Joseon Needs a Coup - Chapter 302
Only Noblemtl
#302. Russian SteamRoller (2)
-We are currently taking out the wounded soldiers from the division relief center and blocking their attacks. No matter what happens, hold on, and hold on. If you can’t hold on… I believe you will fully understand what I am saying.
“Can’t we also request reinforcements?”
-I’m sorry. The situation here isn’t very good either.
The 11th Regiment Commander barely managed to hold back his trembling breath as he heard such words coming from the division commander.
It seemed like the situation was no longer one that could be defended, nor was it one in which to do so.
In the end, the 11th Regiment of the 5th Division had no choice but to prove that it was doomed.
Either that or he had to retreat, but he did not dare to let the honor of his regiment fall to the ground.
Even during the Sino-Japanese War, it was better to fight bravely and die than to tarnish the honor of the 11th Regiment, which was the first to raise its flag at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Joseon.
Of course, at that time I was part of the mixed 9th Brigade.
“···Understood, Commander. It was an honor to serve you. The 11th Regiment will conduct a final assault on the Roske.”
-···I too am honored to have a subordinate like you. Let’s all meet at Yasukuni.
Now it was really over.
The 11th Regiment commander hung up the receiver, called the military guard, ordered them to burn the regimental flag, and gathered the remaining regimental staff and idle troops.
Then he saluted his own destroyed battalions, bowed one last time to the Emperor, and then launched his final charge against the Roske’s vast army.
“Long live His Majesty the Emperor! Long live the sons of Hiroshima!”
And with several gunshots, their final charge was buried beneath the surging boots of the Russian army.
The Tsar’s wrath began to slowly but surely crush the Japanese lines like an unstoppable steamroller.
***
“It seems that the situation of our troops who entered the outskirts of Bongcheon is serious. I want the 3rd Army to quickly occupy Cheongha Castle and advance to Cheoryeong.”
“Because of the mud, our progress is too slow, and it will be difficult to make it any faster.”
“Besides, the resistance of the Roske is stronger than I thought. Is it true that there were only 8 battalions in Cheongha Castle? Their firepower is stronger than I thought.”
Now, with the noise of the landline ringing every hour and the battle lasting much longer than planned, even Nogi, who usually maintained a calm expression, began to frown.
“The 9th Division succeeded in breaking through the outer defense line of Cheongha Castle after a week-long offensive, but failed to enter the town. It seems that the Roske’s resistance is formidable.”
“When on earth will Marshal Oyama be able to resume his advance?”
It was something that could not be ignored since it was personally urged on by Marshal Oyama, the Commander-in-Chief of the Manchurian Army.
Nogi silently picked up the receiver his staff handed him and talked to him for a long time.
No, this was more of a one-sided accusation than a conversation.
On the other end of the phone, a voice that seemed concerned but also subtly criticized the other party was heard saying things like, “Why on earth is the 3rd Army’s advance so slow?”, “When on earth will they advance properly?”, and “How much longer is left until Cheongha Castle falls?”
And by the time he returned the receiver with a haggard expression, darkness was falling over the battlefield.
Of course, I can understand the feelings of Marshal Oyama and the Manchurian Army Command, who felt that the situation at the front was becoming increasingly desperate, but urging them like this did not cause the soldiers to show strength they had never had before, nor did bullets and shells display unprecedented power.
In fact, this was a problem that the 3rd Army wanted to solve but could not, but the higher-ups were not even allowing that.
Rather, the situation was such that the Manchurian Army Headquarters was sending an observer under the pretext of a war, citing the reason that the 3rd Army was not carrying out its mission.
“shit···.”
Perhaps, if there was something even more unpleasant to hear than the roar of cannons or gunfire, it was this urging voice on the other end of the receiver.
bang!
I heard an explosion from far away.
It seemed like our 280mm battery had blown something up.
“Commander, don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Thank you.”
Nogi sighed deeply and sat down on the chair the Chief of Staff had given him. He then looked down at the map without saying a word. The markings on the map were incredibly complicated.
It was as if he was speaking for his troubled mind.
“It seems that the command is completely unaware of our situation. The entire plain leading to Cheongha Castle has become a quagmire, and we cannot launch an offensive any faster than this.”
“The 280mm siege guns are also having difficulty using their power due to the soft ground. It seems that the fuse is not working properly when the shells hit the mud.”
The power of the artillery was not as effective as expected.
When overturning the defense line of Port Arthur, the power of the 280mm siege guns that had been barely torn away from the Tokyo Bay Fortress Command was truly extraordinary.
As each shell struck, the Lushun defense line that the Roskei were so proud of collapsed one by one.
It was also thanks to the presence of these 280mm siege guns that Nogi was able to seize the opportunity at Hill 203.
But this time, it seemed that wasn’t the case.
In addition to the current mud-filled battlefield environment, artillery staff pointed out that the gunpowder inside the shells was of poorer quality than expected, reducing their power, along with the problem of the propellant.
“There is a problem with the ammunition… that is, the entire charge and gunpowder of the shells. It seems that they were so anxious to secure the quantity of shells needed for the front lines that they failed to properly check the quality….”
At the artillery officer’s crawling report, Nogi once again felt that his home country was truly reaching its limits.
There were many units that were just sucking their thumbs because they didn’t have any.
They were at the vanguard of the offensive, so they had to feel grateful that even though they were not able to replenish their troops, they were able to replenish their ammunition.
“···Well, since our infantry has broken through the enemy’s outer defense line, we will push back the enemy in earnest. I think we will be able to capture the city by tomorrow morning.”
It has only been a few days since they began their operations, and not even a day since they began their offensive against the Cheongha Castle area, but the problems that need to be solved have piled up like a mountain.
The staff and commanders of the 3rd Army exploded in anger, calling it an outrage from their superiors, but instead of sympathizing with their feelings, Nogi remained calm and set an example.
“The fall of Cheongha Castle is imminent, gentlemen. If we all occupy it and break through the rear of the Roske, their actions will be greatly suppressed.”
“I hope so. It seems odd to me that the enemy is concentrating their attacks on the 2nd Army, which should be following us from the rear.”
“That’s why we must succeed even more. If we can just cover our enemies with our wings… even Roske will be helpless.”
He looked closely at the map on which Cheongha Castle was written.
I had a feeling that perhaps the turning point of this battle would not be Cheolryeong or Bongcheon, but Cheongha Castle.
Ultimately, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that whoever breaks through here or successfully defends it will be able to lead the turning point of this war.
Nogi hoped his intuition was right and started to pour water right away.
And that rainfall was to reinforce the 15th Infantry Brigade, the reserve force that was to be used as the final reserve, in the battle towards Cheongha Castle.
Fortunately, however, the enemy commander was countering the Japanese army’s specialty of night attacks.
Thanks to this, the 9th Division’s ranks were shaking, but in other words, since the enemy’s reserves were now empty, if they could create just a little more cracks, they could win the battle.
“Order the 15th Reserve Infantry Brigade to reinforce the 9th Division and launch another offensive.”
The experienced Nogi decided not to miss this opportunity and decided to deploy additional troops.
However, he couldn’t help but feel regretful about making this decision.
If it had been the 1st, 7th, and 9th Divisions, centered around the active-duty soldiers who had remained in Lushun, rather than the 9th Division, they would have easily been able to destroy the Roske in the field.
But now, what he had left were not the battle-hardened and well-trained elite soldiers from the mainland, but rather the stragglers and young brats from the mainland.
The elite soldiers he wanted were either buried somewhere in Lushun, lying in field hospitals, or dying from infectious diseases that had spread along the front lines.
“If we capture Cheongha Castle, we can easily move on to the next stage, and… we can turn the pressure of the Roske’s offensive across the entire front line against us. We must prevent the enemy’s reserves from approaching the main front as much as possible.”
Still, Nogi held on tight to his senses and gave the order.
He felt oppressed by the feeling of being watched from all sides.
He left behind tens of thousands of soldiers, including his two sons who had proudly followed him into battle for the Empire of Japan, in Lushun.
So, no matter what happened, we had to win this time.
If they had not won, over 200,000 Japanese soldiers would have had to bury their unfulfilled dreams and lives in the barren plains of Manchuria.
For the first time in a long time, Nogi felt as if his limbs were trembling.
“And deploy the 2nd Cavalry Brigade north of Cheongha Castle. Cheongha Castle must be taken down tonight.”
The advance party of the 15th Reserve Infantry Brigade began to advance toward the front line, and Nogi waved at them with the aforementioned expression.
It looked like it was going to be a long night.
***
“Do not turn back, sons of Baikal! Saint George looks upon us as we fight bravely!”
“Let us show the Japonskys the wrath of God! Soon the Tsar’s hammer will save our comrades!”
The eight Russian battalions in the Cheongha Castle area were united and tenaciously blocking the Japanese Third Army’s offensive.
They fought across the sunset.
Now, enduring the darkness and waiting for the light, the Russian battalions, officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers alike, held their rifles, sabers, and banners tightly in their hands and continued to resist.
“It was a thrilling battle.”
“Your commander made a good decision. If we had retreated, we would have suffered a great defeat.”
As soon as word arrived that the enemy’s attack was imminent, the enemy advanced toward the plains, unleashing a fairly intense artillery barrage.
The sound of powerful Maxim machine guns cut through the quiet night air, and the sound of artillery fire from various field guns resonated from all directions.
And between their fire, Russian company-sized units were advancing in the darkness toward the Japanese starting line of attack.
Soon, shouts and screams joined in, making the already chaotic battle even more heated.