How the Russian army stormed Kars
190 years ago, 23 June 1828, during the Russian-Turkish war after a three-day siege by the Russian army, under the command of General of Infantry Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich-Erivan, fell the well-fortified Turkish fortress of Kars in the eastern Ottoman Empire.
prehistory
In April 1828, Russia declared war on Turkey. The war was caused by the strategic contradictions between Russia and the Ottoman Empire. During this period, the Turkish Empire quickly degraded and experienced a sharp internal crisis. The most acute manifestation of the crisis was the Greek question - the national-liberation uprising in Greece. The Greeks rebelled back in 1821 year. They were supported by France and England. Russia under Tsar Alexander I took a position of non-interference. Petersburg then was under the dope of the ideas of the Holy Alliance on the principle of legitimism, and did not want to raise the Balkan peoples against their "legitimate monarch". With the accession of Nicholas I, the position of St. Petersburg on the Greek issue began to change.
At first, Petersburg tried together with London to press diplomatically on Constantinople and reconcile the Turks with the Greeks. But without success. Porta did not want to give in and give the Greeks autonomy. In 1827, after six years of unequal struggle, the Greeks could no longer resist. Ottoman troops took Athens and drowned the country in blood. It was even proposed to solve the Greek question forever - by destroying and relocating the remnants of the Greek people. The terror was so terrible that Europe could not turn a blind eye to it. In June, the governments of Russia, England and France, which developed a joint line of behavior on the Greek question, sent Porte an ultimatum: to stop the atrocities and provide Greece with autonomy. But the Ottomans ignored this demand, like many previous ones. Then the allies sent a combined fleet to the shores of Greece in order to exert military-diplomatic pressure on Constantinople. The combined Turkish-Egyptian fleet with Asian and African forces stood in the Bay of Navarino. Admirals of the Allied fleet demanded that the Turks immediately cease hostilities. However, this ultimatum was not executed by the Turks. Then the allied fleet attacked the enemy and destroyed him in the Battle of Navarino on October 8, 1827. The Russian squadron played a decisive role in the battle - most of the enemy ships were destroyed by the Russians.
In response, Port broke off the previous agreement with Russia, expelled the Russian subjects from their possessions. Turkey has banned Russian ships from entering the Bosphorus. The Ottoman Sultan proclaimed a holy war against Russia. The Turks hastily strengthened the Danube fortress. England and France did not enter the war. Due to such hostile actions of the Ottoman government, Nikolay I 14 (26) on April 1828 declared war on Turkey. The fighting went on the Balkan and Caucasus fronts.
At the main Balkan theater of military operations, the Russian army, after the first victories, did not achieve decisive success, the war was delayed. This was due to the mistakes of command and planning - the campaign began with obviously insufficient forces, only three corps, without a second echelon and powerful reserves, which could be immediately entered into battle, developing the first successes. At the same time, Commander-in-Chief P. Kh. Wittgenstein dispersed these insufficient forces and reduced the campaign to the simultaneous siege of three fortresses (Silistra, Varna and Shumla), to isolating individual units for barriers and observing the enemy in other directions. This led to scattering, dispersion of forces, instead of one decisive blow and loss of time. Of the three main sieges, only one was completed (Varna), the other two nearly led to a catastrophic defeat.
Forces and plans of the parties in the Caucasus
The commander-in-chief in the Caucasus during this period was an experienced commander Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich. The general was a hero of World War 1812 of the year, distinguished himself in foreign campaigns of the Russian army. For joining Eastern Armenia to Russia and taking Tabriz, he was awarded the honorary title of Count Erivan. From 1827, Paskevich - Commander-in-Chief in the Caucasus. Tsar Nikolai gave Paskevich the choice of an action plan against the enemy. The Russian troops in the Caucasus were tasked with capturing two border pashalyks (regions) of Turkey - Kara and Akhaltsykh, as well as capturing Poti on the Black Sea coast. Russian troops in the Caucasus were to divert as many enemy troops as possible from the Balkan theater of operations. Further advancement into Turkish territory was considered inexpedient.
A separate Caucasian corps, along with reinforcements arrived at the start of the fighting, had: 56 infantry battalions, 5 regiments of regular cavalry, 17 Cossack regiments and 13 with half of their artillery companies. The total number of troops consisted of 36,4 thousand infantry, 8,5 thousand cavalry and 148 guns. In general, the body was a serious force. But part of the forces could not take part in the hostilities. Thus, the detachment of Major General Pankratiev - 3,3 thousand bayonets and sabers with 16 guns, was located on the territory of Persia, as the guarantor of the payment of the contribution of the Shah government (Russia just ended victoriously the war with Persia). The Life Guards Consolidated (“Penalty”) Regiment departed for Petersburg in the middle of summer, guarding the Persian indemnity. Together in the Guards regiment, which showed itself well in the war with the Persians and deserved forgiveness, the entire 2-Ulansky division with the equestrian artillery company attached to it went. In the Transcaucasus, only the Combined Uhlan Regiment remained. Two infantry battalions were sent to reinforce the Caucasian fortified line. A part of the forces carried the garrison service, covered the northern regions of Georgia and Azerbaijan from the raids of the Highlanders, protected the communications and the border with Persia.
As a result, only 15 infantry battalions, 8 squadrons of regular cavalry, 6 Cossack regiments and 6 artillery companies could be actively used against the Turkish troops. Total 12,5 thousand bayonets and sabers with 70 guns. In addition, it is necessary to take into account that the Russian-Persian 1826 — 1828 war has just ended. The number of infantry battalions, cavalry and Cossack units was not complete. The soldiers are tired, it was necessary to replenish supplies weapons, ammunition, ammunition, provisions in military stores, re-form transports and artillery parks. There was no hope for quick help from European Russia, by virtue of its remoteness and the diversion of the main forces to the Danube front. Therefore, the fighting in the Caucasus began later than in the Balkans, where the Danube army, which was already ready for war, was located.
Having received an order to break off relations with Porto, Paskevich divided the border line into five operational areas, which covered five detachments of the Separate Caucasian Corps. Began training regiments designated in the current structure. At border points, hospitals were deployed for 2 thousand people and a mobile hospital for 1 thousand people. The treasury of the corps was aimed at purchasing food and fodder from the local population. Part of the cargo came from Astrakhan across the Caspian Sea. A troop shop was created from an 1070 arb (two-wheeled cart) and 225 loads. This store was supposed to carry a third of the purchased supplies. The collapsible bridge was also loaded into the military store. Prepared artillery and engineering parks. It should be noted that Paskevich paid great attention to the preparation of troops for the 1828 campaign of the year. The troops were well supplied, the ammunition for the guns and the guns were taken with a large stock.
The Turks are also actively preparing for hostilities. The Turkish commander-in-chief, Kios-Mohammed Pasha, who was sent to the Caucasus, planned not to defend himself, but to attack Georgia. It was an experienced commander, he fought with the French in Egypt, fought against the Russians, Greeks and Serbs in Europe. He vowed to Sultan Mahmud II to clear the Transcaucasus from the Russians, to lead the Georgians and Armenians to obedience. In Erzurum, they planned to collect 40-thousand. shock corps, push to Kars, and then hit the Russian territories. To form its core from Istanbul, 3 was sent by thousands of European-trained infantrymen and officers trained by European instructors. All the fortresses in the east were prepared for war, the fortifications were repaired, garrisons and supplies replenished. The war tried to give a "sacred character" - the Muslim clergy carried out the appropriate treatment of the population. The Turks diligently sought allies among the Georgian nobility. At the beginning of 1828, the nominal ruler of Guria, Princess Sofya Guriely, received the firmman of the Ottoman sultan, who accepted the Gurian principality under his patronage.
The Grand Council of the Ottoman authorities in Erzurum, under the authority of the ruler of Armenia and Anatolia, Ghalib Pasha, decided to launch an offensive operation, concentrating a large army in Kars. Turkish intelligence officers provided false information that famine was rampant in Russian Transcaucasia, the Russian army suffered from food shortages, and Paskevich himself was seriously ill and could not control the troops (the commander-in-chief was really sick, but the disease was not so serious). Karsky Emin Pasha, having received this news, was not particularly happy. He knew that the Russians had built a road from Tiflis to the Gumras, so the Russian army at Kars can be quite fast. He sent to the Russian border 4 thousand cavalry and requested reinforcements. The Sultan commander promised an ambulance and sent new envoys demanding the urgent gathering of all troops from Kars.
Russian army hike
The fighting in the Caucasus began almost two months after Russian troops in the Balkan theater besieged Brailov and forced the Danube, seizing a number of Turkish fortresses. In the Caucasian Corps served as combat, tested officers. The position of chief of staff of a separate Caucasian corps was performed by Dmitry Osten-Saken. He served in the Elizavetgrad Hussars during the anti-French campaigns 1805 and 1806 — 1807. was a member of the Austerlitz and Friedland battles. Passed the entire 1812 campaign of the year, participating in all major battles. He was a member of a foreign campaign, completing it in Paris. Brilliantly proved himself during the Russian-Persian war 1826-1828. The corps' infantry consisted of three brigades: 1, under the command of Muravyev (he would take Kars again in 1855, for the second time), 2, Berkhman, 3, Korolkov. In total, the 15 battalions of the Georgian Grenadier, Erivan Carabinieri, Shirvan and Crimean Infantry, 39, 40 and 42 grenadier regiments took part in the campaign. In total, the infantry had 8,5 thousand people. The cavalry consisted of 4 brigades: Consolidated - 8 squadrons of the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment and the Combined Uhlan Regiment under Colonel Rayevsky; 1-I brigade of Colonel Pobednova, 2-I of Colonel Sergeev and 3-I of Major General Zavadovsky. A total of three brigades had 7 Don Cossack regiments and one Horse-Black Sea (Kuban). At the headquarters there was a combined Linear Cossack regiment and the irregular cavalry of local volunteer hunters. In total there were 3,4 thousand people in the cavalry. The corps artillery had 70 guns: 58 field and 12 siege.
14 June Russian troops crossed the Arpa-Chai River and entered the Ottoman Empire. The vanguard consisted of the 1 Cossack brigade with 6 guns and a battalion of pioneers (sappers). Experienced and well-organized troops of the Separate Caucasus Corps advanced quickly. According to Russian intelligence, Pasha Kars already had about 4 thousand infantry under his command. 8 thousand cavalry and 4 thousand militia. These forces were sufficient for the defense of the fortress and the battle in the field. Upon learning of the approach of the Russian troops, Emin Pasha immediately notified Erzurum seraskir. And he received assurances that the army would soon be approaching under the command of Kios Muhammad Pasha himself. The Turkish commander-in-chief wrote Emin Pasha: “Your troops are brave. Kars is invincible, Russians are few in number. Take heart, until I come to your aid ... ".
The beginning of the siege
17 June Paskevich's troops are located 30 versts from Kars, near the village of Meshko. Paskevich, waiting for the appearance of the Turkish corps from Erzerum, decides to make a flank march and, beating Kars from the south, cut the Erzurum road. Fortified camp decided to put in the village of Kichik-Ev. The flank movement was accomplished in two day transitions. Considering the possibility of the appearance of enemy cavalry, the right flank of the column was covered mostly by artillery, and horse pickets were pushed far to the sides.
19 June, leaving a wagon train with a reliable cover at the site of the future camp, Paskevich undertook reconnaissance by force. In the morning, 8 troops reached the fortress. The Turks dug indiscriminate artillery fire, not really worrying about the accuracy of hitting targets. 5-thousand Turkish cavalry squad tried to overturn the Russian column with a sudden blow. Five thousand horsemen, turned lava, rushing to the column with fierce cries. It seemed that the Muslim cavalry would bypass the Russian flanks and go to the rear, surrounding the Russian troops. Paskevich in the conditions of the mountainous terrain used the construction of troops in columns in three lines: in the first and second, there was infantry, in the third, cavalry and a column of infantry reserve. The infantry could turn around in the square and cover the corps cavalry. Each line had its own artillery and reserve.
The fight went short. From the right flank of the Don Cossacks struck. There was a fleeting felling, then the Cossacks on the signal "ran." Enemy cavalry lured 8-gun Don Don Horse Artillery Company under fire. A volley at the enemy cavalry produced almost at close range. The Cossack artillerymen with their fire quickly brought the enemy cavalry into complete confusion. Paskevich immediately struck cavalry with 6 guns of a horse-drawn company on the enemy flank. The Turkish cavalry did not accept the new battlefield and retreated under the protection of the serf batteries. But here, too, she was attacked by Russian cannons, which were installed by pioneers who had risen 800 meters from the fortifications of Kars. According to the same scenario, events developed on the left flank of the Russian troops - Don Cossack regiments lured the Turkish cavalry to the blow of an 12-gun battery, and then counterattacked the confused enemy cavalry. In the first field battle, the garrison of Kars suffered a complete defeat, losing to 400 people.
Kars Fortress was located on the banks of the Kars-Chai River. It still contains fortifications built at the end of the XVI century: a double row more than a meter thick walls, built of massive stone slabs with a height of 4-5 meters. A significant number of towers. The fortress wall circumferentially reached 1300 meters. Six corner bastions with flanking fire defended the approaches to the four gates. The city itself was covered by Chakhmak and Shorakh heights from the north and west. They still did not have powerful fortifications that would be erected by European fortifiers to the Eastern (Crimean) war. Only on the nearest spur of Mount Karadag was a redoubt built, defending the approaches to the suburb of Bairam Pasha. Here was a battery of 14 guns. Another suburb Orta Kapi ("Middle Gate") had its own stone wall with two bastions. Both suburbs were connected by an earthen rampart that crossed the marshy wasteland that divided them. The western suburb - Armenian, was located behind the river. He had no fortifications. However, here on the slopes of the left-bank heights the ancient castle Temir Pasha was located. In addition, field fortifications were built near the cemetery. At the northwestern corner of the fortress was located the citadel of Naryn-Kala. The artillery park of the fortress numbered about 150 guns.
Preparation of the assault
Paskevich-Erivansky spent two days on reconnaissance of enemy fortifications. Under the protection of a small convoy, he traveled all over the area near the fortress. The most convenient terrain for large masses of troops was an open, slightly hilly plain, which approached the fortress from the southern and southeast sides. However, here the troops were poorly protected from the action of enemy artillery. In addition, here it was necessary to storm the fortified suburbs. It was fraught with high losses.
After the military council, it was decided to deliver the main attack on Kars from the southwest, along the left bank of the river. After several skirmishes, the Cossacks and the huntsman cleared the posts of the enemy from Shorakh heights. June 20 began to equip the battery number 1 here and by the morning of 21-th completed the work. On the morning of June 21, the battery opened a rare, disturbing fire on a Turkish fortress. At the same time, the main camp was being arranged. Forward along the Erzurum road, guards were pushed, field artillery was positioned at protected positions, rangers and infantry blocked the road. In the center of the camp is located the cavalry. June 21 batteries were located No. 2, 3 and 4. The main battery was the number 4, it was located just 300 meters from the Turkish fortified camp on the left bank of the river. Here they put 4 double-torch mortars and 12 battery guns.
For the direct assault on Kars, 5 thousand people and 38 guns were allocated. The remaining guns guarded the Erzerum road, and the troops were in reserve and guarded communications. To disorient the Turkish command, the battery No.1 fired a rare fire, attracting the attention of the enemy. Detachments of Colonels Borozdin and Rajewski held demonstrations near the walls of the fortress. The Turks tried to suppress the Russian batteries with the fire of their artillery - it did not work, they made forays, but they were easily beaten off.
Initially, Paskevich scheduled an assault on 25 June. By this time, they planned to suppress the main Turkish batteries, undermining the fighting spirit of the Kars garrison. The wise experience of previous campaigns Paskevich did not want to hurry. However, there were changes in the plans of the Russian command, and the Russian army launched an assault on June 23.
Kars Citadel
To be continued ...
prehistory
In April 1828, Russia declared war on Turkey. The war was caused by the strategic contradictions between Russia and the Ottoman Empire. During this period, the Turkish Empire quickly degraded and experienced a sharp internal crisis. The most acute manifestation of the crisis was the Greek question - the national-liberation uprising in Greece. The Greeks rebelled back in 1821 year. They were supported by France and England. Russia under Tsar Alexander I took a position of non-interference. Petersburg then was under the dope of the ideas of the Holy Alliance on the principle of legitimism, and did not want to raise the Balkan peoples against their "legitimate monarch". With the accession of Nicholas I, the position of St. Petersburg on the Greek issue began to change.
At first, Petersburg tried together with London to press diplomatically on Constantinople and reconcile the Turks with the Greeks. But without success. Porta did not want to give in and give the Greeks autonomy. In 1827, after six years of unequal struggle, the Greeks could no longer resist. Ottoman troops took Athens and drowned the country in blood. It was even proposed to solve the Greek question forever - by destroying and relocating the remnants of the Greek people. The terror was so terrible that Europe could not turn a blind eye to it. In June, the governments of Russia, England and France, which developed a joint line of behavior on the Greek question, sent Porte an ultimatum: to stop the atrocities and provide Greece with autonomy. But the Ottomans ignored this demand, like many previous ones. Then the allies sent a combined fleet to the shores of Greece in order to exert military-diplomatic pressure on Constantinople. The combined Turkish-Egyptian fleet with Asian and African forces stood in the Bay of Navarino. Admirals of the Allied fleet demanded that the Turks immediately cease hostilities. However, this ultimatum was not executed by the Turks. Then the allied fleet attacked the enemy and destroyed him in the Battle of Navarino on October 8, 1827. The Russian squadron played a decisive role in the battle - most of the enemy ships were destroyed by the Russians.
In response, Port broke off the previous agreement with Russia, expelled the Russian subjects from their possessions. Turkey has banned Russian ships from entering the Bosphorus. The Ottoman Sultan proclaimed a holy war against Russia. The Turks hastily strengthened the Danube fortress. England and France did not enter the war. Due to such hostile actions of the Ottoman government, Nikolay I 14 (26) on April 1828 declared war on Turkey. The fighting went on the Balkan and Caucasus fronts.
At the main Balkan theater of military operations, the Russian army, after the first victories, did not achieve decisive success, the war was delayed. This was due to the mistakes of command and planning - the campaign began with obviously insufficient forces, only three corps, without a second echelon and powerful reserves, which could be immediately entered into battle, developing the first successes. At the same time, Commander-in-Chief P. Kh. Wittgenstein dispersed these insufficient forces and reduced the campaign to the simultaneous siege of three fortresses (Silistra, Varna and Shumla), to isolating individual units for barriers and observing the enemy in other directions. This led to scattering, dispersion of forces, instead of one decisive blow and loss of time. Of the three main sieges, only one was completed (Varna), the other two nearly led to a catastrophic defeat.
Forces and plans of the parties in the Caucasus
The commander-in-chief in the Caucasus during this period was an experienced commander Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich. The general was a hero of World War 1812 of the year, distinguished himself in foreign campaigns of the Russian army. For joining Eastern Armenia to Russia and taking Tabriz, he was awarded the honorary title of Count Erivan. From 1827, Paskevich - Commander-in-Chief in the Caucasus. Tsar Nikolai gave Paskevich the choice of an action plan against the enemy. The Russian troops in the Caucasus were tasked with capturing two border pashalyks (regions) of Turkey - Kara and Akhaltsykh, as well as capturing Poti on the Black Sea coast. Russian troops in the Caucasus were to divert as many enemy troops as possible from the Balkan theater of operations. Further advancement into Turkish territory was considered inexpedient.
A separate Caucasian corps, along with reinforcements arrived at the start of the fighting, had: 56 infantry battalions, 5 regiments of regular cavalry, 17 Cossack regiments and 13 with half of their artillery companies. The total number of troops consisted of 36,4 thousand infantry, 8,5 thousand cavalry and 148 guns. In general, the body was a serious force. But part of the forces could not take part in the hostilities. Thus, the detachment of Major General Pankratiev - 3,3 thousand bayonets and sabers with 16 guns, was located on the territory of Persia, as the guarantor of the payment of the contribution of the Shah government (Russia just ended victoriously the war with Persia). The Life Guards Consolidated (“Penalty”) Regiment departed for Petersburg in the middle of summer, guarding the Persian indemnity. Together in the Guards regiment, which showed itself well in the war with the Persians and deserved forgiveness, the entire 2-Ulansky division with the equestrian artillery company attached to it went. In the Transcaucasus, only the Combined Uhlan Regiment remained. Two infantry battalions were sent to reinforce the Caucasian fortified line. A part of the forces carried the garrison service, covered the northern regions of Georgia and Azerbaijan from the raids of the Highlanders, protected the communications and the border with Persia.
As a result, only 15 infantry battalions, 8 squadrons of regular cavalry, 6 Cossack regiments and 6 artillery companies could be actively used against the Turkish troops. Total 12,5 thousand bayonets and sabers with 70 guns. In addition, it is necessary to take into account that the Russian-Persian 1826 — 1828 war has just ended. The number of infantry battalions, cavalry and Cossack units was not complete. The soldiers are tired, it was necessary to replenish supplies weapons, ammunition, ammunition, provisions in military stores, re-form transports and artillery parks. There was no hope for quick help from European Russia, by virtue of its remoteness and the diversion of the main forces to the Danube front. Therefore, the fighting in the Caucasus began later than in the Balkans, where the Danube army, which was already ready for war, was located.
Having received an order to break off relations with Porto, Paskevich divided the border line into five operational areas, which covered five detachments of the Separate Caucasian Corps. Began training regiments designated in the current structure. At border points, hospitals were deployed for 2 thousand people and a mobile hospital for 1 thousand people. The treasury of the corps was aimed at purchasing food and fodder from the local population. Part of the cargo came from Astrakhan across the Caspian Sea. A troop shop was created from an 1070 arb (two-wheeled cart) and 225 loads. This store was supposed to carry a third of the purchased supplies. The collapsible bridge was also loaded into the military store. Prepared artillery and engineering parks. It should be noted that Paskevich paid great attention to the preparation of troops for the 1828 campaign of the year. The troops were well supplied, the ammunition for the guns and the guns were taken with a large stock.
The Turks are also actively preparing for hostilities. The Turkish commander-in-chief, Kios-Mohammed Pasha, who was sent to the Caucasus, planned not to defend himself, but to attack Georgia. It was an experienced commander, he fought with the French in Egypt, fought against the Russians, Greeks and Serbs in Europe. He vowed to Sultan Mahmud II to clear the Transcaucasus from the Russians, to lead the Georgians and Armenians to obedience. In Erzurum, they planned to collect 40-thousand. shock corps, push to Kars, and then hit the Russian territories. To form its core from Istanbul, 3 was sent by thousands of European-trained infantrymen and officers trained by European instructors. All the fortresses in the east were prepared for war, the fortifications were repaired, garrisons and supplies replenished. The war tried to give a "sacred character" - the Muslim clergy carried out the appropriate treatment of the population. The Turks diligently sought allies among the Georgian nobility. At the beginning of 1828, the nominal ruler of Guria, Princess Sofya Guriely, received the firmman of the Ottoman sultan, who accepted the Gurian principality under his patronage.
The Grand Council of the Ottoman authorities in Erzurum, under the authority of the ruler of Armenia and Anatolia, Ghalib Pasha, decided to launch an offensive operation, concentrating a large army in Kars. Turkish intelligence officers provided false information that famine was rampant in Russian Transcaucasia, the Russian army suffered from food shortages, and Paskevich himself was seriously ill and could not control the troops (the commander-in-chief was really sick, but the disease was not so serious). Karsky Emin Pasha, having received this news, was not particularly happy. He knew that the Russians had built a road from Tiflis to the Gumras, so the Russian army at Kars can be quite fast. He sent to the Russian border 4 thousand cavalry and requested reinforcements. The Sultan commander promised an ambulance and sent new envoys demanding the urgent gathering of all troops from Kars.
Russian army hike
The fighting in the Caucasus began almost two months after Russian troops in the Balkan theater besieged Brailov and forced the Danube, seizing a number of Turkish fortresses. In the Caucasian Corps served as combat, tested officers. The position of chief of staff of a separate Caucasian corps was performed by Dmitry Osten-Saken. He served in the Elizavetgrad Hussars during the anti-French campaigns 1805 and 1806 — 1807. was a member of the Austerlitz and Friedland battles. Passed the entire 1812 campaign of the year, participating in all major battles. He was a member of a foreign campaign, completing it in Paris. Brilliantly proved himself during the Russian-Persian war 1826-1828. The corps' infantry consisted of three brigades: 1, under the command of Muravyev (he would take Kars again in 1855, for the second time), 2, Berkhman, 3, Korolkov. In total, the 15 battalions of the Georgian Grenadier, Erivan Carabinieri, Shirvan and Crimean Infantry, 39, 40 and 42 grenadier regiments took part in the campaign. In total, the infantry had 8,5 thousand people. The cavalry consisted of 4 brigades: Consolidated - 8 squadrons of the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment and the Combined Uhlan Regiment under Colonel Rayevsky; 1-I brigade of Colonel Pobednova, 2-I of Colonel Sergeev and 3-I of Major General Zavadovsky. A total of three brigades had 7 Don Cossack regiments and one Horse-Black Sea (Kuban). At the headquarters there was a combined Linear Cossack regiment and the irregular cavalry of local volunteer hunters. In total there were 3,4 thousand people in the cavalry. The corps artillery had 70 guns: 58 field and 12 siege.
14 June Russian troops crossed the Arpa-Chai River and entered the Ottoman Empire. The vanguard consisted of the 1 Cossack brigade with 6 guns and a battalion of pioneers (sappers). Experienced and well-organized troops of the Separate Caucasus Corps advanced quickly. According to Russian intelligence, Pasha Kars already had about 4 thousand infantry under his command. 8 thousand cavalry and 4 thousand militia. These forces were sufficient for the defense of the fortress and the battle in the field. Upon learning of the approach of the Russian troops, Emin Pasha immediately notified Erzurum seraskir. And he received assurances that the army would soon be approaching under the command of Kios Muhammad Pasha himself. The Turkish commander-in-chief wrote Emin Pasha: “Your troops are brave. Kars is invincible, Russians are few in number. Take heart, until I come to your aid ... ".
The beginning of the siege
17 June Paskevich's troops are located 30 versts from Kars, near the village of Meshko. Paskevich, waiting for the appearance of the Turkish corps from Erzerum, decides to make a flank march and, beating Kars from the south, cut the Erzurum road. Fortified camp decided to put in the village of Kichik-Ev. The flank movement was accomplished in two day transitions. Considering the possibility of the appearance of enemy cavalry, the right flank of the column was covered mostly by artillery, and horse pickets were pushed far to the sides.
19 June, leaving a wagon train with a reliable cover at the site of the future camp, Paskevich undertook reconnaissance by force. In the morning, 8 troops reached the fortress. The Turks dug indiscriminate artillery fire, not really worrying about the accuracy of hitting targets. 5-thousand Turkish cavalry squad tried to overturn the Russian column with a sudden blow. Five thousand horsemen, turned lava, rushing to the column with fierce cries. It seemed that the Muslim cavalry would bypass the Russian flanks and go to the rear, surrounding the Russian troops. Paskevich in the conditions of the mountainous terrain used the construction of troops in columns in three lines: in the first and second, there was infantry, in the third, cavalry and a column of infantry reserve. The infantry could turn around in the square and cover the corps cavalry. Each line had its own artillery and reserve.
The fight went short. From the right flank of the Don Cossacks struck. There was a fleeting felling, then the Cossacks on the signal "ran." Enemy cavalry lured 8-gun Don Don Horse Artillery Company under fire. A volley at the enemy cavalry produced almost at close range. The Cossack artillerymen with their fire quickly brought the enemy cavalry into complete confusion. Paskevich immediately struck cavalry with 6 guns of a horse-drawn company on the enemy flank. The Turkish cavalry did not accept the new battlefield and retreated under the protection of the serf batteries. But here, too, she was attacked by Russian cannons, which were installed by pioneers who had risen 800 meters from the fortifications of Kars. According to the same scenario, events developed on the left flank of the Russian troops - Don Cossack regiments lured the Turkish cavalry to the blow of an 12-gun battery, and then counterattacked the confused enemy cavalry. In the first field battle, the garrison of Kars suffered a complete defeat, losing to 400 people.
Kars Fortress was located on the banks of the Kars-Chai River. It still contains fortifications built at the end of the XVI century: a double row more than a meter thick walls, built of massive stone slabs with a height of 4-5 meters. A significant number of towers. The fortress wall circumferentially reached 1300 meters. Six corner bastions with flanking fire defended the approaches to the four gates. The city itself was covered by Chakhmak and Shorakh heights from the north and west. They still did not have powerful fortifications that would be erected by European fortifiers to the Eastern (Crimean) war. Only on the nearest spur of Mount Karadag was a redoubt built, defending the approaches to the suburb of Bairam Pasha. Here was a battery of 14 guns. Another suburb Orta Kapi ("Middle Gate") had its own stone wall with two bastions. Both suburbs were connected by an earthen rampart that crossed the marshy wasteland that divided them. The western suburb - Armenian, was located behind the river. He had no fortifications. However, here on the slopes of the left-bank heights the ancient castle Temir Pasha was located. In addition, field fortifications were built near the cemetery. At the northwestern corner of the fortress was located the citadel of Naryn-Kala. The artillery park of the fortress numbered about 150 guns.
Preparation of the assault
Paskevich-Erivansky spent two days on reconnaissance of enemy fortifications. Under the protection of a small convoy, he traveled all over the area near the fortress. The most convenient terrain for large masses of troops was an open, slightly hilly plain, which approached the fortress from the southern and southeast sides. However, here the troops were poorly protected from the action of enemy artillery. In addition, here it was necessary to storm the fortified suburbs. It was fraught with high losses.
After the military council, it was decided to deliver the main attack on Kars from the southwest, along the left bank of the river. After several skirmishes, the Cossacks and the huntsman cleared the posts of the enemy from Shorakh heights. June 20 began to equip the battery number 1 here and by the morning of 21-th completed the work. On the morning of June 21, the battery opened a rare, disturbing fire on a Turkish fortress. At the same time, the main camp was being arranged. Forward along the Erzurum road, guards were pushed, field artillery was positioned at protected positions, rangers and infantry blocked the road. In the center of the camp is located the cavalry. June 21 batteries were located No. 2, 3 and 4. The main battery was the number 4, it was located just 300 meters from the Turkish fortified camp on the left bank of the river. Here they put 4 double-torch mortars and 12 battery guns.
For the direct assault on Kars, 5 thousand people and 38 guns were allocated. The remaining guns guarded the Erzerum road, and the troops were in reserve and guarded communications. To disorient the Turkish command, the battery No.1 fired a rare fire, attracting the attention of the enemy. Detachments of Colonels Borozdin and Rajewski held demonstrations near the walls of the fortress. The Turks tried to suppress the Russian batteries with the fire of their artillery - it did not work, they made forays, but they were easily beaten off.
Initially, Paskevich scheduled an assault on 25 June. By this time, they planned to suppress the main Turkish batteries, undermining the fighting spirit of the Kars garrison. The wise experience of previous campaigns Paskevich did not want to hurry. However, there were changes in the plans of the Russian command, and the Russian army launched an assault on June 23.
Kars Citadel
To be continued ...
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