Chapter 195: A War Full of Blunders
Balkan Peninsula
The Russians had been locked in a bloody battle with the allied forces. Notably, the numerically superior Ottoman forces had been relegated to a supporting role, with the main forces now being the British and French.
In Sliven, both sides has reached a stalemate. The French had blocked the advance of the Russian forces, and every step forward now required sacrificing lives.
Because the Ottoman forces were not performing well, they had been held in check by the Russians with a small number of troops. Currently, with 160,000 French troops facing off against 280,000 Russian troops, it is already quite challenging for the French to hold back the Russians, let alone a counterattack.
French Commander Aimable Pélissier was deeply troubled. In the previous battles, he sacrificed 10,000 French troops to eliminate 20,000 Russian troops, achieving significant results.
Unfortunately, their allies were not performing well. The Russians had only dispatched a supplementary division, plus some Bulgarian guerrillas, yet still gained the upper hand against over 400,000 Ottomans. Faced with such allies, anyone would have a headache.
Aimable Pélissier acknowledged that the combat effectiveness of the Ottoman troops was inadequate, mainly due to the tradition of receiving salaries without actual service, resulting in the actual number of troops on the battlefield being only two-thirds to half of the strength they have on paper.
Even after deducting the missing soldiers, the Ottomans still had more than 300,000 troops. With almost double the numbers than the enemy, they were still being pushed back which was simply absurd.
Their plans could not keep up with the ever-changing situation. Overestimating the strength of their allies has turned the war into one of attrition. Even if they win this battle, it will be a pyrrhic victory.
“Sir, there’s good news from the frontlines!” A young officer said in a deep voice.
“Read it.” Aimable Pélissier calmly replied.
“Yes, sir!” The young officer answered.
“On the morning of September 14, 1852, our 7th Infantry Division engaged the enemy 16th Division east of Sliven after encountering them. After a day of bloody and fierce fighting, our forces defeated the incoming enemy.
In this battle, we killed 1,328 enemy soldiers, captured 16, wounded an unknown number of enemies, and seized 8 horses, 628 rifles, 28 pistols, and some ammunition.
However, our forces also paid a heavy price. The 7th Infantry Division suffered 1,236 casualties, including 784 killed, 652 wounded, and 196 missing. Division Commander Major General Aurelian was hit by concentrated gunfire, and his fate is currently unknown.”
Is this also considered a victory? Aimable Pélissier was very skeptical. His officers seemed to have forgotten the concept of victory.
He had also risen from the bottom and was long tired of such petty tricks. Defeating the enemy? It was clearly just a fight that lasted into the night, then each side dispersed.
If it was a victorious battle, how could nearly two hundred people go missing? If the French army had so many with a poor sense of direction, there would be no need for this war. These people might have ended up in Russian prisoner camps by now.
Aimable Pélissier frowned and ordered: “Send someone to ask if that idiot Aurelian is dead or not. If he’s alive, have him report here at once. If he’s dead, have the Chief of Staff come.”
“Yes, sir!” The young officer promptly replied.
Aimable Pélissier was not inclined to believe the battle report entirely. The casualties of the 7th Infantry Division should be genuine; no one would dare to fabricate such information.
However, the glorious achievements in battle were likely exaggerated. If they had truly won, the number of prisoners would not be so low. Russian soldiers were not known for their willingness to die, and the French would not engage in massacres of prisoners at this stage.
Aimable Pélissier did not care about the outcome of such skirmishes. The battlefield was ever-changing, and occasional setbacks were acceptable.
The expeditionary force from France varied in combat capabilities; some units could easily outclass all Russian forces, while others were not a match for the elite Russian troops.
The 7th Division was average among French forces. Suffering some losses against elite Russian units was unsurprising.
After pondering briefly, Aimable Pélissier ordered: “Command the troops to prioritize defense and try to avoid a decisive battle with the Russians. We only need to hold them here at Sliven. After gaining a breakthrough at Sofia, we can then engage these Russians in battle.”
Given the weak combat capabilities of the Ottoman army and the inability to break through in Sliven, Aimable Pélissier had given up on decisively engaging the Russians here.
This was not France. There was no need to desperately fight for the Ottomans’ sake. Preserving strength was now Aimable Pélissier’s top priority.
By holding the Russian main forces in check, they had already fulfilled their obligation as allies. The failure of the Ottoman army to complete its assigned tasks and the resulting inability to execute the plan were not their responsibility.
After the British achieves victory in Sofia, they could join forces to encircle and annihilate the Russian forces in front of them. After all, the Russian army there was just over 70,000 strong. With 50,000 British troops, 20,000 Sardinian troops, and 30,000 Ottoman troops, they would have an absolute advantage.
Otherwise, if they recklessly fought the Russians now, even if they won the war, there wouldn’t be much left of this French expeditionary force.
……
Russian Army General Headquarters
Commander Menshikov still didn’t know that he had narrowly escaped a disaster. If, at this moment, the French were to recklessly launch a fierce attack, they stood a good chance of winning.
The combat capabilities of the Ottoman army were lacking, particularly in a head-on decisive battle. However, in favorable conditions, their performance might not be as bad.
As long as the French were willing to endure casualties and boldly charge forward, battering Russian morale, the Ottomans could ride this momentum despite their weak combat abilities.
“Order the troops to launch an attack at any cost. We must quickly breach the enemy’s defenses. Don’t worry about casualties. In the Principality of Wallachia, we have 50,000 reinforcements, and in Ukraine, we have an additional 300,000 troops.
We only need victory. The Russian Empire has awaited this victory for nearly 200 years. Nine generations have struggled for it.
Now, Constantinople is less than 300 kilometers away. Once we breach the enemy’s defenses, no one will be able to stop our advance.”
Menshikov passionately spoke, as if at a podium delivering an inspiring speech rather than at headquarters.
How much were the Russians willing to sacrifice for Constantinople? That was an unknown answer, but when framed differently:
Was sacrificing hundreds of thousands worth Constantinople? Russia’s answer was: Yes!
From the first Russo-Turkish War to the present, the Russians had sacrificed over a million soldiers for this fortress city. Did they waver?
Menshikov knew the determination of the Russian government — that victory must be achieved.
The small objective of this Russo-Turkish War was to capture Constantinople and control the Bosporus Strait. The ultimate goal was to occupy the coastal lands of both straits, turning the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean Sea into internal seas of Russia.
Casualties were not a concern by the Russian government from the beginning. As long as victory in the war was achieved, whether it cost tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of casualties, to the Russian government, it was just a number.
Lieutenant General Boulder questioned: “Commander, we have done all we can now. If we increase the intensity of the attack again, it may give the enemy an opportunity.
The combat capabilities of the French are well known to everyone. Apart from a small number of elite forces that can contend with them, we can only rely on numerical superiority.
In the surrounding area of Sliven, on this more than 100 kilometers frontline, we do not have an absolute numerical advantage. In many places, the enemy actually has a numerical advantage.
Now we have the upper hand, but that is because the Ottoman forces are weak. If we blindly attack the French positions, it will consume a large amount of our strength.
If we do not take precautions and the French suddenly launch a surprise attack, we may suffer some minor losses. But when that happens, these weak Ottoman forces might just give us a fatal blow.”
Menshikov shook his head and said, “General Boulder, you are worrying too much. The French indeed have strong combat capabilities, but their forces are too small.
Attacking the French now is engaging them in a battle of attrition. The French are not gods; they will collapse if they suffer heavy casualties.
I’ve said it before. If we cause 3,000 casualties to them every day. Within a month, the French will collapse.
Using hundreds of thousands of casualties to win this decisive victory is completely worth it.
If we don’t eliminate the elite forces of the French but instead bully the Ottoman rabbits, even if we wipe out all these rabbits, the war will still continue.”
When the higher-ups demand an attack, they have no choice but to comply. After all, the casualties are just expendable soldiers, and officers like them don’t need to charge into battle.
……
Sofia Battlefield
FitzRoy Somerset was still unaware that his French allies have already shifted the heavy burden of winning the victory to him. Currently, he was still hoping for a breakthrough at Sliven to thoroughly defeat the struggling Russians.
As for commanding the troops, defeating the Russian forces in front of him, then cutting off their rear to win a decisive victory in this battle, such a challenging task was better left to his allies!
In FitzRoy Somerset’s view, the only combat-effective forces he had were the 50,000 British troops, possibly supplemented by another 20,000 Sardinian troops, while the Ottomans were not even worth considering.
The Russian forces on the opposite side number more than 70,000, and there were also Bulgarian guerrillas. The combat capabilities of the guerillas were not worth mentioning, probably on par with the Ottomans, effectively canceling each other out.
With 70,000 against 70,000, even if they win, the casualties would be severe.
FitzRoy Somerset was here for military achievements, not to seek trouble. The bureaucrats back home only cared for contributions on paper — enemies killed versus costs paid.
Simply put, the more enemies killed for fewer costs the better. When the French were deeply surrounded previously, they achieved an exchange ratio of 1:1.3. Now with 100,000 against 70,000, they must achieve an even more impressive result.
The guerrillas were not within the consideration of the London bureaucrats; they were not counted in the military achievements. They only acknowledge regular forces.
Before engaging with the Russian forces, FitzRoy Somerset was quite confident. However, after the encounter, that confidence vanished. In terms of overall combat capability, the British forces do have an advantage, but it was not significant.
At least, 50,000 British troops cannot easily defeat 70,000 Russian troops. If the Russian troops on the opposite side haven’t been re-equipped, relying on the firepower advantage, there might still be a chance.
Before re-equipping, the Russian rifles had a range of only 200 yards, while the British rifles exceeded 1000 yards. In terms of firing speed, British rifles were at least thirty percent faster, and the advantage in artillery was even greater.
(Author’s Note: 1 yard is approximately equal to 0.91 meters)
In history, during the Crimean War, the Russians suffered a significant equipment disadvantage, leading to being brutally beaten by the British and French forces.
Now things were different; the re-equipped Russian army has caught up in firepower. The forces that initially clashed with the British were these re-equipped units, causing FitzRoy Somerset to overestimate the Russian strength.
Based on this assessment, Fitzroy Somerset made the decision to conduct limited offensives, using the Ottoman forces as cannon fodder to engage the Russians, while the British played a supervisory role.
On the surface, this seemed fine, but in reality, he overlooked that such battles were actually helping the Russians train their troops.
A military unit that wins a battle becomes experienced; winning three to five battles turns it into an elite force. In this era, elite troops were forged through such battles.
Continuous victories not only increase combat experience but also boost confidence and morale.
The Ottoman forces, with low combat effectiveness, leading the charge, were unwittingly providing experience to the Russian troops, aiding them in leveling up.
Fortunately, the Russian Commander, Gorchakov, did not notice this. Otherwise, if he rotated all Russian units, another elite force would have been created.
In that case, the British wouldn’t even need to fight in subsequent battles. Although their training was more rigorous than the Russians, elite forces were not established through training alone; they also require the baptism of blood and fire.
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