The Guards Army Strikes

On the morning of May 14, in Ryazan.

The five infantry divisions and six cavalry brigades under General Brusilov had completed their rest and recuperation.

The troops had suffered relatively few losses in the previous fighting.

Instead, relying on their prepared defenses and powerful firepower, they had inflicted tremendous losses on the government forces.

Now that they were shifting from defense to offense, each unit would have to bring its full fighting strength to bear.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

More than a hundred 122 mm howitzers, over three hundred 76.2 mm field guns, and dozens of 76.2 mm mountain guns began firing furiously at the Russian lines.

A dense barrage of shells pounded the Russian defenses like raindrops.

The Russian army had stopped attacking the previous afternoon and shifted to the defensive. Its troops had also begun racing to build defensive positions.

But one night was nowhere near enough.

The Russian soldiers in particular had done a very halfhearted job of building their defenses. The fortifications they had thrown together were practically made of tofu dregs.

Under the fierce artillery bombardment, these fortifications were utterly useless and were quickly destroyed.

The Russian officers and soldiers in the positions suffered heavy casualties.

The Russian army simply could not withstand the attack by the Caucasus Military District's elite troops.

Grand Duke Nicholas's hope of using these forces to withstand the attack by General Brusilov's army was nothing but wishful thinking.

The balance across the entire battlefield had begun tipping uncontrollably in Grand Duke Mikhail's favor.

As fighting flared up again in Ryazan, Grand Duke Mikhail was leading the Caucasus Military District's main forces ever closer to Moscow.

On the evening of May 14, Grand Duke Nicholas and General Nikolai Obruchev hurried back to Moscow and met with Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, commander of the Mosk Military District.

"The rebels' vanguard has already reached Nizhny Novgorod. With cavalry in the lead, they're advancing along the railway line at a tremendous pace. Their vanguard is expected to reach Moscow in another two days." Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich's expression was grave.

He was also full of regret. Had he known how formidable Grand Duke Mikhail's army was, he would never have sided with Grand Duke Nicholas.

Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret in this world.

"Some of the Guards Army has already returned to Moscow. The remaining troops will arrive soon, and the Petersburg Military District's forces are also on the way.

"Before the rebels' main force arrives, we can assemble more than two hundred thousand troops in Moscow.

"And these are all our main forces. Their strength is certainly no less than the rebels'!"

Grand Duke Nicholas said.

Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich nodded.

Now he could only pin his hopes on Grand Duke Nicholas.

"Your Highness, we can't wait in Moscow for the rebels to attack. That would leave us in a very passive position.

"I suggest sending an army to Noginsk to engage the rebels there.

"If we can crush their vanguard in one blow, it would do a great deal to boost our troops' morale."

General Nikolai Obruchev made his suggestion.

Grand Duke Nicholas nodded repeatedly. The Battle of Kazan had ended in defeat, and the Battle of Ryazan had likewise failed to achieve success.

This had already dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the Russian forces.

The rebels' approach to Moscow had further undermined morale.

If they did not find a solution soon, morale would probably sink even further, to rock bottom, by the time the rebels launched a full-scale attack on Moscow.

Their chances of winning this battle would be even lower.

"General Alexei, take the Guards Army to Noginsk. I believe that with the Guards Army's strength, you can certainly defeat the rebels and win us a victory!" Grand Duke Nicholas proposed.

"Yes, Your Highness!" General Alexei, commander of the Guards Army, replied.

Among the armies of the Tsarist Russian Empire, the Guards Army was considered the tsar's own guard force and was also the most formidable fighting force.

Not only was it well equipped, but it also fought tenaciously and had an exceptionally resolute fighting spirit.

The assassination of Nicholas II in particular had left many of the Guards Army's officers and soldiers furious.

Even though many believed the Bolshevik Party was responsible for Nicholas II's assassination, under the influence of the Guards Army's generals and officers, most of its soldiers believed it had all been a plot by Grand Duke Mikhail.

As a result, they had also distinguished themselves in this civil war.

That evening, General Alexei led the Guards Army to Noginsk to deploy.

The Guards Army of the Tsarist Russian Empire currently consisted of three infantry divisions and two cavalry divisions.

At full strength, the entire Guards Army numbered around sixty thousand men.

But in the earlier Battle of Ryazan, the Guards Army had led the charge.

Although they had inflicted some losses on General Brusilov's troops, their own losses had been even greater.

Now, fewer than fifty thousand men remained in the Guards Army.

But General Alexei was still full of confidence about the coming battle.

General Alexei believed they would defeat Grand Duke Mikhail and achieve final victory.

He would personally send Grand Duke Mikhail to the gallows and avenge His Majesty the Tsar!

On the afternoon of May 17, the Caucasus Military District's 7th Cavalry Brigade arrived at Noginsk. It was not far from Moscow now.

According to the plan, the cavalry brigade was to secure Noginsk and ensure the safety of the railway line and station.

Afterward, the following troops would arrive in a steady stream. They would then join the attack on Moscow.

But the cavalrymen had only just arrived at Noginsk when they came under attack.

The Guards Army brought more than a hundred 76.2 mm field guns and 122 mm howitzers to bear, launching a fierce bombardment of the 7th Cavalry Brigade.

Brigadier General Andrei, commander of the 7th Cavalry Brigade, immediately realized that the enemy had already occupied Noginsk. He quickly ordered his troops to withdraw and set up defenses beyond the range of the enemy artillery. He also reported the situation to headquarters.

"Order the Guards Army's 1st Infantry Division and 2nd Infantry Division, along with the 4th Cavalry Division and 5th Cavalry Division, to attack.

General Alexei gave the order.

"Yes, General!" several Guards Army generals replied in turn.

Half an hour later, tens of thousands of Guards Army troops took the initiative and attacked the Caucasus Military District's 7th Cavalry Brigade's defensive line.

Several thousand cavalrymen led the way, charging toward the 7th Cavalry Brigade's positions like a rushing torrent.

Nearly thirty thousand Guards Army infantrymen followed behind the cavalry.

At the same time, a large number of artillery pieces were brought up to the front and opened fierce fire on the 7th Cavalry Brigade's defensive line.

The 7th Cavalry Brigade could only hastily throw together a rudimentary defensive line to resist the enemy attack.

The 7th Cavalry Brigade had no advantage whatsoever, either in troop strength or firepower.