Chapter 78: The Töner Tribe Suppression (7)
“Captain Marco, is that really true? In Chekovia, did our Regiment Commander actually kill the enemy’s Deputy Commander himself?”
“Captain Tolkien, do I look like a liar to you?”
“Yes, but it’s not common for a Battalion Commander to be at the forefront, killing high-ranking people like the enemy’s Deputy Commander, right? Because they are usually in the safe center of the unit.”
This didn’t mean that Battalion Commanders were cowards, only looking out for themselves.
Up to the level of a Company Commander, one needed to be at the forefront to command effectively, but at the Battalion Commander level, coordination with larger units like regiments or divisions came first.
Since the units that usually stood on the front lines and rotated were at the company level, there was no need for a Battalion Commander to command in person.
Moreover, from the Battalion Commander level onwards, making one’s own forces last longer than the enemy was more important than looking closely at the enemy’s weaknesses.
It was more important to command from a safe central position and have a wider perspective.
Going to the forefront like I did, risking my life to find and exploit the enemy’s weaknesses, was rather unusual.
“By the way, isn’t the meat really delicious? Damn, I’d have no regrets if I could have a drink of alcohol...”
“Discipline is slipping. But I understand. The war is coming, so let’s win and then hold a feast with the cattle we seize from them.”
“Ha, I’m not sure if war should be this easy. Normally, aside from keeping watch after marching, we sleep like the dead but still feel tired when holding a spear. Now, it’s too comfortable, which is a problem.”
For reference, taking a few days’ rest happened when both the enemy and our forces arrived around the same time, and the commanders of both armies implicitly agreed that if they didn’t rest now, after a few spear thrusts, everyone would collapse.
Otherwise, it was much more advantageous to attack when the enemy was exhausted, so they didn’t let them rest.
While I was leisurely eating grilled pork belly, thinking to myself that I’d like even a sip of beer,
“Reporting to the Regiment Commander! Enemy forces were spotted approximately 12 hours west of the 24th Regiment’s location.”
Now the rest is ending, but thanks to the barbarians diligently raising pigs, cattle, and sheep, we’ve eaten well for a few days.
Having fully rested and recovered the soldiers’ physical strength and morale, and having successfully lured them into the muddy terrain, which was the hardest for them to fight in, our forces were in the best physical and mental state, while the enemy was the opposite.
“Is the standard based on our marching speed? Or did you calculate it according to the enemy’s marching speed? What’s the approximate situation?”
“Since the enemy has many more horses than us, I calculated them to be 1.5 times faster. Moreover, it seems they haven’t rested as they keep rushing down. Even from a distance, you can see the fatigue in both their horses and people.”
Given that the surrounding area was mostly flat terrain, free of ambush worries, it would be reasonable for them to rest.
As I said, if anyone rashly broke out, we’d go in with swords and slice up their units.
The only countermeasure they had was to hold out without giving any opening to our mounted archers until their horses were too exhausted to move.
“Even if this is a muddy field, they will taunt us by shooting thousands of arrows from a distance beyond our reach. That tears at one’s sanity, so it’s better to rest when we can, and then silently strike their main force, drawing and countering the mounted archers’ charge.”
Additionally, the enemy’s mounted archers and soldiers, frustrated at our lack of response, might force Töner make a bad move.
It was especially effective against tribes, whose hierarchical relationships were not as strict as those of the Empire’s army.
After all, wasn’t that why that guy surrendered, fearing being labeled incompetent and losing his head for not protecting his subordinates’ interests?
The difference between a unit that goes to dangerous places when ordered and one that doesn’t lies in this.
“Now, I’ll announce the roles of each unit. First, my direct battalion will be in the center, Captain Marco’s 1st Battalion on the left flank, Lieutenant Colonel Chaplin’s 2nd Battalion on the right flank, and the Deputy Regiment Commander’s 3rd Battalion will take the rear. Dennis’s battalion of mages will be divided half and half between the 1st and 2nd Battalions, and Werner’s battalion of knights will make a wide detour to strike the enemy’s central forces from behind when the battle starts.”
According to my plan, once each unit was deployed, it would look like a square from above.
“As we confront the enemy, they will undoubtedly send mounted archers to continuously shoot arrows at all sides of our forces. At this time, you, commanders, must control your subordinate officers and soldiers to prevent any impulsive actions from the units. A single company’s impulsive action could kill the entire regiment.”
As long as we didn’t blindly chase and attack at the company level, the strategy wouldn’t fail.
But acting independently, that variable would mostly lead to the worst situations.
“When they shoot arrows in all directions, the best positions for the enemy to attack are the left and right flanks. So, deliberately take a hit, then mobilize mages, crossbowmen, and archers to shoot back at them. Don’t forget that we have more personnel capable of long-range attacks than those semi-farming, semi-nomadic fools, who lack mages and crossbowmen. One volley of fire, and they will completely melt away.”
While the strength of mounted archers was their incredible mobility, their downside was their defense.
Chainmail offered protection against slashing or striking attacks, but it was very weak against weapons like arrows that could fit through the gaps in the chains.
Moreover, magic, like fireballs, was like a deadly spear that could kill an armored knight or regular infantry in one hit...
Even if our mobility was weaker than theirs, our firepower was much stronger.
“In this battle, dealing with the rear is the most important. Because when the mounted archers take damage, and we attack the enemy commander, Töner, they will definitely strike our rear. Deputy Regiment Commander, be ready to respond at any time, keeping in mind that the enemy’s mounted archers might turn around and charge with swords.”
In reality, the most fearsome aspect of mounted archers wasn’t killing people with arrows from a distance and then fleeing.
It was indiscriminately shooting arrows from a distance to confuse and provoke the enemy troops, scattering them, then choosing the right moment to charge in on horseback and strike with swords. That’s why we must stay on guard.
Therefore, it was important to deploy mages on both the left and right flanks, ensuring that the relatively weaker rear could withstand and respond effectively.
“Additionally, Lieutenant Laura, or rather, the Deputy Commander of the direct battalion, will oversee and confirm the entire battalion, ensuring the implementation of tactics accordingly. With that, the meeting is concluded, and everyone except the duty guard, the Commander of the 1st Battalion, should go to sleep.”
