Summarizing Gains

The next day, Victor convened a summary meeting for the hunt in the main camp.

Ron was still in a low mood. It seemed his detachment's performance yesterday had truly displeased him, and Victor felt quite helpless about it.

"Ron, your decision-making was certainly decisive, but the problem lay in the execution of orders. There was no clear division of labor among the platoons, and each platoon interpreted the commands differently, leading to chaos during your march and affecting the entire formation."

"My soldiers are all excellent, and the squad leaders are seasoned veterans. The major issues during this hunt are entirely my responsibility. I should have made prior arrangements with the squad leaders, ensuring they all had a unified understanding of the commands."

"Yes, your troops are elite, and you are strong. You dared to charge a thousand-man enemy formation with only 200 men. However, you know we are here to expand. What we lack most is not land or money, but people. Our troop strength is precious, especially here in the Northern Frontier wilderness. We will have no shortage of hostile Barbarian tribes in the future. I don't want to face heavy casualties after every battle."

"More than victory, I care about the gains from the battle. Even if we cannot defeat the enemy, as long as our troops remain, with our advantage on the Great Fish River, we can defend the most crucial core areas of the territory. But if I lose half my army, I might have to abandon many places."

"Therefore, I hope you will reconsider. We will organize similar hunting drills in the future, and I expect your unit to perform better next time. Alright, next, Santos, you will be the one to discuss the problems you've identified."

Victor directly called on Santos to begin. As time went on, Victor was truly satisfied with this former guard captain his father had introduced to him. He was mature, prudent, experienced, and genuinely cared for the soldiers – a truly qualified commander. If Victor were to lead troops into battle in the future, Santos would undoubtedly be his first choice to remain behind; no one else offered such peace of mind.

"After the recent reorganization of the troops and the assignment of tasks to each platoon, the troop movements have become more rapid and flexible than before. With flag language, we can also communicate concisely, eliminating the need to specifically send orderlies or gather all the captains to relay orders," Santos replied in a measured tone, first offering support for the reorganization.

"However, there are still some issues. A portion of the squad leaders are highly unqualified. Although many are experienced veterans who perform well, after assuming the role of squad leader, they fail to understand their responsibilities. Yesterday, when James was intercepting the yellow sheep, many squad leaders, relying on their exceptional combat skills, abandoned their squads and charged ahead alone. By the time the fight was over, their entire squads had scattered. This was during a favorable engagement; in an unfavorable one, such behavior would be a complete waste of soldiers." Santos's point was indeed sharp, directly highlighting the biggest problem with the military reforms.

Victor knew that small unit structures were not popular in armies in this world. It was due to the unique nature of this world; people here were stronger and reacted faster than in his previous life. Even a fifty-man unit, if a bit bloated, could be effectively commanded by the captain and vice-captain, which placed high demands on the quality of officers but required fewer of them.

Victor had always believed that smaller units of around ten men could better foster the initiative of soldiers in combat. He desired a modern-style army with proactive combat awareness, not an old-fashioned army that rigidly followed orders. His experiences from his past life deeply influenced him.

If this world were merely an ordinary feudal era, he might not have had such an idea. But with the excellent resources of this world, even from a productivity standpoint, it could rival his previous life after the First Industrial Revolution. Even a common Baron's territory could support a considerable number of full-time standing troops. With his cheat, Victor could further increase the production efficiency of his territory, allowing him to support professional soldiers and workers, fully enabling a rapid, small-step industrial revolution.

This was why he was undertaking such a sweeping military reform. Fortunately, his status as a noble lord allowed him to push these initiatives forward.

"This issue is indeed very important. We discovered it yesterday. Everyone can also look at the hunting report, which contains many examples we've compiled."

"Regarding this problem, I also have an idea for a solution: establish a simple training course. The detachment commanders and veteran company commanders will lecture these junior officers on their duties. I am already compiling teaching materials, and you can also provide your experiences to be included in the curriculum. If even this doesn't solve the problem, then we'll replace them. After all, the requirements for squad leaders aren't that high, and after some time, the soldiers themselves will be able to discern who is more suitable to be a squad leader." Victor simply explained his approach: education.

"Are there any other issues? Please continue to raise them."

"Lord Victor, I have discovered a problem concerning the Barbarian cavalry. We have assigned individuals who understand the Barbarian language to command platoons and squads. I believe this might not be the best way to command the Barbarian cavalry. I propose we promote some Barbarians to be squad leaders." Jackson suggested.

"Indeed, we also noticed this problem. Yesterday, after you were pinned down, your direct platoon managed to escape, but that Barbarian cavalry platoon was almost completely wiped out. Their reaction on the battlefield was slow, and they couldn't respond immediately. This is indeed a suggestion worth trying. I am also adding language classes to the short-term training program. Not only will our people learn the Barbarian language, but Barbarians who can serve as junior officers will also learn the Common Tongue. Does anyone else have any suggestions?"

"I would like to ask about the usage of the logistics detachment. I understand the supply convoy and the engineering team; we've had such logistical units before. But what about the medical team? We basically use Bitter Bamboo and other methods for battlefield first aid, and the wounded can be handed over to the logistics teams. Is there a need to establish a dedicated medical team?"

"The medical team did not participate in the exercise yesterday, so it's normal for it to be questioned. However, I believe you will gradually understand its benefits in the future. It will indeed take time to prove itself."

Such questioning was normal. Even in his previous life, field hospitals existed early on, but before Nightingale's reforms, they were notoriously places even demons wouldn't want to go.