industrial lord

Chapter 720 The worst plan
The Rhine Alliance's army began to move, and the first step was that the taverns in Hamma City became extremely busy.

With the military deployment imminent, those with some money would go out for a good meal, and Wei Senjun was no exception.

The Weisen Army's northern corps entered a state of war, with everyone returning to their units and prohibited from leaving. They began inspecting weapons and equipment, distributing ammunition and medical kits, and transporting chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, cattle, and sheep in truckloads.

Inside the command post, Franz Jr., Heinz (commander of the 1st Division), Jürgen (commander of the 4th Division who was about to be rotated out), and Eugene (commander of the 3rd Division who came to provide support after finishing his rest early) sat around the sand table and began to discuss the next steps.

After the staff officer finished explaining the battlefield situation, Jürgen said, "If only the king would agree to the assault plan, our 4th and 3rd Divisions could advance to the outside of the walls of the main army camp of the Kingdom of Sverrières in 5 to 6 days."

Eugene nodded.

Both the 3rd and 4th Divisions were mobile armies. Eugene's 3rd Division had demonstrated its superior mobility by encircling and annihilating the enemy, making them ideal for surprise attacks.

Franz Jr. said, "We need to prepare for the worst."

"The Kingdom of Piast is now amassing an army; they must have some ulterior motive. We must take appropriate measures."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Eugene.

Eugene immediately said, "Leave those winged hussars to me. I hope they come in numbers exceeding 100,000 this time."

They had just won a great victory in the west, and upon returning to the Duchy of Wesen, they distributed bonuses. Now, the morale of the entire population is high, and they feel no psychological pressure if they were to attack the Kingdom of Piaster.

However, Franz Jr. pointed to an unexpected spot on the map and said, "A special corps will be formed with the 3rd Division as its backbone, and stationed in Burling under the pretext of debt collection."

Eugene opened his mouth wide enough to fit an onion.

He was naturally aware of Burling's debt crisis, and even sent Metzger to help him out, but that guy is still living a life of debauchery there.

But that place is more than 300 kilometers away from the Kingdom of Danma, far from the battlefield, so there is nowhere to earn military merit.

This frustrated Eugene.

Franz Jr. told him, "The Kingdom of Piast would not gather an army for no reason. I judge that they have joined forces with the Kingdom of Sverrières and may enter the Kingdom of Danma by sea, or they may attack Hamma City by land, just like they did more than ten years ago."

"The 3rd Division is stationed in Burling City, which is located in the middle of the western border of the Kingdom of Piaster, about 80 to 90 kilometers from the border, so that it can carry out the threat to the maximum extent."

"I have sent a telegram to Wesenberg, ordering the engineers and the 3rd Division to conduct a pontoon bridge erection and crossing drill on the Danube, and to carry out a series of propaganda activities."

"The engineers will also be with you then, so be prepared to cross the river and attack."

"If the army assembled by the Kingdom of Piast remains inactive, you will have a share of the credit."

"If Piaster's army appears in the Kingdom of Danma and attacks our army, you should attack the port town on the opposite bank; you can cross the river to attack."

After looking at the sand table for a moment and thinking, Eugene said, "That river isn't very wide. The soldiers' weapons can block the river. If a battle breaks out, we can destroy the dock town on the other side of the river, sink all the ships, and then land."

Franz Jr. agreed to his plan.

The Piast army's winged hussars are more mobile than wheels when road conditions are poor, and it is possible that they will land outside the Rhine Alliance's intelligence range and launch a long-distance raid, which would put them at a disadvantage.

Therefore, Franz Jr. decided to use a special legion to tie down Piast's army, and the reason was readily available: debt collection.

Franz Jr. then pointed to the sand table and gave Heinz and Jürgen their tasks: "The current Northern Front Corps will maintain its original forces. The assault corps, mainly composed of the 4th Division which is scheduled to rotate out, will be formed and will accompany me to Storkport." "If the situation worsens, the Northern Front Corps will reinforce Flensburg, and the assault corps will either reinforce it or head north to attack the enemy's rear, depending on the circumstances."

After studying the sand table for a moment, Heinz asked, "What if someone attacks Stork Harbor at this time?"

Retreating a large army is more troublesome than advancing. Water is also a problem to be solved. If an army with collapsed morale lacks water and other supplies, it is easy to develop into a rout. Therefore, returning along the original route of the river is the best option. At the same time, the river can also cover one of the flanks.

If the enemy takes advantage of the vulnerability of Guangang and captures it, the retreating army will be attacked from both sides and will collapse without a fight.

Little Franz pointed to a spot on the sand table and said, "After the army retreated to Hawthorn Village, it retreated southeast for thirty or forty kilometers. There is a riverside castle there. The lord and Earl of Vissen are good friends and are willing to help us."

"This place is about 80 kilometers away from Hanma City by land. The troops stationed in Hanma City will go to meet us."

Heinz studied the sand table for a while, then frowned and said, "I'm afraid the army left behind in Hamma will not be very strong. Their reinforcements will probably only provide supplies and morale support."

“The army commanded by Earl Vissen is strong, but it needs to guard the Elbe River to ensure the smooth flow of supplies and cannot leave easily.”

Jürgen and Eugene nodded in unison.

Eugene asked, "Do I need to come back to help at that time?"

Little Franz shook his head and said, "No, if the Kingdom of Piast hadn't joined the battle then, your return would have shown Kazimir the dire situation here, prompting him to take action."

"I will have Stefan lead the border guards over by train."

The others frowned. The border guards were just light infantry, and their combat strength was naturally no match for the three main divisions. Moreover, the Duchy of Weisen would be even more vulnerable after they were transferred.

Franz Jr. concluded, "This is the worst-case scenario. If it comes to that, we'll have to resort to semi-mobilization of the militia."

Heinz said, "The World's Fair is about to open this year. If we mobilize the militia now, it might have a bad influence. We should mobilize the general reserve force then."

Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. One of the reasons for the confidence of the Duchy of Weisen is that there is an elder to hold the fort and provide support, so that the young people can act freely.

Everyone else nodded.

The group discussed logistical support for a while. Fortunately, the railway connecting the Duchy of Weisen to Hanma City had been opened, greatly improving the transportation capacity of supplies.

The biggest headache right now is the logistics and transportation for Eugene and his team. The railway hasn't been built to that area yet, so they have to rely on about 300 kilometers of land transportation.

Therefore, the supplies carried by Eugene and his team need to be optimized, and it is best to obtain food and other necessities locally to reduce logistical pressure.

But the most serious issue is the political one: will people overinterpret the presence of the Rhine Alliance's troops in that region?

Franz Jr. was unsure of what to do and could only send a telegram to Wesenberg.

When Weisenburg received the telegram, he was speechless, because the battle plan at the front had already been finalized. This was not a question about whether he could do it, but rather a request for his help to come up with an excuse.

In Burling, Metzger received a telegram from Hamma, in which he was tasked with procuring some of the army's provisions, which presented a challenge.

(End of this chapter)