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Please not a world conquestIt's not realist, even with Sternberg at the helm !
Sternberg is the antithesis of realism.
THUNDER OF THE STEPPES
KR MONGOLIA AAR
KR MONGOLIA AAR
CHAPTER ONE: IN THE VAST STEPPES
Part II: The first steps
Part II: The first steps
The world around Mongolia was preparing for the great deeds too, and Ungern had to collect any information about foreign missions of different neighboring states. Mongolia had a very weak system of military intelligence, so it was quite hard to find out what was going on in Central Asia. Qing Empire, led by emperor Pu Yi, planned some revanchist conquests - and Mongolia was in the list. Ungern considered Qing the most dangerous enemy in the region, and he was right...
This Manchu Empire makes some reforms...
On 14th of February Wrangel reintroduced the Okhranka, old pre-revolutionary Tsarist political police. It was brutal, but necessary step - revolutionary activities in Russia badly increased - syndicalists and totalists, liberals and democrats, monarchists and paternalists - all these political movements had terror organizations and fought against the Black Baron's regime. Ungern knew Wrangel's personality, they fought together in the White Army during the Russian Civil War. It was a strict and harsh politician, not suitable for the peace-time reign. Wrangel could be useful only if Russia participated in a war.
Tsarist secret services are back
Okranka officers with a captured political activist
Ungern clearly realized that he needed strong allies to start his mission. One of such countries was Tibet, a theocratic Buddhist monarchy (Mongols were Buddhist too), and Tibetan religious leaders knew Ungern very well and considered him a living god, just like Mongol ones. Tibet had armed forces, which weren't big, but very useful in the mountain warfare. Tibet had a useful geographical placement...So, the khan ordered to send an envoy to Tibet to create a strong Buddhist alliance against their Chinese common enemies...Ungern believed, that he could find Shambala, the holy vale in Tibet, to get the divine forces from it.
Tibetan diplomatic mission
Temples of one of the most mysterious countries
But the Tibetans were too weak to conclude a pact with Mongolia - they were afraid of Chinese threat and politely refused the alliance proposals. Ungern was so angry, that he killed a Tibetan diplomat with his sabre, put his head on a pike and put it near his yurt. "Traitors! Bastards! Cowards! Worms! I'll teach them not to refuse my kind will!" - shouted the Khan. Ungern understood that he won't get Tibet with words. So he decided to take it with blood. Some day...
Silly Tibetans will understand the price of Mongol kindness!
Wrangel's regime in Russia, however, was worsening day by day - a lot of factory workers refused to obey the orders and started rioting. The Black Baron used armed forces to return the laborers to their work. Russia was falling in the deep of upcoming revolution...Ungern was just laughing. "I'll take Russia easier with such a corrupted regime and such ill society!" - said Roman.
Workers' protests in Russia
And on 6th of April the moment had come - Mongol minority in the lands of Ma Clan revolted against the government. They said that Ungern is their Khan and they want to join Mongolia. More and more people were participating in that undeclared war. Ungern decided to act - he quickly mobilized his Russo-Mongol army and crossed the badly-defended border of Xibei Lianbang.
"Warriors of the Khan, it's our chance! Wash your sabers with enemies' blood! It's time to liberate our brothers!" - such words Ungern used in his telegram to all generals and high officers of the Mongol army. The war was officially declared a day later, when the Mongol horses were heading for Xibei towns.
For the Mongols in Ma's lands!
One of Mongol cavalry divisions
A lot of ethnic Mongols from the Xibei Liangbang joined the Mongol army. Khan's generals decided to unite these troops into the 5th Cavalry division (Tuvan Army of general Sukharev). They were badly equipped and had almost no military skills, but were very brave and decisive. And one more additional division could be very useful, too.
Rebels join the Khan's army
The Mongol army started the active warfare only on 10th of April, when all troops were ready for battle. The plan was simple, but effective - Tuvan and South-Western army attacked Aletai, while Ungern and Tornovsky (Khan's Army and South-Eastern army) moved onto Bayan Hot, one of the main towns of Inner Mongolia. Xibei had more troops for fight, but they weren't as mobile and trained as Ungern's army. So the fight was going to be equal...
Operations in the Northern Xibei
Ma's soldiers weren't ready and didn't prepare for the defense - 2 divisions, led personally by Ma Hongkui, one of the main figureheads of Ma Clan, had no chances against three Mongol cavalry divisions and a single division of Tuvan riflemen, who were the best infantry in the Mongolian army. General Sukharev, a veteran of Asiatic Cavalry division, was going to take Aletai soon.
The battle in the Western part of Ma's lands
Ungern was doing even better - his six divisions totally outnumbered the garrisons of Bayan Hot - Mongols were capturing more and more territories - they were really close to the capital of Inner Mongolia. Roman was in the eye of the storm - he personally led his cavalrymen and was in great danger - but the Mad Baron never was afraid of wounds or death - he just enjoyed the spirit of battle, the smell of blood and screams of dying men.
Ungern crushed the Chinese militia
Meanwhile, Mongols made some progress in re-equipment of their infantry divisions - new rifles and machine guns were already bought (mostly in Russia, which terribly needed money) and were ready for the real war!
New infantry division standards
On 18th of April battle for Bayan Hot was finished and skillful general Tornovsky switched to another target - attacked Ma's infantry in the town of Linhe. Tornovsky didn't have any cavalry, but his infantry (nevertheless they were Mongols) fought much better than defending Chinese. The fall of Linhe was just a matter of time - if Mongols had artillery (which was notable only in Khan's army), that battle would be solved even sooner.
The battle of Linhe - Tornovsky advances
After a week the Chinese armies left Aletai - Mongols won their first battle and were ready to keep it going! Fast attacks of cavalry and talented commanders made the Mongol army very strong and dangerous, and outdated weapons weren't such a problem - Ma's armies were equipped even worse, mostly with WW1-era weapons. Sukharev was heading for his first trophy.
Victory!
Ungern's soldiers with captured Chinese weapons
On 2nd of May Tornovsky crossed the mountain range and was almost in some kilometers from Linhe. So difficult actions weren't useful for the Mongol army which got used to fight in the vast steppe lands, but old general knew what to do - and the Mongols passed throw the mountains and were close to win the battle!
Tornovsky fights in the mountains
And the next day first Mongol air division was ready - 60% were newly-bought Russian or Japanese aicraft, 30% - old WW1-planes from Asiatic division and 10% were made in Mongolia itself by some Russian engineers. Ungern called this division "Our first step in the skies".
Now Mongolia has air forces
To be continued...
Waiting for your comments
Hehehe, "Mongol Kindness". Soon they will realize what is best in life.
And, zaowee at the MAF. That's gotta be some pretty useless force tbh - given the almost complete lack of air bases :/
And, zaowee at the MAF. That's gotta be some pretty useless force tbh - given the almost complete lack of air bases :/
A Mongolian Air Force? Lord Ungern truly wants to be a God and fly in the skies....
May the Mongolian airforce be as devastating and scary to your enemies as the hordes were in the middle ages!!
I'm still imagining Mongol hordes descending out of the sky on horses with helicopter rotors, their swords glistening in the noon sun and the miniguns mounted on the horses undersides blazing.
Mad Baron in Mongolia and Black Baron in Russia. Oh, and the Red Baron as chief of German airforce. BaRonS, BArOns everywhere!