208 – Operation ‘Storm’ (3)
A week later, an expeditionary force of 100,000 led by me entered the Duchy of Orléans after completing all preparations.
On the other hand, according to the information I obtained, the troops who lost their lord because of the sniper unit’s operation could not move anymore.
In each lord’s unit, the head of the knights who had a big say in the battle for the initiative.
A wanted to go to the capital of the dukedom, B to surrender, C to go to the capital of his legion, D to entrust to other Eline vassals, and so on.
And in the end, since His Highness the Duke and all other His Excellencies are dead, they have no focal point. Therefore, we came to the conclusion of returning to the capital of the lord’s family territory.
As a result, the 100,000-strong expeditionary force led by me was able to comfortably enter the duchy’s territory without encountering any resistance. No… The manager of the manor, like Bayleaf, who saw me, tried to serve me with more sincerity than they did to the duke.
They donated swords and treasures containing family traditions, or used grain or money embezzled without the duke’s knowledge to prepare a table for the nobles and voluntarily offered bribes.
Among them, the bad guys secretly sent their daughters into me or other nobles’ tents to swear an oath of allegiance and seek a rise in status.
In the kingdom I rule, if the magistrates openly asked for favors like this, they would all be punished for corruption or flattery to power.
If you accept all these things one by one, the subordinates will squeeze the serfs as if they were competing for more power and wealth.
So, from now on, I will apply the same standard to those who surrendered, and make all the occupied people loyal to the kingdom.
By the time I had almost finished writing the outline of the situation so far and the future plans, all the counts who had served in the expeditionary force had arrived and sat down to greet each other.
I accepted their greeting by raising and lowering my baton, then chinned the adjutant standing next to me. He immediately opened the paper he was holding and began to read.
“We will start with a report on the number of troops lost among the 150,000 combat troops and supply units of the expeditionary force. First of all, 2,000 troops were left out due to injuries due to the hasty march, and 5,000 were delayed and lost because they could not join in time.
The expected non-combat loss was about 5,000, but we lost about 40% more than that, and the current force is 143,000, including 98,000 fighters and 45,000 supporters.”
Upon hearing the adjutant’s words, the counts murmured in small whispers. I don’t know what kind of story it is, but it’s probably about ‘the damage is less than expected or it’s bigger’.
I didn’t say anything about that, but in a situation where we only prepared logistical supplies without using cars and railroads… I think it is very good.
They marched several times longer than normal marches for nearly a month, and they could not even monitor military police to prevent desertion.
Not only that, but considering that it was announced before the start of the march that ‘one year’s annual salary’ would be given to those who followed to the destination, there would be no disadvantage if they were left out and moved to a nearby base…
Considering that it was a rapid long-distance march in the pre-modern era, it can be said that it was a grand operation that will go down in history.
“Considering that the wounded are being treated at a nearby military camp, and most of the soldiers who could not follow the march will return to their units… The decline in troops across the kingdom is expected to be smaller.
In addition, Operation Storm was successful and the Duke of Orléans and most of his vassals were killed, so the number of battles within the Duchy is expected to decrease, and the farmers are surrendering without resistance.
Based on the above results, as a result of the analysis by the expeditionary force’s staff, we believe that the current friendly forces have completely achieved the goal of Operation Storm.”
I made a speculative remark, but in this situation, there are so many variables, so I am just saying that I am preparing for 1 in 10,000.
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So, in fact, what the adjutant said was close to ‘No matter how negatively the staff reduced the performance and considered all the problems to come, it can be said that it was a success.’
The counts understood exactly what he said, so they put aside their face for a moment and hugged each other to celebrate.
“Hooray!”
“It was really hard when I became a Count and ate the same wagon as the soldiers and the terrible fists called Jjayo Jjayo… I did it! Damn it… “
“Ha… I’ve never had such miserable food in my life… But, now it will be a good memory. Hurray!”
I don’t talk, but… Personally speaking, I didn’t even put in the seasoning because there was no red pepper, and that terrible thing made by adding salt to the tasteless biscuits… I couldn’t eat anything.
I made it without exaggerating, but it was so tasteless that even prisoners wouldn’t eat it in our territory.
I almost died, or actually collapsed, because I didn’t have to run that long distance except for running to maintain my health. Because of the morale problem, the fact that I suffered for a while was kept top secret and the soldiers did not know about it.
It’s an experience I don’t want to do again, but thinking about how easy it is to obtain a duchy already feels like my memories are being glorified.
To change the mood, we clapped and continued the conversation.
“Operation worked, good. We will then inform you of our future course of action. First of all, as of the present time, we will divide our forces into corps led by each count.
Each corps marches along the route of the pre-divided map, passing by cities less than the capital of the barony and surrendering all farm villages along the way or subduing them in case of resistance. When you arrive at the capital of each barony and county, surround it.”
In general, if you do not occupy a small castle or city located on the supply route, there is a risk that another force will come out of the city and intercept or destroy the supply in the middle.
The main force leading thousands or tens of thousands of troops cannot handle it at the level of a small town that can mobilize a few hundred troops, including the citizens inside, but the convoys moving in units of tens or hundreds are tolerable and have a lot to eat. Because.
“However, since the convoy may be ambushed, the convoy will mobilize at least one regiment of troops and move together. That way, it would not be possible to attempt an attack as a unit of small towns cut off from each other.
Move along the way, enlist serfs from surrendered villages to increase the number of supply troops, and then instill in them ‘confidence as if they betrayed’ by doing various chores. Of course, let’s make a supply base for each small town where one regiment can be stationed.”
You won’t be able to completely siege the city that way, but enemies who have entered the castle will not be supplied with supplies or food. You won’t be able to break through. That’s the siege
“And while marching through each territory, be sure to take the bailefs who surrendered halfway through, and convince the knights of the corps formed in each baronial territory that their territory has already turned to our side.
Then, there is a high possibility that the commanders of the troops in each territory will quarrel with each other in the castle, divided into the faction that they must run away since the territory has already been taken away, and the faction that they must fight to the end.
In that case, they will either run away like this and promise later, or they will become a rabble with divided command and opinions.”
While I was explaining, Count Isra in the corner asked me back.
“Your Highness, but if we split the troops, wouldn’t the three Counts DeLong, Meter, and Farius mobilize their soldiers to support them and try to defeat them individually? If so, one of your own legions will face off against one of the Earl’s legions and the Baron’s or Earl’s forces that have responded internally. It is a very risky operation.”
Considering that there are approximately 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers in the corps led by one count… If other nobles of the Elaine Empire came to support them, they could suffer considerable damage due to the difference in troops.
However, it is very unlikely that other counts will take the loss and help the duke’s vassals.
Because even if you help, it will not benefit you directly, and the emperor will not try to save the Duchy of Orléans, which has already lost organized resistance.
“It is very unlikely that other enemy counts will send reinforcements to a duchy whose command has been disrupted by the death of the duke and other vassals. However, if another count of the Elain Empire comes to the territory you are attacking, withdraw immediately and join the corps of another count in the nearest position to prevent damage from single combat. Lastly, unless a situation like what Count Isra said occurs, when entering the siege, since we have secured all the territory except the enemy’s castle, each legion assumes that the enemy’s reinforcements will not come and proceeds leisurely. Utilizing the experience of conducting a siege in the Earl of Helsmann, even if soldiers recruited from the region entered the castle, keep the siege as much as possible and wait.”
If you gather all the soldiers recruited by each vassal of Orléans and the people living in the city to defend the castle, you can recruit soldiers worthy of a siege.
However, as it was in Count Helsmann’s territory, the defense warfare is as long as the opponent does not try to cross the wall… No damage occurs It only matters who lasts the longest.
And if we’re going to hold on, wouldn’t we have a much better chance of being supplied with food?