On June 18, the French army led by Carrier landed in Carkinit Bay. The 8th Marine Division also began to make final preparations before landing. Their strategic purpose is very clear, which is to occupy Armeniask and cut off the Crimean Peninsula's connection with Ukraine. In order to ensure the success of the plan, the General Staff ordered that the Iberian Army mobilize part of the army to cooperate with the Russian Liberation Army in launching an attack on the Russian Southern Front, preventing them from interfering in the war on the Crimean Peninsula.
After learning that the French landing troops were going north, Yevgeny, the commander of the Russian 24th Army, also hurried north. He boasted of Haikou in front of Sergey and the others. Where to put face, so he is going to personally command the landing of the resistance against the French army.
"Start shelling and clear the way for the landing troops!" Khalil put down the telescope in his hand and ordered.
Under Kalil's order, the 'Grand Duke' and three 'Bonaparte' class warships immediately lined up and approached the coast. On the surface of the sea about 4 kilometers away from the coast, violent shelling was launched to the coastal area. A large number of shells roared and smashed towards the beach, and shrapnel flew across the beach. Although the power of the shells was somewhat affected on the beach, they still left terrifying big holes on the beach.
Stationed in this area is the 13th Infantry Regiment of the Russian 24th Army. After the regiment discovered that the French Navy had appeared in this area, it immediately reported the news to Armeniansk. A major general commander stationed in Sk, Armenia immediately sent a regiment to support the beach, and at the same time asked Yevgeny to send more reinforcements.
After being ravaged by the naval guns of the French Navy Fleet for half an hour, the positions of the 13th Infantry Regiment of the 24th Army of Russia became riddled with holes, and a large number of fixed firepower points were also destroyed, which greatly reduced their defensive strength.
At 10 o'clock in the morning, Khalil sent the first wave of landing troops. About a battalion of troops boarded the landing craft and headed for the coast under the cover of naval guns. The sea in this area is still relatively calm, except for the occasional threat of coastal defense artillery, it can be regarded as an ideal landing site. During the entire landing process, only two landing ships were hit by the Russian coastal defense artillery, and none of the marines on it escaped successfully.
After the successful landing of the marines, the naval bombardment began to extend, attacking the depths of the Russian defenders. After the successful landing of the first wave of Marines, Khalil immediately sent the second wave of landing troops, which was also a battalion.
The landing of the French army was hit hard by the Russian army. They braved the fierce artillery fire of the French army and kept shooting at the French landing troops, hoping to shoot and kill all the French landing troops on the beach. However, the Marine Corps, the most elite unit of the French army, is obviously not a vegetarian. Under the cover of the squad's machine guns and mortars, it launched a fierce attack on the Russian positions. Long before the French army attacked, the Russian army suffered heavy casualties under the shelling of the French navy. At this time, it was very difficult to face the attack of a French battalion of marines.
"Regimental Commander, the French attack is so fierce that we can hardly resist it." A **** low-ranking officer ran into the command post of the 13th Infantry Regiment Commander and cried to him. He is a battalion commander of the 13th Infantry Regiment. His battalion is at the forefront of the position and belongs to the key target of the French army. In the previous bombardment, their battalion lost 30% of its troops. Now under the fierce attack of the French army, the loss is even more heavy. It will be a matter of time before the French army breaks through the defense line.
"You go back first, the reinforcements will be here soon," said the head of the regiment. He has nothing to do now. The 14th Infantry Regiment from Armeniansk is still on the way, and it will take about an hour to arrive. In other words, he must resist the attack of the French army within this hour. However, according to the current battle situation, it is hard for him to believe that his troops can withstand the French army for an hour. In the end, he had no choice but to send out all the strength of the two companies and the guard platoon as a reserve force.
After the French army's second wave of landing troops came ashore, the situation facing the Russian army became worse and worse. The first line of defense has been breached by the French army, and the second line of defense is also in jeopardy under the attack of the French army, and it may be breached at any time. Seeing the Russian army retreating steadily under the fierce attack of the French army, Kalil smiled triumphantly.
Immediately, the second wave of landing troops, a total of two battalions were dispatched again, one battalion was used to continue the attack on the Russian army, and the other battalion was used to expand the landing field. A large number of soldiers and heavy equipment are still waiting to be loaded and unloaded? Only after all these heavy weapons were transported ashore, could the landing of the French army be considered a complete success.
On the other side, the 14th Infantry Regiment of the Russian Army also arrived late. In addition to the rout of the 13th Infantry Regiment, the strength reached more than 3,500 people. One regiment was used to protect the landing field, and the other regiment continued to launch attacks on the Russian army.
Yevgeny also rushed to the Razdolinoye area, mobilized 4 regiments, and prepared to launch a counterattack against the French army, driving all the French army into the sea.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, another regiment of the French army also completed the landing. Following Khalil's orders, they launched an attack on Armeniansk. The 15th Infantry Regiment of the 24th Army of the Russian Army stayed behind in Armeniansk. The strength of the two sides is equal, but in terms of combat effectiveness, the Russian army is obviously not the opponent of the French army.
Moreover, the successful landing of the French army caused the morale of the Russian army to drop significantly. During the fierce attack of the French army, the defense line of the 15th Infantry Regiment of the Russian Army was broken through and had to withdraw from Armeniansk. Now, the French army can be regarded as having gained a firm foothold. In the evening, before dark, most of the French 8th Marine Division had landed. The Russian army also retreated to Krasnoperekopsk, where the 16th Infantry Regiment of the Russian Army and the 13th, 14th, and 15th Infantry Regiments defeated by the French army were gathered here, with a total strength of more than 6,000 people. But at this moment, two regiments of the French army have arrived outside the city of Krasnoperekopsk, so the Russian army was firmly suppressed in the city.
On June 19, Yevgeny led four regiments to Krasnoperekopsk and began to counterattack the French army. However, with the fire support of the naval fleet, the 8th Marine Division withstood the Russian attack. The French army's backup force, the three infantry divisions of the Iberian 1st Army, also began to land one after another, and Yevgeny realized that the situation was not good.
On June 20, the 2nd Infantry Division of the Iberian 1st Army landed, and then they launched a counterattack against the Russian army. And broke through the Russian army's defense line that afternoon, and the Russian army's defense line collapsed immediately. Yevgeny had to lead the remaining troops back to the Razdolinoye area.
Subsequently, the 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions of Iberia also completed the landing. Tens of thousands of French troops launched a fierce attack on the Russian army. The Russian army, which suffered heavy losses, was no match for the French army. Under the attack of the French army, they retreated steadily. The war continued from the northern part of the Crimean Peninsula to the southern region.
On June 23, Yevpatoria, an important city on the Crimean Peninsula, was occupied by the French army. Yevgeny knew that the defense of the Crimea Peninsula was hopeless, so he led the remnants of the 24th Army to flee eastward to Kerch, the eastern city of the Crimea Peninsula.
At this time, Kalil only sent the 4th Iberian Infantry Division to pursue, while the other troops continued to attack south. Prepare to attack Sevastopol, the station of the Black Sea Fleet, from the rear.
On June 25, Kalil concentrated 3 divisions and more than 40,000 troops to attack Sevastopol. At the same time, the fleet on the sea began to bombard with all its strength. Most of Sevastopol's fortress guns are fixed and dead. Facing the attack from the land~www.mtlnovel.com~ they can't resist at all, and only rely on those cannons. However, the Iberian 2nd and 3rd Infantry Divisions also carried a lot of artillery, and they had a great advantage in the artillery battle with the Russian army. After suppressing the artillery of the Russian army, the infantry began to attack, occupying the Russian fortress one by one, gradually disintegrating the defense of the entire Sevastopol fortress.
Under the double attack of the French army, the Black Sea Fleet suffered heavy losses, most of the warships were sunk, and the Sevastopol fortress was also occupied by the French army. The occupation of the fortress marked the destruction of the entire Black Sea Fleet, and a large number of sailors and naval officers became prisoners, including the commander of the Black Sea Fleet including Sergey.
When the Sevastopol Fortress fell, Yevgeny was planning to resist the attack of the French army in Kerch, but after knowing that the Black Sea Fleet was all over, Yevgeny couldn't sit still, and immediately led a small amount of troops to cross the border. Escape through the Kerch Strait. And the remaining Russian troops, after the main general fled, no longer had the heart to resist. Under the attack of the 4th Division of the Iberian 1st Army, all but a few diehards surrendered.
The capture of Kerch marked the end of the Crimean War with a French victory. The French army wiped out the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the 24th Army at a small cost. Subsequently, France's southern maritime transport line was also established, crossing the Mediterranean from Iberia, then crossing the Turkish Strait into the Black Sea, and finally resisting Ukraine. The establishment of the southern sea transportation line has greatly eased the logistical pressure on the front line.