Plan (2)

"The warehouse also has corresponding reserves of gunpowder, bullets, arrows, spare weapons, medicine, Fire oil, ropes, and simple tools, which can meet our needs. The main difficulty lies in transportation."

He pointed to a simple map on the table. "In mountainous areas, horse-drawn carriages can hardly pass. We mainly rely on pack animals and human labor for transport. We need to recruit enough pack animals and strong laborers."

Edgar changed the subject and looked at Karl: "However, as long as Your Excellency allows me to conscript the necessary laborers and pack animals within the territory as needed, and provides appropriate compensation, I can organize a logistics transport team. However, this transport team itself also needs protection to prevent small groups of Sauron from harassing the supply lines."

Karl nodded, expressing his satisfaction with Edgar's pragmatism and thoroughness.

"That's natural; the logistics line is the lifeline, and its safety must be ensured." He thought for a moment and said, "Therefore, Edgar, you will be fully responsible for all logistics and transportation matters."

"You are free to handle the allocation of personnel, livestock, and supplies. For areas requiring military protection, communicate directly with Brendan and his men. In addition, to enhance the safety of the transport convoy and reduce the burden on combat troops, I will assign you a company of about one hundred men from the Militia Camp to specifically protect the supply convoy."

"Although their field combat capabilities are not as good as those of regular soldiers, they should have no problem maintaining order, keeping watch, and dispersing small groups of petty thieves. What do you think?"

Upon hearing that there would be dedicated guards, Edgar's expression relaxed further, and he even showed a slight smile.

"Excellent! With the militia protecting us, I feel much more at ease, sir. Please rest assured, I, Edgar, guarantee that logistics will not hinder the army! I will ensure that the monthly combat supplies for seven hundred men are delivered to the designated location on time, in sufficient quantity, and safely!"

"Good! That's exactly what I wanted to hear!" Karl said approvingly.

The initial implementation of logistical arrangements put his mind at ease.

"Then, the next step is the specific preparations on the military side," Karl's gaze returned to Brendan, Roland and other officers, his sharp eyes sweeping across their weathered faces.

"Brendan, Roland, you two will take the lead and quickly select the two most suitable and best-fit battalions from the existing forces as the main force for this attack."

"A battalion is composed of two pikemen companies and one Musketeers company. All the pikemen are equipped with Chain Mail. If the armory is not stocked enough, it will be temporarily transferred from the rear garrison."

"In addition, each Musketeers company must ensure that there are twenty Flintlock Rifle. These days, we will conduct extra live-fire training, focusing on improving the Flintlock Rifle ' formation coordination and continuous firing capabilities."

Karl glanced at Lyon and Thorsten, who were standing at the end of the line: "The cavalry will select the best one hundred men, with Lyon as captain and Thorsten as vice-captain."

"Your numbers are still too small, and this battlefield is mostly through narrow passes and dense forests, so there's no need for your cavalry to charge into battle. Your main task is to mop up the remaining enemy forces after the battle, set up ambushes along the enemy's possible escape routes, and try to ensure the complete annihilation of all enemies, leaving no hidden dangers."

The tent was completely silent. The officers held their breath, memorizing every instruction.

"The selection criteria must be strict. We should not only look at training results, but also at the soldiers' psychological stability, physical fitness, and ability to adapt to mountainous terrain. The officers should also be well-qualified, and we should select those who are decisive and can handle emergencies independently."

"Yes, sir!" Brendan, Roland, and the other officers responded in unison.

"Furthermore," Karl added, his tone serious, "It's not enough to just have soldiers and officers; we need to ensure that junior officers, at least company-level officers, have a basic understanding of the area where the operation is about to take place."

"Once Richter's intelligence yields preliminary results, I will have him quickly draw up a rough map marking the locations of suspected outposts and terrain features. You are responsible for copying and distributing these maps to every participating company."

"Then, we gave these company commanders and deputy company commanders a task: based on the possible targets and terrain shown on the map, each company should develop a basic combat plan."

"It doesn't need to be overly complex or perfect, but it must include: possible attack routes, deployment methods, coordination plans with neighboring units, and contingency plans for encountering resistance or unexpected events, all for targets of different sizes and locations."

Karl looked around at everyone and explained, "I don't expect their plans to be directly applicable to actual combat; that requires more precise intelligence and unified command. But this thought process is crucial. It forces these mid-level officers to get into the swing of things in advance, familiarize themselves with the maps, and think about tactics, instead of mechanically waiting for orders from their superiors."

"When the objectives are truly determined and the overall offensive plan is formulated, these contingency plans can serve as a valuable reference, enabling them to understand the overall intent more quickly and execute it more proactively. This in itself is also an excellent form of pre-battle training and brainstorming."

Brendan's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood the deeper meaning behind Karl's actions. "Your Excellency is brilliant! Letting junior officers think first is better than us explaining it a hundred times afterward! I'll get on it right away."

"Well, in terms of time," Karl estimated, "Richter's intelligence gathering takes time, as does the selection, mobilization, and targeted training of troops, logistical preparations, and the formulation of grassroots contingency plans... all of these take time."

"We are not pursuing speed, but we cannot delay indefinitely either. I give you, and Richter, a maximum of ten days. After ten days, no matter what stage our intelligence gathering has reached, we must make a final decision on whether to launch an attack and where to attack based on the information we have, and complete all preparations."

"It's early summer now, and we must complete this cleanup before the autumn harvest."

"Ten days... that's a bit tight, but if we give it our all, we should be able to manage," Brendan mused.

Roland and the other officers nodded in agreement, indicating they would expedite preparations.

"Alright! It's settled then," Karl stood up, his gaze sweeping over every civil and military official present, and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, this battle, though small, is of great significance."

"It concerns the peace of the border, the confidence of the people, and whether our army can successfully shift from 'defense' to 'offense.' I hope everyone will perform their duties diligently, cooperate sincerely, and make thorough preparations! Meeting adjourned!"

"Yes, sir!" The crowd responded in unison, their faces filled with a heavy sense of responsibility and high fighting spirit.

Soon, the civil and military officials rose, saluted, and quickly left the Council Chamber, each knowing what they were about to do.

Inside and outside the castle, things began to move at a faster pace because of this battle plan, which was not yet fully clear.