SERVICES OE TWO RUSSIAN MOUNTAIN BATTERIES. 
129 
range of rifle pits, the hot fire from which brought the small force to a 
halt. The mountain guns advanced to within about 800 yards of the 
Turkish position and opened fire. A lucky shell exploded one of the 
Turkish limbers, and in the confusion that ensued the infantry rushed 
forward and carried the position. This brought the force in front of 
the last line of Turkish defences outside the Shipka village, which 
exhaustion and darkness prevented them carrying this night. 
Skoboleff on the morning of the 9th advanced to attack Shenovo, a 
village a few miles south-west of Shipka. The guns of the 2nd Moun¬ 
tain Battery were placed in the centre of the line of advance, and 
Skoboleff placed himself in rear of them to direct the movements of his 
force. Arriving within long range of the enemy’s position at Shenovo, 
the guns opened fire, which proved ineffective, but produced a certain 
amount of moral result. In order to give the necessary elevation to the 
guns, the carriages were buried and so the range increased, which, 
though diminishing the chances of inflicting loss on the enemy, deceived 
him as to the nature of the guns, which were mistaken for field instead 
of mountain pieces. After severe fighting, Shenovo was taken by the 
most brilliant assault in the whole war, deciding not only the day, but 
the whole fate of the Turkish Army of Shipka, which, attacked by 
both Radetzky on the front and Mirsky from the east, was completely 
defeated and broken up. On the 14th January the two Mountain 
Batteries were concentrated, and moved forward on Kazanlyk, with an 
infantry escort in support of the cavalry force advancing on Adrianople. 
This brief account of the work done by the two batteries can but 
give a mere shadowy outline of their services, which now terminated. 
Their system of tactics seems to have been vague in the extreme, 
doubtless due to the fact that up to this date the Russians had had 
but very slight Mountain Artillery experiences. 
