Portartur. 1940. Boris Trofimov
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not intend to carry out someone’s whims.
“On, go and wash you,” shouted Semenov angrily at the orlovts, “learn to live with your elders.”
Konevyazov and Podkovin met their eyes.
– Today I will not go. I’m busy. See, I’ll fix my uniform, “he answered. – Enough… Doing a favor, and you have one conceit.
– I’ll show you arrogance! – shouted Semenov.
“Than to shout, let’s go to Feldwebel right now,” said Podkovin. – During the war, we are all equal. Everyone is responsible for their work.
Remembering the reprimand received by Osipov for Podkovin, Semenov became quiet, but his eyes remained evil.
The soldiers of the second battery almost did not see Manchuria. Their train followed more at night, while in the daytime it stood for long hours at minor stations and deaf journeys. This was done on purpose – away from the wine shops where vodka was sold for sixteen kopecks per bottle.
In Harbin, a military train was inspected by an inspector. The gunners were dressed in new uniforms, forced to tie the underbelly. There was a thaw. Podkovin tried to go to the city, look for the Willows, but the inspection review prevented him.
Chapter seven
one
The train stopped early in the morning at the small station Nanguin. As soon as the doors of the cars were opened, the gunners heard the command;
– Get up! Get ready for unloading!.. Arrived at the theater of operations.
The last words of the team spurred the soldiers. They rose as one. Everyone tried to look out of the car. All saw only the stone building of the station. On the platform stood one railroad attendant. It was quiet. Cool air burst into the cars. The sun illuminated the tops of the nearby mountains. Their gray, bare slopes struck the Siberians with their lifelessness: no forest, not even a bush. Desert terrain stretched around.
Podkovin, having heard the name of the station, said:
– From here, about two hours to Port Arthur and three quarters of an hour to the city of Far. Nangualine – junction station.
– And all he knows! – growled Semenov.
– How can I, uncle Semenov, not know if I was here last year?
The Gunners approached Podkovin to listen to his story about these places.
– What kind of theater is this war?! – disappointedly handed orlovets. – We are again at home, in our land. Kwantung, I heard, was rented by us from the Chinese for ninety-nine years.
2
During February, the Japanese squadron stayed close to Port Arthur, trying to paralyze the exits of our large ships from the harbor. Russian pursued failures. The mine transport “Yenisei” and the handsome cruiser “Boyar” died. Both ran into their mines and submerged ships. Heroically fought the destroyer “Steregushchy” – one against four Japanese destroyers and two cruisers. In an unequal battle, the Russian sailors put up courageous resistance. The destroyer “Imposing”, surrounded by Japanese cruisers, had to be thrown onto the stones.
Portartur depressed and waited for the Japanese landing near the fortress. Ground troops were transferred from one coast of the peninsula to the other. At the station Nanguin was duty train loaded with infantry and artillery.
During these days there have been some regrouping in parts of the troops. The first and second batteries of the Trans-Baikal Artillery Division were included in the fourth artillery East Siberian Brigade. The commander of the second battery was the colonel Laperov, who had arrived in the Far East, and Mehmandarov assumed command of the seventh artillery battalion.
Chapter eight
one
The second battery is located on the outskirts of the semi-neglected village of Nanguin. The well-to-do villagers left the north from the very first days of the war, having left their homes. The gunners are located in the empty fanzah. Daytime, from sunrise to sunset, was held in intensive study with guns and on trips to the surrounding fields and hills. For a short period, the entrances to all promontories and coves located near Nangualin station were studied.
The Kwantung Peninsula is filled with short mountain chains of considerable height. Their slopes are steep and cut by valleys of mountain streams and streams. A close examination of the Kvantun relief can be established that the main mountain spurs on it stretch not along but across, forming several natural barriers. The Tafashinsky heights should be considered the first barrier, and the largest group of mountains, connected to the Perebali range, which starts from the village of Longvantan on the Korean Gulf beret, stretches northward through Mount Huinsan and further through a series of heights to Mount Yupilasa, ending with a chain of hills at Hecy Bay. In front of the “gates” to Arthur there is also a barrier called the Wolf Mountains, separated from the Perevali range by the valley of the River Tahe and the plain that reaches the Ten Ships Bay. Significant heights in the last barrier are Xiaogushan and Fenhoanshan.
The slopes of the Kwangtung Mountains are treeless and stony, and the peaks often protrude toward the sky with separate rocks and stone teeth, forming natural walls similar to cock combs.
During the drought period, the Kvantuna river becomes very small, but in rainy time they turn into violently flowing streams. Most of the Kwantung roads pass through their valleys, and sometimes the riverbeds.
2
The declaration of war disturbed the inhabitants of the Far, but the alarm did not last long. Soon fresh troops began to arrive on Kvantun. The Japanese have become silent after the first speeches.
– Since nothing significant has been done at the very beginning, there is nothing to be afraid of. “Reinforcements will come from the north, push the enemy aside, and life will go on as before,” said Modest Vladimirovich to his wife and daughter.
Valya never stopped making music. She often went to the beach and looked away for a long time. Dark silhouettes of enemy warships with black clouds of smoke did not frighten her.
Back in Harbin, just before she left, she received a letter from Irkutsk from her friend Zoya Remneva. She told her that Tikhon had been taken and assigned to the second field battery of the Trans-Baikal Artillery Division.
– Where is he now, this Trans-Baikal division? Maybe on Kvantun? – asked herself Valya.
Walking through the streets, she looked into the faces of young soldiers. She learned from kanta on her caps to distinguish artillerymen from infantrymen.
Once the arrows told her that not far from the city, at the pumping station, there was a field battery of the fourth rifle artillery brigade. After that, Valya began to go on the road to the pumping station.
At the end of March and at the beginning of April, it was the second battery that Valya so often asked about. Podkovin walked with Orlovtsev Konevyazov twice to the Far. Walking along the street past the building of the Russian-Chinese Bank, Tikhon once heard a familiar motive. In the next wing, the same melody that Valya played to him on the piano was performed on the piano.
“Where is she now?” Does Tikhon remember? Maybe become an important lady? But, although as a joke, she was going to marry me …”
The game stopped, and Podkovin went to the bazaar to look for the orlovtsa, who bought tobacco and cigarettes on behalf