"...Because of this, we must set off immediately to rescue Black Reef Port!"

In the ruins-like room, with his back against a temporarily hung map of the New World colonies, Anson explained his plan to the officer group sitting face to face with him:

"If I don't know who the commander of the empire is, or even better, if it's not our 'old friend' in Hantu, I won't agree to this plan unless I'm 70% sure."

"But our opponent is him - Bernard Morweis, the chief of staff of the Imperial Expeditionary Force in the Han Dynasty. This man knows me and the Storm Division too well; if he still maintains the past

Inertial thinking will easily lead you into the enemy's rhythm."

"That is to say, because he knows you very well... and also knows us very well, he concluded that we will definitely not rescue Black Reef Port." Carl Bain thought for a moment, then tentatively said:

"is that so?"

Anson nodded slightly: "That's understandable."

"Is it beneficial to us to rescue Black Reef Port?" Lieutenant Colonel Alexei on the side raised his hand.

"This is exactly what I want to say - judging from the surface, not rescuing Black Reef Port is the most beneficial choice for us."

Ansen looked around at everyone present and said in a deep voice: "The reason is also very simple: distance, return, and cost-effectiveness."

"In terms of distance, it is a long journey from Winter Torch City to Black Reef Port, and given the poor infrastructure level of the colony, the cost of a long-distance march is ridiculously high."

"And even if we defend Black Reef Port, the rewards we get can only be said to be minimal; after all, a city that has just been destroyed by the army may even become a drag on the Storm Division."

"As for the cost-effectiveness... For the Storm Division, of course, abandoning Black Reef Port and holding on to Red Hand Bay is the most cost-effective. A Free Confederacy that is further weakened and can only rely on the Storm Division to barely survive is in our best interests."

"So for the Storm Division, the option with the lowest cost, the highest success rate, and the greatest reward is to decisively abandon Black Reef Port, clear the country, and launch a decisive battle with the Empire's legions at Red Hand Bay." Anson concluded.

After the words fell, the officers had different expressions.

Fabian is as calm as ever...it is his plan to defend Red Hand Bay, which is also in line with his positioning in the "Storm Division System": be conservative, seek stability, and stop losses.

The Storm Division already has a man who is good at creating miracles, and there is no need for another Grenadier Regiment leader who is fond of imaginative thinking.

Carl, who was smoking a pipe, frowned. As the chief of staff who was already somewhat resistant to Anson's "perfect plan", he was thinking more about logistical issues; the distance from Red Hand Bay to Black Reef Port was one-third longer.

, but the cost is at least doubled.

Alexei looked around, carefully concealing his expression - since the warehouse incident, he never dared to express his position easily again.

"But even if this is beneficial to the Storm Division, you still insist on rescuing Black Reef Port." Lieutenant Colonel Norton Crosell suddenly spoke, looking at Anson with a burning gaze:

"Just because doing so conforms to the enemy's judgment of us?"

"This is indeed the most important reason - especially when this enemy knows us very well and is very good at coordinating the layout."

Anson admitted his judgment: "Another reason is that this may be in the interest of the Storm Division, but it runs counter to our plan."

"Can you be more specific?"

Glancing at his colleagues behind him who were also curious but did not dare to speak, Norton had no choice but to continue asking.

"Of course - abandon Black Reef Port, hold on to Red Hand Bay, use existing fortifications, sufficient logistics and a steady stream of artillery from the Free Confederacy... to fill the front with new recruits, we can definitely block the attack of the imperial counter-insurgency army."

Ansen, who originally wanted to say "cannon fodder", accidentally saw the little secretary writing furiously in the corner, and suddenly remembered that he was still in Winter Torch City, so he calmly changed his mind:

"But if so, will we have any chance of defeating the Empire before winter, or even annihilating Bernard Morweth's army?"

Norton Crosell remained silent, his pupils narrowing slightly as if he was doing mental calculations instinctively.

"The simple answer is simply impossible."

Before the other party could speak, Anson directly gave the answer: "We may be able to defeat them, or even severely damage them... But with the three major colonies behind them, the other party can barely be considered a 'local operation'. They want to annihilate the entire legion in one go and conquer it by the end of the year.

Sailing City, completely driving the empire out of the new world..."

"In order to achieve this goal, Black Reef Port, the bridgehead for attacking Gray Pigeon Castle and Sail City, must not and must not fall."

Faced with the commander-in-chief's insistence, Norton didn't know how to answer for a while, so he could only shrug slightly and give Fabian a look - he was born in a family of small traders and was also a "conservative" within the Storm Division, and he was in favor of holding on.

of Red Hand Bay.

Of course, compared to Anson Bach, the entire Storm Division is almost entirely conservative.

"But you also mentioned that the cost of rushing to the Black Reef Port is very high." After receiving the signal from his colleagues, the former Guards officer certainly had to express something.

"Yes, holding this bridgehead is in the interests of the Storm Division... (Fabian glanced at the little clerk who was still writing quickly) It is very important to the interests of the Storm Division and the Free Confederacy, and it is related to the interests of the entire New World.

Freedom and peace; but to be honest, the dangers of such a costly, high-risk trek are more than superficial."

"Not only do we have to march in a hurry to attack an imperial army that is waiting for work, even during the march it is not absolutely safe - indigenous people, bandits, wild beasts, diseases... This is not a vast land, and losses caused by non-combat attrition,

It is very likely that it will exceed the number of those killed on the battlefield!”

"As for ending this war by the end of the year, I admit that this is a very tempting goal, but many times we still have to consider more realistic issues and try to ensure that the already solid front is foolproof." Fabian advised:

"Long Lake Town, Red Hand Bay, and Winter Torch City, which was just attacked by the enemy... It will take some time for the three colonies to completely mobilize sufficient troops and put them into a state of war."

"What's more, even if we hold Black Reef Port, with the current financial situation of Beluga Port and the Free Confederacy, we simply cannot come up with the funds to rebuild the city and seize Sail City."

This is also the biggest concern for the "conservatives" of the Storm Division. They can temporarily ignore the immediate gains and losses for greater rewards, but whether it is the reconstruction of Black Reef Port, or the soldiers are willing to march to defend the colony and continue to attack Sail City,

The premise is that there should be no problem with salary.

Now that the Storm Division has been established, the soldiers' requirements for their own treatment have naturally increased. They are no longer satisfied with a little dividend and basic salary like they were in Hantu.

Even though the entire army had received a collective dividend after the Battle of Changhu Town, and there were shares and guarantees in the Legion Farm, the call for a salary increase never stopped.

This distress also made Anson increasingly feel that it was urgent to form a new army - in addition to the "spectational legions" such as the militia of the Free Confederacy and the League of Promises, there must also be a team with slightly inferior equipment, but at least a strong will to fight and a high salary requirement.

A low levy regiment will do.

"Don't worry about the funding problem, there is already a solution."

Karl waved his hand and said in a rather relaxed manner: "The only problem we have to consider now is how to ensure smooth supply all the way from Winter Torch City to Black Reef Port, make the march safe and smooth, and arrive before the enemy captures the city.

.”

Already solved... Fabian nodded slightly, hiding his inner surprise with indifference.

The chief of staff took the opportunity to look at each other with Anson, their expressions understanding.

So far, the entire Storm Division knows that representatives of the Northern Chamber of Commerce and the Roland family have arrived at Beluga Port. They are the only two people plus a small secretary; as long as the other party is willing to invest, this little money is not a problem at all.

But at least for now, Anson doesn't plan to tell everyone about this; except that he doesn't know the specific attitude of the Northern Chamber of Commerce, and because the other party is also involved in the future Coal Mine Development Bank, it is related to the rule of the Luen family over the entire new world.

.

"As for the logistics issue, I suggest dividing it into two parts."

At this moment, Norton suggested: "Since the destination is Black Reef Port, let the supplies from Gray Snow Town and Beluga Port be gathered at Winter Torch City, and the supplies from Long Lake Town be transported to Red Hand Bay, and then pass through

Each colony relayed transportation and transported the supplies to Black Reef Port in advance of the army."

"Of course there will be certain risks in this, but we can let the colonial militia follow the supplies to Black Reef Port in batches, and use newspapers from various places to publicize it. The Free Confederacy is determined to defend the independence of Black Reef Port to the death, and the Storm Division is busy in Red Reef Port.

Build a new defense line in Hand Bay...to create some interference for the enemy."

Now that the Commander-in-Chief has made up his mind to insist on rescuing Black Reef Port, Norton Crosell no longer insists on unnecessary persistence; responding to the requests of customers (chiefs) in a timely manner and keeping up with the other party's thinking as much as possible is also one of his strengths.

one.

"And I personally think that if the primary goal is just to 'rescue' Black Reef Port, and whether or not Bernard Morweis can be annihilated is a secondary goal, then there is no need for all Storm Divisions to act together."

"It is completely possible to let one group - for example, a certain infantry regiment and cavalry battalion set off first, and then divide the main force into three to reduce the logistics pressure; the line soldiers and skirmishers are in the front, and the artillery and baggage troops are in the back, which reduces drag and speeds up

Marching speed.”

Seeing that he was not interrupted, Norton continued to talk: "Even if the colonial minister wants to fight us in Black Reef Port, with Black Reef Port as his back, even if all the main forces have not been assembled for the time being, he will still be able to fight us.

We have the advantage - it may be difficult to beat them, but it's equally difficult to lose."

"If this is the case, it can indeed reduce a lot of logistical pressure; by marching in batches, the fastest troops should be able to arrive at Black Reef Port in about ten days...there will definitely be time for rescue."

After listening to Lieutenant Colonel Norton's suggestion, Carl Bain nodded immediately, but also expressed his concerns: "But if the logistics are to be decentralized and entrusted to various colonies, it will be too chaotic to manage."

"This is simple - we can ask our people to take over the logistics committee of the Free Confederacy, just like Hantu did." Fabian took over:

"Let Alan Dawn be the general person in charge, and then report the daily situation to Chief of Staff Carl Bain; as for how to ensure that the other party takes it seriously... you can ask Beluga Port to send a member of Parliament to serve as a permanent representative to the Free Confederacy,' observe

'All their work and meetings."

"As for the candidate, I recommend Miss Thalia August Rune."

In terms of the desire to survive, Fabian is only one or two inferior to Anson: "With the head of the Beluga Port Committee, the sponsor of the League of Promise Keepers, the local wealthy family, and the commander-in-chief's fiancée personally sitting on the scene, they will never dare to neglect at all.

!”

"It makes sense, I also think this is a good idea!" The commander-in-chief was surprised and informed, and quickly made a decision:

"I will tell Thalia this suggestion tonight. I believe she will not refuse it knowing that it was proposed by the most cautious grenadier commander of the Storm Division."

Before he finished speaking, Fabian, who was just about to be humble, stumbled, and held on to the chair with an expressionless expression to prevent him from falling directly to the ground.

Karl shook his head, looking at him with eyes full of sympathy... and moved to the side.

"Now that the logistics have been finalized, all that's left is the march route." Anson continued the topic:

"I am going to personally lead a guard company and an infantry regiment to Black Reef Port, with the main army following closely behind; if there is any accident along the way, the highest-ranking officer can convene an emergency military meeting to vote on the next action by a show of hands - of course,

The premise is that it cannot violate the established military plan."

"Are you going to rescue Black Reef Port alone?!"
To be continued...