Chapter 55 Asking for advice (Part 2)
"Since Thor is full of confidence, why don't you tell me first."
"Okay, Lord Marquis!" Viscount Verin was very excited at the moment. He felt that his opportunity had come.
"Lord Marquis, this time the old Beast Emperor conscripted an army of more than 200,000 orcs twice, and used all the strength of the country to press against the kingdom. Although the front line is tight, it is also an opportunity for us!
I think that the Orc Empire that has experienced two conscriptions The hinterland must be very empty, and only a small number of elites are needed to sweep away the base of the Orc Empire!
As for the Orc army in front of us.
As long as we temporarily give up part of the frontline territory, shrink our troops, and defend the Snow Dragon Fortress, I believe that with your strength, we will be able to do nothing!"
"Yes, a very bold suggestion." Marquis Ashan nodded without comment, and immediately looked at Viscount Ome.
"Hopkins, you have experienced the last pioneering war. I would like to hear your advice."
Viscount Omei heard his father-in-law call his name and had no choice but to express his opinion.
"Lord Marquis, I believe that the Beastman Empire is actually the formidable enemy of our Kingdom of Fontaine. Although it has been defeated by you several times, its strength cannot be underestimated!
This time, the Beast King led his army to go south for a personal expedition. I think it will be a matter of time before the frontline is lost. , it is foreseeable that the Beast Emperor's troops will
arrive at the gates of Snow Dragon Fortress. It has only been more than 20 years since the newly expanded counties in northern Xinjiang were included in the kingdom's territory, and they have not yet been fully digested. I think whether from the standpoint of the kingdom or our nobles in the north, Consolidating the northern border and digesting the results of the battle is the first choice.
Therefore, I think we should adopt a conservative strategy this time, secure the Snow Dragon Fortress and wait for follow-up reinforcements from the Kingdom.
As long as the orcs are frustrated by the Snow Dragon Fortress for a long time, their logistics will not be able to bear it. In addition, they are loosely organized and called an empire, but they are actually a tribal alliance. Therefore, if the orcs cannot open up the situation for a long time, withdrawal is inevitable." "
Well, this consideration based on the overall situation is still barely qualified.
Levi , tell me your thoughts, I hope that you, a genius, can say something that will make my eyes shine."
Viscount Weilin became even more jealous when he heard this. At this moment, he felt that Marquis Ashan was too biased towards Li. Damn it, what kind of military talent does this unlucky Baron Monterey have?
Li Wei pondered for a moment, considered his words, and said slowly: "I also agree with Viscount Ome's point of view. The five newly expanded counties have not yet been fully digested, and the orcs are short-lived and have basically recovered from the last expansion war. , and its strength should not be underestimated.
Therefore, we should maintain a strategic defense in the northern border. It is more appropriate to consider expanding northward after the newly expanded five counties have been completely digested.
But I think passive defense is not appropriate.
War is for The damage to our northern border, especially the five newly expanded counties, was too serious. First of all, the orcs invaded and destroyed many territories, cities, and castles along the route. The five newly expanded counties were already underpopulated, and the development level of the newly expanded counties would be set back several times if the orcs were tormented by them. year.
Secondly, the war was fought on logistics. The newly expanded five counties themselves were sparsely populated and poor in materials, and they were extremely dependent on the blood supply from the hinterland counties.
However, due to the newly expanded territory and poor road conditions, large quantities of grain, ammunition, and weapons from the hinterland counties of the kingdom The cost of transporting materials is extremely high. Especially grain. I am afraid that after setting out from the royal capital with 30 tons of grain, if even one ton is left when arriving at Snow Dragon Fortress, I will have to shout for blessings from the gods.
(Note: Sun Tzu's Art of War says: "Whenever an army is launched, One hundred thousand, a journey of thousands of miles, the expense of the people, the service of the public, the daily cost of thousands of gold. Those who are turbulent inside and outside, lazy on the road, and not allowed to do things, seven hundred thousand families." "Thousands of miles of transportation, twenty bells and one bell in the army Also...the method of transshipment is to spend twenty stones to get one stone. It costs a lot to talk a long way") By then,
when a large number of reinforcements from the kingdom arrive, the logistics pressure on Snow Dragon Fortress may be even greater. If the hinterland counties cannot keep up with the transportation of grain and fodder, , that can only scratch the ground in the already barren Xintuo Five Counties.
So I think we should maintain a defensive posture strategically, but be proactive tactically and look for opportunities to end the war as soon as possible." "Hmph!" aside Viscount Weilin snorted coldly, "To put it nicely, how can we maintain a defensive posture strategically and be proactive tactically? You should give us a specific plan!"
After hearing this, Marquis Ashan also said with great interest Looking at Li Wei to see what flowers he could name,
Li Wei pursed his lips and continued:
"For us, logistics is a huge problem, and for the orcs, so is it."
The territory of the orc empire It is vast, and Dingkou is several times larger than ours, but there are not many races engaged in farming. Some tribes make a living by herding, and some make a living by fishing and hunting. Their logistics are much worse than ours.
In my opinion, the old Beast King commanded more than 200,000 people to invade the south, but this was far from the limit of their war mobilization. Do they not want to send more troops?
I don’t think so. I think the Orc Empire is limited by logistics and can only support an army expedition of this size.
Just now, Viscount Verin said that the Beast King was leading his army south, so he could take advantage of the emptiness inside and use a small number of elites to sweep away the enemy territory. I can't bear to think that Viscount Verin underestimated the Orc Empire. If our elites stepped into the hinterland of the Orc Empire, they might not even make much splash. "
"you! "
Viscount Weilin was about to have an attack, but Li Wei's voice immediately covered him up.
"As for the topic I just talked about, how to retreat from the enemy as soon as possible?
Since the logistical pressure on the orcs is not much smaller than ours, we can target their logistical supplies.
The frontline troops can pretend to be defeated, alternately cover and retreat, and resist layer by layer, allowing the orcs to come in while lowering their vigilance.
When the Beast King leads his army to the Snow Dragon Fortress, there is a chance of victory. "
"oh? "
Looking at Marquis Ashan's interest, Li Wei continued: "The enemy is advancing and we are retreating. The orcs' supply line has been further stretched. Coupled with the consumption of our side in the early stages of resistance, the orc empire's logistical pressure is It is very likely that the upper limit of tolerance will be reached.
At this time, if you, Lord Marquis, gather all the elite cavalry under your command together, forming a team of thousands, relying on your own familiarity with the terrain, frequently harass or even cut off the opponent's food routes, you will not fight tough battles, but only look for soft persimmons.
When the time comes when the orc army is short of supplies, the army will definitely waver, and you may not need to continue to take action. The old beast may retreat out of seeking stability.
Of course, I think the harassment of enemy logistics should be moderate, for two main reasons.
First, we must ensure that the Snow Dragon Fortress is foolproof, so we cannot allocate too much force to attack the enemy's retreat.
The second is to prevent the beast king from jumping over the wall. If we completely cut off the orcs' logistics, we don't rule out the possibility that the other party will choose to make a desperate move.
I think this is a bad outcome for both you and the North. "
In a society with backward productivity, the logistics of marching and fighting is a big problem. Not only the frontline officers and soldiers and civilians need to eat food, but the civilians and livestock involved in transportation also need to eat food.
If the road conditions are not good, the loss will be even greater.
Why does the military manual say to eat as much as possible from the enemy? Not only is he interested in the enemy's small amount of food, but also in order to reduce his own huge logistical pressure.
The new author is asking for recommendations every day!
(End of this chapter)