Chapter four hundred and seventieth meeting with Varna
"What? London wants my troops to support Silistra now?"
In the Rhode Island camp, Duke Raglan looked in surprise at the ambassador to Turkey, Canning, who arrived in Rhode Island by speedboat, and confronted him with a slightly excited tone.
"Commander Raglan, please don't be so excited!" Ambassador Canning whispered in a low voice, with a helpless smile on his lips.
"Does London know that when I took over this force, it was already on the verge of collapse! 7% casualties is not a small number! It's only been a week before they go to Silis
Terra! Are they really not afraid of a mutiny?" Baron Raglan couldn't help but direct all his anger towards Canning.
The severe cold on the Gallipoli Peninsula brought not only physical damage to the British army, but also a psychological blow. It took a week to let the British army, who had not experienced bloody battles, overcome the fear of the cold.
It's something that's simply impossible to do.
It is true that Baron Raglan could order the officers to use whips and barbed Martens boots to force the British army to mobilize.
But soldiers are humans, not animals. Blindly relying on fear to drive the army to fight will only result in an even lower morale of the army.
If things go wrong, Baron Raglan and others will "celebrate" the mutiny.
"I know Commander, it's not easy for you either!" Ambassador Canning raised his face and said with a sorry smile: "But you also have to consider London. Nearly three months have passed since the British government declared war on the Russian Empire.
But our army has yet to achieve results that satisfy the people of London. London always has to worry about the pressure of some public opinion..."
"Public opinion, public opinion... I have only been away from London for a few days, and I have been kidnapped by public opinion!" Baron Raglan, a conservative-minded man, couldn't help complaining, "According to me, all those who clamor for war should be punished.
Pull them to the front line! I will definitely let my officers use the leather boots under their feet to educate them severely!"
After speaking, Baron Raglan stomped twice as if to demonstrate.
"Your Excellency, Commander, sometimes the government has to take into account the attitude of the people in London!" Ambassador Canning could only try to explain to Baron Raglan in a tactful manner. This soldier who has followed the Duke of Wellington for most of his life has certain problems in some aspects.
Even more stubborn than Baron Wellington, "London just wants your army to move its position. It doesn't want you to fight with the Russian army in the ice and snow!"
"Oh?" Baron Raglan glanced at Canning in surprise and asked doubtfully: "What does this mean? Did the British army go all the way to Silistra to fight against the Russian Empire?"
"The government took into account that the British army might have some difficulties, so they did not force the British army to quickly enter the battle after arriving in Silistra!" Ambassador Canning explained, and suddenly he shouted as if he had thought of something.
He shouted: "Yes! I almost forgot this method!"
"What's wrong?" Baron Raglan looked at Ambassador Canning with a puzzled look.
"Your Excellency Commander, it suddenly occurred to me that since our government is just asking the army to go to Silistra to help the Ottoman Empire, then we can do the opposite!
After the British army arrives in Varna, you can use the name of the joint operations of the coalition command to keep the army in the Varna area! After all, this is a joint military operation, and Britain cannot in principle go against the opinions of the joint command. In this case
, the army can successfully deliver to the London government!" Ambassador Canning proposed a solution to Baron Raglan.
After hearing Ambassador Canning's solution, Baron Raglan's eyes lit up, he held Ambassador Canning's hand tightly and said: "You are really the great savior of the army!"
"Your Excellency, Commander, this is what I should do. I don't want the young men of Britain to fight against the Russian Empire in this ice and snow!" Ambassador Canning, who was in pain from the rough hands of Baron Raglan, showed a reluctant expression.
responded with a smile.
"Then what are you waiting for? Let's take action immediately!" Baron Raglan said to Ambassador Canning excitedly. Then he suddenly thought that this plan required the cooperation of the French army, so he turned to Ambassador Canning.
: "Ambassador Canning, from France..."
Ambassador Canning naturally understood what Baron Raglan meant. He patted his chest and told Baron Raglan that he would do the work of getting through France.
Subsequently, Ambassador Canning and Baron Raglan left the camp side by side, and Baron Raglan personally put Ambassador Canning on the speedboat.
After Ambassador Canning left, Baron Raglan once again summoned his adjutants and general-level members of the army to convey the orders of the London government to them.
The generals and colonels who received the order, led by the Duke of Cambridge, all expressed that the morale of the British army was still recovering and it would be better to stay in Rhode Island.
"Of course I know that staying in Rhode Island to restore morale is the best way, but the government's orders must be implemented, and there is no room for bargaining!" Baron Raglan looked around with sharp eyes and said to the Duke of Cambridge in an unquestionable tone.
commanded.
Under the forced orders of Baron Raglan, the Duke of Cambridge and others could only obey the orders of the commander of the expeditionary force.
"Okay, you all go back and get ready!" Baron Raglan took out his pocket watch and looked at it for a while, then waved to the Duke of Cambridge and others, "Order your troops to set off on time at four o'clock in the afternoon!"
"Yes!" the Duke of Cambridge and others responded, and then they went to their respective armies.
Gu Qiu
When the Duke of Cambridge and others conveyed the news of their departure to their officers, they were also greeted by complaints from the officers.
The Duke of Cambridge and others had to use Baron Raglan as a shield to prevaricate them, and then issued Baron Raglan's order to them.
Just like this, under the orders of the first level, the soldiers also complained about the unkind Baron Raglan in their hearts.
Finally, under the officer's leather boots, the soldiers reluctantly began to pack their bags and set off.
After their wives heard the news of their departure, they were also ready to follow them.
However, Baron Raglan's instructions an hour later clearly required that the wives of the soldiers must stay in Rhode Island. The reason was that Britain's existing ships could not meet the requirements of the wives of the soldiers to travel with them.
Some of the military wives obeyed Baron Raglan's orders, but the vast majority of the military wives still went their own way. They believed that Baron Raglan would be generous in the end and let them board the ship.
The time soon reached three o'clock in the afternoon, and Vice Admiral Dundas led the Mediterranean Fleet and troop transports to appear in the waters near Rhode Island.
One by one, small boats were lowered from the warship and rowed towards Rhode Island.
When the boat arrived at Rhode Island, the soldiers standing at the dock of Rhode Island lined up and boarded the boat one after another under the organization of the scenery. The boat carried soldiers, artillery, and horses and sailed towards the warship.
As for the military wives who were also waiting to board the ship, under the strict supervision of Baron Raglan, no officer dared to put a military wife on board.
The tragedy of Gallipoli has reflected from the side the backwardness of the system of military wives.
It took more than four hours for all 18,600 soldiers to board the ship. When the last small boat carrying Baron Raglan boarded the ship in the deserted night sky of Golden Snake, the steam warship started with a dull "roar".
Going all the way north and gradually disappearing from sight, only a group of military wives stranded on the island were left on Rhode Island, as well as more than a few thousand French logistics personnel stationed on Rhode Island (including engineering troops,
technical work)
The steam warship quickly crossed the Bosporus Strait after a night's sailing, and gradually approached Varna Port at four o'clock in the morning.
After Lieutenant General Dundas, who was commanding the warship, saw the French warship anchored in the port through the lookout glass, he immediately turned around and entered the warship, and gently knocked on the door of Baron Raglan's room inside the warship.
"Come in!" Baron Raglan responded angrily to Lieutenant General Dundas outside the door.
Lieutenant General Dundas, who entered the room, saw Baron Raglan standing next to the table and looking down at the map. He hurriedly reported to Baron Raglan: "Your Excellency, Commander, our fleet has successfully arrived near the port of Varna.
Sea area!”
Baron Raglan raised his head, looked at Lieutenant General Dundas in front of him with tired eyes and nodded: "I understand! Just get closer!"
"Yes!" Lieutenant General Dundas received the order and left Baron Raglan's room.
After hearing the noise coming from next door, the Duke of Cambridge, who lived next door to Baron Raglan, got up from his fixed camp bed, straightened up his appearance slightly, and then came to Baron Raglan's door.
Baron Raglan, who lowered his head when he heard the movement outside the door, did not raise his head, but responded calmly: "What happened again?"
"Your Excellency, Commander, have you not slept all night?" the Duke of Cambridge asked Baron Raglan tentatively.
After hearing the voice of the Duke of Cambridge, Baron Raglan raised his head and looked at the Duke of Cambridge, and said in a calm tone: "You haven't slept all night either!"
"I...I'm not nervous!" the Duke of Cambridge responded hesitantly.
At this time, the Duke of Cambridge was only 34 years old. He had not fought a war yet and was a completely aristocratic generation, so he was both nervous and excited about the upcoming battle.
"There is nothing to be nervous about!" Baron Raglan said slowly and calmly: "When you actually enter the battlefield, you will forget everything and devote yourself to the fight! Get honor and everything you want.