dognovel Chapter 88 New Weapons, New Tactics
Chapter 88 New Weapons, New Tactics
"Your Highness, the National Defense Council has issued an order that all units in the Eastern Military District have entered combat status. The 1st Guards Division's re-equipment progress is close to 100%. At the latest, the 1st Guards Division will be equipped with the missing Carcano rifles by tomorrow morning."
The 1st Guard Division was a unit that Alice had once led. With their Guardian honors, they naturally had the right to be given priority in changing their uniforms. The 1st Guard Division was actually a unit of the Central Military Region, but this time it was seconded to the Eastern Military Region.
John Reed, the deputy head of the Eastern Military District, is a member of the "younger generation" in the army—young officers who attended the Trian Army Academy and rose through the ranks during the war. He currently serves as the Second Chief of Staff of the Eastern Military District, under the Chief of the General Staff.
The head of the Eastern Military District, the Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Military District, was discovered by the Secret Intelligence Service last week to have colluded with foreign countries and provided two hundred M653A Mini rifles to neighboring countries. Alice immediately authorized the Secret Intelligence Service to conduct a thorough investigation of the entire army, requiring everyone to pass the test.
"These are turbulent times. We didn't want to get involved, but the country doesn't support you just to sell weapons to neighboring countries!"
Alice sat in the car, having changed her clothes. Two revolvers were tucked into her waistband, and her face was grim. She hadn't even considered such a big thing. At first, she thought there was something wrong with the treatment she had arranged. Later, the secret intelligence agency's files came out, revealing that the person actually had connections with the southern rebels and had been infiltrating Alicia's remnant army long before Alicia's military defeat.
Alice had to personally take charge, while Alicia stayed behind to oversee the entire army's investigation. Currently, many people in the Eastern Military District's headquarters are undergoing isolation and investigation, so Alice had to make a trip herself to direct the Eastern Military District's operations.
The headquarters of the Eastern Military District is located in Dresden, on the outskirts of the Ruhr economic development zone. This place used to be just a small village, but now it has a railway and telegraph connection, and a magic crystal fire and magic electricity plant has been built to supply magic and electricity to the surrounding area.
The arrival of the Eastern Theater Command quickly transformed this place into a town, with infantrymen lined up everywhere on the streets and olive-green military vehicles frequently traveling on major roads.
The General Logistics Department allocated three hundred trucks and one thousand two-horse-drawn carriages, which were connected via the extension of the Trian-Ruhr main line to Ruhr-Dresden.
The weapons carried by the soldiers were not actually standardized. Even though the various arsenals had switched to producing the Carcano M654 rifle, production capacity remained low, with only 100,000 rifles produced in a month. Of these, only 50,000 rifles reached the Eastern Military District's arsenal due to transportation and distribution issues. Therefore, in addition to the advanced Carcano rifles, the infantrymen also carried a considerable number of Lebel 1886, Mosin-Nagant, and Sharps rifles. The first two types of rifles were stockpiled in the arsenals, numbering around 30,000, while the Sharps were stockpiled but used metal cartridges, numbering around 50,000. The rest were a large number of M653A Minié rifles.
"How are the Las Vegas troops doing?"
Alice handed the report back, and the car stopped in front of the headquarters building. An orderly opened the car door for Alice, and a pair of slender legs in riding boots stood on the ground. Alice put on a cowboy hat and walked into the headquarters surrounded by a group of officers.
"The Lasvia army has completed its firearms reform. We have discovered that three corps-level units on the Lasvia front have not yet completed their organizational reform, but the proportion of firearms is over 80%. The four corps-level units they need to pass through have been fully equipped with firearms and have undergone organizational reform. Sixty percent of their equipment is flintlock muskets, thirty percent is Minié rifles, and ten percent is still using matchlock muskets."
Alice nodded. That traitor! The difference between the Minié rifle and the flintlock rifle wasn't significant. Alice anticipated that the enemy's Minié rifle still used a flintlock mechanism; in fact, without a chemical industry, a flintlock mechanism was the only option.
"Tell me the battle plan."
"The area they want to pass through is South Kosoya. This area didn't have much strategic significance in the past, and the old empire didn't invest much in it, nor did we."
"But this place connects several empires, and we cannot simply give up an inch of our territory."
Alice firmly stated that the country is becoming increasingly powerful and national pride is constantly rising. She could not possibly break the news of "national territory being handed over" at this time, as such angry crowds would overwhelm the Hong Kong Coliseum! The civic consciousness she had cultivated in the past would also overwhelm her.
"Borrow passage? Borrow my ass! Fight!"
"Your Highness, all troops in the Eastern Military District are ready to go! We are determined to complete any mission you undertake!"
Alice nodded. Yes, Amelia was no longer someone to be bullied. Any industry she developed would ultimately have to rely on violence to sustain itself.
"Now, I issue the mission codename: Operation Destruction. Our strategic intent is to destroy the military doctrine of the Lasvia Empire, eliminate its manpower, eliminate its war potential, and reclaim our territory!"
"I demand that the enemy forces be completely annihilated when they pass through Kosoya, that a full-scale offensive be launched in the Lorraine region, that our inherent territory be reclaimed, and that we ultimately attack the enemy's homeland!"
Alice set the strategic direction. The Lasvia Empire would pay the price for their arrogance. Amelansi was no longer the fragmented country it once was. Now, its industry was developing rapidly, and its troops were ready to go. The vampires, as the rulers, stood here. Alice looked at the sand table, and the officers were adjusting their battle orders and deploying their troops based on the simulation.
Trains transported weapons and personnel day and night, and astute businessmen watched the futures boards of the Hilla Stock Exchange, where rising prices heralded the coming of a new storm.
"One, two! One! Quick! Ladies, get on! Those puppies are going to kick your butts!"
On the border, the Amerlane vanguard was constantly shifting positions, with troops in blue-grey uniforms marching alongside soldiers in experimental olive-green combat uniforms. The new experimental XM654 uniform had reached World War I military tactical standards, consisting of combat and service uniforms. The combat uniform was modeled after the US Army's BDU uniform, but current industrial capabilities clearly couldn't produce 5050 twill fabric, let alone cordura, nor could they print camouflage patterns; therefore, the uniforms used an olive-green color scheme.
Alice was still debating whether to adopt German, British, American, or Soviet uniforms. The newly established Amerlane Military Equipment Department was also discussing which uniform to use, but Alice wouldn't be too opposed to any of them.