trap?”

“No need,” Zuo Zongtang waved his hand. “The Russians are very proud and look down on us. Even if they knew we had built fortifications, they would still charge in! Your cavalry should save their strength and chase them when they are defeated and flee. Don’t let them escape back to the fortress.”

“Okay!” Yu Wanqing patted his chest, “Leave it to me!”

Zuo Zongtang turned around and looked at the construction site below. Thousands of shirtless Taiping soldiers were working like crazy. Under the light of whale oil torches, a U-shaped position made of logs was about to be completed. “Give each of the brothers two taels of shaodao to warm their bodies.” Zuo Zongtang said, “Tell them to work harder and finish the work within two quarters of an hour!”

Muravyov’s neat uniform was soaked by the raindrops, becoming wet, heavy and cold, sticking to his body, very uncomfortable. He suddenly reined in his horse. The Taiping Army camp in front of him was dead silent, which was a little abnormal. Half an hour ago, it was still flickering with the light of whale torches, as if it was busy. Why was it so quiet now?

“Your Excellency the Governor!” The vanguard cavalry reported, “A simple dock has been built at the foot of Camel Hump Mountain. It is now brightly lit and there seems to be a large ship docked there!”

These words made Muravyov’s pupils shrink suddenly. Are these Chinese crazy about infrastructure? It only took a few days to build a simple dock? This is troublesome. With a dock, they can quickly unload thousands of tons of supplies, not only food, ammunition and construction materials, but also 32-pound siege artillery and mountains of shells!

By then, the Russian army will not be able to sit quietly in the Petropavlovsk Fortress and wait to starve to death, but will have to endure bombardment every day!

Thinking of this, the Russian governor finally stopped hesitating, turned his horse around, stepped on the mud, and walked into a dense forest. In the woods, hundreds of Cossack cavalry, a reinforced infantry regiment, and four light artillery were quietly gathering. Several whale oil lamps emitted dim light, illuminating Muravyov’s particularly cold face.

“Boys, tonight is the time for us to defeat the despicable Eastern heretics!” Muravyov’s voice was low and powerful, and it was clearly heard by every Cossack cavalryman and Russian infantryman in the gaps between wind and rain. “We fight not only for the Tsar and Russia, but also for God! As long as we can destroy the Chinese winter camp, victory will belong to us! Charge in and kill them all. God is with us!”

“Hurrah! Hurrah!” The Russian soldiers shouted in unison. The sabers in the hands of the Cossack cavalry flashed coldly in the darkness, like a group of demons rushing out of hell. Following the order of their commander, Major General Vasily Zavoyko, hundreds of Cossack cavalry rushed out of the dense forest like a tide and rushed towards the silent camp of the Taiping Army. The sound of horse hooves sounded dully on the muddy land, splashing large pieces of mud.

More than 2,000 infantrymen formed five battalion columns that were very common in the Napoleonic War era. They carried four artillery pieces and marched in neat steps, accompanied by rhythmic drum beats. They stepped on the mud, lit torches, and drove out of the dense forest. Braving the cold Siberian rain, they followed the Cossack cavalry to advance.

Muravyov took out a diamond-encrusted cross and kissed it, then he rode on tall horses and walked at the end of the team with a dozen staff officers and guards.

“Don’t shoot, don’t shoot. Let the enemy get closer before you shoot! Make sure the enemy gets closer!” Han Yulin ran barefoot on the muddy bamboo fence with his trouser legs rolled up high, shouting orders. The Taiping officers and soldiers, shirtless and barefoot, soaked by the rain, set up their rifles wrapped in rainproof cloths one by one. Many of them also prepared long wooden spears with sharpened ends, stuck one end into the mud, and leaned the spear body against the breast wall made of wooden stakes.

The undulating figures of the Cossack cavalry were already visible to the naked eye, the rumbling sound of horse hooves was like sea waves, and the cheers of “Ura, Ura” were like the devil’s sound from hell, hitting everyone’s eardrums.

Han Yulin, a veteran of many battles, was unmoved. He strode straight to a 6-jin smoothbore cannon produced by the Shanghai Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau. There was a canopy on the cannon. Several artillerymen used their bodies to block the rain from the outside for the precious cannon, which had already been loaded with a shotgun shell. When they saw Han Yulin coming in, an artillery platoon leader reported to him loudly: “General Han, everything is ready!”

Han Yulin took a piece of linen and wiped the water off his face and arms. Then he picked up a torch from the brazier and strode behind the cannon. He gritted his teeth and said, “The whole army listens to this cannon. Only when it fires can others make such heavy rain. Can it really work?”

The artillery platoon leader puffed out his chest and said, “I guarantee with my head that I can hit the target with one shot!”

Zuo Zongtang stood in the rain on a wooden observation tower behind the U-shaped defense line and saw the surging attack waves of Russian cavalry and infantry. He couldn’t help laughing: “Great! Good timing!”

Before he finished speaking, there was a sudden roar of artillery fire from the front line, followed by a thunderous sound of gunfire from four or five thousand rifles!

“Boom.”

Zuo Zongtang immediately raised his telescope and cast his gaze towards the front line shrouded in rainy night!
Dense bullets were fired at the Cossack cavalrymen who were in the front. Because the firing distance was very close and it was a crossfire from the U-shaped position, the Taiping Army’s first attack had unprecedented lethality! In an instant, nearly 200 cavalrymen screamed and fell off their horses. Both the men and horses fell heavily in the mud, splashing muddy water. But the remaining Cossack cavalrymen did not retreat at all – in the rainy night, they did not know that their companions had been killed and wounded. They just continued their charge, stimulated by vodka and the belief of fighting for God.

In a blink of an eye, dozens of Cossacks in the lead, waving sabers and shouting, crossed the low wooden stake wall and crashed into the Taiping Army’s U-shaped position. The Taiping Army’s U-shaped position was very long, and the Cossack cavalry’s breakthrough point was on the right wing of the U-shaped position, not breaking through the entire right wing, but breaking through a small section of it.

Their sabers flashed coldly in the darkness, and every swing was accompanied by a scream and splattered blood!

The Taiping Army soldiers also put up a very tenacious resistance! Instead of loading ammunition in a hurry in the rainy night, they put bayonets on their rifles, or simply carried their rifles on their backs, picked up their long-prepared spears, and rushed towards the Cossack cavalry that broke through!

The shouts of “Kill the Russians! Go to heaven” and the cheers of “Ura! Ura” intertwined into the most cruel symphony.

A young Taiping soldier stabbed a Cossack cavalryman’s horse with his spear, hitting the latter’s chest. He himself was thrown away by the impact of the horse and fell heavily into the mud, losing consciousness. The Cossack on horseback jumped to the ground in time, waving his saber at another young Taiping soldier, but before his saber fell, a wooden spear pierced his chest first.

On the muddy battlefield, the two sides engaged in a fierce fight. Rainwater mixed with blood flowed on the ground, forming dark red streams.

“Charge in, charge in! Blow the charge horn, let the infantry go faster! Send a message to the right wing detachment, let them hold down the enemy’s center!” Muravyov stood in the stirrups, watching his cavalry crash into the right wing of the Taiping Army, and shouted excitedly. He also urged his infantry who were still struggling in the mud to fill in quickly.

At this time, whoever can send reinforcements in time will have the last laugh!
But who can run in the mud during the turbulent period?

“Hurry, hurry, follow me”

At the same time, on the bamboo fence road behind the Taiping Army’s U-shaped position, an entire battalion of Taiping Army was running shirtless and barefoot, panting heavily, and the fierce general Zhou Fengshan who led the team was still desperately urging them on.

But at this moment, a burst of gunfire rang out on their left!
Muravyov’s right-wing infantry had reached the firing position and was exchanging fire with the Taiping Army’s soldiers in the center. From time to time, stray bullets flew over the Taiping Army’s low wall and fell into the running soldiers, and screams rang out one after another.

“Don’t stop.” Zhou Fengshan knew that now was not the time to stop. “The medical soldiers stay to take care of the wounded, and everyone else move forward at full speed! Kill the Russians and go to heaven!”

“Kill the Maozi and go to heaven”

“Hurry up”

Standing on a high place, Zuo Zongtang was squeezing the telescope in his hand so hard that it was almost soaked. This was his first battle as a general of the Taiping Army, and his opponent was the extremely fierce Russian army!
For him, only by winning the war can he gain a foothold in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. For the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, only by winning the war can they prove that they are worthy of being a great power!
“Commander!”

Wang Kaihua, the camp manager, suddenly said with surprise: “The 32-pound cannon is ready!”

This is the huge cannon that was unloaded from the steam troop transport at the dock this afternoon!
“Good!” Zuo Zongtang said two “good”s in a row, “Pass the order to open fire! Open fire immediately, fire at the back of the Russians! And give the order to General Yu, let his cavalry attack immediately, rush to the back of the Russians!”

“Order!”

The messenger, who had been waiting impatiently, ran away!

“Boom boom boom”

Ten minutes later, the 32-pound cannon suddenly fired, and Yu Wanqing’s cavalry jumped out of the dense forest under the cover of the rainy night, while the Taiping Army soldiers led by Zhou Fengshan also rushed to the right wing of the U-shaped position.
The Taiping Army’s counterattack began!

On the deck of a British steam warship on the sea, Vice Admiral Stirling put down his telescope, exhaled lightly, and said to the French Rear Admiral beside him: “It seems that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom has proved itself. They are worthy of being among the great powers!”

French Rear Admiral Reim nodded: “Yes, they are a great power, the only great power in East Asia, Northeast Asia, and even the Pacific Ocean! Vice Admiral, don’t you think they are too strong?”

(End of this chapter)