Chapter 478: Pinduoduo Version of the Ottoman Army
"The Ottoman Empire used these troops to fool us! How dare they use these troops to fool us!" Baron Raglan in the camp stood with a gloomy face and his hands behind his back. After pacing back and forth twice, he endured
Keep complaining.
The French commander Marshal Saint-Arnault standing next to him also put on an ugly face, frowned and sighed: "The matter has reached this point, what's the use of talking about it! The most important thing to discuss now is,
Do not continue to the Silistra Fortress. According to the situation obtained through Varna's reconnaissance, the Russian Empire has now mobilized the 13th, 14th, Polish Army and Guards Divisions to completely surround the Silistra Fortress.
Among them, the Guards Division is responsible for the main attack. It seems that Paskevich is determined to remove this obstacle to Varna so that he can fight with us on this plain."
Hearing Saint Arnaud's response, Commander Raglan showed a trace of suspicion on his face. Since the intelligence systems of the British and French armies were not interoperable, the intelligence network of the British army in the Near East under Commander Raglan was not even as good as
The Ottoman Empire, so it was impossible to verify the authenticity of the information spoken by Marshal Saint Arnaud.
However, Commander Raglan did not make too many inquiries. He chose to believe the intelligence of Marshal Saint-Arnaud.
As for why Marshal Saint-Arnault obtained such detailed information, it is naturally attributed to the Russian army.
In fact, long before the start of the Battle of Paskevich, Saint-Arnaud had made contact with some Russian soldiers who tended to be Western Europeans through the intelligence personnel of the Foreign Intelligence Service (from a certain perspective, these Western European members
They are all remnants of the Decembrists), and learned from their mouths about the recent military operations of the Russian Empire. The Meat Grinder Battle that took place near the Silistra Fortress did not escape Saint Arnaud from the beginning.
Sight.
Since the armies of the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia had not yet arrived, Marshal St. Arnold resisted the urge to fight with the Russian Empire army at the Silistra Fortress and waited for the army of the Sardinian Kingdom.
With the support of the Ottoman Army.
The army of the Kingdom of Sardinia also lived up to Saint Arno's expectations and arrived in the Varna area at noon on the 24th.
The man in charge of leading this team was La Marmora, the Sardinian Minister of War. Twenty thousand carefully selected Sardinian dynasty troops were watched by the British and French army commanders as soon as they got off the ship.
Marshal Saint-Arnaud and Commander Raglan, along with the regimental-level command staff of the British and French divisions, looked at the neat formation of reinforcements in front of them, with smiles on their faces.
Judging from the military appearance and formation of Sardinia, the combat effectiveness of this army is not much different than that of the British and French armies.
With the addition of this new force, the British and French armies finally made up for part of their numerical shortcomings.
And La Marmora himself was respected by Marshal Saint Arnaud and Commander Raglan because of the Sardinian army.
The Sardinian army was stationed in the open space south of the French army.
That evening, a welcoming ceremony hosted by Marshal Saint-Arnault was held at the French Military Camp. The commanders-in-chief of the three British, French and Sacred Armed Forces and commanders at all levels gathered in the camp.
During the banquet, Minister of War La Marmora clearly felt the priority in the joint command.
Although Commander Raglan and Saint-Arnaud have repeatedly emphasized that Britain and France should work together regardless of priorities, during these days of mutual exchanges, the British commander was impressed by the French commander's tenacity to dare to attack.
attracted.
Gradually, a trend was formed in the army, with France as the main force and Britain as the auxiliary.
Of course, Raglan and the Duke of Cambridge will not admit that France is the leader of this war, nor will they blindly oppose the instructions assigned to them by the French army. As long as it is a strategy that can defeat the Russian army, they do not mind following it.
France ordered it to be done.
As the third country to join the anti-Russian war, and also the country with the smallest population and army in the anti-Russian war, La Marmora has a profound self-awareness. The reason why the Sardinian army is here is to
Winning the favor of the British and French armies and the governments behind them.
The matter of competing for the command of the army is just a "private matter" between the two big bosses of Britain and France. If La. Marmora had the courage, he would not have the courage to let him take command of the British and French armies... unless La. Marmora himself drank.
too much.
During the banquet, La Marmora immediately expressed to Marshal San Arnaud and Commander Raglan that the Sardinian army resolutely obeyed the orders of the Union Command. The Union Command asked them to go west, but they would never go east.
La Marmora's attitude of being aware of current affairs put smiles on the faces of Commander Saint Arnaud and Raglan. After all, who doesn't want to have an obedient little brother who can fight in the army.
Marshal Saint-Arnaud and Commander Raglan repeatedly clinked glasses to La Marmora, and La Marmora, unable to refuse, was forced to "fight".
In the end, under the fierce battle between Marshal Saint-Arnaud and Commander Raglan, La Marmora fell down due to alcohol. After the adjutant confessed to the British and French commanders, he returned to Sardinia with La Marmora on his back.
Garrisoned military camp.
The banquet was also disbanded after La. Marmora left.
At nine o'clock in the morning on the 25th, the "300,000" troops of the Ottoman Empire from Constantinople finally arrived in the Varna area.
Marshal Saint-Arnault and Commander Raglan were full of joy and ran five kilometers ahead of the camp to greet them, thinking that the "three hundred thousand" army mentioned by the Ottoman Empire would still be about 80,000 even if it shrunk further!
80,000 Ottoman troops plus 20,000 Sardinian troops, plus 20,000 British troops and 60,000 French troops (part of Constantinople, part of Rhodes, part of the Holy Land, and only 60,000 troops in Varna)
, a total of 180,000 troops. With these 180,000 troops, the Sevastopol Fortress can be decided in one battle.
However, before the coalition forces can carry out their mission to the Sevastopol Fortress, they still need to repel the Russian army besieging the Silistra Fortress before they can take the next step.
However, the Ottoman army disappointed these two delighted commanders.
glutinous rice
Standing on the hillside and looking at the mighty Ottoman Army in the distance, which looked like a long dragon, Commander Saint-Arnaud and Raglan stood there as if they had been struck by lightning, unable to move for a long time.
The army in front of us didn't look like an army at all. It was simply an army of beggars.
The crooked formation, dull eyes, tattered clothes, and muskets produced in an unknown year (some even armed with spears and scimitars)... are the characteristics of this army.
The person in charge of commanding this "three hundred thousand" army is Orma Pasha's son Selim Pasha. He is wearing a sky blue military uniform, riding a Turkish war horse, and is surrounded by his Bashbozuk cavalry.
It was as if the army of beggars behind him were out of place.
When Selim Pasha discovered Marshal St. Arnaud and Commander Raglan on the hillside, he hurriedly kicked the horse's belly and rushed towards their direction.
Marshal Saint Arnaud and Commander Raglan, who were furious with the Ottoman army, did not meet with Selim Pasha. Instead, they ordered their men to tell Selim Pasha to let him organize his army.
, come and meet them again.
The angry Marshal Saint-Arnaud and Commander Raglan rode back to the military camp, and this was the scene above.
After about half an hour, Commander Saint-Arnaud and Raglan, who had calmed down, began to think about how to fill up the Ottoman army.
After further discussions between Marshal Saint-Arnaud and Commander Raglan, they decided to send an additional group of troops on top of the original ones. Only in this way could the Russian Empire's army in Silistra Fortress be repulsed.
The French Empire's army directly increased to 30,000, and the British army also increased to 10,000. Plus Sardinia's 20,000 troops, the total is about 60,000.
These troops combined with the 40,000 to 50,000 troops originally stationed in Silistra, totaled about 100,000 to 120,000.
This data is not much different from the Russian Empire's troops on the Danube. In addition, the British, French and Saharan troops are all equipped with minie guns, so there is a trend of crushing them in terms of equipment, and the Russian Empire will inevitably face failure.
Just when Saint Arnaud and Commander Raglan were about to completely abandon the Ottoman army, the soldiers guarding the camp entered the camp and reported the news of Selim Pasha's arrival to Saint Arnaud and Raglan.
"See you or not!" Commander Raglan asked Marshal Saint-Arnaud.
When he thought of the Ottoman Empire army he had just seen, Marshal Saint-Arnaud immediately felt his blood pressure rising.
After pondering for a moment, Saint Arnaud decided to meet with Selim Pasha. After all, Selim represented the Ottoman Empire in the anti-Russian war.
Saint Arnaud nodded to the soldier, who turned around and brought Senim Pasha in.
"Marshal, Commander!" Selim Pasha respectfully saluted Saint Arnaud and Raglan as he entered the camp.
Marshal Saint-Arnaud and Commander Raglan then noticed that the pasha in front of them was a bit too young, looking only about twenty-five years old, and they felt even more disgusted with the perfunctory attitude of the Ottoman Empire.
"You are so young and promising! When I was your age, I was still a second lieutenant!" Commander Raglan said to Selim Pasha in a sinister tone.
Hearing Commander Raglan's strange words, Selim Pasha's face felt hot.
Commander Raglan is right. The position of commander at his age is really oversimplified.
However, he was the commander of the Ottoman Expeditionary Force personally appointed by Abdulmecid I.
Selim Pasha himself also knew that the reason why he was appointed to this position was entirely because His Majesty the Sultan gave him his current position for the sake of his father's persistence in Silistala Fortress.
Among them, there is no lack of intention to force Omar Pasha to continue to hold on.
Selim Pasha himself was also unwilling to take up this position after seeing the Ottoman expeditionary force.
But the Sultan's order was difficult to disobey, so he had no choice but to accept this shabby army.
On the way from Constantinople to Varna, Selim Pasha was thinking about how the British and French commanders would treat him.
Reprimand, insult, or...
Now Commander Raglan's attitude has already been expected by Selim Pasha.
"Commander Raglans, Marshal St. Arnaud, his name is Mihaello Selim, my father is Omar Pasha, he is currently fighting against the Russian Empire in Silistra Fortress!"
