Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Blackburn-Shilling Gambit (2)
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Under Major General Pavel Kolchak's Cavalry Corps bypassed the German 8th Army's mobile corps, which had been lying in wait after digging traps.
The commander of the Russian 8th Army, Brusilov, had shrewdly seen through the fact that there was a trap.
In truth, the weary soldiers spotted by the cavalry scouts were bait. All the pressure bearing down on the cavalry corps had been a deception as well.
The 20th Corps had deployed machine guns and was fully prepared, waiting for the enemy.
"Damn it, they've caught on."
"The cavalry corps slipped out to the left. Shall we pursue?"
"How are we foot soldiers supposed to keep up with cavalry? We'll keep advancing as planned."
The 20th Corps commander sighed and muttered to himself.
"Now we have no choice but to trust that greenhorn at headquarters..."
The scales were tipping toward the Russians.
But the game wasn't over yet.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Vistula region (Poland), Lublin.
Temporary Cavalry Corps headquarters.
"Damn it all, why are we so slow? At this rate, it'll take forever."
"Rasputitsa has turned everything into a sea of mud. It's severely hindering our advance."
"We won't get caught, right?"
Kolchak muttered anxiously, and the staff officer shook his head.
"Headquarters calculations say no. The enemy flanking corps is also relying on horses and trucks for supplies, so their delays should be worse."
"That's a relief, then..."
They looked up at the muddy expanse before them.
"This is bad."
Rasputitsa—a true sea of mud. The "Mud General," standing shoulder to shoulder with Russia's famed General Winter.
The infamous phenomenon, said to be so deep you could swim in it, had returned right on schedule.
Russians experienced Rasputitsa every year like clockwork, but even they found it hopeless when marching.
When they had time, they'd lay logs to make roads, but... if it were that easy to overcome, it wouldn't be called Rasputitsa.
"...No helping it. We're still ahead of the enemy no matter what, so we can get there first and secure the position."
"Yes, sir."
"By the way, where exactly did headquarters tell us to go?"
Kolchak pulled out the operations map from his pocket and asked the staff officer.
The staff officer immediately pointed to a spot and replied.
"Lublin city. We're to resupply there and launch continuous assaults on the mobile corps."
Lublin—one of the few supply hubs not cut off by the Germans.
It was ideally positioned as a base for raiding the advancing Germans and was sufficiently behind the Southwestern Front lines.
"Lucky, isn't it? If the Germans hadn't slowed down and had pushed straight on, they'd have reached Lublin for sure."
"Yeah. We'd have been starving while fighting them. Heh."
They laughed carelessly, but thinking about it sent chills down their spines.
Losing Lublin would have been a nightmare. They'd have retreated somehow, but in tatters.
Whether there had truly been a problem with their advance or the infuriating Germans had tried to lure the cavalry into a trap, things had worked out anyway.
The silent Kazakh division commander grumbled upon hearing that.
"Tch, but wasn't it a chance to rack up merits? Seemed perfect..."
"This isn't the time to talk merits. I hear the Northwestern Front got smashed. If we got hung up on glory and botched the big picture, it'd be a disaster."
"Tch. We'd have lost limbs along with our heads."
Unable to argue with Kolchak, the Kazakh division commander nodded grudgingly.
With that, the division commander's words ended, and they resumed their march.
Enemy cavalry divisions doggedly pursued and harassed them, and enemy recon and fighter squadrons occasionally buzzed overhead.
Otherwise, everything fell eerily quiet.
"Rasputitsa is a pain, but... at least we can relax now."
No more blocking lines, ambushes, or traps across their path.
"Hahahahaha!"
The faint chance of sudden machine-gun or sniper fire had finally vanished.
The cavalry, who had stayed tense the whole time, gradually loosened their grip on the reins.
Gurgle—the tension eased, and hunger set in. But they were getting closer to Lublin, so that was fortunate.
"...Hm."
Thus, the cavalry corps advanced peacefully until they neared Lublin...
"The road is completely blocked. Mud from the Rasputitsa has overflowed; we can't pass."
"Great, we come all this way just to suffer more."
Vroooom—at that moment, a recon plane sliced through the sky again.
Now routine, the cavalry didn't bother hiding, but Kolchak still felt uneasy about enemy recon flights.
"Doesn't it seem like enemy recon sorties have increased these past few days?"
"Yes, sir. With our Northwestern Front forces wiped out, they're focusing air recon on us."
"Hah, so we're the ones they're counting on now."
...But is that the only reason?
Kolchak pushed away the creeping unease.
No. There are no more variables. No need to worry.
"..."
It's just those damn flies getting on my nerves. I'm the commander who succeeded. Be bold.
The staff officer, silent as Kolchak steadied himself, spoke up.
"What are your orders, sir? We could try forcing through the Rasputitsa..."
Trailing off, the staff officer looked ahead and continued.
"Or we could enter the Kozlovyetski Forest here and head to Lublin that way."
"..."
Before them loomed a dense forest shrouded in fog.
A forest far larger than Lublin city itself. The northern route to Lublin skirted around this woods.
It posed challenges for cavalry, but it wasn't impassable.
Especially since, huge as it was, crossing it would bring them straight to Lublin much faster than slogging through Rasputitsa.
"Forcing the Rasputitsa would mean casualties for sure, so the forest might be..."
"...Sir?"
Kolchak spoke without much thought, then abruptly fell silent.
A foreboding memory had flashed through his mind.
"...Was it the Stallupönen battle?"
"..."
The staff officer shut his mouth.
Kolchak continued quietly.
"In the Stallupönen battle, where the Devil of Tannenberg claimed his first victory, didn't they ambush our careless troops from the forest?"
"...Yes, sir."
"And this situation was orchestrated by that devil too. Rommel's scheme."
"..."
"..."
At those words, the once-peaceful forest looked dangerous and ominous to the officers.
As officers of a pre-modern nation like Russia, they were sensitive to superstition.
"...Haha, hahahaha."
But they were also officers commanding Cossacks, the warrior race even witches dared not touch.
They couldn't show fear to invisible foes.
"Hahahahaha!"
"What's so funny, haha?"
"Hahahaha! Look at us! Trembling over enemies who aren't here—couldn't even be here!"
"Hahahaha! You're right!"
The warhorses stamped uneasily at the laughter.
Ignoring them, the officers forced hearty laughs and addressed the commander.
"I don't know what you're all afraid of! Isn't that forest the fastest way? Let's get through it quick and rest in Lublin!"
"We've outrun every enemy! Nothing in there but mice and rabbits! Scared of bunnies, Commander? Hahahaha!"
"Kek, hahahaha! Time to pick a new corps commander! Can't have a coward at the top!"
"..."
Kolchak glared at them, his pupils trembling.
Even if they were temporary equals as division commanders, he couldn't stomach being called a coward.
"Hahahaha."
"Hahahahaha!"
Grinding his teeth, Kolchak laughed, and the Kazakh division commanders' laughs grew louder.
Soon, the commander rolled his eyes wildly and shouted.
"Fine! Perfect! What's stopping us? I'll stake my hand that there's no enemy in that forest!"
"Then why bring up Stallupönen? Hahahaha!"
"Damn it, is talking a crime? It just came to mind!"
"Let's go with that! Hahahaha!"
"Son of a bitch."
Swallowing his shame and regret for his loose tongue, Kolchak declared.
"We'll pass through the Kozlovyetski Forest! Straight to Lublin for rest after!"
"Waaaaah!"
At the word "rest," the cavalry roared like thunder.
The shout echoed through the forest.
"Forward march! Entire corps—advance!"
No choice anyway. This is the best route. Nothing else.
With that final thought banished, the commander led them into the fog-shrouded woods.
"Hurry and let's rest!"
The fog-veiled forest.
Creaaaaak—like jaws long waiting, it slowly yawned wide and swallowed them whole.