176 – New Tactics (1)
After completing the two-month reward leave, I became the organizing officer and division commander of the 7th Guards Division, as I had applied for.
Generally, a division commander is a position held by a major general and occasionally a brigadier general, but it can be said to be a bit awkward for me, a lieutenant general, to manage only one division.
Currently, our 7th Division has to reorganize a new unit from scratch due to the discharged soldiers and fallen soldiers, and because it must have extraordinary combat power at a level befitting a Guards Division, I was able to take up the position of division commander even with the qualifications of a lieutenant general.
The division’s garrison was assigned to the city of Hamburg, about a day’s carriage ride away from the capital.
All of these benefits and exceptional procedures reflect the consideration of His Majesty and the Crown Prince, so my job as a division commander will be to transform the 7th Guards Division into the best unit in the Imperial Army.
Thinking like that, I went up to the podium at the parade ground and heard enthusiastic cheers for me.
“Long live the division commander! “The division commander has returned to our 7th Guards Division!”
“He thought the division commander would come back, so he gave up his discharge in his later years and applied to become a non-commissioned officer!”
“Long live Lieutenant General Jaeger! Long live the 7th Guards Division! Long live the Reich Reich!”
I thought they would welcome me, but perhaps because I had memories of living in Korea, I got goosebumps when I heard that the sergeant in his later years became a non-commissioned officer just because of me.
But here, if you want to succeed as a serf or a commoner, the fastest way is to get promoted in the military.
There is a culture in the Korean military where it is considered a great honor to receive an application for a non-commissioned officer position that everyone is horrified and disliked.
And if you think positively, isn’t this proof that I have such a good reputation?
“All attention!”
At those words, the soldiers stopped cheering and looked at me.
Currently, there are many people who have passed away due to death, discharge, or promotion, so the number of people necessary for a complete division has not been organized, but there are only about 4,000 people.
The sight of that number of people reacting with moderation to my every word is touching no matter how many times I see it.
“Before my inauguration speech to commemorate my re-inauguration as commander of the 7th Guards Division. Sergeant Landel! “Is Sergeant Landel here?”
I deliberately pretended not to know, but Randel got married to my fiancé while I was resting and we became officially husband and wife.
In recognition of his contribution to killing 2 enemy officers and 15 soldiers at Lichen Hill, he was awarded a medal and promoted to sergeant.
“Sergeant Randel of the 7th Guards Division! “Here it is.”
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“Did the wedding go well?”
“It was the most glorious moment of my life. “The village people were truly envious of the huge wedding favors and even the officiating speech, and I was able to receive blessings from everyone!”
When I was fighting at Richen Hill, I had several more similar conversations with memorable soldiers who I occasionally spoke to.
He was the commander of the 7th Division, regardless of whether he was an officer, non-commissioned officer, or soldier, who defended the most difficult and dangerous position on Richen Hill, which was like hell for them, from beginning to end.
In the meantime, I could see myself reliving the emotion of that time once again, thinking of the division commander who looked after the lowly soldiers like a father.
“Very good! Those of you who got married, thank you for having a successful wedding in your hometown and coming here, and I am proud of you for bringing your wives and children along with you! “I’m truly proud of you all.”
No matter how proud it is for a soldier to become a non-commissioned officer and how helpful it may be for one’s career, these guys are the ones who fought a terrible battle that will forever be remembered in the history of the empire, the Battle of Richen Hill.
So, I petitioned His Majesty to give all survivors the opportunity to be discharged immediately, regardless of how much time they had left in their service.
I also received a lump sum to start a new life, so there is nothing strange about being discharged from the military due to my disgust with war and the military.
“So, as long as I am the division commander of the 7th Guards Division, I will fight in the same place as you and face danger at the forefront. Just like it was at Richen Hill.”
For soldiers, non-commissioned officers, or lower-ranking officers, this line may be perceived as a cliché remark often made by high-ranking officials.
The words I say, as I truly fought alongside them, will be able to move their hearts.
After saying that, I looked at the soldiers and appealed to them with firm movements and voice.
“I promise again. If you believe in me and follow me, I will promise you the opportunity to excel beyond the achievements you made on Richen Hill, as well as honor and financial comfort. But the road will be very difficult. So I ask you for more ability and will than what you showed on Richen Hill. Will you still follow me?”
Everyone, including soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and officers, answered with one word.
“If I am with you, Lieutenant General, I will follow you even to hell! “You are the only one who treats us lowly soldiers like human beings!”
“I will die with you, Lieutenant General, and I will live with you! “If I hadn’t had that determination, I wouldn’t have stayed in the 7th Division!”
“Let me fight for the Empire!”
The morale of the soldiers is very high and their motivation is very clear.
“Okay, then I will allow it. At this moment, I will officially give you the right to walk the difficult path with me to become the shield that protects the empire and the spear that annihilates the empire’s enemies. However, the path will be much harsher than the training you have received so far, and at times it will be so difficult that you will want to give up everything.”
Still, formal training includes guerrilla training that tests human limits and cold weather and hot weather training to acquire the ability to fight even in extreme climates.
Hand-to-hand combat training to gain the ability to fight and win against a larger number of enemies rather than simply following commands and blocking with a spear like now.
None of these processes will be easy.
In addition, the officers and staff officers here have to design numerous policies to modernize the imperial army even while training.
It must be so hard that you vomit.
“But I will guarantee it. If you follow me, I will give you honor and wealth beyond the glory you gained through that terrible struggle on Richen Hill. If you want to become a noble, it will give you the strength to climb up to that position. “If you want to live with a beautiful woman on your arms, I will give you a chance to rise to a position worthy of it.”
Difficult training must be accompanied by clear rewards and goals.
Each soldier is motivated to overcome their own limitations and become stronger, and a strong will gives them the strength to overcome their own limitations.
“Instead, from now on, the division commander will be harsh with the determination to become a ghost in order to make you stronger. But don’t forget. “Only those who can pass this training can become part of the glorious Imperial Guard Division.”
After saying that, I placed the imperial army general’s military cap in front of the lectern in front of the podium and put on the red hat I had prepared.
According to that signal, the officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers with whom I had participated in formal training and guerrilla training since I was the battalion commander also wore the same hats.
“……What is it? Why are you suddenly changing your hat? “Something doesn’t feel right.”
“What is that scary hat? Why do I feel eerie? “Speak up, Lieutenant.”
“As soon as I wrote this, everyone’s expressions changed?”
When I was fighting on the Czechavian front, there were about 500 soldiers and knights I took with me, and among them, about 120 soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and officers followed me.
There are independent servants who have risen from soldiers to officers, and the instructors wearing red hats are capable of leading the same training that I trained the soldiers at Bruno’s estate.
However, the imperial army has a class system, so the officers cannot be run by soldiers or non-commissioned officer trainers like in Korea…
Well, the assistant officers, who were officers, happened to be organized according to the number of people in each rank.
And in order to reduce resistance to training as much as possible, the instructors were placed at least one rank higher than the trainees.
“The people wearing the red hats here are the veterans who have followed me since I fought on the Czechavian front until now. And he is the instructor who will directly lead your training. “Please call me assistant.”
Also, I don’t know if it was because of their mood, but regardless of their rank, the instructors wearing these hats had evil smiles on their faces, and they had a determined expression on their faces that they would make Lieutenant General Jaeger feel the same resentment that had accumulated while being trained, which remained somewhere in their hearts.
“Lastly, we do not tolerate exclusion based on class. No, the higher the rank, the more rigorous the training. In particular, it is good to expect that I will personally supervise the training of trainees who are lieutenant colonel or above. “I will raise your physical strength to that of a sword master.”
When the soldiers at the parade ground heard my words, they looked at me with blank expressions, as if they had been hit hard on the head with a blunt object.
“Today, I will warm up lightly in preparation for tomorrow’s training. They will all wear military uniforms and canter along with me for about 10km. After that, temporary units will be formed for training. Now then, get ready to run at my own pace. Everyone turn left.”
When everyone was turning to the left, I slowly moved to the far left of the line.
This is because in a situation where the majority of soldiers have not learned formal training, or even things like turning left and turning right, which are taught in physical education classes in Korea, it takes a long time for 4,000 soldiers to turn their bodies to the left.
Of course, once all training is completed, it will only take a few seconds for 4,000 people to change direction.
“Then, from now on, run at the same speed as me! Follow me with the mindset that there are no exceptions. “We must persevere, remembering that every drop of sweat shed on the parade ground replaces every drop of blood shed on the battlefield.”