IAC/NCC inched northward from Derbent toward Petrovsk,
against the determined resistance shown by Bicherekhov's
forces.//
Baryatinski Street, Petrovsk
From 20 October until the siege of Petrovsk, these operations were
conducted:
The 15th Division’s command was as follows on 19 October:
Division Commander: Colonel Süleyman İzzet Bey
Chief of Staff: Captain İhsan Efendi
In accordance with the orders given above, the Division assembled in
two groups as related below on the morning of 20 October, at the
position north of Derbent under the command of Ye107: Ye107 T2, T3
and T46/3, together with a field team and a Krupp rapid-fire mountain
battery.
At Kemakh, under the order of the Division Commander: Ye38, Ye56
T1, 2, Ye107 and a ‘kudretli’ (capable?) gun battary and a Krupp
mountain battery and a health company at Kemakh.
TheArmy Commander wanted the enemy, with the bulk of its force
at Han Mamudkala, put in retreat and prisoners taken. To accomplish
this, forces under the command of the Ye107 Commander were to
occupy the enemy front and troops under the Division Commander were
to march from Kemakh via the Zaryan-Bilhadi-Kavur Tepe-east Samanlı
Tepe route to Hacıkent.
The troops were prepared on time and the surrounding arm moved before
7 o’clock and along with Ye38, occupied Hacıkent that evening. The
enemy got word of the surrounding arm’s movement and, partially on
foot, partially by train, retreated.
Petrovsk Train Station
The detachment that advanced from the front remained at Han
Mamudkala. The surrounding arm traversed three streams without
bridges and its men were worn out from a march of more than 50
kilometers. Word was received that the enemy had stopped its retreat
at Kayakent and was preparing to make a defensive stand there. In
order to launch an attack on 22 October, the troops marched a short
way on 21 October and reached Acıkol and an area northwest of
Hacıkent, where they rested.
In order to occupy the enemy position, the Division, together with
a detachment under the command of the Ye107 Commander,
attacked the enemy in the vicinity of Kayakent on the morning of
22 October, by passing through Aleksanderkent Başköy to surround
the enemy. Following a fierce 1-hour battle, Yangı Bunyağı was
occupied. Immediately after, moving with difficulty through thick
brush, the troops attacked the enemy at Şahra Dağ. After 4 o’clock,
the ridges south of Bunyak station and the north slopes of Şahra Dağ
were occupled.
Makhachkala/Petrovsk; Buynaksk/Demirhan Şura
After a the cavalry company attacked and seized Bunyağı, they
encountered an enemy company that had taken the wrong road and
dispersed them with an attack on horseback. Two guns on oxcarts
and an ammunition wagon belonging to the enemy were seized.
After resting until noon on 24 October, the troops moved from Bunyağı
station to the north. After the defeats at Şahra Dağı and Bunyağı, the
enemy was forced to retreat to Petrovsk.
On 25 October, food provisions were obtained, ammunition was readied
and the soldiers rested so there was no attack made. Taking advantage
of the militia cavalry who arrived, a 3-company cavalry regiment was
formed, in the care of K42.
Without resistance, the Division reached the Minas Suyu line on 26
October and before 6 o’clock on 27 October moved in three columns
from Minas toward Petrovsk. The right column consisted of the
detachment under the command of the 107th Regiment, the middle
column was made up of Ye38 and the left column was comprised of
Ye56 and some other divisional troops.
The right column, which advanced across the plain from the west to a
point 3 kilometers from the rail line, was subjected to fierce artillery fire
from an armored train and so made only slow progress. The artillery of
the middle column took a position twice and forced the armored train
away, allowing Ye107 to advance. As the result of enemy resistance at
the Tarki station, where there were two armored trains, a field gun team,
two machine guns and 150 foot soldiers, the right column was forced to
stop 3 kilometer south of the Tarki station-Şamahal Hill line.
Tarki Mountain
The central column met no enemy resistance and advanced through very
steep terrain1667 (altitude?) along three routes and reached the east side
of the hill.
After the right column scattered a Cossack cavalry company at Kaytar
Kotan, it moved to Tehyik Solgan’s eastern ridge 2006 (altitude?), south
of Kaytar Koban, the cavalry regiments reached the Saldan Hill – 2450
(altitude?) – Atlı Boyun line and then the Division HQS Kaytar Koban,
where they stayed the night.
In my humble opinion, in order to seize Derbent, which was occupied by
a powerful enemy, the 15th Division was transported by rail from Baku
to Derbent and it then assembled in an easily-defended rear position for
the Derbent raid and, in particular, for the subsequent attacks after Derbent.
This should serve as a forceful example of organizing a pursuit. But had
the enemy been pursued with by all elements and without rest, there would
have been no chance for the enemy to regroup and mount a serious defense.
During the pursuit, it would have been more effective if the enemy had been
surrounded, rather than attacked only from the front line. Without the
surrounding movement, the enemy was able to escape destruction and
captivity thanks to the railway.
//End Part VIII//
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