bookandnovel Chapter 928 Ptilov Arsenal
Chapter 928 Ptilov Arsenal
Chapter 928 Ptilov Arsenal
The quartermaster pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, rolled up some tobacco leaves, smeared it with saliva, lit it, and took a deep drag.
"Company commander, what's the next mission for everyone? Are we still dealing with these poor bastards?"
Ever since receiving the order, Tenniski's brows had been furrowed, and he couldn't relax for a long time.
"It's the Ptilov Arsenal."
"What?"
The quartermaster's eyes widened: "The rebels have captured the arsenal?"
"Ah."
Tennisky looked very serious. The Putilov Arsenal, located in the Narva district of St. Petersburg, employs more than 40,000 exiled workers!
Besides airships, they can produce everything from basic rifles and ammunition to artillery of various calibers, infantry armor, and even land cruisers.
The quartermaster forced a smile: "It's the middle of the night, surely not all the workers have been coerced into joining the thieves?"
The 40,000 exempted workers were all able-bodied young men.
If it weren't for the fact that their jobs were extremely arduous and irreplaceable, the officials would never have been so merciful as to grant them "exemption from military service."
They've also seized the arsenal. Even if they can't operate those war machines or wear steam armor, each of them could drown a mere cavalry regiment of eight hundred men with a single spit.
"It's not that bad, but even if it's only a quarter of the people, it'll be enough for us to handle."
"Where are the garrison troops in the capital? Why are they acting like they're doing nothing? Isn't suppressing rebellions their job?"
Tennis shook his head: "I don't know. The military's orders didn't mention these things, but I imagine there must have been cooperation from friendly forces. Although most of the Beijing garrison troops are a rabble, there are a few elite units."
In Tenniski’s view, the rebels’ biggest weakness was their inability to use war machines.
Even the most basic armored infantrymen had to practice "breathing techniques," which was equivalent to the knight class of the old era. No matter how poor their lives were, they would not get mixed up with these rebels composed of people from the lower classes.
They have now occupied the arsenal and can rely on the sturdy factory buildings to defend against the Cossacks' attack, but they can easily break through it if a land cruiser is able to start or a company of armored infantry launches a surprise attack.
Tenniski took out his pocket watch, glanced at the time, and called out loudly, "Everyone, mount your mounts, it's time for us to set off."
The journey to the Ptilov Arsenal was not peaceful.
The rebels seemed to be everywhere, occasionally firing a sniper shot from a civilian house. They were all quite good marksmen. Tennisky thought that these people were either retired from the front lines or that there were traitors within the garrison.
"Company commander, we've brought back a cripple. He's the one who just killed one of our brothers."
Two Cossack cavalrymen dragged a middle-aged man with a bruised and swollen face to Tuniski.
The man had a broken leg, which was clearly why he couldn't escape in time after firing the shot.
"Is there anything you want to explain?"
Tennis pushed away the Cossack who wanted to kick him a few more times, squatted down in front of him and said seriously.
"Pooh!"
The man spat out a mouthful of blood, which Tennis easily dodged by tilting his head.
"I met a very pretty young girl during the day. She was about to sell her body for a bite to eat. You should know what will happen to your wife and daughters if they lose the man who is the pillar of their family."
The man sneered, "I just returned to St. Petersburg from the front lines, and by then I had already lost all my family. Save your breath, you can't threaten me."
Tenniski's tone was very gentle: "Since you are also a veteran who retired from the front lines, you should know how strong our forces are. Do you really think that a bunch of rabble can fight against steam airships, land cruisers, and royal mages by picking up guns?"
The man just kept sneering, and his laughter grew louder and louder.
Under Tennis's questioning gaze, he slowly said, "On the way here, did you hear the gunfire from the Peter and Paul Fortress? We are not fighting alone. The blood we shed will inspire more comrades."
laugh--
A strange sound suddenly rang out.
"Get out of the way!"
Tenniski's expression changed drastically. He grabbed the quartermaster beside him and jumped into the ditch.
boom!
Even while soaking in the icy mud, Tenniski could feel a fiery dragon flying overhead.
When they got up again, the spot where the man had been standing had been blasted into a deep crater.
The quartermaster couldn't help but curse, "Damn it, the Putilov Arsenal is producing white crystal grenades?"
Tennysky nodded. The white crystal grenade was not difficult to manufacture. The Putilov Arms Factory could even produce war machines, so what was so strange about temporarily manufacturing a batch of white crystal grenades?
After leaving behind more than ten corpses along the way, Tennisky's company finally arrived outside the Putilov Arsenal.
At this time, the arsenal was surrounded by barricades made of various miscellaneous items, and two heavy machine guns were set up at the entrance. The riveted armor of the armored infantrymen was pieced together to serve as a temporary fortress.
Tenniski examined the object through his binoculars for a long time, but dared not make any rash moves.
Cossacks were often used by the Tsar to suppress riots. Their greatest advantage was their high mobility, allowing them to reach the battlefield before the rebellion gained momentum. However, if the enemy had already established a firm foothold, this advantage would become a disadvantage.
Suddenly, the troops at the rear became restless. A man in a blue robe pushed through the crowd and swaggered over: "What's going on? Why aren't you attacking?"
After a brief bow, Tennis said, "We lack heavy weapons, and with so few men, it's impossible for us to take back the arsenal."
The blue robe was a symbol of royal mages. Although Tenniski couldn't recognize what rank the intricate patterns on the other person's robe represented, even if he randomly picked out a spellcaster, their status would be far beyond what he, a mere low-ranking military officer, could compare to.
"The rebels number only a few hundred, and with my assistance, why would they need to wait for heavy weapons?"
The man in the blue robe said arrogantly, "Lord Rasputin has ordered that all rebels be eliminated before dawn. Do you intend to disobey Lord Rasputin's orders?"
Tunisky had no choice but to say helplessly, "I dare not. We will launch the attack now. We will trouble you to provide fire support."
The man in the blue robe waved his hand impatiently and walked away, leaning on his staff.
The Cossacks began setting up makeshift artillery positions, even though the small-caliber cannons they carried were no match for the arsenal, which was originally built to withstand bombing by airships. Something was better than nothing.
The quartermaster leaned close to Tenniski and muttered, "That damned monk knows nothing about fighting. Are we really going to follow his orders and throw our brothers' lives here?"
Rasputin was a spellcaster advisor to the Romanov royal family. He was trusted by the Tsar and Tsarina because he cured Tsarevich Alexei's hemophilia. His position was so high that he could even directly intervene in the war on the front lines.
The Cossacks disliked this Siberian farmer who frequented the court, believing him to be a charlatan who only knew how to play tricks and act arrogantly from the rear.
"What other options are there?"
Tennysky said with a wry smile, "His Majesty the Tsar is at the front, and the most important person in St. Petersburg is the Empress. That wicked monk Rasputin is deeply trusted by the Empress, and his words carry more weight than the military's orders."
The quartermaster spat: "I hope that blue-robed fellow with eyebrows that seem to grow on the top of his head is as capable as he boasts."
"By the way, Company Commander, that man in the blue robe just said the rebels only number a few hundred. Is that true or false?"
"I hope so."
Tennysky frowned, recalling the attacks he had encountered on the road and the gunfire at the Peter and Paul Fortress; he could hardly be optimistic.
boom--
With a cannon shot, the attack began.
The Cossack cavalry regiment's artillery company stepped up its efforts. These professional artillerymen, relying on small-caliber rapid-fire cannons imported from France, suppressed the rebel artillery to the point of being unable to raise their heads, and quickly took out several outer machine gun positions.
The man in the blue robe also made his move. He chanted a spell, and with a wave of his staff, a fireball shot out. Its power was no less than that of a small-caliber cannonball, and it was also exceptionally agile.
Tenniski witnessed a fireball seemingly having eyes, dodging the bullets fired by the rebels and landing in a fortress made of armor plates.
With a deafening roar, the rebel lines surrounding the arsenal were almost completely wiped out.