EP.264
Griffino Castle conference room.
After taking over the cities and villages of the western coastal region, including Gryfino Castle, the imperial army officers, including myself, had to perform administrative tasks that seemed to test human limits.
Although managing the troops under one’s command was no easy task, everyone was given the responsibility to manage and supervise the security, administration, and even supply of the occupied area.
The worst thing is that thanks to the damned Grand Duke of Warsaw throwing away food, we have to manage the food distribution situation for 2 million people… Not only the
officers, but even the generals who are burdened with all kinds of office work are noticeably worse off. Some people appeared whose physical condition deteriorated due to decline in physical strength.
“Commander Koch, are you okay? There’s a nosebleed coming from your face. Now, take this and quickly clean it. “What are you doing to be so sweet and low-class?”
“…Director Stern, I think he’s going to die. “I haven’t slept in three days, and I feel like my eyes are going to roll because I’ve only had three hours of sleep in a week.”
“Come to your senses. I thought about the time I took the graduation exam when I was attending staff college and held on. “If you last until this meeting, I will report directly to the captain and let you sleep for six hours.”
I feel like I want to help these two with their work and reduce everyone’s work burden, but it seems like a smokestack.
It is virtually impossible to further adjust or reduce the responsibilities shouldered by everyone, including the generals.
In fact, I can afford to help a little because I can afford to secure a certain amount of sleep time even in this extreme situation.
However, once I help someone, the generals and officers here will constantly be looking for me because they have reached their limit.
If I collapse from overwork or make poor decisions, the two million citizens of the western coastal area and the Reich Imperial Army could be annihilated, so I can’t do that.
Still, those two over there could die from overwork if they don’t rest right away.
“Major General Koch Stern. After this meeting, just sleep well. I’m giving up half a day to everyone, including you. Don’t think about drinking and just rest. Don’t forget what you learned at Staff College. “Staff officers and generals should not work to the point of ruining their bodies except under extreme circumstances.”
The eyes of the two generals, who were 20 years older than me, were already wide open at my warm encouragement.
After encouraging those two, he walked to the innermost head of the table, took his seat, and clapped to get everyone’s attention.
“I don’t know that everyone here is having a hard time to the point of death right now. However, if your armies collapse here, not only our 100,000 army but also 2 million poor people may starve to death. As an officer, you must endure as a knight. And you guys did a great job so as not to embarrass your children and grandchildren, who would be respecting you in the homes of the ancestors of each family that deserved respect.”
Putting one’s family on the line to encourage people has been a very common method from ancient times to modern times.
The generals, who were filled with pride in having succeeded in reaching a star and a sense of duty in serving the country, succeeded in regaining their energy after hearing my words, as if a dying ember was being revived.
The Reich Empire is a country that evaluates people based on their abilities, so I like that they give even ordinary orphans like me the opportunity to achieve 4 stars.
Like the Prussian Empire in its prosperous days, it is great to see all the officers taking great pride in their jobs and showing results that go beyond their limits.
“Now then, we will begin the strategy meeting to prepare for the final battle of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw War. “The expeditionary force operations officer should bring a large bulletin board with a map attached.”
The operations officer soon came in holding a bulletin board with a huge map that all the generals could see.
On the map, the coastal terrain of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, including the western coast, the supply route from the Reich Empire to Gryfino Castle, and the approximate path I expected the Warsaw Navy to attack were colored in different colors.
The generals looked at the map and me in turns, unable to hide their shocked looks and began to mutter.
“I am. When His Excellency Moritz was serving as Minister of Military Affairs, I heard that Captain Jaeger created the Francois expedition plan by himself in one month…” “
Ah, that legendary anecdote that His Excellency Marshal Benner always mentions when he criticizes the slow work of the Chiefs of Staff. “You mean?”
“……. Captain, you are probably handling the administrative work for the three of us right now, and in the meantime, you made all that? “Is that why you became a captain at the age of 30?”
I put this interest aside and started talking, pointing at the map with my baton.
“First, let’s go over the conditions for winning this war at the present time. This is to succeed in securing maritime rights (ensuring the safety of movement in the sea in a specific area) for maritime supply connecting the western coastal area and the Reich Empire. Of course, if the right to control the sea is lost, all the efforts our troops have made so far will be in vain.”
Just before I conquered Gryfino Castle and the coastal area around it, I said this to my generals.
‘If you occupy the western coastal area of Warsaw, which is connected to the empire, not only will you be able to supply by sea, but you will also be able to supply by land.’
As they say, we are currently receiving supply through both sea and land, so it seems like one of them could be cut off.
If even one of these is cut off, our military will be able to do anything, but there will be a huge disruption in the food supply to the 2 million people living in the western coastal area. No, it becomes impossible to provide supplies to the people at all.
Starving citizens and people whose supplies have been cut off will soon riot, and if that happens, our army will lose its footing and have no choice but to retreat.
“With this in mind, I, Captain Peter Jaeger, have reviewed it over several days. The Grand Duke of Warsaw will most likely, or will definitely, try to blockade ports on the western coast, including Gryfino Castle, by mobilizing the navy. “Because if we succeed in blocking the port, we will know that we will be unable to offer any resistance and will have no choice but to retreat.”
At those words, one of the generals spoke in a regretful voice.
“Isn’t our military currently using all of its warships to transport food to feed over 2 million citizens and people? Also, it will take another 15 days for the warships we can use to return. “If we just listen to what the commander said, it only sounds like we are already cornered by the enemy and in a situation where we are being manipulated.”
It is true that we have no warships available now, but when I came in here I was told that there was no food at all.
Just in case, a request was sent to send support by loading all the rowing sailors onto a warship in the port of the newly occupied territory under the Osby Plain.
No country could have predicted this situation, and more warships were requested to speed up the transport and supply of food for 2 million people.
They say these guys will arrive the day after tomorrow, so they barely have a way to survive.
“With His Majesty’s permission, we were able to bring 40 warships assigned to the Northern Army to help transport food for 2 million people. So, in the struggle for control of the sea, you will not be defeated without using any tactics.”
At those words, the expressions of the generals, who had been despairing at the prospect of a strategic defeat after fighting to the death until just a moment ago, came to life.
“…Long live Captain Jaeger!”
“40 ships is not a small number, so it should be enough to stop them!”
“It’s worth a try! It’s really worth a try.”
… The problem is that unless the enemy commander is an idiot, he will try to throw all of Warsaw’s naval power into this war.
It is said that there is a high probability that our numbers will be overwhelmingly outnumbered…
Just as a positive atmosphere was forming, the door suddenly opened without me even giving permission to enter the room.
The eyes of the generals and I all turned towards the door, and when the door opened, one of the messengers gasped and said.
“Captain Jaeger, something big has happened. According to a telegram sent by an intelligence agent who infiltrated the Grand Duchy of Warsaw… the Grand Duke of Warsaw promoted a man named Lieutenant General Timo to captain and prepared for war.”
“So what happens next?”
“We are gathering more than 120 warships by mobilizing all the naval forces in Warsaw, a city on the east coast of central Warsaw!”
At those words, all the generals looked like they had lost everything in the world, but I persevered, thinking that as a commander I had to do something.
And we came up with tactics and weapons that could overcome this situation.
“The operational meeting will continue as is. We will work together, including officers, soldiers, and citizens, to create a siege ballista that can be loaded onto a ship! “We must make as many as possible within a month, no matter what!”
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