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Volume One: Fierce Battle in Changsha Chapter 372: Wait and See

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    On the 15th of the next day, the fleet sailed ten nautical miles and prepared to land. However, the strong wind and waves caused by the increasingly severe northwest wind forced Grant to abandon the landing plan.  Early on the morning of the 16th, the weather finally improved, and Grant ordered the start of the landing campaign.  The coalition forces are determined to win the Temple Street fortress. Although it still belongs to the Qing Dynasty in name, the Russians caused the Temple Street Massacre last year and slaughtered all the Chinese people in Temple Street. They began to occupy this place and build fortresses, defense facilities, docks and ports.  .  Here Muravyov entangled thousands of criminals, villains and adventurers who were exiled to Siberia to garrison here, together with the Second Siberian Infantry Regiment under the Russian Governor-General of Siberia.

    Since the Siberian Railway has not yet been built, if Russia wants to expand eastward, several rivers in China must be controlled. Heilongjiang is a large river in the northeast, and its outlet to the sea is even more important.

    Now Temple Street, located at the seaport of Heilongjiang, has become an important stronghold for Russia to transport troops from Heilongjiang. Therefore, the British and French coalition must capture this stronghold to prevent the Russians from continuing to send troops to other military ports.

    The ten battleships and cruisers in the leading fleet of the British and French forces quickly moved out of the queue, arranged in two rows on the sea, and began to bombard the Temple Street Fortress relying on their ultra-long artillery range.  Although Temple Street Fortress is called a fortress, the Russians have only managed it for a short time. It is just a fortress made of wood and stones. However, there are many trenches, sharpened stakes and other defenses around it. Grant does not think that the navy's  Artillery fire can completely make the Russians in the fortress surrender.

    After the bombardment went on for more than ten minutes, Grant used a telescope on the British flagship "Forban" to watch the effects of the bombardment. From the telescope, he saw about hundreds of Russian infantry being fired from preset positions covered with tree branches.  They rushed out. This preset position was well disguised, but it happened to be stuck on the only way to land.  Both Grant and Tan Shaoguang thought they should fire a few shots first, and they guessed that the Russians had set up an ambush here.

    The Russians who had been driven out by artillery fire were huddled in a mess, not knowing what to do. Some Russian soldiers turned around and ran back, while some wanted to rush to the beach. They didn't know what they were going to do. Grant decisively ordered to continue.  shelling.

    The fleet's artillery fire did not stop. After clearing several Russian artillery positions, it turned to shelling these Russian soldiers who looked like headless flies.  Although they were far away, Grant still saw many of them being blown into the sky.

    After confirming that all suspicious targets had been bombarded, Grant ordered Tan Shaoguang to lead the infantry, artillery and cavalry of the Taiping Army to begin landing one after another. The first batch of landing troops included 400 Taiping Army infantry and four engineer platoons.  Two platoons of paramedics.  Out of caution, Grant kept the bulk of the force on board.  Tan Shaoguang insisted on ordering senior generals from all branches of the military to follow the first batch of landing troops ashore.  He himself was among the first landing troops.

    At three o'clock in the afternoon, Tan Shaoguang got off the landing sampan and landed on a sandbank outside the Temple Street Fortress.  After rendezvousing with several officers who had landed earlier, intensive gunshots and explosions were heard not far away.

    Tan Shaoguang raised his telescope and looked over, and saw a company of infantry on the left wing exchanging fire with the enemy. The Russians still had some ambush that had not been exposed.  And there are some places where the Russians have planted mines

    Tan Shaoguang led several generals from the staff department to a commanding height, and then ordered the semaphore soldiers to send semaphores to the fleet, asking the fleet to clear the way for the infantry.  Then the engineers began to build colleagues on this commanding height as a defensive barrier after landing.  Some temporary facilities were set up, including a tent as a temporary headquarters.

    According to the guidance of the flag carriers, the fleet accurately delivered the artillery shells to the Russians. On the Russian position blocking the Taiping Army, the sound of gunfire began to become sparse, and then each company began to expand the landing area.

    Grant followed the third batch of landing troops to land on Temple Street. Originally he did not have to follow the Taiping Army to land, but he came anyway, which somewhat surprised Tan Shaoguang.

    After a hurried military salute, Grant raised his telescope to observe the situation ahead, and asked: "How is the battle going?"

    Tan Shaoguang pointed to the front right and said: "There are more than a thousand enemy infantry charging in this direction. They are just behind the side of the fortress. It is not easy for the fleet's artillery to hit them. My people should be able to withstand them."

    As soon as Tan Shaoguang finished speaking, an orderly soldier ran up to him panting. After saluting, he reported loudly: "The left sides of the Third Company and the Fourth Company were attacked by Lao Maozi. There were about hundreds of people charging. The Third Company and the Fourth Company were charging.  The fourth company is in a bit of trouble, please support us.¡±

    Grant was slightly taken aback: "There is still a Russian ambush on the left wing? It seems that Muravyov planned to severely damage our landing force early in the morning."

      Tan Shaoguang saw from the telescope a large group of Russian soldiers on the left side of the landing site swarming up with bayonets in hand. He said lightly: "I don't know how the Russians' bayonet skills are." At this point, he turned back and shouted sharply: "Tell the third company  and the Fourth Company, Lao Maozi wants to drive them back with bayonets, don¡¯t the rifles in their hands have bayonets besides bullets?!¡±

    The ordering soldier was stunned for a moment, without any hesitation, he immediately received the order loudly, turned around and quickly conveyed the order.

    Grant shrugged and said: "Tan, I think you should be more cautious. There are nearly 500 Russians coming to attack on the left wing. Your third and fourth companies only have more than 200 people. It is still difficult to deal with twice the enemy."  What's more, the Russian bayonets made even the elite French troops a little scared."

    Tan Shaoguang said calmly: "If my soldiers don't dare to face an enemy several times their size, I will not bring them here."

    Grant and several British and French officers around him were surprised. The Russian bayonet tactics were indeed very powerful. They knew this from the Crimean War. Grant said in a deep voice: "Tan, I admire your courage.  But the left wing of the landing field cannot be breached, otherwise our sacrifices and efforts today will be in vain."

    Tan Shaoguang didn't say anything. It wasn't until the loud sound of charging horns sounded from the positions of the 3rd and 4th companies that he slowly said: "General Glatt, let's wait and see."

    Grant looked through the binoculars and saw more than two hundred Taiping soldiers wearing their strange grass-green camouflage uniforms lined up in a straight line, like a long, thin green line.  The width was equal to that of the swarming Russians. As the muskets in their hands fired the last bullet, the Russians were already close at hand.  Then the Russian soldiers in gray military uniforms collided hard with the thin grass-green line. The blood splashes and bright sounds caused by the collision of the sharp bayonets were instantly dazzling, and Grant's breathing began to quicken.

    Although the Russians are taller, the Taiping Army's bayonet skills seem to be faster, more ruthless, and more accurate, and they can always maintain two or three people to cooperate in bayonet melee combat, which is very difficult for the Russians.  Grant also discovered that these Russians did not seem to be regular Russian troops, but just temporary troops formed by Muraviov. They were mostly composed of exiled criminals, villains, and unemployed people.  It cannot be compared with the Russian elite.

    So the battle turned to the side of the Taiping Army from the beginning. Although the Russians had courage, the courage of the Taiping Army seemed to be stronger. The thin grass-green line was never broken through, but was developing towards the two wings of the Russian charge line.  The Taiping Army actually wanted to eat this Russian army?

    Grant¡¯s doubts became a reality half an hour later. This Russian stormtrooper force of less than 500 people was completely annihilated by the Taiping Army.  Only a few dozen people fled back.  The rest either died in battle or knelt down to beg for mercy and became prisoners.  The losses of the Taiping Army seemed to be only a fraction of the Russian losses, with only dozens of casualties.

    The landing of subsequent landing troops made Tan Shaoguang's landing site more stable and expanded. After dark, the Taiping Army had completed the siege of the Temple Street Fortress.

    Until this moment, Grant felt relaxed and did not return to the ship.  Instead, he chose to stay in Tan Shaoguang's tent.

    Tan Shaoguang gave Grant a cup of green tea. The tea leaves are roasted and can be drunk with hot water.  After the teacup was delivered to Grant, Tan Shaoguang smiled and said, "General Grant. Sorry, we don't have coffee here."

    Grant took the tea cup and said with a smile: "Green tea is also my favorite, but I thought you would give me a glass of wine."

    Tan Shaoguang said: "I did not ask the quartermaster to distribute the wine and liquor you gave us. As you know, our military regulations and teachings do not allow drinking, at least not on the battlefield."

    Grant shrugged his shoulders and said: "That's a pity. I think sometimes soldiers need to drink some wine to relax. But I admire your devotion to God. You are as abstinent as the Puritans. Look at my few  He must be a priest accompanying the army. They were very drunk last night, which is really outrageous."

    Tan Shaoguang smiled and said nothing. Grant asked: "What are you going to do with the wine? If you don't need it and can return it to the coalition quartermaster, I will distribute it to other soldiers."

    Tan Shaoguang touched his chin and smiled: "General Grant, do you still have the habit of bringing back the things you sent out? These things are already our supplies, and I will handle them properly."

    Grant didn¡¯t care. Since it had been sent out, he was too embarrassed to ask for it back.  Tan Shaoguang asked curiously: "General Grant, I am very curious about how you will land ashore. I remember that when you landed, the landing site was not safe. We may be driven into the sea by the old man at any time."

    ?Grant smiled and said: "We are the coalition forces. As the commander of the coalition forces, I am not used to commanding from behind. At the same time, I also trust your ability." Here Grant said jokingly: "Although the British and French did not send marines to land.  We will fight side by side with you ashore, but British and French officers will follow you ashore. The poem Jiuel said before departure is his true voice. We are all soldiers and love fighting. So a few of our officers are here to accompany you.  Win together, or be trampled to death by those Cossack cavalry."

    After finishing speaking, Tan Shaoguang and Grant laughed together. After laughing for a while, Grant said meaningfully: "I have seen your courage and ability, and I sincerely hope that one day we will meet on the battlefield. But if  Will there really come a time when we will admire each other?¡±

    After Tan Shaoguang was silent for a moment, he smiled and said: "I will definitely do it, the admiration among soldiers!" (To be continued, please search Piaotian Literature, the novel will be better and updated faster!
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