305 – Training is like actual combat, actual combat is like training (4)
When I heard that the enemy’s location had been discovered, I hurriedly gathered the officers of the division who were at the rank of warrant officer or higher, and the gathered people Everyone looked at the soldier who had returned from reconnaissance with eyes full of anticipation.
I, who was wearing four heavenly stars, Laura, the deputy division commander, and the soldier who was under the intense gaze of dozens of field officers seemed to have been reduced to a stiff piece of wood under the weight of the enormous gaze. .
I needed to relax the nervous body and mind of this guy before I could properly report, so I decided to use a magic to relax him.
“This training is a mock battle similar to an actual battle, so the officers and soldiers who performed well in the training will be given rewards after a strict evaluation. If your report from now on matches the facts, you will be ranked in the top 20 in terms of overall achievements in this mock battle. Then you will receive a reward worth several gold pieces. “Relax and tell me what you saw in full detail.”
When the scout heard the magic spell, ‘Reward for being in the top 20’, his eyes sparkled and he came out of his nervousness and asked me.
“Captain, is that true?”
The scale of the battle being fought this time is about two divisions for both armies combined.
Also, due to the limitations of a mock battle, the reward is bound to be much lower compared to the same performance in a real battle.
However, in war, surprisingly, finding out the location of enemy troops and enemy supply units right before the start of battle often contributes much more to victory than cutting off the head of an enemy general with a star.
If you know the enemy’s location and movement path properly, you can thoroughly harass the enemy with supply blockades or surprise attacks while they are on their way to the battlefield, depending on the commander’s discretion.
For that reason, it can be said that he performed well enough to be ranked in the top 20.
If he ranks in the top 20 in terms of merit in the first division-level mock battle in the history of the empire, he will be able to easily advance to the level of a senior officer.
If that report matches reality, then this guy has a chance to change his life.
In order to raise the morale of the officers and soldiers belonging to our division…
“What did the alert status of enemy troops and supply units look like?”
The scout, who had been suffering from the pressure of his class just now and came to his senses after being hit by the magic spell ‘Reward’, answered that question with sparkling eyes.
“The 18th Division’s security seemed quite tight. When I discovered it, it was the second day of the march, so even though the distance from our troops was very far, they had plenty of scouts stationed at a distance of 500 meters. “No one was chatting about whether the soldiers’ discipline was strictly maintained.”
Until I was assigned here as commander, the Faroesia area army was in many ways a mess, like the Tang army.
However, before taking office, he was given one opportunity to lightly self-correct, and over the next two months after taking office, various problems that were prevalent within the unit were resolved by guiding officers and soldiers according to principles.
When barracks irregularities were reported within the unit, and when the severity was too severe, the leaders and participants were whipped according to military law or sent to the Imperial Military Prison.
Those who were judged to have neglected it or not properly monitored the unit were sent to a military court or made to fill out a discharge application depending on the severity of the crime.
Some trainers from the 7th Division were sent to the other officers and soldiers who remained in the unit who had escaped punishment to make them ‘guess’, and even showed them the lesson that if irrationality breaks out in a specific unit, the rest of the unit members other than the officials will be torn apart.
In the process, the unit’s capabilities improved and even a sharp military discipline was developed, maintaining a perfect alert posture close to a textbook.
“How many troops were there escorting the supply unit?”
“Two or three companies of infantry were escorting us from behind. Even though I saw the guys escorting the supply unit from afar, I could tell that they were on very strict guard.”
“…… Is that so? It was rewarding to instill the correct discipline over the past two months. “I understand. By the way, what is your rank name?”
I opened the training log for everyone here to see and took out a pen.
All the eyes of the officers here were focused on their notes, and the scout, who had never been envious of higher-ups like this in his life, looked at me with tears welling up in his eyes due to the surge of joy and emotion.
Then he shouted loudly in a slightly trembling voice.
“Corporal Thorkel, 3rd Platoon, 7th Guards Division Search Company!”
“I have recorded your name and accomplishments here in my training log. If the information you scouted is wrong, you may be punished, but if it matches the facts, you will receive a considerable reward, a performance review, and vacation time. “For this training, my commander is the division commander of the 7th Guards Division, so I will not forget to reward you generously.”
“Thank you!”
I handed Thorkel a night meal ticket for a field officer.
“How tired must you be after staying up all night? “If you take this to the cook, I will give you warm soup, steak, and a glass of wine. Enjoy it and rest comfortably.”
“Corporal Thorkell! Thank you!”
When a corporal heard me promise to rank 20th or higher in the mock battle and even recorded it in his journal, all the officers looked at me with lights in their eyes.
Now that you have figured out the location of the enemy’s main force and supply unit, you are probably tingling with the thought of gaining command of a surprise attack based on that and achieving great achievements.
“Captain! Send in our infantry battalion! “I will show you even more courage than the courage I showed when I stopped those Austrian knights!”
“Uh-huh, Major! This time, it is the turn of our battalion, made up of veterans who fought on Richen Hill, to step forward. “You need to move as quickly as possible in extreme situations, so we’re the right fit.”
“If you leave it to our archer cavalry company, we will turn around the enemy, burn all the food, and then come back quickly!”
In order to stimulate the motivation of the officers of the 7th Division, I am happy to see that the effect of generously awarding rewards to scouts is being achieved.
While I calmed down the excited officers, I placed a wooden horse on the map based on the information brought by Thorkel and other scouts.
“First of all, according to the reconnaissance results of Thorkel and the other search company, it was known that the enemy would move to the Manfell Plain along the Mirkel Boulevard. Additionally, the enemy appears to be moving about 16km a day along with the supply unit, and is on tight security. Therefore, it is believed that soldiers will not have enough sleep time and their physical strength will be somewhat severe.”
To someone who doesn’t know anything, it may seem strange that the army can only travel about 16 kilometers a day. There is a good reason for this.
This is because marching in this era means that soldiers are on foot and supplies are carried out by carts pulled by horses or oxen. Even if you march to your death, the distance you can actually travel is bound to be short.
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So, in a situation where there is no need to rush the march itself, it is right for them to follow the manual well, but what does it mean to be on high alert from the beginning when the enemy cannot easily surprise them?
The number of soldiers mobilized during surveillance and reconnaissance is large, which means that the rest time that one soldier can take is shortened.
If that happens, the soldiers’ physical strength will drop significantly by the time they get close to the Manfell Plain.
Furthermore, there is a limit to human mental power, so about two nights before arrival, the thought ‘Could they possibly attack us at this time?’ Will creep in, and thus the guard will relax a little.
If the distance between the two armies is very close, you will have to strengthen your guard as you don’t know when the opponent will attack your army, so even if you make a surprise attack, the chances of failure will increase.
“Militaries that consume a lot of physical strength tend to become extremely relaxed a day or two before arriving at a battlefield. “I think we can achieve some results if we target that time to supply supplies and surprise the main unit.”
Then I looked around at all the officers, then pointed to one person and said,
“Captain of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment, I heard that your battalion is the unit with the best physical strength in the 7th Division. Are you confident in your stamina and patience?”
At those words, the other officers all looked regretful, and the 1st battalion commander, who was pointed out, opened his face wide and quickly stood up and responded.
“1St Battalion Commander Major Milant von Flugel! “I am proud that the physical strength of our unit members is the best in the Imperial Army!”
“As soon as the sun rises tomorrow morning, we will move to the route where the enemy army is expected to march. Then, follow the enemy for several days and make a surprise attack when it seems most appropriate.”
“Yes, I understand!”
Then, I talked for about an hour about what to watch out for while marching and how to fight on the Manfell Plain, gave instructions, and then went to bed.
**
Two days later, in the forest near Brument Village.
“Battalion Commander Flugel! “You can see an enemy scout squad about 100 meters to the right.”
When Flugel heard that, he laughed and said.
“It’s night, so they won’t be able to see us right now. So, we are also sending a squad towards them. Then, when you meet them, pretend to be an ally and approach them to get to know the octopus. “You’ll find out the answer when you meet someone else around here.”
As soon as the order was given, a squad led by Sergeant Pilsen of the 1st Battalion took steps and encountered the enemy scouts.
“It’s an ally!”