"General, how long should we keep this up? We're burning through shells too quickly."
"Continue. Use everything we have," Zasulich responded coldly.
He knew the main army was advancing from the rear. The Japanese might think they could regroup and launch a counteroffensive, but Zasulich had no intention of giving them that opportunity.
"Don't leave a single shell behind. Not one crate. Once we link up with the main force, the ammunition will be replenished naturally."
For the Yingkou forces, their role was to be a thorn in the enemy's side—painful to ignore but not large enough to distract from the main threat.
"And if they push through the bombardment to engage us directly?" an officer asked.
"Then we die. Both sides do," Zasulich replied grimly.
If the Japanese chose to turn their attention to his forces, they would suffer catastrophic losses. At the same time, they'd be left unprepared to face the main Russian army. By then, escape would be impossible for them.
