Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 201



Only Noblemtl

#201. In the Curtain of Night (1)

“Haha, he is young, but everyone follows him. He is a capable commander and can command a large army. Major General Roman Kondrachenko also greatly acknowledged him. The fortified positions he created in South Pyongan Province will serve as forward positions to protect Lushun and Dalian, and Vice-Minister Kim Si-hyuk will control them.”

“Hmm···.”

He still didn’t like it, but he had no choice but to let it go, thinking that it must have been because of Lieutenant General Kim In-su’s explanation. After all, he was not in a position to blame the personnel of the command of a foreign army as he was just a commander, and it was more urgent to stop the Japanese army that was advancing at once.

“Our forces in Pyeongan Province currently have three regular brigades, one cavalry regiment, one infantry regiment, and two independent artillery battalions. Oh, and there’s also the reserve mixed cavalry regiment that I command.”

“Hmm, but your troops are smaller than I thought.”

“But the reserve forces are also being assembled. More than 50,000 troops are expected to be assembled, and they will be deployed at each defensive line. And your army, the troops you brought with you now are not all of them, are they?”

“Well, that’s right. If you combine the 3rd East Siberian Rifle Division, the 6th East Siberian Rifle Division, and the Aichun and Cheetah Regiments, that’s going to be 16,000 men in three months.”

I saw the long-range guns of three brigades, labeled the 4th, 5th, and 7th Guards Brigades, all deployed south of Pyongyang.

Although it seemed so small compared to the Japanese army’s forces, Lieutenant General Kim In-su looked confident.

“The enemy won’t know much about us. They’ll think they’ve cornered us and will push even harder.”

“It already looks that way. They’re all crowded towards the northern end of the country.”

“But they are mistaken about one thing. Our grandfathers and ancestors resisted even more fiercely the more they did so. Resistance to foreign powers is the right and proud tradition of the people of this country. They would rather fight stubbornly and die than surrender. Especially the people of this region.”

In response to Major General Mischenko’s words, Chief of Staff Kim In-su clenched his baton and spoke.

“And the support of your troops will be a tremendous boost to our ardent resistance and courageous struggle. No, it doesn’t matter if they are only a small number to begin with. The fact that the Russian Empire is fighting alongside us, and its very existence, will be a tremendous deterrent to our enemies.”

“What exactly do we need help with?”

Director Misenko now wondered what these Koreans were thinking. They were so belligerent even when their country was on the brink of destruction. It was a stark contrast to the stories he had heard ten years ago about the lazy people of the Far East.

And, the words of Chief Inspector Kim In-su that followed were more than enough to make him feel better.

“The role of the Russian Imperial Army should be to be… the spear of St. George for our Korean Empire, which bears the fate of Sevastopol.”

“The Spear of St. George? Explain it to me in a way that I can understand.”

“It is true. It was the spear wielded by Saint George that ended the life of the evil dragon.”

He spoke to Major Mischenko, carrying his luggage on his back.

“That is, your army must surprise the enemy together with us. While our army in the fortified positions bravely holds back the enemy, you must act as the spear of St. George and strike the enemy at their weakest point.”

Looking at the map, he pointed to places already designated as major battlefields. There were three main routes to Pyongyang.

One route was toward Songnim, the other was through Hwangju and into Junghwa. Next to it was the Jinnampo route, which crossed the Taedong River and led directly to the west of Pyongyang.

The Japanese army had used all of these passages during the Sino-Japanese War, and they would do the same this time.

“The enemy will capture Pyongyang in the shortest possible time and advance towards Manchuria. And from their perspective, this place is an extremely attractive place.”

He continued his explanation slowly to Major Mischenko.

“Our defense line is also designed to face this route of advance. However, there are spaces where the enemy and we can bypass. For example, there is Nampo across the Taedong River tributary, or the Pyongyang flank leading to Pyongsan and Koksan.”

“Are you saying we should take charge of this place?”

“I’ll have to discuss the details with the commissioner, but he’ll probably tell you something similar. Your country’s highly mobile army should be able to strike down the enemy with ease.”

Major Mischenko could clearly see his intentions.

The East Siberian Infantry Divisions he commanded were barely enough to be called divisions.

This is because the 3rd East Siberian Infantry Division had only 5,200 men in total, and the 6th East Siberian Infantry Division had only 5,400 men, which was 200 more.

Artillery was also insufficient. There were only 24 artillery pieces directly supporting the 16,000 troops. The number of South Korean artillery pieces deployed in Pyeongan Province was more than twice as many.

Instead, they were made up of powerful cavalry units. Thanks to the Cossack cavalry as the main force, their mobility far exceeded that of regular infantry units, and the additional Cheetah and Aigun regiments were also close to cavalry units made up entirely of Cossacks.

“I look forward to your role as the strongest reserve force. Oh, and of course, the mixed cavalry regiment that I am currently forming will also move with you. It is so much fun to imagine cavalry lances and cavalry swords flying at the buttocks of the Japanese.”

Chief Kim In-su said with a hearty laugh.

“I don’t know what the time we spend will mean to you, but I hope it will at least be fruitful.”

“Don’t worry about that. Our troops will soon be coming from the West in waves.”

I don’t know if that’s true, but I got the feeling that Major Mischenko at least didn’t want to take away these brave men’s hope.

It is not yet known whether it will be a day of judgment or a day of victory, but at least looking at the interest, I am relieved to think that it will not be an easy task.

***

“Those fucking kids.”

The fierce offensive on the third day began at 7:00 a.m. and ended just after 3:00 p.m.

The soldiers on both sides, who had not had a proper breakfast or lunch, returned to their original front lines exhausted, and the trenches and the entire front line were filled with casualties.

“The brigade commander has been killed. As the most senior commander, it is now your turn to command the brigade.”

“······.”

I thought I had tasted victory after repelling all my enemies, but the news I received was bitter.

As the perimeter between the 1st and 2nd Battalions was breached, the brigade command post was exposed to enemy assault, and in the process, the entire brigade commander and his staff, as well as key support units such as the signal corps, were virtually annihilated.

Fortunately, the search company held out tenaciously, and the two companies sent by the 3rd Battalion barely managed to arrive, preventing the front line from being divided in two.

It was fortunate that the annihilation phase was prevented at the point where the enemy most preferred, ‘moving, dividing, and annihilating the enemy.’

“If the enemies attack again, we will be helpless.”

“Commander, what should we do now?”

Many people were waiting to see the face of the 1st Battalion Commander and hear the words that would come out of his mouth.

It was up to him whether to fight further or to withdraw.

The 3rd Brigade won, but suffered too many losses to sustain.

Except for the 4th Battalion stationed in the Bupyeong area, each battalion suffered losses that required reorganization.

In particular, the damage to the 2nd Battalion was the most severe.

The enemy had infiltrated the battalion command post, and during the fierce battle, most of the battalion staff were killed or evacuated with injuries, making it impossible to carry out combat missions any further.

It was time to seriously consider whether to call up the 4th Battalion from Bu-pyeong or to switch battle lines with the 3rd Battalion, which had suffered relatively little damage at Mansusan.

“Commander, over there!”

When I looked down at someone’s shout, I saw an officer approaching along with a Japanese soldier holding a white flag. There were several other officers with him, as if he was a fairly high-ranking person who had come in person.

As the enemies approached, several soldiers immediately aimed their guns and shouted.

“Stop! Come any closer and I’ll shoot!”

“Our brigade commander would like to speak with your commander for a moment, so do not shoot!”

From far away, I could clearly hear our language.

The 1st Battalion Commander felt puzzled by the enemy’s desire to talk.

If they launch another offensive right now, they could completely destroy this seemingly solid defense line, but instead of doing that, they want to talk.

It was clear that something was not working out for them right now.

“This is Lieutenant Colonel Hwang Jun-seong, commander of the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Brigade. The brigade commander is busy preparing to destroy you guys, so if you have any business, speak to me directly!”

“We already know that your brigade commander has been killed. Are you the temporary commander? If so, come down. The brigade commander has something he wants to discuss with you!”

“shit.”

Lieutenant Hwang Jun-seong frowned. The enemy already knew that their commander had been killed.

“Don’t go. The enemies might be playing tricks.”

“That’s right. It’s better to avoid it now…”

“No, think about it the other way around. They know that our brigade commander died in battle. If they still want to talk, it means there’s something wrong. I’ll go out myself, so if something unexpected happens, you, the 1st Platoon Commander, will take responsibility for this place.”

After finishing speaking, he took only one man on duty and quickly descended the slope filled with casualties.

He felt as if the dying were grabbing his ankles, but he tried to ignore them and confidently walked towards the Japanese officers holding white flags.

The contrast between the Japanese officers in their splendid uniforms and swords and the Korean officers in their khaki uniforms soaked with blood, sweat, and gunpowder immediately after battle was striking.

The two sides saluted each other, and when the Japanese officer standing behind said something, the interpreter immediately began to tell the story.

“I am Heijiro Noda, appointed as an interpreter for the Imperial Japanese Army. Major General Kikoshi, the commander of the 23rd Brigade of the 12th Division, who is standing next to me now, has praised you and your troops for fighting with indescribable bravery in today’s battle.”

Noda Heijiro, his name is Japanese, but he looks like he is closer to a Korean.

In fact, it wasn’t a big deal. I heard that there were quite a few Koreans who had defected and were disguised as Japanese, and that there were quite a few who worked in that way.

“If anyone tries to annex Korea, we will respond resolutely. This is the natural thing to do as a military officer of a country, and it is not something to be praised.”

“Please listen to the end of the story. Our brigade commander would like to suggest a way to protect your precious lives and honor.”

“Life and honor?”

“I am asking for your honorable surrender. I will allow you to put down your weapons, but I will allow you to keep your pistols and sabers, which are symbols of your authority as an officer. If you hand over your defensive positions here and open the way to Gyeongseong, I will guarantee you a path to retreat.”