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Chapter 440 Defense Front
Claude stood halfway up a cliff, surrounded by several dense pine trees. He raised his monocular and looked carefully at the Hicks military camp more than a thousand meters down the mountain. This is the border area between the northern mountainous area of the Nikancha country and the Rodex Bay colony. Claude also wanted to see the situation of the three standing legions of the Hicks with his own eyes this time, so he sneaked here quietly.
It was already mid-August, and the Hicks finally transported the next two standing legions named the Fourth and Fifth of Avenged to the Rodex Bay Colony. Just after the arrival of these two standing armies, the three standing armies that had been resting in Rodex Bay Colony for nearly three months set off to the mountainous border of the Nikancha country and started camping again.
The Hicks deployed two standing legions on the northern coastal mountainous border, while only one standing legion was deployed on the eastern mountainous border. It seemed that the Hicks were focusing their breakthrough on the northern coastal mountainous area, but in Claude's opinion, the situation seemed not quite right. Because compared with the camp of the standing army on the eastern mountainous border, the camps set up by these two standing armies are more defensive than offensive...
"General, it's time for us to leave." Michael behind him reminded: "The Hicks' reconnaissance team has been very active during this time and often goes deep into the mountainous areas for reconnaissance. Maybe there are still their lurking outposts nearby. , you are the frontline commander, you cannot put your life in danger easily..."
Claude put down the monocular in his hand. He had already seen everything he needed to see, and he really could no longer stay at the front line. We have to go back and discuss it. The Hicks will obviously launch an attack on the Nikancha country in the near future, but their deployment makes Claude a little confused. Logically speaking, the two standing legions in the north should be in charge. As the main attack, the standing army in the east serves as a feint attack and diversion. But what about the defensive camps set up by the two standing armies in the north to prepare them to be used as a supply base for logistical supplies after the war begins...
General Beachlin's defensive front headquarters was established at the junction of the northern mountainous area and the eastern mountainous area. This was also to facilitate the control of defensive positions in both directions. The headquarters is located in a large cave halfway up the mountain. The cave entrance is very flat. There are four rows of log cabins semi-hidden underground. The wooden sheds exposed above the ground are covered with many vines. This kind of leafy climbing plant is very good. It acted as a cover, and it was easy to miss those log houses accidentally from a distance.
Two trenches were dug on the edge of the flat land in front of the log house, which served as a defensive position for the security post and the headquarters when encountering enemy attacks. When Claude brought his people over, General Beachlin had already come up to him and asked Claude concernedly what he had discovered...
When Claude explained what he had observed and the doubts in his heart, General Beachlin thought there was nothing strange about it. He said that the Hicks were probably suspecting that the troops from the direct territory war zone had already sent troops into the Nikancha country. Perhaps the Hicks believed that if the troops from the direct territory entered the Nikancha country, they would be responsible for the northern coast. For the defense of the mountainous areas, they deployed two standing legions in the north and set up defensive camps. What they were worried about was that they would be suddenly attacked by the two legions in the directly-administered war zone.
What General Beach Green said made sense. Claude believed that if he were the commander of the Hicks, he would make the same judgment as General Beach Green. As for the eastern mountainous border, sending a standing army is actually a high opinion of the Nikancha people's combat effectiveness. Everyone knows that the Nikancha people's combat effectiveness is scum and vulnerable.
"Do you have any intelligence information on the commander-in-chief of the Hicks?" Claude asked. During this period of time, he traveled throughout the eastern and northern border mountainous areas and slept outdoors for nearly twenty days. He had little contact with the rear theater and the frontline headquarters of Monkenard Castle. He did not know about Rodex Bay. Did the colonial spies send any valuable information
General Beachlin nodded: "Yes, the Falcon message sent by the spies said that the commander-in-chief of the Hicks Kingdom sent this time is a hereditary earl and an army general of the Hicks Kingdom. It is said that he played a great role in suppressing the rebellion of the domestic nobles in the Hicks Kingdom and was deeply trusted by King Melchid III. He is 68 years old this year and was appointed to serve as the commander-in-chief of this colonial war. His name is No. Burriton Pomberundi... "
"That's all." Claude shook his head in disappointment. Perhaps this was the inconvenience of losing contact with the mainland of the kingdom. What he wanted to know was the personality characteristics of the Hicks commander, what wars he had participated in, what were the characteristics of commanding and using troops, etc... Only Only by understanding the enemy can you make targeted arrangements. Like the information sent by the spies, except for the birth name and age, nothing else is clear...
Sixty-eight years old... At such an old age, he should be very stable and not like to make rash advances. It would be difficult to seduce him with benefits. At the same time, a veteran like this basically fights by the rules. He likes to make plans so that each unit can execute orders step by step. He will be more thoughtful and careful about logistics and supplies... Generally speaking, he does not like those strategies to win by surprise. , it seems that these three standing legions of the Kingdom of Hicks will fight against the defensive front after launching an attack...
"Have our defensive lines and forward positions been set up?" Claude asked.
General Beachlin nodded: "It's all ready. Come over here and see, I've had someone build a clay sand table based on the terrain."
This is a large room separated from the cave. A chandelier with eighteen candles hangs on the top, illuminating the whole room very brightly. There was a large table in the middle of the room, with a large sand table on it. This is a terrain sand table of the mountainous areas in the northern and eastern parts of the Nikancha country. Perhaps due to the rush of work, the hills on the sand table are very rough and crude, and there are no decorations such as miscellaneous trees and vegetation.
Beachlin took a slender wooden stick for pointing. He pointed at the mountainous areas on the border of the sand table and said: "We surveyed the terrain of the border and believe that the Hicks can still be easily found among the bordering mountains. Passable roads. After the Nikancha people established their independent country, they had little interest in going to the Rodkers Bay Colony. Although there were Nikancha people there, there was no settlement there. Therefore, there was little contact between the two sides.
The main reason is that people in the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands hate the Nikancha settlements. In the colonies of their country, they adopt an attitude of driving away the Nikancha settlements and do not allow the existence of the settlements. The Nikanchas in the Rodex Bay Colony today are all young women captured by the colonists from the Nikancha settlements. They gave birth to children after being used as venting products, and then they were trained as servants and The Nikancha settlement has nothing to do with it.
Therefore, in addition to hating the Hicks, the Nikancha people also hate the descendants of the Kramer pirates of the United Kingdom of Fox Islands. This is why they have not had much contact with the Nikancha settlements in the colonies on the west coast since the establishment of their independent country. If our war zone had not proactively leaked secrets, these Nikancha people might not have sent people to the colonies on the west coast to find their compatriots to help find out the news. Then they would not know that a catastrophe was coming until the Hicks army arrived... ..
Now these Nikancha people are working very hard to help us build three defensive fronts in the central mountainous area, and even offered to help us set up three more defensive fronts in the rear to resist the attack of the Hicks. I told them that there was no need, because if the Hicks wanted to capture these three defensive lines, there was only one possibility. The division deployed here by our Rock Army would be completely wiped out, and not a single officer or soldier would survive.
By then, not to mention three defensive fronts, digging ten more defensive fronts will not be able to stop the Hicks' attack. Without defenders like us, the defensive fronts alone are of no use. After hearing what I said, the Nikancha people sent us 100,000 young armed men half a month later. They all received preliminary military training from instructors dispatched in our theater and knew how to use muskets.
Many leaders and elders of the Nikancha people came that day. The leading elder held my hand tightly and told us that the survival of their country depends on these three defensive fronts in our hands, so they followed The cooperation agreement reached with us sent me these 100,000 elites, hoping that I can guard this defensive front to resist the attack of the Hicks. "
General Beachlin used a thin wooden stick to tap the middle part of the sand table. There were three red wool threads pasted on the hilltops made of soil. This represented the three deep defensive fronts at the front and back, showing an irregular L. Type: "I broke up the 100,000 young Nikancha armed forces and distributed them. According to the pre-planned plan in the war zone, I asked a soldier from our Rock Army to lead two young Nikancha people, and supervised the battle. Power to enforce military law.
There are still 40,000 young and strong Kamcha people armed. I organized them into forty battalions, let the staff officers of our Rock Army serve as the responsible officers, and arranged them on the forty hills with small red flags on the frontier of the border. . This is how we think the Hicks may launch an attack. These hilltop positions can alert us immediately and suppress the enemy's attack path, causing some trouble for the enemy.
Of course, I don’t expect these Nikanchas to be able to withstand the attack of the Hicks, but at least they can make the Hicks think that the defenders are all Nikanchas. At most, our theater has sent instructors to guide them. defense. I believe that the Hicks will confidently and boldly attack forward, and the forty Nikancha battalions we have deployed in the forward mountainous areas can retreat while fighting, delaying the enemy's attack while also consuming the enemy's weapons, ammunition, and food. , until all the enemies are attracted to our defensive front. "
This was a strategic plan that had been formulated in the theater. After the Hicks' offensive troops arrived in front of the defensive position set up by General Beach Green, it was Claude's Thunder Legion's turn to take the initiative. They will insert themselves diagonally into the mountainous area behind the Hicks, block their logistics supply channels, and encircle the points for reinforcements. Therefore, the attacking Hicks had a solid defensive line in front of them, and were outflanked by the Thunder Legion behind them. Coupled with the cutoff of food, grass and ammunition, they had no other choice but to surrender...
The difficulty of this plan lies in how to allow the Nikancha armed forces to actively defend the Hicks' attack in the mountainous areas along the border. You must know that this plan is kept secret from the Nikancha people, but after there is a solid defensive front at the back that can be relied upon by the defensive forces, the Nikancha people are also allowed to go to the frontier mountainous areas to set up defenses. I wonder if they will be The Nikancha people misunderstood that the war zone wanted to use a knife to kill people, which led to unpleasant and unsmooth subsequent cooperation between the two parties...
But only by deploying the Nikancha armed forces in the forward mountainous area can the attacking Hicks march forward with confidence until they hit the Rock Legion's defensive front. To put it bluntly, the Nikancha armed forces deployed in the forward mountainous areas are indeed cannon fodder, mainly used to lure the Hicks.
But Claude didn't expect that the elders and leaders of the Nikancha people would be so informed and take the initiative to hand over 100,000 young Nikancha armed forces to the command of General Beach Kerin, which solved the problem arranged by the war zone. The biggest problem with this plan. With the staff officers of the Rock Army serving as the commanders in charge of these Nikancha battalions, I believe that the combat effectiveness of these Nikanchas will also be improved. At the very least, they will seriously resist before retreating...
General Bichklin said proudly: "From July to August, the soldiers on our defensive front have been training the young Nikancha people on how to rely on their positions to conduct defensive operations. Although the time is short, these Nikancha people have At least the Kamchat people know how to obey orders and concealed shooting. According to the arrangement of the enemy's three standing corps, I deployed one regiment in the eastern mountainous area, two regiments in the northern mountainous area, and one regiment stayed in the rear as a Reserve team.
According to the situation of one soldier leading two Nikanchas, there are sufficient manpower on the defensive front. Coupled with these Nikancha battalions deployed in the mountainous areas along the border, we can completely delay the Hicks' offensive troops in the mountainous areas along the frontier for a month. If there were not these Nikancha battalions guarding the front, it would only take fifteen days for the Hicks to reach this defensive line in our central mountains.
With these battalions of Nikanchas fighting and retreating in front, I believe that the Hicks were exhausted before they reached our defensive lines and were unable to launch another fierce attack. This will greatly reduce our defensive pressure and make fuller use of the defensive front to cause greater damage to the attacking Hicks. When the time comes, your Thunder Legion will surround you from behind, and these Hicks will be just fish in the trap, and they will have no choice but to wait obediently to die... "
Claude carefully inspected the layout on the sand table and found that General Beach Kerin was not exaggerating. The defensive front in the central mountainous area and the defensive deployment in the mountainous areas on the frontier were very sophisticated and thorough. At least he could not find any flaws. Come.
"Didn't the headquarters of your defense front arrange for soldiers to train with those young and strong Nikancha people?" Claude asked. When he came over, he didn't see any young and strong armed Nikancha people near the headquarters. .
"No." General Bichklin shook his head and said: "The reinforcement battalion directly under the division headquarters here is all equipped with new rifles, and it is inconvenient to train Nikancha people. Therefore, the troops in the north and east have Nikancha people. , I only have no Nikancha people with me in the headquarters here.”
"Okay, then I will go back to Monknade Castle." Claude was about to leave: "I suspect that the Hicks will launch an attack soon in the next few days. You must be careful. If it is determined that the Hicks cannot attack Before reaching the defensive front in one month, you can ask the reserve group behind to follow me. The Blackstone Gun Manufacturing Workshop already has six thousand new rifles, and General Bolognik said to equip the front-line defense troops first. ... ..."
General Beachlin was overjoyed: "Really, then I will order that regiment to go back with you. With the new rifles, the combat effectiveness of this regiment can be increased by at least three times."
"Well, our Thunder Legion has just equipped a regiment. Your regiment will come back with me and be equipped with new rifles. After seven days of short-term training, the soldiers will be able to master the combat performance of the new rifles, enough to form combat effectiveness. Back and forth. More than twenty days, plus short-term training, it will take a month. You guarantee that everything will be fine here on the front line." Claude always felt a little uneasy in his heart, but he couldn't think of any omissions. He could only blame it on the things he did before the war. nervous... ...
"I promise, don't worry. Even if the Hicks launch an attack tomorrow, it will take at least a month before they reach my defensive line. Just in time for that regiment to be equipped with new rifles, so that these hateful Hicks can be taught a lesson. ." For the sake of the new rifle, General Beachlin did not intend to keep Claude for dinner. He wished that Claude could take the regiment of the Rock Legion back early so that they could be equipped with new rifles.
When Claude returned to the frontline headquarters at Monkenard Castle, General Albert told him that the war had broken out: "Seven days ago, the Hicks launched an attack in the northern and eastern border mountains at the same time... ..."
This was a notice sent by General Beachlin using a falcon messenger. Claude couldn't receive it on the way. It took him ten days to get back. In the mountainous area, there was no way to go as fast as he wanted. The attack started seven days ago, the third day after he left. Claude breathed a sigh of relief. Then there would be at least more than twenty days before the Hicks reached the defensive front, enough for the Rock Legion to fight with the main force he came from. The regiment was equipped with new rifles and completed short-term training before returning to the front line.
He planned to lead the Thunder Legion to set off with the regiment and return to the front line after the regiment finished changing its equipment. But what Claude didn't expect was that not five days later, General Beach Green sent another urgent Falcon message from the front line. The army was defeated like a mountain. The Nikancha armed forces deployed in the mountainous areas along the border were simply vulnerable. Not to mention delaying the enemy's attack, they were unable to even defend and counterattack. They only knew that the defensive front at the rear was defeated... . ...
The most troublesome thing is that these Nikancha armed forces who retreated from the frontier mountainous area did not even see the enemy's face. Seeing that the Nikancha people in front retreated, those in the defensive positions behind also ran back. The staff officers sent by the Rock Legion to take charge were unable to stop their escape. Some officers who were preparing to enforce military law on the battlefield were shot by young Nikancha armed forces.
And in three or four days the Hicks' army would appear in front of General Beachlin's defensive line. But the young and strong Nikanchas on the defensive front are now nervous and nervous due to the defeated Nikanchas in front. Maybe they will be fired upon when they see the Hicks appear. Dispersed, General Beachlin can only hope that Claude will come over with reinforcements as soon as possible...