I Became a Genius Commander at the Academy

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“If that’s the case, as General Yaeger said, it seems they already knew we would come here, so they must have withdrawn all forces except the minimum… You’ve done a very good reconnaissance.”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

Moreover, even second or third-tier soldiers, unless their heads were filled with air, would clearly understand why their superiors had left them here.

Most likely, they would open the gates as we approached, and soldiers with low morale wouldn’t last long in defending the castle.

“After capturing the castle, it would be best to just disarm all the soldiers inside and release them.”

“Are you considering the public sentiment after the occupation? Not a bad idea, but someone among them will escape and inform the enemy of our position and size.”

“Even so, the Stockholm Kingdom’s army can’t force our expeditionary force’s marching route. So, even if they get our position information, the only operation they can attempt is a surprise attack. Moreover, we have a scouting unit made up of Northerners who can scout almost twice as far as regular scouts…”

“So, we won’t suffer unnecessary troop losses due to the enemy’s surprise operations. Informing the enemies of our position, in a way, means we can make them move as we wish.”

Moreover, the plains around Visby Castle, where we were located, and in the southern part of Stockholm, except for forests, were free of any obstacles.

Even if we informed the enemy of our position, the lack of terrain conducive to ambushes still made it difficult for them to surprise us.

Therefore, unless Commander Kaitel foolishly insisted on attacking well-prepared fortresses, we wouldn’t be fighting on unfavorable battlefields.

“Then, are we planning a major battle on the plains, as we did in Ostarica? A head-on confrontation on the plains sounds good. Moreover, since we’ve absorbed many Northerners, our cavalry ratio is higher than the enemy’s, giving us an advantage in many ways.”

In the wars of this era, the number of knights one had was indeed the most crucial factor in assessing strength, but light cavalry, especially archer cavalry, was as powerful a force as the knights.

So, if the same number of troops were to fight, the Reich Empire’s army with 10,000 Northerner archer cavalry would have a significant advantage over 10,000 knights.

Knowing this, the chieftains here shouted loudly, believing their chance to shine had finally come.

“We will definitely repay the Empire’s grace for saving us from oppression by Khan Ludvwig and allowing us to return to our ancestral lands!”

“If you give us a chance to prove ourselves, we will repay you with results beyond your expectations!”

“Supreme Commander, leave it to us. Our Olga company will bring the best achievements.”

Although the conversation paused for a moment while the supreme commander and the deputy commander were speaking, I did not expect them to interject so abruptly.

However, understanding their feelings, I signaled the commander, who showed a slight displeasure, to calm down.

Understanding my intention, Commander Kaitel nodded a few times and spoke calmly,

“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.”

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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?”