Tumufu, Ili, Headquarters of the Northwest Theater Command of the Royal Army of Great China.
Cai Gong Wu Jie held a military conference in the northwest theater.
Deputy Chief of General Staff Qu Tian, as a representative of the Metropolitan Governor's Office, attended this military meeting.
Fu Xiucheng, chief of staff of the Fourth Army, Zhang Wansi, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, and other generals from Tumufu came to attend the meeting in person.
Ma Xianglin, commander of the 19th Army, Gao Dasheng, commander of the 9th Cavalry Division, and others who were far away in Ulianghai, Tangnu.
The content of the meeting and their opinions could only be obtained through the telegraph machine.
Cai Gong Wu Jie saw a row of generals sitting in the house. In case of unavailable arrival, there was a special telegraph operator responsible for contacting them.
Ma Xianglin and others are now also staying in front of the telegraph machine and participating in military meetings remotely.
Cai Gong Wu Jie pulled the cloth behind him, and an exquisite military map was displayed behind him.
He held a small wooden stick and pointed at the vast plain to the west of Tumu Mansion.
"His Majesty's latest decree.
'You hit yours, I'll hit mine.'
Let us let go and not be bound by traditional ideas.
After each army is ready, it can attack the Russian army at any time.
My opinion is that we should strike first and fight for strategic points.
War is all about logistics, especially going deep into the enemy's hinterland.
If we don't do the logistics well, we won't be able to defend the places we conquer.
Now Li Changzhi, the Logistics Minister of the Northwest Metropolitan Government, will introduce the material reserves and logistics supply."
Cai Gong Wu Jie's words made the generals present extremely excited.
Especially the generals of the Fourth Army and the Nineteenth Army. As infantry, they did not want to hold on to the fortress and watch the cavalry division make great achievements.
The generals of the cavalry division were even more excited, whether it was the Great Plains of Kazakhstan or the Great Plains of Siberia.
There are not too many mountains in this area to block the battlefield, making it easier for cavalry to fight.
These two places were the core areas controlled by nomads in ancient times.
The generals of the cavalry division all predicted that this battle with the Russian army would be the last hope for the cavalry.
The cavalry will lose its glory for thousands of years, withdraw from the main battle arm, and can only appear on the battlefield as an auxiliary arm.
Until there is a unit that completely replaces the cavalry.
They all want to perform better in this war.
While leaving honor for the cavalry, you can also leave your own name in history and gain recognition from the court and honor your ancestors.
Li Changzhi, the Logistics Minister of the Northwest Governor's Mansion, did not expect Cai Gong Wu Jie to call his name immediately.
He stood up immediately without holding the report in his hand. He knew the situation of the army's supplies well.
“I report the relevant situation on behalf of the Logistics Department of the Northwest Metropolitan Government.
The Imperial Arsenal can produce enough weapons and ammunition in one day for us to fight for several months.
The empire's finances are very rich, and frontline soldiers will not be short of guns and ammunition due to lack of money.
The only problem that limits the transportation of logistics materials to front-line troops is transportation.
The current railway has been built to Ulu Prefecture and is extending to Ili Prefecture.
In winter, the railway cannot be built due to frozen soil.
As the permafrost thaws, railway construction will speed up.
It is expected that the construction will reach Yili Prefecture this year and Tumu Prefecture within two years.
The railway line to Tangnu Ulianghai has not yet been planned, but two gravel roads have been laid.
It is expected that these two gravel roads will be turned into cement roads this year to speed up the transportation of materials."
While Li Changzhi was speaking, he personally walked to the military map ahead and marked the conditions of railways and highways with a pen.
He said confidently: "Since last year, the imperial court has been transporting military supplies to the front line.
The food stored in various places can ensure that the more than 200,000 troops on the front line have three full meals a day for three years, even when the logistics are cut off.
The food distributed to the front line is mainly rice and various noodles, as well as various canned food.
Vegetables are mainly purchased locally by military logistics officers.”
After Li Changzhi finished speaking, he took out two types of cans.
One is canned fruit in glass bottles, and the other is canned meat in iron boxes.
Southeast Asia is rich in fruits and has developed fisheries and animal husbandry.
The Du family of the Nanyang Chamber of Commerce controls nearly 30% of the canned industry in the empire.
They rely on mature technology and low prices to become a supplier of canned food for the military.
Canned fruits contain extremely high sugar content and various nutrients, which can quickly replenish physical strength on the battlefield.
Canned meat in tin boxes is mainly fish and chicken, with a small amount of high-grade pork.
Du's canned meat has a good reputation, and there is absolutely no fox or mouse meat in it.
The Royal Army Logistics Department of Dahua, the most important reason for purchasing large quantities of cans.
That is, canned food is easy to transport and has a very long shelf life.
The first batch of products from the Dujia canning factory can still be eaten after opening the lid.
Biological experts from Hua Xia University have said that as long as the can body is not damaged, even if it is left for 100 years, the contents of the can will not spoil.
The generals looked at these two cans, and they were tired of eating them.
Canned food doesn't have the aroma of vegetables stir-fried by a chef.
But on the battlefield, canned food is the most suitable food.
In the previous war, they grabbed a few handfuls of fried rice and a few bites of steamed buns, which were both delicious.
Today's soldiers are very happy to be able to eat canned food.
The voice of Li Changzhi, the Logistics Minister of the Northwest Governor's Office, sounded again.
“In war in the age of firearms, the most critical materials are firearms and ammunition, of which ammunition is the most important.
A gun without bullets is worse than a fire stick.
If you fight with a bayonet, you won't be able to fight with a spear.
In various major warehouses, we have stored enough ammunition for more than 200,000 troops to use in high-intensity wars for one year.
There are more than 100 million bullets, and there are millions of rounds of various types of artillery shells.
The troops on the front line do not need to save ammunition. Our logistics department can ensure the supply of ammunition.
Even if you use a thousand bullets to exchange the enemy's life, it is worth it.
The cost of 1,000 bullets is only ten silver coins, which is not as high as a veteran's monthly salary.
The military cannot be in high-intensity war every day.
We have enough bullets in stock for two years.
New weapons and ammunition will continue to be shipped from the rear.
The biggest problem of our army now is that if the battle line is too long and the supply line is too long, it will easily be attacked by the enemy, and weapons and ammunition will not be transported in time.
The Northwest Governor's Office, under the guidance of the General Staff Headquarters, has found a way to solve this problem.
We have captured the enemy's strategic city and will set up a simple arsenal there.
This kind of arsenal can produce some simple weapons and ammunition without any problem.
The main task of the arsenal is to reload ammunition.
Reloaded ammunition is not accurate and can damage the barrel of the gun.
But when the front line lacks ammunition, it is indeed a better solution.
A simple arsenal can also produce muzzleloaders and black powder.
This weapon can be given to the servant army. In extreme cases, the city will be cut off from supplies by the enemy.
The garrison can also use these old-fashioned firearms to hold out until reinforcements arrive."
After Li Changzhi finished speaking, his confident look infected the generals present.
Warm applause goes to the logistics department.
The efforts of the logistics department are visible to everyone.
They believe that the logistics department can deliver weapons and ammunition to the front line on time.
Li Changzhi also had a very important situation that he did not mention at the military meeting.
The logistics troops responsible for transporting supplies are mainly responsible for the militia.
Most of the militiamen were transferred from China, and the rest were militiamen transferred from Siam, Burma, Eastern Japan and other places.
They are a group of completely Chinese naturalized people.
The militiamen transported supplies to the front line, and they would also stay there to guard the new frontier of the Great China Empire.
Cai Gong Wu Jie said: "The logistics line is the lifeline. When all generals formulate combat plans, they should first consider the safety of the logistics line.
Know yourself and the enemy and you can fight a hundred battles without danger.
Next, the commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, Zhang Wansi, and the commander of the 9th Cavalry Division, Gao Dasheng, will introduce the enemy's situation to everyone."
Zhang Wansi, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, was at the military meeting.
He stood up first and introduced the Russian troops near the Kazakh tribe.
"Our army has captured the Kazakh tribe in winter.
The Kazakh tribe is close to the defense line of Tumu-Lake Balkhash.
The Kazakh tribe is the largest tribe in Kazakhstan, but it occupies less than one-fifth of the area of Kazakhstan.
They were close to the east and were forced here by the Russian Gossack cavalry and the puppet tribes they supported.
Russian troops occupy large areas of Kazakhstan.
The westernmost tip of Kazakhstan is close to the Caspian Sea and very close to the Russian capital Moscow.
I learned from Russian prisoners that the distance was roughly from Beijing to Songjiang Prefecture.
In spring and summer when the rivers are not frozen, supplies can also be transported by water.
We have no detailed information about the situation of the Russian army in Kazakhstan.
After this period of exploration, we only learned about the strength of the Russian army in areas close to the border.
According to the name of the General Staff, this army is the Southern Front Army of the Russian Army in the Eastern Expedition.
They are mainly commanded by Russian general Vladimir Sergeyev.
There are 50,000 Russian cavalry and 60,000 infantry under his command, a total of 110,000 people.
Most of the troops have arrived recently. We haven't found out their specific numbers and strength yet.
I also support a pre-emptive strike to catch the Russian army off guard while they are still integrating.
The snow in the Cossack region has now melted.
Some time ago, it was precisely because the snow melted and the permafrost melted.
Many areas have turned into swamps. During this period, due to the strong sunshine, the swamps have dried up, making it easier for cavalry to fight."
Zhang Wansi, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, finished describing the situation in Kazakhstan.
The telegraph machine representing the commander of the 9th Cavalry Division, Gao Dasheng, was beeping loudly just now, but now it no longer makes any sound.
Qu Tian, the deputy chief of general staff, directly asked for the newly translated telegram.
He said: "Gao Da was promoted to a division commander in the Tangnu Ulianghai area.
Let me, on behalf of him, introduce the situation of the Russian army in the Tangnu Ulianghai area.
The Russian Army's Northern Front Corps of the Eastern Army was stationed in the cities of Kuznetsk and Tomsk.
The Russian army's previous forces were already close to the North Sea, and their forces shrank to Kuznetsk.
Their purpose is to prevent their forces from going too deep and directly cutting off the logistics line by our army.
Kuznetsk is the main station of the Russian army. It is rich in coal and iron, as well as steel plants and arsenals established by the Russian army.
Responsible for providing weapons and ammunition to the Russian troops on the front line.
There are 10,000 cavalry and more than 100,000 infantry stationed in Kuznetsk.
Tomsk has a garrison of 30,000 to 40,000 people and stores a large amount of supplies for the Russian army.
The appearance of the Han people was too different from that of the Russians, and they were unable to blend into the heavily defended Russian military city.
I don’t know much about the specific information in the city.
However, through high-altitude airship reconnaissance, the situation in these two cities is not much different from what our army learned.
The permafrost in Siberia has thawed and the roads are now very muddy.
After the permafrost thaws, the mud area formed can be as deep as a person's calf.
The cavalry was completely unable to move under such circumstances."
Chief of Staff Qu Tian finished reading the telegram sent by Gao Dasheng.
Cai Gong and Wu Jie have already marked the situation of the enemy and our armies on the military map.
He said passionately: "The current situation is very favorable to us.
Because the permafrost in Siberia has just thawed, most areas are not suitable for combat.
We cannot move, but the Russian army cannot move even more.
However, the Russian military's communication methods are extremely backward, and they still mainly rely on fast horses to deliver messages.
Our army can first raid the Russian army in Kazakhstan, and then launch another raid on the Russian army after the swamp in Siberia evaporates.
Even if the Russian army in Kuznetsk receives news that there is a siege and defense battle there, it will not have much impact."
Cai Gong Wu Jie marked two red arrows on the military map, representing the direction of the attack of the Royal Army of Dahua.
He issued an order: "Zhang Wansi, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division in Kazakhstan, is responsible for commanding the war zone. The 2nd Cavalry Division, 4th Cavalry Division, and 6th Cavalry Division cooperate to eliminate the Russian cavalry.
The Fourth Army is responsible for building forts at strategic locations in Kazakhstan to defend against Russian counterattacks.
Your goal is to reach the Black Sea, occupy the Kazakh region and its surrounding plains, and completely drive out the Russian forces.
In the Siberian region, Ma Xianglin, commander of the 19th Army, is responsible for the theater command.
The 9th Cavalry Division and the 10th Cavalry Division cooperated with the 19th Army.
If the 19th Army can capture the Ural Mountains and hold the Russian army to the west of the Ural Mountains, I will personally take credit for you."
Cai Gong Wu Jie talked about the results he hoped to achieve in these two war zones.
These two war zones can really achieve the results he envisioned.
This battle can break the backbone of Russia and make Russia a regional power in Northern Europe.
Cai Gong Wu Jie will definitely be crowned king by Emperor Su He because of this meritorious service.
When the generals heard this goal, their eyes seemed to sparkle with fire.
Zhang Wansi took the lead and said: "For the honor of the Royal Army, I will definitely lead everyone to achieve the set goals.
The Royal Army will win."
As soon as his slogan came out, the generals present, all army generals, shouted in unison.
"The Royal Army will win."
Seeing that the morale of the generals was high, Cai Gong Wu Jie issued an order: "Three days after the Kazakh war zone, that is, on April 2, 4342 (AD 1645), we officially launched an attack on the Russian army.
Based on the local environment, the Siberian Theater waited for an opportunity to raid Kuznetsk, and must capture this heavy industrial town of the Russian Army.
The Russian army has lost Kuznetsk, and their weapons and ammunition need to be shipped from Europe. The Royal Army will win this war."
After Cai Gong Wu Jie issued the order, he encouraged: "I hope all of you here can go to the capital with me and receive the reward from His Majesty the Emperor."
The order for war was issued, and the Royal Army of Great China in the northwest theater was operating at high speed.
Orders from the headquarters to mobilize troops were continuously issued to every army.
Zhang Wansi and other generals also rode back to their own troops on fast horses to direct the army's actions.
The Royal Army of Great China, which had already prepared for war, launched a surprise attack on the Russian army on April 2, 4342 (1645 AD).
