Youjo Senki - Volume 13 - Chapter 2.3

JANUARY 3, UNIFIED YEAR 1928, MOSKVA / SUPREME HIGH COMMAND

In contrast to the size of the army, which operated under party authority, the Stavka of Supreme High Command in Moskva was actually fairly modest.

Exterior aside, the inside of the building was surprisingly practical. The room was so dominated by pragmatism that, were one accustomed to socialist realism, it might feel like a different dimension.

A glance at the faces of the men seated in the room, meanwhile, would have been stunning.

The small group gathered in that meeting room, which was located in the inner depths of the headquarters, was made up of generals, party elite, and even the general secretary and members of Internal Affairs—all models of no-nonsense dedication. Even the salutations of the officers were simple and utterly practical.

There was nothing laid-back about their attitudes, however.

“It is the appointed time, so let us begin,” the moderator said nervously, punctual down to the second. Although he remained calm and kept his voice level as he made eye contact with the general secretary, his stiffly controlled posture was the product of great effort and artifice.

The moderator was far from alone in that regard.

“Today’s agenda concerns strategic objectives for Operation Rising Dawn.”

The proceedings were now in the military’s hands. Without hesitation, one of the gathered generals, a man of late middle age who was there to share their proposals, stood up and began speaking.

“As requested by the party, the military has prepared two plans, one that is certain to be successful and one geared toward decisively winning the war. We are prepared to proceed with either.”

This man, General Kutuz, possessed a distinctive manner that had avoided earning him any ill will, even during the storm of purges that had battered the military. Strict and capable, General Kutuz did not believe in attempting things that did not make sense. Though talented, he had protected his position as a veteran general by remaining largely nameless. In other words, he had long been seen as a harmless fixture.

At the moment, however, General Kutuz was the man behind the planning of the Federation’s strategic offensive, Rising Dawn, and he was advocating for a militarily rational solution rather than any grand displays of genius.

“Thank you, Comrade Kutuz. The question, then, is whether our objective in Operation Rising Dawn should be for two hundred kilometers or six hundred kilometers,” the general secretary said, folding his arms. The assembled military men and party elites were there today to make up their minds on that difficult question.

“And there’s no point in attempting a compromise?”

“Correct,” Kutuz said, adopting an apologetic manner as he spoke.

“I, too, understand the desire to push the enemy back a bit farther if possible, and I would have also liked to aim for a compromise, but there are too many difficulties… A compromise would be akin to herding cats.”

Despite being a military specialist speaking to nonspecialists, Kutuz’s answer was both extremely polite and perfectly serious. To put it in other words, General Kutuz completely lacked the arrogant and condescending attitude so common to specialists. Regardless of who was talking, even when opposed, the general’s personality was prone to see this not as opposition but rather an opportunity to consult. A virtue that life had taught him.

“At two hundred kilometers, we should be able to strike and cross the stone bridge. It is very likely that our army would smash the Empire’s defensive line while also blunting their spears and suffering comparatively few losses ourselves.”

It was a simple and clear plan. The others nodded in understanding as they stared at the map. It involved advancing along a 100-kilometer front and seizing 200 kilometers of ground, dealing the Imperial Army a heavy blow.

A straight push, without any of the tricks General Zettour was so known for, meant to teach the enemy a lesson and drive them back. The argument for this approach was clear. Through the appropriate combination of fundamentally mundane and easy-to-understand parts, General Kutuz ensured that the party members and key players would grasp the plan without backlash.

Though the steps were individually mundane and underwhelming, when taken collectively, they could easily shake the world. A simple, straightforward, and by-the-book plan. In other words, powerful when done right.

At the same time, it was unfortunately also the type of proposal likely to attract criticism from those expecting more after so much preparation. Hence why an alternative plan had also been arranged, one focused on pushing the limits. A grasping final plan to end the war with a single blow.

“At six hundred kilometers, we would aim for the best possible outcome and attempt to entirely decimate the Imperial Army’s main fighting force.”

General Kutuz’s style of speaking was professional in manner, but free from enigma and obfuscation.

“The envisioned advance, six hundred kilometers, is quite long, but even this is a preliminary supposition at most. It is the minimum distance that we estimate would be necessary when prioritizing pursuit and damaging of defensive lines. If the Imperial Army is able to retreat more swiftly, emphasizing attacking the enemy’s main fighting force—with an advance of more than six hundred kilometers—could also be on the table.”

Repeatedly turning over what needed to be done, what was expected, and what options had been explored in this manner might be circuitous. However, it was perhaps just what was called for in order to get everyone to reach an agreement.

“Whether two hundred kilometers or six hundred kilometers, the initial steps of the plan remain the same. First, we attack along a front of at least one hundred kilometers. Within that area of operations, the initial goal is to destroy the better part of the enemy’s defensive lines through a concentrated deployment of artillery and air assets. Preparations for this have already been completed.”

Meticulous planned fires. As the attackers holding the initiative, they had the freedom to choose when and where to strike the Imperial Army. The Federation Army had been slowly and stealthily camouflaging its intentions, stockpiling supplies and making preparations, and marshaling its forces to secure local superiority.

As an abstraction, consider some hypothetical numbers. In the case of 100 vs 120, it would be difficult to say that 120 had a clear superiority. But if 90 of the enemy was locked down by 90 friendly troops while the remaining 10 were attacked by 30, the effect would be overwhelming. Achieving something this decisive might be difficult, but the basic principle was self-explanatory.

General Kutuz continued to lay out the details of the plan simply, without resorting to any difficult calculations.

“If we are only pushing the front forward by two hundred kilometers, the operation will conclude after the first stage for all intents and purposes. We should be able to push the enemy out simply by pummeling them with artillery and sending mechanized units forward. However, some of the enemies remaining troops are likely to retreat. As a result, the enemy will be able to reform their defensive line and, although weaker than before, will likely take steps to bolster their defenses.”

If things went well, they would be able to whittle down the Empire’s numbers during the pursuit. They might be able to make it 80 vs 120, or even 70 vs 120. However, the 120 would also suffer losses. But 90 vs 110 would still be slightly advantageous. And 80 vs 110 or 70 vs 110 would not be bad, either. But they would not be able to eliminate the enemy entirely.

“In the event that we send our army into enemy territory in a fully committed attack to destroy them decisively, we would have to move on to stage two, in which we expect we would have to advance at least six hundred kilometers. In this event, once the initial first stage is completed, our vanguard will need to advance aggressively. In other words, we will need to commit to a nonstop attack. Entertaining the Empire’s stronghold tactics would likely be futile. Laying direct siege to isolated outposts will instead be the work of trailing forces, which will follow in the wake of the first echelon.”

In other words, a wave attack. Inundate the enemy. Such overwhelming force would require 30 behind for every 30 in front, but the Federation Army had already calculated the necessary numbers.

Meaning 30 of the Federation to strike at 10 of the Empire. And if the first wave came to a stop, another 30 fresh soldiers would be waiting to take their place and punch through the enemy’s already beleaguered defensive line. Any remaining pockets of resistance would be surrounded by other units. In other words, 90 would continue to hold down 90.

The truth was that it was a very straightforward calculation: 100 vs 120 plus 30; 90 vs 90 for a stalemate; and 10 vs 30 plus 30 to sustain the push.

Putting aside the specifics of how many divisions could be deployed or the Empire’s own defensive strength, multiple echelons were what allowed for such an excessive fighting style. It all came down to numbers.

“In any case…,” General Kutuz continued. “If any Imperial units decide to hunker down and defend isolated outposts, we should let them. Our first wave will simply continue to advance along the hundred-kilometer front. When the wave hits, they will be like towering castles of sand.”

While 90 continued to hold 90, the remaining forces would arrive to lay devastation in its wake.

Real waves eventually receded. A military wave, however, could continue to drive forward in a torrent. Enemy soldiers, holed up in their sandcastles, would be swallowed up in enemy territory. They would find themselves quickly surrounded. And once they began to run out of ammunition, fuel, and food, the fighting strength of that 90 would begin to dwindle.

Even if their strength only fell by 10 percent, it would already put them at 81 vs 90.

Of course, the Federation’s own attacking force would lose strength in much the same way. But those concerns had already been incorporated into their plans.

“Naturally, between fuel, gunpowder, and human fatigue, the first echelon will inevitably lose momentum at some point. That is unavoidable. Such exhaustion could give the enemy time to rebuild their defensive line. With reserves in place, however, they will never get the chance.”

If the strength of the advancing troops was only 30, the enemy might be able to muster their troops to some degree and attempt to smash the breakthrough force before their encircled 90 could be worn down. That, or rebuild their defensive line.

But with another fresh 30 to continue the charge as soon as soon as the offensive momentum of the first echelon dried up, plus the 90 already pinning the enemy in place?

“With the reserves surrounding the enemy’s isolated outposts, not even the Empire’s stronghold tactics will be able to hold out forever. While the main force is advancing, I believe we should lock them in and let them hunker down all they like to be easily picked off at a later occasion.”

Maneuver and restrain. That was the long and short of the plan. No novel stratagems or other fantastic contrivances. Just the understandable outcome of mundane, down-to-earth, plodding efforts.

“The advantage of having a second echelon of identical scale to replace the first once the first comes to a halt is naturally the ability to sustain the offensive. Once the Imperial Army believes it has stopped the first echelon and begins to rebuild its defensive line, we will crush them with the second echelon. And once the second echelon is on the verge of reaching its limits, the now refreshed and resupplied first echelon will advance once more. This is how we will achieve the second-stage objectives.”

Obviously, the geniuses among them would probably itch for more. Something more adroit and efficient. This approach, however, while very demanding in terms of manpower, had the benefit of being easy to pull off. Even by those without, to put it bluntly, any genius.

When it came to accomplishing things steadily and beneath notice, General Kutuz was a master who could not be easily replaced. After all, he had been able to take a complicated military strategy and, through syntax that brought them all together onto the same page, thoroughly dissipate the tension between the government and the military.

The general’s presence was significant. If the Empire’s resident Lieutenant Colonel Tanya von Degurechaff, for instance, was to learn of General Kutuz’s activities, she would have likely plotted an assassination or schemed to bring him down through slander and other devious tricks.

“Seizing territory is secondary. Our main focus should be on completely eliminating the Imperial Army’s field army. If we can succeed, it will help achieve the party’s goal of ending this Great War with a single decisive blow. At the very least, taking these six hundred kilometers will ensure the Imperial Army is unable to reorganize and allow us to wipe the slate clean, including any supporting organizations. But this will take every ounce of our strength. In other words…”

So far, the specialist had been the one delivering this laborious explanation. The general secretary himself, however, now spoke up to deliver the conclusion.

“There is no room for error. In the worst-case scenario, you’re saying that even one mistake could lead to our collapse.”

“That’s correct,” General Kutuz confirmed, nodding in response. Although a look of pleasure appeared on the general’s face now that he was certain he had communicated everything clearly, there was not even a whiff of ingratiation in his expression.

Loria, watching from the side, couldn’t help but recognize the advantage. But he still interrupted, understanding that the humble general was not the type to say unnecessary things unless directly asked.

“Excuse me, Comrade General. If I may.”

“Yes, Comrade Commissar for Internal Affairs. What is it?”

“Are you saying that we will need to commit everything, even our strategic reserves, to this supposed six-hundred-kilometer area? And even then, success is not assured?”

“Yes,” General Kutuz said, confirming once again.

Can’t was a word that many people had trouble saying. The ready ease with which the general could say, We will try, but we cannot guarantee, was no small thing.

“Adding to Comrade Loria’s question, would two hundred kilometers be successful?” the general secretary asked. General Kutuz responded once again with similar ease.

“With two hundred kilometers, failure is not possible. We would carve through the Imperial defensive line with artillery, rebuffing the Imperial Army’s counterattack and applying pressure.”

It was a forceful push with no particular stratagem. A no-frills steamroller approach. The implications were short and concise, allowing the general secretary to sum the situation up plainly.

“In other words, it would simply be one large attack and would not be particularly decisive in terms of ending the war. The decision is difficult. Two hundred or six hundred kilometers. It is very much like comparing a short- and a long-distance race. I understand there is no compromise available, but…”

Here, the leader of the Federation leveled a question that revealed his political itch for a striking victory.

“…what can we do to ensure victory with the six-hundred-kilometer plan?”

“Well, the certainty of the six-hundred-kilometer plan rests entirely on doing everything we can and concentrating enough manpower to ensure that the advance never stops.”

“Yes, comrade, you’ve stressed that several times, but what of it?”

General Kutuz nodded slowly.

“You see, if our frontline units pause for even a moment, it will give the enemy time to regain their footing. Naturally, our plan is to have a second echelon waiting for the exact moment the first echelon stops—at which point, we will send them forward to take the first echelon’s place. However, if we are even slightly delayed and the enemy is able to recover its defensive footing—”

“Someone like General Zettour needs to be strategically crushed, so it might be better if we avoid any possibility of playing into his hand.”

General Kutuz nodded once more and began speaking again, his tone of voice affirmative.

“I believe that to be the key point. Whether or not there are reserve forces available to maintain the offensive, in the event that things go awry, it could significantly impact not only operational tempo but also our chances of success.”

“Understood,” the Federation leader said gravely.

“If we could prepare a third echelon for such an event, though, the situation would be different.”

The room filled with confusion at this unexpected response. The Federation was already squeezed tightly. From where were they supposed to come up with even more?

“If…such a thing could be managed.”

The regrettable tone in General Kutuz’s voice spoke volumes. While no one present said it, they all understand immediately how difficult it would be to prepare a force that the general would consider unassailable.

It had been so hard to keep their composure when those upstarts from the new world had come around, prattling about “joining the war.” “Well, well, isn’t this a fine mess? We’ll be needing equipment ourselves now. And of course, large quantities of weapons, ammunition, and equipment will be required to rearm the Ildoan Army. What a mess, indeed. Plus, there’s the dire food situation in southern Ildoa, so really, there’s not even enough room in the ships. Looking at the whole situation, top-down, the constraints on distribution and supply are pretty severe. I’m afraid we’re going to have to do away with lend-leasing to the Federation…”

Damn that Zettour. Everyone agreed it was good that the son of a bitch was out of their faces now, but he was hurting their efforts even when he was maneuvering in other countries. The man was like a plague, causing trouble no matter where he went.

Seeing that the moderator was not able to turn things around, Loria decided to raise his hand and share his own opinion.

“The majority of what we can muster up under present conditions has already long been committed to Operation Rising Dawn. It is inconvenient that the capitalists, unlike us, cannot pull their weight, but it is unsurprising.”

Indeed. Seeing that the room was now warmed up, Loria turned to the higher-ups for their judgment.

“This is a political question. At two hundred kilometers, victory is assured, yes, but if were we to make similar preparations, could something like this be easily done a second time?”

“A good point, Comrade Loria. Excuse me, Comrade Kutuz, but if we wished to conduct another offensive at the same scale, it would take a considerable amount of time, I presume?”

“Yes, it is just as you say. Unfortunately, regarding how much time it would take to gather reserves for something of similar scale and muster up this much manpower without the Imperial Army catching wind, I cannot provide an answer on the spot…”

“An approximate estimate is fine, comrade. A rough number, for argument’s sake. How many months would be required for a strategy of similar scale?”

At the general secretary’s urging, General Kutuz seemed to think for a moment before answering:

“For two hundred kilometers, it would likely take about three months. However, if we hit a setback with six hundred kilometers, I’m afraid we could be stuck in place for more than six months at the least. Even if we succeeded, there is still the possibility that we might have difficulty moving due to the losses we would suffer.”

The general secretary grunted as he began to think. As he fell silent, so did the rest of the room.

However, worried that this pulling back, this shrinking in fear, could arouse notions among their highly suspicious leader…Loria decided to purposely stir up the room.

“Comrade General, may I ask one more thing? These are just the thoughts of an amateur, but…expanding the plan to include a third echelon would be difficult, correct?”

In response to Loria’s questions, General Kutuz almost looked relieved. He answered in the negative, with a clarity he had yet to express. His expression was purely professional.

“Quite a great many units have already been squeezed to their limit. And with the need for the mechanization of the first and second echelons, the need for a certain amount of skill is also a significant concern…”

“Would we really need to go that far? We don’t know if we would even need to use the third echelon.”

Was the general not being too cautious? However, despite his reputation for being a people pleaser, as a professional man of the military, General Kutuz never made empty promises.

“Unfortunately, thorough preparation would be necessary. The Imperial Army excels at artifice and stopgaps. In particular, the twenty-some divisions General Zettour has set aside as a strategic reserve are a challenge. If those forces are brought to bear and concentrated, it is a very real danger that our breakthrough force could be cut off and encircled. I heard there had been an extended deployment in Ildoa—”

—but against that charlatan. The end of General Kutuz’s sentence was cut off before he could finish, intercepted by the general secretary, a grin on his face.

“Regarding that… Comrade Loria, please explain.”

“Of course,” Loria said, nodding, as he began to share his latest intelligence with General Kutuz. Information he had shared with the general secretary only moments ago.

“Our marvelous friend has exposed the Imperial Army’s whereabouts,” Loria boasted. The hands, feet, and ears of the secret police have done well. What one can accomplish when one is secretly in love!

“Regarding the Imperial Army’s panzer divisions, most will be wintering in Ildoa. The earliest they expect to move east is after two months. A portion have already begun to uproot themselves, but it seems that provisioning, resting, and retraining will not go swiftly.”

“I see,” General Kutuz said, seemingly impressed… All the same, the general was a veteran. He appeared to think for a moment, a look of confusion on his face. After a brief pause, he posed his own question for Loria gingerly but clearly.

“Looking at it another way, then, is there not a risk that, just as we are overextended due to our offensive and reach our operational limits, the Imperial Army could send in several fresh panzer divisions?”

Kutuz’s concern was that they might be subjected to a painful counterattack right when they could least afford it. It was a fairly mundane concern, which made it all the more understandable.

Loria smiled. “Do not worry on that account. Regarding the two-month estimate, replenishment of the Imperial Army’s panzer divisions is unlikely to proceed so fast. According to intelligence reports, the Empire’s panzer divisions have been chronically short on men. They are currently at less than fifty-percent strength, and the replenishment rate is just barely putting them at seventy percent.”

Although, Loria’s real thoughts on the matter was that it was a mystery how, no matter how many times they fought, they kept getting led around by the nose by an enemy with such limited fighting force. He had another thought as well, though. With his current intelligence on the Empire, which showed that they were barely making ends meet, if the Federation could overwhelm the Empire through an operation like Rising Dawn, it would immediately put them in checkmate.

Most importantly, Loria had gotten his hands on a major secret.

“Comrade Loria, perhaps you should explain the other item as well.”

Loria glanced toward the general secretary for confirmation and received a nod.

“After repeated clashes with our army, General Zettour likely assumes we are in no condition to stage a winter offensive. He seems to reason that if we were being deceptive, we would have struck in Ildoa.”

Loria flashed a reassuring smile at the look of astonishment that appeared on General Kutuz’s face.

“So you see, Comrade General, your concerns are diligent. But as you’ve just heard, Zettour will not be anywhere near the eastern front. And the likelihood that our attack will enjoy the element of surprise is high.”

“But the Imperial Army was pressed in August of last year as well, to the point where it seemed like General Zettour would need a miracle. They will stop at nothing when cornered. Imperial decapitation tactics pose the greatest danger. And most importantly, General Zettour is particularly skilled in calculating backward from logistical needs. Such things come almost secondhand for a man like that, and lines of supply and communication can be a weakness even for very large armies.”

Loria’s eyes widened. A direct counterargument from General Kutuz was rare. He almost never refuted someone this firmly to their face. Moreover, it was unusual for anyone to disagree with Loria, save the general secretary himself. Rarity upon rarity. The general must have felt strongly about this.

Loria waited for him to continue. General Kutuz voiced further concerns, his expression absolutely professional.

“In the worst-case scenario, the enemy could capture our logistics bases.”

Hmm? Loria’s face was a mask of curiosity.

“I’m sorry, but aren’t you worrying too much again, Comrade General? What exactly is it you envisage happening?”

“The strongest risk is an airborne assault. The Imperial Army is adept at striking deep with long-range decapitation attacks. We should be worried about their strategic reach.”

“Now that you mention it, the Empire performed something similar before. But we’ve developed countermeasures, haven’t we?”

“Yes, countermeasures are in place. But they are only equipped to deal with what we’ve seen before. We’ve accounted for a regiment of airborne mages, but if more than that should show up—”

“Comrade Kutuz, the Empire has, at most, two divisions of mages deployed to the eastern front. Their numbers are lacking to boot. Do you really believe they can afford to scrape together a fresh regiment?”

“There is always the fog of war. Even if the information obtained is complete, it is only complete at the time it is acquired, correct?”

Hmph. Loria’s shoulders relaxed. On that point, at least, they had no need to worry.

“I understand. It is natural for you to worry, as I cannot fully explain our intelligence-gathering capabilities. However, rest easy. I know everything down to the brand of wine that General Zettour drank at the Empire’s New Year’s banquet.”

“And the Imperial Army’s movements—”

“Are under full surveillance. Even their parade grounds are under close watch. As for the force you were referring to… What are they called, the Salamander Kampfgruppe? I’ve already ascertained that they have returned to the Imperial capital from Ildoa.”

“I see, I see,” General Kutuz said, nodding readily, but then his face suddenly grew tense. After a moment, he turned with a look of agony on his face and gave voice to the dreadful thought that seemed to have risen in his chest.

“And if they return to the east at this time?”

“General Zettour is formidable, it is true. Quick on his feet and prepared for anything. In many ways, he deserves praise.”

As a hunter of love, the timing could not be better for Loria.

“All the same, those Salamanders are only a single unit. No more, no less.”

Regardless, Loria did not take his work lightly. And hunting that little fairy was his destiny. In that very moment, Loria made the decision to work toward achieving final victory, and final victory alone.

“Six hundred kilometers it is, then.”

As the general secretary himself made up his mind, the entire Federation fell into lockstep, springing into action like a well-lubricated precision machine. There was a buzz as the specialists in each department began barking out necessary work orders, covering everything down to the smallest detail.

“What kind of equipment? New models?”

“Tanks, fighter planes, and computation orbs, all of similar quality to those in the Empire.”

“There is one issue. The new equipment is strong, but maturation takes time. Even some of our elite units will still be using existing equipment at the end of the day. Don’t expect newly equipped units to live up to what’s written on paper.”

The Federation were excellent at getting all their ducks in a row. It was the execution, after all, that was their sticking point.