Chapter 211: Operation Stockholm (2)

Chapter 211: Operation Stockholm (2)

Three months later, on the plains near the port of Visby in the Kingdom of Stockholm.

“As of now, we will begin the operational meeting for the war against the Kingdom of Stockholm. Let’s start with comments from Captain Olga, or should I say, Chieftain Olga.”

As Commander Kaitel of the Stockholm expeditionary force finished speaking, a man called Captain Olga, wearing a fur cloak, stood up from one corner and said,

“I personally led one company of light cavalry under my command from Visby to Lund and back. We did not encounter any of Stockholm Kingdom’s army along the way.”

“What was the condition of the road to Lund? Were there any obstacles that could hinder movement?”

“The road is somewhat narrow, but it seems there won’t be a big problem for a large army to pass through. At the same time, I also roughly scouted the defensive state of the fortresses along the road to Lund, and their readiness did not seem good. The number of soldiers appeared to be few, and their armament was only of the second or third tier when compared to the Imperial Army.”

“If that’s the case, as General Yaeger said, it seems they already knew we would come here, so they must have withdrawn all forces except the minimum... You’ve done a very good reconnaissance.”

After receiving such praise, Captain Olga smiled proudly, shrugged his shoulders, and returned to his seat.

Seeing this, the other chieftains looked at Olga with shining eyes, clearly thinking,

‘I want to make significant contributions in this war, get promoted to major, and become an officer formally respected within the army.’

“General Yaeger, do you think we should attack the castle left with only second or third-tier troops by the enemy, or should we just bypass it?”

Even if only a few second or third-tier soldiers were left in the castle, attacking its walls to capture it could lead to significant casualties and time consumption.

Hence, sometimes, when advancing very quickly, major enemy defense points were simply bypassed.

This was because exposing the weakness of our supply lines to the enemy soldiers inside the castle would allow them to move at an unexpectedly fast speed to strike us where we were unprepared.

Using this, nomadic tribes often manage to divide and conquer their enemies.

However, it didn’t seem like the right time for that now.

“If a supply line is established later, the soldiers in that castle could come out and disrupt it, cutting off the supply. If the supply line is cut even once, stable supply becomes impossible, so despite the time loss, I think it’s best to capture all castles along the route.”

“That seems to be the best option. Our forces number 110,000, but among the various castles along our path, few have a defense force exceeding 10,000.”

History had examples where a thousand soldiers perfectly held off tens of thousands of attackers, and in sieges, the defending side would often repel far larger forces with just a few troops, but that was usually when the force disparity between the attacker and defender was between three to five times; it was very hard to hold out when the difference exceeded tenfold.

“I am not unaware of your loyalty and passion to contribute to the Empire. That’s why I’ve granted you the rank of captain and the authority to command 100 warriors from each tribe. However, we haven’t discussed the specific operations yet, so getting too excited isn’t good.”

In fact, in a command headquarters controlling over 100,000 soldiers, it was rare for anyone below the rank of major to even get a chance to enter.

The presence of those chieftains there was recognized as a special case due to their status as northern tribe leaders, allowing them to participate in the operational meeting.

“As you mentioned, we do plan to engage in a major battle. However, before that, I want to give the 10,000 Northerner archer cavalry a chance to shine first.”

Hearing that, the Commander changed his tone and asked,

“It doesn’t seem like you plan to end it with just a straightforward confrontation on the plains. So, what are you thinking?”

“Actually, we plan to surprise the enemy. And for this surprise attack, we need the brave and swift Northerners.”

“A surprise attack in this place full of plains? That won’t be an easy task.”

Indeed, launching a surprise attack in an area of only plains was difficult and challenging.

That was why I judged it was okay to roughly inform the enemy of our position, although it might seem contradictory.

“It’s not easy, but it’s not impossible. Because we can march at a speed almost five times faster than the enemy infantry... In the meantime, if we can identify suitable terrain and devise a usable strategy, we can deliver a significant blow to the enemy with a surprise attack.”

Commander Kaitel sighed after looking at my face and said,

“Alright, but if there’s any concern about the operation failing, return immediately. Even just you leading the archer cavalry for reconnaissance is a great help to our forces.”

“Yes, Commander.”

A week later, on a plain in Stockholm.

“Ca... n... I mean, General Yaeger! About 30km from here, we’ve spotted a large force of Stockholm. The army is roughly 150,000 strong, and I also saw the flag of the traitor Istvan. What shall we do?”

I answered with a smile,

“What path do you think they will choose? We need to know that first to do anything, right?”Nnêw n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com