Portartur. 1940. Boris Trofimov
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the positions? This will not happen!
Fock called the orderly and handed him a package with the following letter: “On May 13, 11 o’clock 50 minutes in the morning. I propose to stand in position until my order to retreat; about retreat not to think, to defend to the last man.”
The orderly rode away. For a moment, the general calmed down.“Do not retreat before my order, in no case do not retreat! – he thought. – Do not retreat… Oh, why did I put in this unnecessary word at the moment? It gives hope and there they will prepare for a retreat… They will tear off repulsed attacks! You can not do it this way”.
The General sat down at the station hall and wrote: “May 13, 11 hours 55 minutes. I suggest to stand to the last person; about retreat not to think. Ammo send. I met gigs with ammunition going to Nanguin, returned them.”
On the positions there was a lull. Reassured, the general went to inspect the location of the Japanese. Seeing the captain-engineer von Schwarz on the road, Fock frowned: “Where are you going?” Why are you here?
– Colonel Tretyakov sent with a report to you about the difficult situation on the front lines. We need reinforcements, Your Excellency.
– And he sent you, because he finds that you have nothing to do in the position? Strange and annoying! And you panicked! You, who do not tear landmines, when they need to break. You are running from positions, instead of really understanding what is the matter, and by night to correct what remains in our hands. My God, what can be done with such commanders?!
five
General Fock passed in the rear of the position to Kinzhou Bay. Wounded soldiers walked along ravines and roads, and often stretchers came across. General; frowned, but hurried forward, in order to properly understand all that had happened in the first half of the day.
His steps were hard, his eyes gleaming feverishly.
“The position is covered,” thought Fock, “and so quickly…”
He keenly felt his deepest mistake.
“We must by all means fix the matter. Not everything is missed. The Japanese are tired and shot shells. There are a lot of them. And I have all the parts in combat readiness. I will remove the fifth regiment, let it rest, and here the shelves are on the counterattack. We must find Tretyakov soon. I will inspire him with my personal example. What kind of tactlessness on the part of Kuropatkin is to write demobilizing letters. And me too! Why was to talk about them. And Stoessel is good at announcing orders. The isthmus must be in our hands, otherwise the Far Far Kaput.”
The general wrote to the Tretyakov a note: “12 hours 35 minutes. For the right flank, do not be afraid – there are two regiments. Look at the left flank, where the case can be solved.”
The wounded arrows that met the general looked at him inquiringly. As far as they could go, they stood up to the front and saluted him.
– How are you? The general shooter asked, with his right hand bandaged.
– All the trenches ruined. Their guns are beating, and ours are silent. Machine guns would be more. Dense wall go, creatures. – Fock’s face remained calm.
“What a tactic! And I was not. Two or three deft maneuvers under the cover of trenches – and it was possible to surround them, “thought Fock and turned to the arrow:
– You want to smoke, take a cigarette.
The soldier stretched out as far as he could, went up to the general and extended his hand to the silver cigarette case. Fock also got himself a cigarette, struck a match and offered it to the soldier.
– Smoke.
– I humbly thank, Your Excellency.
Rising up the hill to the battery number 10, General Fock all the time received reports from Colonel Tretyakov:
“I don’t have any part at hand that I could restore the fight to.” All in their places, and one hope for the boldness of the soldiers and the courage of the officers.”
– Well well. “Everything is in its place,” Fock grinned. – And those that are dead. Childishness Lyrics. Nothing efficient. I would have looked good in the trenches.
Fock immediately sent the Tretyakov a reply: “I thank for the boldness. You have enough strength. On the left flank, in reserve, I send two more companies to the battery number 15.”
When he finished writing, the general straightened up, furrowed his forehead;
– And I forgot about General Nadein! I will write to him:
“To General Nadein. May 13, 1 pm Send immediately to the ravine north-west of Tafashin two companies to the battery number 15.”
“We must prepare for the night, we must prepare for the night,” the general repeated. Colonel Savitsky approached him:
– What are you, your Excellency?
– The matter is fixable. General Fock is not a fool, “Fock continued aloud his thought,” he knows what he is doing. General Fock will always be right no matter what happens. General Fok is wounded in the head, and in the wounded and contused forged brains…
Colonel Savitsky shuddered and walked away to the orderlies, but Fock called out to him:
– Colonel, send to the position of the eight giggles of cartridges at the disposal of the commandant Tretyakov. He reports that there are no bullets. What’s the matter? He himself recently sent two gigs, and now he is asking. It must be relieved from the heart. In addition, assign two companies at his personal disposal. I go uphill, mouths follow me.
“The devil will disassemble this person, mumbles something incoherent, looks like a madman, and gives sensible orders… But still, he overslept the fight. Sat in the rear. Now it is difficult to do something substantial, – thought Savitsky. – The results of the battle would be in our hands if there was one spare division on Tafashin. The enemy goes berserk, advancing during the day in such thick columns. And we have nothing to beat…
The enemy gunboats were silent.
The companies of Russian soldiers stretched along the road. The general rode on horseback. The higher up the hill, the more came across the wounded.
Fok stopped and gave him a new report Tretyakov:
“On the left side of Samson (between the height number 75 and Samson) there are 25—30 mouths. Half – in a column, half – in a deployed system. From the left flank of the position, bypassing it, there are two companies on the water. A large mass of versts in four from us. On the left flank there are about 10—12 companies and twelve guns.”
“What do you say to that, Colonel?”
Sawitsky, listening to the report, counted: “Twenty-five plus two, plus ten, a total of thirty-seven mouths visible, so what the hell knows how many invisible ones. And we have: two plus two, a total of four.”
– By evening, Your Excellency, are grouped.
“Immediately inform the Laperov battery, which is on the left flank, about the enemy moving through the water,” Fock ordered. – Hurry to Colonel Tretyakov.
The general spurred the horse, but immediately besieged it:
– Again report. Read, Colonel.
“From under Samson near the height