Troops continued to arrive at the port after the wounded had been removed from the train that carried them south from Bikin—but they could see the blood stains and debris and instinctively knew what they meant. The troops and armor arriving at that moment were mainly from the missile destroyer Resolute. The ship itself was lashed to a pier about a mile away to keep it from sinking.
Resolute’s sailors didn’t know it yet but in an hour or so they too will double-time down to the railroad spur and be sent north to the front as infantry replacements. Only when the railroad was cut will newly arriving personnel be kept at Vladivostok and used to help shore up the port’s crumbling defense lines.
****** Colonel Chernenko
We were picking up the last of our wounded early in morning when one of the men ran in to report a train came through heading south to the port. I ordered Lieutenant Gorby to flag it down. The train was an empty heading south to pick up reinforcements and equipment at Vladivostok. It may get to the port but it almost certainly won’t be coming back; the railroad has been effectively cut because we are totally out of ammunition and I have less than fifty able-bodied men left here at Bikin and another three hundred or so at the bridges.
Whether headquarters likes it, or not, it’s time to go. The Chinese were strangely silent as we hurriedly load our dead and wounded. I wish I had a radio left so I could report my decision.
Three hours later, a few minutes after the sun comes up and we made one last check of the battlefield to pick up any of our dead and wounded we missed in the darkness, the diesel locomotives of the empty train I’d taken over began puffing big black smoke rings and we rattled our way out of Biken. We were headed south to the port with our dead and wounded. In a little while we’d stop at the bridges and pick up the men who are there.
Since I had no way to load them, I intend to order the armor and mortar trucks at the bridges to pull out immediately and drive south on the road to the port. There is no military advantage to be gained by leaving them here now that the line is cut.
Once we’re gone the only troops remaining at the bridges and along this part of the rail line will be the Spetsnaz. I’m going to order the captain commanding them to wait for his long range patrols to come in, and then lead his men north to Bikin to patrol the bridges and rail line as snipers and skirmishers. Hopefully they will be able to keep the Chinese survivors away from the village and railroad for a few hours longer.
An hour later the Spetsnaz captain and three of his men stood at attention and saluted as the flatcars carrying our hastily loaded men and our dead and wounded clattered over the last bridge and headed for Vladivostok.
Chapter Twenty-eight
The Unexpected.
It was late afternoon in France, just after dawn in the Russian East, when a flash message came in reporting the North Korean invasion of Russia. General Talbot called a few minutes later with the same information. It doesn’t make sense. Why would the Chinese want the Koreans involved?
I called Danovsky immediately. He’d already gotten the word via a number of highly agitated calls, first from the commander of the Vladivostok Front and then from assorted generals in Moscow.
And as might be expected, the Russians were surprised and furious.
“Well, now I know where the first nuclear bombs are going to go if we have to use them,” was the first thing Danovsky said when I reached him.
Then he adds ominously, “and it looks like we will.”
“Don’t do anything rash,” I cautioned him. “Believe it not, Yuri Andreovich, I am beginning to think it may not be as bad as it looks. I’ve got an idea. Let me and my team think about it and get back to you in an hour or so.”
Danovsky and the Chinese were not the only ones surprised by the North Korean invasion. We all were. It was a major intelligence failure.
Two hours later Danovsky and I again discussed how the Russians might respond.
“Only one idea comes to mind at the moment,” I said and explained it. “In the United States,” I said after I finish my explanation, “we call it making lemonade when life gives you lemons.”
Then I rung off with a cheery “And Yuri Andreovich please don’t use your nukes until you have a better idea of what’s happening and we have a chance to talk again.”
After talking to Danovsky, I called General Petrov in Moscow. What I did not tell him, for fear the Chinese would be informed, was that we would be returning the captured Russian paratroopers directly to Kansk so they could be used to re-take the two airbases that had been occupied by the Chinese.
What I told him, instead, was that I’d just hung up after talking to General Danovsky and that he was busy stripping his units around Chita and Khabarovsk for reinforcements to send to Vladivostok to help counter the North Koreans.
It was a lie, of course, but Petrov believed it and Danovsky would confirm it. Now, with a little luck, Petrov will pass it on to Gerasinov and his staff, and the Chinese will get the message about troops being brought to Vladivostok from Chita and Khabarovsk. With a little luck they’ll leave the railroad open for a while longer so Danovsky can get more of the reinforcements that are being landed at Vladivostok.
In a few minutes Danovsky himself is going to call Petrov and give him more details about the “reinforcements he is hurriedly gathering to send south to beef up the Russian forces around Vladivostok to save the port.”
In fact, the reverse was true. The Kremlin and General Petrov’s office have serious leaks. Danovsky was going to take advantage of the leaks to try to mislead the Chinese into leaving the railroad open for as long as possible.
Keeping the railroad line to the port open so it can be used to carry more troops and equipment north to Chita is the lemonade Danovsky was going to try to make from the lemon of the North Korean invasion.
******
Right after dawn most of the surviving Russian planes began returning to their home fields from the auxiliary fields where they had been hurriedly dispersed. There were less than two hundred planes left of the eleven hundred or so that flew off to engage the Chinese less than forty-eight hours ago. They were all that was left of the Russia’s fighters and fighter bombers.
Russia’s airfields were not the only ones that started landing planes when the sun came up on the second day of the war. A steady stream of Chinese fighters and transport planes was coming over Mongolia and going into Irkutsk and Angarsk. And further to the west, American transports were landing at Kansk with the first of the repatriated Russian airborne troops from Germany and Belgium.
******
In Washington the National Security Council was meeting to consider the entry of North Korea into the Sino-Russian War and how the United States should respond. Midway through the meeting Tony Talbot suggested that they might want to get my input since I was the only one who was in contact with the Russians in east who would be actually responding to it.
I was just driving into the parking lot at The Detachment when an anxious Charlie Safford comes running out the door pumping his arm up and down with a clenched fist in the age-old military signal to hurry. So, instead of parking in my usual spot, I drove right up to the front door and jumped out just as my mobile phone began beeping.
“Hurry Dick, the White House is on the line.”
I joined the teleconference in time to hear the President report that he has just spoken to the South Korean President and learned that the South Korean military wants to help the Russians fight the North Koreans, but not the Chinese. If the South Korean government agrees, they will send supplies and equipment to the Russians via an airlift and ocean shipments to Vladivostok.
There was a lot of meaningless discussion about this and that, especially the Secretary of State who was apparently concerned mostly about how her election prospects would be affected. The only consensus seemed to be that everyone was pleased that both the Russians and the Chinese were pissed at “The Kingdom.” Yes, in private, the President often swears like a trooper.
Military aid from South Korea was not a certainty, however. South Korea’s Prime Minister was not convinced. His view, according to an intelligence report, was that South Korea should stay out of the war and let the three belligerents fight it out. It quoted him.
“The Chinese and Russians have constantly helped those idiots in the North threaten us; a pox on all their houses. I hope they all destroy each other.”
That had been my initial personal view too—until I realized that China's taking the eastern half of Russia might lead to another war because it would tip the balance of power in the world away from countries governed by the rule of law.
The “ping” as I joined the meeting had alerted everyone that I was on the line, but I waited to announce myself.
“General Evans,” I announced when some idiot woman finished speaking about how we had to be careful that whatever decision was reached did not affect global warming. I was not sure who was talking, but it sounded like the Secretary of State. "Fighting" global warming was apparently an important plank in her coming campaign to be elected president.
“Ah, General Evans. So good of you to join us. Is he being sarcastic? Ah, General, we are discussing last night’s invasion of Russia by the North Koreans. General Talbot suggested you might know more about the situation and how the Russians plan to respond.
"We need to know because in a couple of hours the United Nations Security Council is going to meet to discuss the North Korean entry into the Sino-Russian war.
"Do you think you might be able to reach General Danikov and get his view of the situation? In particular, does he think the North Koreans are helping the Chinese as the media suggests or are they going against the Chinese and trying to take Vladivostok for themselves? And how does Russia plan to react? It's very confusing."
“Yes Sir, it is confusing and I think I understand what you want to know. I will attempt to reach General Danikov. I have no idea, however, if I will be able to get through to him.”
“Excellent. Please try. We need information about the North Korean invasion so we can take an appropriate position at the Security Council meeting. Unfortunately, that part of Russia is very isolated and we have no there who can tell us what is actually happening. Even the media doesn’t seem to have anyone there.”
“Uh. Actually, Mr. President, we may have people there. Two of my aides may still be in the immediate area. They were supposed to leave before the war started. Unfortunately, the Russian helicopter sent to extract them crashed and they are apparently still there. I will also try to contact them and see if they can provide any information about what is happening.”
******
It was the second morning of the war as the Chinese Politboro assembled for their regularly scheduled morning briefing. Most of the members had already heard rumors of a “Korean problem.” They asked each other what they knew about it as they walked from their villas to the Party’s conference center.
Even so, General Wu surprised everyone when he informed them of the size of the North Korean invasion and its alleged purpose to act in support China. Other than that, the tone of the General Wu’s briefing was very positive.
“Things continue to go well for us, Comrades,” Wu reported. Then he described the continuing advances towards Khabarovsk and Vladivostok and provided more details about the arrival of Chinese planes at Irkutsk and Angarsk.
“Our planes coming from those fields are beginning operations this very morning to intercept the flow of reinforcements coming in by air from Moscow.”
Wu was just finishing and putting down his notes when an aide came in and handed him a note. The others watched intently as he read it and smiled.
“We have just received more good news, Comrades. The Russians have begun moving reinforcements towards Vladivostok to help counter the Koreans. The 114th division at Bikin reports the Russians suddenly pulled out all their men and put them on a southbound train heading towards Vladivostok. Also a high level Third Department source reports that the Russians intend to move troops and armor south from Chita and Kharbarovsk. It appears our strategy is working.” I’m not going to tell them the 114th has been totally destroyed and only has a handful of men left to act as observers.
There were satisfied nods and grunts from around the table. Several members lit celebratory cigarettes.
North Korea’s invasion was a big exception to all the good news. To a man, the men around the table were furious with the unexpected behavior of the North Koreans and that’s what they wanted to talk about.
“The damn dwarfs are trying to take territory that belongs to us,” snarled Chairman Xi after the Marshal finished his report. The others nodded in angry agreement.
“It’s bad enough they do this without telling us,” Li said sarcastically, “but what really angers me is that I tried to call His Highness and they wouldn’t put me through.”
“Such an insult after all we have done for them. It’s unbelievable,” the Deputy Party Secretary said with an irate tone in his voice.
“Perhaps it’s time to send them a message,” suggested the Premier. There were growls and nods of agreement from all around the table.
******
Later that morning Chinese fighters coming off the Irkutsk airfield began attempting to intercept Russian cargo planes heading east with reinforcements and supplies. They did not have much success. According to the Chinese AWACs the Russian transports were stopping at Kansk.
“They are afraid of coming further east because we control the airspace,” the commander of the Red Army’s air force explained to the Politburo.
“It’s a pity our fighters don’t have the range to reach Kansk and teach them a lesson,” he lamented.
******
Eugene and the two Spetsnaz who materialized out of the moonlit darkness had a brief conversation. Our volunteer pumper leaned in and listened, but he didn’t say a word. Then the Spetsnaz huddled briefly, and their leader assigned two men to lead us to their headquarters at the bridges. According to Eugene, the Spetnaz said it would take us about three hours of walking on the footpath along the tracks.
At the insistence of the Spetsnaz we left the pumper behind some bushes on the side of the roadbed. Then we walked silently down the tracks in the moonlight with two of them. After about twenty minute, one of them said something in Russian to Eugene and disappeared into the darkness ahead of us. The other walked with us.
"He is going to walk ahead of us to look for trouble," said Eugene without any prompting.
The faces of the Spetznaz, unlike ours, were blackened. If they hadn’t said anything we would have gone right past them without seeing a thing. Damn I wish we had some blackening cream.
About two hours later a southbound hand pumper similar to th one we had abandoned suddenly emerged from the moonlit darkness behind us and scared me half to death. We had heard it coming, and then froze when our black-faced guide called out to the two pumpers.
The startled men stopped pumping and there was a lot of talking. A couple of minutes later, we crowded aboard and helped the two pumpers frantically pump to get far enough ahead of the unseen train we could hear somewhere behind us.
Our Spetsnaz guides didn’t say a word as the four of us climbed on the handcar and began helping the two men pump. They just disappeared back into the darkness.
It was crowded with six men on the handcar and there was only room for four to pump at a time. But we took turns and pumped with a will, both so the train would not hit us and because it helped to keep us warm. Twenty minutes or so later we passed over the first of the two bridges.
The sun was just coming up as we pumped our way over the last bridge and Eugene said, “Is okay. Mens say halt here. Train is coming.” We coasted to a stop on the Valdivostok side of the bridge and tipped the handcar off the rails like practiced professionals.
A few minutes later the train coming in behind us clanked over the bridge and slowed to a stop after a number of its flat cars loaded
with troops passed in front of us. They poured off morosely and began to pee and poop everywhere.
“Jesus Vern, look.”
Two flat cars to my left contained an appalling sight—uniformed corpses stacked on top of each other five or six high. Russian uniforms. One of them was wearing the uniform of a major in the naval infantry. They were Chernenko’s men from Bikin!
******
We walked along the train to a group of men up front by the engines. One of them was Colonel Chernenko and he was clearly as surprised to see us walking up to him as we were to see him. They were wearing slightly different uniforms and had blackened faces.
“Chernenko said something to the men with whom he was talking and took a couple of steps towards us. He had a dirty bandage on the side of his face and he looked exhausted.
“I’m surprised to see you” Chernenko offered as we exchange salutes and then warm handshakes. “But I’m certainly glad to know you are still alive. I don’t have time to talk now so you best get on the train and find a place to sit. We’ll be pulling out as soon as the men stationed here at the bridge get loaded.” Then he turned back to the two men and resumed talking to them—he was giving them orders from the looks of it.
Eugene was deep in a conversation with some of the men who on the train and listening intently. Ten minutes later we heard the sad details of what happened at Bikin and a brief toot of the locomotive’s horn caused the Russians all around us to scramble to board the train.
We didn’t immediately board the train. Instead I led our little band down the line of flat cars and gravel cars until we were well past the flatcars carrying the dead and the train starts to move. Only then did we haul ourselves aboard. We had to move; I couldn’t stand the thought of riding into Vladivostock amidst the stacks of dead Russians.
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