Great time travel

Chapter 1 and Four, Crescent Banner Falls

Is this the greatest city under heaven, the symbol of hegemony and glory, Constantinople, which the Russian tsars have longed for?

Looking at it with my own eyes now, except that there are a little more minarets and temples, it doesn't seem to be very good?

But, no matter what, as long as this city can be taken, the Russian soldiers of my generation should be able to become gods, right?
The commander-in-chief of the 60 Eastern European Allied Forces, the former chief of staff of the Soviet Red Army, Marshal Vasilevsky, was standing on a cliff on the west bank of the Bosporus Strait, holding a pair of high-power military binoculars, overlooking the southern bathed in the distance. The streets of Istanbul amidst smoke and flames.

Everything seems to be a repeat of the Battle of Constantinople that shocked the Western world in 1453 five centuries ago.

However, after five centuries of ups and downs, the cityscape of Istanbul today is, after all, very different from Constantinople in 1453.In the vision of Marshal Vasilevsky, the Theodosian city wall that guarded the city during the Eastern Roman Empire has basically disappeared with the expansion of the city.The urban area of ​​Istanbul is also much larger than that of Constantinople in the Eastern Roman Empire.The Golden Horn, which used to be the boundary of the city, has been wrapped into the urban area by various residential houses.The positions where Mehmed II once housed Urban's cannon were also covered by houses and markets.Seen from a distance, it looks scattered and messy.

But even so, this still does not detract from the great charm of the city of Constantinople in the eyes of Russians.

——As the most powerful country in the Orthodox world, Russians who call themselves the "Third Rome" have always had a strong Constantinople complex.From the military, strategic and geographical point of view, the value of Constantinople is self-evident. This city is located at the intersection of Europe and Asia, controlling the east-west traffic between Asia Minor and the Balkans, as well as the The sea transportation between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, while sitting on the flatst and most accessible land bridge and the narrowest and most difficult waterway in the Black Sea Strait, is an excellent natural harbor and a natural imperial-shaped place. strategic hub.If the Russians obtained Constantinople, it would be like obtaining the key to the Black Sea. The enemy could block the Black Sea at any time, and the Russians could freely enter and exit the Mediterranean Sea.At that time, Russia's maritime strategy in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean will be fully revitalized and its status as a European maritime power will be truly established.

More importantly, the most valuable value of Constantinople stems from its great history.Constantinople has the largest Hagia Sophia in Europe in the Middle Ages. It has been the central holy place of the Orthodox Church for thousands of years, and the spiritual leader of the Orthodox Church, the Patriarch of Constantinople, also resides here.

After the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire, Russia became the most powerful country within the scope of the Orthodox Church.Russia has always regarded itself as the heir to the Eastern Roman Empire.The Russian Orthodox Church originated from the Eastern Roman Empire.In addition to religion, the scripts of Slavic countries such as Russia, Serbia, and Bulgaria also came from the Eastern Roman Empire.Unlike the Latin alphabet commonly used in Europe, the alphabet used by most Slavs is called the Cyrillic alphabet, which was created by the Eastern Roman missionary, the Greek Cyrillic.The Eastern Romanization of Russian civilization is from top to bottom. With the blood and genes of Eastern Rome, plus the core carriers of the two cultures of religion and writing, Russia has brought the Eastern Roman culture in art, architecture, literature and other aspects. brand.

In the Tsarist era, if Russia could capture Constantinople, drive out the Turkish pagans, restore the Holy Land of the Orthodox Church, or even launch an action to liberate Constantinople, it would be able to use religion to make the king exorcise the barbarians and promise political independence , ordered the Orthodox countries in the Balkans to fight against the Turks together, and then established their own powerful influence in the Balkans, controlling half of the Mediterranean in one go!
At the same time, if Russia can regain Constantinople and inherit the historical legality of the Eastern Roman Empire in name, then Russia will truly become the heir to at least half of the Roman Empire and the undisputed co-owner of the entire Christian world!

It was precisely because of the lure of this glorious goal that the Russians, who had just got rid of their barbarism and ignorance, recklessly marched southward, making bold and reckless challenges to the still powerful Ottoman Empire at that time, full of passion. The land launched eleven Russian-Turkish wars in a row, vowing to "restore Rome (Eastern Rome) and return the old capital (Constantinople)".As for the current war, it can probably be regarded as the No. 12 Russian-Turkish war.

——Perhaps, it is also the last Russo-Turkish war... Although the Tsarist Russia ruled by the Romanov family has long been wiped out, as the successor of Tsarist Russia, the Soviet Red Army is very important to capture Constantinople and even destroy Turkey The longing, however, has not diminished in the slightest.

At present, just like the siege and defense of Constantinople in 1453, the siege Soviet army surrounded the city from three sides, and the Soviet Black Sea Fleet also broke through the Bosporus Strait and broke into Marma. Lahai, the smallest sea in the world, blocks the sea line of communication in Istanbul.

Before, in order to block the Bosporus Strait, the Republic of Turkey set up many forts on both sides of the strait.However, just like the British fortress in Singapore, these forts of the Turks can only bombard the sea and cannot deal with the enemies coming from the land behind.Moreover, the military funds of the Turks are far less abundant than that of the European powers. The design and structure of the coastal defense fortress are too old, and their ability to resist air raids and bombings is very poor.

Therefore, as the 20 elite Turkish troops collapsed on the East Thrace battlefield, hundreds of thousands of Soviet Red Army marched along the southwestern coast of the Black Sea, and soon reached the back of the European side of the Bosporus Strait. Take out the defenders inside one by one from behind.

At the same time, the Soviet Air Force carried out intensive bombing of more than [-] sorties on the Turkish coastal defense batteries on the Asian side across the strait.The three battleships of the Black Sea Fleet also ventured close to the shore at the exit of the strait, and carried out a carpet bombardment of these forts that lasted all day.

Such a super-intensive firepower strike like a meteor fire rain quickly caused the Turkish soldiers on the coastal defense fort who had never seen a battlefield to collapse one after another. The rubber boat crossed the strait more than 1000 meters wide, and when it landed on the beach on the other side, it encountered almost no resistance, and easily disintegrated the last defense of the Bosporus Strait.Next, the engineers of the Soviet Red Navy cleared the two mine nets hastily laid by the Turks in only three hours, making the front of the Black Sea Fleet a smooth road.

Facing the pressure of the Soviet army, the city of Istanbul was naturally in turmoil. All Turkish citizens with a little family background began to flee the city with their money.However, because the Black Sea Fleet quickly broke through the natural danger of the strait and blocked the sea traffic in Istanbul, only a very small number of citizens had time to escape to the other side by boat, and the rest were trapped in the city and could only wait quietly in fear. With the arrival of the last time.

On the contrary, war refugees escaping from the fallen Turkish towns in Eastern Thrace are still pouring into Istanbul from all directions, making the city increasingly crowded, noisy, chaotic and turbulent, with various robberies and murders Happened frequently and made a mess.

But despite this, the Turks still did not give up their plans to resist.The Turkish nationalist movement launched by the late "Father of the Nation" Kemal over the past few decades has achieved somewhat.Compared with the end of World War I, Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, surrendered without a fight in front of the British and French allied forces. Now Istanbul is no longer the capital. Although the situation is more desperate, it unexpectedly maintains the courage to fight.

Taking advantage of the short time before the Eastern European coalition forces entered the city, the military and political authorities in Istanbul mobilized the residents of the city, organized them to collect firearms, build barricades, and hoard drinking water and food.At the same time, the citizens were instructed to urgently make some simple weapons such as Molotov cocktails and large slingshots.

Even the religious figures who had been vigorously suppressed by the government of the Republic of Turkey, at this critical juncture of national subjugation, took to the streets with scriptures to boost morale, and called on the Turks in the city to muster up their courage and fight against the infidels. Fight to the end with atheists.

And in the outlying positions on the outskirts of Istanbul, the Eastern European coalition forces that drove straight in were no longer as destructive and overwhelming as before.Because the retreating Turkish army, together with some urgently organized militias, began to stop in the satellite towns around Istanbul, regained their courage, resisted steadily with simple fortifications, and destroyed bridges and roads to block the enemy's advance advance speed.

As a result, as the front line approached Istanbul, the intensity of the battle quickly increased suddenly, and it directly entered a white heat.Within a radius of [-] kilometers around the entire Istanbul, there were flames of war and corpses everywhere. Countless Red Army soldiers and Turkish militiamen had the most passionate collision. Every second, a Red Army soldier on a certain front was killed. Sacrifice, and more Turks died for the continuation of the country and the nation.

Under such circumstances, the Eastern European coalition forces had to pay a bloody price for almost every step forward towards Istanbul.

All in all, the Turkish defenders in Istanbul seem to be convinced that the Soviets did not dare to drop atomic bombs in the urban area of ​​Istanbul in order to protect a large number of historical monuments in the city and ensure the safety of the strait waterway. Glorious city bloody battle to the end.

In addition, although the central government of the Republic of Turkey, together with the capital Ankara, has been wiped out in the mushroom cloud of the Soviet atomic bomb.And the Turkish regular army everywhere was also blown to pieces by the nuclear bomb explosion of the Soviet Red Army. They had to fight against the 60 Soviet Caucasus Front Army killed from the northeast at the same time, and at the same time suppress the Kurdish uprising. It was utterly devastated, in a state of disarray, and on the verge of collapse from the very beginning.

However, the millions of Turkish soldiers and civilians entrenched in Istanbul at this time are not completely without foreign aid...

"...What? An American fleet from Egypt passed through the Dardanelles and broke into the Sea of ​​Marmara? It was only three hours away from Istanbul? What's going on? Didn't the Greeks already Did you capture the Gallipoli peninsula yesterday?"

Listening to a staff officer's report, Marshal Vasilevsky showed a surprised expression, "...Why didn't they block the strait?"

"...This...Greek Southern Thracian Army successfully captured the Gallipoli Peninsula, but the Turks destroyed all the coastal artillery before the defeat and retreat. It is difficult for the Greek Army to block the strait with only field artillery. Moreover, Da The coastal defense batteries on the Asian side of the Daniel Strait are still in the hands of the Turks, and they have been bombarding the opposite bank during the passage of the American fleet, suppressing the firepower of the Greeks."

The staff officer replied, "...According to aerial reconnaissance, the American fleet that came to the rescue included a light aircraft carrier, a cruiser, three destroyers, and two fast transport ships. Qinhai’s old Turkish gunboats also came along.”

"...It's not bad, this force is not too much, the Black Sea Fleet should be able to deal with it! If it doesn't work, there are also our dive bombers."

Marshal Vasilevsky rubbed his forehead and sighed, "...Since the Yankees insist on squeezing in, then there is no need to let them go back alive... However, the stubborn enemies entrenched in Istanbul must be resolved as soon as possible. Otherwise, if it is delayed for a long time, there will definitely be more troubles. Let the front-line airport prepare special gas bombs! As long as the wind direction is right, we will carry out saturation bombing of the city of Istanbul!"

So, at the front-line airport on the Thrace Plain, the Soviet ground crew opened the tightly locked secret warehouse, used a small car to push out special aerial bombs with yellow and black skull icons painted on them, and then carefully installed them The bomb rack and belly of the upper bomber...

——If there is any significant difference between the Third World War and the First and Second World Wars, it is that the chivalry of the warring parties has completely disappeared, and the lower limit of morality has repeatedly hit new lows.Not only are the atomic bombs of the two superpowers of the United States and the Soviet Union blooming everywhere, but countless mushroom clouds have been planted in Europe and Asia, turning famous historical cities into radiation ruins.Poison gas was also not limited to front-line battles like in World War I, but was commonly used to bomb enemy cities and massacre civilians.Even the bacteriological weapon that creates the plague, which is even more inhumane, has signs of being used on a large scale.

Therefore, Marshal Vasilevsky calmly issued an order for indiscriminate gas warfare against Istanbul, and the Soviet Air Force also achieved continuous large-scale accurate bombing, which made this unyielding city be destroyed by the tower ♂ The Bengdu smog covered two full days and two nights, and successfully wiped out two-thirds of the city's population, thus greatly "softening" the resistance of the Turks, and basically realizing the complete acceptance of the city.

At the same time, the American support fleet that bravely broke into the Sea of ​​Marmara also ushered in their last doomsday...

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Cyrenaica (Benghazi), Tobruk Naval Port
On the heavy cruiser "Wichita" that was temporarily used as the headquarters, Admiral Eisenhower frowned as he read the latest telegram.

Generally speaking, it is basically bad news-there was an enemy army pressing down on the border before, and then there was a fire in the inner courtyard.

After learning the news that the Soviet Union declared war on Turkey, Admiral Eisenhower, regardless of his own difficult situation, assembled a fleet from Egypt, packed some ammunition and rushed to Istanbul, hoping to help the Turks and block the Soviet navy as long as possible. Outside the door of the Mediterranean.

Unexpectedly, the speed of the collapse of the Turks far exceeded expectations. Before the US fleet arrived in Istanbul, the Soviet Black Sea Fleet had already broken through the Bosporus Strait, waiting for work outside the port of Istanbul-the US military was forced to use a heavy cruiser to bombard it. The three battleships of the Soviets, using a light aircraft carrier to fight against the shore-based aviation of the Soviets... I really can't find a more suitable word to describe it except for suicide.

As a result, after a short and fierce battle, the flagship heavy cruiser Tuscaloosa was wounded and stranded and captured, the light aircraft carrier San Jacinto was sunk, and the two Brazilian fast transport ships carrying aid supplies simply chose Surrendering with the white flag, two of the three accompanying destroyers sank.

The last remaining destroyer, the Antony, managed to barely escape from the battlefield. At the port of Bandirma on the south coast of the Marmara Sea, it joined three Turkish gunboats that arrived late due to aging engines and extremely low speed. Then he found himself cut off - at the same time as the Istanbul naval battle broke out, the Soviets used a division of airborne troops to surprise Canakkale on the east coast of the Dardanelles and captured the Turks on the east side of the strait. and laid a large number of mines into the strait at the fastest speed, thus blocking the Dardanelles, and trapped the unlucky destroyer Antony in a land with a total area of ​​only 1.89 square kilometers, which is not as large as many freshwater lakes. Inside the Sea of ​​Marmara, there is nowhere to go.

Facing the request telegram sent back by the destroyer Antony, Admiral Eisenhower became inexplicably angry for a while, and really wanted to order them to quickly anchor, sail directly to Istanbul again, and commit a suicide attack on the Soviet fleet. .But after calming down and thinking about it carefully, let them sink their warships in Bandirma Port, then take the opportunity to cross the Asia Minor peninsula by land, look for ships in the southern port of Turkey, and return to Egypt on their own—after all, skilled sailors have become very Precious.After the U.S. Navy has been wiped out many times in a row, although with the huge industrial strength of the United States, a large number of brand-new ships can be produced quickly, but there is no time to train qualified seamen. On many new warships, even one There is no one who can use a sextant. They will only follow the battleship ahead. If they act alone, they will definitely get lost...

Next, the Soviets publicly energized the world, announcing that they had successfully captured Istanbul—obviously, the Turks, who were weak and had eaten a lot of atomic bombs, could no longer stop the Soviet Red Army.In the next few days, the large fleet of the Soviet Red Navy will move east and west from the Turkish Strait and the Strait of Gibraltar, pinching and destroying Eisenhower, a fish in the bottom of the tank!

However, the port of Suez suffered another atomic bomb, the shipwreck blocked the waterway, and the Allied forces trapped in North Africa were cut off their supply lines!

It doesn't matter what you want here, the enemy still has many nuclear bombs that can be used to directly flip the table, how can such a battle be fought?
The frontal battlefield is in a mess, and the rear of the front line is also on fire on all sides-just last week, a new wave of major uprisings broke out among the oppressed Syrian Arabs, successfully occupying Damascus and Aleppo.The morale of the local Free French colonial troops was extremely low. The indigenous soldiers either defected or took off their uniforms and went home. The white soldiers gave up the city with little resistance and fled to the neighboring Lebanese Republic in a panic.

There are many rebellions in Syria, and the situation in Egypt is deteriorating rapidly. In order to dredge the Suez Canal blocked by the nuclear explosion and restore this lifeline that supports the North African Allied Forces, the US military in Egypt forcibly confiscated them less than a week after the nuclear explosion ended. They forced 30 Egyptian laborers at gunpoint to go to the radiation zone to clean up rivers, repair dams, port facilities and dig up sunken ships without any protective equipment.As a result, before the restoration of the Suez Canal was fully underway, it aroused great widespread fear and riots throughout Egypt.The uprising people occupied more than 1 small and medium-sized cities in a short period of time, paralyzed the railway transportation in Egypt, and successfully turned the capital Cairo into a large battlefield, occupying most of the blocks successively.More than [-] U.S. troops in the city were trapped in a small number of data points, just like a few rocks in the sea that were constantly beaten by strong winds and huge waves.

Faced with such a situation of internal and external troubles, Admiral Eisenhower knew very well that he had to make another big strategic retreat.

Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, Eisenhower pinched his nose and ordered the abandonment of Malta, Crete, Syria, Lebanon, and Cyprus, and asked all armies and fleets to retreat back to Alexandria, Egypt. Respond to the Soviet offensive.

However, for his latest seemingly reasonable order, all the staff members expressed that they could not execute it because...

"...the Soviets have just dropped an atomic bomb on Alexandria! Our fleet has no home port in the Nile Delta!"

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

PS: Recently, another joke came out in the US election campaign. First, the media claimed that Russia colluded with Trump to help send agents to poison Hillary Clinton.At the same time, the former director of the CIA blatantly echoed in a TV interview that although there was no evidence, he "judged by intuition" that Trump must be a Russian spy. He was fed the Three Corpse Brain God Pill and the Leopard Tai Yijin Pill, and planted 36 life-and-death talismans by the way.

Also, the dignified head of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States has fallen to the unreliable level of Taiwan's famous talker... I wonder if this once majestic agency has rushed to the street to start fabricating information to cheat funds all day long.