Holy Roman Empire

They can't even retreat. Indian soldiers can still display certain combat effectiveness when defending the city. If they go out of the city to fight the enemy in the field, it is estimated that the ninth division of the Russian army will be dispersed.

Whether it is for the overall situation of the war or for himself, Colonel Macau must continue to stick to it.Even if Anderhuy cannot be defended in the end, time must be bought for the main force.

As for the Ninth Division, which is originally cannon fodder, it is natural to play the role of cannon fodder, and now is the time to sacrifice.

From this point of view, Lieutenant General Patrick's decision to split the main force to serve as the supervisory team is undoubtedly correct.

If it weren't for the main force of the British army, Colonel Makau would have no way to make the Indians desperate.

……

At the British Command in Kabul, Lieutenant General Patrick was in a very bad mood. The Anglo-Russian War broke out, and he was the last commander to know.

Whether it was the troops on the front line or the London government thousands of miles away, they all received the news before him.

Major General Howell suggested: "Your Excellency, the Russians are coming aggressively. We may not have enough troops on the front line. Send reinforcements to the front line!"

Although I haven't received specific battle reports from the front line, I think everyone knows that the situation will not be optimistic.

Major General Lawrence, who was directly opposite, objected: "Things are not that simple. Now that the battle situation is unclear, we don't even know where the enemy's main attack is. We can't send reinforcements in all directions at the same time, right?

We don't have so many troops in our hands, and the reinforcements promised in the country have not yet set off, and it will be two months after they arrive.

Although the reinforcements from the Indian region have come, we have brought over all the elite troops from the Indian colonies. Most of the current reinforcements are newly formed troops, and there is no hope of combat effectiveness at all.

Moreover, the operation to encircle and suppress the guerrillas has reached a critical moment.Recently, the frequency of firefights between the enemy and us has been significantly higher, and now the withdrawal of troops will be in vain.

If we miss this opportunity, we will face the double threat of Russians and Afghan guerrillas next, and future wars will only be more detrimental to us. "

Because of the encirclement and suppression of the guerrillas, nearly half of the British troops in Afghanistan were drilled in ravines.Except for a few strategically important places on the front line, there are insufficient troops in other areas.

Such a deployment of troops cannot be miscalculated, after all, the Afghan guerrillas pose a great threat to the British army.The most rampant period can bring hundreds of casualties to the British army every day, and it will not work without encirclement and suppression.

It can only be said that the British army was unlucky. When encircling and suppressing the guerrillas, they encountered an attack from the Russian army, and they couldn't care about each other.

Howell shook his head: "I don't care so much now, the guerrillas can only disgust us, but the Russians have the ability to take the Afghan region from us.

Dividing troops for reinforcements is not the best option, but we have no choice right now. Once the Russians are killed in, it will be difficult to drive them out.

I proposed to leave one division of troops to watch the guerrillas and prevent them from making a big mess, and the remaining troops immediately reinforce the front line.

Since I am not sure about the enemy's main attack direction, I think it is possible to set up several enemy front headquarters to coordinate the operations of the front-line troops. It is best for us to go down personally.

Before the communication problem is resolved, it is inappropriate for the headquarters to be located in Kabul. We will not be able to catch up with the front line to collect the body after we receive the news. "

……

The two deputies were arguing endlessly, and Lieutenant General Patrick felt more and more headaches.Everyone has a point, which makes things more complicated.

Deep down in his heart, he still hoped to wipe out the guerrillas first, and then engage in a decisive battle with the Russians.It's a pity that the reality left him with no choice. No matter how great the guerrilla threat is, he must first ensure that the front line is not defeated.

After much deliberation, Lieutenant General Patrick made a decision: "Howell is right, the headquarters in Kabul is just a decoration, and it can't play a role at all.

From now on, we will set up three enemy headquarters in front of the left, middle and right, and the three of us will serve as commanders respectively.

The Left Army consisted of the [-]st Division, the [-]rd, [-]th, and [-]th Infantry Divisions, the [-]th, [-]th, and [-]th Artillery Regiments, and the [-]st Cavalry Division. I personally served as the commander and went to reinforce the Hetra area.

The Central Route Army starts from..."

The plan did not change quickly. Just when the British army gave up the encirclement and suppression of the guerrillas and divided their troops to reinforce the front line, the Anderhuis battlefield also entered a critical moment.

After struggling for a week, the Ninth Infantry Division guarding Anderhuis collapsed, and the Fifth Division reinforcements that Colonel Macau was expecting never appeared from beginning to end.

It's not that the commander of the fifth division doesn't have a big picture. The problem is that the Russians have already appeared in the Mazar Sharif area, and the battle is imminent.

How could the Fifth Division dare to deploy troops to reinforce Anderhuis when the prospects were unclear?

With the breach of the last line of defense, the Russian army has broken through all the city defenses of Anderhuis, and if they continue to hold on, they can only fight in the streets.

Counting on the demoralized Indian colonialists to fight street battles with the Russians, Colonel Makau is not crazy yet.

Looking at the hundreds of people gathered around him, Colonel Makau knew that the situation was over, so he ordered helplessly: "Withdraw!"

……

Chapter 134 Strategic Analysis

With the end of the Anderhui offensive and defensive battle, the Russian army finally gained a foothold in Afghanistan and took a temporary lead.

It was half a month before the news reached Vienna.Franz, who has been closely following the war in Afghanistan, is staring at the map of Central Asia at the moment.

He admitted that the scenery of Anderjuy is very good. Every valley is a scenic spot, with snow-capped mountains at the top and green fields at the bottom. There are waterfalls in the distance and fruit trees in the close-up.

But the Russians traveled all the way, so it's impossible to go to Anderjuy to see the scenery, right?

In addition to the beautiful scenery, the local natural conditions are relatively favorable, which can be regarded as a rich place in Afghanistan.

As for the strategic value, Frankly speaking, Franz doesn't think it is very important here.

From a strategic point of view, whether the Russians seize the Herat region in the west or the Wakhan Corridor in the east, they are more valuable than the Anderhuy region.

Especially the Wakhan Corridor, across the past is British India.

As a qualified melon eater, the most important thing is to have curiosity, and Franz is no exception.

My military level is limited and I can't see the real purpose of the Russians, so I can ask someone who can see it. Austria has a lot of staff officers, so it's a temporary assessment.

In the Palace of Vienna, Franz temporarily summoned several rising stars from the Austrian General Staff.

"The Anglo-Russian war has broken out for almost a month. The Russians who took the lead did not mobilize heavy troops to seize the strategically important Herat and Wakhan Corridors, but captured Anderhui. Do you think the real purpose of the Russian commander is what?"

This is a proposition that has no answer, and it tests the brain.Rational analysis is worth mentioning, even blind guessing is also acceptable.

In Franz's view, this question is suitable for people with luck to answer.

After all, the final result is likely to be completely different from the original plan of the Russian commander.No matter how rational and rational analysis is, it cannot withstand the ever-changing changes on the battlefield.

For soldiers, luck is also very important.Although it is a bit superstitious, sometimes you can't believe it.

In addition to personal ability, luck is also very important for a general who can survive all the way from the battlefield.

The unlucky guys all fell down halfway, as you can see by looking through the records of the Austrian military academy.

Every year, the top military academy students are not bad in personal ability, but there are still only a few who can make it out.

The rest are unlucky ones, for example: receiving a boxed meal on the battlefield, being injured in training and retiring, suddenly making a mistake when it was time to be promoted...

"Your Majesty, it's possible that Anderhui was just a feint shot by the Russian army to confuse the British.

Although the direction of the Russian army's attack is uncertain, their ultimate strategic goal is clear. No matter what they do, they revolve around capturing the Afghan region.

I think Russia's next step should be Herat. The British deployed heavy troops there, and the damage caused by the storm was too great.

Perhaps the Russian commander wanted to break the routine and choose an unexpected offensive route, for example: learning from the roundabout outflanking of the Mongols.

Forcibly borrowed from Persia, penetrated to the rear of Herat, cut off the rear of the defenders, and then besieged. "

Colonel Danke's plan is not feasible. Without detailed local information, Franz can't draw a conclusion, but this idea is worth affirming first.

Countless classic battles throughout the ages rely on imaginations that ordinary people can't imagine, coupled with the most important luck.

It is almost impossible to replicate this success.The same is true for the roundabout outflank tactics. The success of the Mongols does not mean that the Russians can follow suit.

In case the Persians have a hard time and do not cooperate with the Russians' actions, and send troops to intercept the Russian army's way, then it will be fun.

Without making any comments, Franz just smiled at Colonel Danke, and then told the attendants next to him: "Record it first, do you have any different opinions?"

As the most ingenious department in Austria, there has never been a unified opinion. As soon as Franz's words hit the ground, another officer spoke.

"Your Majesty, I think the commander of the Russian army is purely for the occupation of Anderhuis, and has no other purpose.

From the analysis of Afghanistan's geographical conditions, the only areas with relatively good natural conditions and relatively fertile land are the Andehui and Herat regions, and other regions are relatively barren.

The Russian army is now under the banner of liberating the Afghan region, and the relationship with the Afghans is not bad for the time being. Once these two regions are occupied, they can obtain some food from the local area as supplies.

The Russian army's logistics system is very chaotic. As a frontline commander, he should be aware of the nature of the domestic bureaucrats.

This time the war was launched in advance, and the logistics supplies of the frontline troops were not sufficient. If the battlefield advances too fast, logistics problems may occur at any time.

If I were the commander of the Russian army, the first thing to consider is how to solve the logistical problem, at least to ensure that the troops on the front line will not be hungry, not how to win.

The British army deployed heavy troops in the Herat area, and the only area that the Russian army could easily capture was the Andehui area.Occupying the local area can at least solve the problem of feeding tens of thousands of Russian troops.

In this respect, the strategic significance of the Russians seizing Anderhuis is not much less than seizing the Wakhan Corridor. "

Although it is difficult to accept, Franz still thinks it is really possible.After all, Russian bureaucrats are magical creatures, and it has happened countless times to kill frontline combat troops.

Both Britain and Russia are big countries, and the Afghan region is of great strategic significance to both countries. This is doomed that the war will not end in a short time.

If you don't find a way to solve the food problem of the troops first, in case of an emergency, it will be over.

Perhaps in the eyes of ordinary people, the Anderhuis area can at most solve the feeding problem of tens of thousands of Russian troops, but Franz doesn't think so.

If it came to a critical moment, this area could save the lives of the Russian army.After all, there is not enough food to eat, so you can go out and grab the locals.

It is impossible to completely solve the food problem, but there is still hope to raise a month's ration.

Insufficient strategic materials, at worst, stop the attack and build fortifications on the spot to reduce consumption.As long as we don't let everyone go hungry, everything else is fine.

As for the issue of offending the Afghans, at that point, it is estimated that no Russian commander would care.

……

Franz was refreshed by all the magical brain holes.If he didn't know that these were all wild guesses, he would have doubted whether the Russian commander was a famous general in the world, and there were still so many ways to capture Anderhui.

Chapter 135 The Underrated Napoleon IV

No matter what the real purpose of the Russians is, the impact of Anderhui's offensive and defensive battles is terrifying.

A bunch of experts and scholars whose level is even inferior to Franz jumped out to point out the country one after another, as if the flames of war would burn to India tomorrow.

The appearance of the telegram narrowed the distance between the world, and the unfavorable public opinion in Europe also affected the British public opinion. For a time, the pressure on the British government increased greatly.

"What happened at the front, why did Anderhui fall, what did Patrick do for food?"

Three consecutive "what" questions are enough to prove that Prime Minister Gladstone is in a very bad mood now.

The area of ​​Afghanistan is not small, and Anderhuis is not a core strategic location. Just losing the tens of thousands of square kilometers around Anderhuis is not worth mentioning for the entire battlefield.

It is also the case of losing a city and losing land. Losing a large area of ​​land just after the start of the battle is completely different from losing a city and losing land after a long and fierce battle.

Anderhuis was lost right after the start of the fight. Outside public opinion questioned the combat effectiveness of the British army, and the opposition party also took the opportunity to make troubles, embarrassing Prime Minister Gladstone.

The Minister of War Rosario replied angrily: "The Russians are too despicable, and they launched a surprise attack before the news of the declaration of war reached the front line.

Our troops in Afghanistan are busy destroying the guerrillas, and because Anderhui's strategic value is not high, the deployment of local troops is limited, giving the Russians an opportunity.

But everyone can rest assured that Lieutenant General Patrick has given up his previous plan to encircle and suppress the guerrillas and sent troops to reinforce the front line.

If there are no accidents, the front line has been stabilized now, and we can launch a counterattack only when our reinforcements arrive. "

It's okay not to explain, but after hearing Patrick's explanation, everyone present felt more and more uneasy.

Abandoning the encirclement and suppression of guerrillas also means that the besieged guerrillas can come out.How can people rest assured that there are Russian troops onslaught outside and guerrillas looting inside?

Counterattack when the reinforcements arrive, it's okay to fool ordinary people with these words, but the people present don't have that much confidence in their own army.

Doubts are doubts, Prime Minister Gladstone still did not pour cold water.The war has already broken out, and it must be fought.

"The situation on the battlefield is changing very quickly. The Ministry of the Army has to take responsibility. It's been almost a month since the war started. Why hasn't the reinforcements started yet?"

Facing the prime minister's accusations, Rosario bit the bullet and explained: "Your Excellency, the troops need to do a lot of preparations for the expedition.

Most of the soldiers have never been to sea, and the Atlantic Ocean is very stormy. If there is no training, there will be a lot of non-combat attrition.

If possible, it is best for the troop carrier to take the Suez Canal, which not only has a short time but also has less wind and waves. "

There is no way, even if it is a sea nation, it does not mean that every British person is not seasick, and most of the army soldiers have never left the British Isles.

From the British Isles to India, it will take two or three months at the fastest. Without professional training, many people will not be able to persist.

If the army soldiers who have never been trained are forcibly sent to the ship, the death rate will be very alarming, and the morale of the army will be lost halfway, so how can they fight?

Foreign Secretary George shook his head: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has communicated with France and Austria many times, and the results are not optimistic.

At the beginning of the opening of the Suez Canal, an announcement was made: the canal company will remain absolutely neutral during the war, and any military ships from belligerent countries will be prohibited from navigating. "

Not to mention the war period, British warships cannot sail together through the Suez Canal in normal times, and they have to detour from the Cape of Good Hope every time.

The British Foreign Office has made many efforts to this end, but has not achieved any results.

On this issue, the French and Austrian governments did not come forward at all, and pushed the issue to the canal company.

The initial funds of the Canal Company were provided by the governments of France and Austria, and theoretically belonged to all the people of the two countries. There were many strange regulations at the beginning of the listing.